Flashback Friday - Twig Chip Cascade

The next step in the evolution of Maria Rypan Twig series came when she saw some great stone chips. Using the chips at the end of branch of the coral fringe change the look of the design. Here is my personal necklace using moonstone chips.

You will also notice that instead of simple bugle beads she included press glass rectanglar beads. They add to the presence of the piece. It is a much fuller and bigger piece.

I have since made a number of sample pieces, with different stone chips, for Maria to have on display in her booth and to photograph for kit covers. This piece has been on loan to Maria for a number of show and I just got it back this fall.

Flashback Friday - Cascading Twigs

After last week's simply strung pieces I decided to look back at this netted collar with coral fringing. I made this necklace as part of a three week series of beadwork class that Maria Rypan offered a number of years ago. Each week we selected one of her projects and our own colours and learned the basic technique. I made this collar in silver lined red to wear with a mock turtleneck sweater. I no longer have the sweater but still have this great necklace.

This is a variation of Maria's current Cascading Twigs. I have the twigs worked closer together.  The earrings are made by doing just a small section of the necklace and working in the finding.

Next Flashback Friday will be the next step in cascading twig variations.

Flashback Friday - Netted Crystal Ornament

At only 2cm this week's ornament is much smaller that last week's ornament. From December 2003's Bead and Button magazine this ornament is encased in a netted cover and then embellished with coral fringe. 

Delicas were the beads listed in the materials list, so that is what I used for my first version of the ornament.

All though it looks great I was not happy with the way the netting looked. I have always found that netting looks better if done with seed beads. Here is my second ornament done with size 10 seed beads.

Flashback Friday - Loomwork

Two week ago I posted about an artist trading card I made. It was my most recent loomwork piece. I looked back and found this picture of my second loomwork piece. I used a needle work pattern for the celtic knot medallion. The other section are modified patterns from Maria Rypan's loomwork class. This was a piece that I made without thinking about how it would wear. It is great to look at but I don't wear it.

 

My third piece I did a couple of years later to refresh my skills so I could help Maria teach loomwork to a new group of beaders. This time I did not want to worry about pattern, just technique. I used a seed bead mix which I embellished with pressed glass flowers. 

For added texture on the fringe I added some of the flowers using coralling. This is a much more wearable piece.