Beading Arts

I took the opportunity this month to do some more practicing with some of my filler stitches, specifically herringbone, peyote, RAW, and chevron.  Each of these stitches has been adapted for bead embroidery.  The tightly packed stitches like herringbone, peyote, and RAW are useful for achieving subtle variations in surface texture, while stitches like the chevron are more overtly decorative.   Information on how to turn these beadweaving stitches into bead embroidery stitches is found in Bored By Back Stitch .  In a couple weeks when I catch up, I'll add a bit of a tutorial here!  January February March April May June Copyright 2014 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit. May be printed out for personal use or distributed electronically provided that entire file, including this notice, remains intact. Technorati Tags: bead embroidery , handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace , mixed me

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done! Jean reviews the book Punk Chic Jewelry by Erin Siegal.. You are going to love this wonderful book by the amazing Erin! Mixed Media Artist Are you interested in making art quilts? Cyndi has collected all of her tutorials into one post! Resin Crafts Blog Who knew that fabulous paint could be swirled to create stunning designs under resin. Carmi's Art/Life World My Pastel Statement Necklace is featured in the summer issue of Perles et Cetera magazine. What is unique is the addition of an applique for the pendant. Art Bead Scene Take a peek inside the studio of Erin Prais-Hintz of Tesori Trovati Jewelry as she prepares for her exhibition at Gallery Q - and be in with the chance of winning one of her beautiful and unique Q Marks the Spot necklaces. Knit Lab Review Here are some pros and cons about Craftsy.com's Knit Lab class. Old Timey 4th of July Card The old time feel of this card evokes Eileen's c

Earringology: How to Make Dangles, Drops, Chandeliers & More (Lark Beading & Jewelry) by Candie Cooper The Beader's Guide to Jewelry Design: A Beautiful Exploration of Unity, Balance, Color & More (Lark Jewelry &... by Margie Deeb Stylish Jewelry Made Simple by BeadStyle magazine Soldering Beyond the Basics: Techniques to Build Confidence and Control by Joe Silvera Ancient Egyptian Beads by Nai Xia Classical Loop-in-Loop Chains: & Their Derivatives by Jean Reist Stark and Josephine Reist Smith Technorati Tags: bead embroidery , handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace , mixed media , beading

I have always enjoyed Candie Cooper's fun playful, but still feminine style, which we got an eyeful of in Necklaceology .  Now she's back with 50 gorgeous beaded earring projects in her new book, published by Lark Books , Earringology ! Candie has traveled extensively, and I think you'll enjoy her unique materials and style, particularly the Asian flair that comes from years of living in China.  After covering the few basic techniques used in many of the projects, Candie launches right into 50 wonderful designs that will have you running for your supplies. Most are simple enough that it only takes a beautiful two-page spread to show how they're made, a few needing an extra page for detailed directions.  The photos and illustrations are all what you expect from Lark...superb. Technorati Tags: bead embroidery , handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace , mixed media , beading

Remember the stash of beads I showed you last Tuesday from The Best Beads ?  Well, this is what they turned into...Gypsy Rose was named by Linda Daunheimer Weber on the Beading Arts facebook page.  Thanks Linda! You will find the tutorial on Ekaterina's site.  It is also found in my e-book Bored By Back Stitch , in chapter 3.

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done! Jean got some fun news about a great book ! It is all about Jewelry Making Daily and Wire + Metal this week! See her blog! Beading Arts Cyndi finished up her project that combines shibori silk ribbon and bead embroidery, and has posted the rest of the tutorial! Mixed Media Artist It's been a long time since Cyndi worked with image transfers...here's a new variation that she worked out! Piecing Lazertran Inkjet Decals on Wood You can piece Lazertran Inkjet Decals to create a larger image te 8 1/2 x 11. If you've ever made long printed posters where you have to overlap and make seams match or have ever matched seams to hang wallpaper, you know the basic technique. Carmi's Art/Life World Carmi has given up trying to bead in a traditional manner - hence the crazy cuff. Resin Craft Blog This week in a two part post, Carmi took a tray that was recycled into charms for jewelry making...and upcycled it ba

Mollie Makes is the UK's premier lifestyle and craft magazine, perhaps their answer to Martha Stewart, but without the attitude!   Mollie Makes Making It is a guide for everyone who has ever thought about combining her love of an art form with a successful business.  Does the idea of keeping records,pricing, marketing, and selling leave you weak in the knees?  Then MMMI might be just what you need to take stock and consider moving forward.  The resources are heavily weighted towards the UK, just so you know, but there are easily-found US equivalents to most of them. The editor of Mollie Makes gives us an explanation for why people might want to turn their hobby into a money-maker: Perhaps you want to earn some 'pin money', so that you can buy materials to do yet more crafting and make your hobby self-financing  Perhaps your home is bursting at the seams with all the things you've made and you desperately need to sell some of them in order to clear some space?  

So, about a month ago, my friend Ekaterina, who owns The Best Beads in the Czech Republic, honored me by asking if I would create a tutorial for her site.  Look at those colors!  I'm thinking that another silk shibori ribbon piece is in order, what do you think?

Last week, I showed you how to design with your shibori ribbon and stitch it into place to create a cuff bracelet ( part one at this link ).  This week, we'll look at some of the embellishment possibilities that exist with this fascinating material! 1. Stitch, glue, or double-stick tape your large focal(s) into place. 2. Bezel your focals.  I used peyote stitch with a final row of RAW. 3. Stitch beads along the edges of the ribbon to cover the stitches. 4. Add seed beads and accent beads into the ribbon folds as you desire.  Any folds that don't have beads, it's a good idea to tack them down with small stitches down deep in the ditches.  Stitch carefully to avoid catching additional silk and creating puckers. 5. Use decorative stitches besides just back stitch and stack stitch if you desire.  I used African helix here to do some fill-ins. 6. Originally I planned to leave some of the foundation fabric visible, but I got a bit carri

Mixed Media Artist Just for fun, Cyndi painted an old globe... Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done! The best reunion jean never attended! And she made the bracelets! See jean's blog for the amazing story of this transforming experience. Dashing the Stashing Baby afghan projects are one great way to clear out the yarn stash so you can make room for more yarn! A Bead A Day Do you go through bead phases? Lisa's sharing her latest one...Beads, charms and pendants with faces. Too Many Layers Make you Cry over Decoupage Projects Like peeling layers from an onion, many layers on decoupage can make you cry. The Artful Craftfer tells you how to keep it simple and tear-free. Technorati Tags: bead embroidery , handmade beaded jewelry , wearable art , beads , jewelry , necklace , mixed media , beading

Margie Deeb's long-anticipated new book, The Beader's Guide to Jewelry Design , is finally here!  Worth the wait?  Oh, yeah.  Published by Lark Books , this volume was written to help you take the next step in designing your own pieces, no matter where you happen to be along that magical journey.  Never designed your own?  Here's how to start.  Been designing for awhile?  Here's how to get better.  Been designing a long time.  Here are yet new avenues to explore. Each chapter focuses on an important aspect of design for jewelry-makers.  Along the way, there are exercises and further challenges to try which will help you to focus your own mind and skills more precisely.  Here's a bit of a run-down on the chapters: Unity - The overall impact of your piece.  Helps you answer the question, How much repetition is enough and what form should it take? Focal Point - How to move the viewer's eye where you want it to go. Balance - Can be achieved by symm

Wire + Metal    By Denise Peck & Jane Dickerson   Interweave/F+W; $22.99  Adding metalwork to our repertoire is something that continues to be daunting for many beaders.  Well, I swear to you, if you are wanting to do it but frightened to take the plunge, you couldn't find better guides who will help you immerse yourself gradually than Denise Peck and Jane Dickerson in their new book published by Interweave. There are eight chapters which cover all the basic information you need to get started, including metal types, proper gauge and hardness, tools, and techniques.  If you work your way through these chapters, you will pick up almost all the techniques that will be used in the 30 projects which follow.  There are a few additional techniques which are covered along the way, in a bit more detail as needed, but everything else will already be under your belt.  The basics chapters will teach you about measuring and cutting properly, annealing with flame, texturing meta

My friend Julie suggested the name Tidal Pool for this bracelet, and I think that's perfect since it's decorated with pearls and features an ocean jasper stone focal! 1. Prepare the base by drawing a rough pattern from your metal cuff and copying it onto fusible interfacing.  Iron the interfacing to the back of the foundation fabric.  Do not cut the piece to size...leave a healthy margin because it is almost sure to shrink up a bit as you stitch. Pile of pleated silk shibori ribbon 2. Play with the ribbon, letting it flop and fold until you like the looks. 3. Tack down at one end with small stitches in the ditches.  Don't worry about the thread color...your stitches will be covered by beads later.  If you stitch in an area that won't be covered later, be more careful to bury your stitches inside the folds. 4. Roll the edges under along the length of the ribbon and tack down with small stitches.  These will also be covered later.

No, I'm not leaving home, but I've decided to take a break from thinking, planning, and writing for a week.  Probably not from making, though :-)  You have to draw the line somewhere!  I'll be back in the saddle and posting again next Monday, starting with a tutorial for that bracelet I made for the Bead Journal Project last month!