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.