Then & Now

When I'm downloading pictures to put on Etsy, sometimes I accidentally click on a picture file with the same date, only two years earlier. The other day I was putting bead pictures on Etsy from a file dated 8.15.10. I noticed I also had a file from 8.15.08 - so I clicked on it. And this is what I saw:

This is one of my original owls. The head and body were basically one unit, and apparently I believed owls had big feet back then. Also, notice the feathers on the owl's head - kind of sad, like a lame comb-over. But back then I thought this owl was pretty darn good.

Here's an owl from 8.15.10 - two years later. I think it's a lot more fun, mostly because I've learned in the last two years that owls and other critters can come in any color. Plus, they can have rainbow star murrini on their bellies.

Going back in time got me thinking about another bead I had made last summer. This weenie in a tube was one of my favorite beads. I thought it was very innovative, and I'm still proud of it.

This summer I expanded on that idea and got my doggies to sit upright in their tubes. I think they're much more confident that way.

Do you ever look back at your past work? You should. You may cringe (as I do), but it's fun to see how far you've come.

Bead Experiments

I've been experimenting with my beads lately. Much to their chagrin, I've been moving their bead holes around and changing their shapes. The turtles are rolling their eyes at me, because I've been concentrating on them lately.

This is Rawlins, my first reversible turtle. This side shows his raised heart murrini.

I made him a little flatter than my usual round-shelled turtles, so he would lie flat if he was hanging from a chain.

And here is Rawlins' other side, melted in murrini.

Melvin the murrini-topped turtle seems to be rolling his eyes at me. But if he could see how fabulous the murrini on top of his shell looks, he'd thank me.

I've made a few turtles like this before, with the bead hole running sideways through the shell. That way I could better feature a slice of loriandkim murrini on top. This bead and the next are bigger than the ones I've done in the past, so I can fit larger murrini slices on top.

Boone the blue turtle is showing off a really detailed murrini slice. His shell also has raku frit melted in.

Boone looks as if he's a little uncomfortable with all the shell decor. But he'll get used to it.