Sunday 23 September 2012

We're off to see the wizard


A bracelet I created using a Peruzi cab and two drop peyote for a Beading Forum dot com dot au challenge. It was to come up with a design that fits the Wizard of Oz theme chosen for the week. I immediately thought of this cab. It is somewhat freeform as the idea just evolved as I went along.


Sunday 2 September 2012

Two Posts in one day: Operation Share

Oh My Goodness....Two posts in a day! I have decided to add another element to Operation Promise and Operation De-Stash...Operation Share. I want to share the process (I was going to say my thoughts but that is scary) of design, the way that I do it. So most awesome designers I know have an equally awesome way of coming up with their designs, pictures, samples etc. I am impatient and indecisive, my designs start out in my head and rarely ever go to paper. In this process there are sometimes mistakes. In the picture on my last post, you can see the cross is wonky. I had a thought about how to fix this, if I wanted to fix it, and then asked the experts at Beading Forum Dot Com Dot Au I came to the conclusion to fix it. I cracked the extra bead I had put in the RAW (note to self: beads actually shatter!). I love to bounce ideas off others during the process and I love the uncertainty about how a piece may look that comes from being a "fly by the seat of my pants" designer.

As you can see from the picture below is that I may at times using graph paper (this one came from Fire Mountain Gems) so that I am able to see the size of a piece.


Operation De-stash and Operation Promise

As a criminologist I thought I should use some CJ terms to describe what I am currently doing (I knew I could find a way to mix beads and criminology some day!). I am embarking on a combined operation, Operation De-stash and Operation Promise. My objective is to make all those things I promised my friends (well they asked or admired something and I said, "I can make that") without having to purchase a copious amount of new materials. I need to sort my beads big time.

This is the first piece of the operation in progress: a rosary style necklace.





I am thinking of doing a tutorial for this. I have never tried a tutorial before because my style is a little ad lib but this is simple enough for those beginners that ask me questions about the hows and whats to get started. For now you can see some of the materials I use:

  • size 10-12 beading needles 
  • Nymo (I need to get my hands on O because the D is a little thick for some of my projects). 
  • Here, in the spirit of de-stashing I have used some size 9 Gutterman rocailles but I would like to try it with 11 Delecas as it is not as neat as I want it to be. 
  • I have a quick unpick there but this is not a regular thing (I put it away when I snagged the Nymo on it by accident). 
  • You can't see it here but I use Thread Heaven thread conditioner to prevent fraying.
  •  I also use a bead mat which you can pick up cheaply from bead suppliers, they help those slippery little suckers from rolling away. 
  • I like to transfer my beads to the little pallets as they keep neatly and   I can see colour combos but I usually don't store them long term here because they are a little fickle in whether they are going to have a really tight lid or a really loose one but while they are on the tray and not travelling, they are fine.
  •  I use a tray for portability because I have no space...waaaaahhhhh. 
So that is it for now but a proper tutorial may follow after a few test runs, if I don't get bored and move on hahahaha.