Work in Progress: Spiral Daisies

As promised I have moved on from herringbone fringe necklaces, but I wasn’t quite ready to give up on fringe yet. Not only is it really satisfying to make fringe, but I’ve been in the mood to use up not just my favorite accent beads, but some of the less-than-versatile Czech seed beads as well. One of my goals for this year was to be a little less picky about culling Czech beads, and fringe gives me the freedom to just go ahead and use seed beads that are just a little bit wonky.

I really wanted to try out some of the millefiori beads that I picked up at a thrift store about a year ago, so I started with a strand of black rounds with a daisy motif and worked up from there. A spiral rope lariat would allow me to incorporate a daisy pattern while also using up a hank of green seed beads that has been sitting in my stash since making the blue-green ombre project from Ancient Worlds Modern Beads. So far things are going really well, and I can’t wait to get started on the tassels.

The Egyptian stripe necklace from last week turned out really nice. I was worried about the pattern being a bit much, but once it was complete and the accents added on, things really came together. I tried something new for the fringe this time around, and matched the top of each loop to the beadwork base. I’m not sure if I love it completely, but it may come in handy for future projects without so many colors in play.

What are you making right now?

Mortira

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Copyright 2016 Inspirational Beading

Work in Progress: Trade Bead Lariat

This week I’m taking a little creative break and making something just for the fun of it. I’ve been craving an African Christmas bead project for months now, and I decided to just go ahead and make a quick chevron lariat with lots of colorful, stripey fringe. It took a little time to come up with a palette that I liked. It’s always tricky to decide which colors in a mix to highlight, but I finally decided on cherry red with a hint of cobalt. I’ll be sure to go heavy on the yellow when the time comes to add the trade beads.

I’ve also got some shell beads and other accents on deck for an upcoming tutorial prototype that I hope turns out the way I’m envisioning it. I’ve been working on a series of nautical and beach inspired tutorials in collaboration with Blueberry Cove Beads. The first design, a Nautical Three-Strand Pendant, was a nice departure from my usual projects. I had a blast putting it together!

What are you making this week?

Mortira

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Copyright 2016 Inspirational Beading

Work in Progress: Bone Lariat

I’m a little behind in this week’s update, having lost an entire day of work due to illness. Although I’ve been scrambling to catch up the last couple of days, I have managed to keep projects moving forward. Right now I’m getting down to a new chevron lariat, and it’s coming along rather nicely.

I decided it was finally time to try out my new bone tube beads. I had already played with color palettes a bit, so choosing the colors was easy. I threw in some gold pearls at the last minute as well, which should look great in the tassels. Finding a pattern took a little more work. At first I was just going to use black beads in the corners of the chevrons, but I didn’t like how it looked and had to start over. Instead, I’m using a new pattern with alternating rows in the center of the chain. The possibilities for adapting this stitch are still pretty exciting.

I also managed to dismantle a few of my purged pieces, and got some pretty pendants to re-use. As an added bonus, I was able to keep the beadwork from that particular necklace intact, so I've got a new piece to wear and some extra components at the same time. The new medallion with emerald Toho triangles is still on deck, waiting for me to be a little less distracted so I can finish it.

The dragonfly dagger collar I was working on a few weeks ago turned out really nice. The AB finish on most of the beads work so well together, and really enhance the Picasso finish of the daggers. I still have a few of them left, and I’m looking forward to using them again.

What are you making this week?

Copyright 2015 Inspirational Beading
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Work in Progress: Belated Lariat

Although I was prepared for having very little time to bead this past December, I had no idea just how long I would end up going without picking up a needle and Fireline. Way back in the very first week of December, I shared a quick look at one of the final pieces in the Egyptian Gods series. The lariat that I had started for Shu is still not complete, although now that I’ve got my groove back, it should finished by tomorrow.

Knowing that I’d be way behind in finishing this year’s challenge doesn’t make it any easier to accept that I’ve missed a deadline. I was already a little sad that I would have to break with tradition by not making the final design in a rainbow palette (unless I have time for one more Isis necklace). If I work really hard, and it doesn’t take long to complete my entry into this year’s Ugly Necklace Contest, I should be able to start my 2014 challenge by the end of January. Wish me luck!

What projects are you planning for this year?

Copyright 2014 Inspirational Beading
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Work in Progress: Breezy Lariat

The ombre project for the Egyptian God Shu is coming along slowly but surely. Beading time is always pinched down to a minimum at this time of year, but I’m getting in as much as I can. After choosing colors for this piece last week, I decided to go with simplicity and make a lariat for Shu. I concluded that the extra long beadwork allow the palette to really shine, and I could use the striped beads for fringe.

It took six or seven attempts to get the pattern just right. I tried several different ways of blending the colors, and even switched from Capri blue Czech beads to cobalt Miyukis, but there was far too much contrast between them and the aqua. I finally had to give up and work the pattern without dark blue, but it may still make an appearance in the tassels.

The previous Egyptian Gods piece, Sekhmet turned out fabulous. I’ll need to set aside some time to get her posted as well!

What are you working on this week?

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading
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Desert Fringe Lariat

Things are finally getting back to normal in my workspace after a great craft show weekend. This means that tons of new ideas are piling up, while fresh designs are slowly making their way into my shops. I finished my latest Egyptian Gods piece just in time for the show, and although I didn’t get to see it find its owner yet, I’m happy to be able to share it now.

I’ve created several chevron lariats throughout this year’s challenge, each with their own unique variations. One thing that tied them all together was the presence of blues. It was very refreshing to try the design out on a totally new color palette, with some interesting accents as well.

For Set, the god of chaos and barren deserts, I started with a simple black chevron chain, with accents of opaque pepper red. Red is Set’s color, but I didn’t want to overdo it. I had already decided on using some African Christmas beads in the fringe, and a neutral background was just the thing to bring out all the colors and lovely stripes.

I ended up pushing back a design for the sun god Ra in order to get this lariat finished in time, and I’ve decided to put it off yet again. I’ll be moving through some of the other gods first, and saving Ra for the end of the challenge. I already have a design in mind, and as it’s going to be a big one, I think it will make a great finale.

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading
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Work in Progress: Chaos Lariat

It seems like the closer I get to craft fair day, the less free time I have to bead. I lost a few days working on Halloween costumes (totally worth it), and one to falling asleep instead of staying up to bead (not really worth it). Even though things are now feeling really rushed, I’ve decided to go ahead and work on one more lariat for the collection, and hopefully I’ll have enough time to whip up a few more rings and pendants, too.

This piece is inspired by the Egyptian god Set. It took awhile to decide on a palette and proportions, but I finally went with mostly black and red accents for the main beadwork. I’ve got some really great black and white bone beads for the fringe, along with a handful of bold and colorful African Christmas beads.

What are you working on this week?

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading
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Sculptor’s Lariat

It’s hard to believe that this year’s beading challenge is nearly finished - it still feels as if I’m just getting started. I’ve got 9 more Egyptian Gods to work with by the end of the year, including a few of my favorites.

Last week I put the finishing touches on a new chevron lariat for Ptah, the patron of artists and craftsmen. With his distinctive blue skull cap, I couldn’t resist using an abundance of cobalt white-hearts. To represent both gold and pottery, I added some terracotta and Autumn Tucson for accents, and the trio worked out really well. Since white hearts often have smaller bead holes, a stitch with few thread passes is ideal, and so I went with chevron chain once again. The beadwork comes out so slinky, it's definitely among my favorite techniques for necklaces.

I thought that scarabs would make great accents for the god of art, as well as a few carved bone tubes. The tribal motifs and patina finish bring to mind pottery shards, or ostraca. I also included some marigold yellow white-hearts for bumpers, which almost perfectly match the Autumn Tuscon seed beads. With so many bold accents, I decided to go easy on the fringe this time around, and I like the more lightweight look for this piece.

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading
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Work in Progress: Cobalt Lariat

I haven’t made much progress in the timetable department since last week, and I still feel as if I’m just spinning my wheels as the to-do list gets longer and deadlines get closer. Hopefully things will start to smooth out as the holiday seasons gets nearer - I wouldn’t mind being organized and on schedule by then!

I have managed to move on in beading though, and I’m really excited about my current project. The design is an old favorite - a chevron chain lariat with fringe. This time I’m using Ptah the god of craftsmen as my inspiration, which gave me lots of room to play with accent beads. I’m looking forward to incorporating some new bone tubes and a few glass scarabs, along with lovely cobalt blue white-hearts.

What are you working on this week?

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading
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River God Lariat

Sometimes, no matter how much time we spend working on an idea, projects can completely get away from us, with unexpected results. When the finished piece is a disaster, we can at least chalk it all up to experience, but it’s always a relief when a design turns out well.

My latest Egyptian Gods design went through many transformations. At first, I wanted to do something collar-shaped, but I couldn’t come up with a design that would incorporate all of the leafy elements and beaded flower beads I wanted for the god of flooding and fertility. Then I mixed up some 8/o seed beads in blue, green, black and brown to use in a spiral rope, and it turned out hideous. Finally, I decided on St. Petersburg chain and got to work.

When it came time to make the fringe, I struggled again with execution. It would have been easy to incorporate all of the beaded flowers I had made into looped tassels, but I wanted more leaves and lots of texture. What I ended up with - simple chains with leafy fringe - didn’t exactly live up to my expectations, but it did work well with the rest of the design.

In the end, I can’t say that I’m totally thrilled with how Hapi’s necklace came out, but I’m not disappointed, either. The necklace does look great, especially when I step back and try to forget some of my original ideas.

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading
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Blue Green Infinity Lariat

Often when we discover a new technique or material that we enjoy working with, it sticks. All of our ideas seem to steer towards this one concept, and the best thing is to embrace the inspiration and let it run its course. Right now, I’m hopelessly drawn to ombre. There’s something incredibly satisfying about the blending of colors with seed beads.

It took a long time to finally decide on the right technique for the Egyptian god of infinity, but I was certain early on the ombre had to be included. A blending of blues and greens was the perfect way to represent the frog god of eternity. I pulled out lots of colors, mixed them and arranged them, and eventually found a pattern that would allow the colors to flow continuously while repeating through a chevron chain lariat. Some of the colors are used more than once in the pattern, while others stand out from the crowd.

The fringe was another long time in the making. Originally I had wanted to use transparent lime and black, to make strands of frog spawn, but it didn’t seem to fit the rest of the design. Then I tried several different patterns and accents, all of them beginning with some Czech glass ovals in lime and turquoise Picasso. Once I had chosen some bright blue white hearts - in a pattern of threes to imitate the ovals’ spots - I still needed to figure out what I was going to do with the strands. Solid colors were too stark against the blended chevron chain, and it was clear that adding a new color wasn’t going to work. At last I decided to go with a default, and used four shades of existing blues and greens to make striped tassels.

I can’t decide if I’m finished with this obsession just yet, but I certainly wouldn’t mind trying out some different ombre palettes in the near future.

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading
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Hexagons, Spirals, and Fringes

It’s been so long since I’ve made a lariat necklace, that I actually had to go looking through my blog archives to remember what the last design was. It’s actually one of my favorites, a violet and daisy piece with beaded beads, and I made it back in November of 2010, during the Necklace a Day challenge. That’s far too long a gap between lariats, and so when I starting planning a design to use up some of my hex cut seed beads, a super long necklace seemed like the perfect choice.

I’ve got lots and lots of hex cut seed beads, but I hardly ever use them. As fun as it would be to weave something flat with them - like a peyote cuff - I’m not all that fond of peyote cuffs to begin with, so I’ve been passing them over for months. I finally decided to use them in a spiral rope, where they would be able to show off their sparkle, while still being protected on either side by seed beads.

I chose a palette of ruby red, sapphire blue, and seafoam, then it was on to seed beads to complement them. At first I wanted to do an Egyptian theme, but something about the colors steered me in a slightly different direction. I paired up jet black and opalescent cream (aka alabaster) for a more art deco kind of palette.

At first I had a little trouble deciding on a pattern. I wanted a striped effect, but the black really overpowered both the alabaster and the hexagons. Luckily, I had just stocked up on opalescent cream, so I decided to dive right in and use it as the main color for the entire rope. The new pattern is much better, and has the art deco look that I wanted. The way that the black peeks through the slightly transparent cream has the same soft and misty quality as a vintage cigarette ad. I finished the ends of the lariat simply with a pair of druks and a bit of hex and seed bead fringe.

Unfortunately, I ran out of seed beads before hexes, so I still have a few grams left of each color. There’s always room for more lariats though!

Copyright 2012 Inspirational Beading
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Time Capsule: May 2009

Yesterday we had a look at ways to connect and combine St. Petersburg chains for fun beadwork variations. Coincidentally, three years ago I was using this same technique to make a very unusual necklace. Although the entire necklace is stitched in four sections, it looks as though a single large piece of beadwork is split in two, and then into four separate chains.

It took a while to plan, and plenty of time to stitch and triple check measurements along the way, but the construction is actually quite simple. I can’t explain why I’ve never made an improved version of this necklace, but I think its time may be coming. I’ve been in the mood to make something big, and this design fits right into my current style.

The only thing I need to do is decide on a palette and pattern. Should I go with Egyptian stripes and gemstone colors, or something more earthy, perhaps with a dash of African Christmas beads?

Copyright 2012 Inspirational Beading
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A Necklace a Day - Four

After completing the step-by-step photographs for my beaded flower tutorial, I was left with a single yellow and purple beaded bead. I tucked it into a baggie, and hoped that some inspiration would come along and help me make a home for it.

I didn’t want to use the flower in a ring, because that was too obvious. I also didn’t want it to get lost in some elaborate design. So I tried to think of ways to use it where it would be the most interesting part of the piece.

Finally, an idea emerged, and I created one more beaded violet. As a pair, they make the perfect ends for a really simple daisy chain lariat. For this piece, I used a variety of seed bead and fire polish sizes, in as many shades of green and purple as I could find.

At first I was a little worried that so many colors would ruin the palette, but as I started stitching the pattern of daisies and fire polish, the bead colors actually became more attractive! The chartreuse seed beads between each accent seem to lift everything up, while the deep purple fire polish keep it all grounded.

I love the simplicity of a delicate lariat like this one. It has color and sparkle, and length to make a statement, but it doesn’t overpower the person wearing it, or the rest of their ensemble. I think I’ll have to make more sometime!

Copyright 2010 Inspirational Beading

Cornucopia Lariat

As I write this, I think I may be sitting right between two of the hottest days of the year. Even in the wee hours of the morning, the heat from the previous day still lingers while the sun makes it’s way back up the sky. Yet despite the summer’s last attempts to melt everything in sight, fall is closer than ever.

You really can’t beat fall. It’s always a favorite time of year, because so many wonderful things occur in autumn. The weather is mild and bearable - you can do what you want and wear what you want while doing it. There are wonderful holidays, with even more wonderful treats. Seasonal fruits and vegetables are in abundance, and the air is fragrant and crisp.

Perhaps I’m letting go of summer too easily, but I can’t wait for fall.

The Inspiration:

Sometimes ideas come from the most unusual sources. While I was working on a herringbone lariat using a mixture of red and pink seed beads, my husband walked by, and asked me why I was making red corn.

I had to look at the rope again with new eyes to see what he meant, but sure enough, the assortment of tiny red beads arranged in a neat tube looked just like a dried cob of corn. I was instantly overcome with a need to create a new lariat using fall colors and shapes.

The Beads:

It took awhile to collect enough beads for the project I had envisioned. I wanted to include a variety of accents that would represent different types of fruits and vegetables. I also started collecting leaf beads of different shapes and colors.

For the corn itself, I started with a hank of yellow charlottes. I wanted to make sure that the rope had some natural-looking texture, and hoped the facets would add a natural look. I mixed the charlottes with Japanese seed beads in oranges, browns, and rusty reds. I thought the minute size and shape difference between the Czech and Japanese beads would also add a more organic look to the design.

Cornucopia Fringed Lariat

The Beadwork:

This necklace was several months in the making, mostly because it kept getting put on the back burner for other things. Before I knew it, the end of summer was approaching and I had to get in gear and finish it. After a few weeks of stitching between trips to the beach and the pool, it is finally complete.

The corn rope turned out exactly as I had hoped, and although it comes in at over 40 inches, it was the easy part. Planning out each strand of fringe, and trying to evenly distribute all of the accent beads was the real challenge.

Each side of the necklace is basically the same, with different amounts of each seed bead color, and a different pattern of fringed strands. To keep things simple, I paired up the same beads each time: purple cat eye grapes with shell oranges, glass tube zucchinis with vitrail leaves, chocolate pearl potatoes with vintage amethyst leaves, and so on.

Although I used fewer strands of leaf fringe that I have with previous lariats like this, the fringe is full and lush, thanks to all of the beautiful accents. Because Cornucopia turned out exactly as I had hoped, it was totally worth all of the effort.

Copyright 2010 Inspirational Beading and The Sage's Cupboard

Space Odyssey Necklace

Keck Telescopes Gaze into Young Star's Life Zone
Photo Credit:
NASA Goddard Photo and Video and David A. Hardy.

Nature is one of the most common sources for beadwork inspiration. It’s an obvious muse, because it is often so beautiful, and one only needs to look out the window to see it. A great challenge is finding inspiration in the unknown - in objects or ideas that can’t be seen up close. Whether we draw from the imagination, or faraway places, creating fantasy beadwork is always a wonderful journey.

The Inspiration:

I often like to take a successful design, and change up the colors to fit into a completely new theme. After making several variations of rope lariats for my Etsy customers, I started to think of different ways to use the design. The twisted herringbone base has endless possibilities, though I always seem to lean towards using bead mixtures with random patterns of color. With this concept in mind, I had a vision of a starry rope, with a dark blue base and shimmering white flecks.

The Beads:

To create the look of stars, I made a mixture of 11/0 seed beads in blue iris and opaque white rainbow AB. With a ratio of 3 blue to 1 white, the mixture looked just like a pure night sky, seen without the glare of city lights. I wanted to add an extra outer space element, so I also added 10 mm CRYSTALLIZED™ - Swarovski pearls in antique brass, night blue and gold - the colors of dusty planets, distant moons and burning suns.

The Beadwork:

After creating the twisted herringbone rope, I had a long debate over how to include the metallic pearls. I had considered using branch fringe, with many of the branches finishing with a white ‘star’. In the end, I went with simple, single loops. Each strand holds one shimmering planetary pearl, like an orbital diagram of a far distant solar system.

Space Odyssey Beadwork Lariat

This is another one of those projects that seems to go on and on forever. Luckily, all of the hard work pays off in the end. The pearls not only complete the outer space theme, but add a sophisticated touch as well. Working with the 10mm beads has given me a new appreciation for faux pearls. Their perfection has an attraction that even the prettiest natural pearls can’t match.

I would like to thank Beads Direct UK for providing the seed beads and CRYSTALLIZED™ - Swarovski Elements used in this piece. Inspirational Beading has not received paid compensation for including Beads Direct products or reviews in this blog post. I have shared my honest opinions about the products used in this design.

Copyright 2010 Inspirational Beading and The Sage's Cupboard

Raspberries and Cream Lariat

When looking for a way to describe togetherness, we often use foods for analogies: peanut butter and jelly, salt and pepper, peas and carrots. These food combinations are examples of the perfect pair. Foods can also be very inspiring when looking for a great color combination. Mustard and ketchup, or chocolate and cherry are just two examples of great foods that also make great color combos.

The Inspiration:

I received a set of Cubic Zirconia hearts and ovals from Artbeads.com in pink and lavender. The pale colors have a sort of creamy quality to them, and a definite sweetness that is reminiscent of candy. When I set out to create a design with the CZ beads, I wanted it to be something yummy.

The Beads:

I went through my entire stash of beads, looking for just the right colors to compliment the pink and lavender beads. The first thing that caught my eye was a packet of ivory Toho triangles. I also selected some raspberry lined crystal 8/0 seed beads, and fuchsia lined 11/0’s. Altogether, these beads look good enough to eat.

The Beadwork:

My first idea was to create a heart shaped pendant using square stitch and the triangle seed beads. The pattern I created worked great, but the triangles weren’t quite right, and the pendant had a lopsided look to it. I went back to the drawing board, and considered a light Y necklace with the heart beads as focals. That’s when I had a vision of a thin and delicate daisy chain lariat, with CZ hearts at the ends.

The pink hearts were side-drilled, so I used these for the center of the bead strand, with the lavender hearts at the ends. I was surprised by the weight of the CZ ovals, which are a bit heftier than glass beads of the same size. They were perfect as bumpers for the heart section, and help to keep the tiny necklace in place when worn.

I would like to thank Artbeads.com for providing the CZ beads used in this design. Inspirational Beading has not received paid compensation for including Artbeads.com products or reviews in this blog post. I have shared my honest opinions about the products used in this design.

Copyright 2009 Inspirational Beading