2mm!!!!!!
posted on Friday, 22 December 2006
Visited the Imax cinema today to watch 'Happy Feet' in 2d and 'Santa vs the Snowman' in 3d. Then headed to China own for lunch, visited a fair in Leicester Square where I was petrified on the chairoplanes. Then had a nice walk back through Trafalgar Square- it's great to play tourist in London- especially with friends and family.
Still working on my new beaded beads- my wooden beads came and the 25mm ones are perfect-to the mm! I'm now playing around with the colours and designs to see what different effects I can create. My mind is also busy whirring as to what I can do with the 40mm wooden beads I bought.
I happened to be looking something up on a website the other day and discovered the new Swarovski 2mm beads! Of course I was immediately excited by all the prospects and at bead group on Saturday bought some, in black diamond, and they're perfect for filling the spaces where I join the shapes that make up the beaded beads.
Charms
posted on Friday, 15 December 2006
Had a wonderful week at a jewellery making course at Central St Martins College in London. The theme was 'charm bracelets' and my finished piece is pictured.
We covered a range of different techniques, including soldering, Perspex carving, wax carving and lost wax casting, doming and stone setting. It was great to spend a whole week absorbed in making something with no interruptions.
The theme of my bracelet is '2006' and all the charms are related to events in my year.
The charms included are:
- A mouse made using wax carving and casting, then a tail soldered on.
- a red cross carved from perspex, along with a tag cut from silver and then stamped with '2006'.
- A book made using wax carving and casting, engraved with Hobo symbols.
- A textured and domed piece of silver I soldered a bezel to and set a Turquoise stone in.
- A textured pentagon shaped piece of silver I soldered a bezel to and set a green stone in.
- A triangular, patterned piece of silver that was made using wax carving and casting.
- A heart formed from wire and hammered.
It also includes two charms I didn't make:
- A coin I brought back from Thailand.
- A bought charm of the John Hancock Centre I brought back from Chicago after going to the Bead and Button Show.
Beaded Beads
posted on Monday, 11 December 2006
I'm working away on a new series of beaded beads. Again more geometrics, but this time with added crystals or firepolished beads.
It took quite a few attempts to get the maths right and them all fitting together nicely, but now they’re under way I can see myself getting addicted to these very easily.
These were originally planned to go over 20mm wooden balls but have grown- I haven’t been able to track down any larger wooden beads in the UK so I have had to order 25, 30, 35 and 40mm wooden beads from France- so fingers crossed for me that one of them fits!
A Weekend Of Culture
posted on Monday, 04 December 2006
Went away for the weekend- and very nice it was too! On Saturday we went to see Peter Layton at the London Glassblowing studios. I am in love with glass and it was fantastic to see him working with it. I first saw in real life glassblowing in New Orleans in 2001 and was blown away watching them work. It is truly amazing to watch people in control of this amazing material and turning it into something beautiful. We watched Peter produce the most amazing Giraffe head, drank mulled wine and ate mince pies- it doesn’t get better than that!
On Sunday we went to the Tate Britain and viewed the Turner Prize entrants. I love modern art and am open to all different types of art but felt this was all a bit Emperor's New Clothes.
I also managed to finish my beaded collar I started a few weeks ago and I'm pleased to say it turned out even nicer than I expected- completely different from my original inspiration of course!
Also this week I received back my PMC Star Ornaments that I made using a kit from The PMC Studio. You made the ornaments and they fired and polished them all included in the cost. I had fun making them and was delighted with how nice they looked when finished- they'll look great on my Christmas Tree!
London Glassblowing studio
Turner Prize 2006
Glassblowing in New Orleans
Oak Tree at the Tate
The artist's words
More Triangles
posted on Monday, 27 November 2006
Began work on a new triangular bracelet. This one is all in greens and once again it’s given me so many ideas for new projects- if only I had more time!
Hearts All Around
posted on Monday, 20 November 2006
Taught my wirework projects class at the weekend for the first time. Great class and nice to see some people I haven't seen for a while- as well as those I've seen more recently!
Been playing around with my heart clasp and made another pendant with it. This one goes at the front of one of my Caged Beads series and uses some of the same beads as in the necklace as dangles.
You can see both in future issues of Bead Magazine.
Herringbone Beaded Beads
posted on Monday, 13 November 2006
Busy this week updating the website- redoing all photos and words, adding series etc. I hope you agree it looks good!
Visited Elle-Art in Ruislip on Friday- nice to see Ellie Travis the owner. As well as beads the shop also sells mosaic bits- and she had some lovely mosaics on the walls. I was really tempted to do some more mosaicing but had to resist! The colours of the tiles were great though, some really lovely subtle colours and earth tones.
Also been busy this week beading some beaded beads and turning them into a necklace. It's nice playing around with colours, especially as I don't really use blues. I often use turquoises, teals etc but not blue.
Roladex Beginnings
posted on Monday, 06 November 2006
I've always been fascinated by rolodexes- I probably watched too many American detective films growing up!
So when I first saw Cynthia Toops' Rolodex series of polymer clay bracelets I knew I had to try one in beads. So last week I finally started it. My first samples are shown in the picture.
My original palette was going to be white with multi-coloured candy cane edges but when i was choosing beads I went with black and greens.
I'm not entirely happy with the sample as the basis for my rolodex work as the matte beads I used grip each other too much and don't give me the movement I want. So I may try it again in shiny beads or do it a completely different way. I do like the sample enough to turn it into something else though- so watch this space!
To see some of Cynthia's work click the links below or buy the 400 Polymer Clay Designs book from Lark Books.
Cynthia Toops and Dan Adams website
Lapidary Journal article on Cynthia Toops and Dan Adams
Mobilia Gallery
Another Place
posted on Monday, 30 October 2006
Went to see Antony Gormley's 'Another Place' on Friday. I had been reading about it on the BBC website and following the progress of the planning permission case. Knowing it was going to go soon and loving his other work I was desperate to go and see it.
I got directions and a time guide from the internet- 208 miles and 3½ hours was what it reckoned. So we realised it would take a bit longer- 4½ say. Off we set, nice and late, of course, and promptly sat in traffic for 6½ hours!
In the end we were racing the sun and desperately trying to get there before it was too dark to see anything!
We got there at 6.30- the sun had gone down and there was the last few bits of light left for us to see it by- but it was worth it. As soon as I walked over the sand dunes and saw the figures I was shocked at how striking they were. They seemed sad, frightened and determined all at the same time, especially the main one we saw up close, number 88, who's pictured. His feet were submerged which made it look like he couldn't get away if he wanted to. They must have been amazing to come across if you weren't expecting them- 100 figures standing on a beach, spread out over miles, all facing out to sea.
In the end we could only stay for around 20 minutes as it was almost pitch dark black and we has to find our way back over the dunes and across the little causeway we were worried would be covered as the tide came in. You can see in the photo how dark it was then.
We headed straight home, which fortunately only took us around 4 hours. So over ten hours sitting in the car to spend 20 minutes looking at the sculptures- was it worth it? I thought so!
Unfinished And Undecided
posted on Monday, 23 October 2006
Bead group on Saturday so it was nice to catch up with everyone. I'm still working on a geometric piece I started a few weeks ago 3.4.2. I've decided to leave it aside for the moment until I'm happy with how I can to continue with it.
Spent the week designing a necklace with a netted centrepiece. Making the necklace didn't take long- deciding how to finish it has taken hours. Here it is in the picture uncompleted, next to 3.4.2.
I now know how I want to finish it – just need to go and buy the beads!
Busy, Busy
posted on Monday, 16 October 2006
Had a really busy week- Visited Ashdown Publishers to discuss the magazine and take photos. Set off at 6.30am and got home just after 9pm so a long day but we got a lot done.
Up early the next morning for paperwork and phone calls and then headed off to the Knitting and Stitching show at Alexandra Palace- where I was quite restrained- not like me at all! I think I've just spent far too much on beads this year- now if I could just stop buying books! I was very tempted by lots of yarn that I saw but am determined not to buy any more until I use up what I already have. Did buy lots of nice sequins though- and ginger chocolates- Julie you're a bad influence! Went out for Thai which was great- got there in time for happy hour!
I taught a wirework class on Saturday. I love teaching wirework as it's guaranteed that people will finish some pieces to take home and you can really follow everyone's progression throughout the day.
Unfortunately I realised my samples of one of the pairs of earrings we do in the class have gone walkabouts so I had to remake them. I made two pairs, one hammered with texture, and one just hammered flat.
You can see the earrings and some of my new sequins stash in the pic.
Harrow Bead Fair
posted on Monday, 09 October 2006
Harrow Bead Fair yesterday. Managed to buy some great books- lots on beading etc but also two on kaleidoscopes that are great. It was nice to see lots of new sellers there and different things. It was packed and we didn't manage to see everything but I came away happy. I went with two friends, one of whom is going to write a diary piece on the fair for the magazine so we took lots of photos.
Here you can see some of the books I bought.
New Job And Crochet Blocks
posted on Monday, 02 October 2006
I have just started as the Editor of a new UK beading magazine so am very busy with that. Have been busy this week making some pieces and writing articles to go into the first issue.
I've resolved to take at least an hour off each day to just bead or crochet and sit and watch tv- trying to stop working 'til 1am everyday- not easy.
So this week my never ending crochet blanket has actually had some new squares added- that hasn't happened since June!
