Challenge of blogging

It has been almost a year since my last post. I have been working on and completing many projects. I just have not been driven to blog about them.

Writing has always been a challenge for me. I had hope that this blog would help me improve and be come more confident. It did work for awhile, but last year I lost the drive to continue.

Well thanks to my mom, who keeps asking me to start again. I am going to work on this again. So it is time to get back to sharing what I have done and will be doing.

Let the blogging begin!

Creativity, Productivity and a Deadline

I have not posted on my blog from quite awhile. I recently started a post about blocked creativity, but it did not get finished or posted.

I have been in a bit of a creative funk lately. I worked on a number of samples earlier in the spring for Maria over at Rypan Designs. But since then I have not been able to really work on and complete any significant piece of beadwork. I have done earrings and simple pendants but the drive and desire to do anything else is just not there.

This week thou I have a co-worker, Carrie, who is leaving my library to work at another branch. She loves pink and I decided that I would make something for her. Today was the last day we would be working together, so I had a deadline. I have also been going thru back issues of Bead & Button and Beadwork to see if I want to sell them at an upcoming garage sale.

I found the perfect design for Carrie's necklace. In the December 2008 Bead & Button magazine had a design by Donna Pagano Denny called Scalloped Lace. It combined Swarovski crystals with seed beads using a modified Right Angle Weave. It called for two colours of crystals but I decided to use just Rose Alabaster bicones.

As I was finishing the necklace I remembered a pattern the I had printed from Beadwork. It was for right angle weave earrings by Leslie Rogalski. They coordinated perfectly with the necklace. I used just Rose Alabaster bicones instead of the two colours suggested in the pattern.

A deadline help me get some of my creativity back. Hope that it is not just a spark but a blaze of creativity and productivity!

Complete set

Detail of Earrings

Detail of Necklace

Blissful Garden Earrings

I am back after 2 weeks. Earlier this month I signed up to participate in Blissful Garden Beads' April earring challenge. These two beautiful little beads arrived in the mail Tuesday and the earrings needed to be finished by today.

Challenge Beads

I spent Tuesday & Wednesday evening trying different ideas. I did not want to just put them on headpins and I only used supplies that I already had. It took about 12 attempt to find one that I liked.

Completed Earrings

These are shoulder dusters, made with three different lengths of chain. Each chain has a clear glass drop on the end.

It was challenging to make these within the time frame and going beyond the basic method of using just a headpin. I like the look of these, but they are not something that I would wear. I will likely donate them to the Corsage Project, so that they will be wore to a young lady's prom.

Bag of Beads Challenge

It is time again for the Toronto Bead Society's Bag of Beads Challenge. This year's bag included seed beads, bugles, pearls, faceted beads, chain, feathers and a butterfly. 

OMG! What am I going to make with these!

For a month I did not know what I was going to do. I had an idea for the butterfly based on a ring that Kelly Osborne wore on a red carpet show for the Grammys.

It was not until I was at the Thursday class with Diane Fitzgerald in March that I got an idea of what else to make. Fellow beader Colleen was wearing a beaded pendant that used bugles and seed beads. I played with the given beads and created this peyote stitch tube that holds three of the feathers.

Full view of pendant that will be worn on a length of the chain

Detail view of the pendant

Tonight was the presentation night for the bag of beads. As always it was an amazing night of inspiring beadwork.

Some favourites

Flashback Friday Flashback

It has been 6 months since I started this regular feature of looking back at some older beadwork. So today let's look back as some of my favourite flashbacks.

Here are those that featured Toronto Bead Society Bag of Beads Challenge - red, white and black & pastels and coral.

Stringing favourites - copper and pearls, celtic glass knots & hearts and crystals.

Rypan Designs projects - netted kilim, retro lariat, gothic drapes, twig chip cascade, cascading twigs &  loomwork.

It has been great to look back. I will photograph some more pieces to share during the next six months.

One of a Kind - Spring 2011

Today marks the end of the Spring One of a Kind show here in Toronto. I went down to the show twice this time. The first was on Thursday on my own. I was inspired by all the amazing creativity shown by the artisians.

I bought two lampwork bug beads from Leslie Winemaker at Dream Glass. I finished them with some wire to use as purse charms.

I also purchased a new leather bag from Andre Ouellet and some delicious cookies from Mad Batter Bakers.

Anna and I were back again on Saturday to take the embroidery workshop with Melissa McColl of Vintage Baby Revival. Workshop was fun. Anna and I hope to take another one in the fall.

To my Thursday purchases I added these cute hair elastics by from Liligo for my niece Elizabeth.

I also got a customized owl pendant by Lucie Kovarova-Weir from Lunacy Glass. I had a book replace the branch and mouse she had in other pendants.

I stopped by Leslie's booth to show her what I had done with the bug beads. I also bought these five beads which uses a reactive glass that makes each bead a one of a kind bead.

I have marked November 24-December 4 on my calendar for the Christmas show.

Flashback Friday - Multi-strand Necklace with Art glass pendant

This is another treasure from the bottom of the finished project drawer. The design was inspired by the spots of colour on the glass pendant. I found Swarovski bicones that matched the colours. I randomly placed them on five strands of seed beads.

It can be worn with the strands loose or you can twist it to make it shorter and more compact. I wore the many times after I made it. But at some point it must have gotten dropped as the pendant now has a hairline crack.