Winter Project Woes: Update

THESE BEADS ARE NEVER-ENDING!

 

I have made thousands of beads. It's going much slower than anticipated. After two months and hundreds of beads I thought I'd take a break and start stringing them. All that time and after making all those beads, it came to...six strands. Since I need about fifty strands to complete one room partition, this was very discouraging.

 

Still, I trudged onward. Bead after bead after bead.

 

Then I started running out of construction paper! It's hard to imagine I used a whole box of old construction paper to make beads. When I first looked at my supply I didn't think I would need all of it nor get through it all.

It's very difficult to find packages of single colors to match my selected color scheme. I searched art stores, novelty shops, online supply warehouses and even requested colors on Freecycle in hopes someone such as myself had a box of colored paper not being used. "Hey, I'll trade my putrid brown, dirty-looking tan, and gaudy gold for your blue!?" No takers.

PURPLE BEADS!

I did find one office supply store that sold a package of blue and white sheets together. For some reason the company's marketing department thought blue and white should go together in the same package. But what about the other colors? Even if I purchased a pack of 100 sheets of multiple colors I might only get one or two sheets of the color I need. If I could even find separate packages of colors, it was going to get very expensive.

FUSCHIA BEADS!

 

So I got creative. I just bought a whole lot of white construction paper knowing I wouldn't need all of it for the beads. I figured I could always use it for some kind of art. Why not paint it the colors I need? Of course, that defeats the purpose of a toxic-free winter project, but it's either stick to my principles or finish the project. I'd rather finish the project. The great thing about painted construction paper is the color doesn't come off on your hands like it does with the dyed construction paper.

 

TURQUOISE BEADS!

 

In attempt to match the colors to the beads already made, I now have a healthy supply of fuchsia, light blue, light green, purple and pink, with turquoise beads just for fun in case I decide to change my wall colors later. (I think I'd really like turquoise walls!)

Now I'm running out of black and red. Damn. And I might end up running out of those bamboo beads, too, and I have no idea where to get a supply of those. A case of poor planning, I think, but onward I trudge, bead after bead after bead...  I've gone through five bottles of Elmer's Glue!

Bamboo Beads That Are Quickly Running Out

I WILL get this done!