Pinwheel Jewelry Set

I've finished the necklace for the Pinwheel Jewelry set. I used primarly megatamas and 11s. I am working on a variation of this stitch in bronze and aqua. I have the earrings made, and am working on a necklace.

Pinwheel Bracelet and Earrings

Beadsmith posted some pictures of items made with long megatamas on Facebook a few days ago, and invited people to submit their designs using the megatamas. I have three colors of megatamas in my stash - silver, bronze and olive green. I started playing and came up with this pinwheel design. The finished jewelry looks like sterling silver, but is much lighter to wear. I'm working on a matching necklace today, and I have ideas for variations using the bronze and green megatamas. A tutorial is in process that describes how to make the pieces and the variations.

Urban Stripes by Judith Bertoglio-Giffin

Judith Bertoglio-Giffin has organized a crocheted rope bead along and I am one of the lucky participants. Participants are receiving pdfs that contain patterns for a 42 inch rope that will be crocheted in sections. The colors are inspired by the urban landscape. I've chosen a smoky blue, cream, lilac, truqoise ande a mettalic purple.
There are 35 participants and Judith has set up a page on Facebook so that we can share our color combinations as we go along. I find this all very exciting. Each pdf is like opening up a new present, and you don't know exactly what you are going to get until it is all assembled. My first section is strung and I will start crocheting tonight

Made by Marge

This is a picture I took before the holidays of two bracelets made by Marge, one of the beaders that I bead with on Fridays. The first bracelet is by Rachel Nelson-Smith, from her book Seed Bead Fusion. The second is a simple Right Angle Weave bracelet that I wrote up to teach my students RAW. Beautiful colors, as usual. They stack together really nicely. Last week Marge came to class wearing Laura McCabe's Faery Vine necklace. She had modified it using charms collected from her family. It was stunning. I forgot to take a picture.... I'll ask Marge to bring it in for this Friday.

Three Cheers for claudia

Last year I had one new student in my senior center class. The other seven students were "repeats". Claudia was a bit nervous and wanted to do a good job in the very biggest way. She made several projects and did a wonderful job. On the last day of class she came in with this necklace - made from the Margeurite pattern. I love the bright and cheery colors she used. I loved even more the smile on her face as she brought it in the show me.

So many things are going on right now that I am not teaching a new class. Instead, we have informal drop in sessions. I'm looking forward to what Claudia makes next with her new found hobby!

Marge and Martha's multi strand necklaces

Martha came to class one day and said that she would like to make a necklace like the one worn by an actress she had seen on Oprah. Marge found a picture and sent it to me. I drew up a pattern. They both made the necklace. Martha's is in the silver tones, Marge's is in the bronze colors that she favors. I think that they turned out wonderfully.

Its not crochet bracelet by Nancy

Peaking out from Nancy's jacket was a herringbone bangle. I'd written up this pattern over four years ago, and have never done anything with it, other than give it to my students as a pattern. Nancy came in today with this beautiful version, done it matte colors that matched her sweater. She also had a beautiful necklace made from lampwork beads that I did not get a picture of. Next week hopefully.

Yesterday's Class at the Senior Center

Yesterday I held my first class at the Senior Center. Passed out packets of information: general beading, stringing and fringing packets. I'm converting all my patterns to Open Office from Microsoft and organizing them by type. I'm working on another version of Hera's jewels, which teaches fringing, and we talked about taking a pattern from a designes and recreating it using different supplies. I have one new student, and we pulled beads from her stash to make Hera's jewels as her first project.

Sandy came to class with a lovely necklace that he had finished and given to her niece for her birthday. Her niece wanted the necklace longer, so she worked on lengthening it. I designed this project to teach flat peyote and used metallic beads for the bar that holds the pendant. Sandy used beautiful blue delica beads for her bar. I think it is a lovely interpretation - once its longer, I hope her niece wears it often

First class at Senior Center and new patterns

I woke up this morning to pitch dark and the steady timpanny of rain. Its light out now, and I am packing for the first class at the senior center. Seven old friends, and one new student, who sounds excited and happy to be at class.

I am redoing all my patterns in Open Office - my computer is one its last legs, and I do not want to pay for the Microsoft Office Suite (Yankee). I am loving the drawing program.

Class today will cover design, color, stringing and fringing. Nine patterns to choose from - including the two new patterns for a dragonfly and Hera's Jewels - a new necklace I designed this summer.

My First Pattern

I am fortunate enough to live near Manchester Connecticut, near Beads East, a wonderful beading store owned and operated by Ann Benson. The store has a wonderful collection of seed beads and czech glass, as well as an amazing assortment of kits and patterns. Ann published my first pattern, the Pearlfest necklace, over four years ago. The pattern is available at http://www.beadpatterncentral/. Beads East is moving to newer, larger quarters and is having a rather awesome sale right now. The new store will be open some time in August. Exciting, no?

Windsong Earring - New pattern

I'm working on a new pattern. Two of my Friday beading friends offerred to test the instructions for me. Marge's version of the Windsong Earrings in green is first. Ann's in blues is second. I enjoyed seeing their color combinations, and how different color choices result in different earrings. I am working on incorporating the changes to the instructions that they suggested. I hope to publish the patten on my esty site: auntiannie.etsy.com later on today!

Sandy's Progress on the Pansy Bracelet

Sandy has ber bracelet partly done, and I think that she is doing a beautiful job. (Sandy, if you remember, is one of the people I bead with at the Senior Center on Fridays during the summer. ) The bracelet is single stitch peyote. The pattern is not done with a graph or a word chart, and the technique is working well. I'm hoping to create a pattern once the piece is finished.

Aphrodite's Smile for the Bride and Bridesmaid

Summer seems to have arrived early. It is August warm today, over 90 degrees. The Mountain Laurel that is so abundant on our land is about to burst into bloom and carpet the landscape in light pink flowers. The temperature and time of year makes me think of the abundance of Mother Nature and June weddings in all their beauty

A few months ago, I designed a pattern I called Aphrodite's Smile because I thought the design would be perfect for a June Bride. I made a few changes and then created a necklace that I thought would be perfect for the bridesmaids and flower girl. When Artbeads contacted me as a part of their blogging partner program I ordered Swarovski pearls and complementary beads to create the two styles of necklace. The Swarovski pearls can be found here on Artbeads site.
Link: http://www.artbeads.com/swarovski-5810.html

HTML Link: Swarovski pearls
I also had an idea for a necklace for the mother of the bride using my Marguerite pattern.

My major concern when ordering online is ordering beads that will be the same color and finish as I see on my computer screen. I was thrilled when I opened my packages. What I thought would go together well went together perfectly. The soft green of the Swarovksi pearls is creamy and gorgeous and the bridal pearls have just the lightest and most perfect tinge of creamrose.

It took me an evening to stitch up each of the three necklaces shown. The bridal necklace uses the Swarovski pearls I ordered as part of the blogging program. I added rainbow crystal seed beads (TBRD11-994) and a clasp (CLASP18-GP) from Artbeads that blend perfectly with the creamrose pearls. I added TBMT3-457 -3mm Gold-Lustered Green megatamas and - TOHO Bead 3-Cut 12/0 Olive Gold-Lined seed beads TBTC12-C262 to the bridesmaids necklace and the same clasp. The patterns to make these necklaces are on my ETSY site.

Disclaimer: Artbeads.com sometimes sends me products to review on this blog. I am free to choose from designated beads/findings and whatever I choose. I do not receive any compensation from Artbeads and am expected to review their products honestly.

Aphrodite's Smile

I spent most of the weekend working on a new design to teach this Friday. Its a quick pattern, and I am seeing it in pearls and in cream colors for the bride, and in the palest of pearls for the bridal party. There are 3 variations of the design, and I plan on publishing the pattern in the next few days to my ETSY site: auntieannie.etsy.com.

Tutorial: No Headpin, No problem. Using Fireline to make a pair of earrings

Earring instructions normally specify that you use headpins and wire working tools. I’ve found that you can make simple earrings using your needle and Fireline!

What you’ll need:
Fireline Thread 6 lb
Beading Needles - I usually use size 11 or 12
Beads of choice (I used turqoise chips and nuggets, sterling nugget beads, bali silver beads and bali silver earwires and thread guards for the sample.
thread guards (item # H20-4050FY in Fire Mountain catalog
Something to bead on (beading mat)
Scissors
Good lighting

1. Cut a two foot length of Fireline and place a needle of both ends of the thread
2. Center a bead on the thread. The bead should be large enough so that it will not slip through the hole of the next bead that you use.

3. Place your two needles together and slip the remaining beads on your thread.

4. Using your right needle, thread through the right side of your thread guard. Use your left needle to thread through the left side of you thread guard. If you don’t have a thread guard, thread 4 size 11o seed beads on each needle.

5. Tie a square knot, and pass both threads down the length of your earring. Make some half hitches if you can and trim closely.

6. Attach your earring finding.

7. Repeat for a second earring.

Driving Miss Daisy

Another class project for my group of beaders at the senior center. This pattern was developed for students that had gone through the class once. Its now been made in plums, in pinks, in blues, in reds & golds, and in black, grey and taupe.

Marguerite by Day and Night

Well, I finished updating the pattern I talked about in my post yesterday. I found 101 other things to do in between, so it took me hours to complete. The picture shows all the samples that I have created to date. Meanwhile, I started on another idea in Friday's "drop in and bead" session at the Senior Center. My sample is coming along really well. I'm excited and can feel a new pattern in the works!

Creative Beading Volume IV

We actually had another sunny, beautiful day yesterday. My sister-in-law, Judi Dixon and I went to Hillcrest Museum on a butterfly walk, shopped a bit at Design Forum in Farmington (yes, another frog), ate lunch at the Copper Mill Bistro (outstanding).

I came home to a box with a book : "Creative Beading Volume IV" and a thank you note from their editor. My design for a three-tiered necklace was included! The necklace shown is in browns and plums and belongs to my sister Rachel

Hoopla 2

This is the second version of the hoops - a variation on a theme. They measure an inch in diameter.

I'm on to working up new samples of the third variation.

Hoopla

I've been making these earrings, and a few variations on them, for close to two years now, and am in the process of writing instructions. And...then I think I will finally dip my toes into Etsy and see what happens.

The trouble (or good thing) about these earrings is that they never seem to stay around for very long. If they are are my work table and a niece happens to come along they go home with a happy recipient, and I know that I have given my nieces something they like :-)

Hoops petite coming next.