Saturday, June 6, 2015

ATTS-7


It rolled around faster than I expected.  Yes, it's time for ATTS 7 hosted by lovely Therese and Christine  Yeay!  This go-round was about bead embroidery, which happens to be what I spend a bunch of my time doing.

All winter long I admire the silhouettes of leafless trees.    I search them for old bird nests , and am lifted upwards by branches that seem to reach for the sky.   During the long, cold, dark winter deciduous trees seem dead, but in spring they let you know they are survivors.  I wanted to honor the strength I see in those leafless winter trees. 


I’m also fascinated by trees that show krummholz.  Krummholz trees are stunted, gnarled, deformed.  You can see them above tree line and other extreme places.  Krummholz means “crooked wood” in German.  

Strength
This piece is not quite finished, I have to figure out exactly how I want to display it.  I may cut a thin piece of wood into the proper shape, glue it to the wood with a base so it is free-standing. 

But wait, I'm not done yet.  I was lucky, oh so LUCKY to be sent a cabochon made by our very own Therese.  She gave away 14 of her lovelies.  I'm in awe of her lapidary skills and also her incredible generosity.  You can see all the cabs HERE.   At least two people that were sent cabs already have shown what they did with them - bravo Christine  and Cynthia.  I have a feeling more of those cabs will surface today . . .
Rocky Bute Jasper
My picture doesn't do this stone justice.  It has a warm glowing pink color and is supremely beautiful.  I was going to make a pendant but I wanted something I would look at more often so I re-did the top of a nice oak box I found at Goodwill. 

 
Of course I need another place to store beads :D


I'm glad you stopped by.  A huge thank you to Therese and Christine, their hops are always the most fun!  I wonder what they will pull out of their beaded hat for ATTS-8.  I am excited about seeing what everyone made.

Participant List:
1.     Therese (Host) 
2.     Christine  (Host)
3.     Amy
4.     Lola
5.     Lori F
6.     Kim
7.     Becky Pancake
8.     Karin G.
9.     Debbie (Kepi)
10.   LizE    <~~~~~~~~ you are here
11.   Maryanne
12.   Paula
13.   Wendy
14.   Janet
15.   Jasvanti
16.   Ginger
17.   Alicia
18.   Bobbie
19.   Shirley
20.   Sarah
21.   Cynthia
22.   Lizzie
23.   Samantha
24.   Sally
25.   Niki
26.   Karen W.

26 comments:

  1. Marvelous cabochon! You are really good in big freestyle projects. I love your colour composition and I'm sure your cab is bezeled in the best / and very useful :) /way!

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  2. Liz, your beadwork is nothing short of spectacular!!!!!!!!!! The tree - oh my goodness - amazing. And I think it's great that you did a box cover with the cab. It's gorgeous and a perfect way to spruce up that box.

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  3. Really magical, Liz. I too love those struggling gnarled trees and I see their sprit in your artwork. Your box is a work of art! Love the cabochon and the place of honor you gave it.

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  4. Hi Liz,
    Girl you knocked this one out of the park! The leafless tree is beautiful! I like your idea of cutting a piece of wood in it's shape and making it free standing. Your box is gorgeous! I love the free form design around the cab. Thank you for participating in ATTS7 and I hope that you will be back for ATTS8.
    Therese

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  5. Wow, just wow! I love visiting your blog during these hops because you always do something different and inspiring. I love your tree, it is so reassuring to see them 'come back to life' in the spring isn't it! The second thing I thought after 'beautiful' when looking at your beaded box was 'you could keep beads in that...' ! Beaders think alike?.....!

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  6. oh man I love seeing what you've been up to! I always marvel at gnarled wood wondering what stories they have, what weather they've seen and just how long they've been standing. What a great piece! and that cab from Therese! I so agree with you and her lapidary skills - they are stunning! what a gorgeous one she sent you and an equally beautiful bead embroidery box to hold more yummy beads - perfection!

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  7. You.
    When Therese said that she thought #7 would be embroidery, the only reason I didn't fight it is because I wanted to see more of your work.
    That box is a perfect display of Therese's lapidary and your strength in design and color and beadwork, Those gorgeous blues support that cab beautifully. A treasure in the ocean.
    The tree...it brought tears to my eyes. Seeing naked trees in winter...I never for a moment fail to see the beauty in their stripped down appearance. You captured that perfectly ~ the interest in the tree itself, without the adornment of the leaves. And you gave it warmth, texture, and life.
    Krummholz...i never knew about that word, but now I will never forget.
    Thank you for being here, signing up, and your continued art. Thank you.

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  8. Okay, first I had to pick my jaw up off of the floor before I could type a comment...holy smokes, lady, these are spectacular! In the branches, you captured the beauty in something many people ignore or discount. And the beaded box with Therese's cab will bring joy every time you see it. Lovely, lovely work!

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  9. Indeed, your beadwork is spectacular! The colors of the tree are fantastic, and I love how you incorporate embroidery in every day objects. Fabulous!

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  10. Absolutely gorgeous tree, a work of art! Brilliant use of the cab on the box, what a treasure!

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  11. I have never heard the term krummholz and I agree, there is something magnificent about the stark gnarled branches of leafless trees. You have certainly captured their beauty in your design and I think free-standing would be fantastic! And I definitely think you did justice to Therese's cab - it is showcased beautifully on the box you rescued. Wonderful!

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  12. Your work is so beautiful, each time is more amazing than the next.
    Your creativity is fantastic.
    I love your pieces. Just love it!!!
    I have no words.
    I can just imagine how long it takes you to make them.

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  13. I love your tree!! I sketch bare trees every winter and share your fascination for the stark beauty of their forms. I am really curious how you decide to display it. And thanks to you, I've learned a new vocabulary term too - krummholz. Thank you.

    Your box is also beautiful, but you had me at the tree.

    Karen

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  14. Wow, that is stunning, I love how the tree came out. I think free standing would be awesome! Would love to see when you get done. And the top of the box...excellent work. Thanks for sharing!

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  15. Such a brilliant idea with the tree! love it ~ our winters are interminable of late and your design sure brings some sparkle into it :)

    The box is very ingenious too; amazing embroidery skills (just out of curiosity, you used a fabric back that you eventually glued to the box? ). Beautiful work all around, thank you for sharing!

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    1. Hi Alicia,
      I used Lacy's stiff stuff as my bead-backing, and then glued the non-beaded side to the top of the box. I still did an edging stitch (like you would if you were using ultrasuede to cover the back), just because a raw edge looks icky.
      Thanks for your visit!
      -Liz

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  16. So glad to see you here! I love the tree and the box-wow!! You capture the tree in hibernation with the use of the beads and colours. The box is just beautiful with the blues and then that big piece just sets it right off! Great works!!

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  17. Wow what stunning pieces! I love your gnarled tree, it is just perfect! Beautiful artistry and so amazingly neat and I adore what you have done with the cab, how the colour goes from blue to green and well just stunning!

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  18. what beautiful pieces so original

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  19. Oh I love how you made old into new again. Your pieces are beautiful and inspiring.

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  20. Is it possible to make the tree three dimensional? -painter

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    1. That is a very interesting idea! I'll have to put some thought into the mechanics and aesthetics. I could definitely see myself trying to make it work :D

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  21. Hi Liz,Your tree is lovely. My favorite though is the beautiful box that you embellished with Therese's gorgeous cab.

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  22. Fabulous beadwork. I really like the box, but that tree is Amazing.

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  23. Still hopping along behind :-) Love your trees! I am also a tree skelton lover, and those are just amazing. Very inspirational work!

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  24. I have n ot seen you in a while but I finally used some of the beads you sent me on a card I made-mermaid card so I hope you like it and can sneak a peek. Hope you are having a great summer

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