Beading Babes - Bringing Beaders Together

Yesterday I discovered this group, created by Karyn White, and joined. The beaders in the group have projects to choose and create each month. The variety of colors and adaptations are wonderful, and I really enjoyed seeing the different interpretations of projects made in earlier months.
This month the group was given three choices: Paisley Drops by Jane Lock, ruffled chain bracelet by Laina Goodman, and the Trellis Pattern which has been gifted to the group by Nancy Dale. Since I only had a day, I created a pair of earring adapted from the ruffled chain bracelet. I made changes to both the pattern and the bead types because I wanted everyday earrings and I had found some center stones that I really wanted to use.

 I had already made a pair of the Paisley Drops by Jane Lock, and I was actually able to find them!!!

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.

Every Charm tells a story - Artbeads Blog challenge

Artbeads sent a new blogging challenge to its blog partners titled "What's old is new again" For this theme we were asked  to seek inspiration from the past by incorporating old, vintage or antique items into our designs and combine them with modern elements such as Swarovski crystals, Glass, Resin, etc. Each piece needed to have at least one old element; a family heirloom, vintage cameo, an interesting bead, pendant or item you found in an antique shop, an old key, photo or any unique element of the past. We could even re-use an old jewelry piece and ‘borrow’ items from.

The challenge came at a time that was both good and bad for me. I was in the process of going through the house, room by room, and drawer by drawer. As I sifted through 31 years of accumulation I was trying to decide what to keep and what would no longer be useful. I had a sterling charm bracelet and several necklaces with sterling charms. Each charm on the bracelet and each charm on each necklace had meaning: the Nantucket basket charm that I bought on a vacation in Nantucket, the painters palette to symbolize my interest in painting, the thimble and scissors given to me because I sew and have made quilts in a former life. I ordered a new charm in memory of out cat Annabelle, the Sterling Silver Angel Kitty Charm http://beads.artbeads.com/search?w=charms  and two  kinds of seed beads 15/0 Metallic Hematite Hex Cut    TOHO™ Bead Round Hybrid 8/0 Marbled Hematite AB. http://www.artbeads.com/delicas-seed-beads.html  I also had a pin that was one of my first pieces of jewelry. It had ivory colored flowers wired to it. Over the years, several of the flowers had gone missing. I ordered tiny Swarovski crystels (5000 2mm Faceted Round Black Diamond) http://www.artbeads.com/swarovski-5000.html serve as the centers of the flower. to

My finished results are pictured The tiny 15 hex cut seed beads were perfect for the chains of the necklace that I made. The hex cut reflects the light and makes that strands sparkle. The finish on the marbled 8o beads reflects the colors I wear most often. I created two strands with charms. For the third strand I restung a simple silver necklace that I had. This third strand is removable. I plan on beading some more chains that I can add to the two charm chains so I have different looks.

The Swarovski crystals were perfect for the center of the flowers. I added some green-gold megatamas that I had in my stash to make a carpet for the flowers and to fill in the blank spaces.

These two pieces did not require alot of beading, but they resulted in pieces that I will wear often, with many happy memories that go along with them. I thank ArtBeads for the opportunity to participate in their blog program, and I was delighted with the items I received.

 **Disclaimer I have received these products free of charge by Artbeads.com. I am honestly reviewing the products and have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received.**

Artbeads Winter Enchantment

I participate quite happily in the ArtBeads Winter Enchantment program. Its a wonderful opportunity to try out new designs and to stretch myself. When the email came this winter, it was right after one of the largest snowstorms of the winter. The snow was waist high on either side of the sidewalk. Piles of plowed snow were higher than buildings, and I was having a bit of trouble being enchanted. I'd just finished a chain I made for my mother using Russian spiral weave, and I had been working on some beaded beads. I decided I wanted to combine the two. It was night time, and I looked over the winter landscape with its inky colors. Lights up our driveway illuminated portions of the snow and there were areas of refracted light. My color scheme was born and I put in an order for seed beads http://www.artbeads.com/delicas-seed-beads.html and swarovski crystals http://www.artbeads.com/swarovski-crystal-beads.html from the Artbeads site.

Coordinating colors from the Artbeads site is very easy. Once you order your item and put it in your shopping bag, small thumbnails appear that show the beads you have chosen. Once the beads arrived, I was delighted with the way they coordinated, and I finished my necklace yesterday. The necklace is quite long and I can wear it easily with heavier winter clothing. I made a separate beaded bead for the closure, which I can wear in the back and in the fron. I think I'll wear it today

Disclosure...As a reviewer of products at Artbeads.com, I received the Swarovski crystals,  and seed beads free of charge. I have been asked to review these products and give my honest opinion of the products...positive or negative. I am not being compensated by Artbeads.com for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received and reviewed.

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.

Chevron Chain Necklace

I have a copy of "The Art and Elegance of Beadweaving" by Carol Wilcox Well. I had never done chevron chain and decided to make the Ribbon Choker by Dawn Dalto that is in the book. Problem is, chokers don't really look that good on 61 year old necks. (At least this 61 year old neck.)So I extended the choker so that it fit at the base of my neck, added size 15o see beads to the top row of chevron chain to stabilize it, and finished it with a sterling silver clasp rather than ribbon. Very classic and easy to wear.

Inspired by Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda appeared on the Oprah show recently. Of course looking as elegant as ever. And she had this gorgeous necklace on. Simple and elegant, nestling at the base of her neck just perfectly. My class at the Senior Center challenged me to see if I could make something similiar. And it looked like seed beads. And swarovksi crystal. and Pearls. Here is my take on the necklace. Fun and simple to make and it feels wonderful on. 

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.

Sandy and the Pansy Bracelet

Its summer, and my senior center classes are officially not in session.....but several of the people who took the beading class wanted to continue beading over the summer. Sandy is one of the beaders, and did not have a project for the summer. I took a watercolor painting that my mother had done and matched some of the colors with delica beads. I then came home, drew a band of pansies, scanned the picture and colored it in Photoshop. Sandy is now beading away, and doing an absolutely beautiful job. I can't wait for the finished project!!!

Donut with curved bail

Every Friday I bead with several of the women who took my beading class at the Senior Center. I look forward to this time and getting together. I don't really teach - I do problem solve with them and we all get a chance to bead. A few weeks ago one of the women asked my about gemstone donuts. I have a stash of them, and always wanted to play with creating a bail for them. This is what I came up with - its a work in progress. I like the curve of the bail and the way it follows the shape of the donut. I plan on finishing it this weekend - so wish me some beading time.

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!

UFO Rescue

What is a UFO? - well its an Unfinished Object in beader's terminology. I have several drawers and working boxes full of UFOs. A UFO can be something I was not super happy with, or something that is taking hours and hours worth of beading, and I just have not had the fortitude to continue with the project. Today I rescued a UFO and I'm pretty happy with it. The UFO in question started life as a pendant, but when I beaded rows of peyote around the bead, the center bead twisted and turned. I've solved the problem since, but I kept my original. I liked the colors and the herringbone shape that extended around the bead.

The UFO has found new life as an applique on a bag. The bag came to my mom as a freebie from AARP. Of course it had AARP initials on the front of the bag. I used some tacky tape to hold my UFO in place and appliqued it onto a piece of ultrasuede. The ultrasuede was appliqued on to the bag. I now have a small bag that will fit around my waist and will hold essentials (keys, pen, etc) for my trip to Kripalu this coming Sunday!

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.

A Beautiful Day

Every once in a while a day comes along where everything seems to turn out absolutely right. For me, Thursday was that type of day.

My Mom got a digital camera from my sister for her 90th birthday. We've been taking baby steps as she gets used to it: (a) turn it on (b) look at the mini screen to see what your picture is going to look like (c) push the button for a picture...and on. We took a picture of the pansies in the front of her apartment. Then went to Target, then lunch and back home. I am so greatful for the companiable times we share together.

Home to find the bathing suit I had ordered from Lands End. It fit, which at my size and age is all I ask for!!!!

I went to a meeting at six, full of friends and a wonderful discussion

Later my husband came home, full of happiness from a wonderful discussion at the meeting he had attended.

The weather was beautiful, the cats behaved, all in all a pretty nice day!!! The necklace at the top of this post has happy colors in it. Its made using just one strand of Fireline, and no clasp...so it goes on quickly and you are out the dooe!

What Inspires You?

I live in Granby Connecticut. Granby is a small town in Northern Connecticut, in the foothills of the Berkshires. The landscape is stitched with rock walls, put in place by early farmers, and gently rolling hills that are colored in muted greens as Spring makes its way for summer weather and brighter shades.

I am lucky enough to belong to Granby Artists Association, a group of about 35 artists in a variety of mediums. Last night we talked about what inspires us. We brought food and wine, and items that inspire. It was a wonderful discussion. Things brought: a beautiful bowl with warm glazes that moved in circles, pictures of glass sculptures that showed the amazing characteristics and tranformative abilities of glass, and a strange doohickey that no one knew the purpose of...

And of course we talked about what inspires us: color, gardening, light, the tactile experience of carving or potting. We talked about time wasters, the economy, blogging, whay people expect artists to work for free, inspirational quotes, who moved my cheese.....and more. A wonderful two hours.

I've included a picture of a bracelet I made last year as my entry in to what inspires me. Its a bracelet done in random right angle weave, inspired by Nanc Meinhardts Izzy and Lucy bracelet....and also inspired by those wonderful rock walls that stitch the landscape here.

Color Play & Pattern Play

Have you ever brought a piece of fabric to the bead store to help you pick out beads for a design? Have you ever wanted to play with variations of a stitch and combine them into a cohesive piece? I picked one of my favorite pieces of fabric, a beautiful piece of celadon green with oriental symbols and brought it with me to a local bead store. I picked the beads, then played with spiral weave, and this is the result. The necklace is both a study in pushing color, and pushing pattern. I still need to write up the pattern, but that will wait until after Mom's birthday party

What my students did

I've been a bit busy lately. My Mom turns 90 and there is a party in the works. My class of students finished last week, complete with diplomas and and show and tell of the items they had finished during the eight-week class. Here are finished projects from two of the students. Classy, I think. Makes me feel so good to see the creativity and style.

More classes

I'm still working on classes at the local senior center. This class has been a bit different than the first, but they have both been fun. This group finishes their projects between classes, the last class only beaded in class. I am working on a write up for right angle weave tomorrow. I did the necklace pictured, and I am working on one right now that is in black, lime green and turquoise for a more informal look. Only three classes to go, and the eight-week session will be complete

Browns

It snowed again yesterday. Today it is warm enough so that the snow and detritus is melting and hitting the skylights in clinks and clanks . Tuesday's class went well, and I have a nice group of students. I wondered how things would go with both new and returning students, but it was just fine. The new students listened, and the returning students got right in to their projects. This week was learning how to string. Next week we will do chains, then peyote, then brick. I taught brick medallions last time, so this time I put together a simple bracelet in brick stitch. Seems I am working with browns and golds lately. The necklace I should finish today is in the same color tones.