Tip #1: Use a Yogurt Lid

Strange title for a post, you ask? Why sure. And here's why:

I've been intending to write a MEGA POST OF ALL MY SECRETS for quite a while. However, at the outset I did not realize how huge an undertaking that really is. So now, I'm going to just share one at a time (before I get lost in the internet archive for another five hours).

If any of you are anything like me, then your beading hobby and your wallet probably don't get along. Ever. I fall into the category of 'young crafty person in her 20's who barely makes enough for living expenses and food.' For the foreseeable future, I will be sharing with you all my beading hacks and budget friendly alternatives that I use in my design process. Hopefully it will be a good way to trick myself into blogging more. (No promises. We all know I'm bad at this!) :-)

Yogurt lids: 

The ultimate craft tool.

Not the first thing you think of a craft supply, huh? These are my best friends. 

My constant companion, Beady Billy. Cousin to Wooly Willy.

I've never ever ever ever used a beading mat, mostly because I didn't know they existed for the longest time. 

One color per lid.

The real reason though is because cleanup with yogurt lids is so easy. Just use one color per lid and fold up like a taco to return beads to their proper container! 

Does it Taco? Why yes, yes it does.

Pros and Cons:

Con: I often elbow beads into the carpet. This poses a real hazard because my home is carpeted in a medium length grey shag! Almost nothing gets found in there. The vacuum gods are quite pleased when I drop things. :-/ 

Pro: Using yogurt lids gives you an excuse to buy more Kalona brand cottage cheese. :-)

Pro: Lids can be used as mini painting pallets for acrylic paint. That way, you have the option of discarding lid and paint together or simply rinsing it for reuse later.


Hopefully you enjoyed this handy dandy cheapy tip. Go find yourself some yogurt or cottage cheese and snack on it while you make your next creation.

Happy Beading,

Tamara Allison

Tonight's listening pleasure: Movits!: Sammy Davis

Busy Year Update: WIPs and Other Suff

Well, it's been quite a busy beading year for me. My poor,  nelected blog is probably dying for some love right about now.

The following are all images taken straight from my phone. Please excuse the poor quality.

I decided to be insane this Christmas and make stitched ornaments for all of my co-workers. Three down, approximately twenty five to go:

I also stumbled upon this color scheme while experimenting with brick stitched buttons and Tila beads:

My succulent arranging skills have improved:

(Definitely not beads.)

My attempts at asymmetrical composition are still moderately awful. I'm going to give up on this one for a bit. Not enough contrast and too much going on here:

Wichita Falls has been having several art walks lately. Here is what all I added to my inventory for the last one. Too bad there are no more until April, but this more than anything kept me making more work this year!

New loom work design that I'm super proud of! Only the front is pictured here, but this bracelet is double sided , is edged nicely, and has a genius closing technique (credit goes to an acquaintance of mine). I hope to get it published, as it is truly a design I think others would enjoy. A remake is in order, as this particular bracelet is lacking in contrast. Also featured is one of many ant bites I have suffered while gardening this summer:

And lastly, although these haven't been featured in chronological order, is the competition piece I made this year. It never placed, but did please my design sensibilities perfectly. I may submit it other places, but for now am happy to have made a large piece without forcing the finished result. Everything just kind of fell into place!

That's as much as I feel like sharing at the moment. I've been up to plenty more and will updatell as I remember to do so.

Goodbye for now! And happy beading.

Spring Beading

Hello!

I've been in quite a productive mood lately! Lots of lovely things have been happening.

I COMPLETELY FORGOT TO MENTION THAT BEAD & BUTTON PUBLISHED ME!!! It was just the loom finishing tip that I've been yammering on about here, but still...they've been so elusive thus far. Or maybe I've been too intimidated. And now I have something in the works with Facet Jewelry as well! *smug Tamara face* Khalambach is my new favorite publishing company nonetheless.

In my normal drudging life I have discovered that gardening is my new hobby. Never in my life had I actually cared about plants...until living in a house. Here are my geranium/zinnia/calibrachoa arrangements:

Atempt at flower arranging #1.

Attempt # 2! :-)

Hopefully I've given them enough space to thrive. So far they're doing okay, but some of the leaves are drying out fast. Could be the glaring hot Texas sun. *shrug*

Next up: fake flowers. Getting some ideas for resin and metal flowers since I'm in a colorful mood.

Coloring books, wallpaper, and fabric flower patterns.

Lastly, this is a loomed design I've been working on for roughly a year. It has lots of potential, otherwise I wouldn't bother repeating it several times. I'm thinking attempt #3 is the bread winner. Wish me luck on submitting it! Here's an in progress snippet:

Loomed Tilas and Superduos!

What's next? Why, I'm going to do some yard work. (Little do you realize how long my grass grows.) And then I'm going to enjoy the view from my back porch:

Too bad it's so windy today!

New Listing and a Painting and a Mug Shot

Hi. I got a new phone for Christmas! This will be the second post I've made with it. I couldn't successfully do that on my old one, which is a bummer since it's such a convenient blogging and everything thing else imaginable miniature computer. Asimov would be proud.

So, using my fancy new phone, I've skipped the middleman of using the desktop for photo editing and listed something new to you in my Etsy shop:

Maroon and Teal Bangles. Made with Cubic Right Angle Weave.

 And I also made a painting the other day:

Drip Coffee

Conversation between me and my assistant manager the other day.

ASM: What have you been doing lately, Tamara?
Me: I just painted a lady being pelted by coffee beans and hiding under an umbrella.
ASM: I would have been using a bucket to collect them instead.

Maybe she's right. I used old gift cards for the background and based the composition off of a couple artists, one of them being Aaron Kraten. If you've never heard of him, check out his website. He's one of the few artists whose work I would love to own. ♡♡♡

And now I get to enjoy a neon colors dress up day at work! Am I ridiculous enough?

Cringe worthy grimace there. Yikes!

New Year, Late Blog

Ouch, did the holiday season hurt. Worse than the year before even. I think I marathon trained at least ten new employees and spent all of January recuperating.

I have, however, made over a dozen pieces in that time. I want to share one of them with you today.

Anybody who loves micro macrame may or may not have heard of Joan Babcock. If you have, you have probably seen this piece. It's a classic. It also happens to be a necklace that JD's penal Tanya thinks is something she would like to wear.

Now, I don't think I have made many pieces for complete strangers, but this was fun! Tanya was an exchange student at JD's high school. She recently sent us a Christmas gift box, so I decided to make her something in return.

Let me know what you think. I'm pretty proud of it. *Pats self on back.*

If you had told me several years ago that I would be duplicating this piece in beads, I would not have believed you. I'm glad I did though.

Viewing pleasure during the creation of this piece: Netflix's version of A Series of Unfortunate Events. I LOVE everything about this adaptation. Hoping it continues and that I get to see more of Neil Patrick Harris in heels.