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Saturday, February 22, 2014

Winter's Sparkle Blog Hop Reveal

It has finally arrived, the reveal day for the Winter Sparkle Blog Hop. Back in September I signed up for another of Lisa Lodge's wonderful challenges. This is based on the colors and sparkle of a winter's night.

I got a wonderful palette of purple beads. I would love to show you a picture of the what I got in my kit but my camera and I are having issues. I take pictures but when I go to transfer them to my computer the images are not on the SD card.  It has been driving me crazy as it does not always happen.

I was inspired by the the mix of purple fire-polished rondelles. I had also just taken a class with Sue Charette-Hood at CreativFestival to learn how to do kumihimo with beads. In the class I made a bracelet with Magatamas. She taught us how to finish the braid without glue.
My first kumihimo with beads
So now I had a technique I wanted to use but still need to be inspire for a final project. So it was time to head over to Pinterest. There I found this beautiful necklace which combined seed beads and Unicorne Beads Handmade Teardrop.  It was designed by Diana Shiraishi and originally pubished in Bead Treads August 2011. 
Under the Sea
I decided to see how it would work with fire-polished rondelles, like those in the kit from Lisa. To work out the details of quantities and layout I made a necklace with some metallic blue rondelles and bronze lined blue seed beads.
Protype with metallic blue
Given the limited quantity of the purple rondelles in the kit I had to use more seed beads to complete the length that I wanted for the finished piece. I used a silver lined matte purple seed beads. Using copper findings was a nice compliment to the purple beads.

Once the braid was completed and I had finished using the technique learned from Sue, it was a little shorter that I had hoped. I decided to a little extra strung section with some of the larger rondelles in the kit.

Finished necklace

Detail of segment with rodelles
I have since worn this to work and have found a small design problem. The leaves of the end caps catch on my hair.

Take some time to hop around and see what everyone else has created with their kit from Lisa.
Our hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist
Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes
Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design
Eleanor Burian Moore, The Charmed Life
Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation
Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware
Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations
Toltec  Jewels, Jewel School Friends
Christie Searle Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry
Heather Richter, Desert Jewelry Designs
Dolores Raml, CraftyD's Creations
Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue
Cassi Renee Paslick, Beads: Rolling Downhill
Annette Rivers, Mama Owl's Mess
Tammie Tusher Everly, TTE Designs
Crystal Thain, Here Bead Dragons
Norbel Marolla, She Flies Again Jewelry
Karen Burg, KEB Designs
Karin Grosset Grange, Ginkgo et Coquelicot
Jasvanti Patel, Jewels by Jasvanti

Thanks once again to Lisa for organizing this wonderful challenge.

36 comments:

  1. Wow, stunning pieces using the Kumihimo technique, which I have yet to learn. I just learned the peyote on Wednesday. I usually see them with the delica & japanese seed beads. Beautiful work!

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    1. It was great to learn with Sue. I love the take class to learn new techniques or designs.

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  2. Your pieces are all lovely, I admire people who have the patience to weave those tiny beads.

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    1. Thanks Tammie. Seed beads were not very small and the kumihimo worked up very quickly.

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  3. Beautiful! And such intricate work!

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  4. Good work applying a newly learned technique so perfectly! I love doing Kumihimo and think it is a wonderful alternative to weaving / embroidery. The pieces always seem to turn out so beautiful!
    Thanks for the heads up on the endcaps . . . they are so gorgeous and perfect for your piece but I always wondered if they would create hair issues. Someone with short hair will fall in love with this sparkle necklace!!!

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    1. I am wondering if I could straighten the ends of the leaves. But I will likely look for a replacement style next time I am at my fav bead store.

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  5. Your pieces are amazing. I admire your ability to tackle that technique. I tried several years ago, but never went back to it. It just seems very intimidating. Well done!

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    1. I had tried to do it without taking a class. It did not work. Sue's class was great for learning how to get the beads in place with the braid.

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  6. Nothing like actually wearing a piece to find the design flaws. Hope you can solve the problem because it's such a beautiful sleek bracelet. Great technique!

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    1. I may try to replace the end caps. Need to find new one on my next trip to the bead store.

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  7. so very pretty! I admire your perseverance and creativity in adapting a pattern to accommodate the beads you had on hand. It turned out beautifully! Christie

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    1. It was a great way to perfect my technique before doing the final piece. I do wear the blue necklace. The end caps don't catch in my hair.

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  8. Absolutely gorgeous, Jo-Ann :) Your bead work always wows me!

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  9. absolutely stunning!! I love kumihimo.

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    1. I am just getting started with kumihimo... adding the beads was great.

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  10. Fantastic design and execution - a stunning piece. Love the colors.

    ~cryssT

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  11. Awesome necklace, Jo-Ann! That was a super idea to try the technique out first. I love the look of kumihimo. Great job. Thanks for being in the hop!

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    1. Thanks Lisa... it was a great way to work my way thru the design process.

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  12. That is beautiful. I would never have thought to do a kumi necklace with the rondelles. Love it.

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    1. I figured if Diana could use the big tear drops then rondelles would be ok. That is why I did a test first.

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  13. Wonderful post Jo Ann. I like that you included your inspiration. Your purple necklace is beautiful. It cool that you made a trial one first and ended up with two beautiful necklaces.

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    1. I try to give credit to those who inspire and teach. They are the foundation of my beading!

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  14. I agree with Becky, two stunning necklaces....this is a technique I hope to learn this year....I think the results are just outstanding. I love your colors too. I am partial to purples though..lol...excellent job!

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    1. My class with Sue was so helpful. I had tried to figure it our myself but had not been successful.

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  15. Gorgeous necklace, love the look of the kumihimo but have not tried that.

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    1. Thanks, I am hoping to use kumihimo in more projects.

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  16. It is so pretty and sparkles right along with the theme. I have wanted to learn kumihimo, and you have inspired me to try.

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  17. These are such beautiful pieces! I love the sparkly blue beads best :)

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    1. I love the blue necklace too! I have worn it a number of times.

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  18. Beautiful necklace, simple and elegant. I'll have to try kumihimo some day too!

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  19. I'm just seeing your blog for the first time! So glad you found some inspiration from Under the Sea. Your design is lovely and shades of purple are a favorite of mine. Thank you for your references to Jasmine Tea Designs and me! Kindest regards, Diana

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