Comments for Fresh Monsters

Comment on Bead Journal Project 2010 Update (May in July) by Robin Atkins

Robin Atkins — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 01:14:41 +0000

What a striking piece, Kali! Good to see you haven’t given up on the BJP… I hope you’ll continue now as you have a bit more time.

Robin A.

Comment on Finished March Dancer – Bead Journal Project 2010 by Jody

Jody — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 18:14:28 +0000

Beautiful, love the style, colors!!
Spectacular!!!

Comment on Finished March Dancer – Bead Journal Project 2010 by Kali Tal

Kali Tal — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 10:45:58 +0000

@Robin — thanks for the compliment and the advice. I’m going to try your blending technique next time around, though I think my April piece will be more bead-weaving and less embroidery. (May and and June, however, I plan to embroider more again.)

Comment on Finished March Dancer – Bead Journal Project 2010 by Robin Atkins

Robin Atkins — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 07:22:25 +0000

This is JOY on so many levels, Kali! When I look back at your first two BJP pieces and now this one, I see such progress and such commitment! Bravo!

I understand what you write about not getting the detail you want with beads, even using size 15 beads. That has frustrated me sometimes too, especially when I’m doing something that is fairly representational. There are two techniques that have helped. One is to blend the colors. For example, say you want to blend red into brown and don’t have an intermediate color. You can lay on a line of beads as follows: 5R, 1B, 4R, 1B, 3R, 1B, 2R, 1B, 1R, 2B, 1R, 3B, 1R, 4B, 1R, 5B. Or you can begin with 4 or 3 and still pull it off. For the second way, if I’m blending three colors, but in a small space, I might lay one line of R next to one line of B and then bead a line of RB on top of/between the R and B lines. Hope that makes sense.

Robin A.

Comment on Finished March Dancer – Bead Journal Project 2010 by Carol

Carol — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 16:36:01 +0000

OMGOSH, this piece is breathtaking! Just fantastic. I have a feel of dancing through the garden uninhibited. Fantastic expression of joy that Spring is here. Your beading is perfection and you made it look easy.
Carol

Comment on Finished March Dancer – Bead Journal Project 2010 by Lisa Criswell

Lisa Criswell — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 15:25:43 +0000

oh, kali, the beading really turned out wonderfully! i think it’s fun and free and energizing. what a neat piece! thanks, too, for visiting my blog…i replied back to your comment about peyote around a cab, so go check it out if you missed it.

Comment on Thinking About March – Bead Journal Project 2010 by Sharon M.

Sharon M. — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:10:39 +0000

As someone who yearns for their home in Southern NM I love that you are using the NM landscape for your color palatte. I enjoyed your February doll and I can tell by the sketch that I will love March’s also!

Comment on March Sketch #2 – Bead Journal Project 2010 by Magpie Sue

Magpie Sue — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:50:46 +0000

This *is* ambitious! But it will be fantastic – good luck indeed!

Comment on Finished February Doll – Bead Journal Project 2010 by Magpie Sue

Magpie Sue — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:47:48 +0000

Wow, what a unique piece. And to think I almost missed it! I love the way you solved the problem of a background for the doll pendant. Very smart.

We’ve had a very mild winter this year but I would still enjoy some time in the desert about now. ;- )

Comment on March Sketch #2 – Bead Journal Project 2010 by Kali Tal

Kali Tal — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:18:51 +0000

Thanks for the comment, Robin! Lazertran Silk is a transfer paper I use for polymer clay — I print my image on my laser printer, and then I place it on the clay and peel off the backing paper. You can also use 3M mounting spray to transfer the Lazertran image to even very rough fabric, so that’s what I did to the Stiff Stuff.

I don’t have any real silk (though it sounds like maybe I should get some), but I used the Stiff Stuff to back my beaded cabochons, and then back the February bead embroidery piece, and it seemed to work okay, so I just did the same with this March piece. I’d welcome your suggestions (and anyone else’s) for a better process for prepping the background of a complex bead embroidery piece. What materials and tools do I really need? Embroidery hoop? What sort of silk? Is there a good tutorial online. (Books are incredibly expensive to order in Switzerland.)