I first started beading on vases in the spring of 1997.  I had seen a bottle with an abstract decoration in “Creative Bead Weaving” by Carol Wilcox Wells (great book!), and decided to try something on my own.  I tend more towards structured designs rather than abstract, although “Seafoam” & “Fuschia Froth” are more abstract in design.  The inspiration for each piece varies -- some leap out at me when I see a vase or jar, some from seeing some beads & thinking “That would look just perfect on...”.  I pick up vases here & there -- antique stores, flower shops, thrift shops. etc.  One I picked up from a glass foundry in Seattle on a visit there.  I'm always on the lookout for promising shapes.  Some sit & “marinate” in the back of my mind until I hit the right idea.  Most don't come from a pattern.  I make it up as I go along, and sometimes rip it out several times before the pattern is set. 

I have been beading for about 5 years or more, gradually increasing my “repertoire” from earrings,  bracelets & necklaces, to zipper pulls, business card cases, an amulet purse, decorative embellishment on garments, etc. in addition to (and sometimes combined with) counted cross-stitch & sewing.  I also learned pearl knotting this year, and now do the knotting & re-stringing for a local jeweler.  I'm working full-time as a secretary in an insurance office, and this is what I do with my spare time.  I feel that sometimes the best creative endeavors come from “I wonder what would happen if I tried this...” 

I started out with beading for personal adornment & gifts, and its expanded to occasional sales & special orders.  Now my vases and card cases are being shown at the Fenton-Stahl Gallery here in Walla Walla.   Sales have not been overwhelming, but gratifying.  I know that two vases found new homes in Massachusetts.  I'm delighted that others find my work worth buying -- it also keeps me from being hip-deep in finished work and helps support my “habit”.  It's kind of like a litter of kittens -- you love each and every one, but are happy to find them loving new homes. 
 

Now for the individual items... 

“a la Faberge” (shown above)  
I recently saw a TV documentary on Faberge Eggs, and wanted to do something that would recall those glorious creations.  This piece is a wooden egg, approx. 4” tall, sanded & painted with “gold leaf” paint and finished with a light coat of polyurethane.  The jacket is vertical net bead weaving in gold-washed size 11 seed beads, with the joints made from 4mm garnet-red faceted Czech fire-polished beads (the top and bottom joints are 3mm).  I started from a ring of seed beads at the top & worked it flat.  Then I put the finished net over the egg & snugged the bottom in with a row of 4mm beads & gold picots.  The crown is finished with a star of 4mm Czech beads.  (I really want to do this over a crystal egg, but haven't run across one yet) 

“Amethyst Elegance”  
This is the largest piece I have attempted.  The approx. 13” amethyst vase came from a local florist (I work for her husband, and she is kind enough to let me prowl her shelves!).  The materials include size 11 seed beads in dark & light amethyst, deep amethyst size 6 seed beads, and dark & light amethyst faceted Czech fire-polished beads in round 3mm, 4mm, 6mm, and 6 x 4mm ovals.   I started with a ring around the “neck”, and worked vertical netting down (using the size 6 beads at the joints), then in just the size 11 beads for the collar (I had to rip out the collar twice - once too loose to stand up, then too tight!).  After the netting was completed, I went back through to put on the drops, alternating dark & light in a spiral pattern following the netting.  I entered this piece in last year's Walla Walla Fair & took the Superintendent's Award. 

“Fontana”  
My mother found this goofy bottle in an import shop.  “Fontana” is Italian for “fountain”, and I'm attempting to show water splashing up & cascading down over the curves.  I used size 11 seed beads in iridescent clear, iridescent teal & clear dark teal.  At the bottom of each loop is a size 6 dark teal bead to add weight.  I covered the cork in peyote stitch down to just above where it sits in the bottle, which gave me something to attach the top to. 
 
 

“Fuschia Froth”  
This little one is the favorite at the gallery.  I almost named it “Fuschia Shock”, but feared retribution from non-punners.  It's made from size 11 seed beads in light iridescent pink, silver lined medium pink, and silver lined bright fuschia.  I started with three rings held together by 4 vertical rows.  Then I made three rows of fluffy fringe -- a long line of beads down, then make little loops on the way back up.  Interspersed with the fringe are fringed loops.  I mixed the three colors together to get the random mix of color.  The day I brought it to the gallery, another artist said it reminded her of the work of Dale Chihuly (I was floored -- his glass artistry is premier in the Northwest!).  I only regret that the beads are dyed - so we have to take special care in keeping it clean. 

“Jade Victorian”  
My first sale!  A simple scalloped design in size 10 pale green ceylon pearls, with medium green 4mm & 6mm glass beads.  I started from a ring at the neck & worked around the vase.  The vertical sections are formed by the joints of the scallops. 
 

 
“Seafoam” 
A matte teal bottle from my favorite florist.  I covered the neck in peyote stitch, size 11 seafoam green iridescent.  The loopy fringe also includes clear teal beads and quartz crystal chips.  The chips also comprise the top ruffle.  The reason this became my first “abstract” is that the finished peyote section was a really odd number -- I couldn't get an even pattern out of it! 
 

The picture above was done using markers to create the effect of Pointillism.  Try making your own Pointillism "painting" by first drawing very lightly the outline of a scene using a pencil.  The details of your drawing can be put in with markers.  The drawing above shows animals waiting for their turn in the circus tent!  Next, start working on your drawing using the only the point of markers.  You can be like Seurat and use only a few basic colors, or you can use lots of different colors like the example shown here!   Whatever you choose, enjoy your new way of making a picture! 

Hint:  You may want to draw a smaller picture (half the size of your paper) than usual since coloring with dots takes a very long time!