The Bead Call

There's nothing quite as soothing to me as having my hands, mind and senses engaged in something creative. It's true for millions of us. Thankfully there are endless things to choose from for immersion. And as I mentioned here a couple of posts ago, beads were calling to me for the first time in quite a few years.

So...the last couple of weekends I carved out a bit of time and jumped back into the shapes, colors and textures of beads that I've tucked here and there, knowing I would get to them when the time was right. Many were carted home after visits to New Mexico, a place that firmly holds my heart. As I knew it would be, once the beads were introduced to each other, when wearing them I am reminded of moments, places and people we love.

The path I take in "making" is finding my way without a map. With beading, I gather together the beads that look like good companions and begin developing patterns. They aren't fancy but fun to do since there are no expectations. My imagination freezes up with expectation. Frustrating, that.

A new job was the catalyst for these pieces. In my previous office, with a desk by a wall of hardly sealed windows, I usually layered and used neck scarves to add warmth. They also served to pull all the colors I was wearing together. This is Washington after all, the land of layers! Rainy, sunny, cloudy, foggy, snowing, sunny, rainy, etc; you get the picture.

Now I'm working in an office building with consistent temps. Shock. So it seemed like a good time to return to pulling layers together with beads. As you can see, I made some longer to wrap two or three times around depending on the need, and some shorter.

It really was soothing to get back into "making". This year I've done almost nothing in that regard and have missed it. The few things I started, I haven't finished. Just couldn't focus. Hopefully this was my kick start. There are some pretty impatient boxes of fabrics, fibers, yarns, paints and such frantically waving at me every time I walk by.

What are you working away on in your neck of the woods?

I'd love to hear.