Beading-The Creative Spirit: Finding Your Sacred Center through the Art of Beadwork
Find Your Creative Self in the Kaleidoscope of Beads & Color
"Beading and my spiritual path are intricately interwoven. It would be difficult for me to separate the two because they are so completely intertwined with one another. As I sit and weave with my beads, I allow the Creative Spirit to flow through me, and though my hands are doing the work, another force is actively participating in the process. This force is a transmission of Spirit that fills me with deep inner peace and joy as I bead. As a result, the practice of my art form has become a creative path to my sacred center."—from the Introduction
Believing that beading is a form of meditation through which we can access the Creative Spirit that is always present in us, master bead artist Rev. Wendy Ellsworth offers multiple ways to explore beading as a spiritual journey of self-discovery. Each of the seven chapters is rich with personal stories, exercises, and beading projects, and each project has a meditative experience to encourage a contemplative spirit and creative play. The project results are beautiful, meaningful symbols designed by a master bead artist for both novice and experienced beaders alike.
Original projects include:
Geometric Mandala
Personal Mandala
Personal Prayer Beads
Beaded Prayer Pouch
Goddess Archetype Necklace
Beaded Stick Figure Goddess
Chakra Necklace
Chakra Flower Sculpture
Free-form Gourd Stitch Bracelet
Ruffled Cabochon Brooch
Dutch Spiral Necklace
Spiral Vessel
Song Beads
Herringbone Stitch Cuff with Freshwater Pearls
1112805652
Beading-The Creative Spirit: Finding Your Sacred Center through the Art of Beadwork
Find Your Creative Self in the Kaleidoscope of Beads & Color
"Beading and my spiritual path are intricately interwoven. It would be difficult for me to separate the two because they are so completely intertwined with one another. As I sit and weave with my beads, I allow the Creative Spirit to flow through me, and though my hands are doing the work, another force is actively participating in the process. This force is a transmission of Spirit that fills me with deep inner peace and joy as I bead. As a result, the practice of my art form has become a creative path to my sacred center."—from the Introduction
Believing that beading is a form of meditation through which we can access the Creative Spirit that is always present in us, master bead artist Rev. Wendy Ellsworth offers multiple ways to explore beading as a spiritual journey of self-discovery. Each of the seven chapters is rich with personal stories, exercises, and beading projects, and each project has a meditative experience to encourage a contemplative spirit and creative play. The project results are beautiful, meaningful symbols designed by a master bead artist for both novice and experienced beaders alike.
Original projects include:
Geometric Mandala
Personal Mandala
Personal Prayer Beads
Beaded Prayer Pouch
Goddess Archetype Necklace
Beaded Stick Figure Goddess
Chakra Necklace
Chakra Flower Sculpture
Free-form Gourd Stitch Bracelet
Ruffled Cabochon Brooch
Dutch Spiral Necklace
Spiral Vessel
Song Beads
Herringbone Stitch Cuff with Freshwater Pearls
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Beading-The Creative Spirit: Finding Your Sacred Center through the Art of Beadwork
Find Your Creative Self in the Kaleidoscope of Beads & Color
"Beading and my spiritual path are intricately interwoven. It would be difficult for me to separate the two because they are so completely intertwined with one another. As I sit and weave with my beads, I allow the Creative Spirit to flow through me, and though my hands are doing the work, another force is actively participating in the process. This force is a transmission of Spirit that fills me with deep inner peace and joy as I bead. As a result, the practice of my art form has become a creative path to my sacred center."—from the Introduction
Believing that beading is a form of meditation through which we can access the Creative Spirit that is always present in us, master bead artist Rev. Wendy Ellsworth offers multiple ways to explore beading as a spiritual journey of self-discovery. Each of the seven chapters is rich with personal stories, exercises, and beading projects, and each project has a meditative experience to encourage a contemplative spirit and creative play. The project results are beautiful, meaningful symbols designed by a master bead artist for both novice and experienced beaders alike.
Rev. Wendy Ellsworth is an internationally recognized professional bead artist, whose works are represented in the permanent collections at the Museum of Art and Design, New York, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. A frequent contributor to Beadwork and Bead & Button, she also teaches classes at leading craft centers, bead shops, major bead shows and at gatherings of state bead societies nationwide. Ellsworth is also an ordained interfaith minister.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments viiIntroduction 1
1 Find Your CenterFor Equilibrium and Balance 7Exercise: Creating a Comfortable Space 17Project 1: Geometric Mandala 19Meditation: Asking for Personal Symbols 26Project 2: Personal Mandala 28
2 Knock on Spirit's DoorUsing Beads to Pray 35Exercise: Blessing the Materials 47Meditation: Accessing Your Right-Brain Creative Spirit 49Project 3: Personal Prayer Beads 52Project 4: Beaded Prayer Pouch 55
3 Stir the PotIn Search of the Authentic Self 63Exercise: Focusing—The Sacred Triangle 76Beginning Meditation 78Project 5: Goddess Archetype Necklace 80Project 6: Beaded Stick Figure Goddess 86Ending Meditation 90
4 Spin the Wheels of LifeFor Integration and Wholeness 93Exercise: Visualizing the Vertical Currents of Core Energy 105Project 7: Chakra Necklace 108Meditation: Bringing In the Light 113Project 8: Chakra Flower Sculpture 117
5 Shake Up Your PalettePlaying with Light and Color 123Exercise: Shake Up Your Palette 138Project 9: Free-form Gourd Stitch Bracelet 141Meditation: Color 147Project 10: Ruffled Cabochon Brooch 149
6 Dance with the RhythmTen Tools of Creative Expression 157Exercise: Drawing Spirals 174Project 11: Dutch Spiral Necklace 176Meditation: Spirals 180Project 12: Spiral Vessel 182
7 Bead Your BlissSing Your Song 189Exercise: Discovering Your Song 202Project 13: Song Beads 204Meditation: Beauty 208Project 14: Herringbone Stitch Cuff withFreshwater Pearls 210Inspiration for the Future: Creating a Bead Challenge 217