Flashback Friday - Ribbon Bracelets

Six years ago the October/November issue of Beadwork magazine included Kathleen Kimball-Baker's ribbon bracelet. It uses ndebele (herringbone) stitch. It become a favourite project as it was quick and fun. Here are a few of the many I made since then.

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.

Calendar Girl

As usual it is a few days into the new month before I get calendars turned to the new month. I turned my TBS calendar over to November this morning and there were my Sea Anemone Boxes.

I had forgotten that I was Miss November in the 2010 calendar.

The calendar for 2011 will be on sale at Bead Fair this weekend at the CNIB on Bayview. I am one of the beaders, who have been in over the last few years, included on a bonus page at the end of the calendar.  This year's charity is the Native Women's Resource Centre.

I will be at the bead fair at the Rypan Designs booth, stop by and say hello.

Flashback Friday - Spiral Rope

Recently someone asked me if I had a favourite beadweaving stitch. Of course it was a hard question to answer as it would depend on what I had been doing recently.

Over the last 2 years peyote stitched box have been by current obession.

Here are some pieces for a time when spiral rope was the stitch I loved to do.

These are from another Bag of Beads challenge. The pastel colour combined with coral was fun to work with.

Assorted bracelets

I am sure that somewhere in my stash of beads there is an unfinished spiral rope lariat. Maybe I should dig it out this weekend and play with this fun stitch again.

Flashback Friday - Artist Trading Card

It is Fall Creativ Festival this weekend. Three years ago they had a contest where you sent in an Artist Trading Card. Here is the card that I created!

 

I used a seed bead mix to loom the base. I embellished the piece with pressed glass flowers and Swarovski butterflies. 

 I didn't win any prizes but this was a fun project to do.

I am going to be at the show this weekend, taking classes and helping Maria at her booth, #717. Stop by and say hello!

Twig Willow Twist

 

Here is the kit...

 

with these great beads....

to make this chocker with twigs and twisted bugles.

While helping  Maria to prepare for the weekend's Creativ Festival she decided that she needed a new sample of this design. This is one of the many designs that she will be teaching including three make 'n take earrings.

This is a great piece to learn netting and coral fringing. With metallic beads and bugles it fits right in current fashion trends.

Stop by booth #717 at the show to see all of Maria's available kits, patterns and books.

Flashback Friday - Swags

It was a number of years ago that I first did one of Maria's swag pieces. Maria's original design is a cascade of swags. I played with the swags and created longer swags that overlapped.

This was my first reversible swag necklace. Maria included a picture of is it as part of the colour photos in her Assorted Beadwork Lesson #2 book.

Here are the three colour variations that I took to New York in 2006. I was helping Maria with her presentation and classes with the New York Bead Society.

To see the many variations that Maria has with her swag design stop by her booth, #717, at next weekend's Creativ Festival  at the Metro Convention Centre.