FLORAL TRIBUTES FOR OUR SWEET MERLE

When we first talked about the idea of my posting the pieces made in memory of Merle Berelowitz for the Ms. Maddie's Fabulous Florals category of Bead Dreams 2014, I had a clever theme to introduce the photos.  I was going to do a play on the Salon de Reufse (exhibition of rejects),  an exhibition of works rejected by the official jury of the Paris Salon.  Most famous was the exhibit of 1863 when the works of  such artists as Edouard Manet and Camille Pissaro were rejected by the Salon.

 I was going to say something about being anxious to see the fabulous pieces done in the spirit of Merle that beat out our efforts.  Having seen the finalists in the Ms. Maddie's category of Bead Dreams 2014, I will only say that here are pieces that were made as a tribute to Merle, her medium of acrylic flowers, and her aesthetic by people who knew and loved her.  They are presented in alphabetical order.


First is a very sweet macramé bracelet made by Judith Bertoglio-Giffin using acrylic flowers and leaves, fire polish beads, seed beads, and fiber.

Judith Bertoglio-Giffin

Next in our tribute is Marlene Brady's entry made of right-angle weave, bead embroidery, and fringe.

Marlene Brady

Back view, Marlene Brady's entry

Next is Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah by the supremely talented Diane Hyde.  It is made of Lucite flowers, seed beads, crystals, and a separating zipper that really works.  The technique is bead embroidery.

Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah by Diane Hyde

Close up of Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah

Pat Kraemer made a fun entry using acrylic flowers and seed beads.

Pat Kraemer



Close up of Pat Kraemer's bird

Then there is my entry entitled Miss Morticia Beads her Garden.  Prompted by the black plastic flowers and lime-green, plastic hearts that I found at CJS Sales, I envisioned a mostly black and white necklace beaded by Morticia Adams as she waits for the endless snow to melt so that she can see her real garden.  What can I say?  It was a long, cold, snowy winter. 

Adele Rogers Recklies

Adele Rogers Recklies

Adele Rogers Recklies


Thus ends our beady tribute to our sweet Merle.  If anyone else has an entry to the Ms. Maddie's category that I didn't find or if you just have a beadwork tribute to Merle that you would like to see included, just let me know. 

If you would like to see all of the finalists of Bead Dreams 2014, you may do so here: Bead and Button.  You can even vote for 1 favorite entry.

POWER FLOWERS AND RICKRACK

Due to a last minute cancellation, I was lucky enough to take one of Jean Power's geometric beadwork classes through the Bead Society of Greater New York this past weekend.  We worked on her Rick-Rack Bangle and Crystal Flower.  We also got a sneak preview of some of the projects in her second geometric beadwork book and I can say that her fans are in for a treat when it is published.

 

 

Here is Jean explaining a process.

A variation of her Rick Rack Bangle

Some of Jean's Crystal Flowers

More of her geometric beadwork

Another cuff

I was a little apprehensive about taking Jean's class because I don't do a lot of peyote stitch so I was gobsmacked to find out how simple-as in elegant and efficient-Jean has made her Rick Rack design.  I relaxed and had fun with the class.   Some of us started on a whole Rick Rack bangle and some of us took the principle and made a flower.

Here are some of our projects at the end of class.

This is my version of Jean's Crystal Flower (the 2nd project).  I decided to see what would happen if you added a 3rd level of petals.  I wish I had a lavender bead in place of the crystal on the edge but I had no time to order anything. 

My version of Jean's Rick Rack flower. 


I want to finish the stem of the flower in a way that will allow me to wear it as a pendant and put some dangles in the center, but that will have to wait because I need to get back to a snake.

So I had a great time in Jean's class.  Her instructions were clear, she was happy to explain things again and again, and I marveled at the amount of energy that she still had after 2 weeks of traveling.  I was also very glad that I had ordered her book last month and arranged for her to bring it to New York. Now, if I could only clone myself so that I could work on more geometric designs and bead crochet at the same time.