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.