Thursday, December 17, 2009

Use The Muse III... Transformer



Here is my entry for the latest Use the Muse contest. Since the results have now been posted, I can share full photos of my piece.

I originally made this style of bag for the last Beading for a Cure auction (that bag goes up for auction sometime next March by the way) and it is one of my very favorite pieces. I have wanted to make another ever since I finished the first one.



I love the colors in this Muse kit and thought it would be a good time to do another small bag. The deadline is a quite a bit tighter for the Use the Muse contest so I had make this bag smaller. This bag is closer to amulet size. The pattern is modified from one found in "Beaded Embellishment" by Amy C. Clarke & Robin Atkins

I incorporated leaf beads, treasured vintage sequins and fresh water pearls in addition to the kit components that were provided.



I started with a beautiful piece of fabric, matching the beads perfectly. The beading was completed on two separate pieces, each piece was then lined with gold Ultrasuede, then sandwiched together.



The 'muse' is the beautiful butterfly component which I anchored to the back of the bag.

The finished bag is slightly larger than the palm of my hand measuring just over 3 inches tall (not including the fringe) and 3 inches wide. The chain measures about 25 inches long, which is long enough to slip over my head. I named it 'Transformer' and dedicate it to a little boy experiencing profound change in his young life.

Head on over to the Use the Muse webpage to check out the winners as well as all the wonderful entries. Be prepared to stay awhile - there's a good amount of them!

Before you go - I'm having a drawing for a little orange pin - see the blog entry 2 posts down and throw your name in the hat if you are so inclined. Comments will be open until approx midnight eastern time tomorrow (or whenever I remember to turn them off ). I will draw a name sometime on Saturday.

Have fun!

10 comments:

Carol- Beads and Birds said...

Its a lovely piece Grace. I am headed there now to check out the entries.

I love your pin too and I'd be glad to have it!

Merry Christmas.

KV said...

Gorgeous job, Grace!!!


Kathy V in NM

*~tabby~* crooked heart art said...

just beautiful grace
i swear girl you have magic in your finger tips :D
many thanks for sharing
enjoy your day
tammy

Timaree said...

It looks wonderful Grace. Just beautiful.

GraceBeading said...

Thanks all... glad you like it!

Carol Dean Sharpe said...

Grace, your bag is beautiful, your beading exquisite! :D

abeadlady said...

Ooooh! I like this one! My colors too. You just get better all the time. Have a wonderful holiday, Grace.

Lynn said...

The judges must be blind - how you didn't win I'll never know! This is awesome!!! Beautiful Job Grace!

Anonymous said...

I love your bag and am surprised it didn't win. Since UST IV has categories it should open the competition to more entries.

Beadily yours
Susan E Feldkamp
Night Beader

Pursuing Art... said...

Gorgeous bag, Grace! Exquisite beading, as always!!! The colors are beautiful and adore the copper butterfly muse.

I will look forward to seeing the other entries...after the holiday! XO

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