Finishing works in progress

I realized that I had many unfinished projects sitting in various baskets, zip bags and drawers. It is time to work on getting some of them finished before starting anything new.

Here is the owl box that I posted about in October. I originally had just done the body without the lid.

Maria suggested that it would better with its lid. So here is the lid. I decided to use one of the lampwork headpin by Cheryl Brown that was leftover from the most recent bead soup as the finial.

 

One of the other patterns that I had purchased from Julia's website was the Scarab. I loved that the lid was where the amazing scarab pattern was stitched.

So this time I did the lid first. I had it finished about 6 weeks ago. I then started on the base, but it got put aside as I was distracted by other things.

I finally finished the base on the weekend as I dealt with a rare summer cold.

 

Now I have two less projects to complete. What will I do next??

ABC's of Creativity - May Review

I know that this is a little bit late but here is a quick review of the two entries from May in the Rypan Designs' ABC's of Creativity.

First was I is Internet. I covered a variety of online bead resources. From Pinterest to the new Swarovski Youtube Series The Professor of Crystal.

Then I did J is Jewelry. It is a top to bottom look at the various jewelry item you can make for yourself and others.

Pinch & Twist Hair Comb (beaded by M. Rypan)

Earrings (beaded by J. Woolverton & M. Rypan)

Guide to necklace lengths

"Y" style necklace (beaded by J. Woolverton)

Tussie Mussie Pin (beaded by K. Naray)

Crystal Elevation Bracelet (designed by M. Rypan, beaded by J. Woolverton)

Quetzal Ring (from Beaded Opulence, beaded by J. Woolverton)

Hope that you will hop over to the ABC's of Creativity and be inspired.

Leading to Reading & Beading

During the school year I volunteer with the Toronto Public Library's Leading to Reading program.
Last night was the last session for this school year.

My young student, Farida, had asked to do something fun. When I suggested beading as a project for our last session she was very excited.

First we did some work on her spelling. Once at was done I pulled out all that I had for us to create with. She loved all the colours, shapes and sparkle.

She decided to make a necklace for her sister and a bracelet for her mother.

The necklace had no specific pattern. It was her selecting everything she liked. I did try to get her to think about pattern and design.

After seeing what I did with the bracelet that I made, Farida put a bit more thought into her bracelet.
She created a pattern, but was worried she did not have enough of one specific type of bead. I showed her how to mirror her pattern around a focal.

Farida's necklace and bracelet

My bracelet

Farida took home her creations, my bracelet was given to Stephanie, she runs the program at Richview.

Thanks Stephanie & Farida for a fun year! Have a fabulous summer!

ABC's of Creativity - April Review

It is May and spring is finally here to stay in southern Ontario. April was a crazy month but here is my review of the ABC's of Creativity.

I wrote both posts in April, G was Gems and H was Herringbone.

Here are some of my favourite images from G is Gems.

Turquoise Mosiac Bead with turquoise chips and copper, beaded by M. Rypan

Turquoise Necklace inspired by piece @ ROM, beadwoven by Christina Dufrene from 2010 TBS calender

Lampwork beads accented with amber, glass beads, beaded by J. Woolverton

From H is Herringbone I enjoyed show the variety of herringbone, flat, tubular and Maria's variation.

Flat Herringbone - Ribbon bracelets, designed by Kathleen Kimball-Baker, beadwoven by J. Woolverton

Tubular Herringbone - Flowers on twisted herringbone rope, designed by Kerrie Slade, beadwoven by J. Woolverton

Maria's variation - Beaded Soutache Necklace with Fluorite pendant

Only 18 more letters to go. Hop over to Rypan Designs blog to see more.

Happy Beading!

Bead Soup Blog Party 7 - Second Reveal

It is April 13 and the postponed second reveal day for the 7th Bead Soup Blog Party.

Here is what I received from my partner, Cheryl Brown.

Bead Soup from Cheryl

The combination of the copper, cream, blues and purples are beautiful.

I wanted to do more that just string the components into a necklace. I had just purchased  Mastering Peyote Stitch by Melinda Barta. 

I really liked the leaves on the cover piece. I played with some different copper and bronze coloured beads before decided on the final combination. It is edged with some purple charlottes and centres of ivory.

Once the leaves were made it was a challenge to figure out how to work them into the necklace. Using knottable beadwire I secured the lowest leaf in the centre of the length of wire. I strung a few copper daisy spacers over both ends of the wire. I secured the next leaf on one of the wires, brought them together again and added a few more daisy spacers. The third leaf was secured to the other wire and the ends were brought together again. A few more daisy spacers completed the branch that would hang below the owl.

In progress, forming the branch below the owl

I then finished the necklace with small round pearls, large copper daisy spacers and lampwork beads from Cheryl, to which I add fire polished beads, paper beads and more small copper daisy spacers.

Once I had everything strung I had the challenge of what to use for a closure. The one that Cheryl sent was not going to work for me, it was much to big for the necklace. I did not have any smaller copper clasps in my stash. Wanting to have it finish so I could wear it, I took apart an older piece that needed to be reworked anyways.

Completed necklace

Detail of focal

With the necklace finished I had to now make something that used the amazing toggle that Cheryl sent. It is perfect to be the centre piece of a bracelet. I used some of the flat disc shaped lampwork beads, to which I added more paper beads, Swarovski crystals, copper wavy discs (similar to the silver ones I sent Cheryl), fire polished beads and some of the purple charlottes used on the leaves.

Completed bracelet

The last thing that I wanted to do was to figure out what to do with the lampwork headpins. I have never used headpins like this before.

Lampwork headpins

As I browsed thru my various drawers of stash I came across these very large white lucite trillums. I placed one of the headpins thru the centre of the trillum and relized that it would make an amazing ring. I then had to find my ring mandel in the chaos of my work area. Once I found it, it was just a matter of wrapping around the mandel to form the correct size ring and the securing the end of the headpin at the base of the flower.

Lampwork studded trillum rings

Ring on my hand

I have enjoyed wearing the necklace and bracelet since I finished them last month. The rings may have to wait for a special event to make their debut.

Collage of soup and finished pieces

Thanks go out to our amazing host Lori Anderson and my partner Cheryl Brown.

Now take sometime to hop around to the other amazing beaders and see what they have made. Here is the link to the complete list. I know that will be hopping around over the course of the weekend.

Happy Beading!!

Bead Soup Blog Party 7 - 2nd reveal tease

It is April 6 and original today would be reveal day for my creations using the bead soup from my partner Cheryl Brown. But our fearless leader and hostess, Lori Anderson,  has not been well and asked that we postpone for one week our reveal.

So, of course we will be back again next week with the full reveal of my creations. But just to give you a little taste here is a pixelated photo of one of my pieces.

Please come back again April 13 for the full reveal .

ABC's of Creativity - March Review

March is coming to an end and I hope that some April showers will bring May flowers. Here is a review of the ABC's of Creativity posts from March.

We started with Maria's post about Embroidery. There are images of many things including shirts, jackets and shoes.

Embroidered fabric shoes by Roger Vivier, France @ Bata Shoe Museum

Santee Dakota Northern Plains men's jacket, about 1870's @ Museum of Civilization

Then I did a post about Freeform. This is a form of beadwork which I find a challenge to do (I like order and pattern) but many amazing beadweavers create beautiful work. Here are two of my favourites.

Maria's Window on the Sonoran Desert using the 2006 TBS Bag of Beads

Susan Hood's Dragonfly Moon has a lampwork dragonfly encircled with freeform beading

Only 20 letters to go. So many more ways to spark your creativity.

Happy Beading