lo and behold

I ordered a new camera a couple of weeks ago – nothing too fancy, but a whole lot better than broken and blurry.  I was hoping it would come before I left for Austin, but it didn’t.  Since I got back, I’ve managed to get it out of the box and charged up. Here are a few snaps to show off the week.  Still a lot to learn.  First up: change the setting that prints the date on the front!  

Before I left for Austin, Isabel logged a lot of hours stringing beads for me so I could keep busy on the plane (and so she could add to her bank account).  As you can see, I’ve got a blue necklace in the works.   This piece of bead crochet is my very favorite.

This is a bracelet that has been waiting for my attention for quite a while.  I wondered if the three greens would work, and I think it does. 

Just as I was leaving for Austin, a package arrived from England with beads from EJR Beads.  Emma Ralph is one of the first bead makers I found online.  Her beads sell the minute they are posted, but I had forgotten that she also maintains a Lotto List.  When your name comes up on the list, you get a first right on refusal on whatever set is in her queue for the lotto.  I have no idea when I signed up, but I’m guessing it’s at least two years ago.  Well, my name came up for a set of Flamenco Tabs, one of her signature styles. In teals and blues, how could I say no, even though I am not buying many beads these days.  (photo styling by Isabel)

So, now, back to Austin. Remember the lovely purple bead with the little rosies?  My victory bead?  Here’s the bead that I made immediately before it.  Working so hard to get that stringer into a spiral.  When I look at this pair, I think:  “Well, what I lack in natural talent, I make up for in trainability.”  When I showed the two beads to someone else tonight, she said, “Wow, you are a fast study.”  Note to self:  Be kinder.  

Here are the buttons from Heather Trimlett’s class. It’s really tricky to get that glass wrapped around both tines of the mandrel evenly.  We practiced just the hole part like in the top of the photo before we were allowed to even try and build a whole button.  See those blue bumps?  Heather would call them cow patties.  She likes them with straight sides and rounded tops.  I think there’s one bump that qualifies.  (photo by Isabel)

Here are the big holes I made. I was so proud of getting a fairly even wrap around the mandrel, and then when they came off you can see from the bead release how uneven the footprint is.  Still, I really kind of like them.

And now, from the girl who just said she’s not buying many beads anymore: the Heather Trimlett beads that came home with me.  (photos by Isabel) 

I had a HUGE, I mean H.U.G.E day of discovery. Huge. And it came so unexpectedly.  My brain just about exploded this morning. 

I can’t even remember what I was looking at first. I made my hotel reservation for The Gathering, so maybe it was from there.  I made my hotel reservation for the  Kristina Logan class at Carlisle, so maybe it there. Maybe I was momentarily abducted by aliens. . . .I don’t know, but one way or another, I landed on a website called Mostly Glass Gallery.  And what I found there rocked my little artist-y world:  four seed bead jewelry makers, three of whom do bead crochet, on display at this very moment at SOFA in New York City, which opens tonight. 

First of all, I had never heard of SOFA, and I soon learned that the International Expositions of Sculpture Objects & Functional Art: SOFA CHICAGO and SOFA NEW YORK  are the “The World’s Foremost Fairs of Contemporary Decorative Arts & Design”  Their website describes them this way: 

At SOFA expositions, prominent international galleries and dealers present masterworks bridging the worlds of design, decorative and fine arts, showcasing the rich visual heritage of the decorative arts alongside new, innovative expressions.

So maybe I am just a babe in the woods, the last person on the block to know about the party, but I have never seen bead crochet jewelry recognized and included at such a high level.  The fourth seed bead artist used mostly freeform peyote to create stunning works of jewelry.  Undoubtedly, they are exceptional.  I have seen amazing stitched and woven seed bead sculptures, wall hangings, and fine art pieces, but it struck me as pretty unusual to find seed bead jewelry in the company of an international collection of sculpture objects and functional art.  At least I have never seen any in my limited travels. If I am naive, please point me the way to more.

But let me just get to the main point – introducing these artists to you.

Hildegund Ilkerl and Gabriele Malek:  These gals are from Austria.  Their personal website is mostly in German and I haven’t taken the time yet to read it in translation, but I did look at the pictures :)!  I think one of them is a lampworker.  Their work features bead crochet all over the place.  Some of it blows me away because it doesn’t seem that different from what I do or what I could do, and some of it blows me away because it’s what I can do but on steroids to the hundredth degree. I am using these photos without their permission, and I hope it will be OK; both the work and the images belong to them.  It looks like they often use size 15 seed beads, and I don’t have any idea how they do the flat pieces.  The third photo is a necklace. Click on the links above. Go. Treat yourself.  But come back.  There’s more to see. 

Karen Flowers:  I can’t even find a personal website for this woman. Mostly Glass Gallery says that six of her pieces are on display at SOFA – right now.  Tonight.  Do those squared have wire in them?  I want to hold that piece in my hand. 

And lastly, Mary Darwall. These beadwoven pieces were exquisite, but even more important for me, when I looked at her personal website, it looked like she and I are not so different:  she has no formal artist training, she was once a teacher, she wove her life around to art, and she loves the tiniest little beads and the process of working one bead at a time. She has an amazing eye for color. I am not trying to say that I am anywhere near as skilled or talented, but she feels to me like a model of what can be done.  Dare I say: what I might become. And look at her list of galleries.  Look at her list of shows.  The prices are high and it looks to me like she sells. I always wonder how the people behind this kind of art have the time to build an inventory, but somehow she has. One day, I will have to learn more about how she has done it.  

OK.  My day of discovery: I haven’t even started to say what I learned at my torch today. Part 2 coming in the next day or so.

One more step to go.  Well, actually two.  Final photo comes tomorrow. . . . It will be done.  And in time!

P.S.  Goal:  get a new camera. Learn something about photos. 

First, an appetizer: 

I’m giving away two surprises.  Here’s how you enter the drawing:

1.  Sign up for my RSS feed so we can stay connected after the party ends.

2.  Leave me a comment and include the message:  “I RSS’d you.” 

3.  I will collect names from the comments and randomly choose two on Monday, February 15, sometime after 12 noon EST.  I will contact the winners and announce it on the blog Monday afternoon or evening.

4.  Want a second entry?  Blog about my giveaway, leave me a comment with the link to your post, and I’ll put your name into the pot again!

Main Course

My ingredients came from Mary Harding. The ceramic focal, the ceramic rounds (left, top) and the clasp were handmade by Mary. 

Then, I made some components:

And here’s what happened: 

Unfortunately, these photos don’t show the wonderful shadings of blue, pink, and purple in all the different parts of this single strand rope-like necklace, but hopefully, enough of the magic will still come through. 

You can see that I transformed Mary’s focal pendant into a link by gluing a small loop of wire onto the bottom.  Maybe Mary will take the idea for a new product!

The large, glass tube bead is one that I made.  It’s got a white core with blue, lavender and clear swirls. 

The chain component between the heart and the tube is something new I made up, and I’m really excited about it.  It’s made from  6mm glass discs that I bought to use as end caps for my bead crochet ropes when I want to use them as links rather than join the ends as in a bracelet.  For this piece, I just strung them together on Fireline with two jump rings on either end.  I used two colors – a lavender and a transparent gray, random.  Its quick to put together and since the discs are the same diameter as my standard bead crochet, it makes a nice compliment.  And, I sent those same lavender discs to Mary, so I wonder what she did with them?!

On the right side of the rope, I used a handmade glass lentil from my stash that I bought from Whirled Peas and the round links are Mary’s beads.  I changed up part of the clasp so instead of Mary’s copper metal part, I used a small piece of coordinating bead crochet. 

I’ve been so focused, and nervous and excited about my piece, I haven’t even had time to imagine what Mary did with beads I sent to her.  Gotta go find out!

Thanks so much to Lori Anderson for organizing this fun blog event.  I’m so I took the leap and joined in!  And thanks to Mary Harding for the gorgeous beads she gifted me.  I will treasure them always - and, in fact, I have some left, so there will be more coming soon  I really want to dream something special for those coral colored rounds . . .

I’m getting very excited to see all the creations that will be revealed on February 10th at the Bead Soup Virtual Party.  Eighty-four bloggers are playing along; it will probably take me days see them all – and I do want to see them ALL. 

My bead soup came from Mary Harding.  I let the ingredients simmer for a few days and then began to make components -like the way a soup is better if you sauté the onion, carrots, and celery first instead of just throwing it all into the liquid to boil.  I wanted to work Mary’s beads into my style.  I really admire designers like Lori Anderson whose jewelry can range from Goth to romantic to bright and whimsical to organic and subtle.  I am not a designer who is adept at many different looks; rather I am one with a signature style (if I can be so bold as to say that about myself at this point) and I want all of my pieces to be somewhat recognizable within a style.  Right now, I would say that bead crochet is one of my signature components.  So I went at it:

The one in the back is not bead crochet but that piece of rope will be used in a similar way.  That’s all for now!!

I also decided that in honor of my many new blog friends, I am going to do a giveaway – my first ever.  Since I consider this stage of my artistic life to be more about learning and developing skills than about selling, I love to GIVE my jewelry as gifts and surprises.  One gift is the bead crochet bracelet below, and a second winner will get a surprise.  Here’s how you can enter:

1.  Sign up for my RSS feed so we can stay connected after the party ends.

2.  Leave me a comment telling me that you’ve done it. (There must be a way I can see who has subscribed, but I don’t have that piece of technology/knowledge in place yet – so we’re on the honor system!)

3.  I will collect names from the comments and choose one randomly on Monday, February 15 at 12 noon EST.  I will contact the winners and announce it on the blog Monday afternoon or evening. 

4.  Want a second entry?  Blog about my giveaway, leave me a comment with the link to your post, and I’ll put your name into the pot again! 

Good luck everyone!  See you again soon! 

After the art sale at my home in December, it was time to do some giving. 

I gave these bracelets and necklaces to Beit Ahavah for a silent auction in honor of our tenth anniversary.  I am a member of Beit Ahavah, and I serve on the Board of Directors. 

I gave this necklace and bracelet to Thompson’s Gymnastics for a silent auction and a calendar raffle.  My daughter is on the team at Thompsons.

I gave these two necklaces as gifts to women who work with my husband. 

I have some other necklaces and bracelets tucked away for gifts that I haven’t given yet – we like to extend the holiday season well into January, so I’ll show those when I send them off.

I promised my Aunt Alice a bracelet when I saw her at Thanksgiving.  I didn’t forget (I haven’t forgotten the one for you, Roz, either!) – let’s just say, I took my time.  It will go into the mail this week. Aunt Alice said she likes shades of green and olive, shades of peach and coral.  I had this stone in my stash and I don’t remember where I bought it or what it is.

Does anyone recognize the stone?  I  think it’s natural.  The back side has no orange, just a beautiful mottled creme pattern.  The rope is made from four beads: a copper metallic, an AB brown, a lined olive, and a lined tan.  I don’t know how to describe them any better than that.  It’s four beads crocheted on six around.  If you want to understand it better, drop me a note. 

While I was at it for my Aunt Alice, I decided to also make a bracelet for her daughter, my cousin Ariel.  Ariel’s bracelet is the same pattern:  four beads crocheted on six around, but each bead is a different shade of blue.  This picture didn’t really get the color right. The four different blues weave together to make a rope that looks one color (to me) but a color that has movement and texture. I love this pattern, and I am often experimenting with what it can do. Subtle and elegant. This one reminds me of the Mediterranean sea, or at least what I imagine the water is like at a tropical beach. 

Lastly,  while I was on a roll, I whipped up small bracelet for Ariel’s daughter, Aliya.  She just had her fourth b-day.  I love these flowers, but I don’t do them very often because they are kind of a pain to string.  This one has inspired me to do it more often. This bracelet is sooooo sweet. 

Let me know if you want one, and I’ll make you one special. Any color flowers you want! 

How absolutely gorgeous is this bracelet!  I love the purple blue combination of stripes in the bead crochet and the handmade glass bead lays flat on the wrist perfectly.  The small round disk beads are 6mm Czech rondelles which are just the right size to finish off the bead crochet rope with a clean, simple line.  No frilly, flowery bead caps for me!  Many  more like this on the way. What color do you want? 

I’m making great progress on my necklace designs.  I’m doing choker style pieces with links, like the gold one in this photo.  I insert a stiff piece of wire through each bead crochet tube and each bead and then link them together.  I found a lovely gold-plated clasp that I think is just the right size and simplicity to go with the design.  The gemstone beads in the gold necklace are a matte, mottled mustard yellow which makes a really interesting contrast to the more shiny gold in the bead crochet.  

I am especially fond of the black necklace, which is longer and has no clasp.  It slips over the head and can be worn with any segment or bead in the center front.  I like the bead crochet that has all three colors best and I wear it in the front, but different wearers can do it in different ways.  I really like that adaptability and personalization when I think about selling these pieces.  The spiral beads are sterling silver and are sewn in with the same thread that I use for the bead crochet. In this style necklace, the bead crochet remains soft and flexible, unlike the links in the other necklace which are straight and sturdy. 

I really like these two. They work dressed up and dressed down, but because they are gold-ish and silver-ish, they have a certain elegance.  Other necklaces I am working on right now are an aqua blend bead crochet with silver accents in the longer, flexible style of the black necklace, a rainbow necklace with short links of bead crochet and  Lucite beads, and a purple necklace in which the beads are made but I haven’t yet found the right accents beads.  Fun, fun, fun!

Here’s an unfinished project that’s been hanging around for a very long time – a super ugly bead crochet made of random blue size 11 seed beads.  The random thing was intentional, of course, but geez, I have a bit to learn about how to mix colors.  All those beads are blue.  The lightest ones are a pearly baby blue, and I’ve used them other places, but I hate them in there.  There is also a few pinkish, purply beads; I have no idea what I was thinking about those and why they are there.  Probably, I just had some leftover from something else and wanted to use them up, so I threw them in.  Not such a good idea.  I mixed matte and shiny, dark and light, keeping the main color constant, and I’m calling it a flop.  Maybe next time I’ll try keeping all the finishes the same and see what that does. 

So, what am I going to do: throw it away? NO, I can’t bring myself to do that, and I’m not going to give it someone, and I’m not going to offer it for sale, either.  I have to like what put out into the world with my  name and my heart attached.  So, this Friday is Project Redo.  

I cut the cord (literally and metaphorically) and unstrung all the beads.  I separated them into their like groups.  I don’t know how long it took me – maybe an hour, but there is something I find very satisfying about that process.  Call me weird, I know. 

So, I ditched the little pink ones completely, and I decided to add a little more balance by using another light-ish bead; that one on the light is a very light silvery blue, and the one on the left is a silver-lined sapphire (I apologize for my poor photos.  I am still experimenting with different backgrounds and light sources).

As far as design, I decided on what I call horizontal stripes, which means I interrupt the spiral stripes by changing colors every six beads.  In a typical bead crochet pattern, it looks like this: 6A, 6B, 6C, etc, as opposed to six spiral stripes which looks like this: 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F.  I know this may be confusing.  I’ll do a post about patterns sometime soon. 

Here’s how it turned out, and I’m delighted.  I love the new look. The lights are more balanced and don’t look out of place at all.  I made the stripes twelve beads thick and I kept the order of stripes random.  I’ll post a photo of the final finished bracelet when I get there.    So, worth it!