An Upward Spiral

I was feeling ambitions the other day, and decided I might polish up my tutorial on Cellini spiral with some new step by step photographs. So I got the camera out, and snapped a few tutorial shots.

Not one to waste precious Fireline, I decided to continue with the Cellini spiral, and create a bangle bracelet after my photographs were in the bag. Once the initial steps were complete, and the spiral was starting to take shape, I noticed something interesting about the tube in front of me.

It looked like a ring.

I’ve never been much of a fan of beaded rings, but something about the gradual curve of the blue 6o beads really caught my eye. I instantly pictured wearing something like it on a finger.

The Inspiration:

After my Cellini bangle was complete, I set out to find a way to make a spiral peyote tube large enough to wear as a ring. I wanted to maintain the single row of 6o beads in the center, for it was these beads that created the jewel-like appearance that I wanted.

I considered simply increasing the number of 10o’s, to create a wider tube, but I wanted a bit more flexibility if any shaping or tapering would be needed. I decided to add a second row of 10o’s, with 15o’s making up the center of the Cellini tube.

The Beads:

I was pretty frustrated by the fading of the purple galvanized beads in the bangle. They stood up to the wear from my hands, but flaked from constantly rubbing against the table as I stitched. My stash of 8o seed beads is pretty low at the moment, and my only option for matte beads were the Picasso green Toho’s leftover from my RAW necklace.

To match the olive colored 8o’s, I chose 15o Toho's in Gold Lined Black Diamond, copper lined green 10o’s, and opaque black 6o’s. Once again, the combination is somewhat snake-like, but I love the subtle sparkle of the lined beads against the neutral opaque beads.

The Beadwork:

I wouldn’t call this a failed attempt, exactly. I’m actually quite happy with the ring that I made. The only trouble is that it’s unlikely to fit anyone but me.

As predicted, I ended up using the 15o beads to taper the tube and shape it to my finger. This means, of course, that it will fit only on the finger I was working with, and no other.

This might be the first time I’ve ever made something just for myself. So it’s back to the drawing board, as far as Cellini rings go, but at least I got a nice bauble out of it!

Quick Inspiration: Use the Muse

When I first became interested in jewelry design, I remember being really intimidated by the projects in Beadwork magazine. My attempts at peyote stitch were frightening, and tubular herringbone was a fabulous mystery yet to be explored. Today, Beadwork is one of my favorite sources for inspiration.

My favorite feature is The Challenge, were the editors set out to create interesting beadwork from a pre-selected set of beads. Each design is unique, for each editor combines the challenge beads with their own stash, and their personal style. I love seeing the different styles of beadwork using the same set of beads. It’s a great way to explore the endless possibilities available to creative beaders.

Recently, readers have been invited to participate in The Challenge as well, and the mystery beads for each issue are given to lucky beaders to create with as they will. Participants are drawn at random, and their finished work is featured along with the designs of the Beadwork editors.

As much as I love The Challenge, I don’t yet have the courage to enter into the draw, and I feel like I’m missing out on a great opportunity for inspiration and creative growth. That’s why I was so thrilled to learn about the Use the Muse contest.

Beadwork contributing editor, Scarlett Lanson, has created a beading challenge that anyone can sink their teeth into. The concept is very similar to Beadwork’s The Challenge, because the contest is open to designers of all tastes and skill levels.

Here’s how it works: beaders can purchase a beading kit which includes all of the materials pictured above. Also in the package is a mystery component, called the Muse, which must be used for a design to qualify for the contest. Beaders can use any techniques or other materials that they choose, allowing for maximum creativity. Prizes are awarded in a variety of categories, including the overall grand prize - a fabulous treasure box filled with delicious beads.

This is a really exciting opportunity to flex one’s creative muscles, to experiment with new materials, and to interact with other beaders. If you want to learn more about Use the Muse, and how to participate, visit Scarlett Lanson’s website The Beader’s Muse.

Good luck to all Muse Users out there!

Inspired Beader: Lisa Crone

If there were an award for the all time biggest bead lover, Lisa would be a serious contender. Her daily showcase of gorgeous, interesting and loveable beads on her blog, A Bead a Day, is truly inspiring.

Lisa has been designing for nearly 20 years, and spent many years selling her work at craft shows. Nowadays, she’s using her talents in a more casual way, making jewelry for fun, family, and friends. She’s also a beading instructor, teaching techniques ranging from beginner to advanced.

Although she’s a veteran of beading, Lisa still enjoys learning new techniques, and brainstorming ideas with other beaders. She encourages other artists to participate in beading cruises, which have been a source of knowledge and inspiration for her.

Inspirational Beading asked Lisa about her bead inspirations. Here’s what she had to say:

Inspirational Beading: When did you first know that you were in love with beads?

Lisa: I sort of fell in and out of love with them for a few years after I started beading in 1990, but once I started working with memory wire around 1994, I seem to love them more and more every day and don't think I'll ever tire of them!

IB: Do you have a favorite type of bead?

Lisa: I don't really have a favorite type of bead. I have a tendency to gravitate toward what I think of as "happy" beads - blues and yellows like the sky and ocean, and yes, smiley faces! However, I can find something special in just about every bead to love.

IB: Where do you find the most inspiration?

Lisa: When I feel a connection with nature or the universe I have a tendency to be more creative, but I can find inspiration in beads, fabrics, graphic art, flowers, etc. Brainstorming with other crafters and/or beaders also provides me with great inspiration.

IB: What is your favorite bead color combination?

Lisa: Variations of blues are the first that come to mind. Again, I think blue represents happy, peaceful, and content to me.

IB: Who do you hope to inspire with your work?

Lisa: I would like to inspire all other beaders to see the individual beauty in each bead and also in the wide variety of findings that are available. It's easy to get focused on the beads that are standouts such as crystals, but beads are works of art on their own in many cases.

I love coming across other beaders’ work that gives me goose bumps. Just when you think you have seen it all, there's someone with a new technique and you get excited all over again! When that happens, I want to share what I have found with everyone I know and often write about it on my blog. It was a wonderful surprise to find such a great community of crafters online. Always encouraging and sharing ideas, it's wonderful!

Lisa is currently working on her first beading book, which will be published by North Light Books later this year. You can find daily inspiration on her blog, A Bead a Day, or catch up with her on Twitter and Facebook.

Quick Inspiration: Patterned Paper

"Tutti Frutti" Ricki Mountain

The summer issue of Beadwork magazine has a wonderful collection of projects featuring jewelry inspired by patterned scrapbooking paper. What I love about the feature is the variety of designs used. Each artist started with a different piece of patterned paper, and came up with interesting and unique pieces to imitate the colors, textures and other aspects of the patterns.

Although each designer used different techniques, such as stitching or wirework, and made different types of pieces, like bracelets and pendants, the connection between the finished beadwork and the original pattern is clear. My favorite piece is “Pixilated Peyote” by Melinda Barta.

Beadwork is currently running a contest for readers’ pattern inspired work. Although it’s open to all types of pattern adaptations, I love the idea of using scrapbook paper for ideas. Even when the pattern itself isn’t imitated - as in “Moroccan Gate” by Danielle Fox - there are so many ways to turn these pretty papers into amazing beadwork.

Even if you’re not ready to join in the Pattern Play Challenge, you can still find some instant inspiration from the wide range of scrap booking paper available to today’s crafters. Thanks to the web, we can seek out some fun, fancy or fantastic paper from the comfort of home.

The next time you’re stuck for a color scheme, pattern, or shape idea, check out some of the scrapbook paper at sites such as Blackberry Paper, Scrapbook Lounge, and Stuff4Scrapbooking.

Happy beading!

Cinematic Surprise

I was suffering from a bit of beader’s block recently, and I decided to try and find a little inspiration by watching a movie. It had to be something with plenty of visual appeal, preferably artistic, and something that had the potential to translate into beadwork.

Luckily, I have a pretty good collection of fantasy and sci-fi movies to choose from. I went over to the shelf, closed my eyes, and grabbed one at random. The film I chose was Constantine, a theological thriller based on the graphic novel Hellblazer.

The Inspiration:

It was very interesting to watch a favorite movie purely from an artistic perspective. I kept my mind and eyes open for images or ideas that I could use in beading, but I honestly expected to come up with something involving angels and demons, or perhaps ancient runes. I was completely surprised when a piece of artwork tucked into the background jumped out at me and said “I must be beaded!”

I have tried to find any mention of where these Asian lanterns originated. With no audio commentary to give me a hint, I was left with Google. Unfortunately, no one else seems to know whose painting or photograph it is. Although I wasn’t able to get a closer look at the artwork, I was still thrilled by the combination of pinks, reds and browns.

The Beads:

Finding beads for this inspiration was fairly easy. I just happened to have a really great transparent seed bead mixture of assorted reds, pinks and tangerines. Because of the shiny quality of the transparents, I went with a deep brown iris mix and white Ceylon seed beads to round out the palette.

The Beadwork:

Although attempting to recreate the lanterns themselves would have been a fun challenge, it was really the colors in the image that caught my attention, so I wanted to do something really simple that would allow the red and brown to take center stage.

A simple spiral rope - one of my all time favorite stitches - seemed fitting enough, and I used a pattern of lines with the red and brown beads. The white sits in the background of the spiral core. I picked up the red beads mostly at random, though I occasionally threw back some of the more orange beads to keep the necklace looking as much like the lanterns as possible.