Blue Rondelle Zigzig Collar

Back in 2012 I made samples of a netted zigzag collar design from Maria Rypan. It had rondelles along the edge and within the zigzag.

I also made myself a purple version to wear to a gala presentation for the Creativ Festival Designer Challenge. I used rondelles along the edge but replaced the rondelles within the zigzag with 3mm fire polished crystals.

In 2013 Maria was preparing to have the design published in Beadwork Magazine Aug/Sep 2013. I did a test run of the instructions as they would appear in the magazine. I worked with beads that I had on hand and that I would like to wear once the piece was finished.  After a few repeats I wa able to ensure that the instructions were fine. I put the sample aside until the article was published. 

Once I had the magazine in hand I did a few more repeats of the design before figuring out that I was not going to have enough rondelles for the length I wanted to make. So it got put aside yet again. I was able to get more rondelle but did not finish the necklace right away.

My summer vacation challenge to finish up some of my UFOs and the upcoming Blue Fantasy Blog Hop that I am participating in got me thinking that I should finish it.

Come back again on Saturday September 6 to see the Blue Fantasy Blog Hop Reveal.

Happy Beading!

Beaded DNA Jewel tone variation

I have made a variety of bead DNA bracelets, using seed beads and bugles, from Maria's pattern as samples for her booth. I have also made a necklace version using just seed beads.

Beaded DNA bracelet

In the spring when I last made samples for Maria I started a necklace version with metal goldtone 11s and three different jewel tone 8s. It looked like an enamaled spiral necklace. It got put aside with only a few inches done on it as I got distracted by other projects.

While I am on vacation for the next few weeks and decided that it might be a good idea to finish some of the project already started on my beading table. One of the first I came across was this Beaded DNA necklace. It took a couple of nights to get to the desired length. 

Then I had to find a goldtone closure to use. I don't usually work with goldtone so it is not something I have a great selection of. During the cleaning of my beading table I had found a ball and socket in a goldtone. It was the perfect closure for the necklace.

On to the next unfinished project.

Happy Beading!

Ndebele Motif Cuffs

My friend and beading mentor, Maria Rypan, is getting ready to head over to Ukraine where she is presenting about international beading and teaching her Ndebele Motif Cuff. She needed some new samples in a few new colours to take with her.

I worked on them during this long weekend. It takes me about 90 minutes to complete a cuff.

Here is the cuff inspired by Trypillian colours.

 Here is the cuff inspired by the colours on the Ukrainian flag.

This last one is two shades of blues with a cream accent.

Once she is back in Toronto she will be teaching the cuff at Beadfx in September.

Happy Beading!

Spring Sample Making

According to the calendar spring is offically here, in reality it does not feel like spring. Another sure sign of spring is the start of the bead show season.

Next weekend it is the Creativ Festival, for not just beaders but for all creative people. I will once again be there help Maria at the Rypan Designs' booth (#372).

The following weekend is the Toronto Bead Society's Bead Fair at the Toronto Reference Library.  Maria is not going to be doing this show. I hope to stop by on the Sunday.

Of course the big show is Bead & Button Show in Milwaukee at the beginning of June. Maria will be there in her usual spot, booth #933.

To help her be ready for these shows I have been making some new samples for new designs and new colour palettes.

Here is the Ndebele Motif cuff. This is a new project that Maria is offering. I did two new colour combinations

Teal, purple & cream

Grey, rose & cream

I also played with new colour for the Maria's Beaded DNA bracelet. These did not photograph well. The colours look much better in person.

Green and purple iris

Purple and purple iris

Hope that you will be able to get to one of these spring bead shows. Be inspired by the amazing offerings of the venders and designers.

Happy Beading!

Little Netted Snowflake

Yesterday in the latest issue of the Rypan Designs newsletter I offered free access to my snowflake pattern for a limited time. Here is a chance for my followers and readers to have the same access. Access to the pattern will be ending on Tuesday December 10 @ 9:00 pm EST.

Here is picture of the six pack of snowflakes that I gave to Maria last Christmas.

Enjoy the pattern. If you have any problems please let me know - jlwoolverton@yahoo.ca.


Happy Beading!

Summer Beading

It is the first day fall here in Weston. So I am going to take a look a back at some of the beading I did this summer. Some I have blogged about and some I have not.

Summer started with those three great classes with Jean Power, zinnias, frames and stars. Following the class I finished the zinnia and not just one star but 4.

Finished Zinnia

Finished Stars

In July I was part of the Bead Hoarder's Blog Hop. Using some of the beautiful beads I had been saving I made four different sets of jewellry. Here is my favourite, using beads by Jennifer Tough that I have had stashed in a little metal Swarovski box.

Bead Hoarder's Set

I took a great class at beadfx with Pamela Kearns. The shooting star pendant is from the book Crystal Play by Anna Elizabeth Draeger. In class I did one with jet & red coral Swarovski crystals and silver seed beads. 

First Shooting Star Pendant

I did a secod one later in the summer with green seed beads, green and yellow Swarovski crystals. It is not quite the look I was hoping for. I likely remake it with some brown seed beads to look like a wooden trellis for the flower-like cluster of crystals.

In August I posted about the piece I created with the polymer clay component by Alenka of Pepita Handmade. It was a fun challenge that push me to make something very different then usual!

Pepita Handmade necklace

The last challenge of the summer was the Cabochon Challenge. I loved this reversal pendant project from the August issue of Bead & Button by Amy Kohn made with Lunasoft cabs. I have been wearing the Red/Grey pendant and love being able to flip the piece during the day.

After blogging about Peyote stitch on the Rypan Designs' blog I decided to make a few projects from Diane Fitzgerald's Shaped Beadwork book. I love the Celtic Trefoil design. It was interesting to see this go from a long loose knot of 99 delicas to a beautiful Celtic Knot Trefoil pendant.

To finish my first one I used short lengths of chain and small Swarovski crystals.

The second one has just silver chain.

My third is accented with mauve Swarovski Pearls.

 I also started to play with the pointed ovals from Diane's book. I was looking to use them to create a flower brooch. I was inspired by this photo I found online a number of years ago.

 Here is one of the pointed ovals in progress.

Five ovals worked together in to a flower. I just need to figure a way to hold it together as a wearable brooch.

 
Here is the necklace that I made with the beads that my friend Maria got for me at Bead & Button show. The beautiful owl pendant is accent with ceramic, copper and wooden beads.

Owl necklace

 Back in July I purchased some amazing ceramic beads from Kathi Mohlman of Earth n Elements Pottery. The urchin beads I wanted to put them with the Sea Urchin beaded bead from Marcia DeCoster's Beaded Opulence book. I added some fire-polished beads and pearls.

Sea Urchin Necklace

I finished a few other projects for fall challenge reveals. Stay tuned to see some other fun projects.

ABC's of Creativity - June review

With the year have over, here is my quick review of our June entries.

It started with K is Kits which I did. It includes this vintage Rypan Designs kit.

I also included some of my favourite kits and how I create my our person kits for project I want to do, like this. 

Later in the month Maria was scheduled to do L is Loomwork, but blogger was not making it easy for her. She sent me the information it posted the blog posting for her. I love the loomworked Kimono which was on display at Bead & Button show.

She also covered various styles of looms. My favourite Vyacheslav Kalejnikov, a Ukrainian beadwork artist, who makes his own looms for large scale projects. He uses whatever he can find to make his loom.

Maria will be teaching her loomwork series later in the fall at beadFX.

Happy Beading!!

ABC's of Creativity - February Review

Here is my monthly review of the ABC's of Creativity series that I am contibuting to on Rypan Designs' blog.

February covers C is Color and D is Design Decisions.

Maria's post about color gives you a little color theory and some amazing eye candy. My favourite is this amazing collaborative piece - The rainbow.

My post about design decision is about the what if question you may ask yourself during the creative process. Also includes eye candy (including my favourite bridal piece) and some design process pictures of two Rypan Designs kits.

This bridal necklace was created to meet the requested of the bride and our asking what if --- we used pearls instead.

Only 22 letters to go. So many more ways to spark your creativity.

Happy Beading

ABC's of Creativity - January Review

Maria of Rypan Designs made it part of her start of the new year to get her newsletter out to her mailing list (you join the list using the form on the right). As I was helping her prepare the content of the newsletter we came up with the idea of having a bi-weekly posting on her blog about creativity. We call it the ABC's of Creativity.

I offered to help with the creation of the blog posts. So far I have done A is Art and B is Beads.

A is Art includes links to online galleries for inspiration as well as my favourite art to jewellry creative path.

Starry Night by Van Gogh

Hand made beads by Heather Power inspired by painting

Finished necklace by Jo-Ann

B is Beads has a variety of beads from ancient shell beads to lampwork and beaded beads.

Photograph Marian Vanhaeren and Francesco d'Errico (from nationalgeographic.com)

Lampwork beads by Amy Waldman-Smith

Belissimo Beaded Beads, designed by Marcia DeCoster

Only 24 more letters to go.... I will review each month's letters here at the end of the month.

Happy Beading!

2012 in review

Well 2013 is here and it is great to look back on 2012.

Last year I pushed myself creatively by participating in a variety of challenges. The greatest of these was the Creativ Festival Designer Style Challenge. The process for both the beadwork and paper arts projects was fun. I love both of the finished designs. It was a great thrill to be selected as a semi finalist in both categories. I was one of three finalists in the beadwork category, placing third.

Iris Twist Vase

Hexagonal Triangle Vase with Irises

I also participated in a few blog hops. The first was the Bead Soup Blog Party. I swapped a selection of beads with Jelveh Jaferia a glass artist in the US. It was fun working with her beautiful beads and assorted beads.

My creations

I also participated in two Holiday Bling Blog Hops. My first partner was Monica Urquhart from the east coast. My second partner was Sandra McGriff from Ontario.

Amazing owl tablets from Monica

Beautiful owl necklace from Sandra

The other challenge was the Cup of Bead Soup Lucite Challenge. Using some amazing lucite beads from Bead Happily Ever After my self and four other beaders created beautiful pieces.

My creation with a removable pendant

In addition to these challenges I continued to make samples for Rypan Designs.

I am looking forward to challenging myself again in 2013.