The Long Overdue Update

Greetings to all of my fellow beaders and jewelry lovers! It has been very quiet here on Inspirational Beading for several weeks, and I need to begin this update by apologizing profusely to anyone who has been waiting patiently for new content to appear. I know it was incredibly rude to wander off without leaving a note, but it couldn’t be helped.

I’ve had a few unexpected absences before, and I always assume that they won’t happen again. I never see them coming. When things were really rolling here on the blog, I was working up to posting nearly every day, and I was really happy with the content. I’d never had so many ideas at once. Things were going great. And then I got sick, and took a few days off, and just never got back on track. There were days when I felt really guilty about having nothing to share, but there were also many days when I just really enjoyed not being tethered to my workspace.

The Oatmeal recently published a comic called Creativity is Like Breathing that explains the creative process really well. Nails it, in fact. If you aren’t familiar with The Oatmeal, please note that the comics are almost always Not Safe For Work. To summarize this one: creating things is like exhaling, and doing it too much can be hazardous. I was exhaling a lot, and it burnt me out so completely that I couldn’t even bring myself to log in to Facebook or compose a farewell Tweet. I checked my emails almost every day, in the same way that one checks on children periodically to make sure that they’re not about to stick something into the light socket. Other than that, I’ve been completely unplugged.

Over that last few weeks I’ve been waiting for inspiration to happen, for something to spark the kindling that makes me want to play with beads, make things, and/or write about it. There were little motes of inspiration here and there: watching Bob Ross on Netflix made me think about making things; I needed something to do while sitting at my laptop binging on Orange is the New Black, so I started a new medallion with my bead helper, and put a few stitches on the coconut dagger necklace. Unfortunately, none of it has started a fire. I don’t even carry my creative journal with my anymore. I’ve mostly just been reading, filling myself up with new words and waiting for beads to be exciting again.

I don’t have a definite plan, but things are going to be very light here on Inspirational Beading over the summer. I don’t have as much free time as I did when I started the schedule that went so far off the rails, so it will be baby steps from here on. It would be a mistake to force the ideas - I want to be sure that what I do post is really good, and not just whatever I had the energy to pull together. I promise that when inspiration strikes, you will be the first to know!

Mortira

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Gorgeous Polymer Clay Inspirations

Today I’m in the mood for a little jewelry eye-candy, and nothing beats polymer clay when you want to feel a little creative awe. Really great polymer clay designs are like a combination of sculpting and painting, yet they’re so much more than either of those things. There are lots of essential techniques that look amazing when done well, such as canes; there are also many unexpected ways to smoosh that yield amazing results.

Like many of the materials that I’ve sworn off for my own designs, I am often envious of polymer clay designers and the things that they can achieve. I stick by my choice, but I can certainly admire the possibilities! So, I did some window shopping without any particular style of polymer clay work in mind, and hand-picked several pieces that are just sure to make you say “Wow”. These are my favorites.

Polymer clay was around for years before I even knew about beadwork, though back then everyone just called it by the brand name Fimo. Though interesting, I didn’t really take much notice of it until after I had started beading, and came across some polymer clay appliqué designs that were utterly stunning. These pink floral earrings by Sweetystuff use the head-turning appliqué technique to perfection.

Creating your own color blends and sculpting your own bead shapes is a super power, as seen in this statement bracelet by Adriana Allen. Unlike your basic beadwork, stringing, chainmaille, or metalwork, there are no rules or limits when it comes to smooshing.

Oh the wonderful things that canes can do! The technique of using cane slices to make gorgeous motifs has been around for hundreds of years, and is still used in traditional glass studios in Venice. The big advantage that polymer clay canes have over glass is the amazing colors and blending possibilities. You can’t get a gorgeous ombré effect like the one playing across these earrings by Natka Handmade without clay!

This is not your grandmother’s millefiori! Once again the depth and richness of polymer clay colors outshines traditional cane designs in these beads by Sigaliot. Although I love new and vintage Ventian glass a lot, it doesn’t quite have the same pop when it comes out of the kiln.

Unlike other jewelry materials, polymer clay can be transformed into almost anything, be it realistic or whimsical. There are some amazing artists out there that create the most edible looking miniature food you’ve ever seen, as well as adorable food themed designs like these popsicle earrings by Dzy Dzy Design.

More sculptural possibilities are seen in this succulent pendant by sofoxyclay. The colors and shapes are gorgeous, but what really makes this design special after the first glance is its size. This piece is actually quite tiny at just 5 cm, or 2 inches, wide.

One of the best things about polymer clay is that you can use it to create components that perfectly match your aesthetic, and are 100% unique. These gorgeous earrings by boele are actually made with wood clay, but have the same one-of-a-kind ‘oooh’ factor that I wanted to find in my search.

Another great example of polymer clay’s versatility is this adorable pendant by My Mini Munchies. It perfectly captures the look and mood of knitwear in a tiny, colorful package. It’s also a great example of how one can achieve any color or combination with blending – we can’t do that with seed beads!

There are some designs out there that, if you’d never heard of or seen polymer clay designs before, you’d never guess were made with a pasta machine and lots of patience. These earrings by Silvia Ortiz de la Torre are a great example of how intricate and alluring this medium can be.


Do you use polymer clay beads in your designs? Have you dabbled with smooshing before? What styles and techniques are your favorites?

Mortira

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5 Ways to Spark Bead Creativity

I think many beaders want to believe that if we owned bead stores, we would have never-ending inspiration every day. And most bead store owners would tell you that when you run your own brick and mortar business, you don’t have time to bead. The truth is, no matter how well stocked we are, gaps in inspiration can happen at any time. Sometimes we just run out of ideas, or out of creative energy. I often get stuck in a rut when I try to make something that I don’t find enjoyable, and before I know it I’m in full procrastination mode. It can take days or even weeks until I’m ready to do anything creative again.

Since this is something that has happened to me often over the years, I’ve discovered a lot of little tricks for getting the beads rolling again. Sometimes all it takes is a little nudge; other times you need a complete creative detox and reset. These methods have worked for me time and again.

5. Browse Your Favorite Sites

The easiest and cheapest way to spark a little creativity is to do some artistic window shopping. Check out what other artists are making, look at the designs in museums and catalogues, browse interesting color palettes and patterns, or just ogle beads until something fires you up.

Your favorite bead shops, Pinterest, fashion mag sites, and museum catalogues are a great place to start. A lot of sites offer a little more in the form of interaction, where you can play with the inspirations and see what happens. I like ColourLovers.com and Pantone.com when I want to experiment.

Browse and Create Color Palettes on COLOURLovers.com

4. Flip Through Some Pages

Books and magazines always offer a wealth of inspiration, whether you buy or borrow. Your public library likely has a great selection of jewelry, beading, and craft books, as well as back issues of craft and fashion magazines. If you subscribe – or have ever subscribed – to magazines or catalogues, all you have to do is haul out your back issues and start flipping. You’re bound to find something that calls out to be beaded.

If, like me, you have a lot of beading magazines from years ago, you can go back and try out projects and techniques that you once overlooked. I tried this earlier this year, and it worked so well I haven't had to go back to it since! If you're not ready to commit your bead stash to old projects, you could always peruse the ads for new material and color ideas.

3. Make Collages

Making digital collages like those you can tinker with on Pantone and ColourLovers is a great way to spark creativity, but nothing beats the good old fashioned scissors and glue stick collage. Almost any type of magazine or catalogue will do to make an inspiration collage. Cut out any pictures that speak to you and arrange them together to get a palette of ideas to help you on your way to new designs. And don’t overlook the potential of ads for color and pattern ideas!

Once you’ve made a few collages, you can hole-punch them and store them in a binder for future use, or wallpaper your creative space for inspiration at any time of the day or night. If you want to skip the arranging step, you can also paste whole pictures and snippets in a scrapbook or sketchbook. As an added bonus, collage-making can often lead to sketching, which is a great way to experiment and plan new design ideas.

Lime Lizard by mortira featuring modern home decor

2. Try Something New

When all else fails, grabbing some new beads is a great way to get your designs flowing again. Even if the project doesn’t work out, you’re bound to come up with other ideas while you’re working. Beads are just too exciting to ignore! You don’t have to go outside of your normal comfort zone when trying out new beads. A new color, shape, or finish in a style you’re already familiar with is often enough to rev things up.

There are also zillions of tutorials out there to try when you need a little boost. Whether you choose a free project or purchase one from an instructor, working from someone else's pattern gives your creative side a chance to relax and reset. By the time you’ve finished the project, you’ll likely have a whole to-do list to look forward to.

The Necklace a Day Challenge

1. Challenge Yourself

By far my favorite way to start new inspirations and keep them going is with a challenge. Big or small, they never fail to give me a reason to bead (and learn new things along the way). It’s important to set a challenge that you want to do, and that you have the time and resources to stick with. While there’s plenty to be learned from failure, a successful challenge is much more exciting.

There’s no exact way to go about creating a challenge, but the easiest way to start is to pick something you want to repeat on some scale and set a time limit to do it in. It could be variations in a single design, or a variety of designs based on a theme. It could be a once-a-day challenge, or creating X number of projects by a certain date. Pretty much anything goes! Chronicling your challenge, whether in a journal or online, is a great way to stay motivated, too.

What’s your favorite way to deal with a creative slump?

Mortira

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Wild, Weird Jewelry

In celebration of April Fool’s Day, I bring you a selection of some of handmade jewelry’s wildest, weirdest designs. Compiling this list was way more fun than trying to pull a prank like declaring “I’m never blogging again!”. As if that would ever happen.

I started by searching "weird jewelry" on Etsy, and after finding more than a few interesting themes, I ended up going off on a keyword adventure. Artists are super weird.

I think it’s looking at me!
Design By isewcute



The rhinestone details really make this cuff.
Design By Spirale Rouge



Who doesn’t love braaaaains?
By Wooly Topic



Now you can have a laundry day necklace to go with your laundry day undies.
Design By Pikipoka Jewelry



You would not believe how much poop jewelry there is on Etsy.
Design By Clay Creations ForEver



Creepy doll eye earrings are creepy.
Design By Urbex Ashley



It’s angel food cake, and it will haunt my nightmares.
Design By Mythillogical



I want a dead spider leg ring, in black!
Design By Rickson Jewellery



Don’t go in the water. You might tarnish your jewelry.
Design By What A Novel Idea



Food jewelry is always a yes. Especially chicken.
Design By Tiny Ears Shop



Handmade jewelry comes from the heart…
Design By The Spangled Maker



Who knew mummies could be so adorable?
Design By Nodsu



Gaaah!
Design By retroandme

Stay weird, beaders!

Mortira

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Copyright 2016 Inspirational Beading and Friends

The Ultimate Beading Idea Organizer

Staying organized is often a big challenge for any artist, and beaders are no different. Chances are you’ve got at least one – if not twelve – idea notebooks scattered around your home and workspace, perhaps a bulletin board covered with sketches, packets of project materials lined up for future use and collecting dust, or any number of scrambled brainstorming techniques taking up space but not being much use. It’s just what we do.

This weekend I discovered a fabulous new way to organize my life and my ideas in one place, with everything from work, blogging, and beading laid out every week. I got the idea from one of my favorite vloggers, who demonstrates a quick way to make your own custom weekly planner in her Agenda Hacks and Tips video. The stationery geek in me went a little nuts when I watched it, and I started making my own variation right away.

In my agenda, I’ve created a weekly layout that leaves plenty of room for idea sketches and allows me to make to-do lists that I can carry on from day-to-day. I never know what I’ll have the time or creative energy to accomplish in a day, so a flexible beading schedule is very important. I’ve got a spot for my day-job and appointment schedule, and everything else is dedicated to creativity. I can list my goals for the week, plus must-do lists for 2-3 day stretches. There’s also space for random idea lists, notes, and brainstorming. I’ve only done a few weeks’ worth of layouts at a time, so if I ever want to cut out and paste images from magazines and such, there’ll be space to include them.

Goodbye Scrap Paper!

Until now I’ve been using an ordinary pocket agenda to keep track of my timetable, but I was always frustrated that I didn’t really have the space to plan blogs or sketch out jewelry ideas when they suddenly arise. My workspace has also been constantly covered with bits of scrap paper with ideas and half-scratched out to-do lists that eventually get tossed even if I don’t finish them. I’m super excited to start carrying this book around so that I can keep my ideas rolling anytime and anywhere. The best part is that it will take a long, long time to fill up this book; I’ll be able to go back and re-think any unfinished ideas instead of losing them to the scrap paper graveyard.

What's your favorite way to keep track of ideas and projects?

Mortira

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Dollar Deals and the Accidental Seed Bead Stash

My current embroidery experiment is just the latest attempt in a long line of destash missions for my large collection of 15/o seed beads. Over the past 7 years, I’ve tried many times to put a dent in the quantities of 15/o’s that are in my stash, but it never seems to get any smaller. They’re just so tiny that no matter how much I use them, their volume never seems to get any lower. I once tried making beadwork bookmarks, I’ve made what seems like millions of beaded flowers with them, and of course I went through a brief rivoli obsession before moving on to other things.

The stash just never seems to get any smaller. Of course I’ve also added a few colors here and there as well. Once I discovered 15/o seed beads, I found that they were really quite useful - at least once in a while. Part of the trouble is that I didn’t know what I was getting into, so there are lots of colors that hardly ever get used – and a few that I like too much to use all the time. Bead hoarding comes in all shapes and sizes.

There’s currently a Dollar Days sale running at Fire Mountain Gems, which got me to thinking about the story behind how I ended up with an entire tackle tray of 15/o’s - even though I only use them rarely, and in such tiny amounts. I suppose you could call it a cautionary tale about making assumptions, but I like to think of it as a happy accident.

When I placed my very first online bead order back in 2009, I had never set eyes on Japanese seed beads before. I had been using Czech seed beads from my local bead store for years, happily stringing and stitching without much awareness of the other possibilities out there. In that first order, I only included one package of 11/o TOHO seed beads, along with a bunch of other beads that were totally new to me. So, when the store mixed up the seed beads in my order and sent me 8/o’s by mistake, I had nothing to compare them to. A tiny voice was telling me that I knew there was very little difference between Czech and Japanese beads, but I was essentially working without a net. I assumed that TOHO sized their beads a little bit differently, just like Miyuki does with their Delicas.

A few weeks later there was a Dollar sale at my new favorite site, and I went a little nuts ordering packets of 15/o seed beads in my favorite colors – and a bunch of exciting new ones! – thinking that they would be about the same size as the Czech seed beads I was used to. Imagine my surprise when the package arrived and I discovered a gaggle of little baggies containing what looked like colored sand at first glance. For a few moments I was totally heartbroken; I had been so excited to try out all of my new seed bead colors – what was I ever going to do with beads so tiny a single bead is practically invisible? Eventually I got over my initial disappointment and started thinking about ways to use these beads. It didn’t take long before I was stitching up little beaded flowers and using 15/o’s for accent fringe. Then I learned how to bezel and never looked back.

Although I may have eventually tried out 15/o’s on my own, I’m not sure if the design discoveries I’ve made would have been possible without a big stash of little seed beads to choose from. If it weren’t for that one little mix-up, I’d probably have two or three essential 15/o colors and not much else. There’d almost certainly be no beaded starfish rings, and that would be a shame. Most seasoned beaders will say that mistakes can be the start of a great new design or technique. It turns out this is just as true for bead shopping as it is for the actual beadwork.

Have you ever had a big surprise in a bead order? Were you able to turn it around and make it work for you?

Mortira

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How to Mix and Use Bead Soups

There’s something wonderfully enticing about a mixture of beads. The combination of colors and shapes all playing together before the beadwork has even begun can be so much more inspiring than a single seed bead color. Bead soups are an excellent source of creative juice, not to mention a great way to experiment with new colors, or use up leftover beads.

One of the best ways to create a gorgeous bead soup is to hand select colors and shapes that work well together, as well as with your favorite techniques. A lot of bead sellers create their own custom mixes and blends, so the work of building a palette is done for you. If you want to experiment with concocting your own bead soup recipes, leftover beads are a great way to play with colors.

Starting with a single color is a good way to play it safe and see what your beads can do. You can mix together similar hues and shades to get a wonderful monochrome palette of ready-to-use seed beads. It’s a good idea to keep track of how much you’re adding with each new color, especially if you already have a project in mind. This way you can get a good balance of shades and be sure you’ll have enough beads to complete your design. If you’re not sure how your mix will turn out, start with a few grams of each color and add a dash of this-and-that until you get the perfect blend.

Mix together seed beads of different sizes for texture.

Blue is a great color for bead soups because you can combine almost any number of shades together and they’ll still look great. Turquoise, aqua, cobalt, indigo…they all play well together. When planning your soup, try placing the beads you want to use together before mixing, to see how different finishes will look. Sometimes transparent, lined, or matte looks great when mingled, but different finishes can dramatically affect how other colors look.

Shaped seed beads are great in soups.

This green mix is a great example of too many shades. The mint and lime beads would look wonderful paired with the emerald. When all three come together, they clash. One way to salvage this soup would be to add some yellow or blue. This would allow either the mint or lime to attach itself visually to the new color, leaving the other to pair off with emerald.

Try adding accents of similar sizes and shapes to start.

You can add accent beads directly to your bead soups. This is a great way to build a palette for freeform peyote, multistrand pieces, or bead embroidery. Depending on your project, you may want to go for a small range of sizes (from 3 to 6 mm), or add a handful of chunkier pieces. This is another great way to use up odds and ends in your bead stash.

Bead soups look great with freeform stitches and motifs.

Blending similar hues together can work out really well. This mix combines neutrals and a variety of warm tones for a sandy look. Starting with a base of neutrals (white, black, grey or beige) and then adding a few highlights is a great way to experiment with mixing colors.

Bead soups are great for multistrand and fringe projects.

You can also use multiple bead soups in a single design. To create an ombré effect, create two bead soups with colors that are close together on the color wheel, or use one all-neutral palette. Remove one third of each soup and mix those thirds together to create an additional blend. Alternate between the three soups to gradually change the look and color of your beadwork.

If you're not using a bead spinner or stringing multiple beads at once, it can be tricky to find a truly random groove. When working with mixes, I like to pour out a portion of soup onto my workspace, then pinch a few grams into a line that I can choose from. By moving steadily through this row of beads, I can be sure that I'm not favoring a color or creating a pattern instinctively.

Do you like to mix your beads together? What’s your favorite bead soup palette?

Mortira

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Inspirational Beading - Now Bigger and Better

It’s hard to believe – even for me – but Inspirational Beading turned 7 this past summer. It’s been an amazing journey of learning and inspiration. I’ve had so much fun sharing ideas and projects with all of my fabulous readers! There have been many changes and revisions over the years, with new segments, awesome guest posts, and fun giveaways to spice things up. Over the past year or so, things have been pretty casual as I put the finishing touches on Ancient Worlds Modern Beads – and that is about to change!

2010 Bead Palette

One of the only things that I’ve stuck with almost as long as the blog is my day job. Unfortunately, I recently found out that it is going to be downsized. I have something else lined up, but it won't be nearly as secure as what I've got now. The good news is that I’ll have even more free time to bring you great content – including more tutorials and projects! It’s time at last to get serious and make Inspirational Beading the best that it can be.

To begin this new journey, I’ve launched a Patreon campaign to help fund the blog and all the things I’ll need to keep it going (and growing). If you’re not familiar with Patreon, it’s an exciting crowd-funding style program that lets artists earn their bread by doing what they love. It’s very popular with YouTube and comic creators, as well as musicians and artists like Amanda Palmer. Unlike a Kickstarter campaign for a one-time project, Patreon allows artists to earn a bit of income for doing the work that they want to do, and maybe even do it a little bit better.

2011 Bead Palette

Here’s how it works: interested readers can become ‘patrons’ by pledging a monthly donation of $1 or more. In return, patrons get lots of awesome perks, plus the warm fuzzy feeling that comes with helping to support something you love. You can edit your pledge at any time, and any perks you receive are yours to keep!

Inspirational Beading patrons will have access to lots of great inspirations including: exclusive giveaways, free tutorials, a special member’s-only blog and newsletter, plus early access to special content like tutorials, projects, and videos. I have so many exciting things planned for you – I can’t wait to start sharing them!

If you’re not able to become a patron right now, not to worry. Inspirational Beading posts will always be free, and they’re going to be better than ever.

There is one extra way that you can help me and your fellow readers though: send me your questions, and I’ll turn them into informative posts for the blog. I want to hear all of your questions about beading, beads, jewelry design, blogging, and anything else you can think of! Want to talk books, Ancient Egypt, or fashion? Ask me about anything you’ve been pondering and I’ll turn it into a fun video. Email your questions with “Mailbag” in the subject line to InspiraitonalBeading@gmail.com and I’ll get started!

2013 Bead Palette

I want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who has been reading along so far, and all new readers, too! You keep my creative wheels turning. I couldn’t have made it this far without you, and I can’t wait to see where we go next. If you’d like to become an Inspirational Beading patron, or check out the available perks, visit my new creator’s page to learn more. Thank you!

Happy beading,

-Mortira


Copyright 2015 Inspirational Beading
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