Sunday, March 15, 2009

BFAC Project for 2010

I recently finished my Beading For A Cure project and oh what a joy it's been! I showed the kit in my last post, so here I will share photos of the items I added as well as the finished piece.



First up, the additions. There are multi-colored glass cabs from the 1940's; tear drop vintage clear green glass cabs; vintage sequins in 2 different colors; 4mm Swarovski sew on stones in 3 colors - Olivine, Erinite and Light Sapphire. My added bead is size 8 sparkly green lined transparent aqua, which was only used in the handle/strap.



I was inspired by one of the projects found in "Beaded Embellishment" by Amy C. Clarke & Robin Atkins, the original project found in that book is for an amulet bag. I made mine quite a bit larger. It measures just about 5 inches at it's widest points from top to bottom and side to side not counting the fringe. The strap/handle is about 17 inches measuring from one side to the other. The dichoric cab added to the front flap was made (and gifted to me) by Noel.



There are a couple of firsts here for me... first time I made a bag, that was fun learning experience. I copied the pattern from Beaded Embellishment, but enlarged it quite a few times



And it was my first attempt at a Spiral Rope as found in "Beautiful Bracelets" by Jill Oxton



I was beading away on the front of the bag when an unintentional angel seemed to appear (to me anyway). This is also where I added the Swarovski sew-on stones as well as the wonderful Olive colored Rose Montees which were included in the kit.



All cabs were attached with a little bit of glue before adding the bezel. I beaded the back and front flap as one continuous piece. The front part of the bag was a separate piece. I basted paper to each piece as a stabilizer, so on the front piece where there are no beads - there is a bit of a crinkle sound from the paper underneath. I imagine as it is handled the paper will soften up and the crinkle sound will dissipate.



After each side was completed beaded, I added a lining of aqua Ultrasuede before I sewed the two pieces together.

My original intention was to add the lampwork bead to the bottom of the bag and have the fringe spread out from there. It didn't look right to me. Next I tried adding it into the strap/handle and again it didn't look right, so it found it's home dangling from the side of the bag.

Now, to give it a name...

As always - all photos are 'clickable' for a larger view

34 comments:

abeadlady said...

Drop dead gorgeous, Grace!!!!! What a beautiful piece of useable art. I only hope mine turns out half that good. (no, I'm not making a purse).
As always, you have set a high bar for us to work toward.
Arline

Pursuing Art... said...

DROP DEAD GORGEOUS is RIGHT!!! It is STUNNING, Grace!!! What fun to try something new. I have admired Robin's amulet bag in Beaded Embellishment also. What a great idea to enlarge the pattern. The bag is beautiful, your beading exquisite, and it just sparkles like sunshine on water! I do see the angel on the front...you know they say an angel's art is her heart! ;-)

Christina J. said...

Wow!! The bag is really beautiful. Lovely palette, too.

Carol Dean Sharpe said...

I am without the words to describe just how fantastic this piece is! Brava! Brava! Brava! ::standing ovation:: Wow.

a2susan said...

OMG!!! Gorgeous beyond words...and I have to wait an entire year to bid on this???? Thanks for sharing your project, it is so beautiful.
Susan

KV said...

This is fabulous, Grace!!!


Kathy V in NM

Joan Cromley said...

The bag is wonderful! What a wonderful idea!

Lynn said...

........I'm Speechless..........

Really, can't even begin to express how much I LOVE this bag!

Lisa Peters Russ said...

I am standing next to Carol - Applauding this beautiful piece. I love the color -- the shape, everything!

Elizabeth said...

Grace,

It is a beautiful, gorgeous bag. When I look at this work of art than I think you must a person with a wealth of patience.

Beadwoman3 said...

Holy Cow! That is a great bag! You do such beautiful work. I hope my BFAC project looks that good!

Reflections of life and art said...

Wow Grace, your beading amazes me. Couldn't prove it by the pictures that this was your first beaded bag...it's stunning!
I'm honored that you used one of my glass cabs on it too!

Hugs,
Noel

Cathie said...

Oh my Gosh Grace!!!!!! This is one of the prettiest beaded pieces I've ever seen (along with Lisa's heart that she made Monica!) I just can't believe it is possible to make something so delicate and so lovely. What a truly amazing talent you have been blessed with - correction - talent"s" - an artistic eye for beauty - beading skill - design skill - and the patience to execute it all. Absolutely magical Grace.

Unknown said...

Oh! I really love it! Amazing!

Veleta (Sammy) said...

Grace, this is totally awesome! Oh the money this going to bring in... Just jaw dropping awesome!
Veleta

Bev said...

oh... I must make something like this... that is just beautiful, Grace!

Anonymous said...

wow! you've outdone yourself on this bag, Grace!It's beyond gorgeous.
LOVE the colors and shape; you have a wonderful talent for beading....thanks for sharing your art pieces with us!

Ellen said...

Totally delicious Grace - I'm sure this will bring lots of $$ for the auction next year - what a delightful accessory this will be to any outfit!

Padparadscha said...

OMG, this is wonderful, congratulations Grace !!!!

williamsburg beader said...

Your bag is beautiful! I really shouldn't be lookiing at other people's work, since it is giving me even more ideas than I already had! But I can't help it!
Cathy

Sue Anderson said...

That is one beautiful bag! If I'd made it, I think I'd have a very difficult time parting with it...

Anonymous said...

Beautiful work. Wonderful cause too! Thanks, i dig your blog.

Doris said...

This is absolutely, breathtakingly gorgeous. And I can't believe you're already done. Apart from that - I'm speechless!

Ibolya said...

congratulations for your nice bag! Beautiful!!greeting from Hungary)))

girlgonethreadwild said...

Oh Grace it is by far the most amazing creation! The colors are so vibrant, the beading... PERFECT! You constantly impress upon me the importance of giving back with art!

Just gorgeous!

xo, monica :)

Maggie R said...

Goodmorning Grace...
This bag took my breath away!
It is absolutely fabulous.... How long did this one take? I do the knitted beaded bags but they are certainly plain compared to this....Thanks for sharing..
xoxo
((((hugs))))
Maggie

Katie B said...

STUNNING !!!!

Murphy said...

Oh yes, I agree with everyone else here!
Grace, this is one of the most beautiful beaded bags I've ever seen! Drop dead gorgeous allright!
I LOVE IT!
Cheers,
Saby

Dot said...

Hi Grace

This is stunning! And what a beautiful way to use the beads.

As always your beadwork is stunning (I salivated when I saw the color beads you used.

I am sure it will raise lot's of needed funds.

The kitties and I wave hello from Australia to you.


Dot xx

Quilter Kathy said...

There are not enough impassioned adjectives to do justice to this piece Grace! Your other admirers have already used the words I would have chosen! Truly an amazing piece!
One of the things that is so inspiring about you is that you always try something new and see what you can learn. I want to try to do your edging on my current beaded project.

Diana said...

It's all been said already but WOW!! Gorgeous work!

GraceBeading said...

My goodness... I sit here quite humbled - so many wonderful comments by people I admire so much.

It will be hard to send this one off, but it will feel good at the same time.

Maggie - you asked how long this one took and while I always have good intentions to track time when I bead, it never happens. I have a tendency to sit and bead a bit, eat dinner, bead some more, get up watch TV some, bead some more... you get the drift. I'm guessing it took more than 30 hours, but am really not sure.

I will share something the design process. I first added the colorful vintage cabs to the back and began to bead around them, it was not until I added the black/blue beads as an outline that I stood back and cracked up - staring back at me... Mickey Mouse ears. Okay, so maybe I spent too much time at Disneyland in my youth, but I could not get it out of my head. I quickly added the pear shaped cabs and all was right again in my head :-)

Thanks again to everyone for the kind words. I appreciate it very much!

Maggie R said...

Hey Grace You bead like I do,,,,, a bit of something and then bead...
That way you don't feel you are ignoring your home duties!! haha
xoxo
((((hugs))))
Maggie

Pat Winter Gatherings said...

Knock me over with a feather!!! That is so gorgeous I can't believe it is real! Wow girl!
Hugs,Pat

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