Beadwork - Purple Crystal Column

My first day at Creativ Festival is over. I started the day by help Maria start setting up her booth. In the afternoon I took my first class with Lisa Pavelka to make her crystal column. We used shades of purple crystals on a base form. Here is a closer picture.

This evening I took a cross-stitch class with Jennifer Aikman-Smith for her Castle Paper Ornament. It is a beautiful castle design stitched on perferated paper, folded into a 3-D ornament. I will post pictures when I finish it.

Creativ Festival

This weekend is the Creativ Festival here in Toronto. It was at this show a number of years ago that I took a class beading class with Maria Rypan. In following years I took a few more. This year, as I have for the last few years I will be helping Maria at her booth (534) at the show. Maria is teaching a number of classes as well as offering a few Make & Take sessions. The dangle earrings we will be making at the Make & Take use some of the new opal coloured Swarovski crystals.

I am also take a few classes during the festival, including two with favourite cross-stitch designs, Jennifer Aikman-Smith and Teresa Wentzler and one beading class with Lisa Pavelka.

Beadwork - Creamsicle Dream Bracelet

The second set of beads the I purchased from Elly Peters were white and orange, which would be perfect for a Halloween or pumpkin themed pieced. But once I started playing with the beads and adding beads to the bracelet it started to remind me more of a favourite childhood frozen treat, Creamsicle. So here is my Creamsicle Dream Bracelet.

I added 6mm fireopal Swarovski round crystals, 10mm white fire-polished beads and copper spacers to the lampwork beads. I have finished it with a copper toggle.

Beadwork - Caribbean Blue Necklace

Here is my latest creation. I purchased this set of lampwork beads from Elly Peters at the Toronto Bead Society meeting on Wednesday. I had originally thought about using them to inspire the colours of a box, as I have done with Elly's beads before. As I was looking at them on Friday I remembered that I had some aquamarine Swarovski cubist crystals. I also noticed that there is a very small amount of purple in the lampwork beads so I add some tanzanite AB Swarovski bicones.

I played with creating a bracelet with the crystals, lampwork beads and silver spacers but decided that the lampwork would show better as a necklace. I added the needed length by using some aquamarine Swarovski bicones. With an extender chain I used the extra aquamarine cubist Swarovski crystal to create a dangle to finish the piece.

Beadwork - Calla Lily Earrings

These earrings are inspired by a bracelet in a recent beading magazine. I was able to get the lucite calla lily beads from Juicy Bead Ladies at Bead Oasis last month.

I used two sizes of Swarovski crystals to create the pistil in the center of the flower and a couple green crystals for the stem. This makes them look like the classic white calla lily.

Beadwork - Smaug progress

I have finished the bottom of my Smaug dragon box. I am really pleased with the colours that I have finally selected. I have photographed the bottom on the original Tolkien illustration for comparison.

Now it is on to the sides to see the dragon really take shape.

Beadwork - Little Snowflake

Winter is on the way and here is my first snowflake. I designed this snowflake using circular netting. It combines matte white and silver lined seed beads with Swarovski crystals.

I am currently writing up the instructions as I have volunteered to teach this small project at the December techniques night meeting of the Toronto Bead Society.

I photographed the steps as I made up another sample this morning. I plan to include the photos to illustrate each step.

I may try a different placement of the colours and use crystal AB Swarovskis instead of the chalk white AB.