Beaded Beads...

...are wonderful! When you need a quick bead fix and want to feel as though you've achieved something, this is the way to go. I call it "component beading" - making lots of components that eventually get together to organise themselves into an overal piece.

These are my Hour Glass beaded beads that have lots of potential to be realised, when I get the time to kick them into shape!

The Vase - progress and a challenge for YOU!

The ongoing vase project is, well, still ongoing. I've had a bit of a splurge on it over the past week, although it is rather had to recognise that much more has been done to it the beadwork now goes over the top rim of the vase and down so far inside, but it's causing me a bit of thought on how to finish the inside off a little bit neater than it is. OK, so you might not see inside when it's stood on a shelf or whatever, but I couldn't live with it not being finished off well plus, if anyone picks it up, they're bound to look inside!

There was a major unpicking session with the collar around the neck - I did my maths late one night and figured that so long as the bead count divided by 6 (number of points), a pattern would work (no pattern plan in mind, just to develop as I went along!). It went wrong. With a fresh brain the next day, the mistake was so obvious and easily solved - a count of 108 for the initial circle would divide by 6 equally and give me the 6 points I needed. I would then have to peyote 54 beads each round. Other than the collar, everything is just tacked in place, hence all the threads dangling!

I've got a couple more rivolis to bezel and then some 8mm Swarovski rounds to bezel before I make a decision as to how much more over-the-top I make it! The main thing about this project is I'M LOVING IT - it's a no-holes-barred expression of beading and every beader should have a go at it. Garish colours, totally unwearable, extravagant and in your face - just what the beading doctor ordered!

The challenge for you is to SUGGEST A NAME FOR THE PIECE so please let me have any ideas.

Books to look forward to

There seem to have been some brilliant beading books published this year by some of the top designers in the world - first up was Laura McCabe's stunning Creating Crystal Jewelry with Swarovski which was hotly followed by Diane Fiztgerald's Shaped Beadwork book.

These two are sitting pretty on my beading book shelf and and will shortly be joined by a couple more titles when they are eventually released one by Rachel Nelson-Smith and the other by Marcia DeCosta:

I can't wait!

Not much beading been done this week as we've been away for a couple of days - just to York for our wedding anniversary (21 years, where have they gone). We caught a couple of films - Star Trek (yes, I know, but I did enjoy it!) and Angels and Demons which thankfully I managed to follow admirably.

Beading is happening, but I'm busy re-working a necklace and writing up the instructions for it for Beadwork; my Bead & Button article will be finished this weekend and in the post as soon as my toggle fasteners arrive to finish the pieces, so that's one out the way. Phew.

Swarovski bicones to be replace by Xilion shape

I love Swarovskis and adore their bicones - they feature in so many things I do these days in one way, shape or form - but it is shortly going to be replaced.

The new bead - the Xilion cut (reference 5328) - will over the coming months replace the 5301 bicone bead. From what I've read, the Xilion has alternating size facets and more cuts which will give better light reflection and it also seems it will be a littler rounder around the middle than the standard bicone. So far as I understand it, all the bicone shapes are to be replaced with the exception of the 2.5mm.

If you can't bear to be without the traditional bicone, hurry and buy them now as once the transition period has gone (June to September this year) once stocks run out you won't be able to get the current shape any more...apparently.

Changed my mind!

My work in progress - a small pot vase covered in beads - has resurfaced. I got some amethyst rivolis a couple of weeks ago with the intention of embellishing the vase with these and other bits and bobs. I didn't like my first choice of colours (posted about 10 days ago) and so the lovely rivoli in purples and reds has been unpicked.

Now, I've gone totally OTT and opted for in your face orange with purple and fuchsia and I lurv the combo and how the two rivolis have turned out. Outrageous and startling was what I had in mind and I think I'm close! You know when something's right and to me, right now for this particular piece of beading, it's right. Others might not think so!

Yeah! More published work!

Hot on the heels of having my last piece accepted for publication in Bead & Button magazine, I've now just heard back from Beadwork magazine that they like a necklace I submitted to them for consideration! Wowwee, I'm on a roll. Both will be out in early 2010 (seems a lifetime away!).

Now I REALLY need to get myself into gear as I've three months to finish them both. The B&B one is virtually done, my trusted tester having just this week worked my instructions without a hitch, so today I shall be knuckling down and trying to finish that one off. After that, it will be all systems go for the Beadwork article.

I've learnt over the years to finish a piece, write the instructions to near completion and only then submit the work - in the early days, I simply had an idea (no piece or picture was usually required), offered the idea to the magazine I wrote for and then got a reply with a six week deadline for everything! It was always a panic and so now I feel better prepared, but still panic like mad!

Thankfully, my project for the UK's Bead magazine is now with them and so most the hard work has been done.

Phew.

Beading Ethics

I've entered a competition on a forum, but did hesitate before entering the piece as some of the components were designed by someone else - would it be ethical to enter the piece? Ethics in beading are always a hot topic and are often a touchy subject too. I've been asked several times for permission to make my designs to sell - it's wonderful to be asked and I've not said no yet, but the crux of the point is asking.

In my case, the designer in question is that clever beady lady Diane Fitzgerald and some of the flowers I made were from her Beaded Garden book. Having sent her an email explaining the position and attaching a photo of the piece, she sent a lovely reply encouraging me to submit the work, for which I'm most grateful.

The moral of the story is to ask - it's correct, ethical and you'll get to touch base with another beady person! I find most people involved in beading extremely encouraging, generous and helpful and maintaining ethics is core to maintaining these good relationships.

Oooh, nearly forgot, here's the piece in question - One Wet Summer!

Triballs over Easter

For once over Easter, I've had a few hours to myself in between shooting across the country on the motorbike, doing housework (boring!), walking the dog and other bits and bobs and have finally knuckled down to writing some instructions.

Now don't get me wrong, when I'm in the mood I quite enjoy writing and drawing diagrams, but that's just it - I have to be in the mood. Thankfully, this morning I was and the instructions for my Triballs are going swimmingly.

The matte grey cylinder beads coupled with Swarovski crystals must be my latest fad in colour schemes (albeit very monochromatic) as the St Petersburg stitch necklace I've been working on over Easter has some how ended up in very similar tones! Matte and crystals together are just, well, stunning!

What did beaders ever do before Swarovski crystal beads were around?

More on St Petersburg Stitch

I've been trying out different ideas with St Petersburg stitch for the last few weeks and have just begun to realise how versatile it is. Tension is vitally important (isn't it always in beading?!) and the variation of finishes that can be achieved by using different bead types has really been worth exploring.

The sample photos (white beads) show firstly a single row then a double row of the stitch worked in size 11 seeds. It drapes well, but wasn't quite the finish I was looking for so I gave some matte size 11 seeds a whirl (3 rows this time). Better, but still not right and the daggers I had in my stash were limiting the colour schemes.


I then tried using some size 10 cylinders (delicas) and fitted some bicones down the middle - this was more what I was looking for, but I didn't like the way the cylinders were jostling against each other because of their squareness.

Finally, I've tried some size 8 seed beads with a matte finish and this seems to be working. No piccies yet as it's still a work in progress, but hopefully soon...

I love peyote, but right now St Petersburg is top of my favorite list!

Bead Fair

Living "oop North" means that events are sometimes thin on the ground, so when the Harrogate Bead Fair comes around, it's an event not to be missed (that said, I missed the one in autumn 2008!). So this Sunday I shall be trekking to the fair with list in hand, cash in purse (not for long) and credit card polished and ready.

Top of my list is Fireline thread. I love KO, but do worry about using it with Swarovski crystals so have to bit the bullet and blow the extra cost, just for peace of mind that comes with Fireline. The other must haves is a re-stock of size 15s - I've gone through these like a dose of salts over the past few months and would love to find some new colours.

After that, everthing I buy will be pure impulse - the best way to shop for beads! Hopefully there will be some new beads or findings to inspire and there will always be a new Swarovski colour I simply must have...

Bedtime Reading

My bookshelf is full of bead books, but I've become particularly fussy about what books I buy these days. They have to inspire, tempt and push me beyond my usual boundaries and this year has seen two complete stunners emerge from two of the worlds' best beaders (I dare anyone to argue...) - Laura McCabe's Creating Crystal Jewelry with Swarovski and my most recent and happy arrival, Diane Fitzgerald's Shaped Beadwork. If you have pennies to spend, go get both these books now.

I suppose I'm biased - I love dimensional work and I love beading with Swarovski, so these two books would be at the top of my Desert Island Books list hands down.

Dentists and Mother's Day Pendant

Ow, ow and ow! I went to the dentist last Friday for a filling and since then have had toothache when I've bitten on anything hard - it wasn't that bad before the filling and I've not had toothache for sooooo long. So today I went back for the filling to be removed and redone - the dentist (great though he is) found a couple of small cracks and hopes this time round things will be better. I've now "defrosted" from the injection and, guess what, I've got toothache!!!! AAAARRRGH! I'm hoping it will settle, but whilst waiting decided to take advantage of the brilliant sun and get some photos done of my beadwork.

I've a few photos to upload, but for now here are mini versions of my Rose Pendant which should be featuring as a project in Bead & Button later this year. These two are for my mums (mine and my in-law) for Mother's Day, and have been finished in the nick of time. I simply love pink and chocolate together.

Red Resolution

I thought it time this blog had some eye candy, so here goes...

First up is Red Resolution. I avoid(ed) beading with certain colours, red and orange being two of them, so my 2008 New Year's Resolution was to bead with red and orange - this is the result. Some of the rivolis have been inspired by the brilliant Laura McCabe's designs. Now, I love working with orange and red!

This is one of those long winded projects and I guess it took nearly 40 hours to make, but worth every minute! I keep threatening to do another in greens and oranges...