LOCAL TALENT

The monthly Fiber Arts Alliance meeting featured two very talented members; Elaine Zinn and Julie Simpson....both have enviable resumes that encompass many artistic fields.  Their willingness to share their creative work is an example of what terrific gals they are!

The focus of the presentation was making fabric beads.....which included tons of ideas about how to use them.  Here Judy Simmons (another fabulously talented artist) is rolling a strip of her hand dyed marbleized fabric, spread with glue....onto the end of a bendable straw.  Once dried...the fabric bead can be slipped off and used as an embellishment, in jewelry, or even as a button.

Examples were coming fast and furious.....so it was difficult to get stop action photos.....here you'll see beads that were made by wrapping/glueing yarns and thick threads around a plain, unfinished wood bead.  Bamboo skewer work well to hold the bead until it's dry.  

Julie has strung some of these beauties onto memory wire and alternating other larger beads for a fast and attractive necklace.

This approach is also simple but very effective.  Take a fabric tube....stuff small sections with fiber fill, divide with large beads.  It'd be a fast way to coordinate a necklace with your clothing.

This piece is a bit more elaborate......I love the effect of the rich embellishments!

Here you'll see some large beads.....encrusted with seed beads. (look hard...for the white circles)  The fabric leaves feature stitching and sprinkles of beads, but the center piece, made from long shell like beads is what really makes this necklace a stand out.

Thanks Ellen and Julie for sharing your work!