"Coming Attraction"

Going to see a special movie, 

I remember sitting in the darkened theater 

waiting for my eyes to adjust.   

Slowly, my eyes grew accostomed to the dim light, 

and then all the colors sang out.  

The movie screen showed the "Coming Attraction"  . . . 

The beginning of "Coming Attraction" started with the idea of using black beads sewn on a black foundation.  Black is wonderful for showcasing my favorite turquoise color.  But could my eyes adjust to sewing black beads with black thread onto a black foundation?    (Yes!)

I chose two oval magnesite cabochons with black and brown matrix (veining), 

and then added several shiny jet black cabochons, 

all of which I bezeled with seed beads.   

From there, I began a beading journey with texture in mind.  

Above photo shows the finished bead embroidered piece before 

it is attached to the brass blank cuff and made into a bracelet.  

Click on any photo for larger view.

Here are some of the various components in "Coming Attraction."

• magnesite
• dyed jade
• faceted crystal beads
• glass seed beads
• bugle beads
• vintage buttons (3)
• wool-covered button
• AB glass 8 mm beads
• black Lucite flowers
• turquoise and brown dyed Jasper
• crystal bi-cone beads in black and turquoise
• iridescent seed beads
• black sequins (3)

Around the edges of the cuff bracelet, I've sewn on 

size 11 shiny, opaque, black seed beads 

with an apex of three turquoise AB seed beads in the picot design.

I was delighted with the Midnight Black foundation 

by Nicole Campanella (NBB) ~ 

It was not difficult at all sewing black beads onto the black NBB.  

Discover NBB for yourself by visiting:

www.Beadwright.com

"IVORY COAST"

"Ivory Coast"

Everything I create gets a name, whether it's an original painting or a beaded bracelet.

This bead embroidered cuff bracelet I have named "Ivory Coast." 

The pearls and beads remind me of the color of shells I've found on the beach. 



* click on photos for larger image

Above is the bead embroidered work before it is attached to the brass inner cuff, and before it is finished off with the inside UltraSuede lining.  These bead embroidered bracelets are easier to see flat first, before they are shown circling a cuff bracelet.

This photo shows the finished cuff bracelet.  The center focal piece is a carved ivory rose cabochon that I encircled with jasper gemstones, glass seed beads, and glass pearls.  On the four "corners" are Lucite tulip flowers with pearl stamens. By each flower is a carved acrylic leaf.  The outer edging on the bracelet is finished with a lacey picot edge.

Besides the ivory rose and jasper beads, this bracelet also includes fresh water pearls, AB crystals, and assorted cream/ivory/ecru beads of various sizes and shapes.  I purposely chose only off-white beads, so no white beads are in the mix.  I think it turned out more elegant with only the cream-colored beads.  The foundation fabric onto which I beaded is a lovely warm tan shade, and the inside of the cuff is covered with ivory-colored UltraSuede in a faux tooled pattern.  The brass inner cuff is sandwiched between the top bead embroidered work and the UltraSuede to give the bracelet form and strength. The bead backing or foundation that I used is by Nicole Campanella (*see last paragraph) and the beautiful tan color is called "Hawk Wing."

I wanted this bracelet to have an old-fashioned vintage jewelry feel to it.  This was my favorite bead embroidered cuff bracelet to work on ... but then, I seem to think that with each one as I'm designing and working on them.  I'm actually a little sad when the bracelet is finally finished, but immediately I'm eager to start a new one.

*For those of you who are already enjoying your own bead embroidery projects, I must share my recent discovery for an exceptional bead backing (the foundation upon which the beads are sewn.)  It's called:  Nicole's BeadBacking (NBB).  This proprietary/copyrighted material is a most excellent surface for not only beadwork, but other sewing applications, and is fast becoming the go-to backing for bead embroidery artists - I know I am a forever fan. 

If you are interested in more information, please visit her Web site at:

www.NicoleCampanella.com or www.beadwright.etsy.com









~ Vintage Altered Books ~

~Vintage Altered Books ~

These are bundles of old books that I saved from the landfill ... they still have their charm and beauty, and with a few touches of ephemera and some antique additions, I believe they deserve a place of honor. 

Books truly are forever if you want them to be!

*The White Album*

The White Album

Color, of course, is intoxicating. But white is intriguing. Every tint, shade, tone and degree of the "color" white captures my attention and imagination. White equates peace and serenity to me, so what better way to celebrate white than a white album.

*The White Album* is my biggest and fattest altered art book yet.

44 pages of photos, fabrics, chunky items like buttons, lace, ribbons, and my usual beloved vintage ephemera.
The old photos in the book are part of my collection of vintage photos.

The new/contemporary photos of white things are photos I took myself specifically for this book. Their inclusion add a small touch of modern to the otherwise antique look of the book.

ABOVE PHOTO:  Left side: back cover of book. Right side: front cover of book.

Below are the pages in "The White Album"

click on any photo to enlarge it for better viewing

*TIME*

* TIME *

Altered Art Book by Lynn Lindley

Images of vintage clock faces always catch my eye, and I'm compelled to cut them out and save them. Over the years, I collected so many clock faces that I had more than enough to completely cover and decoupage a metal wastebasket with them. Even after that project, I continued to cut out and collect vintage clock faces out of habit. My idea for an altered art book with the subject of *TIME* seemed a logical venue for using my growing collection.

For weeks I jotted down phrases and sayings that had to do with time - and surprisingly, there were so many, I didn't even use them all. Dangling from a snippet of vintage seam binding is a miniature glass bottle ~ inside is the word "time" taken from the text of an old book. (Time in a bottle.) The tabs on each page have a time or date that is personally significant to me written in gold ink. Several of the hands on the clocks inside and on the cover of the book turn, and there are other 3-D objects such as minature clock faces and watches included as well.

To enlarge photos, click on the image once or twice.

(Above) The cover of *TIME* altered art book


The following photos (shown after the page titles) show the pages of my altered art book called *TIME*

These are the titles of the pages:

Passing The Test Of Time

Time Well Spent - If I Could Save Time In A Bottle

Time Will Tell - Time Is On My Side

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? 25 or 6 to 4

Double Time - Keeping Time

Time Will Tell - The Clock Watchers

Time Heals All Wounds - Time Frame

Time Stands Still

Too Much Time On Her Hands

It's About Time

Time Flies

Time After Time

Always Be On Time

***************************

*Holiday Decor Ideas* ~ Altered Art Book

"Holiday Decor Ideas" ~  Altered Art Book

by Lynn Lindley 

Front of book (above)

Back of book (above)

With Christmas behind me, I was left with an unorganized stack of "holiday decor ideas" which were merely odds and ends, notes to myself, and cut-out magazine articles featuring beautiful ways to decorate for the holidays. They needed to be corralled in one place for easy future reference.

A children's board book with a cut-out opening in the center was the perfect size. I layered decorative paper on the front of the book, and added antique buttons, an old Christmas postage stamp, ribbons, a vintage holiday postcard, and other Victorian ephemera. To the inside pages (on heavy index paper) I attached holiday paper index tabs, and included extra blank heavy-weight paper for additional decorating ideas. Two holes were punched in each cover and all pages, and the book was then held together with red album rings. Now it will be a snap to include more ideas.

The first photo is the front of the book, and the second photo is the back of the book.

Black and White (and Sepia) Altered Art Book

"Black and White (and Sepia)"

Altered Art Book

by Lynn Lindley

This altered art book began as featuring only

Black and White.

Before I could finish even one page of the book,

I realized that Black and White

would be too restrictive for me,

and it lacked the warmth that I always gravitate to ...

so I allowed Sepia tones to join in the creation ~

and it became a wonderful project

with lots of special and meaningful pages in black, white, and sepia.

The majority of the pages feature vintage

family photos of a personal nature,

so I'm including here just a couple

of the more generalized pages.

Below is the open book spread out so that on the left side

you can see the back cover,

and on the right side you see the front cover.

The front cover was the most FUN to create.

These are slide mounts each with photos,

vintage and new,

or small pieces of ephemera inside,

and other little images that appeal to me.

(Click on any of the photos for a closer look.)