Beaded Lace & Fringe

I have been experimenting with some monochromatic loomwork lately...and to add some visual interest to the single color scheme, I have been playing around with various edgings and fringes.

The first photo is one I have shared before, but it is the one that started this experiment...however I only have two to share at the moment! I have others in progress though...

This one is loomed with Toho's 1.5mm cube beads. I have added some top stitching using size 11/0's, size 15/0's and Swarovski Bicones in Crystal Silver Night. This cuff has a simple 3 bead Picot for the top edge and a 3 bead Picot with netting for the bottom edge as well as fringe in size 15/0's with Crystals.

This second cuff is done in Miyuki Duracoat Silver Delicas, 11/0's and 15/0s, Swarovski Bicones in Crystal Silver Night and a few Toho 1.5mm cubes. The edging is done using Mikki Ferrugiaro's new Beaded Lace from her Lace Cufflette tutorial...I had to adapt it a little in order to work along the flat edge of the loomed cuff, but this Beaded Lace is extremely versatile!

I apologize for that little blurry spot in all my photos...I have been thinking it was caused by the reflection from the beads, but it is actually a little scratch on my lens...oops! So I am trying to get that fixed so my photos won't be blurry!

I am off to work on some of the projects I currently have in progress! And to get some good photos for the Beading Babes February project reveal this Sunday!

Happy Beading!

Swarovski Rivolis - Am I too picky?

Well, since my last post about Mikki Ferrugiaro and her awesome Tutorials, she has released her Urchin Wings Peacock Pendant...and I have been waiting for this one!

It's one of those classic pieces that's just so beautiful and feminine...and to me it's reminiscent of fancy ladies going to the opera, or flapper girls dancing in a speak easy...it's a beautiful piece that any girl would love to carry in her evening bag or wear as a pendant. And it doubles as a little compact mirror too, so it's pretty and it's useful...

The Tutorial includes two variations of the Peacock Pendant, one with the mirror back and one with the pin back as well as her original version of the Urchin Wings Bracelet that was featured in the December 2010 issue of Beadwork Magazine...basically, this is the unabridged version with more detail than the one in the Magazine.

I have been busy working on several projects using the Lace edging from Mikki's Lace Cufflette Tutorial...and I must say, it is proving to be as versatile and useful as I thought it would!

So far I have added a beaded lace edging to a plain Loomworked cuff and I am now working on the actual Herringbone cuff in the tutorial. It's pretty damn awesome...but I have been sidetracked by the Urchin Wings Peacock Pendant, so I will share more on the Beaded Lace next time!

I have started on two colorways of the mirror backed version of the pendant...but I didn't have quite enough Rivolis in the right sizes to finish it in any colorway so I am just working on the separate components for now.

In my stash I have the 18mm's in several colors, but not the ones I want for this project...and I have quite a few colors of  the 12mm's but I only have 4 of each and I need 5 for each pendant.

So I spent a few hours browsing my favorite online bead stores looking for Rivolis...this is something that should have taken 20 minutes, even with all the other beady distractions! But I can't seem to find 18mm Rivolis in any great colors...or in any colors that also come in the 12mm size other than the very basic colors.

While I love shopping for beads, this was a truly annoying experience! Am I just too picky?

Everyone has Crystal & Crystal AB...probably my least favorite Swarovski color! Several places have the other basics: Amethyst, Sapphire, Emerald, Rose, Peridot, Aquamarine etc....which are fine for the most part, but definitely not unique or outstanding by any means!

And quite a few of them start to look a little too fakey-fakey once you get to the larger 18mm sizes...almost like those giant plastic "gems" on those Troll dolls! Remember those? Haha!

Anyway, back to Swarovski: I like the Emerald, it's a nice, deep, dark green, so I plan on using these in one pendant. But I want some more exciting colors...and ones that I can get in 12mm as well as 18mm. Why can't I find Siam in 18mm? It's a basic color...and it's a deep, dark red...I have these in 12mm and 14mm, but can't find them in any other size!

And I only found 2 places that have the 18mm in Jet, and one of those sites is always out of stock! This is a very basic color and it should be available in every single shape and size offered by Swarovski!

But I would also love to see some more unique and exciting colors in the 18mm size...like Crystal Red Magma, Tanzanite, Paparadscha, Jet Hematite!

And I would love to see all sizes of Rivolis in colors like Dark Indigo, Purple Velvet, Hyacinth, Antique Pink, Silver Night, Bronze Shade, Metallic Light Gold, and even some of the Opal colors like Fire Opal, Pacific Opal, Palace Green Opal, Cyclamen Opal, Caribbean Blue Opal...

I just want more exciting colors in a broader range of shapes and sizes...or at least to find the same colors in all sizes across the entire line of Rivolis...why do some colors only come in the smaller sizes? It seems that they just don't make them in that many colors, or the retailers just don't carry them for some crazy reason. Or maybe I am just too picky...

Then there is the other extreme...the Vintage colors and the specialty coatings that aren't necessarily applied by Swarovski. Some of these are pretty cool, and some are very expensive! But even if I am willing to pay the higher prices, I still can't find a good color in both 18mm and 12mm...very annoying!

Now I know the obvious solution is to just use two different colors...one color for the 18mm center stone and another for the 12mm stones that surround this center. And I will probably do this at some point. But for now, this is still a new project and I am already unsure of my color choices. So I don't need to throw another wrench into the mix and use two different colors for the main components!

Anyway, enough bitching about Swarovski...they are beautiful and I love them, I just want better variety and more unique colors offered across the entire line of their unique shapes and sizes!

In the end I did find a few that will work for now...I ordered a few 18mm Jet to go with the 12mm's in my stash and a few 12mm Emerald to go with the 18mm's in my stash!

And of course I ended up buying more than just the Rivolis I need...but that's part of the fun of beading!

I don't have any photos to share yet, but hopefully I will make enough progress today to warrant taking some WIP photos...and if that happens, I will add some pictures in here!

I know most people skip straight to the pictures and then if you've caught their attention with some sparkly beads, maybe they stay long enough to read the words. But regardless of who may or may not be reading the words, I still have the urge to write the words...

Spotlight Design: Beadwork Artist Mikki Ferrugiaro

There are some amazingly talented Beadwork Designers and Artists that truly inspire me with their awesome designs and their meticulous beadwork skills! So I have decided to write up a little series of 'Rave Reviews' or 'Spotlight on Design' featuring some of the Beadwork Artists that inspire me to learn and to create.

I am slowly building a collection of Books and Tutorials written and designed by some of my favorite Beadwork Artists. I really enjoy working up the projects from their tutorials and most of the time I find that I learn so much more from their instruction than how to make a specific necklace or bracelet.

I love being able to look inside the technical aspects of their design and see how each Artist interprets a certain beading stitch, or how they expand upon it to create their own designs using the same techniques that we all use.

This is how they teach us to see and understand the basic architecture and engineering of these bead stitching techniques...and it is how we learn to use these techniques to create our own designs. So I really do love working up projects from these Designer's Tutorials and Books.

I almost always look for designs that are offer the most versatility. I like to find those Designers that really teach you how to use a technique that you can adapt to your own design...I feel that I learn the most from these projects.

And Mikki Ferrugiaro is one of those Designers who really packs those Tutorials full of amazing information!

It just so happens that I won a $25 gift certificate from Mikki to use in her Artfire store! To celebrate her 300th Blog Follower at The Beaded Carpet she hosted a 'drawing' with everyone who commented on her blog or purchased something from her Artfire store. There was 1 Grand Prize winner who was given their choice of several amazing prizes, and 2 second prize winners of the gift certificates.

And I won a Gift Certificate! Yay!

I knew exactly what I wanted too...Mikki's newest tutorial, "Lace Cufflette". This is a piece that was inspired by a pair of Crocheted Lace Cuffs that Mikki designed, only this one is translated into beads...and it is simply stunning!

I have purchased several tutorials from Mikki, and she is so talented...and not only in her gorgeous designs and amazing color choices, but also in her ability to translate these intricate patterns and designs into words and diagrams that are so clear and easy for any beader to understand.

The thing that I really love about these tutorials though, is that she is creating techniques and components that are so versatile in their application. So far I have her Spinal Tap & Blue Danube Ropes, Industrial Chic Corrugations Cuff and the Lace Cufflette...and each of these tutorials are designed to teach the technique so that it can be used in many other designs.

One shining example of this versatility is her Urchin Wings component...this was published in Beadwork Magazine December 2010/January 2011 as the Gothic Butterfly Bracelet.

I wanted to post Mikki's beautiful photos of these pieces here, but I don't really know the proper etiquette for sharing someones photos...so here are links to her blog posts showing examples of what she has done with the components of this bracelet:

Peacock Mirror/Pendant

Gothic Butterfly Bracelet & Urchin Wings Choker

Are you not just completely in love with that Peacock Mirror Compact/Pendant?! I love it and I would happily carry that in a beautiful beaded evening bag made with her wonderfully structural Corrugated Peyote.

Now that evening bag was Mikki's idea too, but it's another example of how far you can go once you really learn the technique...she is not only teaching you how to make a cuff, but how to use this variation of Peyote Stitch to make pretty much anything if you are willing to learn.

So check out Mikki's blog, The Beaded Carpet and her Artfire store to see more of this creativity at work...and trust me, her Tutorials are so clear and well written that anyone could follow the instruction!

Lazy Bloggers & Ravishing Rosettes

You know what really annoys me? When I follow a blog that I really love and then the blogger gets too busy or distracted or just plain lazy and doesn't update their blog!

So now I feel like an ass (and a hypocrite) for becoming that busy, distracted, and lazy blogger that hasn't updated my blog in weeks! Sorry to anyone out there who is actually reading this....

Initially I was waiting patiently to post my Reveal of the Beading Babes projects...but the deadline for the reveal has been pushed back a few weeks in order to allow enough time for everyone to participate.

Then I got busy trying to force myself to make earrings every day...and trying to finish up some beaded squares for the Bead it Forward: Beaded Quilts to raise money for Breast Cancer Research(deadline is March 1st)...and finishing up my trays full of UFOs...so I have neglected this diary. But I have been beading and that's the really important part right?

Back to the Beading Babes: the projects that we chose this month have provided the group with some challenges, which is kind of awesome if you think about it. And it has been really nice to see this group work together to figure things out and find the root of the problems!

I think one of the main issues that beaders face with these Projects is that when Beading Magazines publish Tutorials, they edit them down to 2 or 3 pages...and sometimes this edit can leave out some important information. Also each diagram tends to include an entire series of steps rather than a clear diagram for each individual step...which can make it harder for some people to follow, especially less experienced beaders.

A few little sentences in the "Artist's Tips" section would have solved most of the problems that our group stumbled upon in this challenge!

I also think it would be interesting and very helpful if the Magazine Editors would think about using regular beaders, like any of us, to test their edited version of the Tutorial before the Magazine goes to print.

A test group like this would help them catch those little things that beginning beaders may not always know...the little details that a Technical Editor may not even think twice about because they do this every day. These little extras that should be in the "Artists Tips" if they aren't in the actual step by step directions. That is a job I would happily volunteer for...not that it wouldn't be awesome to get paid for it too!

However, I think this is one of the great things about a beading group like this...by choosing patterns that are published in magazines we become a sort of 'self appointed test group' of beaders with various levels of experience. Working on something like this as a group helps us to strengthen our own beading skills, challenges us to try something new and brings us together in friendship with other beaders from around the world!

I had a great time working on the projects this month and getting to know some of the members of the Beading Babes. I also really like my Ravishing Rosettes necklace, and while I thought it looked nice in the magazine, it is not one of the ones I would chosen for myself. So I would have missed out on this wonderful design if I had not joined the Beading Babes group!

I did however decide to rip out the Runway of Pearls bracelet...well, I ripped out my embellishment beads, not the RAW cuff base...it's just not worth all that work ripping out RAW stitches to save a few grams of Triangle beads!

And while I didn't have any technical difficulties with the pattern, I just didn't like the end result all that much. I used the beads that the designer used, and I followed the pattern (except I added an extra inch to the RAW base knowing that it would shrink when embellished) and it turned out just like it should, but I just don't like it. It ends up as a fat little 'tube' of embellished RAW that makes for an awkward bracelet....

I am excited for the Reveal and of course for the announcement of the next project! I can't wait to see how everyone else's projects turned out and to see everyone's color choices too! So look for the Reveal on March 12th at Releases by Rufydoof.

And until then, Happy Beading!

Beading Babes January Challenge

In the midst of the Earring a Day Challenge, I have also been working on the projects for the January Beading Babes Challenge, which I just joined at the end of December.

Since this is my first challenge with this group, I decided that I would make both projects and follow the directions as well as the materials list...which is something I never do. I always find something that I want to change if I am working from a pattern, even if it's just the shape or size of the beads!

But I want to play nice, and the whole point of this challenge is to try something that you may not choose to do on your own!

The projects that were chosen are Runway of Pearls designed by Barbara Falkowitz in Beadwork Magazine Dec 2011/Jan 2012:

and Ravishing Rosettes designed by Smadar Grossman in Bead & Button Magazine Dec 2011/Jan 2012:

I started with Runway of Pearls....which is complete except for the final row of embellishment Pearls and the clasp.

To make a 7" bracelet the base is supposed to be 5 rows wide by 43 rows long of RAW units stitched with size 11/0 triangle beads. Then every RAW unit is embellished with either seed beads or Pearls, the base is folded in half lengthwise so that you can zip up the remaining long edges, after which you add the final embellishment of Pearls over the zipped edge. 

After stitching 43 units, the base strip was just under 7 inches long. So I decided to add a few more units because the embellishment will shrink it by about an inch...not to mention that folding this thick strip in half lengthwise will add some serious bulk which will also alter the length of this bracelet.

I have 6 inch wrists and it is still not quite long enough so if I decide to finish the project, I will just compensate for that with the clasp. But you definitely have to play around with the measurements and understand how the embellishments and ultimate girth of the 'tube' will affect the length and the fit of this bracelet!

This bracelet is definitely not my personal style, but I still wanted to try it out since it is something I would not have chosen to do if not for this challenge. And now that it is basically done, I am liking it even less than I did before. The project itself was fun to work on, it's just really not my style!

So now I have to decide whether or not take it apart and salvage my beads! RAW is a serious bitch to rip out, so I think I will probably leave the triangle beads and just try to save my beautiful Metallic Raspberry Bronze seed beads and Black Pearls.

I think it would have been best to just stop before folding it over and zipping it up! Even though it would just be a strip of embellished Right Angle Weave, it would be more my style and I would probably even wear it!

All in all it was a good experience and most definitely not a waste of time, so I am fine with that!

I have also started on the Ravishing Rosettes project which is more my style while still being something that I would not have chosen to do if it were not for this challenge.

No pics for now...but I will post an update as I get further along with the second project!

Beading around the clock!

Wow, it has been a long time since I posted here but I have actually been very busy beading!

I have been finishing up so many projects for Christmas and Birthdays that I got seriously behind in the Earring a Day Challenge at Beading Daily! But I have been working over time to get caught up...I still have about 8 or 9 pairs to go before I am caught up to today...but I get behind with every day that goes by!

But here are some of the pieces I have completed in the last month:

Medici Drop Earrings Designed By: Marcia DeCoster from her book "Beaded Opulence"

Medici Drop Earrings in Black Crystal

Medici Drop Earrings in Olivine & Light Metallic Gold Crystal

Medici Drop Earrings in Hyacinth, Crystal Red Magma and Crystal Bronze Shade (18mm drop)

Medici Drop Earrings in Hyacinth & Crystal Red Magma (28mm drop)

And here is a pair that I made as a Christmas gift and sadly I only have this WIP photo. This pair is made with Hill Tribe Silver tiny beads and Crystal Red Magma bicones to go with the Ruby Red CZ Drops. These were for someone who doesn't really wear long earrings, so I made them with smaller 18mm CZ Drops and only one beaded component!

Medici Drop Earrings in Ruby Red (WIP)

This pair is another Marcia DeCoster design from Beaded Opulence...obviously I love that book! Marcia is an amazing bead artist and I am always inspired by her designs! She is the reason that I actually learned how to do RAW and learned to love it!

Whitby Earrings in Black Crystal with a little accent of Metallic Blue

Design By: Marcia DeCoster

The following 2 pairs are Herringbone with seed beads and Tila beads with a Crystal Pearl drop. I wish I could remember where I saw this design so I could give proper credit but I saw them a while ago while browsing the Internet at 3:00 in the morning! So these earrings were inspired by someone out there...if anyone recognizes the design, please leave me a comment!

Tila Herringbone in Bronze

Tila Herringbone in Black

And finally, the following pair is not woven with seed beads...I actually did some wire wrapped loops and attached Dark Red Coral Crystals to some Filigree Flowers and I attached them to the earwires with some chain.

Bronze Floral Filigree

I still have a ways to go in getting caught up for this challenge, but I am pleased with the amount of work I have actually completed lately!

I have also been busy working on pieces for my family's Secret Santa exchange...I drew my sister's name this year which made it easy! I made her several pieces in Silver with Swarovski Crystal Silver Night bicones for embellishment. Very much her style!

I was literally working down to the wire on this set so I still have to get photos one of these days! But here is a photo of the cuff I made for her.

Design & Creation By: Me

Inspired By: Erin Simonetti & Jean Upton

Techniques: Loomed with Cube Beads, Weave in Warp Management, Picot Edging, Fringe and Surface Embellishment

Materials: Miyuki Duracoat Silver 1.8mm Cube Beads & 11/0 Seed Beads, Miyuki Silver 15/0 Seed Beads, Swarovski Crystals, Toho One G Thread, Ribbon End Clamp, Clasp and Chain.

Silver Cube Cuff with Fringe

I also made several simple bracelets for Christmas gifts. This design is from the Aug/Sept 2011 issue of  Beadwork Magazine and it uses Tila beads! I made one in Matte Metallic Bronze, Matte Metallic Tarnished Silver, Matte Black and Matte Metallic Copper AB. And again, I only have photos of two of them!

Moroccan Tiles Bracelet in Matte Black & in Matte Metallic Copper AB

Design By: Heather Kahn

And finally, here is a choker that I made for myself. This is a design from the Dec/Jan 2008 issue of Bead & Button Magazine. It is worked in regular and reverse St Petersburg Chain stitch.

Regal Reiteration

Design By: Hatsumi Oshitani

I am also currently working on a Bead Embroidered eyeglass case for my dad (a very late birthday present) and a Bead Embroidered key chain for both my brother and for my brother in law! Hopefully those will all be done before their birthdays! There are several other Works in Progress going on here and I will be back with photos soon!

I am just so excited and impressed with how much beading I have actually accomplished lately! I have been beading around the clock instead of reading blogs and posting in forums and stalking on facebook! It's amazing how much you can get done when you actually sit down and do the work!

So, what are you all working on?

Secret Santa Revealed

I am so excited that my Secret Santa finally received her package! I had to mail it to Australia so it took a while to get there...especially with the holidays! But now I can post some photos of the choker and earrings that I made for her:

The choker is my own design that I just sort of made up as I went along. I knew I wanted it to be black and purple for Emma so I just started playing around with my beads and picked out some 3mm Fire Polished Rounds and Czech 13/0 Charlottes for the RAW chains. I also embellished the RAW with Bicones and Charlottes on the chain connecting the 3 Rivoli Focals.

These Focals are Swarovski Amethyst Rivolis that I bezelled with Peyote Stitch using black Delicas and Charlottes with a few Metallic Purple 15/0's for a touch of color. I embellished these with Netting and some Swarovski Amethyst Bicones.

Then I connected all the pieces and added some Fringe and Drapery with Charlottes, Bicones, Fire Polish Rounds and Daggers...

The clasp is a simple Button and Loop closure...the button is a bezelled Rivoli and the Loop is several rows of Peyote embellished with some of those Metallic Purple 15/0's for a little extra color.

The earrings are a simple design I saw in an email from Margie Deeb. I don't remember what they were called though...it was a photo for an online class I think! I used Crystal Rondelles in a Metallic Purple, Black Charlottes, Swarovski Bicones and Czech Daggers in a Metallic Iris color that went well with the Metallic Purple Rondelles.

I also added some tubes of Miyuki 11/0 and 15/0 seed beads in colors that I knew Emma would like...and some Swarovski Rivolis and Bicones and I think some Miyuki 1.5mm Cube Beads...and some Czech Pressed Glass Beads in a beautiful Cobalt Blue color.

I totally went over the $10 spending limit with this but I had so much fun with it! When I found out who's name I had, I was so excited because I knew we both had very similar tastes...so it would be easy to make something that she would love! And she sent me a photo of herself wearing the choker and it is a perfect match! So that made me very happy to know that she loves my gift and that it looks so pretty on her!

I love these swaps...they are so much fun, especially when everyone participates and follows through on their end of things!

Now I am off to finish up some Christmas presents...I know it's really late for Christmas but my family still hasn't celebrated yet! Our schedules are just too crazy...so maybe this coming weekend we will finally have our family Christmas get together!