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Glass & Crystal Category
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Dragonfly Summers
Artist: Donna Blomberg (Spokane, WA)
First Place, Glass & Crystal
"I was inspired by both the Art Nouveau era and Sarah Angst's dragonfly block prints. Sarah shrank some of her watercolor-painted prints and applied them to porcelain tiles. [Once I had these], I began my design with the [beaded] dragonfly. First I drew him on Pellon(R), then I flat stitched the body and each wing. I shaped some wire around the outside edge of each wing and whip stitched it into place. I then covered the back with pig skin and attached it with tiny stitches. The body just has one piece of wire down the center.
"Each tile was attached to Pellon with Aleene's(TM) craft glue. I stitched around the tiles with peyote, using Delicas and size-15 charlottes, then flat stitched around the edge with 2mm amethyst rounds. I finished each tile with square stitch and picot stitch. My beaded beads are started with saucer-shaped wooden beads, then covered with a netted stitch using size-15 seed beads. To get the added sparkle, I encrusted them with 3mm Swarovski crystal [bicones] in amethyst and olivine. I also had to have a place for my dragonfly to land, so I designed a flat-stitch piece with blades of grass and three-dimensional flowers. It is made with size-15 seed beads, daggers, glass flowers and tourmaline chips.
"The hardest part was bringing all the pieces together. ... My designs kind of evolve as I work. This one was finally connected together with cloisonne tube beads, Swarovski crystals, amethyst rounds, peridot rondelles, peridot faceted ovals, pressed leaves and flowers. It is then fastened with a vermeil flower toggle. The dragonfly can be removed and worn as a pin."
-- Donna Blomberg
View more 2010 First Place winners. Or, check for details about our most recent contest!
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