In the summer of 2007 I began designing bead embroidery projects for my workshops--small creations that could help students learn and refine bead embroidery techniques while spending some quiet, contemplative time creating something beautiful for their home, to incorporate into a piece of wearable art, or as a special gift.
I've gotten some wonderful stories about these kits: two identical ornaments (in blue and white; lower left of picture) that were made, attached back-to-back, and used with a clear acrylic dowel rod as the decorative top of the cake for a daughter's blue-and-white wedding on a beach (and then given as a keepsake gift for the bride and groom); people buying several of the same kits to make along side a friend, child, or grandchild; and other thoughtful and creative uses for these manageable projects.
Now that I've completed 12 designs, I thought it would be fun to see them all together. The pieces at the ends of the top row are my most recent designs and the projects for some upcoming workshops in November and December of this year, February of 2013, and July of 2013. The designs in the first two places on the top row are stitched on the same background fabric, but with very different approaches to fabric coverage.
Seeing these all together is getting my head swirling with new ideas for designs, themes, and palettes in the next five years of explorations in little bead embroidery projects.