Showing our stripes

Last week I worked with Maria of Rypan Designs to put together her new Painted Stripes Collection. Inspired by some beautiful painted striped beads we created three new kits. They are very limited and will be available at two up coming shows.

Rypan Designs will be at the Toronto Bead Society Bead Fair on October 31 and November 1 and than at the Hobby Show on November 6, 7 and 8. Stop by and see the latest designs.

Beadwork - Bouquet of Calla Lilies

While trying to tidy my beading desk I came across the basket with all of the materials for more of the calla lily earrings. I had made two sets earlier this month.

It the basket was enough lilies to make 4 more sets of earrings. I set up a little assembly line and quickly made up all 4.

Now I need to go back to work on the requested purple tempest box for my niece Elizabeth.

Beadwork - Pop Art Necklace

Last night I went to the Toronto Gem and Mineral Show. I found this amazing strand of faceted sodalite roundelles. I knew that they wound work wonderfully with the beautiful Pop Art lampwork bead by Amy Waldman Smith.

I combined the sodalite with acid etched black quartz in a two stranded criss cross necklace.

Beadwork - Copper Swags

Here is the finished, worn, and revised Refined Swag Cascade design from Rypan Designs. This piece is the copper version. It combines metallic copper seed beads with copper lined amethyst seed beads. I had finished this in order to wear at last weekend's Creativ Festival. I wore it the first day but it was just a bit too long. I was able today to remove the findings and shorten the piece. It now sits much better and I will be able to wear Halloween weekend during the Toronto Bead Society's Bead Fair.

Local Wildlife

This morning as I was waiting at the local Go train station I saw the fox that lives in our neighbourhood. I saw this fox a few days ago. This morning it was in the green space between the tracks at the train station.

It was being chased around the area by a very territorial cat. Here they are watching one another.

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.