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: Something New

I’m finally working on a new project this week, and I’m starting to steer towards my old creative groove again. I sat down over the weekend to catch up on my YouTube subscriptions and finally finish up the threads on the collar I’ve been working on. Apart from a little custom work, I hadn’t made any progress at all for most of February. Once I got that out of the way, I picked out some beads for a nice, easy mini collar. I decided to splurge a bit and use some white-hearts to really keep the inspiration going. I like how the project is looking so far.

The turquoise collar isn’t quite finished. If I want to make it wearable I’ll need to add some straps, but for now it’s just going to reside in my UfO pile. It might make it into an Ugly necklace, or maybe I’ll finish it and wear it someday. The good news is that I learned everything I needed for the project, so I’ll be able to work up a tutorial for it – as soon as I’m ready to take on such a lengthy project again.

What are you making right now?

Mortira

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Copyright 2016 Inspirational Beading

Book Spotlight: Decorative Wire Findings

Making custom components and findings is an invaluable skill for any jewelry maker. By learning just a few basic techniques, you gain the advantage of having exactly the right pieces to make your dream designs, every time. Whether you like to string, weave, or wrap, custom findings allow you to personalize all of your designs, make perfectly matched sets - and of course, save money for more of your favorite materials.

In her new book Decorative Wire Findings, jewelry artist and instructor Melody MacDuffee shares her favorite techniques for making one of a kind findings and components for amazing jewelry designs. The book includes instructions for more than 20 versatile essentials such as earring posts and backs, bezels for cabochons, and spacer bars for gorgeous multi-strand pieces. For inspiration and an in-depth look at how each component is used, there are 26 complete projects for earrings, bracelets and necklaces – plus ideas for unique rings and brooches.

Many of the projects feature gorgeous beads from around the world, including Krobo beads created by artists at Soul of Somanya – an amazing non-profit co-founded and directed by Melody in Ghana, West Africa. There are also projects for fans of crystals, pearls and druzy stones – all of them a delight to new and experienced wire-wrappers alike. My personal favorite is an eleven strand bracelet made with stunning teal Krobo beads and golden spirals.

With expert care, Melody guides readers through each of the projects; full color, step-by-step photos provide a look at how each design will progress. The materials lists include everything you need to complete a project, including page numbers for each of the components and findings that you’ll need to make ahead before completing a piece. Several projects offer instant gratification with just a few wraps and tweaks, while others provide an exciting challenge in gorgeous wire wrapping techniques. Never again find yourself without the right components for a project with the easy, professional-looking techniques in Decorative Wire Findings!

Want to check it out for yourself? Melody and the kind folks at Kalmbach Books are giving away one copy of Decorative Wire Findings to an Inspirational Beading reader. For a chance to win, simply leave a comment on this post letting us know what your favorite jewelry components are! One lucky winner will be drawn on Tuesday, April 28th.

Good luck and happy beading!

Update: This giveaway draw has closed.

I would like to thank Meloday MacDuffee and Kalmbach Books for giving me the opportunity to enjoy Decorative Wire Findings. Inspirational Beading has not received compensation for including products or publications in this post.

Copyright 2015 Inspirational Beading
Melody MacDuffee and Kalmbach Books
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Work in Progress: Collar Adventure

My bead tray looks a little chaotic this week as I tackle my new collar project. I’ve included a lot of accents in this design, including African Christmas beads, wood spacers, and two kinds of drops. In addition to my usual votive of culled beads, I’m also collecting up any 11/o Czech seed beads that aren’t wonky, but just a bit too small. They’re not quite right for the beadwork I’m doing now, but they’ll be just fine in other projects. Picking them out and setting them aside saves me from having to encounter them again and again as I work. Between these and the many bead types I have laid out, there were already a lot of saucers to begin with, and then I ended up having to pick out a lot of stitches, adding another dump bin of deleted beads to be reworked.

I was on such a roll that I completely forgot to incorporate the second part of my pattern, and didn’t notice until I was almost two thread lengths past where it should have been added. This would have been a tragedy, except that I’ve been taking precautions against just this sort of situation. I’ve gotten into the habit of leaving my tail threads unfinished - just weaving them in a little ways and then leaving them in place until the end of the project. This way, if I catch a mistake, I don’t have to cut any threads - just undo a bit of work and carry on as usual.

Have you had any beading mishaps lately?

Copyright 2014 Inspirational Beading
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May Bead Stash Favorites

We are almost one week into May and I couldn’t be more excited. The caterpillars are out, which means butterflies won’t be far behind. Temperatures are climbing (hello beach weather!) and some of the best flowers are just starting to think about blooming. I’m looking forward to lots of summer inspirations, and looking to my bead stash for projects to come.

My absolute favorite thing right now is a new strand of cobalt blue white hearts, which I just picked up from Happy Mango Beads. I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to stock up on my favorite beads in my favorite color, but they’re here now. They’re definitely going to look good in some Egyptian designs, but ocean inspired pieces aren’t out of the question either.

…Especially when I’ve got these fantastic scallop shell pendants! These huge beauties are made from carved bone with just the right patina, and I can’t wait to see what they can do. I grabbed these from Fire Mountain Gems, and I’ve been hoarding them while I wait for the sun to come out. One of them definitely needs to meet with some aqua and topaz.

Last but not least, I’ve got my eye on some new Czech glass buttons from Artbeads.com. I’ve decided to start experimenting more with purchased buttons, including making a little exception to the no-metal rule for glass buttons with metal shanks. These little buttons are all glass, though - and just the right size for summer bracelets. The floral designs are especially inspiring, and that lime green is too pretty.

What are your favorite bead muses right now?

Copyright 2014 Inspirational Beading
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Bead Color Ideas: Primary Stripes

There’s something irresistibly beady about striped seed beads. Whether they’re new or vintage, these multicolored beauties bring a lot of personality and charm to a design. The trouble is, the difficulty of creating the perfect palette doubles when working with two-toned beads.

I’ve had a beautiful strand of red and blue striped trade beads in my stash for awhile now, and I’m eager to put them to good use; but unless the perfect inspiration comes along, I’ll have to create a design around them. I did a little brainstorming, hoping to find just the right seed bead colors to match them with. It was a lot trickier than it sounds.

First I took the easy approach and went with all neutrals. Black and white 8/o seed beads match the striped ones for size, but the shiny and matte finishes seem to clash. For this palette, a great pattern would be just as important to showcase the stripes.

Moving along, I went with a softer neutral in beige ceylon, then a complement in aqua white-hearts. These two colors actually go together quite nicely, but seem to over power the red of the stripe beads and make it look muddy. I was starting to think that my lovely strand of beads would not play well with others.

Finally, I had to try other primary colors. Opaque canary yellow and cactus green really make the striped beads pop without looking too playful or “crayon box”. As much as I like them as a trio, I think these beads would look best as accents in an all-black piece.

How do you like to use two-tone beads?

Copyright 2014 Inspirational Beading
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Work in Progress: Collar with Claws

I’m a little behind in this week’s project, because it took several tries to find just the right pattern. For the fierce and sometimes violent Egyptian goddess Sekhmet, I wanted to include a lovely brown bugle beads in a collar, along with vibrant red vintage white hearts. Things just didn’t go as planned.

As you can see from the mess, I’ve still got one failed attempt to undo. At first I wanted to incorporate the bugles into the main netting, but they take up so much room that the nets were a lot wider than I would have liked. Scratch that, and I discovered they looked really great as fringe.

Unfortunately, something was still off. The white hearts were a little too vibrant. Against the cream and brown, they had a tomato hue, and made everything clash - not to mention that they didn’t give the impression of Ra’s pomegranate and ochre ‘blood’ potion from Sekhmet’s legend. I switched the white hearts out for some transparent garnet 8/o’s, and then everything fell into place.

Last week's magatama collar is complete, but I've been so rushed this week with assorted things that I haven't had time to photograph it yet. Schedules are going to continue to be squeezed over the next few weeks, and it looks like this year's challenge is going to run overtime, though I am determined to finish and get started on a brand new approach! For 2014's theme, there will be lots more room for bracelets. I'm eager to work on some inspired cuffs!

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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Bead Color Ideas: Cactus Stripes

Many books on learning the art of beadweaving recommend experimenting with colors by weaving samples - collections of beads in panels such as peyote stitch - as a way to learn about the way that beads look together. Even when I was just starting out, I didn’t have nearly enough patience for bead homework, and I’m not much for doing beadwork that won’t ‘be’ something when I’m done. I have however, discovered the benefits of playing with color before starting a project.

For our last set of bead color palettes, we looked at some combinations for pretty striped glass beads from Java. One of the palettes looked so great, I ended up using it as inspiration for a project, and it turned out perfectly. This month, I want to give it another shot.

I have another strand of striped Java beads, this time in a lovely deep green with red and yellow stripes. The colors and shapes make me think of cacti, and had me leaning towards Southwestern themes for most of the palettes.

I started with some complements. Pepper red looked great with both the base green and the stripes - tangy and vibrant. I wanted to add another element that would help remove any festive tones, and decided to use another green to push things over the edge. Cactus green was a perfect match for both the red seed beads and the stripes in Pico de Gallo.

I wanted to see how things would go with a more neutral palette, and started with bone white for a nice, sandy background. The green and soft beige worked really well together, but needed just a little extra color. Just for fun, I added some soft orange and got a cool Desert Dawn.

Finally, I couldn’t resist a splash of turquoise. Rather than go with the obvious coral red, which might not have left any room for the striped beads to stand out, I added some Autumn Tucson gold. The combination of bright blue with a more natural yellow really enhances the colors in the Java beads. Adobe reminds me of brightly painted buildings in the sun.

Do you ever experiment and play with beadwork for fun or for theory?

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading
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River Clay Collar

It’s always exciting and satisfying when a beader discovers a new go-to material - those beads and components that work with all of their favorite designs and techniques. For my most recent Egyptian gods project, I got to use two of my all-time favorites in perfect harmony.

Last week I was working on a collar for the Nile god Khnum, who moulded beings from Nile clay on his potter’s wheel. I started by combing several different shades of brown - including one of my favorite gold substitutes, Autumn Tuscon. With just a little turquoise to hint at the Nile, all I needed were some accent beads.

I was really happy with the palette overall, but it needed some extra color, and something to give the impression of ancient pottery. Vintage white hearts and trade beads were the perfect fit with their irregular shapes and rustic colors. With so many of my favorite things in once piece, this is one of my top collars so far in the challenge.

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading
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Bead Color Ideas: Primary Stripes

Creating successful color palettes with beads is a balancing act. Bead finishes add an extra factor that isn’t present with paint or clay - it’s a challenge that is both fun and worthwhile. When trying to match beads to a focal or accent that has many colors, things get really tricky.

I’ve been mulling over a way to incorporate some pretty striped trade beads into a design with perfect balance. The beads have a very soft blue tint, with stripes of darker blue, yellow, red, and orange. The trick is to find colors - and finishes - that contrast or complement the existing ones without covering up the unique personality of these beads.

I started by filling in the missing hues and trying for a rainbow effect. Bright and cheerful wisteria lined crystal goes really well with the soft blue background color. All I needed was a little green. I would have liked something equally bright, but I went with white lined peridot to match the finish. A lime or olive lined crystal would have been perfect, but I still like the Spring feel that this palette has.

With two blues already on board, I tried adding a third to really highlight the bright stripes of yellow, orange, and red. Dark and moody transparent Montana sapphire was a perfect fit. Once again the final color in this trio was a tough choice. I finally decided one a strong yellow in 8/o seed beads that contrasts beautifully with the Montana blue, while also linking up with the stripes in the trade beads for a Summer palette.

When in doubt, start with a neutral. For the final palette, I began with bone white seed beads. The very light beige goes really well with the soft blue, and leaves plenty of room for one more pop of color. I chose light olive green - with its earthy appeal, the red, yellow, and orange stripes look less playful and more organic. This trio is perfect for Fall.

Do you like working with multicolored beads? How do you build palettes around them?

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading
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May Bead Stash Favorites

Most beaders have a go-to bead – a material that they can’t live without, and which usually defines their work. While these may be considered a "favorite", the beads that tickle our creative sides most can change with every new addition to the bead stash. The favorite du jour is a bead that makes us eager to sit down at the workbench, yearn to try new techniques, or sometimes we just want to horde them forever.

I want to share with you my top three favorite beads of the month. Every time I go into the cupboard to grab my bead tray, I think of them and look forward to finding just the right project to use them in.

Although I would say that 11/o seed beads are my standard fare, I still find that some new beads are always in my thoughts - at least until the next thing comes along. The rich colors and pretty finishes of seed beads are even more inspiring than the stitch possibilities. Right now my favorite seed beads are opaque olive green Czechs from Shipwreck Beads. Never mind that they’re on a hank, which makes all beads seem tastier; this color is both earthy and vibrant, and I can’t wait to see how it plays with other colors.

If I didn’t have to save most of my bead budget to support my seed bead habit, I would probably spend an awful lot on unique glass accents. I picked up these amazing little vintage Egyptian cabochons on Artfire as a treat. Although the cobalt blue and cherry red are perfect for my favorite palettes, it was the bright green patina that really sealed the deal. Being so tiny at just 16mm, these cabs are ideal for bead embroidered pendants - I can add a lot more rounds of seed beads without the piece getting outrageously large.

Last but certainly not least, I’ve been hording two strands of striped glass trade beads from Happy Mango Beads for a couple of weeks. They are just so beady, I don’t even know where to begin. There’s always something irresistible about a striped seed bead, but the charming irregularity of these (along with the color and history) makes them almost too precious. I’ve been dying to make a new chevron collar with stripy bead accents – I’m just waiting for the magpie feeling to wear off so that I can bear to part with a few of these beads.

What kinds of beads have been calling to you lately?

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading
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Sacred Bull Necklace

It’s always gratifying when a design idea turns out the way we planned, but it’s an even rarer treat for a finished piece to greatly exceed our expectations. There was a rather long period when I thought that my latest Egyptian gods necklace was going to be a dud, and it wasn’t until the last minute that I realized it turned out perfectly.

My subject was Apis, the black bull of Memphis. Priests of the cult of Apis worshipped an actual bull, believed to be the reincarnation of the god Ptah. It was identified by several white markings, and treated like a king, including a lavish Egyptian burial.

I decided to blend a little from both gods, and included both black seed beads with beige, white, and real bone. For a hint of Ptah, I included some African trade beads in a dark lapis blue. Happily, I also had one more spiral bone pendant left, which would make the perfect focal for a bull necklace.

I was really eager to use the trade beads, but they aren’t as regular as new seed beads. I decided to go with spiral rope to give them a place to shine. The beadwork came out rather chunky thanks to the extra large beads. To mimic the white triangle on the forehead of the Apis bull, I switched from black and blue to white at the center of the rope. I added some natural bone heishi to replace the trade beads and provide a backdrop for the pendant.

I wasn’t at all thrilled with how the rope was looking at first, and I was sure that I had made a mistake. I was already committed, so I decided to see how the rope would turn out, and perhaps make another use for it. It wasn’t until everything was assembled that I realized how well the pattern and colors work together. The shock of white at the center of the necklace creates a great contrast.

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading
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Serpent Fringe Necklace

One of my favorite things about choosing a niche for jewelry design, is being able to use my favorite techniques as often as I want. So when I’m faced with a new inspiration, I can turn to a style that I know will work, and focus on getting the essence of my inspiration, rather than on the major design details. To represent the Egyptian serpent god Apep, I needed a necklace style that could represent both snakes and chaos. A herringbone rope would be perfect for the base, and the right fringe would add the perfect element of fierceness.

I knew right away that I wanted to include some vintage red white-hearts in this piece, so all I needed was the right palette to complement them. I decided on a combination of gold substitutes - transparent topaz, brown lined amber, and cream. Together, and with the right pattern, I thought these three colors would make for excellent snake skin, as well as provide a neutral background for the fiery red beads.

I added an increase in a twisted herringbone rope to include some of the white hearts, but that wasn’t nearly enough color. So when it came time to add the fringe - with Czech glass ovals and freshwater pearls - I also added a handful of white-hearts to each strand. I love the way the uneven shapes look together in a stack above the accent beads, as well as the overall look of three bead sizes in the strands. They add a little extra something to the fringe that fits the lord of chaos perfectly. I’ll definitely be keeping these elements in mind for future designs.

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading
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Inspired Beaders: Big Village

Handmade, exotic, and rare - there’s nothing quite like beads from Africa. The unique bead making process, sustainable and fair trade practices, and of course the gorgeous designs are impossible to resist. One company that embraces all of these things and shares the beauty of African beads with the world is Big Village. Based in Canada, Big Village distributes handmade beads from Ghana through their fair trade partnership, as well as African inspired jewelry, batik fabric designs, and more. Today our guest is co-owner of Big Village and bead lover, Karen Berry.

Inspirational Beading: How did you first get into beading and jewelry design?

Karen: Growing up, I explored many crafts and hobbies but I have found that I enjoy working with beads and scrapbooking the most! In my early twenties, I bought my first beads and made simple hemp bracelets and necklaces for friends and family. It was a fun hobby and never thought that one day I might make a living from designing jewellery! I was educated and trained in Therapeutic Recreation and worked as a Recreation Manager in Long Term Care for close to 20 years. Through my experiences in Long Term Care and working with the elderly, I observed that those residents who kept busy with their hobbies and interests, were always happier and healthier than their sedentary counterparts. I have always believed it is important to keep your mind active and beading certainly does that! I became serious about beading and jewellery design about a year before I purchased Big Village; I was Big Village’s biggest customer!

Inspirational Beading: Was purchasing Big Village a huge leap? How has it differed from your original expectations?

Karen: I knew eventually one day I would own my own business but just wasn’t sure what it was going to be. I love working in Long Term Care but after almost 20 years of being in it, I needed a break. When the idea of purchasing Big Village first came up, it was perfect timing; like it was meant to be. I finished a one year maternity leave position with my former employer the month after I purchased Big Village. Knowing that my business partner and I were chosen out of 30 other candidates to carry Big Village forward, has given me the confidence to run a business and move it forward.

During the months leading up to the purchase of the business, I envisioned myself playing with beads and making pretty things all day long. Sadly, this is not the case. Most days are spent answering emails, updating our social media, taking product photos, ordering products from Ghana, making new partnerships, researching products extensively, maintaining a website and online store. I have gone from working in a busy long term care home to working most days alone in my home office. I never thought I would crave the constant interruptions and policy changes a traditional office job has. I can easily be distracted by laundry, dirty floors and bathrooms or a comfy couch. However, I get to take my kids to school every day, stay home with them when they are sick, play hooky with my husband sometimes and make my own hours. It’s a pretty awesome trade off and I love being home!

Inspirational Beading: What is your favorite part about working with bead makers in Ghana?

Karen: I feel so grateful and privileged to have had the experiences I have had so far with Big Village and our bead partners in Ghana. I love knowing that we are helping make a positive and sustainable difference in the lives of not only our partners but their family, their employees, their employees’ families and the community in which they live. Knowing that our partners are succeeding, makes me unbelievably happy. And traveling to Ghana (and other African countries eventually), is pretty amazing too! Africa is one of those places that most of us dream of visiting and my dreams have come true. Doing business with Ghanaians has had its challenges but I am grateful for even the most difficult times we have had because I have learned so much about culture and the way people live and view business!

Inspirational Beading: Do you have a favorite color or bead style to work with?

Karen: I love using bright, bold colours that reflect the Ghanaian culture as well as the simplicity of mixing black and white with teal or bright blue beads. However, my favorite beads are the hand painted ones. When I work with them, I spend a lot of time appreciating each and every single one and all the work that goes into them. I love the designs the artists in Ghana paint on them and it still impresses me that each and every single bead is made by hand, from glass that was supposed to end up in a landfill.

Inspirational Beading: What is your favorite project for using Krobo beads?

Karen: I love making bracelets with the beads. They are fairly simple to make and very rewarding as they can be made fast! I love experimenting with different colours that I may not use in a necklace. My other favorite project is creating necklaces for our African inspired jewellery line. We use all sorts of African beads including our recycled glass ones but also Kazuri beads from Kenya, cow bone beads from Kenya, rolled paper beads from Uganda, Lost Wax beads from Ghana and most recently EarthButter Beads from South Africa. I love mixing all the different textures and sizes to create unique, one of a kind pieces.

Inspirational Beading: Who do you hope to inspire with your work?

Karen: Our mandate at Big Village is to empower and educate consumers to make conscious purchases. This also goes for crafters and beaders alike. We want to inspire people to make informed choices about not only the day to day purchases that they make but also about the craft supplies they buy. We spend a great deal of time working with school aged children and teaching them about fair trade, ethically made products and slavery.

I hope to inspire people to look at Africa in a different way. When we traveled to Ghana for the first time, I tried not to bring any judgements or stereotypes with me. After years of being told by the media that all of Africa is living in poverty, I happily experienced something completely different. There is joy and hope to be had and people work hard for their families. The people we met were so happy and full of optimism that I now have a different view of Ghana and Africa. I am not ignorant to the fact that poverty does exist but so do thriving, vibrant communities full of people wanting to create sustainability.

To learn more and to purchase some fabulous beads and fair trade products, visit the Big Village website. You can also get news and updates on the Big Village Facebook page, or find inspiration on their Pinterest boards.

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading and Big Village
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World Beaders: Holland

Today I want to extend a very warm welcome to Inspirational Beading visitors from the Netherlands! As one of the few countries that I’ve had the privilege of visiting more than once (does it count if you were to young to remember?) I was very excited to see Holland on the list of this month’s top visitors. This beautiful country is home to tulips, windmills, and some very talented jewelry and fashion designers, not to mention a source of rare bohemian glass beads.

Happy beading, Holland!

Copyright 2012 Inspirational Beading and Friends
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