Saturday, May 12, 2007

Laverne - my first doll


For my first post I thought it would be appropriate to include a photo of my first beaded doll... This is Laverne, she is about 2" tall. She is one of the many reasons I fell in love with beaded dolls.

I started seriously thinking about attempting bead embroidery somewhere around the end of 2004, but didn't work up enough courage to attempt a project until January of 2005. My very first bead embroidery project was this tiny doll. I bought a kit on EBay that included all the materials needed to complete the project. I was hooked from the beginning.

I have spent the last 2 years acquiring beads, doll forms, faces and many other items that I may use in a project some day. I'll admit - I have almost as much fun acquiring the 'stuff' I might use as the creating itself.

I feel fortunate to have had so much encouragement early on. There are several people that instantly come to mind when I think back to the beginning of my beaded path. One is Cindy who was quietly encouraging and helped me tremendously by way of her book about beaded dolls. Another positive influence, not to mention one of my most encouraging supporters is a wonderful artist I met through EBay. I have acquired many doll forms from her over the last couple of years and in the process, formed an inspiring friendship as a bonus. Thank you Monica!!!


5 comments:

girlgonethreadwild said...

Grace, your beautiful beaded dolls make me smile... and YOU have been such a wonderful inspiration to me as well!!!

Anonymous said...

...what a darling little "first" beaded doll you made! Please tell me what beaded art doll book your friend Cindy had?!Do we need to know?!!They are hard to find...thanks for sharing........

Anonymous said...

Grace, I wish that everyone could have met you in person like I did. Not only are you so very creative, making some of the most wonderful things (and being gifted of one by you) but you're one of the most beautiful people I've ever known.

You've touched the very heart of me and for that I remain ever thankful.

Linda A. aka Neelie

Anonymous said...

This is the very lovely Laverne that Grace sent me :) I look at her nearly everyday and I think of my Amazing Grace!

Loving you always,

Linda

Anonymous said...

Such a sweet doll Grace. I've been a fan of your work for a while now, you always amaze me.

Beadily yours
Susan E Feldkamp
nightbeaderatlarge.blogspot.com

Leaves of Grass

This is what you shall do: Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body - Walt Whitman