Making Paper Beads

Normally when we hear the term "fibre art" we think of items made with yarn, fabric, and other textiles. "Fibre" however is a broader term which refers to any component made of composite materials or those matted into sheets...such as paper.  This year's Nova Scotia Fibre Arts Festival will host a paper bead making workshop by talented artist Diann McDonald who does amazing things with paper, from sculpture to jewelry.  Diann takes great delight in transforming ordinary pieces of paper into works of art.

This is the beginning stage of a piece entitled "Olive the Rug Hooker."

Here's Olive transformed by Diann's artistry:

Diann's latest papier maché sculpture, entitled Unity.

Diann says, "I enjoy creating beads from paper to use in my jewelry. This is a fun and relaxing hobby. Paper is a great fibre to work with and there are so many wonderful colours and types of paper to choose from...the beads are truly beautiful."

Diann's work is represented at The Papier Mache Resource out of the UK; you can see a gallery of her work here. 

For her workshop at this year's festival, Diann will introduce participants to paper maché bead making; paper will be formed into beads which are then glazed and used in a bracelet.

The ladybugs on the paper add a bit of whimsy to the bracelet. Diann supplies materials for the workshop however you can bring a favourite paper if you have one to incorporate into your own jewelry.

You can see more of Diann's work in her Etsy Store, Paper Me in Jewelry   

Click here to read the full workshop description on the festival blog.  The class will be held Thursday, Oct 16, 2014. For more information or to register for the workshop contact Diann  at 902-861-4749  or by email diannmcdonald@gmail.com