Beadwork - Favs of 2009

It is the end of the year and the end of the decade. Here are a few of my favourite pieces this year.

My own design, little snowflake

Finally finished, Phantasea Necklace

Quick and funky, Coral Chilies Necklace

Bronze Age Bracelet

Bronze Age Necklace

Maria's Chicklet Bracelet

As seen in the Toronto Bead Society Calendar, Sea Anoeme Boxes 1, 2, 3.

Lauren's Purple Tempest Box

Mackenzie's Metal Forest Star

Inspired by Elly Peters lampwork beads, Ellyloo Box.

One of a Kind

On Friday Maria and I made what is becoming an annual trip to the Christmas One of a Kind Show. It is always great to see the many and varied creations of the amazing vendors.We were please to see the many different jewellry and lampwork artists. There were some very amazing glass and pottery which I resisted buying.

I purchased a few gifts for my two nieces for Christmas. I hope that they will like their one of a kind gifts. Maria and I could not leave without getting some Tinkleberry's chocolates (chocolate covered dried fruits).

I went back to the show on Saturday evening with Anna, she want to get something for her grandson. I went back to one booth that I liked on Friday. Studio Robert Wu, had the most amazing hand marbled pieces of art. I decided to get one of the beautiful peacock graphics.

from artist's website

Beadwork - Rainforest Cascade Necklace

I finished the second class project from the classes with Margie Deeb last month. I realized after I was done that I had not followed the instructions. I did not have two fringes coming out of each of the anchoring beads. I also did not like the way the drop enamel beads hang. I need to redo this part of the necklace.

I have been wearing the foundation multi-strand necklace. It looks great on this own.

Beadwork - Snowflake revised

I remade and rephotographed my small snowflake design. I used a blue felt background so that the white and silver-lined beads would show better. The pictures were better but could still be improved. I am reading Photographing Arts, Crafts & Collectibles by Steve Meltzer and learning many things to help improve my photos.

I now have 10 kits ready for techniques night next week at the Toronto Bead Society meeting. Each kit includes enough materials to make 6 snowflakes. They are very quick and easy to make. Techinques night is always a fun and creative evening, especially in December as we also share holiday treats!

My happy colour!

At the end of one of my toddler programs this morning, one of the toddlers came up and started to talk to me about the colour I was wearing. I was wearing my finished red collar of colour and light with my favourite red top. She thought that red was a colour that made me happy. I told her she was right, it is one of my favourite colour. I asked which colour made her happy... it was pink of course. I then pointed out to her that there were some pink daggers on my necklace.

Beadwork - Red Collar of light and colour

Friday's class with Margie Deeb was for the Collar of light and colour. This piece has a foundation of tubular herringbone fringed with a variety of red and pink daggers. During the class we started the foundation. Later in the afternoon we started to do the fringing. Based on the sizing of the class sample, I realized that I needed to adjust where the fringe starts. My foundation needed to be 18 inches long, so I started the fringe 2 inches from the end.

Collar in progress at the end of class

Finished collar!!

Colour Play

Yesterday was a great, colourful day. I attended the Around the colour wheel in 5 hours class with Margie Deeb. We learn the properties of colour and how to create various palettes. It was fun to see how different the palettes were even when we start with type of scheme.

Here is a palette Suzanne and I create for a floral print.

To help Roxann use some interesting pink beads we did this.

Thanks Margie, it was a great day. I am ready to create colour palettes with contrast in hue, value, intensity and temperature!

Colour Guru Margie Deeb

I am so looking forward to tomorrow, as I will be taking my first class with colour guru Margie Deeb. She is coming to Toronto to teach and present with the Toronto Bead Society. Wednesday's class is Around the wheel in 5 hours. On Friday I will be making the Collar of glass and light and on Saturday the Rainforest Cascade Necklace. She is also going to be presenting to the general Toronto Bead Society membership at our meeting on Wednesday November 11 @ 7 p.m.

I have enjoyed her two books about colour, The beader's guide to color and The beader's color palette. I used one of the palettes as inspiration for my Sea Aneome box series .

It is going to be an inspiring time. I will post thoughts and pictures over the next few days

Beadwork - Hobby Show Demos

I spent today helping Maria of Rypan Designs at the first day of the Hobby Show. We did hourly beading demos. Here are a few pictures of the things I did.

A sample of a gothic drape.

Netting Basics

Dangle Earrings with Swarovski crystals.

A 3-D Swarovski Snowflake.

Maria will be there Saturday with other assistants as I have go to work, but I will be there with her again on Sunday. Stop by both 115 to see Maria and her designs.

Beadwork - Coral Chilies Necklace

At the TBS Bead Fair last weekend, I saw these beautiful strands of coral at the Titan Beads booth. I bought two strands, each one had a length of graduated spikes of coral that looked like dried chilies. I then found some elegant matte faceted black beads at the Black Tulip Designs booth. Once at home I pulled out some vermeil spacers to complete to project.

The spikes of the coral make this an edgy looking necklace, but the addition of the matte black and the gold spacers make it elegant. I look forward to wearing this to work tomorrow.

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.

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.

Welcome to the Blogosphere

The wonderfully talented Maria Rypan of Rypan Designs has taken her first step into the world of blogs. Welcome to the the blogosphere, Maria. I look forward to seeing and reading your reflective thoughts and images.

Beadwork - Purple Copper Necklace

Here is another completed project. I have simply strung the paper beads (from Titan Beads) with crystals and copper beads and spacers.

The paper beads have shades of purple and red. I have use Swarosvki crystal coppers and padparadsha AB bicones. Originally I had Bali silver beads in place of the silver, but I was not able to find a silver clasp that I liked.

So finding this square copper clasp meant that I needed to change the silver beads. I found these great copper lantern beads at the Beadfx booth at the show last weekend.

With a little tweaking the necklace came together. It is prefect for the fall with its rich colours and copper beads.

Beadwork - Faux Tennis Bracelet

This bracelet is a project from the February 2005 issue of Bead & Button. Designed by Diane Hertzler, it combines crystals and seed beads using chevon stitch.

I decided to make this piece earlier in the summer when I looked thru my binder of bracelet projects taken from various bead magazine. I had enough crystals on hand to make the bracelet. The only thing I did not have was a two strand box clasp. I was able to get one at last weekend's Bead Oasis show from Manhattan Bead Company.

Beadwork - Turquoise Paper Necklace

Here is the first piece that I have made using the beads that I purchased at Bead Oasis. This necklace uses some of the Ugandan paper beads from Titan Beads. I added turquoise beads, silver disc spaces and white Swarovski crystals.

I tried different colour crystals and found that the white added just the right lightness to the piece.

Beadwork - Phantasea Necklace

This necklace is a project that I started awhile back. I took a class to learn how to do it correctly at the Spring Oasis show. Using a beautiful Phantasea Shell by glass artist Susan Hood you create dangles with a selection of beads, crystals and stones. The dangles and the shell at strung with more beads, crystals and stones. I created an interwoven necklace.

I will finally be able to give this necklace to my friend Anna for her birthday... only belated by about 2 years.

Beadwork - Look at what I got

First bead show of the fall is done. I worked at the Rypan Designs booth with Maria Rypan. It was not as busy as in past years, but there were some new beaders as well as some of our old favourites. There was one beader, Sandra Ammerlaan, who came all the way from Holland to attend the show. She took many classes and met many new beading friends. She collected signatures in her copy of the new Toronto Bead Society Calendar.

Here are Maria and Sandra with Maria's article in Beadwork Magazine

Here are the beads that I got to do my Smaug box.

Here are the lampwork beads that purchased.

Red hats by Amy Waldman Smith

Blue Focal Beads by Amy Waldman Smith

Pendant by Deborah Read

Blue cylinder bead by AirWynn Glass Designs

Little glass spacers by AirWynn Glass Designs

I also purchased seed beads to do the Lively links project in the October issue of Bead & Button, crystals and pearls to make the ring in the October issue of Beadwork, three strands of acid etched black quartz, cooper lanterns to finish a necklace, vintage calla lily beads and crystals to make earrings. I purchase more of the Ugandan paper beads.

Look for some completed projects later this week.