This one is February’s page… still a work in progress. This page was inspired by the landscape assignment in my Joggles mini art quilt class. Purple is my favorite color and I wanted to make a landscape that was based on a winter sunset. The heart fabric was completely accidental. I am not a huge Valentine’s Day person so I was not trying to be sappy. Then I saw a great bead that my friend Pam created and I knew it was perfect for the focal piece. This one is more like January’s page, more abstract. While the other months so far have had a printed image that I have beaded on or around. It has been fun to bead in a less directed way, but it is harder to know when I am done. This one also still needs to have a backing finishing, after the beading is done.

The Beaded Journal Project is a year long challenge that asks participants to create a fabric journal page for each month that captures the experience of that month, for the artist. We began this journey in September 2008. I chose to create a shrine style page with the concept of a sculptural book that would both stand and have doors that opened onto the beaded pages. The project has gone through different phases of development and is not yet complete. Finishing a project of this nature (hiding the stitching, making all surfaces presentable) is turning out to be a challenge. This is the first time I have done beaded artwork on this level. I am excited about what I have learned so far.

Each shrine page will close with a tied ribbon and the back will have a written statement about the piece. Each piece is machine quilted using a variety of printed, batik, and hand-painted fabrics, then embellished with ribbon, lace, trim and beads. The beads are glass beads in many sizes, shapes and types.

You can follow and read more about this series on my blog Sheba Kitty Productions

The Backs

tied closed fronts