Fabulous Fringes
posted on Tuesday, 13 May 2008
Yay- all my hard work has paid off and my Fabulous Fringes instructions are now available to download.
These have been a real labour of love and I completely re-worked and re-wrote all of the instructions, redid all the photos, drew 97 new diagrams and had great fun re-visiting the project which I hadn't looked at in a while.
The tutorial uses square and peyote stitch and whilst full instructions are included, if you want extra help then I now have square stitch and even count peyote stitch instructions available as free downloads.
If RSS feeds makes sense to you, they are available on this site for my blog, patterns & instructions and classes so you can always keep up to date with new items.
Busy Weekend
posted on Monday, 12 May 2008
Had a busy weekend teaching my Wirework class on Saturday and then my Viking Weave class on Sunday. Both of them thoroughly enjoyable.
I especially love Viking Weave as between classes I forget just how nice a technique it is- really relaxing to sit and do- your mind ends up wandering all around the world whilst you're sitting there creating!
I managed to finish a bracelet in the class- the weave was done in copper and I finished it using Sterling Silver findings as I liked the contrast.
Copper findings used to be almost impossible to get hold of in the UK but are thankfully a lot more easily available now- a simple google search threw up the following just on the first page for anyone looking for some:
EJR Beads
The Bead Scene
Coral Stone
Bead Addict
Don't forget Beads Direct's competition- entries need to be in by 30th June- so get making!
Back To Black
posted on Thursday, 08 May 2008
Back home and back to work.
I have a busy week ahead with the last pages of the next issue of Bead to finalise, two weeks worth of emails to catch up on, two classes this weekend and lots and lots of instructions to finalise and proof- and some beading to squeeze in.
I'm still working away on my next geometric piece and am really enjoying the monochromatic scheme.
Farewell Cornwall
posted on Friday, 02 May 2008
Last full day in Cornwall so making the most of it and spending the day wandering around St Ives, checking out galleries and buying pictures.
Whilst wandering we re-discovered these wonderful bin stores. I know William Morris said "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful" and it's great to see design which fits both!
There's got to be a way I can use them in a design.
Beading Class
posted on Thursday, 01 May 2008
It's not often I get to go to a beading class so I always enjoy doing one when I'm on holiday.
GJ Beads in Cornwall run classes every week- really nice 2 hour ones where you can sit down, bead, buy and chat- what more could anyone want!?!
Last week I went ,but did my own thing, so this week I thought I'm shut my brain down for a bit and do the class- a netted lariat. Netting isn't a stitch I do often and I very rarely design my own pieces with it- I think the last one I did was a big netted collar for Bead last year (I must get it photographed and on here!)
I really enjoyed doing the class and sitting and chatting- great fun all round- and the best thing was I managed to finish my necklace and not have to come home with a UFO- I've still not fully finished the piece I started at a class there last year!
More Monochrome
posted on Wednesday, 30 April 2008
After finishing my latest geometric piece yesterday I dove straight into another monochrome one. This is to be a new version of Geometric 2.8.1 (Collar For A Rangoli Girl) - which very excitingly has been juried into Bead Dreams 2008!
I also began a new project inspired by stars and some silver star hoop earrings I wear most days. Look out for it at some point in Bead and on here- I'll let you know when.
Figuring out the stars took a few hours which I did at a bead group/ class at GJ Beads in Cornwall. It's a lovely 2-hour class where you can either do the project on offer or your own thing. I just went for the afternoon today but next week will spend the whole day beading- something to look forward to!
Geometric 3-4-5
posted on Tuesday, 29 April 2008
Wow- I'm on a beading roll!
One of my new year resolutions was to finish at least 1 geometric piece a month- and I've actually done it (ok, we'll ignore the fact that I haven't managed the other 3!)
This is my 4th geometric piece so far this year and tomorrow I'll begin my 5th- I'm going to be overwhelmed by these by the end of the year- hopefulyy
Some very exciting news just in- I'm going to be judging Bead Direct's Creative Challenge- see the full details here- so get beading!
Wirework And Websites
posted on Thursday, 10 April 2008
Sitting here in very cold France having fun playing with wire for the first time in a long time.
I've also managed to fit in some beading and my latest geometric piece is that bit nearer completion- a good week all round.
When not beading or wiring (or dodging snowballs coming through windows!) I'm working hard on some diagrams for the next set of instructions which will be available for download. These will be my Fabulous Fringes which is a class I haven't taught in a while but I still get a lot of requests for.
I have decided to re-do all the diagrams and re-structure all the instructions and am really enjoying re-visiting the series- you never know I might even get out all those unfinished fringed pieces and actually get around to finishing them- well, stranger things have happened!
On a delightful note my friend, and one of my beading heroes, Suzanne Golden, finally has her new website up and running. If you want to see an example of beadwork at its best do check it out- truly outstanding.
Dan Cormier, who I took a fantastic Polymer Clay class with a few years ago, also now has a website- check it out to see some of the most amazing work you'll ever see!
I was also pleased to receive my contributor's copy of 'Beading with Pearls' from Lark Books. As with all their books it's a beautiful publication and I'm really pleased to have two projects in it.
Phew
posted on Wednesday, 02 April 2008
Well I finally finished my latest piece. This has been a work in progress for many months now and it's a huge relief to have it all done.
To reward myself I bought a lovely piece of work from Janet Clare. I can't wait to receive it and put it up on the wall.
