Turtle Box

It started back in July with pictures of the boxes posted by Julia Pretl on her Facebook page with the message that the patterns would be available soon.

Julia's Turtle Boxes

Later she posted a link to her website once they were available. I quickly added them to my collection. Then I had to decide would I use Julia's colours or my own. I looked thru my delica stash and then made a trip to fav bead store. Purchased enough beads (I hope to make all three).

Once I had finished some of my unfinished projects and up coming challenge pieces I was able to look at starting one of the boxes. I decided to start with the medium turtle box is the colours Julia used.

Start of the base

I got to the point in the base where Julia suggests attaching the head and the feet. My problem was that I did not have a crystal for the head in the suggested size (15 mm). So I put the base aside and started on the shell lid.

Start of the shell lid

As I was working on the shell I thought about other things that I could use for the head and feet. I decided to look in my drawer full of lampwork beads to see if anything would work. I found a wonderful bead that has some of the browns in it. I also had some teardrop beads from Unicorne Beads that would work for feet.

So it was back to the base to attach the head with a spacer from Unicorne for the neck. I had to play with what bead to use for the turn around. A simple seed bead was too small, crystal did not sit in place the way I would like, so I used a drop bead. Looks like a nose on the turtle.

Head and feet added to the base

Feet up view

Once the head and feet were attached I completed the base. I love using Julia's new method for starting the hem. It is much easier to get the beads on the inside of the box.

With the base completed it was back to the shell lid. This was a challenge as it has to be worked in such a way that it will accomodate the head. I had to undo a row and a half once I realized that I had misread the instructions.

Here is the finished shell lid.

Three views of the finished turtle.

Head on view

Side view 1

Side view 2

I started the box on August 24 and finished it last night (August 29).  The next two should go a bit smoother now that I have a better understanding of the design. Just need to find heads for a small and large turtle. I have enough of the tear drops to use for feet.

Hope to have a family of turtles completed soon.

Happy Beading!

Pepita 1st Blogoversary

It is reveal day for this fun and challenging blog hop. Back in June Alenka over at Pepita handmade post about her 1st blogoversary. To celebrate she invited fellow bloggers to sign up for a creative challenge. She would send us one of her amazing handmade components and we would have until August 11 to make something with it.

amazing components sent to fellow beaders

I received this wonderful component.

Curved turquoise coloured component

After many days of just looking at it and thinking about design ideas. I was inspired by my mobile from a few years ago. It now sits on the book shelf next to my beading table. The combination of copper and turquoise is a favourite.

During a trip to beadfx I picked up some interesting turquoise and coppers beads, copper findings, wire and chain.

The before picture

As I started to play with these beads I found that I still needed a few more things. More chain, eyepins (instead of headpins) and a closure.

Here is my design idea sketch I did on my ipad.

This finished necklace is like nothing I have made before. It is 102 cm (40 in.) long and is an asymetrical design.

The after picture

After finishing the necklace the challenge has been to photograph it. The above photo shows the over all length and design, but not the detail. Arranged over and around this small hand carved wooden bowl you can see more details.

Artistically arranged

Close up of Pepita Component

This was a challenge that had me asking myself "what if" as I played with the makeup of each of the bead connections and their placement in the design. I also got to use my new 1-step looper tool (love it!)

Here are the participants:

Ginger Bishop

Susan Kennedy

Becky Pancake

Debbie(Kepi) Rasmussen

Evelyn Shelby

Dini Bruinsma

Monique Urquhart

Jo-Ann Woolverton

Penny May

Carolyn Lawson

Ana Cravidao

Dolores Raml

Cynthia Machata

Thanks once again to Alenka for the chance to celebrate with you.

Happy Blogoversary!!!

Vacation Beading - Day 1

Summer is almost half over and I am taking a short vacation from work. I am hoping to do some beading everyday while I am off. So here is day 1!

Yesterday evening my friend Anna and I took a class at BeadFX.  Pamela Kearns was teaching the Shooting Stars beaded bead from Crystal Play by Anna Elizabeth Draeger.

Class sample, beaded by Pam

Using 2 sizes of Swarovski crystals and seed beads you combine right-angle weave and netting to make this fun and sparkly gem.

I used Dark Red Coral and Jet Swarovski bicones along with galvanized silver seed beads.

It makes a simple but elegant pendant.

I am looking forward to trying other projects from the book.

Happy Beading!

Beader Hoarders Blog Hop - Reveal

Do you have a few or some or maybe a drawer full of amazing beads that you have collected but not used. Well this blog hop is all about get ourselves in gear and making something fabulous with at least a few of the beads in our hoard collection.

I have four sets of beads that I have worked with to share with you. Some are beads I have had a long time and others are more recent purchases.

These lampwork beads by Jennifer Tough, have been in my collection for a long time. They were in small Swarovski tin with some crystals waiting to be made into something wonderful. The dotted beads have been combined with crystals and large round clear beads to make a bracelet. I have made a simple pendant with the heart. I added little Swarovski butterfly crystal earrings to complete the set.

Here are some polymer clay beads by Jessica Greschner. I have used some of her beads in another necklace back in 2010. Here is have combined these purple swirl beads with Swarovski crystals, pearls, purple round glass beads and some fun little "pot scrubber" silver spacers.

Now some more recent purchases. These lampwork beads are by Lucie Kovarova-Weir. The trio of ladybugs are stacked to make a simple pendant. The little spacer beads are suspended on loops of chain to make dangle earrings. I think that my niece Elizabeth might like the ladybug pendant.

These are the most recently purchased beads. I got these at Beadfx but I am not sure who made them (will check when I stop by the store later today - Update these beads are by Carol Cooper.). Here I have added Swarovski crystals and pearls with some copper daisy spacers. This will be a great piece for the fall.

It was fun to look at the many different beads that I have collected over the years. I hope to work more of them into some upcoming projects.

Thanks to Lori Anderson, our blog hop guru, for hosting this blog hop. It really gave me the kick start I needed.

Hop around and take a look at some of my fellow beaders and see what they have created.

1.  Lori Anderson, Pretty Things

2. Nancy Dale, NEDBeads

3. Roxanne Mendoza, Roxi Designs

4.  Melissa Trudinger, beadrecipes

5.  Rana Lea, Rana Lea Designs

6.  Leah Tees, My Beady Little Eyes

7.  Rita Avila, Jewel School Friends

8.  Linda Anderson, From the Bead Board

9.  Sharon Palac, Sharon's Jewelry Garden

10.  Erin Guest, Renlish

11.  Joan Williams, lilruby jewelry

12. Diane Hawkey, Diane Hawkey

13.  Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation

14.  Sue Kennedy, SueBeads

15.  Lisa Cone, Inspired Adornments

16.  Kari Asbury, Hippie Chick Design

17.  Nichole Byers, Nichole Byers

18.  Lori Jean Poppe, Adventures in Creativity

19.  Linda Landig, Linda's Bead Blog and Meanderings

20.  Lori Schneider, Bead Addict

21.  Molly Alexander, Beautifully Broken Me

22. Cece Cormier, The Beading Yogini

23.  Niki Sayers, Silver Nik Nats

24.  Elsie Deliz-Fonseca, Eliz-Eliz and All That Craft

25.  Amber Dawn, Inventive Soul

26.  Heather Powers, Humblebeads

27.  Sarah Goode, Pookledo

28.  Monique Urquhart, A Half-Baked Notion

29.  JJ Jacobs, Coming Abstractions

30.  Cheri Reed, Creative Designs by Cheri

31.  Robyn, Museiddity

32.  Catherine King, Catherine's Musings

33.  Jacquie, Bead Gypsy

34.  Janet McDonald, Singing Woods

35. Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreations

36.  Tanty Sri Hartanti, TJewellicious by Tanti

37.  Hannah Rosner, Good River Valley

38.  Rochelle Brisson, A Creative Chelle

39.  Nelly May, Smelly Nelly

40.  Skylar Bre'z, Brising Beads

41.  Beti Horvath, Stringing Fool

42.  Christie Murrow, Charis Designs

43.  Leanne Loftus, First Impression Design

44.  Valerie Norton, Hot Art

45.  Judy Riggs, Rigglettes

46.  Crystal Thain, Here Bead Dragons

47.  Terry Carter,  Tapping Flamingo

48.  Sue, Mid-Life Great Expectations

49.  Nan Smith, Wired Nan

50.  Miranda Ackerley, MirandAck Arts

51.  Marie Covert, Creating Interest

52.  D'Arsie Manzella, This Here Now, Mamacita

53.  Stephanie Haussler, Pixybug Designs

54.  Lori Bergmann, Lori Bergmann Design

55.  Johanna Nunez, The Lovely One Design

56.  Mary Govaars, MLH Jewelry Designs

57.  Becky Pancake, Becky Pancake Bead Designs

58.  Alicia Marinache, All the Pretty Things

59.  Debbie Rasmussen, A Little of This, A Little of That

60.  Nat, Grubbi Ceramics

61.  Marjorie Savill Linthwaite, Bennu Bird Rising

62.  Cheryl McCloud, One Thing Leads to Another

63.  Heather Otto, The Crafthopper

64.  Candida Castleberry, Spun Sugar Beadworks

65.  Tracie Dean, Dean Designs

66.  JuLee Wolfe, The Polymer Penguin

67.  Ginger Bishop, Lil Mummy Likes

68.  Karen Mitchell, Over the Moon Design

69.  Jeannie Dukic, Jeannie's Blog

70.  Dini Bruinsma, Angaza by Changes

71.  Birgitta Lejonklou, Create With Spirit

72.  Shalini Austin, Jewellery by Shalini

73.  Jayne Capps, Mama's Got to Doodle

74.  Ile Ruzza, Ilenia's Unique Beaded Jewelry

75.  Jackie Marchant, Fiddledeedee Jewelry

76.  Annita Wilson, AW Jewelry 

77.  Sherri Stokey, Knot Just Macrame

78.  Hannah Trost, PZ Designs

79.  Linda Inhelder, Must Haves Jewelry

80.  Miri Agassi, Beadwork

81.  Hope Smitherman, Crafty Hope

82.  Dyanne Cantrell, Dee-Liteful Jewelry Creations

83.  Susan Bowie, Susan Nelson Bowie

84.  Megan Milliken, MaeMaeMills

85.  Menka Gupta, Menka's Jewelry

86.  Ambra Gostoli, Chic and Frog

87.  Lori Lochner, Bloghner

88.  Gerda Jurimae, Gerda's Crafts Blog

89.  Susan, Mistheword

90.  MaryLou Holvenstot, MaryLou's time2cre8

91.  Mary Shannon Hicks, falling into the sky

92.  Karin King, The Sparklie Things Blog

93.  Christa Murphy, Adventures of One Beady Woman

94.  Jenny Davie-Reazor, Jenny Davies-Reazor

95.  Donetta Farrington, Simply Gorgeous

96.  Mallory Hoffman, Rosebud 101 - For the Love of Beads

97.  Danielle Kelley, Imbue the Muse

98.  Kym Hunter, Kym Hunter Designs

99.  Dolores Rami, CraftyD's Creations

100.  Marcia Dunne, 13 Alternatives

101.  Marlene Cupo, Amazing Designs

102.  Emma Todd, A Polymer Penchant

103.  Wendy Holder, Jewelry by WendyLea

104.  Michelle Escano, The Cabby Crafter

105.  Louise Glazier, Lily and Jasmine Treasures

106.  Dana Hickey, Wind Dancer Studios

107.  Lennis Carter, windbent

108.  Anne Betenson, Crystal River Beads

109.  Audrey Belanger,  Dreams of an Absolution

110.  Lisa Stukel, Carefree Jewelry by Lisa

111.  Janine Lucas, Travel Stories

112.  Claire Lockwood, Something to Do With Your Hands

113.  Kathy Engstrom, Catherine's Dreams

114.  Paula Hisel, Simply Beadiful

115.  Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams

116.  Mischelle Fanucchi, Micheladas Musings

117.  Kim, Cianci Blue

118.  Linda Sadler, Ida Louise Jewelry

119.  Karen, Spokalulu

120.  Jennifer LaVite, Dry Gulch Bead and Jewelry

121.  Andrea Glick-Zenith, ZenithJade Creations

122.  Karen Martinez, Fairies Market

123.  Robin Reed, Artistry HCBD

124.  Amy Bright, LABweorc

125.  Jasvanti Patel, Jewels by Jasvanti

126.  Tammie Everly, TTE Designs

127.  Karin Slaton, Backstory Beads

128.  Natalie Moten, Running Out of Thread

129.  Sharyl McMillian-Nelson, Sharyl's Jewelry & Reflections

130.  Jenny Kyrlach, Wonder and Whimsy

131.  LiliKrist, Handmade by LilK

132.  Jessica Klaaren, The Truth Space

133.  Cynthia Abner, Created Treasures

134.  Beth Emery, Stories by Indigo Heart

135.  Heather Davis, Blissful Garden Beads

136.  Jeanne, Gems by Jeanne Marie

137.  Sandi Volpe, Sandi Volpe

138.  Laren Dee Barton, Laren Dee Designs

139.  Steph, Confessions of a Bead Hoarder

140.  Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

141.  B. R. Kuhlman, Mixed Mayhem

142.  Patty Miller, Cabari Beads

143.  Elizabeth Bunn, Elizabeth Beads

144.  Marianna Boylan, Pretty Shiny Things

145.  Lizzie Clarke, The Need to Bead

146.  Christina Miles, Wings 'n' Scales

147.  Patricia, The Color of Dreams

148.  Marde Lowe, Fancimar

149.  Ev Shelby, Raindrop Creations

150.  Sarah Small, By Salla

151.  Perri Jackson, Shaktipaj Designs

152.  Laurie Vyselaar, Lefthand Jewelry

153.  Pam Traub, Klassy Joolz

154.  Lisa Harrison, Daisy Meadow Studio

155.  Anzia Parks, Anzi-Panzi's Work Shoppe

156.  Ingrid, Lilisgems Handcrafted Jewelry Inspirations

157.  Andra Weber, Andra's Joyful Journey

158.  Kelly Hosford Patterson, The Traveling Side Show

159.  Adlinah Kamsir, Dreamstruck Designs

160.  Marci, That Nothing Be Wasted

161.  Kris Lanae Binsfield,  Cherish Designs

162.  Stephanie Perry, Mustard Bead

163.  Birgit Klughardt, Gites Beads

164.  Inge von Roos, Inge's Blog

165.  Rebecca Sirevaag, Becca's Place

166.  Sandy Markley, Gypsy Spirit Designs

167.  Elena Adams, Lena's Beady Blog

Happy Beading!

Jean Power class update

Wow, it has been two weeks since I spent the weekend taking classes with British bead artist Jean Power.

I have actually finished two of the projects that I started during the classes.

Friday's class was the Zinnia Flower class. Once I started working on it at home I finished up the petals at the front of the flower.

For the back layer of petals I switch the placement of the colours. The blue is main colour of the petals with an edge of silver.

Here is the back of the flower. With the band across the back you can wear it in many ways. I think this will look great pinned to my grey winter coat. Or I may make the beaded chain which was include in our instructions.

On Sunday we started our geometric stars. I would have gotten further along in class if I had not run into problems with my counting.

I completed the last two sides and zipped them together to the other three.

I am looking to do a series of these stars with just changes in the placement of the colours as I did with my sea anemone boxes.  I am using the same colours for the stars.

Happy Beading!

Geometric Stars class

Today was my last class with Jean Power at beadFX.

Jean and her book (photo from S. Dixon)

 Today's class was her geometric stars.

 Here is our very full class of busy beaders.

Photo from S. Henry

One of my distorted squares in progress.

My star with three of distorted squares zipped together.

Here is almost everyones in progress or completed stars.

Thanks to Jean for coming to teach us and to the wonderful staff at beadFX for a fantastic weekend.

Beaded Frames Bangle Class

Today's class with Jean Power @ beadFX was her Beaded Frames Bangle.

Here is on version of the project.

 I had brought two different colour combinations. The first was a ruby red rondelle with a matte slate grey.

The second was turquoise rondelle with bronze.

The frames are joined with brick stitch (my least favourite). I am going to work on finishing both colour combinations later this summer.

Tomorrow is geometric stars. I am going to take a few different colour palettes.

Zinnia flower class

Today was the first of three classes that I am taking at Beadfx with British beadwork designer Jean Power.

Today was the zinnia flower class, included interchangeable cuff.

We started with an amazing Swarovski 30 mm flat back that we set into a beaded bezel.

Once it was in and secured we added a simple band of stitching that will allow it to be worn in many different ways.

Then we added the first layer of petals, step by step as we go around the bezeled Swarovski. I almost completed first layer.

Here is beadFX's blog post about the class.

Here are the flowers of myself and fellow classmates.

Will work to finish it soon.

Looking forward to tomorrow's class.

Cubes and Leaves

A just over a week ago, Diane Fitzgerald was here in Toronto teaching at beadfx and talking at Toronto Bead Society. I was lucky enought to take both of the classes. On Wednesday it was Moorish tile beads. They are fun to make as they are related to Julia Pretl's beaded boxes that I love.

First bead with colour inspiration

Fellow beaders finished beads

My first and second beaded beads

I am going to make all seven designs in the instruction package.

Thursday's class was for Diane's iconic Ginkgo Leaf Necklace. I got past the fact that it is done with brick stitch, my least favourite stitch. The first part of the class with learning about different ways to blend colours. Here is my first leaf.

I have started another leaf with shinier beads. I have it about 3/4 done. I am not likely how it looks, so I am only going to make more leaves like my first one. Only 10 or 11 more to make. I am then going to attach them to a bronze chain rather that with beaded lariat Diane uses. Not sure how long it will take for me to get this project done, maybe by the fall.

Under the Mast completed

Here is the band for the Under the mast pendant by Marcia DeCoster. It is an embellished right angle weave.  It would make a great simple bracelet to coordinate with the necklace.  I have enjoyed working up the various kits I purchased at the classes with Marcia last month at Beadfx.

La Baquita Necklace

I finished my variation of Marcia De Coster's La Baquita necklace. I purchased the kit at the class I took last month at Beadfx. I liked the look of the design, but wanted to have only a few of the medallions.

With the necklace being made with components I was able to make a center medallion and four small medallions. I used the band instruction from Marcia's Under the Mast necklace to finish each side of the necklace.

Queen Anne's Lace Bracelet

Yesterday's class at Beadfx with Marcia De Coster was Queen Anne's Lace Bracelet. Inspired by the great white lacy flower. I saw some of the flowers on my way to the bus from the store.

Here is the first component of the bracelet.

Here I am joining two components together.

Now I have three components joined together. I will have to do about 11 or 12 components  for the full bracelet.

I hope to finish it over the weekend.