{beading in art}

For the last couple of weeks I've been introducing beading to my mixed media artwork. I've created chunkybook pages with beaded embellishments, paper bag books with beaded binding, and a pretty bottle with a beaded topper (that I'll show you as soon as it's completed). The work is often extensive but the payoff has been wonderful. I feel such a sense of accomplishment and reward when I've completed beading something. This probably stems from the amount of time and effort that goes into these projects.

These funky paper bag books don't take much time at all. They're unique, fun, & bright. I love 'em! It all started with that very top one. I was at work and wanting to art. I brought no supplies from home so I searched for things to use. I found paper bags, birthday wrapping paper, newspapers, foil, and children's acrylic paint. Heather challenged me to use these supplies and an image she sent, to create something. This was my original creation. Later I was able to go by my house and gather a small tote of supplies and fun embellishments. Then I went to the craft store and bought floral wire (it's cheaper & you get more!). I punched the side and beaded the binding. Here is the finished product and a close-up of the binding. As you can see, I liked it so much, I made 3 more! These books are plain (but for the binding) so far.