Diamonds in a Row loomwork

 

I'm newly fascinated with Loomwork again, after a break of a few years. I remember creating pieces on the loom, then being intimidated by all the loose threads to sew in to place. Now I know a few different methods in finishing the work but the most fun is using one of the newer looms that are warp-less. The most recent work was completed on a Rick's Loom...now at Monica's Quilt and Bead Creations...The only concern was what type of closure to make and how to attach the clasp.

The toggle was a simple peyote beaded bead and strap in the similar weave as center of bracelet. The  middle of the toggle is filled with smaller size 8 beads on a 18 gauge wire and 6mm crystals.

The clasp is a shaped peyote piece rendered with a little help from the Diane Fitzgerald book that is a great study of the same. I filled the shape with tiny rolls of foil so it would keep it's firmness through the wearings.

It was fun creating the pattern on my BeadTool4.5...or what ever update it's up to now...I just know I like the program and it makes it easy to switch out colors and move patterns around.

Mulit Five Wrap macrame bracelet

 

Really, truly, I have been working on lots and lots of new items! We have been so busy with our two new grand babies in the family, that all things social media have been on the back burner.

So to start again, I'm sharing a few items of the wildly popular macrame technique! 

The latest of my newest items is this lovely multi wrap bracelet...I think we'll keep seeing the stacked bracelet look carry on well into the summer and fall of this year. And all things organic will play a huge role in the accessories market.

This piece is full of interesting beads; shell cut as sequins,which are added with a cross weave technique, matte copper beads, rhodium plated hex glass beads and a few pearls thrown in for good measure. Also, a few fire polish glass beads. The button is one from my own vintage collection, a high domed pressed glass shape with a touches of gold. I made this wrap with several added cords, so it's a bit fuller than the ones my students are making in class...

Speaking of which, this has become the most popular class...who knew we'd still be so involved with macrame, a throwback to the 70's! Ahhh, but so much more chic!

Come join us in all the fun at Monica's Quilt and Bead Creations.

Leather Wrap Arounds

The latest of my wrap arounds...this one created with the duo hole beads by Preciosa Ornela. A beautiful glass with an iris coating. A five wrap, I think was made at 26" or is that a four wrap??? Well, maybe it was 32" for a five wrap...I think I've made up a formula that works for determining the amount needed for a specific wrist measurement.

Take actual wrist measurement for wrap #1, for each consecutive wrap add 1/4" more for ease. Then finish with three knots, forming two buttonholes for adjustment.

For example, a four wrap for me would be; 6.5" + 6.75" + 7" +7.25 = 27.5"

This way you could make one for a friend and know it would fit properly!

This front side view of a wrap being sent out this week to a very special gal...The multi colored 4mm stones are River Rock Agate which blend beautifully with the smooth cornered Thai silver beads we have at Monica's Quilt and Beads Creations! The leather a gorgeous tan natural color in a 1.5mm round leather.

Here is a full back view of the bracelet, I started adding Silver beads every third or fifth set of beads. added some light to the piece. The cute Lizard button was a gift from one of my Bead Chick friends!

Vintage Keys with Beaded Beads

Well, one is a Vintage Key, my skate key from way back when and the other two are a beautiful set in antique brass. This month's challenge to create a Beaded Bead for the shop was facing a writer's block, (or the equivalent for a beader!) until I spied these new keys on display. One thing led to another and this peyote beaded bead accent was made for our Bead of the Month program.

It was easy to create the beaded bead pattern with my favorite beading program, Bead Tool 4.5. It still is a time intensive process, involving the testing of the pattern, redrafting and final critique but it is well worth the process. 

This pattern has a short bead, five Delica beads wide by eighteen rows for the little key and the diamond pattern which is twenty six Delica beads wide by twenty two rows long that fits the long key. All is worked in Odd Count Peyote with a two needle start. There are several ways to turn at the odd count side, my personal favorite is the traditional figure eight type of turn around. However, it is much faster to work the turn with the chain stitch that loops around the previous rows' bead or by using two needles to complete the odd turn.

I hung all on pre made chain and connected Round Swarovski crystals, the color is Indicolite, as well as 6mm bicone #5328 crystals from the various chain links. The crystals were easier to move when I attached them to small jump rings...this was discovered after moving items a few times. It sure helped that I have a full size mannequin on which to hang these pieces. That would be a most useful addition to your workspace.

Check out our Bead of the Month program at Monica's Quilt and Bead Creations...the pattern is free when you buy the supplies! We sure have fun at our Monday night Sit-n-Bead sessions!!!

See the current newsletter online today.

Old World Netted Cuff

This is one is for the record books! I think it has taken me five years to complete the finished product. How about a big cheer...one more UFO finished. Hey, it's a great accomplishment for such an ADD beader such as myself....oooh, look another shiny object over there!!!! I'm a crow for sure!

Well, the good news...These beautiful Oval Swarovki Crystals, #4127, are very popular right now.

Alot of bling for your wrist! The capture for this stone, in Fuchsia, is a little unique, first a right angle bezel , then an added peyote row...Next add a bit of Bicone crystal trim and a few picots edges with some very tiny 15/0'one cuts...which are tinier than the Japanese 15's...Of course, the seedbeads are hard to come by, vintage true cuts (somewhere between an 11 and 10) which I purchased at Monica's Quilt and Bead Creations about 7 years ago... I have a collection of some colors, it was easier to find them 5 - 10 years ago.

I'm most proud of the connection of bezel to netting...the focal piece is not just set on top of the bracelet...it's all built as one piece! really..how can that be???? well, stay tuned, secrets to be revealed in due time. Classes, of course, are the easiest way to get inside my head...HA-HA!

Oooh, wouldn't this be a pretty ring!!!! and a BIG one, Too! Hey, we'll see about that.

Beaded Bead & Leather bracelet

What happens when little beads grow up and want to become Beaded Beads? Why they become bracelets and earrings and necklaces, of course! This obsession with little beads just takes over and becomes so much more...those of you who create with seed beads will understand. I'm off on another adventure and creating more beaded beads again, this time showing more ways to use them once completed.

Here is one way to use the simplest of round beaded beads, add them to strips of leather and simply tie in place. One larger bead was made with five round beads in the base instead of four, this one was added last so it could serve as the "button" bead. A doubled over piece of leather was knotted, making a loop, then alternating beads and beaded beads were strung on with knots in between each addition to hold all in place. This would also look great as a centerpiece for a necklace!

This humble little bead is being offered at Monica's Quilt and Bead Creation, in Palm Desert, for our first Bead of the Month project. By the end of January we should have several different ideas on how to use these beads and incorporate them into jewelry and accessory pieces.

Wire Knitz Cuff

All this prettiness in just a couple of hours! The beauty of Wire Knitz, a new wire knit product, from SilverSilk, is that is can be manipulated in so many ways. Look for a few new versions in the coming days. By adding little tiny "belt loops" at each end I can change the bracelets I wear with the cuff. Small Antique Brass snaps will be added to the outer edges to help hold the wide cuff in place.

This particular focal bracelet was created with a few simple twists of the wrist using wire wrapping techniques to hold the flat glass discs into place. The leaves were attached using headpins with lampwork glass as the heads, awesome eh? A very clever artist, Starr May created these for me...all of her other glass pieces may be seen at Monica's Quilt and Bead Creations in Plam Desert, CA.

Transitions, a bracelet study of stitches

So, the wonderful new Master Series book by Maggie Meister has spurned an idea of sorts. A sampler of stitches and therefore the transitional flow needed to move from one stitch to another was created. I think this is a great way to prepare for what you need to learn in order to work from the book...of course, this is assuming that you already know how to use most of these stitches in several of their forms. The book utilizes movement from right angle weave to peyote to ndebele and then back again, so here is my study using those stitches. The first idea I had was to create a long wrapped beaded bracelet...each wrap a different bead and stitch...then I realized that would take too long and not be productive for a class setting...so you get the short version! I will still create the longer wrap as I think it's going to be a very cool looking bracelet!

I've created this in black, using beads with different surface finishes, even the little 3.4mm drops. It will also be great using multiples of color, or a study of other Monochromatic colorways or even dare I say it GOLD!!! Just be careful, always use a permanent or Duracoat finish when using a metal color. We at Monica's Quilt and Bead Creations in Palm Desert are lucky, almost all our colors are switched over to a "permanent" finish.

Vanessa, The next generation of beader

What a wonderful time we had in Saturday's class! Several beaders were hard at work on projects and the youngest of the group was Vanessa, a delightful, talented young lady from Rancho Cucamonga. She had come out to the desert to join her Mother and Grandmother in a beading session at Monica's Quilt and Bead Creations. Lucky for us she was willing to help in a project called 'Beading to Beat Autism'... Vanessa just kept on beading and before long she had made not one, not two, but ten stretchy bracelets for the cause! It was marvelous to observe the diligence she had in class and to note that she represents the young girls of the next generation of beading..she already had a great sense of color theory and excitement for the craft...I think we're in good hands for the future.

So, speaking of the future, the Autism project is spearheaded by a another young lady, Michela Riggles..she's been on the Ellen Show and others promoting her goal of raising monies for a research and educational facility in Kentucky. Read about her journey on her website; www.beadingtobeatautism.org it's an amazing undertaking for one so young.

As I said, our future is in good hands.

Dakota Turquoise Earrings

How's this for a feathery look without the feathers?!?!? Brick stitch a few colors together and then dangle loads of beads from the baseline. Here, I used all Delica cylinder beads in Matte Black #310, Red 723, Blue 166 and Nickel 035. Notice at the end of the dangles the lovely semi-precious stones in turquoise, the weight of these stones help to keep the dangles looking straight.

The earrings are comfortable to wear and the length of the dangles could be as long as you desired. Of course, there is nothing stopping you from adding an extra feather or two if you want more for effect. Simply attach the stem of the feather to a fold over crimp end and attach it at the same time you are adding the beadwork to th earring finding.

Tila Beauty

What a fun new bead is the Tila! I have had a great time developing new pieces using these beads in the most unsual ways. This piece involves peyote, square stitch and right-angle-weave, just to keep it simple! The most exciting part is that I haven't seen this version any where yet, so I'm happily submitting this item to a bead mag and we'll cross fingers and hope it sees the light of day! Of course, it will be on my roster of classes at Monica's Quilt and Bead Creations for those more adventurous students. The beads here are Tila beads, 4mm fire-polish and size 11 seed beads built using one-G thread, altho' I would also us Fireline or Wildfire.

A big plus...my daughter, Dawn and her friend, Jessica both admired the piece, so it could be a hit! Maybe Dawn would wear one in grays and black???