Beaded American Bulldogs Love Peterbilt Trucks

Finally, I can get back to working on my current bead painting - my beaded semi truck! I had mostly finished beading all of the parts for my truck, so the next step was to create a passenger - a beaded American Bulldog!

Inspired by my friend's Bulldog named Diezel, I cut out a small piece of Lacy's Stiff Stuff. I layered a few pieces of felt on top of the stiff stuff to add dimension. Then, I stitched tiny size 15 seed beads to the felt. The finished piece measures 2 x 2.5cm. After I finished beading Diezel, I stitched him to the inside of my beaded truck.. I also stitched lights to the top of the cab. These are Swarovski crystal rhinestones which I glued to eye pins - an experiment which seems to have worked well! How does it look? :D

For awhile, I was debating on whether this piece should stand alone or not, but my gut feeling tells me it should be part of a larger painting. So, the other day, I dug out a 20" x 24" canvas and spent some time sketching an extended environment for the truck. This sketch is inspired by the original photograph.. Truthfully, I am a little nervous and excited about this one... So...

In the meantime, Diezel has also inspired me to make a pair of Bulldog earrings. These are the same size as the bulldog in the truck. The measure 27mm x 23mm. They are sterling silver post earrings and they are currently available for sale at my Etsy shop. I really like how they turned out, but I think I will also make a dangly pair to compare:) Please see this listing for more photos & details..

This year, I plan to expand my product line just a bit by creating variations on this idea for other breeds.. one bead at a time!

Now, back to my painting.. :O