Beading Babes ~ Project 3 reveal

Welcome to Project 3 of Beading Babes!

 This month two projects were chosen

-

Runway of Pearls by Barbara Falkowitz

and

Ravishing Rosettes by Smadar Grossman.

It appears that both of these pieces presented us with many hurdles and proved to be quite a challenge for most of us.

In saying that, I am so pleased to see that we all persisted with the pieces with a few of us completing both projects.

Well done!

So without furtherado here are the finished pieces!

~*~*~

Runway of Pearls by Barbara Falkowitz

(Beadwork - December 2011/January 2012 - page 54)

Therese of Therese's Treasures

Tanya of A Work in Progress

 Amy of Amybeads

Christine of There and Back Again Studios

Siggi of Zora-Zauber

And here is what I created.

My piece was stitched using 2mm fire polished beads instead of the triangle beads. I've made mine reversable by using silver beads on one side and matte grey beads on the other.

I created a peyote toggle clasp which also acts as a feature of the bracelet.

Final Verdict

Overall I liked the design of Runway Pearls but like most RAW pieces I create I found the stitching a little repetitive...but the bonus of RAW is that it works up pretty fast. This is such a versatile piece and as you can see by how different it looks in the various colourways, not to mention using different beads, I think it's a great pattern!

~*~*~

Ravishing Rosettes by Smadar Grossman

(Bead and Button - December 2011 - page 38)

Therese of Therese's Treasures

Tanya of A Work in Progress

Vimala of of The Bead Diaries

Kristen of My Bead Journey

Ginger of Lilmummylikes

Siggi of Zora-Zauber

Christine of There and Back Again Studios

And here is what I created.

My piece has been stitched using matte red and turquoise beads along with galvanised silver beads.

I was originally going to create a peyote toggle for this bracelet too but a) I misjudged the length of the bracelet and therefore the addition of the toggle was going to make it too long and b) I felt that the fancy toggle would have distracted the eye from the lovely rosettes.

Final Verdict

As you all know I really struggled with this piece. I found it very repetitive, I struggled to understand the pattern and had to unpick it several times. With most repetitive pieces I find I usually don't have to continue looking at the pattern but with this one I continued to refer to the steps until it was finished.

But I am glad I persisted with it as I hate to give up on anything, especially a challenging beading piece, and I think the end result was well worth the frustration.

Overall I really love Ravishing Rosettes.

It's such a beautiful design but for me it was really tough going and a piece I probably won't attempt again...ok maybe I will, you know, just to see if I can improve on this one!

~*~*~

Once again thank you so much for being a part of Beading Babes.

I look forward to seeing you all in Project 4 so watch this space as I will be posting up the project choices in the next few days!

Happy Beading!

 ♥

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Copyright Disclaimer

All patterns used within this group will be purchased by the beader and will not be copied.

All credit will be given to the designer.

Slight heart failure and the dilemma of a clasp!

As you might already know I've been working on this cuff for a few weeks now. 

I am so happy with the way it's come together. 

The earthy tones are definitely me and as this is my first cuff I will definitely be keeping this one for myself!

BUT before I finish it I need some design help from all of my wonderfully talented friends.

I want to keep the cuff flexible and soft so I won't be adding it to a metal cuff base but I am not sure what kind of clasp to add.

I have this toggle clasp which I thought I could attach with some beads.

But then I thought I could do a peyote toggle but thought that might be ''too much".

I also have some antique brass and copper lever clasps which I just ordered but they are a lot smaller than I had anticipated so I don't think they are going to work.

For the first time EVER I actually cut through my thread when trimming the edges...you can see the section where the beads are missing in the photo above...just near the clasp...
I can't believe I did it...
I think I was just rushing to trim it so I could photograph it in the last of today's daylight and get it posted here to ask for your help.
Thankfully it is easily fixed but the sound of the beads falling onto the table still gave me slight heart failure!

Ok. Now that my heart is back to beating normally.

Any suggestions on what kind of clasp to use?

♥ 

I think that switch has just been flicked!

Marice of La Bella Joya recently wrote a very interesting article on the different levels of creativity. If you haven't read Marcie's post be sure to click HERE - it is definitely worth reading.

Her article got me thinking. I'm always doubting my creative abilities and find myself constantly comparing myself to other bead artists.

Even though many people have told me this is unhealthy I continue to make the comparison. I think it's just human nature to doubt our abilities and compare ourselves to others...right?

But what I have been trying to tell myself is that the artists and designers I compare myself to may have been beading for a lot longer than me.
I started beading in 2003 but only ventured into bead embroidery in 2008 and bead weaving in 2009...so I guess you could consider me a bit of a novice in the latter two areas. 

I also try to tell myself that those I compare myself to may spend more time beading than me.
I only get to bead for around 2 hours a day and that is usually for about half an hour on my lunch break and then in the evenings, late at night.

Throughout Marcie's post she shared photos of some of her earlier pieces reflecting on where she started as a beader and how her beading has developed over the years.

I then reflected on just how far my beading has come since 2003 and that perhaps looking back at my earlier work, as she did, may just be the the flick of the switch I need to make that light bulb light up in my head
and say
''look how far you have come Karyn, stop doubting your abilities".

So with that thought in mind join me on my beading journey...
...so far.

~~~~

My first stringing piece

Gosh I remember how excited I was that I actually made a necklace!
Created with seed beads and Czech glass bugs!

I literally caught the beading bug after this piece!

~~~

And then I developed a love of seed beads and cabochons.

My beaded cabochon, completed in October 2008

The tiger's eye cabochon is a whopping  40mm long - didn't really start with a small one did I?

Instead of gluing the cab to stiff stuff or felt I actually glued it to a leather scrap...not suede... leather!
Don't do this!
The thread was so hard to pull through the leather that at times I needed to use a small pair of pliers. Needless to say I have never used leather again so let this be a lesson learned!

~~~

As I was spending more time with seed beads I found myself paying more attention to bead woven pieces so I made a conscious effort to learn some new stitches.

~~~

My first attempt at Brick Stitch

My first attempt at St Petersburg

and St Petersburg using cube beads

My first attempt at Right Angle Weave (RAW)

 

My first piece using Spiral weave

Tubular Herringbone 

I still haven't tried regular Herringbone!

I also tried my hand at some new techniques.

~~

Using a loom

Adding a fringe
as well as a peyote bezel edge and using drop beads for the edging

  

My first attempt at a peyote toggle

Peyote tubular beads as well as Right Angle Weave round beaded beads.

~~~

And some bead embroidery pieces using lots and lots of seed beads!

This piece was stitched using size 15/0 seed beads. What was I thinking!

This piece included glass fused cabochons made by myself, the largest cab made by my husband!

And last but not least my very first attempt at polymer clay and steampunk!

~~~

What a great journey this has been for me.

Looking back at some of my earlier pieces really has made realise how far I have come.

A great reminder that no matter what your skill level is  

there will always be something to learn.

Focus on how far you have come... not how far you have to go.

Did you hear that click?

I think that switch has just been flicked!

♥

My Creative Space

I've been working on a few pieces lately but the main one I need to get finished is my "Fall" piece for the Artbeads Design Partner Blogging Program.

It's nearly finished!

You can also see a piece I am working on from Marcia DeCoster's book!

I just need to add a bail and then attach the peyote toggle I have made... 

...and of course weave in all that thread!

Check out this cool open diamond toggle created from Diane Fitzgerald's book, Shaped Beadwork.

What can be found in your creative space this week?

♥

Any Suggestions?

This is a piece I have been working on for a few weeks now. 

The focal is a gorgeous lampwork cabochon and the rope has been stitched in Herringbone.

I plan on stitching a peyote beaded toggle clasp but I can't decide how to attach the cab to the necklace.

I was thinking perhaps I could stitch a peyote bail as I have done in the piece below.

Or perhaps just a simple loop bail as below might look better?

What do you think would look best?

Any suggestions?

♥