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When I started beading....

I started beading in 1992 sort of on a dare. A friend wanted a pair of earrings in a class display and said she would re-pierce her ears if I made them for her. Boy were things different 18 years ago!

When I started beading, patterns were charted on graph paper mostly by hand and were in black and white

When I started beading, nymo was about it for thread and English or Pony needles were about it.

When I started beading, Delicas were a myth.

When I started beading, Japanese seed beads were just beginning to be coveted for uniformity and colors.

When I started beading, the internet was in it's infancy and we only connected with other beaders at classes or bead shops.

There were no thread burners or crimping pliers when I started beading.

When I started beading, there were very few books on beading available.

When I started beading, I was hungry for new techniques and patterns.

When I started beading, beaded ornament drapes were just starting to make appearances.

When I started beading, there were very few bead shops to choose from.

When I started beading the colors and selection of shapes of pressed glass were slim pickings.

Ok - now comment on what it was like when you start beading? Tell the year and what I missed on my list.

Killing the creativity...

Ya know I was talking to a friend today and we got onto the topic of the ugliness of the who copied what from whom crap in the beading community. I'm quite certain it's in all of the other arts and crafts genera's too. She said that she doesn't bead because of all of the ugliness. I have to agree that the ugliness has one beader I know that doesn't get the magazines anymore because fear of people claiming that her creations were *GASP* stolen from one of them.

After having the losses I had last year, I have decided that 2010 is the year of I don't give a crap about all that crap!

I refuse to let the garbage on the internet beading communities get to me this year. One by one I will leave any list that has that sort of petty crap on it.

NOTHING beaded out there is not dirivative of something else. The stitches, the shapes, and the colors are something we ALL have a right to work with and play with.

If I'm inspired by a flower in my neighbor's garden, do I need to get permission to make a beaded necklace in the colors I got from her garden? Am I stealing? So in the same idea, if I see something in a book and it inspires me to go in a different direction than I'm going in right now, am I stealing? NOPE! I'm inspired.

So out with the CRAP and in with creativity and inspiration!!!

2010 has to be better than 2009 but it isn't gonna have to try very hard!

HAPPY BEADING!!!!!

Timing....

Well all the best intentions don't always give you the result you strive for. With all the probate things to be done, and some beading for at least one holiday craft show... I am realizing I might have bitten off more than I can chew thinking I can do a project a week from a book a week. This isn't saying I'm going to give up but I'm going to lighten up on the rules for myself. I am in the middle of VERY involved beaded beads right now. When I get them done, I will post about them but I have 2 customer orders to get beaded right now. Orders always come first. Glad to have them. I do have to swap a beaded bead swap and if I can't come up with a set of beads in the next few days after I get the orders beaded - a week from today - I will swap without a contribution.

This whole week has been odd. Monday night I didn't get much if any sleep at all. I napped on Tuesday and slept fine Tuesday night. Wed I was sleep drunk (as one friend put it) I had slept too much in 24 hours. I wasn't normal till Thursday and I spent that day busy with errands and then a class that night. Friday I finally got some house chores done and calmed down a little. Maybe I will bead tonight. :-) Have a nice weekend!

WEEK 5: Progress

Well it's coming along but I'm thinking it's not going to be done by Sunday... but maybe :-)

I finished the base tube for the big bead and it's HUGE so the beaded bead is also going to be large. I will make 4 of the smaller beads in this project to complete my set for my beaded bead swap.

Here is the first outside "bump" I have 4 bumps done so far, I will show you once I get the row of bumps done.

Week 5: New beginings.... or so I thought

Well I headed to the San Francisco area for the weekend. We buried my mom's ashes Saturday. I packed beads to go with me. I was going to be there 3 nights so I would have lots of beading time, right? Well the project for this week is another beaded bead. I started making it in class on Thrusday night. It's in the brand new book "Seed Bead Susion" by Rachael Nelson-Smith. http://www.msrachel.com/ It's a lovely book and I didn't notice a single Delica in it! LOL!!!

She has a set of beaded beads that I'm attempting. They look amazing in the book so I'm crossing my fingers! I left the beads in the car after class Thursday night. I was leaving the next morning, so why drag them out and back into the car again. I did take my file box of my own turotials for classes out though. I have the base of the bigger bead done. So how much beading did I get done? NONE! why? because I didn't bring the book. I stuck it in the file box after class and didn't remember the next morning... So I will try to get something done tonight and post some pics of the progress tomorrow.

Week 3/4

Well the project in week 3 crashed and burned and so did all my own attempts at a beaded bead. I'm in the SF area taking care of things with my mom's ashes. I don't have wifi where I'm staying right now, so I can't send any pics of what I'm working on but I got a brand new book and am working on the beaded bead in it right now. It has 2 different beads I will be making, so I will do progress on them as soon as I get back to Wifi at home.

Week Three: Failure

It didn't work.

I had the right size core bead and the right size seed beads and it simply did not work. Even decreasing a bunch did not help. The netting was just too sloppy and after backing out and going forward only to back out again, I give up! It does however have me entertaining other ideas for this beaded bead using a 14mm core bead and size 15 seed beads over that. So Week four is going to be the exploration of what happens when the project I picked simply did not work.

I'm gonna start on that as soon as I finish the tassels on a lariat.

I am keeping the color I think though. It needs to be snug before I can embellish it.

WEEK 3: progress report

Well the netting over the hard to find 14mm bead had to be adjusted twice, so it took a bit to get a netted cover that I could be happy with the fit. Once I got there, I began adding the copper metal beads in 3 & 4mm round beads. I am not happy with them at all so I headed to the bead shop and found copper fire polish in 3 and 4mm so I will give them a try in the morning.

Week Three: The Arts & Elegance of Beadweaving

Well the book was decided upon. It's gonna be The Art & Elegance of Beadweaving by Carol Wilcox Wells. I'm making Lace Net Beads. Project from the book to the left. It called for a 14mm wooden beads but of all the things they do have at The BeadmQan, they did not have 14mm wooden beads. Neither did Joanne's where I got no service when I asked for some, but that's for another blog post! lol It also called for 3mm & 4mm metal beads and size 15 seed beads which I LOVE!!!



So I ended up with black glass 14mm beads. I know that's gonna make for some heavy beaded beads but it's all I could find the right size! I'm using round copper beads for the 3mm & 4mm and a teal iris size 15 seed bead.

We shall see what happens! Off to bead!

WEEK TWO DONE!!!!

IT'S DONE!!!!!

Just one day late. Not too horrible considering the "stuff" going on in my life right now. Mom will be gone 2 months tomorrow and I'm going to get out of the house this time. Last month I became a hermit for 3 days on the 2 month date and it was a very bad thing. I have a close circle of friends that keep watch on me. They come bead on Sunday nights. We chat and eat and or drink while we bead. I finished the necklace part last night. Tonight I plugged away to get the tassels completed and I'm not sorry I did. I am VERY happy with how this necklace came out. From a Japanese book I used Czech size 9/0 3-cut beads in colors very much outside of my comfort zone. Mom would have loved this necklace. It is totally in her colors. She LOVED red.

And I have picked the book I think... Well it's between 2 books and I'm leaning in one direction but I teeter... lol

I should know by tomorrow which book and which project I am going to make.

Nighty night!

Week Two: Extended

Well the work I had to do last week pushed off the beading on the lariat. Have no fear, the base is done, but I have to add the tassels to the ends which should be done tonight. I will also pick and announce the beaded bead book and project for this week before I go to bed tonight, I hope!
Here is a pic of the lariat and a close up of the beading. I am loving this color combination more than I ever imagined!

WEEK TWO: Friday night beading

Well Friday night beading was successful!

I completed row 2 and 3!!!!!

Row 2 completed:

<<<------Starting Row 3

Row 3 is complete - one more row then the tassels on the ends to complete this lariat.

WEEK TWO: Beading but not on project... work comes first

Well I have beaded but not on the blog project. Orders and other things have come up and I had to work on them first. I got an order for Dutch Spiral Earrings: http://tinyurl.com/DutchSpiralEarrings

I made these with copper bronze iris and 24kt gold plated size 15 seed beads.

and I had to make a pair of Netted Pumpkin Earrings: http://tinyurl.com/NettedPumpkinEarrings

for the class display at the bead shop

But tonight I have a friend coming over and we are going to bead. Tonight I will hopefully complete this project. If not then tomorrow night for sure. Not sure which book but it will be a beaded bead project. I have a swap group and the swap is due next week and I haven't even completed my set of them yet, so next week will be beaded beads for sure!

WEEK TWO: project in the works

Well it's no secret that I love and prefer Japanese seed beads. I love them but there are a couple exceptions where Czech seed beads are concerned. Charlottes and 3-Cuts are the exceptions to that rule.

3 Cuts are the exception with tiny facets on all sides. a 3 cut is a bead that is cut on top and bottom as well as on the sides. A charlotte is a bead that is cut top and bottom then tumbled to be smooth and round then a single facet is cut into on side of each bead. A true charlotte is a size 13. Recently I was helping at the local bead shop where I teach and I got a couple colors given to me added to the few colors I already had in my collection. I needed 4 rows so colors.

So I think it's appropriate that I'm making project for week 2 out of a Japanese bead book and I'm using size 9/0 3-cuts. Not only not Japanese seed beads but WAY out of my comfort zone color wise! YELLOW - ORANGE - RED - BURGANDY!!! What am I thinking???? I'm thinking it's gonna be a whole bunch of sparkle!!!!

So here is what the plate looked at for the first row... I'm not seeing any purple... no blue either. No teal. Nothing to make my eyes happy except for the sparkle.



Stringing the first row.... sparkle is here and I am liking that

Even if there is no purple.

Ok - Strung the first row on to the next one. This is Ogalala stitch. My first article published was using this stitch, so that is also my comfort zone even if there is no purple here. lol

I have an order for Dutch Spiral earrings so it might be a day or two before I post here again. I might post a pic of the earrings though. I'm gonna like them myself when I'm done.

Have a great week! I have a beaded bead swap due soon, so I am guessing next weeks book will be about beaded beads! LOL

WEEK TWO: Japanese book on Netting

The title loosely translated by google on Amazon’s Japan site “Series Beads Stitch Basics Lesson 4”



Front cover:

The back cover shows this project: ISBN number:

On first pass through the project that catches my eye first of course is in the gallery section so there are no tutorials for it in this book. In English at the top of the page says STEP UP which I take to mean the next step after making everything in this book. So that is a project for another day.

I have decided to make this lariat:

The instructions for it are of course in Japanese but have pretty good diagrams:


So that is what I will be working on this week. Stay tuned!

WEEK ONE: Project done! SUCCESS!

In the complete intent this book put forth, I ended up designing my own earring with the information given in the tubular netting pages. What I came up with is being called the 3 sided earring. It has 3 sides with fire polish and yes they could be Swarovski crystals. I used size 15 Japanese seed beads in silver lined crystal AB along with 3mm purple iris fire polish beads for the body. I added some purple iris size 15 Japanese seed beads to the fringe and finally I got something I would enjoy wearing! I do suppose you could add something heavier to the 6 fringes or do them in 11's with 4mm fire polish. This book just oozes different directions you can take with netting! Week one complete! WOOHOOO!!!

WEEK ONE: So far no beading today

Well so far no more work on the earrings yet. Other work has to be done and so I'm stuck at the computer.

I did hear from Vicki Star though. She tells me that the book I'm reviewing is part of the e-book Basic Beadwork Techniques which is for sale on her web site: http://www.vickistar.com

I have been pondering the fringes in my head at night though. Maybe I will get some work done on it this evening. You never know :-)

WEEK ONE: Progress on project

Well I started the earring... The picture is pretty clear as are the text directions that would get a person to that end result. It's tubular netting and the basics of it are diagrammed on the page. The earring is described and based on the technique taught on this page most beaders can get to an end result that will make them happy.

Here is a VERY small picture of that very page - reduced and slightly out of focus for copyright purposes:
In the PURPLE section is the basics of tubular netting. Good clear diagrams and plenty of text in the not circled area to get you through a few variations. Then in the BLUE box, is the basics of this earring. It called for crystals as the point bead on each row but I was not happy with that. I used 3mm fire polish on each section with size 11 seed beads the first try. I didn't like how it bowed out so I switched to size 15's and the 3mm fire polish on every other row. I came up with an earring base I can be happy with, now all I have to do is decide on the fringe. I think I have decided not to use bugle beads but I'm not certain yet. Check back tomorrow! Today is Smokey's 10th Birthday (little brother in canine form) So a perfect day for him involves a trip to the groomer for a bath and blow dry then off to Petco for some goodies!

WEEK ONE: A Netting Primer by Vicki Star

Well here is my first entry in a possibly 180+ week project.

I decided to pick a netting book because it's my favorite stitch. I know I picked a book many of you won't have and is not available anymore but it's one of my favorite books on Netting. Unfortunately most of my favorite netting books are either internationally produced or are out of production. The book I choose to begin with is A Netting Primer by Vicki Star. This is one of a series published by Vicki Star and Jeanette Cook called "Beady Eyed Women's Guide to Exquisite Beadwork"

This book was published in 1994 by Vicki Star - her current web site is: http://www.vickistar.com/

Interesting detail to note is that this book was written and illustrated on a Macintosh Color Classic Computer. I also know from other books in the series that they used Super Paint which is the same program I used when I first started diagramming bead patterns out.

The project I'm going to make from this book is the Netted Earring with Crystals that is circled on the back cover.

This series of books were not fancy but they sure did have lots of good information in the books. The only color photos are the front and back covers. The project on the front cover is NOT drawn out step by step in the book but with the skills you learn in the book, you can create that project.

This book has lots of good descriptive text and several clear black and white illustrations. In this book you will cover many different types of netting. The earrings I'm going to make are tubular netting and are described in the book but not broken down step by step. Books like this one teach you the basics and then encourage you to take the knowledge and create things on your own. Sort of indipendant study for beaders.

So hopefully tonight, I will get started on these lovely earrings. I am seeing some kind of spiral incorporated into them.