Wolf's Den

A few weeks or so ago, Beadweaving Emporium Market came up with bi-monthly Challenges, to help us jump start a new project or idea, or whathaveyou.

The theme for July is 'New Horizons'. Very interesting, I thought, quite a few different ways to interpt too.

So off I went to pull out all those pages of various bead stitches I'd printed off years ago and never really got around to teaching myself the majority of. I figured I'd narrow the selection down to 3 or 4 different stitches I've been meaning to learn and just haven't gotten around to, and have Mark chose one- or as he did, two.



See, I tend to stick with what works for me. And sometimes that can put me in a rut and I'll just keep doing the same thing, over and over and over again, in varying combinations of colors and shapes, generally. But it's invariably the same few stitches, repeatedly.

I've never motivated myself to want to learn a new stitch. Not in years. In fact, the last new stitch I learned was the 'Karmen' stitch and the 'NetWeave Drop' stitch, several years ago. I learned them, but then... never did anything with them.



BEM's bi-monthly challenge was a great jump start to get myself motivated again. To make me want to learn at least one new beadwork stitch and stretch my repertoire that much more. To that end, I had Mark chose from a stack of stitches I'd never done before.

He chose two stitches, suggesting that I use one as the base, and do the other off of it, incorporating the cab I wanted to use as a focal point to the entire piece. This is why I keep him around- he has an awesome way of helping me figure out a new design or color combo. For someone so technical minded, he has a great sense of creativity to go along with it.



So, I beaded up the cab, a gorgeous piece of Lace Agate by Ahna over on that other site that starts with an 'E'. But then I also went ahead and beaded up a pair of fused glass topped tiles I had that I wanted to play with. If I tell you where I got them, you won't believe me, so I won't.}:P

Ok, yes, I beaded the 2 tiles as procrastination rather than actually starting on learning one of the other bead stitches Mark chose. Except, I finished them last night and now, besides taking photographs of my absolutely gorgeous German Bearded Irises, Siberian Irises and Japanese Irises that are all blooming, or catching up on the several days worth of food posts I need to do- one of which is the Daring Cook's challenge due on the 14th, I have no other reason NOT to start teaching myself.



The only thing holding me back is... myself. That little shadow voice in the back of my head telling me I'll fail won't shut up. That little sorrow filled other voice saying, hey, it's almost the 1yr anniversary of Dante's passing, shouldn't you be more depressed, also won't shut the devil up.

But I look at these freshly beaded pieces and I look at my gardens and I look at the myriads of photos I have of Dante in happier times, and I wonder, why the devil should I be depressed, why the devil should I feel like I'm going to fail when I can do THIS.



And thus, all reasons to continue to procrastinate leave. And thus, motivation once again returns.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have the herringbone beadwork stitch to learn.

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