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I did some deep-cleaning over the weekend and ran across this little beaded vase. BOY, does this bring back memories! There was a time when these were all I made.
I had newly returned to Portland after the end of – ahem! – a very bad chapter in my life. It was October 2001, and jobs weren’t easy to come by, so I had a lot of time on my hands. Much of it was spent with a beading needle in my hand, dishes of seed beads spread out around me, and NPR on the radio.
There’s something about a rhythmic craft like beadweaving that really lets your mind go to work. Bead by bead, I processed a whole lot of angry, sad emotions. And I churned out a whole lot of vases. If you knew me between October 2001 and May 2002, you probably own one.
And then, oddly, when I was done, I was done. I haven’t touched a peyote stitch in years. But I have a fondness for this funny little vase – a portrait of an unsettled time that worked itself out.
What crafts do you do during unsettled times?
What a gorgeous vase! Very nice job on it, too.
I don’t have many bad spots in my life, thankfully, but when I do, I clean and organise up a storm. Beading and jewellery making is for brighter, happier, more creative and free flowing times in my life.
What a gorgeous vase! Very nice job on it, too.
I don’t have many bad spots in my life, thankfully, but when I do, I clean and organise up a storm. Beading and jewellery making is for brighter, happier, more creative and free flowing times in my life.
I love this vase. I’ve never seen anything like it. I do crochet and more recently embroidery when I need to a quiet craft.
I love this vase. I’ve never seen anything like it. I do crochet and more recently embroidery when I need to a quiet craft.
it’s really beautiful!
it’s really beautiful!
This is stunning.
When I’m stressed, the best thing is to make backgrounds. It’s really relaxing to me to find out what happens on the paper or canvas when I experiment with different media. I don’t have to think or conform to any parameters beyond the edges of the page. And sometimes, it can help me work through some thinking glitches.
This is stunning.
When I’m stressed, the best thing is to make backgrounds. It’s really relaxing to me to find out what happens on the paper or canvas when I experiment with different media. I don’t have to think or conform to any parameters beyond the edges of the page. And sometimes, it can help me work through some thinking glitches.
Wow! What an amazing vase, or dare I say it? An avasing maze of beads and colors.. Wonderful, just wonderful!
Wow! What an amazing vase, or dare I say it? An avasing maze of beads and colors.. Wonderful, just wonderful!
Wow, looking at all of those little tiny beads makes my eyes get all squinty! What an amazing job you did!
I have a hard time creating when I’m sad/stressed, but then I’ll get to a point where I make myself do it anyway. I’ll usually draw, but I let myself go do places I don’t usually go in my art. And I agree with Chris about using different media during those times.
Wow, looking at all of those little tiny beads makes my eyes get all squinty! What an amazing job you did!
I have a hard time creating when I’m sad/stressed, but then I’ll get to a point where I make myself do it anyway. I’ll usually draw, but I let myself go do places I don’t usually go in my art. And I agree with Chris about using different media during those times.
I tend to do needlework when I’m down and stressed. I can create anytime, but there are certain crafts that are great for certain times. Embroidery lets me clear my head while doing something rhythmic with my hands. I tend to like to hand-sew items during those times, too.
I tend to do needlework when I’m down and stressed. I can create anytime, but there are certain crafts that are great for certain times. Embroidery lets me clear my head while doing something rhythmic with my hands. I tend to like to hand-sew items during those times, too.
geez… i can relate to that place in time when creative repetition is your best friend.
for me it never matter what craft i did, as long as there was something to keep my hands busy.
geez… i can relate to that place in time when creative repetition is your best friend.
for me it never matter what craft i did, as long as there was something to keep my hands busy.
Good post!
And I like your choosen colors too.
To answer your questions: I know quite a bit of bad times. Normally I don’t craft at all in those times but I started to do pages in my little moleskine for some time now.
Glueing in maybe parts of a flower I found during a soothing walk, doodleing with my fineliners, addings words that come into my mind.
:-Tally-:
Good post!
And I like your choosen colors too.
To answer your questions: I know quite a bit of bad times. Normally I don’t craft at all in those times but I started to do pages in my little moleskine for some time now.
Glueing in maybe parts of a flower I found during a soothing walk, doodleing with my fineliners, addings words that come into my mind.
:-Tally-:
Amazing! Oh my! It’s healing just to *look* at that vase, I can’t imagine how healing it was to make it!
I’m with Missy up above – embroidery (as usual!) is my craft of choice when I’m stressed. It reminds me of coloring in coloring books as a kid – which is actually still pretty therapeutic for me!
And while it’s not necessarily “crafting,” I love to go to thrift stores and wander when I’m stressed out. :)
Hugs.
Rach
Amazing! Oh my! It’s healing just to *look* at that vase, I can’t imagine how healing it was to make it!
I’m with Missy up above – embroidery (as usual!) is my craft of choice when I’m stressed. It reminds me of coloring in coloring books as a kid – which is actually still pretty therapeutic for me!
And while it’s not necessarily “crafting,” I love to go to thrift stores and wander when I’m stressed out. :)
Hugs.
Rach
I know it’s a terrible cliche, but at the moment I feel like I’m knitting to save my life . . .
I know it’s a terrible cliche, but at the moment I feel like I’m knitting to save my life . . .
Back “in the day” when I worked in a police station answering phones, I used to crochet seed beads into hand bags. Thousands of little tiny beads on to thin cotton with a small metal lace hood all done while I worked the phones. I haven’t done it since I stopped listening to people talk about all those lovely reasons you go to a police station.
Back “in the day” when I worked in a police station answering phones, I used to crochet seed beads into hand bags. Thousands of little tiny beads on to thin cotton with a small metal lace hood all done while I worked the phones. I haven’t done it since I stopped listening to people talk about all those lovely reasons you go to a police station.
This is gorgeous!
I think when I need comfort, I cook. But I am going to pay more attention these days and see what I turn to, when.
xoxo
L
This is gorgeous!
I think when I need comfort, I cook. But I am going to pay more attention these days and see what I turn to, when.
xoxo
L
wow, that is breathtaking! There was a time in my life when I was quite distressed, and I made envelopes out of magazine pages obsessively. I still have some laying around. And with the ones I didn’t cut into envelopes, I cut into 1 cm wide strips and modge podged them in overlapping fanlike designs onto cigar boxes. I found the last one before I moved, and it had glued itself shut from all the layers of modge podge.
wow, that is breathtaking! There was a time in my life when I was quite distressed, and I made envelopes out of magazine pages obsessively. I still have some laying around. And with the ones I didn’t cut into envelopes, I cut into 1 cm wide strips and modge podged them in overlapping fanlike designs onto cigar boxes. I found the last one before I moved, and it had glued itself shut from all the layers of modge podge.
Oh.My.God. That is amazing!! And so interesting that you created them when you needed them and then never did that particular craft again.
I’ve been working on a zine project about crafting for your mental health and so I find your post and all of the comments very interesting! We’ll have to talk more about it and it’s so neat to hear what everyone is saying.
that said, I definitely find crafts help me through hard times. I find embroidery to be great at calming me when I’m dealing with a lot of anxiety. I find it forces me to create a little safe, calm space for myself. It’s not hard and I don’t have to have tons of drive to do it, but it’s a lovely accomplishment that you can put down and pick up and see your progress. All kinds of crafting is comforting to me because it’s such a joy, and this special part of my life where I’m doing something I want to do just for me.
I find my creativity and art making have a hard time when I’m having a hard time, and I need repetetive projects that don’t require too much inspiration or thinking. Collaborating in almost any way, or even just crafting socially with a friend or a group is a great way to have some human support with the focus kind of being on something else, without so much pressure to explain everything that is hard.
Oh.My.God. That is amazing!! And so interesting that you created them when you needed them and then never did that particular craft again.
I’ve been working on a zine project about crafting for your mental health and so I find your post and all of the comments very interesting! We’ll have to talk more about it and it’s so neat to hear what everyone is saying.
that said, I definitely find crafts help me through hard times. I find embroidery to be great at calming me when I’m dealing with a lot of anxiety. I find it forces me to create a little safe, calm space for myself. It’s not hard and I don’t have to have tons of drive to do it, but it’s a lovely accomplishment that you can put down and pick up and see your progress. All kinds of crafting is comforting to me because it’s such a joy, and this special part of my life where I’m doing something I want to do just for me.
I find my creativity and art making have a hard time when I’m having a hard time, and I need repetetive projects that don’t require too much inspiration or thinking. Collaborating in almost any way, or even just crafting socially with a friend or a group is a great way to have some human support with the focus kind of being on something else, without so much pressure to explain everything that is hard.
a pot for the sad to go into.
a pot for the sad to go into.
I clean – mostly cupboards and closets.
I clean – mostly cupboards and closets.
wow. that’s beautiful and THEN you have a moving story to go with it. thank you for sharing. when i have bad times, i write. and cook.
wow. that’s beautiful and THEN you have a moving story to go with it. thank you for sharing. when i have bad times, i write. and cook.
Gorgeous vase – how long did it take you? I also wanted to let you know that I have featured you on Cuteable today.
Gorgeous vase – how long did it take you? I also wanted to let you know that I have featured you on Cuteable today.
I knit or crochet in trying times, not the complex projects, but the repetitive easy ones. The rythmic nature of the work is soothing to the mind, and to do either and keep your gauge you have to relax your hands. That helps relax the whole body. If I’m absolutely crazed I clean house.
I knit or crochet in trying times, not the complex projects, but the repetitive easy ones. The rythmic nature of the work is soothing to the mind, and to do either and keep your gauge you have to relax your hands. That helps relax the whole body. If I’m absolutely crazed I clean house.
Well, I’m pretty much exclusively a spinner or knitter, although I’ve dabbled in beadwork a tiny bit, and now I may do more. Your vase is fantastic!! It’s so beautiful!
Well, I’m pretty much exclusively a spinner or knitter, although I’ve dabbled in beadwork a tiny bit, and now I may do more. Your vase is fantastic!! It’s so beautiful!
Oh my that vase is beautiful! I’m curious as to how long on average it would take for you to make one.
I tried learning how to crochet when I was in a low point of my life. It didn’t work so I threw all the hooks and yarn away. Then a few years ago I decided to pick it back up and that time it stuck.
Oh my that vase is beautiful! I’m curious as to how long on average it would take for you to make one.
I tried learning how to crochet when I was in a low point of my life. It didn’t work so I threw all the hooks and yarn away. Then a few years ago I decided to pick it back up and that time it stuck.
Good times or bad, that is a wonderful vase! It makes me think of sea anemones . . . and I have to say, just getting out in my studio during bad times makes it a little bit better . . . if I have the energy to make it out there!
Good times or bad, that is a wonderful vase! It makes me think of sea anemones . . . and I have to say, just getting out in my studio during bad times makes it a little bit better . . . if I have the energy to make it out there!
I loved reading everyone’s comments on this one! So interesting how we all cope with stress.
A few people asked how long it took to make this vase, and I don’t know exactly. I was beading several hours a day at the time, and I recall working on a vase for weeks.
Instant gratification? Not so much. :-)
Hi @SisterDiane, I just came across this and as an Australian Army veteran I am looking for things that a theraputic that I can put my hand to as part of my rehabilitation and love beading are you able to direct me to where I may get the pattern.
Hi, deleeda – I don’t think there’s a set pattern, because in this kind of beading, you work with the contours of the vase, but I’ve seen the peyote stitch diagrammed in a great many beading books, and you can find a step-by-step for doing it on a vase here:
http://www.kalmbachstore.com/bbpdf010670.html
Hope that helps!
I loved reading everyone’s comments on this one! So interesting how we all cope with stress.
A few people asked how long it took to make this vase, and I don’t know exactly. I was beading several hours a day at the time, and I recall working on a vase for weeks.
Instant gratification? Not so much. :-)
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment! I agree, art is such a helpful friend to turn to in difficult times.