January Show & Share

Lynda's latest weaving. This is still a work-in-progress. She is contemplating how to hang it so that people can appreciate it from all sides.

Hanging by a Thread Studio
Karen has started posting to her Mixed Media blog.
Visit her, and leave comments! You'll also find a link at the right side of the CinC Blog.

Both Karen and Michele are participating in The Sketchbook Challenge. You can too! The January these is : Highly Prized.
See some of Karen's January entries here.
See some of Michele's entries here, here, and here.
There's also a Flickr Group devoted to the work participants post in The Sketchbook Challenge. In the first month, there are over 1,200 pictures!

Michele brought some new snow dyes to share:

Detail snow dye Kilt Green.


A piece thrown into the catch basin. Dyes used : black, wine, havanna brown, black cherry.


Detail of snow dye with Havanna Brown and black cherry on mercerized cotton.



Snow Dye with New Black and Wine on Mercerized on mercerized cotton.

Books of Note (Any of these would be great topics for future CinC Meetings!):


Confetti Naturescapes by Noriko Endo



Inspired to Quilt by Melanie Testa



Totally Tangled : Zentangle and Beyond by Sandy Steen Bartholomew


Zentangle Basics by Suzanne McNeil

January Demo : Karen's Exquisitely Beaded Boxes

Karen gave us a great demonstration of how to make these beaded boxes. This set of 3 was made by her friend Lindi.



This is the box of samples that Karen brought for show.

You'll find the supply list in the previous post.


The instructions for this project come from this book : Getting Started with Seed Beads by Dustin Wedekind. This is the "Curiously Beaded Tin" on page 37.

Karen's advice :
Pre-strung beads make the work go faster.
Or you can use a bead-stringer tool.
There is no substitute for the Terrifically Tacky Tape. Other 2-sided tapes do not work as well. Save the orange backing to keep the TTT from picking up anything other than your beads. You can save the orange stuff on release paper so that you can get it off and use it where you need it.
Big-eye needles are great for using pre-strung beads.
Work on a tray to keep the beads contained.
Use a wooden skewer to move and place the beads.
Do not force the beads. Too many beads will bulge--they have no place else to go.


6-pound test "Fireline" fishing line is available at Fleet Farm for much less than you'd pay in the beading stores.

Here are some photos of the process :


First, string a stop bead.


I was really surprised how quickly the stringing went with the pre-strung beads. Karen used a big-eye needle and easily shuttled the pre-strung beads from their "native" string onto her Fire Wire.


This is an example of a pre-beaded piece (Peyote stitch?) that she planned to use as a focal point in this box. Here it is stuck in place by the TTT. See--they really are Altoids tins underneath!


Here, you can see more of the beads strung along the edge. You have to be careful to avoid the hinge areas, otherwise, the boxes won't open and close properly. She used dragon tears as focal points above. She will run the seed beads in strings around the dragon tears ...


Here's an example of the encircled dragon tears -- kind of like a Zen Garden!


Karen has also been beading big wooden beads, as shown above. These are called "Belted Bricky Balls." The Confetti bead in the lower right corner of the picture was inspired by a method in a book called The Art of Beaded Beads by Jean Campbell.

An Altoids box takes a full 8 hours to cover. Once it's covered, you can brush the top of the beaded box with ModgePodge or a clear glaze to secure everything. You can also cut felt or ultra-suede for the bottoms of the tins.

Once you get started, you won't want to stop! Karen says this is addicting!


One of Karen's beaded jar lids. The same general method works on jar lids. TTT is the key!


More beaded lids. Gorgeous!


Yes, that's a set of salt and pepper shakers!

Snippets : January 2011 Newsletter

Just a reminder that this Thursday is our meeting at 6:30 at the Menasha Public Library. We will be discussing

• whether or not we want to do a group challenge and if so what it will be
• Should we plan a show for 2011
• Regular Sharing (bring everything you’ve been working on since October
• What else?

Thursday evening is also my night to demonstrate the tin beaded boxes and beaded beads. Below is a list of things that you will need for the box so that you can bring them a long if you want and I’ll get you started that night.

First you need a tin covered with Terrifically Tacky Tape. That is a name brand tape and nothing else is sticky enough. It is available only at Hobby Lobby and Michaels’s. I will briefly go over covering the tin, but if you want to get started beading Thursday night, bring your tin covered. Make sure you leave the protective (pink) tape on the tin so that it doesn’t stick to everything.

You will also need:

• An exacto knife
• Beading Needle (Easy Eye beading needles make this project a snap)
• Seed Beads (strung if you have them)
• Beading Thread
• Focal Point Beads, Shank Buttons (you’ll need to cut off the shank), or charms
• Bamboo skewer or stiletto

Karen

December Newsletter

SNIPPETS from Conversation in Cloth

Meetings are held on the last Thursday of the Month at the Menasha Public Library at 6:30 PM
December 16, 2010

Members Present: Betty, Lynda, Joanne, Sandy, Karen, Michele, & Lois

White Elephant Holiday Party
We gathered at El Azteca in Appleton and had quite a lot of fun. As always the White Elephants are a hit. Everybody got one and I think a few will be back next year. We didn’t discuss much business, but we did discuss a donation to the Menasha Public Library and whether or not we will be able to continue meeting there in 2011. As of January we will still be at the library.

Dues are due!
2011 dues are due at the March meeting. It’s $5 for e-mail newsletters and $10 for snail mail newsletters.

2011 Challenge Project
If you recall we discussed three alternatives for a group challenge.
 Color Chip Design
 Continuous Line
 Fractured Photo
No matter which we choose, when put together, each finished piece will demonstrate our differences and our unity as a group. Examples of the formats can be viewed on the CiC Yahoo group website under photos. Check for the names listed above. This will be part of January’s agenda.

Treasurer’s Report
As of December 31, 2010 the cash balance is as follows:
Beginning Balance $164.78
Expenditures: $ 0.00
Total $589.78
Revenue:
2011 Dues rec’d to date $ 35.00
Balance $224.78

2010 Future programs
January 27 – Karen will demonstrate how to get started on the beaded tins (if the weather allows a trip from Green Bay to Menasha).
February 24 – Michelle will bring the Maria Elkins DVD and her samples so we can learn the monochromatic portrait technique that she showed us back in September.
March 25 – Joanne will demonstrate a new technique that she learned for dying silk scarves.