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.

Tutti Fruitti

Anothe in my series of Odd Count Peyote bracelets. this simliar pattern was reworked in the neon brights. All Delica beads with 4mm fire polish Czech glass topped with a size15 seed bead to hide the slider clasp with five loops. This item beaded by Wendy Hathaway who did a gorgeous job!

Sweet Valentine

Here is one of the sweetest cuffs I've seen in a while! Pattern was created by another beader and I just thought her use of color space and shadow was great. Will post her name and the magazine as soon as I locate both...Of course, I changed the colors because I wanted to wear it right away! Looks like a bunch of valentine heart candies ready to eat! It was a real treat to wear on Valentine's Day.
Made entirely of delica beads with a five loop slider.

Blue Diamond Peyote Bracelet

A new version of my odd count peyote series, this one a direct result of designing a smaller odd count peyote beaded bead. A beautiful shade of denim blue-green, Delica Bead #325 is the basis for this layout. It matches beautifully with the beaded key presented in an earlier post.

Pattern was created on the Bead Tool 4.4 or 4.7 which ever is the lastest update. I find working with the product extremely easy and very managable. I transported the design from the beaded bead for the key into the new program of the bracelet...or rather made a revision and hit 'save as' in order to create a new pattern. I will also be making this in a Victorian color way for the Holidays...It is July after all and what better time to start on holidays gifts and projects? trust me, time flies...

The bracelet clasp is a rather simple one, however it lent itself perfectly to the antique brass tones needed to complement this bracelet. I purposely have shown you the back side of the clasp. Note how the piece aligns next to the bar clasp and the loops of the clasp sit inside the beadwork. The stitch was more of a running backstitch catching the clasp at the same time as the stitching was passing through the loops.

Looks like my friend Joanne, will be making yet one more bracelet for the summer! This one a perfect fit for all those casual days of tee shirts and jeans.

Happy Beading on a Summer Day!

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!!!

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Fandango Earrings

What happens when a spiral goes spiraling out of control?  Well, you can always make another and call the both of them a pair of earrings!

Which is exactly what happened here. A simple task, to make a Cellini spiral Ring, became so much more than that when an experiment with bead size and count went a little oversized. The extra large bead sizes caused the ring to lay a little bit flatter than I had hoped, but my Bead Chicks (my beading network) encouraged me to carry on and figure out how to use them anyway. The next challenge was to recall what steps I had taken to make them as they were and replicate the same again...only this time in mirror image since I wanted to have them hang as a pair.

Well, it helps to take good notes while you are working...that could be lesson #1. A few photos along the way would have been lesson #2. So now to make yet another pair or two..perhaps in green and blues and another in blacks and white with a pop of red! Anything could be used as the drops, a larger bead count to start the first row would create an even longer pair. This pair included several color of Delica beads, a couple colors, including that color of the year Tangerine Tango,  in size 11 seed beads, one size 8 hex seed bead, one size 6 seed bead and of course the cute Vintage Czech Glass Yellow Drops!

We'll see what happens real soon! 'Til then I've been wearing these and getting loads of compliments. A great way to use up those left over bits from other projects or a bead soup, too!

I'll be wearing them at Monica's Quilt and Bead tomorrow, so stop by and take a look! Ohhh, I see a new class on the horizon...

Milady Pendant Part 2

Consider the dilemna..too many colors choices! The pearls here are surrounded with gold #471 size 15 seed beads. Might be the way to go since I don't seems to have the more Old World color of gold that would match the Delica Beads in a better way. Those were the 24k gold iris.

And below I have another set of pearls trimmed in a darker marroon seed bead. Why do I have so many pearls finished? The pattern called for eight so I bezelled all eight, repeating the same steps each time so it became faster and faster to bead them...but I later notice it only needs four bezelled...oh well, more for the ring to be made later!

Oh, what a lesson learned here! Notice the Rivoli colors...These have the Mystic finish and I had a thought about the colors of each when I first laid them out...but I didn't really check in differnt light until I started to take photos. I tell my students in class to take a second look at a project if your inner voice is telling you something is not quite right....but in my haste I plowed onward and now will have to remake the fourth stone. No worries about the extra, it will become the center of a cleverly constructed ring...more on that later.

The bezel technique for the 8mm pearl shown front and back. From Sabine Lippert's new book, Beaded Fantasies. A great compliation of most of her most dramatic creations, the patterns are nicely written, however her patterns for sale online are by far the best I have ever seen. Extremely detailed regarding each and every move needed for a complete unit.

A quick setup of several components placed together. We have just finished watching the Three Muskateers of 2012...Milady is portrayed by Mila Jonavich, wickedly good. Great costumes! This piece certainly reminds me of that era.

Now, I really have to get back to work...then I will return to this piece and complete it soon!

Milady Pendant Part 1

The process...steps in the creation of Sabine Lippert's Milady Pendant. From her new Master Lark Series book, Beaded Fantasties. Here with the four pearls needed for the piece.

What would the possibility be if I used all eight pearls? I think a bit too large to actually wear, usless you were Milady, of course!

The bezeling of the 14mm crystal, a nice way to finish the surface and still show alot of the face of the stone. When I approach a new pattern with several seed beads, I find it helps to use as many separate colors as possible. That way you can find the bead as it is referred to in the pattern. Another lessoon learned, wait until daylight to take the photos..or get up and go into the photo lab! just in a hurry...

Bezeling the pearls was easy...A quick tip I could share about this step is to move from pearl to pearl and complete each one before moving on to the next row or step. The repetitive action helps you move through the process faster than if you have done one at a time, production style if you will. Keep several needles tamed by placing into a plump pin cushion. Most moves would be considered peyote stitch and netting technique.

The first layout of beads and Rivolis, a pleasing assortment...just wish I would have caught that one Rivoli that is a slightly different color..is it the coating? the stone itself?