Bees Themed Design Challenge

Collection of boho necklaces with bee pendants

Bees are the theme for the Art Elements design challenge this month. Bees are awesome for so many reasons, and I could easily spend a year’s worth of blog posts expounding on all the things I admire about them.  There were so many ideas for how to interpret this theme based on all the things I love about bees.  But there are only so many creative hours in a month, and so, there are only so many bee-themed projects I can share with you today.

The first bee project I started for this theme was an embroidery project featuring a whitetailed bumblebee.  I bought the pattern for the bumblebee last summer shortly after I decided to learn to embroider.  Luckily, I also bought the thread for it last summer too and didn’t have to resort to mail order during this time of pandemic-inspired stay-at-home shopping restrictions.  Also luckily, I have a small stash of fabric on which to stitch.  The pattern is by Emillie Ferris.

Because I was using a pattern designed by someone else, I wanted to contribute more than just stitching skills and my ability to follow directions to the project.  To make the bumblebee embroidery project more “me” I used some Inktense pencils and blocks to paint a background on the fabric before I began stitching.

Embroidery hoop with honeycomb painted fabric
Using a small hexagon shape cutter from my polymer clay supplies, I outlined a honeycomb pattern on a piece of kona cotton fabric with an Inktense pencil.  I then used fabric medium with Inktense blocks to add more shading.  I used a heat gun to quick-dry the fabric, because I am too impatient to wait for paint to dry on its own.  

Once the fabric was painted, I decided to use the back side for a more subtle honeycomb background.  While stitching, I wondered more than once if I had made the right decision.  After I was done stitching, I was happy with the overall effect.  To finish the hoop, I stained the wood with a brown-black acrylic paint wash.  While I can’t take any credit for the bee design, I am pleased with how the piece came together overall.  It’s so fuzzy!

Whitetailed bumblebee thread painting
 When I say I am in love with this bumblebee hoop, it is not pride in my stitching and fabric painting skills.  It’s because it’s so adorably fuzzy.  Thread painting is a perfect way to represent the texture of bees.  Just look at that big white bumble butt!  
Cat looking over back of embroidery project
Bonus photo – the hoop butt, featuring my handsome cat, Chief Inspector Mango. You can see how much more defined the painted fabric is from this side, and I think it would have competed too much with the stitching if I had used it as the front side.

In between stitching the bumblebee, I made some polymer clay beads stamped or embossed with bees and turned a handful into finished jewelry designs.  As I am sure you’re aware, bees are yellow and black.  Or yellow with black and brown, and sometimes white.  Naturally, some of my bee beads are therefore yellow with black.  But not all of them. Some of them are terracotta, and others are a pale sky blue. All of them are on the rustic side with distressed finishes.

Collage showing various polymer clay beads with bees
An assortment of bee beads created from polymer clay with pan pastels, acrylic paint, and mica powder accents.  As usual, I didn’t know what I was going to make with the beads so I gave myself a variety to work with. 

The bee beads sat on my design board for about a week before I knew what I wanted to do with some of them.  I had visions of combining them with colorful Czech glass flowers in random assortments of color.  Alas, my stash of flower beads in the sizes I wanted to use was more limited than I remembered since I last used them and I hadn’t left myself enough time to order more.  While my selection was not as wide as I wished, it was enough to complete several designs.  And honestly, more options might have just given me a mental block from too many decisions.

Dangle earrings with bee coin beads
This pair of bee earrings was almost a bracelet.  When I made the coin beads I envisioned them as bracelet focals, which is why they are thicker and double-sided.  But, as often happens when I am presented with a matching pair of beads, I made earrings.  I put a stack of Czech glass flowers and brass bead caps on top for a sort of crown.  You wouldn’t believe how long it took me to come up with this “simple” design. I think I auditioned bead options for almost an hour.  These earrings are available in my shop on etsy.
Collage with four boho necklaces featuring bee pendants
These four bee necklaces pair polymer clay pendant connectors with Czech glass flowers and antiqued brass chain.  When I first started making jewelry I was determined to do only one-of-a-kind pieces, to avoid boredom.  As it turns out, I like experimenting with variations on a theme as well.  I still don’t do “production” work where I churn out many multiples of the same design.  But making limited-edition collections is more fun than I thought it would be.  These necklaces are available in my shop on etsy.
Boho bracelet with bee connector and brass chain
The sentiment of this bee bracelet seems especially appropriate given what people are going through due to the pandemic that began earlier this year.   The bracelet bar connector is offwhite polymer clay painted with yellow pan pastels before curing and sealed with matte liquid polymer clay.  The original bracelet design idea was for beaded chain with Czech glass flower links, similar to the necklace designs.  The links didn’t sit comfortably around my wrist so I switched to a length of book chain with a few beady dangle accents.  This bracelet is available in my shop on etsy.

I kept thinking I would do a bee sculptural piece with polymer clay too.  My hands wanted to play with the fuzzy texture.  But a design idea never materialized.  It’s still in this partially formed proto-design phase in the back of my mind. Maybe one day it will fully materialize.

While that’s all I have for you today in the way of art inspired by bees, this design challenge is also a blog hop and there’s much more to see.  Please visit the other participating artists for more bee-themed art in a variety of media and styles.

AE team:  Niky  Sue  Jenny  Jen  Cathy  Marsha

Guests:  Tammy (<–You are here!)  Cat  Alysen  Kathy  Sarajo  Kelly  Evie and Beth  Hope

28 thoughts on “Bees Themed Design Challenge”

  1. Cat

    The bee is a stunner. I think you made the right choice about the background. The way you did it it’s like a photograph done like this on purpose. That’s a great pattern and I think you did it justice!
    All of the bee jewelry is darling, too.

    1. Tammy Adams Post author

      Thanks so much, Cat. The pattern was well done, with stitch directions that really give the bee its perfectly fuzzy appearance.

  2. Kathy Lindemer

    I love your fuzzy bee. Your painted background is great. It really elevates the piece. Your polymer clay pieces are all well done. The bracelet is my favorite. The chain works really well with it.

    1. Tammy Adams Post author

      Thanks so much, Kathy. The bracelet chain is some of my favorite in my stash and I always hesitate to use it because it’s seems hard to find.

  3. Alysen

    Tammy, the very first thing I noticed with awe about your embroidered bee was the fluffiness that you achieved!!! Such artful stitching, bravo! Painting the embroidery base seems to be the thing to do, and I like the added texture. This piece is my favorite of your Bee projects for this challenge.

    1. Tammy Adams Post author

      Thanks so much, Alysen. I probably would not have painted the fabric if I had been free to shop for fabric. I originally wanted to stitch on something with a subtle flower print. But I like how the honeycomb turned out and now I’m looking at all my “plain” fabric thinking “what can I paint on that.” LOL

  4. Marsha

    These are so wonderful! The design and meanings that these bring forward is beautiful. Thank you for bringing some light to us all 🙂

    1. Tammy Adams Post author

      Thanks so much Marsha. Bees make me feel happy and in harmony with nature so I wanted to try to convey some of that feeling.

  5. Hope Smitherman

    How have I never seen anyone use watercolor pencils/crayons as the background for embroidery? You and Cathy both did that for your stitched projects, and I’m smitten with the idea! Using the backside of your honeycomb worked perfectly. I agree that the front would have competed for attention with your amazing bee! I don’t even know how you stitch so perfectly. Of course, your clay work is always pretty awesome too. I really love that you used the Czech flowers with your designs. They’re a perfect compliment to the bees and the rustic feel of the pendants. I particularly like the coin beads you used in the earrings. They may be chunky, but they’re great just as they are. You knocked it out of the park once again!

    1. Tammy Adams Post author

      Thanks so much Hope. I give all credit to the pattern directions for the way the bee turned out. And now I have a better understanding for how to achieve similar effects without a pattern. I painted the fabric in one of my first embroidery pieces from last summer. I saw some examples on Pinterest and immediately wanted to try it. It’s super fun.

  6. Niky Sayers

    What beautiful designs you came up with Tammy, your beads are charming as are your designs with them. I rather love the bee kind ones, I think we could all do with a little more of that at the moment too! Your stitched bumble bee is just amazing! It beautifully neat and the painted background just adds that extra WOW, I love it!!!! Thank you so much for joining us.

    1. Tammy Adams Post author

      Thanks so much, Niky. The bee kind beads are my favorite too. I know most people will see them and think “be kind to others” but when I made them I was thinking we should all be kind in general – to each other, to ourselves, to the bees, to nature.

  7. Mary Redman

    You are just so talented in so many mediums! I’m a little jealous sometimes! 😊. I love everything you created for this challenge!

    1. Tammy Adams Post author

      Thanks so much, Mary. I feel the same way about everyone else’s skills and talents. LOL

    1. Tammy Adams Post author

      Thanks so much, Divya. I think the hoop is my favorite to date and it will difficult to top because of that adorably fuzzy beehind. 😀

  9. Evie and Beth

    I love the embroidered bee – it is so fuzzy. I just wanted to reach out and rub the piece!
    I really love those polymer clay pieces – those are so awesome! I love all the pieces but I really like what you did for the bracelet.

    1. Tammy Adams Post author

      Thanks so much, ladies. I admit to petting the bumblebee stitching often. I’m a little wary around actual bees because I’m allergic, but I’ve always loved how fuzzy they are.

  10. Kelly Schermerhorn

    Why not pride in your stitching and painting skills because not everyone (myself included) would have seen their way to first decorate the background and then do a marvelous job stitching? It is delightfully fuzzy, but it’s your added flair that makes it truly special, including painting the hoop to enhance the overall look. Your jewelry is lovely, cheerful and colorful, and I like how you used your handmade beads. The message on each one is both timely and timeless. I hope you find the time to bring your other ideas to life.

    1. Tammy Adams Post author

      Thanks so much, Kelly. I guess I feel like following an embroidery pattern is like painting by numbers. I can’t take credit for how artfully the pattern designer chose the colors. But I should take credit for “coloring inside the lines” with my stitches. LOL.

  11. Catherine Mendola

    I really love how you created the honeycomb pattern on the fabric for your fuzzy bee. He is adorable and your stitching is perfect! I love all your bee jewelry but those earrings really are special. I love the way you combined and stacked the beads-brilliant idea.

    1. Tammy Adams Post author

      Thanks so much, Cathy. I am happy about those earrings. Even if it did take forever to find the “right” combination of beads for them.

  12. Jen Cameron

    That fuzzy bee is just adorable and so textural. I love the color gradations too making it more realistic looking. The honeycomb is a great addition to the background. As for the polymer pieces, the embossed looking ones are my favorite. Especially the one on the top right corner of the top right photo in the collage. It’s so delicious! Although the translucent(?) amber one next to it is pretty yummy too…and while those earrings took an hour to pick beads, I LOVE them! It’s like a little crown on top of each bee. So clever!
    Thanks for participating in the challenge again this month! It’s always great to see your creations.

    1. Tammy Adams Post author

      Thanks so much, Jen. The pattern is fairly intricate with the shading. I’m not sure I would have thought to use three shades of gray to get the perfectly fuzzy beehind. But now that I’ve followed those directions I have a better idea how to shade things without a pattern to follow. As for the earrings, I wanted to give the bees a crown and am so glad that’s what you see.

  13. Jenny

    I agree that the muted background works so well. Subtle, and no competition with stitches! Thats lovely! Your polymer pieces are so nice, great color, and such detailed finishes. I really like the bracelet bar – and bracelet. Simple, bold accent piece!
    Thanks for joining us – hope to see you in the Art Elements Community on FB!

    1. Tammy Adams Post author

      Thanks so much, Jenny. Even though I second-guessed myself a bunch on the background, I’m so glad I kept it that way. I am in the FB group now. I look forward to new challenge themes.

  14. Sarajo Wentling

    Your embroidered piece is so cute (as is your assistant, Mango)! I love what you did with the background to make it your own. Your bee jewelry pieces are super fun too. I especially like the bracelet. I think the blue colored focals are my faves and I want to see what you do with them!

    1. Tammy Adams Post author

      Thanks so much, Sarajo. And thanks from Mango as well. I have some ideas for the blue focals but they involve making more beads. LOL

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