Awesome Beaded Things

 So our friend D hosted another play date in SF this weekend.  We decided that our project should be based on K's fish - shown here.  K was inspired by the art of Betsy Youngquist.  Which is to say, a pretty ambitious project for a 4 hour play date!

 I started earlier in the week with a porcelain doll head, from my jar of doll parts.  Doesn't everyone have one?  anyway - it had to much of a torso attached, so I had to borrow Z's Dremel tool to remove it.  Not before a trip to Home Depot to purchase a diamond bit for $18.  ouch. But it was worth every cent!...it cut the porcelain like buttah!

 

Once the head was free of the excess, I stuffed the neck with tin foil and just sort of roughly built up a bird shape.  Then I covered it all with paper play.  SO easy to work with.

 Took three days to dry enough to take it to the next step.  The clay didn't have to be perfect as it would all be covered over with beads.

Oh look - a wee flock of birds!  Mine, K's future project, and D's red bird - still at this stage without its doll head. (sorry didn't get a pic of it later in the process)

 So here we are, surrounded by all manner of beads, and gemstones, and glitter and sequin, and random cast off jewelry.. ready to start.

 So I just dove right in!  I started with the silver findings around the neck and then  just kept adding rows and rows of bling. I used some extra tacky glue and applied it with a brush.

 Here is K working on her fish.  Very serious business with a lighted magnifying glass and stick pins to align bugle beads!

 here is Z working on her inlay heart pendant. 

 (she finds the doll heads a little creepy - they certainly can be!)

 Here's my bird starting to fill in.  I found the piece of woven and tasseled bead work in the bottom of a bag of stuff - and hey!  why not use it!

 I added some shell buttons to the tail to create a "feather" effect.

 A large gemstone on the back of the head created a focal point to work around.

 Here is Z's finished pendant.  She used black glitter polymer clay as a base - and inset the beads - beautiful!!

 Here is K's fish with its perfect rows of beads.

 K cut her doll's face in half to elongate it.  She is not quite finished.

 Here's me working on the bottom of my bird back home,

I used rows of thread-strung beads.  but it isn't easy.  I have a few bald spots still to fill in.

 Here is a side view.  I need to get more of the darker beads at Michaels this week to continue the field between the other elements.

 Here's a top view..

And voila!  my little flyer got some shades!!  She is just about ready to take flight!

Thanks K for the inspiration.  Thanks D for hosting. Thanks D and Z for the goodies.

Sorry S couldn't make it - we missed you!

And especially thanks again to Betsey Youngquist, without whose artwork inspiration none of this fun would have happened...thanks....!