So in this archeological dig for black beads of a certain size...I came across this oldie but goodie!
This cracked me up! I distinctly remember getting started on this. It wasn't too long after I read Carol Wilcox Wells' Creative Beadweaving. It was an attempt to make a change purse. I obviously didn't quite get the concept of weaving your beginning and end threads INTO the piece....hahaha! And clearly I didn't cut off enough thread at each go around because I seemed to be making knots every three of four rows!!!
This piece is approximately circa 1999. It cracks me up, not just because of the poor workmanship....but the pattern! Whoa! That is SO not me!!! I remember back then I just went at it without very much planning (as I did many things in those years). I definitely wasn't interested in creating or following a pattern to create a small tapestry. And at some point - and this is where it gets foggy - I gave up on it...and then eventually it went in my discard bag. I am sure I never took it apart because I spent so many hours on this piece!
Back then I only dreamed I would ever be able to produce a piece that I would want to enter into a contest. But years passed, I gained more patience and practiced (and even mastered) many techniques. And today I am proud to be able to create pieces like this:

...which I have entered in the Haute Couture Beading Contest at GoodQuillHunting.com.
I chose dress #9 which I thought was pretty spectacular looking!

Now...to say my competition is FIERCE would be an understatement.
I'm pleased with how this piece turned out. But when I compare it with some of the items in my discard bag, I can only say to myself, "You've come a loooooong way, baby!"