Monday, June 25, 2012

Echo Creative Club - June and Suburban Girl and me

It is that time again for the Echo Creative Club reveal.  You know what?  I have loved each and every month that I have participated in this amazing club that Jeannie has been so gracious to let me be a part of.  Not only do I get to work with some amazing components that are created by her very very talented hands I have taken each and every month to expand and grow in my own work.  I can never give the thanks to Jeannie that she so deserves for inspiring me.

So why do you ask did I include Diana's awesome Suburban Girl Studios in this reveal?  Well Diana has been so sweet to have let me stay on her Design Team and work with her creations that frankly have sent me to a whole new level that I truly never ever thought I would try.  Now I have to tell you that when Diana's and Jan's beads arrived I did not get a picture but here is what I started with when Jeannie's beads arrived.


So when I received Jeannie's beads I was truly in love with these Fractured Art goodies.  Then along came my package from Diana and OMG they NEEDED to be combined.  So I set off to creating.  Well the picture in my mind and how the design was beginning were not melding as I had hoped.  I started with Diana's beads.  Guess what?  Yep I am embroidering.  I know I didn't think I would either.  Here was my first attempt with Diana's shell bead.


I have to tell you that I really do not like thread showing in any work but I know sometimes it is unavoidable.  I didn't care for the thread showing on the bugles but I really love the look.  I worked and worked to make it work but nope it did not work!  So 2 more attempts at the shell and I was still getting discouraged.  Okay K now what?  Lets move on to the starfish and see what sparks.  That totally did it.  I new that when I finished the starfish I would do the same around the shell.  Keeping it simple so as not to over power her beads.  Now to put it all together.  As I was thinking and thinking on how to make it come together and keep the colors the way I wanted them to be I started thinking that this was not going to be a pretty necklace.  I began thinking that there is no way I am going to get this one to show how awesome these 2 design teams are.  So they sat for a couple of days on the tray to mock me each time I saw them.  I wanted to use the same beads in the chain that are on the embroidered pieces but I only had less than 6 grams of each left.  So I started working on another project.  Well you all know I am a pearly girl and when I was looking through the stash for some beads I saw my yummy creamy 4 mm pearls.  Okay humm where to go from here.  Then it hit me.  The Russian Snake stitch or Daisy chain.  I could make it all work with the colors I wanted.  So I made the chain.  You know what it came together perfectly for me. And let's not forget Jan of Molten Mayham  lampwork bead that once again makes a rockstar clasp!  I really love and treasure this piece for so many reasons.  Here are a few of them.  

I don't know how many of you know who Peter Sewell is.  He is an amazing artist that inspires and reminds everyone to push through your struggles.  I have only known Peter for a very short while although is work I have admired since I first saw it.  It was funny as I was too shy to friend request him on Facebook and when he heard this he sent me one instead.  Now any of you who know Peter know he tells it like it is even if it is not what you want to hear.  He is a funny funny man and generous with his friendship.  Peter lost his battle with cancer on the 5th of June and our beading community is very sad.  I was talking to a friend and asked how best to honor him and she told me that the best way was to push through my beading struggles as Peter would have done.  He was in my thoughts throughout the creation of this piece.  I miss you Peter.
A friend edited this picture which was my favorite of Peter's  I asked him what he was thinking but he said it had been too long to remember.

The other reason I love this is that it was truly all my working this.  Yes I am armed with knowledge gained from some pretty amazing beaders but it all came together from me.  How totally cool is that.  And green is not a color I work with often.

So here I now leave you with Surf and Sand......

Thank you again Jeannie, Diana and Jan for the opportunity to play with your spectacular creations.

Please visit our other ECC members blogs

Cindy Cima Edwards  http://www.cindycima.com
Sonya Ingersoll-Stille  http://dreaminofbeads.blogspot.com/

Hugs and Blessings

KK

21 comments:

  1. Beautiful necklace, Kristen! I love the way you pulled all the different beads together. Sometimes it's really hard to work through problems but then when you do the results are so satisfying and wonderful!

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  2. It's sooooo gorgeous!!!!!!!!!! What a fabulous design, Kristen!! I am so glad you persevered, and Peter would be very proud of you, he really would. :) :) :) I miss him too. You are on a roll with these beautiful pieces!!!!

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  3. Kirsten, I'm sorry for your the loss of your beading friend Peter.

    Surf and Sand bestill my heart. Holy Smokes Batman! Looks like Diana's, Jan's and my beads play well together.
    I love how you nestled Diana's shell and starfish with beads by doing that beading thing you do so well.
    and Jan's clasp really brings the whole piece together and the pearls really pump it.
    WOW!

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  4. Hi Kristen,
    I am sorry to hear about your friend, but it is wonderful to know that he left his foot print in so many hearts of those that knew him.

    Your piece is so very beautiful! Congratulations to you for bring this beauty to life through your own imagination. It is a great feeling when you can do that! Jeannie, Diana, and Jan's beads are beautiful and look awesome together in your design.
    Therese

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  5. Kristen, I had heard of Peter and was also incredibly impressed with his art. I didn't know of his passing, but you have surely honored him by sharing his philosophy of pushing through and getting the work done. And Lady, that shell piece is simply gorgeous. I audibly gasped when I scrolled down to that piece!

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  6. Beautiful art beads and components in your talented hands is what I would call magic waiting to happen! I LOVE this necklace Kristen ... gorgeous!!!

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  7. Love the colors and the integration of all the art beads in this design. That beaded pearl section at the back is the bomb! And I am sorry that you lost your friend to cancer. What a blessing to know that his spirit lives on in your two creative hands working through the tribulations and coming out with something wonderful on the other side! Enjoy the day. Erin

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  8. WOW! I love this piece! It is really stunning and the sentiment is very moving. I just love, love, love it, great job!
    Sonya

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  9. WOW these are GORGEOUS! Your work paired with Jeannie's beads and Diana's pieces are TO DIE FOR!

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  10. kristen, i'm so sorry you lost such a dear friend. it is so heartbreaking to lose one of our own to such an evil disease. blessings on you for working on through when it wasn't meshing. the necklace doesn't look like you struggled. it just flows together beautifully. wishing you well.

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  11. Your necklace came together very well! The color is sumptuous!
    Wonderful!

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  12. Well I came looking for bead embroidery and that's just what I got. Beautiful work as usual my dear!
    I can't believe you got all those beads that go together!!!

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  13. Kristen - I am sorry about the loss of your friend.
    Your piece is truly, freaking awesome girl! I love how you pulled it all together and those colors are gorgeous! You are doing so awesome girl!!!
    Big hugs!

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  14. Lovely pieces! Sorry for your loss - such a great way to honour his memory!

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  15. My friend, you created such a beautiful design! I totally love all the elements brought together, and am so proud of your skills!!! :)))

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  16. Oh my, such soft colors and such a beautiful design. The shell and the starfish are so cute.

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  17. So pretty! And thanks for sharing your process - I know completely what you were going through! Sometimes you simply need to put a piece down for a little bit and let the back brain work in order to find the way forward.

    But at the same time not loose the momentum and drive to pick the piece back up and finish. Your finished necklace is lovely!

    hugs,

    Karen

    p.s. I think Peter would be more than honored to read what you wrote. What a beautiful way to be remembered!

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  18. Love your beach-inspired pieces!

    Thanks for your comments on my blog about BSBP...hope you're joining us! Such fun!!

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  19. LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE!!!

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  20. Kristen -
    Oh heavens. THe colors, the celadon, is so absolutely gorgeous. This is truly mermaid worthy! A sea treasure!

    I am sorry to hear of your loss, I can only imagine...

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