Beaded Birthstone Art Dolls

Ruby Regina - beaded art doll 

Years ago, I loved beading and bead embroidery.... then for no particular reason, I stopped beading. I maintained my membership with the Beaded Art Doll group on Facebook, and this year, I decided to participate in one of the Round Robin events - Birthstone. As there were only two Australians doing the challenge, we decided just to swap dolls, rather than send them on and have four or five people working on the dolls in other countries ( postage is expensive!)  My swap partner, Marj, worked on my doll, Ruby Regina. As you can see the dolls are sent naked and are returned fully beaded

Ruby Regina - before beading 

Ruby Regina - close up 

I beaded Marj's Topaz Traveller.... This was a bigger doll, and the mass of pale topaz looked rather pale and insignificant. Marj had already given her red lipstick, so I thought she needed to "out there" a little more....and so the addition of copper seemed to be appropriate. 

Topaz Traveller - before beading 

Topaz Traveller - in progress 

Topaz Traveller - close up 

In transit 

Topaz Traveller - beaded art doll

Below is a video link to some bead embroidery basics, if you would like to create your own beaded art doll or try some bead embroidery. Not only is it lovely to work with beautiful beads, it is very calming and meditative! 

Is it a mutant? Is it an alien? It's an octopus - or is it?

Have you ever thought how strange a creature the octopus is?  This week's fascination started when I asked the question, "What colour is an octopus when it's underwater?"  The answer is  "any colour it wants to be " - An octopus' coloration depends upon its surroundings. An octopus possesses the ability to alter its coloration depending on its immediate environment. This defensive technique protects the animal from predators and entices prey to come close to the animal. ((from https://www.reference.com/pets-animals/color-octopus-be94f74fcdc74ebe)   
. Why did I want to know the colour of an octopus? Because I wanted to draw octopus tentacles as mermaid hair for my art journal! Then, I began to think it might be considered a little too weird and even perverse to give a mermaid octopus hair.... Facebook friends assured me that this was not so, citing Medusa and her snake hair as a precedent, and even one friend said that she thought it was logical! 

Drawing with pastel pencils - Wilma Simmons 2016 

At least I didn't totally transform the human body.... 

by Austin Coppock 

by St Alpha (Deviant Art) 

Then I discovered  the octopus, in spite of its intriguing form, has been adapted by many artists and designers, and you may find an octopus where you least expect it to be.... 

 My sister offered with this owltopus pendant .... 

How about some amazing octopus adornments?

Octopus shoe - meriamber.tumblr.com

Octopus tentacle earrings sold by Dysfunctional Doll 

What about thinking of the octopus for your home decor ? 

from Pinterest - source unknown 

from etsy .com 

Octopus occasional table - homedition.com

From Pinterest- SPI Home 

Octopus raku teapot by Grafton - sold on ebay

 Octopus bottle holder  by Dot &Bo 

Octopus candleholder from gothic.org 

Octopus phone from Octopodal Flickr 

octopus vase by Outer Banks Treading Group 

Piccolo Pottery - etsy.com 

from Pinterest - source unknown 

What about your next birthday cake? 

This was probably the weirdest octopus design I discovered? 

What about this for your next musical recital? 

octopus violin from art- a-designrt.ru

One questions still remains.... octopi? or octopuses? 

Little things of life on a tea bag....

Having a long time obsession with making art with tea bags ( see previous posts September 2014 including exhibition invitation) and with new inspiration from tea bag artist Ruby Silvious , I started a very humble tea bag drawing project while on a break last month in Townsville, North Queensland,
"Humble" is an apt description - I had a black felt tipped marker and five coloured paint markers and six dried used tea bags as my materials - all one needs for an 11 day holiday. As this wasn't really a sightseeing holiday to somewhere exotic, and more of a family visit, I recorded the minutiae - some of the trivialities which create memories.  These funny little drawings  were a few minutes each day of quiet reflection and single focus - no pressure, no deep meaning, no attempt at  artistry. Even now, a month after, just leafing through the little tea bag pages has a calming effect - just appreciating the little things in life.

top row l-r : drinks at the airport,poinciana tree in winter, roast chicken dinner
middle row l-r : birds in a tree, shopping at Renegade Handmade, Perc Tucker art gallery exhibition
bottom row l-r: birthday cake, frame for embroidery, new walker for my mum 

top - close up of cover
bottom l-r : clouds ; Burdekin Dam