Bead Arts

Thank you to Tammy Powley over at About.com’s Jewelry Making site! Tammy has compiled links to 8 different beginner projects, at least 5 of which would be fun for Christmas and other winter holidays. One of the projects is a simple ornament cover…once you try one of these and see how they work, the more complicated ones will not seem quite so daunting!

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Make Art Monday

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Do you have any new members of the family to make gifts for this year? Here’s a darling idea from Michaels:

Very simple, very fast…and really cute! Just what we like at this time of the year

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I call this piece Champagne Bubbles for its fun, festive bounce and style. You can find my instructions to make it, and I think you’ll be thrilled to see how super-simple and fast it is. Mostly you just need to make sure that you’ve got enough small sized crimps on hand before you start

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Pardon me, but I can’t help myself…this necklace is just cute as a button! Sorry…

The easy peasy directions are provided by Maitreya and Becket at CraftLog.

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Make Art Monday

All of the pieces that I sent for consideration for the upcoming book, 1000 Jewelry Details, have returned home. I was very happy to see them again, especially Orinoco Flow. It happens to be my current favorite

I don’t know which if any of my pieces will end up in the book, but there were six in all that they asked for in order to consider them. The pieces they wanted spanned a wide variety of styles too. Here are two samples:

All the Daughters of Eve

Orinoco Flow

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Technique Tuesday!

The loop
The loop can be made from quite a number of different jewelry parts. I’ve used earrings, pendants with holes in the middle, toggle rings, charms with holes, and a plain loop of seed beads. The most important thing is to make or choose a loop that is large enough to accommodate whatever dangling bits and decorative beads you wish to use. The strands must be able to fit through the loop at the same time, at least up to a point.

Comfort
Consider what beads will rest against the back of your neck. Try to make that section, maybe 5 to 6 inches, from smaller rounder beads for comfort’s sake!

Dangles
Again, there are many choices for what to add to the ends of your lariat. Just make sure that they are going to fit through the loop. For a little extra movement, I like to have these dangling bits attached via head pins or bails of some type so that they swing freely.

Miscellaneous tips
Use the finest diameter beading wire that will still be strong enough for your beads, and chose a brand with the softest drape possible. Stiffer wire may be less expensive, but your piece will not hang nicely. Cut the piece too long. Longer is better with lariats!

Link to another summer necklace:
Fishing for Trout

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Make Art Monday!

Here it is already: the time of year that I have to start thinking about and making springtime and summer projects

Tomorrow, for Technique Tuesday, I’ll discuss some general tips for making lariats.

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Make Art Monday!

Here’s one of the pieces that I made with the silver Art Clay maple leaves that I showed you last week

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I’ve got two pieces with instructions in the current issue of Jewelry Crafts magazine. They were both a lot of fun to make, and even more fun to wear! The first one, Framed, uses greeting cards and polymer clay. The second one is a shimmering mix of copper and turquoise.

Framed

Copper & Turquoise

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Make Art Monday!

At last, the perfect excuse to eat more Chinese food…

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Artist: Kim Falat
Business name: Symphony Jewels
Location: Chicago suburbs

Website:
Symphony Jewels

How do you describe your work, Kim?
My jewelry is elegant and feminine. Most of my designs are finer and more delicate. I’m not a huge fan of the big chunky jewelry out there, although I have incorporated some of those designs to cater to the people who love that style. But I really like my jewelry to just be… pretty. I want it to be versatile also. Today, I’m wearing a pink and black necklace, with black onyx, pink chalcedony, sparkly Swarovski crystals, and sterling silver accents. It has a nice long dangly pendant. This necklace looks perfect with my black pants and pink tank top. This necklace would also look gorgeous with a black evening gown. I want all of my designs to represent me and my style, but I also want people to have a huge variety. Someone can walk into my booth or go to my website and find hundreds of different designs. It’s not just a handful of designs in different colors and the same pattern over and over. Every piece is different, new and fresh.

In a way I chose my name for the same reason. I wanted a pretty name, something that conveyed a certain level of elegance. The neat thing about symphonies, if you’ve ever listened to one, is all the amazing different elements that combine to create one piece. In pop music, you have a verse, a chorus, and a bridge. In a symphony, it’s like a dozen different bridges coming together and all working together beautifully. It’s not just drums, a guitar and a keyboard… it’s a whole orchestra. I think that represents my jewelry designs and how my overall inventory works together. Plus, I’ve been involved with music for quite some time, so “symphony” helped tie in another little aspect of me.

What is your creative process like?
Because I have so many other things filling up my life (a “day job”, husband with his own company, dog training and all those fun household chores and errands), I don’t always have a lot of time for the jewelry business. I often have to make time to sit down for jewelry. But once I do, I’ve missed it so much, and as soon as my brain starts working I just keep creating! Then it becomes a day or two of jewelry bliss! I can pump out 30 or 40 new things in a couple days when I’m that inspired and that motivated. I usually have an audio book or music playing while I’m making jewelry. Since I have such a busy lifestyle, I need to find every way I can to multitask. It helps if I can make jewelry AND practice my vocals, or read a book I just haven’t found the time for yet.

I rarely sketch anything out, except when using PMC. It’s too hard to “redo” with PMC. So I make sure I have a solid idea of what I’m making beforehand. With my other jewelry, I usually have a color scheme or a certain style in mind, I go to my supply boxes and start grouping things together to see how the pieces fit. If I don’t like the end result, I can just take it apart and redo it. Usually that’s just a small tweaking of the layout.

What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?
I’ve always been an artist… I started writing poetry and short stories at 8 years old, I drew and painted throughout grade school and high school, pursued a professional singing career, started airbrushing in my 20’s, scrapbooked, made cards, painted glass and wood, and then I stumbled upon jewelry a few years ago. I never took classes to learn how to make jewelry, I just asked a few questions here and there and found some wonderful internet resources. I’ve always been able to put things together… whether it’s words, colors, or textures… and my designs for my jewelry just come to me. Sometimes I’ll actually pull out an outfit and try to make something for it, but mostly I just sit down at my table and sift through my supplies, and my inventory, and try to figure out what I want to make next. I have recently taken a couple PMC classes to learn a new medium and evolve my designs and eventually I will take some metalsmithing classes. I don’t want to pick up a torch and some metal without knowing what to do with those!

Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?
I love to use Swarovski crystals, gemstones, and sterling silver in my designs. I love how the materials interact together and the outcome can be amazing.

What inspires you to create?
Anything and everything. New clothes fashions help inspire certain designs. A picture in an interior design magazine can show beautiful color combinations. Looking out into my gorgeous landscaped backyard calms me and helps me think. Sifting through my gemstones always triggers a flood of ideas.

What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?
That I have so much money invested in this, I better make some back! No, seriously, I’ve always loved art, and have dabbled in a million things, and found a passion for the jewelry. When I started, I couldn’t get enough! I couldn’t go to sleep at night until I made all my ideas! And now, I’m still so inspired by each new piece I create. One design usually leads me right into the next. I prefer to make one-of-a-kind pieces and I’m always proud of each new creation. And when things get really bad, just hearing the wonderful compliments from people keeps my heart in it.

What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?
My advice is to always master what you do, and you’ll never second-guess yourself.

I’m a perfectionist, and I always demand a lot from myself. And if I don’t get something right the 1st, 2nd or 20th time I do it, I get very frustrated. But perfection takes practice and perseverence. I do see my progress over time, I see everything become better. I know how long it took my designs to become what I wanted from them, and I know any new techniques will take time too. I am confident of my designs and know what I wanted out of each and every piece. When you finally get that level of confidence, it helps you know where you stand in this crazy art world, and it helps balance the artist with the professional in you.

What takes up the majority of your time besides your art?
Training dogs. I have a Shetland Sheepdog that I train in agility. I also have a German Shepherd from champion bloodlines whom I want to show in conformation and the sport of Schutzhund, which involves protection work, tracking and obedience. It’s HARD!!! Seriously!! Look up Schutzhund videos on youtube.com and you’ll see how HARD this is!!! But he is a perfect example of the breed, in anatomy, temperment and drive. So we work together so we can get all the necessary titles on him to prove to the world what he is so he can help improve the German Shepherd breed.

What’s your other favorite things? Food, books, etc?
Oooh, I love Italian food… and chocolate… and potato chips! And I love to read fantasy adventure books. When I really want to relax, I throw in an audio book and make jewelry. I also have a few “comfort” movies (Goonies, Ghostbusters and Raiders of the Lost Ark) that have the ability to just take me away to a happy quiet place and help me forget the concerns of the world (and vacuuming, and dishes, and laundry, and litter boxes…!).

Links to other unique bead artists:
Cindy Forrester
Clare Byfield

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Filigree Drops by Jamie Hogsett

It Takes Two Earrings Challenge
For this challenge, combine two - and only two - different techniques from the ten techniques below to create an original pair of earrings.

1. bead embroidery
2. brick stitch
3. Dutch spiral
4. ladder stitch
5. macrame
6. netting
7. PMC (precious metal clay)
8. square stitch
9. stringing
10. wirework

The Rules
You must be a Beading Daily member to participate. (Your email address will be used to verify that you are a member.) It’s free to sign up if you’re not already a member. Only one submission per person. Deadline: November 2, 2007. Winners will be announced November 30, 2007.

To enter, please send an email to: beadingdaily@interweave.com and include:
a high-resolution photo (JPG, 300 dpi) of your finished project
your name
your email address
your phone number (this will be only used to notify you if you win)
project name
the two techniques you used
in the subject line, please include: “earring challenge”

Prizes

The editors will select their three favorite entries.
First Place: A $50 gift certificate from Interweave Press.
Second Place: An autographed copy of Mastering Beadwork by Carol Huber Cypher, plus a $10 gift certificate from Interweave Press.
Third Place: An autographed copy of Create Jewelry: Crystals by Marlene Blessing and Jamie Hogsett
The winning projects and their designers will showcased on Beading Daily.

Other posts about earrings:
Inspiration Galore!

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I rarely add to my list, because I wanted to keep this list for just the best of the best. However, Bead & Button has forced me to add them. When they redesigned their website recently, they made a lot of areas more accessible and better organized. On their techniques page, you’ll find links to pdf downloads on most of the major stitches and important beginning techniques. Here’s the direct link to the new page, and here’s the link to my full list of online bests!

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Technique Tuesday!

Making a necklace like Moonstone Rainbow is very similar to the instructions previously given for making Blue Bells. I strung moonstone chips onto 28 gauge wire and crocheted a chain that ended up being folded into thirds. Most of the technique is outlined in the tutorial for Blue Bells, and I suggest reading it now if you haven’t already!

Moonstone Rainbow

1. Using 20 gauge wire, twist around the ends of the crocheted sections to keep them together, and take the wire through a large bead on each side. Create a wrapped loop.
2. Crimp a piece of beading wire like SoftFlex to each wrapped loop. Add beads for a strand that’s as long as you desire on each side.
3. Crimp one beading wire strand to a hook, and the other to the end of a length of chain. Make a dangle on a headpin, and attach it with a wrapped loop around the free end of the chain. Easy peasy, huh?

Copyright 2007 Cyndi Lavin. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit. May be printed out for personal use or distributed electronically provided that entire file, including this notice, remains intact.

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