Wide Winged Bird

I finally finished stitching the body of my wide winged bird! Below is a close-up:

I am very pleased with how this little bird turned out and plan on framing it.

The beading and stitching were very meditative for me. I’m not sure what my next stitching project will be… but probably not a bird! Lol!

I am thankful Spring is FINALLY here and the birds are back singing! Hoorah!

Have a happy Wednesday!

Cheers! 😃

Winging It

I have been hand stitching and beading two wings for a second bird for an online class I’m taking with Kelli May Krenz.

These two wings are for my Wide Winged Bird:

I still have to complete the body but I just love how the wings turned out so I had to show you!

And speaking of bird wings, did you know there are 4 general wing shapes for flying birds?

According to The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, these wing shapes are:

Passive soaring wings – These wings have long primary feathers that spread out, creating “slots” that allow the bird to catch vertical columns of hot air called “thermals” and rise higher in the air. Examples of birds with this wing type include eagles, most hawks and storks.

Active soaring wings – These wings are long and narrow, allowing the birds to soar, or fly without flapping their wings, for a long time. However, these birds are much more dependent on wind currents than passive soaring birds. Examples of birds with this wing type are albatrosses, gulls and gannets.

Elliptical wings – These wings are good for short bursts of high speed. They allow fast take offs and tight maneuvering. While they allow high speed, the speed cannot be maintained. Examples of birds with this wing type are crows, ravens, blackbirds, sparrows and thrushes (such as the American Robin).

High-speed wings – These wings are long and thin, but not nearly as long as birds with active soaring wings. As the name suggests, birds with this wing type are incredibly fast, but unlike those with elliptical wings, these birds can maintain their speed for awhile. Examples of birds that have this wing type are swifts, ducks, falcons, terns and sandpipers.

I hope you enjoyed this little lesson about bird wing shapes!

Spread your wings and soar today!

Note: Still more stitching and beading of the bird’s body so stay tuned for a future post!

Happy Wednesday!

Cheers! 😃

I Heard It Through The Grape Vine

Something you may not know about me…

I used to do a LOT of beading… in fact, I have tubes of beads in all colors like painters have tubes of paint! 😉

I used to enjoy beading with needle and thread.  I also made and sold my jewelry.

My favorite stitch was Peyote stitch because I could create my own patterns.  Here is an example of this stitch in a bracelet:

Different sizes of beads like grapes in a vineyard.  I haven’t done as much beading in the last few years because I have been trying to improve my drawing skills.

So last night, I decided to try combining the two together in my art journal:

I’d love to know what you think!

Cheers! 🙂

Connecting the Dots

On my trip to Oaxaca, Mexico in March, I was inspired by color and patterns.  Here is a photo of black pottery on a turquoise background:

I also met many talented ladies in our group and hope I can continue our friendships.

One such friend was Dot.  I was amazed by her beautiful handmade art journal that she  brought with her and she was really good about creating art in it each day of our trip!  🙂

So I asked if she would make me one!  And she said, “Yes!”  I was very excited when this beautiful journal arrived in my mailbox in April:

In exchange for this art journal, I made her this bracelet and earrings – we both love the color orange!  I had to add a few Oaxaca colors to the mix too:

Many of you may not know that I used to make and sell my handmade jewelry.  But I kind of got burnt out on it.  I found it frustrating that people didn’t want to pay for all the time and cost I put into a piece.  I realize now that I was probably in the wrong market.  Anyway, I still have LOTS of beads!  So I enjoyed creating this set for my new friend, Dot.

I loved my new journal but I needed an idea to get me started.  So when Sharon Mann mentioned on her blog that she was starting a new journal with her daughter and niece using the color turquoise on each page, I asked if I could join in the fun!  (Be sure to check out Sharon’s blog if you haven’t already!!  She is one very talented lady and a wonderful friend!)  I was happy that Sharon agreed that I could join her.  🙂

Here is the first page of my new journal:

Now I’m very excited to fill my pages with art!  Sometimes all it takes is one idea to connect the dots and get me started, how about you?

Happy Creating!  🙂

Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder – Part 2

The experiments with the magazine collages led me to create this beaded wall hanging that I created in 2008: It started me on a new path.  I created my beaded collage with a story in mind. I want to introduce Ms. Chardonnay to you!  I created her “dress” with the flavors and aromas of Chardonnay wine. Such as melon, a pear, green apple and peach!  Can you find them in the photo above? Ms. C is a former beauty queen from California!  🙂 This is why she is wearing a tiara! One of the reasons I started blogging is because I enjoy writing stories.  So I have decided to stop waiting for the “perfect” day and start! I will be starting an additional blog soon on my wine “characters.”  I hope you will join me! Happy Creating!  🙂