The big tree has starting to get decorated. I left instructions that Emma work on it tonight while I was at a holiday party (complete with silly gift exchange…more later).
I told Margot that I would take a picture of THE TREE and here are the pics…this is the beaded wire tree that I actually did TWICE after selling the original model. It will become a family heirloom…because I will never do a third!
And here’s a semi closeup…
Loops and loops of wired seed beads making up the branches and a hundred or more teensy tiny ornaments attached to the wire branches. Oh to have both that eyesight and that patience again! (I’ll measure it later so you have a perspective of size)
The Gift Exchange: Picture 65 women in a relatively small space all with gifts in the $25 range (there are always those who can’t follow the rules!). One steal rule as we took 4 hours one night a few years ago with 3 steals! I had #54 and could settle in to watch the action and plan my strategy. No strategy really other than not ending up with something I wouldn’t want to have or feel good about regifting next year!
Somewhere around #42, my friend Susan’s gift is revealed…a campy purse made of gumwrappers…totally unique and slightly tacky…purchased from a shop in Rocky Point, Mexico…I HAD to have it. Person #42 seemed less than thrilled with it (you can tell how someone holds a gift during an exchange whether they really want it or they are dying for someone to take it off their hands). Silently I kept watch…no interest…the numbers tick by. #52…I’m almost there when WHAM! Someone gets stolen from and starts looking around at what’s available. She zeroes in on the purse and snatches it right out from under me. Who made that stupid 1 steal rule! I’m toast. And my strategy is shot. Sigh.



December 13th, 2007 at 5:25 am
My chin is still on the desk. It dropped when I looked at your second picture and realized the entire tree was beaded. WOW! I mean, WOW! Amazing and beautiful.
December 13th, 2007 at 7:46 am
LOL, Kriss…my closeup shots need work…stupid flash on the small camera. I’ll try for some others. The tree stands about 12″ tall. I still can’t believe I made two!
December 13th, 2007 at 11:42 am
LISA LIDDY!
This is insanely cool! I can’t imagine the amount of work this took. YOU ROCK SISTA!
WOW!
Thanks so much for sharing this, I’m in awe.
Cheers,
Margot
December 13th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
Awe, thanks Margot…it was back when I had no social life as a single working woman in my late 20′s. A looonnnnggg time ago.
December 13th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
Lovely!!!
December 14th, 2007 at 7:04 pm
Lisa! I almost fell off of my chair when I leaned in for a closer look at this! Unbelievable an gorgeous!
Rebecca
December 14th, 2007 at 7:12 pm
Thanks Cindy and Rebecca!
It is quite something…I guess I have taken it for granted until now…though it does sit out all year!
December 15th, 2007 at 2:18 pm
I love that tree!! As a seed beader, I’m realy curious about how many beads and hours it took to do that. It is so cool!
December 15th, 2007 at 10:43 pm
Subeeds…I got the “kit” at Michaels years ago…it was lots of hours and lots of beads!
December 16th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
You’re causing a stir Lisa
That tree is amazing. I can absolutely guarantee that I do not have the patience for something like that. Awesome work!
December 18th, 2007 at 5:56 pm
Holy crap. I don’t even know what to say. I bow down to the Martha Stewart Beading Goddess of the World.
December 18th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
Lori…the time between me and seed beads was very long…like that tree 20 some years ago and the Hooked on Wire class this past Sept. I like my beads BIG. Thanks though!
July 10th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
[...] dabbled in beading years and years ago when I was single with a beaded Christmas tree…made two of them! And then moved on to other things. Have crocheted a bit, fabric painted, [...]
December 10th, 2012 at 9:32 pm
I realize this is an old blog post, but I am in awe of the beaded tree.
Many years ago, a friend sent me instructions to make one of these, which I did, but after a few years, my beading experience became better, and I decided to undo the tree and remake it. Somehow the beads etc became lost.
This year I have decided to make another tree, and set about to find the instructions. My originals are lost, but I did find some onlline.
All materials are bought, branches are made, as are the ornaments, but on making up the tree, I seem to be doing something wrong. My tree ends up being tiny (4″ high), instead of the 10″ as I remember my old tree being.
I was wondering if it was possible for you to give me the measurements of the spaces between the branch layers. The instructions I have say 1/4″ between layers 1,2,3 and 4, 3/4″ between layer 4 and 5 and 1/2″ between the rest (layers 5 to 11)
Thank you for your time