Bead Artists Against Breast Cancer Quilts

Here they are - two of the twenty Bead Artists Against Breast Cancer Auction bead quilts! The one on the right has a few squares created by Houston Bead Society members (including me). However, all but 2 of the squares on the left one were created by HBS members. This was such a fun and rewarding project! I can't wait for next year's theme.

For more information about the project or to look at all of the finished quilts click here.

Butterfly Project - Houston Holocaust Museum

1,500,000 children perished in the holocaust. In an effort to honor their memory, The Holocaust Museum - Houston is sponsoring The Butterfly Project. It's goal is to collect 1.5 million handmade butterflies which will eventually comprise a breath-taking exhibition for all to remember. The deadline is June 30, 2008.

My contribution to this cause will be several bead embroidered butterflies I create from a piece of pre-printed fabric that I found. This is what I've done so far.

As I was working, I found that my thread kept getting caught up in the corners. Frustrated, I grabbed the scissors and snipped them off - only to find out that I had also accidently cut off part of a wing. I ended up "winging it" (so sorry!) and so the other wing is a little short - nature is like that. I was surprised at how long it took me to bead embroider this one butterfly - over 4 hours - but I really enjoyed the process and will be starting on the other two this weekend. The butterflies will be cut out and backed with suede before I send them in.

The museum is accepting butterflies no larger than 8 inches by 10 inches in any medium the artist chooses, but one-dimensional submissions are preferred. Glitter should not be used. Click on the link above for more details.

In the wee hours...

In the wee hours of the morning, I like to explore and read some of the blogs that are out there in Internetland. So, when I came across this one… well, how can you not love one called The Land of Lost Luggage? Anyway, Julie issued her readers a challenge to use Photoshop to tweak a fountain picture she shot.

The photo on the left is what she provided. The one in the center and to the right are what I did with it. I don’t have Photoshop, but I do have Elements and that’s what I used. Pretty simple really - all I did was play with the select tool and some of the filters.

You know so often, I use Elements to adjust the lighting or contrast of a photo and not necessarily for an "artistic" purpose. Now it looks like I’m going to have to pull out some of my images and play.

Thanks for the challenge, Julie!

I am so excited to learn that my Collage Mania II quilt sold! It will be going off to Barb in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin who also had a pair of "feisty" parents.

Treasures in the Mail

Look at these little beauties! They are the fabric beads I received from my Fiber Art Traders partners: Trees Wolffers, Wanda Stivison, Debra Nees, Dove Shelton and Suzanne Arena. Such different variations and techniques! I can't wait to create something with them.

The beads pictured below I made to trade. I call them my Fiesta Beads because they look like a fiesta about to happen!