I wrote the other day about my love for 'technically clever' beadwork and the bangle I'm currently working on is a perfect example of that.

I have already beaded a bangle and a pendant in this new series of 'Suspension' beadwork and although they were both finished fairly recently the actual idea has been sampled and brewing in my mind for many years now.

Even though the design may seem simple, the structure that holds it all together needs some little tricks done when making it so that the finished piece works, keeps its tension and looks good. All of those technical tricks are not apparent to anyone looking at the finished piece but I know they're there and I'm proud of them knowing how much time was spent perfecting them.

It's those things I love about beadwork - solving all those little problems which appear when you try to translate what's in your mind into 3-dimensional realities. Sometimes the fixes are obvious and leap into your head right away. Sometimes they're not so obvious and can take years to be discovered. Sometimes, annoyingly, they can be obvious yet take years to go 'zing' in your brain. That's frustrating but when they do work it's worth it.

These ideas will be projects in May at Beads By Blanche in New Jersey and also elsewhere throughout the year... keep an eye out for dates.