Art Bead Scene January Challenge

The Art Bead Scene blog features a monthly challenge based on a painting.  I was intrigued by the one from this month, so I started creating.  Whoa, Nellie.  What a mess!

Here are the components I am working with.  It was actually a long trip to get to this point! The "eyes" were beaded. The focal piece was created in mixed-media layers.  The polymer coins were textured, pearlized and drilled.

This Tim Holtz scrapbooking facet was transformed into a jewelry focal with a technique taught by Deryn Mentock in her Alchemy of Objects class.

Good intentions can go very wrong.  I'd say there are two main problems. One: In an attempt to integrate gray (from the inspiration painting,) I forced these Toho Black Diamond seed beads into my design.  Two: Too many stitches in the beadweaving!  Peyote, daisy chain, slopping netting.  Yuk!

Fear not!  I have a back-up plan.  Off to work on it!

Whatcha Doin' ?

OK, there's been a lot of Phinneas and Ferb playing at my house lately.  But to answer the neighbor-girl's question...this is what I've  been doin':

I'm settling into a "usual" groove of beadweaving when the jewelry-making muse visits.  Most of the time.  But I love metal and wire-working is the easiest way to incorporate it with beads.  There are very few special tools required and nothing molten is needed!  (Not that there's anything wrong with that!)

These beads were purchased at Beadnik's at the Mall of America.  I do not have the foggiest idea of what they are made! I believe they are painted or inked and they feel like stone. I loved them so much, I bought these and three others in purple tones.  I wire-wrapped the beads onto wrapped circles of 18-gauge aluminum and combined those with 12-gauge jump rings.  The necklace is finished with a bit of pre-made base metal chain and a hand-made S-clasp in aluminum.

This is a variation on the netted pattern I learned for the bridal challenge.  It uses a couple shades of purple 11/o beads, combines with accent beads in a metallic copper finish.  The big addition, though, are the 6mm fire-polished Czech glass beads (from The Bead Monkey in Edina, MN.)  I bought several sizes and colors, so there will be more of these in my future!

Bridal Challenge Week Two: Beaded Netting

For this week's challenge, I had hoped to simplify a pattern I had seen in Beadwork magazine.  As I studied the pattern, I realized I would be in over my head since I hadn't done a netted project before and didn't have a feel for the stitch.  I poked around online to see if I could find a better beginner's pattern and found this one at http://www.rubysbeadwork.com/net1.html  As I worked the necklace, I realized I would run out of the white seed beads before the necklace reached the desired length.  I chose to finish off the necklace with a tri-stitch to tie in with the picot edge in the original pattern.  

Reflecting on the project, I see the positive and the negative.  I like the overall look, though I was aiming for a more substantial necklace.  I really like how the slight differences in the beads create a sense of movement.  Finally, I love how quickly the necklace worked up.  On the downside, I don't like how bright the white looks in person and I think that smaller 11/o beads would have looked better (these are 8/o.)

The project did win me over, however.  The following evening, I realized that I would like this particular necklace better as BRIDESMAIDS' jewelry.  I gathered up some 11/o beads and round glass accent beads (4 or 5 mm) and reworked the necklace.  The larger accent beads cause the sections to take a slightly different shape, but the necklace still has a nice effect.  

Beads used in these projects: 

Toho 8/o #121 White Opaque Luster and #2101 Opal Silver Lined

Toho 11/o #3LF Very Light Saphire Transparent Matte, 

#8DF Dark Cobalt Blue Transparent Matte, and #361 Purple Lined Sapphire

Bliss round beads (JoAnn)