Finding My Voice Workshops 5 & 6

Really behind posting here... I have a lot to say lately...just no time to say it.

Beads from my most recent FYV workshop:

This bead was to be inspired by a song. My thought precess went something like this:

In the jungle, the quiet jungle, the lion sleeps tonight...

Lions, Lions...Hmmm...

Lions and tigers and bears OH MY!

Hmmm, I've always wanted a tiger bead set.

But I don't really wear earth tones that often. It would need to be purple...

IT WOULD NEED TO BE PURPLE!!!!

May I present to you...the Purple Tiger.

I ended up making another in a darker purple. Both will be on the Holly's Folly site later, under focals.


My most recent assignment was to seek inspiration in a child's book. I first thought of Alison's Zinna or the Good Dog Carl books. I'm a big Carl fan and have met "Carl" and his human mistress, writer Alexandra Day...but the animals seems way over my head and I surly wasn't going to tackle doing baby Madeline! As for Alison's Zinna... Anita Lobel, the author, is a former boss' mother-in-law. I've seen the orignal painting from one of the pages of the book...it was stunning. But alas, I couldn't find a copy of the book in time to do my homework.

I did find a copy of The Little Prince. I loved this book as a child. I used to doodle the drawings in my notebook as we studied the book in school. It was the first time I ever pondered my own drawing skills. I always loved the part about the rose.

As my luck goes, I had a rough week on the torch. I had an idea for a magazine contest (don't even ask...this particular magazine has the strictest pre and post publication rules I've ever read! I don't want to be disqualified... and I can tell you, my entry made it to the top 10!) . Anyway, this idea was larger and somewhat structural and every day, my bead broke! I've never had such heat control issues. Every day my confidence shrank. But I finally got that bead made...but I was feeling to confident when it came time to do my homework.

I figured this would shatter...but it didn't! It was exhilarating to work this way - rod in one hand, mandrel in another and a tool in the other ;-)

I was pleasantly surprised by this bead...

The Little Prince's Rose:



This will also be on the Holly's Folly site in a day or two.