Bead Journal Project: June 2014

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! 


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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 media,beading

heART beats from other blogs!

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 childhood memories of 4th of July festivities, hot summer days and cool lemonade. Directions for this stamped card included.


Technorati Tags: bead embroidery,handmade beaded jewelry,wearable art,beads,jewelry,necklace,mixed media,beading

Recent publications: June 2014

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

Book review: Earringology

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

Gypsy Rose bracelet

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.

heART beats from other blogs!

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 back to a tray with resin!

A Bead A Day
What's on your beading table today? Lisa's getting creative in hopes of having something new to wear tomorrow!

Knitting Circles
Looking for a way to store your circular knitting needles? Here is a different solution.

Book review: Mollie Makes Making It

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?  Or perhaps you want to turn your crafting into a full-time business?

This guide speaks to all of those motivations.  It gives you advice on identifying and finding your customers, branding your products, approaching retailers, gaining publicity, and using social media.  There are sections on legal issues, basic accounting, and also inspirational case studies of people who have "made it"!


Technorati Tags: bead embroidery,handmade beaded jewelry,wearable art,beads,jewelry,necklace,mixed media,beading

Project for The Best Beads

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?

Shibori ribbon bead embroidered bracelet - part two

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 carried away...

7. Finish with a back stitched outline if you'd like.

8. Use glue or double-stick tape to place the trimmed top onto the metal blank.  Wrap a piece of backing fabric around the inside of the blank.  Baste through both layers of fabric around the edges, and trim the backing to match the top.

9. Here you can see the basting stitches on the inside of the bracelet.  Stitch an edging brick stitch all along the outside edge, and then remove the basting.  Add any fringe or picots that you desire.  I used a short stack of two size 15/0 seed beads on each edging bead, which are size 11/0s.

Part one
Part two

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 media,beading

heART beats from other blogs!

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

Book review: The Beader's Guide to Jewelry Design

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 symmetrical or asymmetrical design.  A lot of attention is given to how to achieve asymmetrical balance since it is more difficult.

Movement - Physical and/or intangible.  Extremely important to good design.  Movement can be implied through light, pattern, texture, and color.

Shape - The first thing someone notices from a distance.

Color - The most important element for initial impact.

The remainder of the book focuses on jewelry design and the body, considering styles which go best with body types, face shapes, necklines, etc.  This is a particularly helpful section if you are going to design for other people, since it can't just be about what you like in those circumstances.

Lark Books has started publishing a multi-part interview with Margie, which I know you're going to want to follow too.  Part one is at the link above, and for the rest you can just search on her name.



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Book review: Wire + Metal

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 metal, forming it (both sheet metal and wire), creating cold connections, adding patinas, and finishing your pieces.

And the projects...oh, the projects!  Take a look at some of the examples below:

Eco Revival necklace by Jane Dickerson

Metal Petals bracelet by Jane Dickerson,
Calliope earrings and Bubbles necklace by Denise Peck

Corbel earrings by Keirsten Giles

Don't you LOVE those earrings in the image directly above?  I want to make them right now!


Technorati Tags: bead embroidery,handmade beaded jewelry,wearable art,beads,jewelry,necklace,mixed media,beading

Shibori ribbon bead embroidered bracelet - part one

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.

5. You can twist the ribbon completely over if you like.

6. Fan out some areas of the ribbon and pinch other areas together.  Stitch into the foundation to hold the folds and meanderings in place.

7. Instead of flipping the ribbon completely, you can twist just part of it over and tack it together (see the large stitch at the top).

8. Choose focals, accents, and seed beads in colors and sizes that you might want to use.

Part one
Part two

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 media,beading

Vacation week for me!

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!