Monday, September 13, 2010

Keep on Beading!


things i am working on
Originally uploaded by megan_n_smith_99

i used to bead a lot. like probably at least 20 hours a week on top of working full time. i also wrote for bead magazines, had my beadwork published in books and magazines, and taught bead embroidery classes.

now, just shy of 40, it takes me 20 tries to thread a needle i could easily thread a year ago. I need to go to the eye doctor. I am still beading, but not as much as I was, and I try to use mostly size 11 and larger beads, I use a few 15s, but it is too hard on my eyes to use anything smaller than that.

But let's hear it for keeping on beading! Here is a little something I was working on over the weekend - and more to come! The backdrop is a bit of a watercolor painting, also in progress.

The face cabychon here was made by Melanie at Earthenwood Studio. Many of my favorite beaded items feature her wonderful beads!

2 comments:

Dusty said...

Have you tried drugstore reading glasses? I use them on the advice of my eye doctor, but I find I am also using a needle threader.

Megan Noel said...

Good advice! I actually have an astigmatism and am not really supposed to use those as they .. uh, distort reality! but since my RX reading glasses are no longer sufficient I did get a pair of those which are stronger and am going to go to the eye doctor soon! Hopefully reality will be less distorted soon! You know, I always thought I was threading needles more by feel than by looking but apparently that was not the case :) A needle threader is also a good idea. I must have one someplace :) And good light makes a huge difference of course.