Back to Paper Beads...Varnishes and Links

Some of us started this as children, so keep in mind this is a great craft to do with kids. You can also take some scribbled art that little kids make and turn those into memento beads for mommy.

I wanted to post some of the links I'm finding useful. It's a lot of trial and error with paper beads. I find I love white glue (Elmer's) first, then the clear blue gel type elmer's after. The final varnish is where I'm still fighting for a solution. I like acrylic nail polish, but it becomes goopy fast so isn't an ideal solution. That's my main search topic tonight. This is some of what I've found:

Paper Bead Making 101
What do you use to vanish your beads? Paper Beads What do you use to vanish your beads?
How to Protect Your Paper Beads
Paper Beads - Beading Daily

Why link to other sites rather than making my own experiment? Why reinvent the wheel?  I'm still experimenting for what I prefer. I plan to locate the Triple Thick or the Minwax stuff. The last link has a gorgeous photo of very glossy beads with Triple Thick.

For papers:

I already have a book I plan to use to make a certain type of cylinder bead. I love scrapbooking paper and magazine pages the most, however. These provide some of the prettiest colors. The tougher feel of the scrapbook paper creates a sturdier bead, though. The color play of the magazines, though....I LOVE that. I'm sculpting the pendants in polymer clay. I have three dragons from years ago that I might use. They haven't sold on Etsy yet, so might as well. I made a weird little face pendant the other night to use with some black and pink beads.

On that note, it's beyond sleepy time.

What this blog is about...or rather, Who writes this stuff

I switched to allow the Google+ so that I could do some additional bloggy features, but it also gets rid of your entire profile.

So this blog is about....Art! Whimsies! Jewelry! Dragons and fairies and cats, oh my.

Who writes this stuff?

Shelah is a 38-year-old artist who works a daytime (well sorta) job in a call center and spends her top secret nights (sort of) playing MMOs and doing more art styles than she can keep up with. She also attends college on a semi-full-time basis. Shelah lives with her sweetie-peetie and they two feline "daughters" since her own kid opted to grow up.


Enough third person here.
As for challenges, time is an obvious one, but so is energy level. I deal with fibromyalgia and migraines, all the fun stuff that goes right along with that. Wanna buy some art? Just kidding. I sculpt ooak art dolls, dragons of varying sizes, create beads in clay and paper as well as craft a lot of different jewelry styles. I paint in watercolor and draw in graphite. My best topics are fairy felines, fairy fairies, and dragons. I sometimes toss in a little oddity of course and I'm always developing my style. You'll get to see all the random things I enjoy doing.

Back to work...

What to be when I grow up...

It's a common enough question that we all ask ourselves at some point in life. I'm 38-years-old and started originally at one college at age 35. That was a Computer Forensics degree. Life happened, which left me seeking a different college to attend. I went into Digital Media, but decided it's not for me. I want to create for myself, not for a designed plan another has set forth. I shifted my degree again to Computer Info systems with a focus on web development. The idea is, I can branch this wherever I want it to go and work for different companies. This is to keep food on the table. I do love solving problems, but these fields are not my passion.

I finally have really thought through what I want to be when I grow up. I have to have a job for food. Having a place to live is nice. Clothing is kind of essential. Extras would be cool, and art supplies are top of the line of necessity. :)

I sculpt at a small scale because A.) I can, and B.) it's what I can afford.

What I want to do is just be what I am, an artist. I mainly enjoy sculpting and that's where my ideas and passion are. The other stuff is just fun and relaxing to try or do. I love clay. Primarily, this covers polymer clay although I'm starting to try other kinds. I love paper mache and am just starting to learn that. I have a fondness for fabric and beads, feathers and different types of hair. I love art dolls, busts and fanciful creations. I have ideas for larger creations, yet not the means to create them yet. I'm thinking of trying some paper mache because it's more affordable, until I can get the supplies I need.

Today I chose the fabric for my current doll and the feathers. I need to select the beads and other decor. I need to design her wings. Feathers are for the hair.

I live to create. I have to create. It's what brings me peace among all the stresses of the world. School starts again very soon and I have to create. All I want to be is...

an artist.
That's what I already am.
Does this mean I'm grown up?

Nothing Witty Tonight

I went home with an allergic reaction to my migraine medicine..and a subsequent headache and lots of sleep. Headache is still here, but I needed to DO something, since that's just how I am. Relaxation? Not so much. I had this little lady on my desk for a long time. The green doll in the back is my original of the 'species' and the white one will eventually be decorated, given hair, and some dragons to play with.

I had to remake the head a time or two due to hot hands.

The little scales also do not stick well at first.

I love to evolve the species as I go.

I'm happy with her. I really wish this blog would let me post two side by side. Maybe I'm missing that functionality somewhere.

And now she's in the oven to bake. 

Much more relaxing

There we are. I'm all settled in and "dragon" my way through the day. This is a project a started a bit ago. I've already poked my finger a few times sewing the dragon body. The head and feetsies  are fully sculpted in polymer clay.

It's time for a break...and it's crazy when you...

cannot decide which craft you want to do in the meantime. I spent what time I was awake last night working on more paper beads. First I worked on painting some scrapbook paper with gold acrylic paint, then cut the strips. The beads will be lovely. The second set of beads presented challenges. They were from a magazine page so that I could get some smaller beads with a variety of color. However, I had to lengthen the strips by gluing on some extra paper to create the fuller bead.

This is the page I used for this set of beads. I thought it had some great colors to work with. The strips are narrow and lengthwise. I'll post some tutorials tomorrow. 

I love the colors that these presented, until I reached all the black. Below you'll see I had some help. This is Zoey, my fuzzy assistant. These strips are the blue ones I started with. 

Can we say....Obsession?? My fingers hurt! That's why I'm taking a break from beads today. I cannot decide which craft I want to work on however. I might just take in my dragon. Photos tomorrow perhaps?  We shall see! That one requires sewing and beading. Wish me luck. Oh and glue. Calls on Thursdays are often more intense, however, so I might not get very far on the work. Fairly fatigued today, so wish me luck on that too! :)