Quote:
No delicas here for this project...I hate perfect. Delicas are too perfect...I use them for peyote stitch amulet bags or needle cases but I just really do not like them. Every single piece of beadwork I have ever done, has 1 bead out of place...even if it has to be deliberate. It also helps identify my work later.
I am using an old time bead, czech beads and french beads...size 12/0 I usually use 11/0 but I wanted a smaller bead because I am going to try to get as much detail in his plummage as possible. I considered using 13/0 but that would be alot of beads to make Suede an 8 x 10 and I would be beading for months...this is a belated xmas gift for Cyn and I did not want her to wait until August to get it.
I rarely order from shipwreck...they are way too expensive IMHO. And when you are ordering 20+ hanks, it makes a difference. Your bill goes from $50.00 - 60.00 to way over 100.00. I order from Crazy Crow Trading Post, Fire Mountain Gems (for some specific tile and pony beads) and from a wholesaler/manufacturer in France. I also order wholesale because of my business...which saves me some bucks.
It was the French beads that arrived yesterday. The actual project came to mind because Cyn has been wonderful and helpful each time I have PMd or posted to her with some stupid question....she is always readily and cheerfully given me her advice and opinions...I wanted to show her it was appreciated. Also, well Suede is gorgeous and he will not live forever but if I bead him...Cyn can have him forever...in a manner of speaking. So, Cyn sent me pictures of Suede, I chose the one I really liked and blew him up. LOL I am going to bead the picture of him on a deerhide I tanned myself and then do something creative with it that she can hang in her livingroom. I am also waiting for the Suedenator to drop a feather or two but he is being a bit stubborn about that.
In reality, I love beading birds, especially birds of prey. They are not easy and have their own challenges but that boy is just too gorgeous not to try to bead him. Cyn will get the beadwork and I will keep pictures of it. If it turns out as well as I hope (blues on beads vs blues on that boy....I am afraid matching them will not happen...but I am being positive and ordering every blue bead on the planet that remotely fits)...I could try to do Hawkeye for her.
Cyn...no plucking the boy. You can add the feathers later when he drops em. I will send everything you need to add them....easy I promise.
P.S. ml - I am doing a two needle applique beading on him so the slight difference in the beads gives me the option of fitting a bead into a small spot or where it is needed. It means I will spend more time selecting each bead but it gives me more ways to work the rounded edges. Hopefully he will have a somewhat 3-D affect in certain shading areas. It is a challenge but it is going to be worth it I think. If you look at her avatar (which is Suede) you can see his feathers on his chest have very good defintion...with the darker tips and so forth. I am really going to try to capture that effect.