Sparkly Viking Weave
posted on Sunday, 30 September 2007
Taught my Viking Weave class yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed it.
It's such a great technique and everyone managed to get it easily and whizz along making their pieces.
One person finished a bracelet in the class and another a necklace- and already today I've heard from two others who went home and have finished necklaces!
I began adding some crystals to this necklace in class and couldn't wait to finish it when I got it- lots of colourful sparkle!
Circus School
posted on Saturday, 22 September 2007
After last week's burlesque day this Saturday was spent at Circus School!
I have been before, about 5 years ago, but got a lot more out of it this time.
We began with the flying trapeze then moved on to acrobatic balancing, juggling and tight-rope walking before breaking for lunch.
When we returned we went on to doing the diabolo, static trapeze, stilt walking and some acrobatic tumbling before we all got together and made a big human pyramid!
When I went before I hated the static trapeze (well maybe more I couldn't do it!) but loved it this time. Would love to do some more of that, along with stilt-walking (which I couldn't believe I could do) and the diabolo. I have previously done poi-spinning (and hope to do some more soon) and loved it, so the diabolo really appealed.
My new Sampler arrived today with lots of nice cards, scented things, badges etc and a new necklace from Wabisabi Brooklyn!
Warner Textile Archive
posted on Tuesday, 18 September 2007
Had a fantastic day out at the Warner Textile Archive in Braintree, Essex.
If you're a fan of colour, pattern or textiles then you have to visit this place. Full of thousands of textiles, sketches, pictures etc you're soon overwhelmed by all the beauty and you mind gets overloaded with inspiration and ideas.
The textile pictured is just one of the many pieces I fell in love with. Look out for lots of pieces inspired by what I saw coming over the next year!
Burlesque Weekend
posted on Monday, 17 September 2007
Just got back from a lovely weekend away. On Saturday we visited The Volupte Lounge for Afternoon Tease. A great event, lots of beautiful women, cocktails, pots of tea, cakes and scones with clotted cream- not many better ways to spend an afternoon- even worth missing bead group for! In fact it's worth going to just to see Tallulah Mockingbird or any other Gateaux Vivant.
I'm still working away on my crochet skirt. It was the London Crochet Meet-up last Thursday and I'm determined to be able to wear it to the next one on the 27th September- have your fingers crossed for me!
Cuff Still In Progress
posted on Wednesday, 12 September 2007
I'm still working away on my cuff bracelet. In between crocheting, viking weave and wirework, I'm managing to squeeze some beading in!
I got an email from Trudy today in the Netherlands who also makes embroidered cab bracelets, check out her website to see some great work.
I've recently added two new classes for next year. One is based on my Geometric Beadwork Series and one on my Bead Embroidered Cuffs. These will be the first 2-part classes I've taught and I'm delighted they're booking up already!
New Wirework Bracelet
posted on Saturday, 08 September 2007
I taught my wirework class today and came home all inspired to get out my wire and beads.
I managed to perfect a bracelet which has been whirring around my head for a while. I wanted to make something which took advantage of how bicone crystals 'fit together' and combine that with basic wirework for something anyone can make, with an integral clasp
In the photo you can see some of my samples in copper and silver.
Gnome All Done
posted on Friday, 07 September 2007
I managed to finish my gnome and he's very happy living on top of the TV with his mushroom and flower.
Viking Weave
posted on Thursday, 06 September 2007
I finished a new Viking Weave necklace today as a sample for my class at the end of the month. It's a great technique that's really easily and fun to learn, and is also for those days when you want to make something but don't want to concentrate or follow a pattern!
London Crochet Meetup
posted on Friday, 31 August 2007
Went to the London Crochet Meetup (or here for the blog) for the first time last night- and really enjoyed myself. It was a great group, doing a range of crocheting and knitting, including someone doing an amigurumi cat- a lady after my own heart!
The lady concerned was Michelle Ryan who happens to teach the crochet classes I was interested in attending. So I picked her brains about the classes and will be on the phone later signing up for them!
I also picked Michelle's brains about my new yarn purchases- I went to John Lewis and bought enough wool to make a skirt from this book and a skirt from Viva La Provence skirt from an old issue of Interweave Crochet. They'll be my first crochet project where size and gauge is actually important- not like my usual amigurumi or scarves- very nerve-wracking! Michelle was obviously the font of all crochet knowledge and I'm eagerly awaiting the course now.
The meetup is run by Helda who also runs a great blog on food and cooking from the Seychelles and another foodie one - I recommend them all!
I spent the evening starting my new crocheted gnome- so far I've done his head and beard!
New Look To Cuff
posted on Thursday, 30 August 2007
After looking at my new cuff I've decided I'm happy with the colour of beads I'm using, but not the use of the two different colours of gemstones! So I've taken the green ones off and have replaced them with turquoise pieces.
New Cuff Begun
posted on Tuesday, 28 August 2007
Straight on with my new cuff today. Although it's only a very early work in progress, it's already been through some changes.
I wanted to do this new one in blues, then of course wanted to add in some of my favourite turquoises and teals.
Then I remembered some great square beads I had in my stash so wanted to add a couple of them. Of course, once I got the beads out I decided I wanted to use lots of them! Next, once I'd glued them onto the backing I decided to maybe add in some brown...
So here you can see where I've got to so far. I'm experimenting with the colour combinations I want to use to stitch around the beads and although I started this last night I decided to leave it until i could see it properly in day-light to make my final decision. Watch this space over the next few weeks to see what I've decided- or if it changes again!
Received my copy of the new Bead and Button magazine today, which includes a Bead Dreams supplement. It was great to see my bracelet in there and get a chance to see all the winners. As always there's some amazing work in there. Someone kindly sent me this link today (or here to take you direct to my bracelet) where you can see my bracelet on the Bead and Button website (thank you Jennifer!)
Big Cuff All Done
posted on Monday, 27 August 2007
I finally managed to finish my new embroidered cuff today. I wanted something a bit more glitzy- and I sure got it!
You can see a back view of the cuff here.
Red Cuff finished
posted on Sunday, 26 August 2007
I began this cuff back in July and although the beading only took a couple of evening, it's taken me this long to turn it into a finished piece.
I'm in love with making these cuffs and sitting and playing with bead colours- so straight on with the next one!
Baby Owl All Done
posted on Tuesday, 21 August 2007
Yay- the family is now complete!
Crocheted Cherries
posted on Monday, 20 August 2007
How cute is this?
A brooch with crochet and cherries- does it get any better?
Yet More Crochet
posted on Sunday, 19 August 2007
Bead group today and I finished mummy owl!
I'd forgotten just how much I loved crochet and am really enjoying doing it. Of course now my head is whirring with lots of ideas for clothes and jewellery and combining it with my beading!
But don't worry, I haven't abandoned beading, I'm still working away on my new cuff and have nearly finished filling in all the back ground beads.
New Favourites
posted on Saturday, 18 August 2007
Received my latest sampler today and it contained the most beautiful necklace- how chuffed am I?!
It's from Wabisabi Brooklyn who make lovely decoupaged jewellery- well worth checking out if you have a jewellery fetish similar to mine.
I've been web browsing, for a change, and here are just a few of the great things I've found:
Hate mail greetings- How much do you want to send out some of these?
Artist's Survival Kit- such a great idea from Keri Smith. Anyone's who's spending their time trying to live and work combining a creative life will relate to it!
Louise Hill's blog - showcasing not only her work, but also some great work by other artists. You'll spend many happy hours following the links. Also check out her Fun With Colour blog for lots of colour inspiration.
Colour Lovers website and blog - does it get better than this?
Sanna Annukka - for wonderful prints. I have my eye on two of these and can't make up my mind which one to choose.
Product of God- for limited edition prints etc I especially like some of the work by Beck and Genevieve Gauckler.
La Fille Du Consul and blog - work by a French artist who creates work resembling food and plants. You may need Babelfish to help you view the site.
Marimekko - for great patterns and colours to inspire.
Beadwork by Frany - a French beader who creates the most amazing work.
Eye Bead Necklace Finished
posted on Tuesday, 14 August 2007
I finally manged to finish my Eye Bead Necklace that I started a while back. I really enjoyed choosing the colours for each 'bead' and am now busy making these as individual beads for another piece.
More Crochet And Surprise Awards
posted on Monday, 13 August 2007
Got a great email out of the blue last week. I'd entered the Bead Art Awards back in March and then completely forgot about it.
Well I was delighted to hear that Geometric 3-4-2 came 1st in the bracelets category, and Geometric 3-4-1 came 2nd! As well as that, a set of my Geometric Beaded Beads came 1st in the mixed media category!
It was a real surprise and just what I needed after coming home from France to a burst radiator and flooded house!
More crochet this week, I finished my snails and mushroom and now just need to make my set of owls to complete the set- though of course I've now bought the Gnome Kit- I just couldn't resist!
Lille And Snails
posted on Friday, 03 August 2007
Had a lovely day visiting Lille. We went to the Palais De beaux Arts (or here) which is an amazing building. There was a great exhibition on 'colour' which featured a piece by Anish Kapoor who is a wonderful sculptor. If you get a chance, the Museum is really worth a visit, even just to see the staircases and mosaic work.
We then walked to the "Furet Du Nord" supposedly the largest bookshop in Europe, where I managed to buy some nice books on crocheted jewellery and redwork embroidery.
Yesterday was market day in Hesdin, so we had a wander around and looked at all the lovely shops, food stalls etc.
I've started crocheting my mummy snail, so we'll see how far I get before I have to come back home.
Le Touquet
posted on Wednesday, 01 August 2007
With 'beach huts' that look like these, how could you not fall in love with Le Touquet?
Spent a lovely day on the beach, wandering around the shops and generally chilling out. It's years since I've been here, but it's just as nice as I remembered.
Something To Think About And Crocheted Goldfish
posted on Tuesday, 31 July 2007
I'm having a lovely time in sunny France! Getting to catch up on lots of reading and have also started crocheting away. I've so far managed to finish my goldfish- just the snails and owls to go- God bless Etsy!
I took part in a fascinating talk with Tim McCreight last Friday night. It was hosted by the Precious Metal Clay Guild and took place at the London Metropolitan University. The talk mainly centred around themes such as:
professional vs amateur
what does hobbyist mean- and is it a derogatory term?
self-taught versus taught etc.
It was a really fascinating evening, and Tim had some very interesting comments on the subjects. I think his best one was- when talking about the subject of production work (a hot topic in all areas of beading and jewellery making) how he had previously not liked the idea etc until one day he told himself to 'get over it'- fantastic advice for many people.
There seems to be the idea that the use of production work etc devalues an art of a craft. I don't see that. I think not only is there plenty of room for all different scales of work and ways of working, but that it really isn't anyone's place to tell someone else how to work. How someone works is their individual decision and there are any number of reasons people make the choices they do- and that's their decision.
As to the idea of devaluing an art or craft- did Rembrandt's or Henry Moore's use of assistants mean we all have no respect now for painters or sculptors? Or did it mean that their work was able to be shared with a wider audience who may not have had access to it otherwise? Does the use of prints by an artist (many of whom do not make the individual prints) devalue their original artwork, or bring affordable artwork to the 'masses'?
I think it's a really interesting subject, and one that has blown up in recent years with artists such as Damien Hirst using assistants, and even his children, openly. You can read more here.
Anyway, back to happier subjects- France and holidays! I've got lots planned for the rest of the week so check back soon to see what I'm up to.
Inspired By...
posted on Wednesday, 25 July 2007
I manged to finish a new Peyote Stitch bracelet today. It was inspired by a scarf I bought recently and will feature as a project in Issue 8 of Bead Magazine. I finished it on the train to Arundel where I go to visit the publishers and take photos for the magazine.
It's been ages since I've beaded a flat, patterned panel and I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed it. The satisfaction as those cylinder beads click into place is great!
Cultured Day
posted on Monday, 23 July 2007
Endured in bit of culture today. Went to the 'Crafting Beauty in Modern Japan' exhibition at The British Museum. You can see some more items pictured here. I absolutely fell in love with Tokuda Yasokichi III's 'Genesis' bowl- so beautiful in real life.
I treated myself to two new books on colour and have decided to embark on a bit of a colour themed challenge- check back for more details once I hammer them out and actually get started- need to clear a backlog of unfinished projects first! and of course now my Amigurumi kits have arrived so I'm desperate to start them!
Went to bead group on Saturday and had a lovely day catching up with everyone and getting some beading done. I've begun a new bead embroidery cuff which I'm really pleased with. it uses some lovely Serpentine cabochons I bought at a Rock 'n' Gem show last year.
The Wanderer Returns
posted on Friday, 20 July 2007
She's been on her travels, but Geometric 3-4-1 came back to me today- along with a great ribbon!
Another Herringbone Beaded Rope
posted on Sunday, 15 July 2007
Yay- my herringbone experiment has worked!
This is one of those projects that whirls around your head for so long and you come back to it every now and then. I originally started this about 3 years ago and whilst beading my recent Herringbone Rope Necklace I thought I'd finally figured out how I wanted to make it. It was tricky as I knew I wanted to mix herringbone and peyote stitch.
So, some more experiements ensued and last night I cracked it and got the look I wanted. Now I just need to finish beading it and work out how on earth I can explain how it was done?
Still on a colour and design theme this week. Along with my constant Etsy watching, I'm now spending hours browsing some great design blogs.
I think my favourites are Dear Ada, Design Sponge and Oh Joy! You can spend hours clicking on all the links and checking out so many great design and colour ideas- so if you're a terrible procrastinator- as I am- don't look!
Of course I'm finding lots of great jewellery that I want- so far I'm being restrained but the more I see pieces like these by Alex Monroe or Natalia Brilli - the more my resolve weakens!
Etsy Addict
posted on Thursday, 12 July 2007
Ok- am I the only person completely addicted to Etsy? Surely I can't be?!?!
If you're looking for high-quality, hand-made beautiful items; it doesn't get better than this site! None of your quick-sale, lowest bid gets the items stuff- instead pages and pages of beautiful, covetable pieces.
I first discovered Etsy two years ago when I was looking for a present for someone. But it took a few months until I took the plunge and bought my first item- a set of Amigurumi (my other not so secret addiction) patterns.
Since then I've bought a painting and now this week some Amigurumi kits. Of course I have lots of favourite sellers who I keep an eye on- but surely the best has to be Natty Jewels. I can't get enough of those lovely Stokie jewellery makers!
I have become colour obsessed this week- my herringbone bracelet last week has set me off! I started work tonight on a new bead embroidery cuff bracelet, which is what's pictured. No size 15s for me though- bigger beads, sequins and shisha mirrors all the way!
I want to get this one finished and crack on with the next one- but of course my herringbone piece has sparked off more than a colour theme.. it re-ignited my love for this stitch and I went back through all my note books and samples and think I have come up with the way to bead something I actually started 3 years ago.. check back soon to see how I'm getting on!
Felting
posted on Friday, 06 July 2007
I spent the day with Liz Thornton today and had fun photographing her felt beads project for the next issue of Bead Magazine. I came home eager to get my felt out and make some of my own. Once I'd made them, all I had to do was embellish and string them to have my own funky felt bracelet.
I used to do a lot of felting but haven't for so long- it really is great fun- so tactile and you can play around with colours and textures.
