Handiwomen Design Studio

Threads

2008-03-17T16:27:00.001-07:00

New threads and products come on the market all the time. I am not adverse to using anything that works for a particular project.

For pieces that contain sharp edged beads, I have been using either Power Pro 10 lb test or Fireline 6 lb test.

Power Pro came out first in white and a weird, eery looking green. The white is easy to color with a permanent marker, which is what I do if I think any thread will show where I don't want it.

Fireline has gained a lot of popularity in the past year. The best colors are smoke and crystal. There is also this funky green available, but leave that to the fishermen.

Both are braided and intended for use as fishing line. This is definitely not the old monofilament that stretched and cracked.

Having used both (both are available from Bead Smith), I am leaning toward the Fireline. The 6 lb test is slightly smaller than the 10 lb Power Pro and is nicer to work with. I haven't found a reason to use the smaller 4 lb test, although there are beaders who prefer it. I have used it in some tiny size 15 beads with several passes and had no trouble. Also, Fireline, even when purchased from a bead supplier, is significantly cheaper.

I would recommend going to a fishing supply store where much large reels can be bought at very reasonable prices.

Long time gone

2008-03-05T09:35:00.000-08:00

Well, it hasn't been quite a year since my last post, but it's getting close. Not that I haven't been busy. Just the opposite. Starting this blog got me to thinking that I needed a website. So I contracted with GloderWorks to create a web page. It is cool! The link is at the bottom of this page.

I have three galleries of work from which people can view or buy pieces: fiber, jewelry, and sculpture. There is also another blog, and in January, I had them add a classes page since I decided to get back into some teaching now that some health issues have been resolved.

I am re-organizing my time, studio, and processes so I hope to be a bit more productive during the rest of the year. We'll see.

http://www.dianestavola.com

Fiber and Textiles

2007-07-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

As a fiber/textile artist, I am excited to be able to share my and my works in progress. There is no greater satisfaction than knowing that the viewer connects with my vision at a visceral level. Ofcourse, not everyone will relate to all my work all of the time.

Blogging is a new and exciting way to share my creations. I hope to document my artistic journey and growth here. Will I write every day? I doubt it. But I hope to do it often enough to make it worth while.

Rhododendron(photo by Ellen Martin, Lexington, VA) is based on a photograph of an actual rhododenron bush at my home. I love red and was thrilled when my husband found and bought me this lovely bush. It is a delicate plant and requires a great deal of care. Although it has been in my garden for three years now, it's existence is still tentative. It is only this year that I can say that I believe it is going to make it. Just in case it doesn't I created this wall piece.