Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Art Jewelry Elements - Nightmare Insomnia and I can so relate!!!


I am late to the party today with no other excuse that I locked myself out of my own computer.  Yep leave it to me!  So I am writing and editing as fast as my little fingers (with the exception of the sprained one which is not so little but there will be more about that later) can work!

Today we get to reveal our Art Jewelry Elements Component of the month.  This month Jennifer Cameron of Glass Addictions sent us all a Nightmare Insomnia bead  This how Jennifer describes the creation of these awesome beads.

"My 10 year old daughter, who turns 11 in July, inspired this series. The first time I made one of these, it was 4 years ago in the midst of a particularly bad spell of nightmares for her. Every single night she would wake up screaming and end up crawling in bed with us, plastered against me...elbowing, kicking, tossing and turning. Plus I would be sweating because I was crammed in between her and hubs. This means I really wasn't getting much sleep.One night, as I was torching, I was stewing about this particular issue, and suddenly my beads started growing these stylized spider end caps thingys on them before I realized what was going on. The next morning when I showed my lovely daughter, she responded with "that's really mean that you made those because of my nightmare, but also really cool." I continue to make them even though she no longer wakes up screaming about spiders or crawls into bed with us."

While I totally understand this part because my sweet boy does suffer from night terrors but I am not so sure playing with a torch in the middle of the night would be the solution for me.  LOL  Oh and I will be totally sharing with you all that I made my first, last and only glass bead this past weekend but that will be a whole other blog post!

So this is the bead Jennifer sent me! 

I am still trying to figure out how I ended up with this one.  I know she put them all in envelopes and then addressed them so that she would not know which one went where but really I have a shirt that matches this perfectly and I have been having a devil of a time trying to get anything to match it. 

So what to do? what to do?  I needed something to just set the spark.  I think a trip to Michael's was in order.  I found these amazing rings in gunmetal and since they were having a 2 for 5 sale I had to find something else. 

Can you believe these beads match the colors in Jennifer's bead? 

Now here is the part where I tell you I sprained my finger.  Yep once again my medical freak of nature is coming out!  I have no clue how or why but I wake up in the morning with a swollen middle finger were I can't even bend it at the first knuckle.  With advil the swelling goes down enough by the end of the day that I can fit in about an hour or more of beading but you know when working with seeds it is very slow at accomplishing anything.  So here is how far I have gotten.

I hate showing unfinished work.  But there is opportunity here for me to ask for your advice.  Should I have this gorgeous creation lay flat or make it drop?  Do you like the simple chain links I created?  Would you like to know how?

Okay I think that is enough babbling for now.  Please check out our other participants!

Beti Horvath: Stringing Fool
Gretchen Nation: Art Food Lodging
Karen Totten: Starry Road Studio
Kathleen Douglas: Washoe Kat's
Keirsten Giles: The Cerebral Dilettante
Kristen Stevens: My Bead Journey
Lori Anderson: Pretty Things
Rana Wilson: Rana Lea Designs
Shannon Chomanczuk: For My Sweet Daughter


Hugs and Blessings!
KK

14 comments:

  1. Fabulous start!! I hope your finger improves quickly, because everyone is going to want to see the finished piece!! (And so you feel better, of course, lololol) I can't wait to hear the story of the bead you made!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love it! Great story and super bead. I think it should hang down, for what it's worth. I hope your finger is better soon x

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yes, great start! Fabulous finds with the shell elements and gunmetal rings, and your beaded rings are very cool! (I have woken up with mysterious injuries myself, so you're not alone. I am a very unconventional sleeper, you obviously are too.) I think the focal could work either way--if you're going to be putting those beaded cab pieces in there I think it would look great horizontal. You could still hang something from it that way too if you wanted some length. Can't wait to see the finished piece!

    ReplyDelete
  4. So far ... so beautiful! I think it's going to be an exceptional piece. As for your flat/drop question, normally I would say drop, but for some reason I think flat would be nice in this design. I'm a know-it-when-I-see-it gal so I can't say for sure! =) Hope your finger returns to its normal size quickly and painlessly!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I think I got the mate to your bead! I love where you're going with this! :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love what you have so far. I like the bead dangling horizontally. Just as you have shown it in the picture.

    ReplyDelete
  7. So glad to see your computer gremlins were silenced... for now. LOL Oh the joys of technical difficulties! Love the colors of the bead you got from Jennifer. I can't wait to see the finished product!
    {Hugs!}

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Kristen,
    First let me say I hope your finger gets better soon. I love what you have so far the colors are spot on. In my opinion I think the focal bead should hang vertical, but then again horizontal in an asymmetrical design might be nice too. Okay I know I am not being much help LOL. I do know though what you have so far is beautiful!
    Therese

    ReplyDelete
  9. Awesome start!! I see it being a little versatile. Incorporating rings in the end of the focal with a toggle clasp on both of the necklace ends so that you could wear it horizontal or vertical.

    I. Can see it in my head. You are very visual if you understand it from my description.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Having used my bead horizontally, not vertically as you have it in your picture, you can see I have a slight bias. But I think it's a long vs short thing. If you are going to make it longer, go vertical! But you are off to a great start, and you are so nice to let us see what you have done so far! Feel better soon.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I can HARDLY wait to see it finished! The beaded rings (or whatever they're called with the gunmetal are awesome! I LOVE the chain. It's like the insane person's version of chainmaille ;-) honestly I am not sure which way would look better, but that finger better heal quickly because I am going to be super impatient until then. Thanks for playing along even with an injured finger.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Beautiful even though you aren't done yet. I hope your finger is better soon :-( How cool is it that you have a shirt to match!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Ok, I'm going for horizontal. With the beaded beads at each end. Just because.
    I got those same rings!!
    And I do loovvveee those abalone beads, I didn't see them...

    ReplyDelete
  14. make it drop please..it'll give more justice to that wonderful bead of yours :)
    Brian of scrap platinum buyer online.

    ReplyDelete

I so love visitors so please let me know you were here so I don't get lonely! Cyber Hugs!