The Lady of the House

Ask anyone who their favorite Egyptian goddess is, and most people would probably say Isis or Hathor. These dieties known for motherhood, healing, love, and protection long outlasted their original culture and continue to be an important part of spirituality and feminity to this day. This is an impressive achievement when you consider that they were competing with hundreds of other gods and goddesses. Throughout 4000 years of Ancient Egyptian culture, many religions, cults, and legends were incorporated into the pantheon and worshipped in the home, alongside the same dieties that we can still see depicted on the walls of ancient tombs. The names and identities of many Egyptian goddesses have been lost to time, but the daughters of Ra, and the children of Nut and Geb continue to thrive in their own way.


My favorite goddess is Nephthys - sister of Isis and wife of Set. Her name means "Lady of the Mansion" and she was the Ancient Egyptian goddess of death. Not to be confused with Anubis, the god of embalming, or other death gods with morbid and shadowy backstories, Nephthys was as much a goddess of healing and protection as her sister. In Ancient Egypt, life, death, and rebirth were all linked; Nephthys represented the realm were all things living and dead are one. This concept can be very comforting, especially when one feels disconnected from their peers or the world around them. We are all made from the same atoms, and Nephthys embodies that notion perfectly.

The Inspiration:

The realm of Nephthys was the place where the fertile waters and silt of the Nile met the harsh and inhospitable desert - a margin between abundant life and bleak death. She was the place were bodies become soil, and soil nourishes bodies in a neverending circle. When I picture Nephthys I always think of a goddess that is poised and regal, while also having a smoldering vitality. She is the combination of solemn death and the never ending resilience of life. She is birth, death, regeneration, and evolution all rolled into one.

In making a new tribute piece to Nephthys, I wanted to incorprate the earthy colors of biomass such as greens, browns, and black. This time I also wanted some rich blue to represent the water that connects all living things. For this project I started by combing through my stash to find pieces that had the right look to represent the lady of death, and tried to picture them together until a design took shape. I also wanted to be sure that the piece would turn out right on the first try, so I decided to go with my favorite fringe. This would allow me to pull lots of different accents together, and add some stripe patterns to keep things looking Egyptian.

The Beads:

For the base beadwork I chose transparent dark topaz and Montana blue sapphire seed beads in size 8/o. These were my earth and water elements, and they contrast each other with perfect sophistication. I also included some black and white seed beads for borders and stripes, though I hadn't yet decided what type of pattern I wanted to use.

For accents I had so many wonderful choices, but in the end I went with bone tubes, crackle finish wood, amber horn heishi beads, and sono wood tubes. These beads all had the color, texture, and light that I wanted in this piece. I was particlarly exited to use the green wood beads from Blueberry Cove, which so perfectly represented Nephthys' home on the Nile. I was in the mood for even more texture, so I later added batik bone beads in black, jet black druks, and some tiny natural coconut rounds to the mix.

The Beadwork:

Few things are easier than creating something from your favorite inspiration, and this project certainly fits that description. The pattern and the fringe just came together, and the work seemed to go by in a flash.

For the rope, I used black to border the brown sections, and white to border the slightly darker blue portions. To break up the rope a little, I added smaller blocks of brown between each of the striped sections. This is a little bit different from any of the patterns that I've used before, and not exactly traditional, but I love how it turned out. I repeated the pattern somewhat for the fringe, connecting it at the edge with brown, then finishing with a cascade of more Montanta blue sapphire. I really love working with this color in any type of bead, and it never disappoints.

Do you have a favorite figure from mythology? How do they inspire your work?

Mortira

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Work in Progress: Progress in Work

I am happy to say that I have found some new inspiration that will keep me going for a good long while. At the very least, I am excited to start making things again, and to share the ideas behind each project as I go. My very first project will return to a favorite place: I'm making a new necklace inspired by my favorite Egyptian goddess, Nephthys. As someone who has long been fascinated by the science of death, I found an instant connection with Nephthys when I first read about her. She embodies the realm where life, death, and rebirth meet in the Ancient Egyptian understanding of the universe. At times she was also considered to be the mother of Anubis, and helped in the creation of the first mummy.

I didn't want to risk making a copy of my last Nephthys design, so I decided to shy away from greens for this necklace. Instead I added Montana blue sapphire to my palette for a chunky herringbone rope. When it comes time to add some fringe, I may regret going with a twisted rope, but we'll see how things turn out. I'm finding a lot of comfort in making a tribute to "The Lady of the House", and even if it doesn't quite work out perfectly, it'll be worth it.

The peacock dagger collar turned out quite nicely. I was so excited to get started on Nephthys that I had to force myself to complete and add the button for this piece. Luckily, it only took one beading session, and I thought it was important to finish at least one project before starting this new adventure.

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What inspirations are empowering you at the moment?

Mortira

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Dear Artists

Copyright 2016 Inspirational Beading

Work in Progress: Nefertiti Stripes

My adventures with stripes and fringe are still going strong, and projects are chugging along at a much better pace. I had thought that I would want to try a new project once the latest necklace was complete, but I was still really in the mood for fringe, and herringbone necklaces are just the most satisfying way to use it right now. For the new necklace, I had a craving to do something a little more Egyptian, so I put together a jeweled palette. I was a little worried at first that the pattern would end up being too busy. I think once the entire piece is complete and the fringe is added it will come together just fine.

The last necklace turned out great. I hadn’t given any thought to accent beads when I chose my palette, and it turns out that the only thing I had in my stash that would match with the opaque colors was African Christmas beads. This is perfectly fine by me! I had fun picking out just the right beads to use and putting on the final touches.

What are you making right now?

Mortira

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Mini Collar a Week: Black Lotus

This week’s mini collar was a bit of a whim. When I opened my tray of daggers and drop beads to plan the next design in the challenge, I was once again a bit overwhelmed by how many choices I have. Although I have months to work through and try them all, deciding each week where to go next isn’t always that easy. Eventually my gaze fell on the last 5 jet black daggers from a strand that I picked up ages ago, and I thought it would be nice to finally finish them off and remove one entire option from the list.

Choosing colors to go with the daggers wasn’t easy either. Whenever possible I want to stick to Egyptian palettes, while also trying out new patterns in the chevron chain. Although I wasn’t sure how well the finishes would mix at first, I finally settled on opaque slate blue and dark cream Ceylon to get a faience and alabaster look. For pattern I went with some simple blocks of color to get a horizontal stripe effect.

For next week’s collar I’m going to try out a recent bead color trio, and then perhaps it’s time to go for some smaller accents like my teal magatamas.

Mortira

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Collar a Week: Golden Soup

I’m two projects in to the new Collar a Week challenge and I’ve already encountered my first snag. I was able to finish and photograph this week’s necklace in plenty of time, but now here we are on the last day of the week, and I’m much too tired to edit photos and put the piece up in my shop. I’ll have to save all of the technical work for a less full day, but I can share the design with you!

I had a lot of extra things added to my plate this week, so when it came to choosing colors and patterns for this collar I had to go with something quick and carefree. I snagged the custom gold and brown seed bead mix that I made for the bead soup demo a while back and added some black and white Rizos for the trim. The soup allowed me to have a little variety without actually having to plan or choose a pattern, and the Rizos helped to add a little more of an Egyptian flair, which is always welcome.

Collar number three won’t begin for another day or two, but I definitely want to play with patterns a bit next week. I was pondering adding in some peanut seed beads somehow, but I’ll save those until I’ve made some more progress with drops.

Mortira

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March Bead Stash Favorites

Scouring my bead stash last week for spring inspired bead colors gave me a chance to really examine the materials that I have on hand right now. I’ve been floundering for new project inspirations quite a bit lately, so it was nice to really view my options and get reacquainted with some of my go-to beads. I’m looking forward to working with this month’s picks – hopefully in the very near future.

First up is one of my all-time favorite bead colors: gold-lined black diamond. There’s something about the earthiness and sparkle of this particular finish that I really love. I haven’t purchased Japanese seed beads in so long, and never anything with a metallic finish, so this color hasn’t made an appearance in my designs for years. Luckily, I’ve still got about 15 grams of black diamond in size 15/o seed beads. Now that I’m finding new ways to use them in bead embroidery, I’m hoping that I’ll be able to play with this color a little bit more.

More bead embroidery projects also means more opportunities to use cabs, and I’m really looking forward to using some of my favorite Egyptian beads and cabochons. I have a tendency to hoard these beads, not least because quite a few of them are vintage or limited edition. But no one will ever get to see them but me if I don’t use them in designs, so I’ll be keeping them in mind for upcoming projects.

Last but not least, I still haven’t had a chance to use the new mother of pearl chips I received from Blueberry Cove Beads. I love the buttery yellow color of these chips, and they have a very chunky, almost square shape that I’ve never really worked with before. I’ve been having a craving for some fringed lariats lately, and I think I’ll have to work a palette around these chips first and foremost.

What beads are inspiring you right now?

Mortira

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Work in Progress: Egyptian Colors

The new Egyptian motif medallion is coming along very nicely, although I’ve already rediscovered the pitfalls that made me stay away from graphic embroidery for so long. The design is turning out mostly how I wanted, so I’m planning to keep at it and get some more practice in until I’m happier with the fine details. I just need to come up with some more images that I want to bead, and that go with my ridiculous collection of 15/o seed beads.

I’m really enjoying the palette I chose to work with for this piece, and I’ve already set aside a similar set of colors in 11/o and 8/o beads for an upcoming tutorial project. I’ve discovered that tutorials are just as good for keeping inspirations coming as any of my previous beading challenges. If you’ve got a stitch or design that you’re eager to learn, let me know! I can always use more ideas.

The mini collar from last week turned out very nicely. I didn’t even regret using my precious white-hearts. It’s nice to see them find a project once in awhile. Hoarding beads only feels good for so long, then we’ve gotta set them free.

What are you making this week?

Mortira

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Time Capsule: Bead Embroidery

Three years ago this month I was diving head first into the Egyptian Gods Jewelry Challenge, and working feverishly on the entry of Sobek the Crocodile. For that design, I went with a bead embroidered pendant featuring mother of pearl ‘scales’. Although I really liked how the piece turned out, a part of me knew – but didn’t want to admit – that it looked an awful lot like a slice of spinach pizza. Still, I learned quite a bit about what my beads could do, and it was a worthwhile project.

Bead embroidery was the very first seed bead technique that I ever learned, back when I was about 7 years old. Since then I’ve experimented with it quite a bit, but never often enough to reach the level of the masters like Sherri Serafini and Jamie Cloud Eakin. Though I didn’t include it in my list of beading resolutions for this year, I would like to focus a little more on bead embroidery, both to experiment and to master the basics a little better. For now, I thought it would be fun to look back on some of my favorite successes with the medium and see what kind of inspirations surface.

The Medallion series is by far my favorite, - not only because of how fun they are to make, but because I get a little design help from one of my favorite munchkins. I find that quick projects like these are great for practicing techniques because you can focus on one style or method and really hone those skills. The added bonus is that you don’t have to commit a lot of time or beads, but you still get a really nice design in the end.

I’m just getting back into graphic bead embroidery again, and it’s been far too long. A few years before I started doing off-loom beadwork, I made a set of Egyptian motifs with a combination of embroidery and folk art painting. I still have these pieces in my studio to help inspire new designs. I was always a little disappointed that the beadwork didn’t come out as nicely as the painting, but I’ve learned a lot since then and I’m looking forward to topping these designs one day.

There’s something about bead embroidery and concentric circles that just clicks for me. It’s probably one of the reasons that I’ve never really focused too intently on the medium – I know that I’m likely to revert to this method rather than take design risks. These two pieces are my favorite examples of how whimsical and cheery a few seed beads can be when you stitch them down just-so – and how easy it is to make something fun when you don’t stop too long to plan. Bead embroidery is definitely one of the best techniques for beaders who love to go freeform.

My newest favorite material for bead embroidery is fish leather, which looks amazing and is great for designs with a little bit of negative space. It can be sort of a pain to work with, and I've found it a bit difficult to use as both a bead surface and a backing in the same design, but I've still got a lot of affection for fish leather. I have a few pieces in assorted colors left in my stash, which I hope to use up this year.

Are you a fan of bead embroidery? What’s your favorite way to use it?

Mortira

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Work in Progress: Three Small Projects

Though it’s coming along slowly, the new mini collar is almost finished, and then I’ll be moving on to a few new things. I’ve started on the latest design for our peyote stitch Master Class – no spoilers yet but there will be stripes and some essential peyote techniques involved! I’m just waiting for some time with my photo studio and we’ll be underway. This time the focus will be on even count peyote stitch, and then we’ll take some time to master the dreaded odd-count peyote.

Once these two projects are complete, I'll be able to complete the plans for some new embroidered medallions. If all goes well, I’ll be able to use up some of my weirdly abundant stash of 15/o seed beads, and scratch the craving I’ve been having to do some Egyptian motifs in beadwork. If not, at least I'll have had fun with the experiment, and I'll have gotten some use out of the Ancient Egypt coloring book I bought myself for Christmas.

What are you beading right now?

Mortira

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Copyright 2016 Inspirational Beading

Favorite Egyptian Jewelry Tutorials

Swarovski Elements recently released a new coating for crystals and crystal pearls they call Scarabaeus. The finish is a beautiful iridescent blue-green-purple which is very much like the opalescent shell of a fantastic beetle. I can’t remember the last time I was so excited about a new Swarovski innovation – I’m very much looking forward to seeing these new jewels in person. Although the finish is a bit on the lighter side, I think I can come up with some Nefertiti-worthy ways to use a few key pieces.

Bead colors aside, I’ve been noticing a lot of other Egyptian inspirations in the jewelry circles I like to travel in. Tutorials for cobalt and crimson beadwork, new collar styles, and rustic turquoise pieces keep popping up to brighten my day. These are a few of my favorites:

There’s a great mix of color and texture in this
Nefertiti Bracelet tutorial by ArtBeads.com





The technique may be simple, but this Alexandra Necklace project from Beadholique.com
perfectly captures the look of real Egyptian strung necklaces.





Bold gemtones and colorblocking win again in this leather wrapped
bangle project from AuntiesBeads.com





There’s lots of room for variation and pattern in this beady
eyepin and gemstone collar from Instructables.com





Nothing captures the look of ancient jewelry quite like rustic gemstones,
Which are perfectly showcased in these turquoise earrings from NotMerelyLiving.com





Finally, metals are a great way to capture the Egyptian look – even without gold –
like in this wirework collar project from ArtBeads.com

Which Egyptian color or motif do you find the most inspiring?

Copyright 2015 Inspirational Beading and Friends
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Ancient Worlds Modern Beads Preview

We have just under a month until the official release date of Ancient Worlds Modern Beads– although some readers have received their copies already, and the response has been great so far! Thank you so much to everyone who has given the book a chance. It’s very exciting to know that readers will soon be able to learn the techniques and draw a little inspiration from my own favorite sources.

As promised, I’ve created a slideshow preview of every design featured. There are 30 projects in all – necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings all inspired by the ancient world. The video will give you chance to view all of the finished designs and some of the techniques covered in the book. I’ve only included the main designs – most projects also include examples of variations on color, materials, or style. In other words, there is a lot of jewelry squeezed into these pages!

For the most part, the projects are showcased in the video by the same order you'll find them in for each chapter of the book. Each civilization has its own section, with 10 projects for different skill levels - from beginner to advanced. In writing Ancient Worlds Modern Beads, I did my very best to provide the same attention to detail that Inspirational Beading readers have come to expect for both basic techniques and complete projects. Each chapter is also sprinkled with extra tips for getting the best results, creating variations, or finding the best materials for a design.

The inspirations are quite varied, though most projects are modelled after real ancient jewelry from Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Several pieces draw on the icons of ancient deities like Juno and Demeter, while others invoke the things we admire about the classical world. Many of my favorite designs are covered, including those that many Inspirational Beading readers have requested in the past such as the chevron collar, herringbone coil bracelet, and chevron lariat.

Nile Necklace Project



Amphora Cuff Project

Which project are you most interested in? Are there any techniques not covered that you’d like to see in a future tutorial or book? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Copyright 2015 Inspirational Beading
Barron's Educational Series and The Met Museum
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Book News and Assorted Updates

This week I received some advanced copies of Ancient Worlds Modern Beads, and I couldn’t be more excited. The official release date is just a few short months away, and I’m looking forward to being able to search book shops for copies. It’s been an incredible journey and a dream come true! Thank you again to all of you for your support over the past few years while it all came together.

I put off taking a good look through the pages of Ancient Worlds Modern Beads– I was hoping a little distance from the last editing session would help me to see it through a reader’s eyes. It’s a bit tough, since I’ve got all of the featured pieces sitting right here with me – what a strange thing to be able to see them both together! I hope that the projects help to inspire many more.

Meanwhile, I’ve been trying to find the right balance of work, family, and beading. We’re right in the middle of summer vacation, so almost any free time I’ve got has been going to fun outings, or just plain old sleeping in. I hope that once school gets going again, I can hammer out a much better schedule that will include lots of beadwork and related goodness.

After weeks of head scratching, I’ve finally solved the shop dilemma that’s been keeping me from finding homes for new jewelry designs. ArtFire has made some major changes this year, including placing ads on listing pages and offering an ad-free account with a commission. I had hoped to start a brand new shop, but I have no idea when I’ll have the time to commit to such an endeavor. Once ArtFire announced that they would accept PayPal – aka shop profits – as payment for fees, I decided I would just go ahead and continue using the site until I can migrate to something else. This works out nicely, since I have a lot of business cards to go through before I can change my links!

I’ve committed myself to adding a few new designs to my shops each week if I can find the time, and I’ll have to pull my socks up to really get things done. My workspace has become a bit of a disaster area again – it’s just so hard to spend time filing beads when I can be weaving with them instead.

How are you juggling hobbies and summer activities right now?

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Copyright 2015 Inspirational Beading
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Introducing: Ancient Worlds Modern Beads

The time has finally come to reveal the secret project that I’ve been working on for the past two years. There have been many bead teasers along the way, and I’ve dropped a few hints about the purpose behind the exciting designs that have passed through my workspace. At last I can say that it’s all been for the production of my first beading book: Ancient Worlds, Modern Beads.

I am very excited to present this collection of projects, all inspired by Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. Some of my all-time favorite designs are included with step-by-step instructions, along with oft-requested tutorials that will finally be available in full detail. There are lots of collars, bracelets, necklaces and rings to make using seed beads, glass, and natural beads. I’ve also bent my metal rules just a bit to include 4 earring projects that coordinate with many of the other pieces in the book. It was a tough decision to make, but ultimately I wanted to create the best selection of projects possible - and there were just too many great earring inspirations to pass up!

There are 30 projects in all – ten from each civilization. The projects are inspired by the culture, mythology, art and jewelry of the time. Many pieces recreate the look of actual ancient artifacts, while others capture an essence of each region and its legacy. The Egyptian projects were some of my favorites to create, of course. Greece and Rome offer up some pretty amazing inspirations of their own, and I can't wait to share them! It was incredibly fun to design each piece, and I hope that readers will love to recreate them as well. The book also includes some gorgeous handmade backgrounds, with textiles by Elaine Partington and glass by Matthew Durran.

Amarna Earring Project Inspired by Ancient Egyptian Relics

Ancient Worlds, Modern Beads will be published later this year by Barron's Educational Series. It is available now for pre-order from Indigo and Amazon.The official cover has not yet been revealed, and there are plenty of details still to come. I’m planning to release a full preview of all of the projects for you closer to release time. Meanwhile, I want to thank the creative team at Quarto for helping get this book off the ground, and for all of their hard work on bringing it together.

Juno Pendant Project Inspired by Roman Medallion Jewelry

I also want to extend some very special thanks to every Inspirational Beading reader for your patience and support during these two hectic years. Being able to share my projects with you – if only as teasers – and reading your wonderful comments kept me going whenever I felt I couldn’t bead another stitch. Thank you for joining me here every week, and here’s to many more creative journeys!

Copyright 2015 Inspirational Beading and Friends
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Work in Progress: Blue Fringe

It is so exciting to get back to full tilt beading! This week I’m heading into my third project of the year, and things are going great.

Over the past several months, I haven’t had any opportunities to bead just for the fun of it, and my creativity was feeling a bit cramped. Now that my special side project is pretty much finished, I can get back to making projects on a whim. I thought that when I was free to create, ideas would come flooding out, but at first I felt overwhelmed by choice. I didn’t know where to begin.

This year I’m taking it easy by avoiding any big challenges, so I thought it would be fun to go back to my old methods of focusing on specific inspirations and beads. In the first few days of January, I took a little time to play with my new bone ankh pendants, and made some triple strand necklaces. The first one in green was slow going – I didn’t start to love it until it was almost finished. The second necklace with blue seed beads and striped bone tubes was so much fun I completed it in half the time.

Right now I’ve moved on to a new fringe necklace. It took a while to work out a palette that I liked. I started with the blue tube beads for accents, then went back and forth on colors for the tubular base. I decided to toss in the last few 8/o seed beads from the Artbeads Designer Blend I tried out last year, so a matching turquoise seemed like a good way to go. I haven’t yet decided if I’m going to include the vintage red white-hearts or not.

What are you making right now?

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Throwback Thursday: Beaded Tutankhamun

Working on my new Tutankhamun collar this month reminded me – as these projects often do – of one of my very first Egyptian beadwork pieces. When I did the math, I was a little surprised to discover that it was over nine years ago that I made this embroidered portrait of Tutankhamun’s decorative sarcophagus.

The design was so complex – I traced it from a photograph in one of my Egyptian history books – that I ended up just beading right onto the paper. There’s still a good portion of it hiding under the beads. I was able to tweeze out most of the edges, but the middle is there to stay.

I’ve been thinking of doing some more intricate Egyptian bead embroidery, but I never seem to have the time to commit. Maybe next year!

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