A sketch for Bead Journal Project 2013

I've made up my mind on a leaf shape so now it's time to put it on paper. It is the leaf shape I always start drawing if I'm doodling. A brown paper envelope from the morning post and a pencil and I'm away. One bigger, one smaller and perhaps one just the right size. I decide to cut out twelve and lay them on paper to see if they will have enough room. A bit of trial and error with drawing a stem shape and I have my sketch. A space in the middle is just crying out for a heart. I have always been creative in one way or another but have never been part of a group like this and I am just loving it so it seems so appropriate to have a heart.

Thanks Robin for pointing me in the direction of http://lisabinkley.typepad.com. Wow. I can't imagine how my first finished leaf will look like yet.  I think the colours will be inspired by the bright yellow of the winter jasmine in the garden. January is my birthday month and often as well as a time of reflection it is a time when I look forward with optimism to the things I might do in the year ahead so bright yellow seems a good idea at the moment. We shall see. The slight hitch to this plan is I have no yellow beads. So you know what I will be doing next.

Brick Stitch Rosettes

After beading a bead with peyote stitch the next stitch I had a go at was brick stitch. Dorothy Wood's book ' The Beader's Bible' has instructions how to make brick stitch rosettes. I started using a felt ball as the centre and used the rosettes to decorate some of my felt fairy cakes / cupcakes. This is the latest one with a Happy Birthday flag for a friend.

Over the years I have made several felt fairy cakes. Some just as decoration, some as pincushions and some with message flags for friends. The cakes with the felt 'cherry' and beads are one of my favourites.

The very first fairy cakes although slightly wonky fill a cake stand in the dining room.

The later mini cupcakes are on a mini stand on the welsh dresser in the kitchen.

They make me smile.