Bead Arts

Belle Armoire Jewelry, published by Stampington, is now a quarterly magazine. The deadline for submissions for the next issue is October 15, 2007, and it is scheduled to be out on the newstands in March 2008. From the website: If you’d like to share your inspiration and detailed how-to instruction for creating beautiful jewelry with readers, we want to hear from you. Belle Armoire Jewelry covers a broad range of mediums, from art clay to polymer clay to found object to fiber to wire to beads and much, much more. Whether you are a creator of necklaces, bracelets, earrings, brooches, pendants, rings or other jewelry, we welcome you to submit your artwork for consideration of publication.

Please read submission guidelines before sending your submissions to: Stampington & Company · C/O: Belle Armoire · 22992 Mill Creek, Suite B · Laguna Hills, CA 92653

handmade-beaded-jewelry, wearable-art, beads, beading, jewelry, mixed-media, call-for-entries

Take nine artists, a color scheme, and a “can do” spirit. Some assembly required. What emerges? A story that we’re all proud to be a part of.

We’ve been waiting for this moment for more than a year! Our traveling charm necklace is finally up on auction. All of the proceeds will be donated for breast cancer research. The auction ends Sunday, September 16.

You can read the story of our necklace here, and a direct link to the auction is right here.

Thank you for looking, and thank you even more if you bid!

Love from,
Leah, Bobbi, Wendy, Amy, Ellen, Dorothy, Dulcey, Illaya, and Cyndi

breast-cancer, charm-necklace, creativity, mixed-media, wearable-art

Artist: Bernadine Stoopman
Location: Brisbane, Queensland (East Coast of Australia)

Websites and Blog:
Bridal Jewellery & Hair Accessories by Bernadine
Designs to Love: Bernadine’s gallery
Handcrafted Jewellry & Special Occasion Creations
Hooked on Wire blog

Bernadine, your work is so unique. How do you describe it?
Inventive and inspired are probably the first words that come to mind when describing my wirework.

What is your creative process like?
Sometimes I pull bits and pieces out of my storage boxes to see what goes together but that’s not always successful for me as I don’t have an unlimited collection, so I leave it for a couple of days and surf the net for interesting beads and components or go to a trade show if there’s one on and from there I’ll pull the design together. I sometimes design on paper for customers who’d like a couple of different options, but mostly I’m given a few descriptive words such as, Black, Crystal and Glitzy and left to my own devices. Many of my designs just kind of evolve as I go along. I like to listen to music whilst working, usually just the classical radio station. Some of the pieces I’ve created, e.g. my free form wedding Tiaras, take several days to complete, sometimes I have to put them aside and work on other things as wrapping 26g wire for a couple of hours at a time is painful on the fingers particularly in winter.

What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?
I have no formal training in jewellery design, I did study art in high school though. I’ve been creative from a very early age, painting and drawing, sewing, mosaics, and later on Photography when I did a short course. Above all I love colour, texture, and shape.

I also spent 26 years or so working in corporate environments in Office Management and Finance. During that time I project managed several commerical office renovations where I got to play with colour and reasonably big budgets among other things.

In Sept 2005, the International Mining and Resources company I worked for decided to relocate its divisional office from the East coast to the West coast of Australia. I walked away with a large redunancy and thoughts of a nice holiday and a new start . In March 2006, I went along to a basic stringing class just for the fun of it and was instantly hooked. From there I started making earrings, (basic techniques learnt from a book) and then really got hooked on Wire. (that could be a good title for a book…lol) The more I played around with it, the more I discovered that there’s not much you can’t make out of wire. In Nov 2006 I hosted my first jewellery viewing, with 50 or 60 people attending and did fantastically sales wise as well as collecting some wonderful repeat customers. I got alot of practice making a couple hundred pieces of jewellery for that party, as well as using my artistic skills and photographs (taken in Tasmania on that holiday I mentioned) to create swing tags and a website or two.

Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?
That’s a really easy question… Wire. Playing with wire is my passion and I’d be lost without it.

What inspires you to create?
I’m inspired by Nature. I adore Frogs, Geckos, Lizards, Rainforests, The Beach and Ocean and all that it holds. Many of these things can be seen in my jewellery creations.

What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?
My will to succeed and knowing that if I give up, I’ve let it beat me.

What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?
Read, Read, Read….as much as you can get your hands on. Most techniques can be learnt from books so join a Library, join a Beading Forum or group, enter as many competitions as you can afford. Experiment with new techinques, make things up as you go along, who knows what you might stumble on. Submit photos of your work to Beading magazines, get printed. One or two might ask you to write projects for their publication. Worked for me.

What takes up the majority of your time besides your art?
My beautiful Border Collie Pup - Bojak Mister Remarkable or Remy as he’s known and oh yes that dreaded housework.

What’s your favorite comfort food?
Love Italian Food… My mum’s parents came to Australia from the Province of Brescia - Lombardy in Northern Italy. That might have something to do with it.

What’s your favorite color and other favorite things?
That’s a truly difficult question for me to answer. Love colour of any tone or description generally. But to say I’m not overly keen on Yellow. Its a difficult colour for most people to wear.

My other Hobbies are Photography, Gardening - I grow orchids, Painting with Acrylics and Cooking.

artist-profile, handmade-jewelry, wirework-jewelry, Swarovski-design-competition, creativity, designing, wearable-art

You’ve probably already read our story, but I’m going to include it again below so that those who are not familiar with it can read it. The time we’ve been waiting for is almost here! “A Charmed Life” will be auctioned off, starting Sunday, September 9 and ending on Saturday, September 15, on eBay. Search for it using the phrase “a charmed life necklace breast cancer”

Starting in April 2006, a small group of my artist friends and I have been collaborating on a charm necklace project. None of us have ever met in person as we live all over the country, but this project is working towards making us feel closer in so many ways!

All of the charms were sent to me to be assembled, and then the necklace began its journey from one member to the next. Each of us wore it on a special date…everything from art openings and reunions to a concrete convention. We’ve shared our pictures and stories with each other as the necklace has made the rounds. Our ultimate aim, though, is to auction it off this summer and donate all the funds to breast cancer research.

The stories from those who’ve worn the necklace and the reactions of those who see it are quite gratifying. We’ve had people stop us on the street, cross crowded rooms, and even chase us down to get a better look at it. Everyone immediately senses that there must be an amazing story behind it. We’re hoping that our sale will be amazing too: we would really like to make a major contribution to breast cancer research with the auction of our piece. Every one of us in the group has someone we love who has struggled with one form of cancer or another, and many with breast cancer specifically. [Note ~ The necklace will be up for auction on eBay in September 2007. Search on the phrase "a charmed life necklace breast cancer"]

The participants:
Wendy Van Camp
Illaya Brown
Bobbi Chukran
Leah Hitchcock-Ybarra
Dorothy Lueloff
Ellen Chasse
Dulcey Heller
Amy Fraser
Cyndi Lavin

breast-cancer, charm-necklace, creativity, mixed-media, wearable-art

I’ve added a couple new sites to the color scheme generator list. I do have my favorite one or two of these sites, but it’s great to have lots of options. No one generator is perfect for every person or in every situation.

beading, color, creativity, online-tools

Artist: Debby Arem
Business name: Arem Designs (Beadles and Three Ring Circuits)
Location: Gaithersburg, Maryland

Website:
Debby Arem

Debby, tell us about your work and why you picked the names that you did!
At the time ( 1979 ) Beadles seemed a clever name, one that popped into my mind almost immediately and one that people wouldn’t likely forget. Of course it’s a little corny, but people DO remember it! Three Ring Circuits was harder to come up with and was a joint family process. It really was so fitting as back when I started this line, my life was pretty chaotic with 2 kids still at home, a large number of pets and a busy career. So it really was a pun on words so to speak. I’ve never tired of this name although now my life is a lot calmer and more orderly thank goodness.
As far as my jewelry lines are concerned -both of my jewelry lines have a number of things in common although they are so different. Both lines rely on color and texture I think to get their point across. Both lines have within them many different styles – elegant, casual, funky, whimsical, geometric, and monochromatic to name a few. Both lines are pretty intricate as I love to layer …layer…layer – a throwback to the time when I was a silkscreen designer. I know I’m very fortunate to have been able to find another creative outlet ( beading and my recycled line ) when I decided to quit printmaking.

What is your creative process like?
Well even though I have two separate and very distinct jewelry lines, I would say my creative process is pretty much the same for both. I have never been one to draw things out first. I design in my head as I go along although sometimes I have already envisioned the final design before I begin and it’s just a matter of “ filling in the missing pieces” if you understand what I mean.

When working with beads I first gather together all the colors I know I want to use. There is usually a main component (for instance black onyx) around which I would base my design. I always try to have a variety of shapes and textures within each necklace and in many cases, one special focal point such as a very unique carved bead or an unusual pendant. I’m also very careful to make sure that there is some symmetry even in an “ asymmetrical” necklace and I’m always very careful to match beads of the same type in pattern and depth of color. Because I have some designs that are very elegant and formal, some that are more ethnic, and some that are outright “funky,” I also have a certain feeling in mind that will dictate which components I choose, the length, and the final cost to the client. Of course, with three cats, I have to be very careful never to leave a design out on the table that I am working on unless it is covered up with a cloth! I have always found it most curious however, that from time to time, a cat will actually walk across a design ( as I am working on it ) but no toes will ever touch the piece or disturb a bead! This never ceases to amaze me and it’s consistent for all my cats.

When designing my 3RC line (Three Ring Circuits) there are many more steps that would go into the process. Again though, the first consideration is my main color and from there, what type of feeling I am trying to convey. Many of my 3RC designs are very whimsical and cartoonish. Others are strictly geometric. Because I am working with so many eclectic components such a brass stampings, anodized aluminum, beads, electrical components and of course a recycled circuit board , the challenge is a bit greater to layer just the right components onto the circuit board to create my mini collages.
I have always been one to work best when it is quiet and I find that the hours can just slip away when I’m so engrossed in my design work. It’s probably my secret to staying thin as sometimes I actually forget to eat if I’m busy at work!

What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?
I have been a jewelry designer for over 25 yrs. However, this is not what I was first trained in. I have my B.A. in Fine Arts with a concentration in silkscreen design, but gave up working in this medium because of the toxicity of the inks. At the time, there were only oil-based inks and without proper ventilation in my home, it would have been foolish to continue. My husband is a gemologist and because of him, I was first introduced to the incredible world of beads! I took a beading/knotting class and found I was a natural as I had always knit and crocheted and enjoyed working with my hands. Initially, I was only designing necklaces for my husband’s clients if someone requested something in particular. I got my first “big break” when I approached Bloomingdales (at the urging of a friend) and showed my (then) somewhat limited line to a buyer there in the “bridge” department. Bridge jewelry is jewelry that doesn’t use precious metals or precious stones, which would be considered “fine jewelry”, but it is also not “costume”, where one would expect to only find plastic, glass, and base metals.

I was asked to do a “trunk show” and had such a wonderful response that it was the impetus for me to approach other stores. I found that transitioning from a “hobbyist” to a professional was really the result of a snowball effect. Many times one gallery or museum would suggest another and soon I found myself submitting designs to the Smithsonian for their museum shop and their museum shop catalog, which in turn led me to submit designs to other catalogs as well.

How I came to work with recycled circuit boards is a very interesting story. My husband owned a computer company at the time and one day I found myself in the back room where the computers were being assembled, looking at the motherboards. I had never seen the inside of a computer before and I was struck by the beauty of the circuitry. I remember immediately thinking “this would make great jewelry”! Of course the challenge was how to cut up the motherboards. I went through many trial and error attempts until I found what worked best. Because I already had a relationship with a number of the Smithsonian’s museum shops, I was VERY fortunate to be able to show this line when I was first started creating it, and to have it sold in the Smithsonian’s Air and Space museum shop. I suppose I was one of the first “green” companies without realizing it and now that computers are everywhere and just about everyone has one (and is replacing and upgrading all the time- in this throwaway society), this line is even more relevant – not just as a pretty piece of jewelry, but as a way to help keep circuit boards out of landfills .

Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?
What an interesting question ! Believe it or not, I would say my set of dental tools! I found that these are wonderful for scraping or picking off excess glue!

What inspires you to create
I’m not even sure how to answer this – it just happens. I think because I have always been a creative person (even as a child I took art lessons) that just waking up each day and really SEEING what is around me has been inspiration enough to want to create something – whether it’s a piece of jewelry or cooking something special for dinner. I’m such a visual person that quite honestly, just being out in nature as we live out in the country has been the driving force to make me want to come home and design something.
What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?
This is an easy question – I’m a perfectionist. I can’t stop until I feel that I’ve done the best I can do. I suppose it’s a curse and a blessing in a way. If you check out my website, you’ll see I even speak about this on my opening page as part of my greeting!

What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise intheir level of artistry?
The best advice I can give is to attend high end craft shows and see what other people are creating. I never get bored doing this (and have to restrain myself from wanting to buy everything sometimes!) I am also personally always stretching myself to take on something more difficult (even in my knitting) as I feel this is another way to rise to the next level in your craft. I think the more skills you have that pertain to a certain art form, the more ideas are possible.

What takes up the majority of your time besides your art?
When I am not designing my jewelry or out marketing it, I am a volunteer with two dog rescue groups. My husband and I are very involved in helping to place dogs that have been either given up by their owners or found abandoned. I find this volunteer work so rewarding, and try very hard to educate people along the way to ALWAYS spay or neuter their pet. I also try to educate people to always keep their pets up to date on their shots and be on heartworm preventative. There are so many unwanted pets in this world, and the reasons people give up their pets never cease to amaze me.

What’s your favorite hobby?
Knitting! I’m a knitting fanatic and always have a couple of projects going at the same time – an easy project such as a simple scarf or sweater that I can work on while watching TV and a very difficult pattern where I can only knit for so long and then I have to put it down and take a break. I love the challenge of trying to decipher a pattern and the satisfaction when you have completed a new stitch and know it’s exactly as it’s supposed to be!

I discovered knitting a number of years back and find I get the same pleasure out of this as I do designing jewelry. With all the amazing new yarns out – and all the different textures – I find it’s very much like designing jewelry or silkscreening. I like texture in anything I create and I love the fact that I can do this both in my business and in my hobby.

mixed-media, jewelry, beads, beading, artist-profile, creativity, designing, jewelry-business

Etched Raku

Artist: Maggie Towne
Business name: Bead Towne
Location: Los Angeles County, California

Websites:
Bead Towne
Etsy Store

Maggie, how do you describe your work?
At the moment my latest art of choice is lampwork bead making using a single fuel hot head torch. I also design and make jewelry, have been doing so since I was a child. Like many other lampworkers, I began buying handmade artisan glass beads to use in my jewelry design. It took a gentle push from a friend saying, “What would it take you to make beads?” to sign up for a beginners class in July 2006. I am somewhat of a perfectionist, which sometimes stalls my creativity, but also defines my style.

A few years ago I was trying to come up with a new name for my business. Family and friends were giving all kinds of help and we had a lot of fun and laughs. Bead Towne became a play on words, using my last name and my love of beads. It is a name that works for both my jewelry making and lampworking.

Things that go bump in the night

What is your creative process like?
As stated, I am something of a perfectionist when it comes to execution, so I usually have an idea in mind when I sit at the torch. I will have glass rods in the colors of the day, frits (tiny shards of glass), and tools at hand. My inspiration may come from a piece of art, my mood, colors I like, books, suggestions from friends, etc. Sometimes I make a sample bead and if I am not sure of it, I’ll put it in my bead bin and maybe get back to it later to make a set, maybe not. Other times I crank out a set of 5 to 10 beads in one sitting.

Chocolate cupcake

What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your currentlevel of artistry?
My first lampwork class basically taught me how to light my torch and not much beyond that. I love to read so I bought several books on glass beads. Love research and kept getting hits on a website called WetCanvas, my best resource to date. Beyond that, it’s the PPP motto. Practice, practice, practice.

When starting out I wanted to make every kind of bead possible as quickly as possible. Found I needed to go back and master some techniques before I could go on to others. I have to continually push myself to try new techniques.

Crazy as this sounds I got my Bachelor’s of Art in Art Education just for fun and to challenge myself. Never took a glass class in college, but I feel my art background helps with using color, design, experimentation, and discipline.

Valentine Treats

Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?
Beyond the basics of my torch, glass, and safety equipment, I love using presses, a razor tool, and various other tools with which to poke at the glass. Can’t imagine progressing along without my support system of other lampworkers.

What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?
If I have been away from the torch for awhile, feel uninspired or frustrated, I go back to what I do well. It used to mean making frit beads and now it is making seashells. Who knows what it will be a year from now. Once I get back in the groove, I can expand and get back on track.

Yummy Cocoa

What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?
The basics of believing in yourself, challenging yourself to try new techniques, and good old practice, practice, practice.

What takes up the majority of your time besides your art?
Teaching sixth grade 180 days a year, friends, and reading take up the majority of my time outside of art. I also like to visit museums, attend concerts and plays, and enjoy nature when I can.

What’s your favorite comfort food?
My love of ice cream also goes back to my childhood. Nothing like a scoop of two to comfort my soul.

Macchiato

handmade-beaded-jewelry, wearable-art, beads, beading, jewelry, lampwork-glass-beads, artist-profile

Crystal Passion Cuff by Penny Purdie

Well, there are 300 to chose from, which will be whittled down to 30! Here’s the site where you can see all of the entries and chose your own favorites. Some of my faves are posted here!

Mermaid’s Tiara by Bernadine Stoopman


Pearl Omega Necklace by Loraine Scarr

[call-for-entries,creativity,designing[/tags]

I recently went to see what all was on Tammy’s updated list of e-courses, and I was amazed by the number of offerings she has! She has divided them into “crash courses” and “slow-and-easy” formats, so you can pick what fits your needs. Do you want to learn more about knotting, metal clay, or business tips? How about macrame, basic stringing, or metal fabrication? It’s all available at Tammy’s About.com jewelry making site!

[tags]tutorials,beading,jewelry-making,beads,wearable-art[/tags}]

Transformer 2 bracelet
Photographer: Greg Mullin

Artist: Tina Koyama
Location: Seattle

Website & Blog: Tina Koyama
e-mail: tina@tinakoyama.com

Tina, your work is obviously very organic. How do you describe it?
My current focus is on self-supported sculptures using off-loom beadweaving stitches. My work is probably most closely related to contemporary basketry: 3-dimensional forms made from flexible materials. I like to keep an open mind about what constitutes a “bead” (technically, anything that has a hole going through it!). I have a series of sculptures made from pasta, which, as anyone who has strung a macaroni necklace knows, makes excellent beads!


No. 5 in the Semolina
Photographer: Greg Mullin

What is your creative process like?
My creative process is completely improvisational and intuitive. I never plan or sketch anything – I simply choose some beads, thread a needle and plunge into it. That improvisational process is both the fuel and the outcome of my work. I am as compelled by the challenge of continually asking, “What happens if…?” as I am by the eventual answer, which always surprises me. Ultimately, it is that surprise that motivates me to continue exploring in a way that implementing a planned design never would.

I always listen to music while I’m beading, and my favorite is the improvisational jazz piano of Keith Jarrett. I can listen to one of his CDs a hundred times and always hear something new – some tiny nuance I missed previously. I’m completely inspired by his apparent fearlessness in appearing in concert before thousands of people to play music he has never played before. My artistic goal is to be the Keith Jarrett of beadwork!

As far as my work habits go, that’s where my background in writing (see below) comes in handy. I get up every weekday morning at 5 a.m. and bead for a couple of hours before going to work at my various day jobs (when I was a writer, I wrote every morning before work – different medium, same habit). On my days off, I bead for 4-5 hours in the morning. It’s not really about looking for or waiting for inspiration – it’s about showing up every day and being there when inspiration arrives. Sometimes it arrives, and sometimes it doesn’t, but either way, I get a lot of beading done (almost 1,000 hours a year).


Soft & Stone
Photographer: Greg Mullin

What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?
I have a B.A. and M.A. in creative writing, and before 2002, most of my creative and professional work was in writing (I did corporate communications for 20+ years before I discovered beads). Until 2007 when I earned a certificate in fiber arts from the University of Washington’s Extension Program, I had no formal education in art.

I began beading probably the way many beaders begin: I made a few earrings and strung a few necklaces, but that type of beading didn’t interest me for long. After a while, I got bored, and I almost gave up beads entirely – until I discovered seed beads in 2002. That’s when I realized the amazing potential of beads – the ability to create complex, 3-dimensional shapes simply by pulling thread tightly through them. The book The New Beadwork (Kathlyn Moss and Alice Scherer) changed my life because I suddenly saw that beads could be used for artistic expression in many ways, not just as jewelry. It really opened my mind to the possibilities.

As far as my beading education goes, early on I used books to learn basic stitches, and I’ve taken numerous classes at local bead shops and bead shows. Even though I’ve been teaching since 2003, I still enjoy taking classes myself, because everyone has a different way of doing things, and there’s always something new to learn. I also enjoy the social aspect of classes.

I’d have to say, though, that my primary training is and always has been simply experimenting continually. I have several shoe-box-size boxes filled with tiny pieces of beadwork (maybe ½ to 2 inches wide) that I have made to explore a stitch or technique. I’d say those boxes are equivalent to a painter’s sketchbook.

Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?
You mean other than beads?  Three things: Beading glasses; full-spectrum task light; triangle-shaped scoop. I am always on a quest to find the ideal beading thread, which, as far as I’m concerned, hasn’t been developed yet!

What inspires you to create?
Curiosity is probably my primary inspiration. I’m always wondering what would happen if I tried doing something different. Beads themselves (the various shapes and sizes) are also a strong source of inspiration because they can come together in surprising ways, depending on the light, finish, color, stitch used, tension, whatever. The continual discovery keeps me motivated.

What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?
If I run into a frustrating problem, I usually just “bead through it” and keep going until I find a solution. I’m kind of persistent that way. Sometimes I’ll put the problem down and start working on something else for a while, and often that frees my mind enough to go back to the first problem and find a new solution.


Transformer 1 necklace
Photographer: Greg Mullin

What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?
One of my goals as a beadwork instructor is to help students overcome the fear of working without instructions and discover the joy of working improvisationally. My encouragement is to continually experiment with whatever stitch or techniques you know and go beyond what you have learned. If you take a class or read a magazine article to make a piece of jewelry, take it a step further by changing the design in some way. Another tip is not to feel compelled to always complete something as planned. For example, if you start out to make a bracelet but find that the design is changing in some way that is no longer appropriate for a bracelet, let the bracelet go and follow the beadwork. Even if you end up with a piece of beadwork that can’t be worn in any way, you will have learned more from it than if you had simply made another bracelet according to plan.

[editor's note: Tina teaches nationally at bead shows, bead societies and other venues and also sell kits for many of her class projects. For information on kits and classes, please visit her web site and see the "classes" section!]

What takes up the majority of your time besides your art?
I have several “day jobs”: freelance writing (feature articles for magazines and marketing writing), teaching beadwork locally and nationally, and customer service for an online bead shop.

What’s your favorite activity besides beading?
Knitting! In the evening when the creative side of my brain is tired and lazy (I do my best creative work in the morning), I like to knit, which engages my hands and a different part of my brain but still feels constructive. At night, knitting calms me so that I can get to sleep (whereas beading would rev me up). I also like to take knitting with me to the doctor’s office to fill the time while I’m waiting, and I like to take it with me on planes, too. (I also love freeform knitting and crochet! But that’s creative and isn’t the same as comfort knitting.)

beads, beading, creativity, designing, bead-embroidery, artist-profile

Winners in the 7th annual Saul Bell design contest, sponsored by Rio Grande, can now be oogled at this link.

Details for the 2008 Saul Bell contest are available now…the deadline is September 21, 2007.

Botanical Bracelet by Patrik Kusek,
First place winner in PMC

calls-for-entries, Saul-Bell-awards

Only its temporary home though! In about a month, our collaborative charm necklace will be auctioned off to support breast cancer research.

For those who never heard our story, or who don’t remember it, here’s the summary:
Over the course of a couple months, a small group of my friends and I collaborated on a charm necklace project. None of us had ever met in person, but this project certainly made us feel closer in so many ways. The artists who participated with me were Wendy Van Camp, Illaya Brown, Bobbi Chukran, Leah Hitchcock-Ybarra, Dorothy Lueloff, Ellen Chasse, Amy Fraser, and Dulcey Heller.

Each of us made a charm in an “ocean” color palette that we all agreed upon. The charms were sent to me last July (2006), and it was my responsibility to get them all to play nicely together! Since we had spent quite a bit of time discussing palette and size issue, this did not turn out to be a problem at all.

Our necklace then made the rounds to all of us. We each wore it to a special event and had shared pictures and stories with each other. Some wonderful experiences resulted from the travels of the necklace. In the midst of this, Belle Armoire magazine put out a call for collaborative necklaces…could there have possibly been any better timing? As soon as we finished passing it around, I packaged it up and shipped it off to be photographed for the magazine. “A Charmed Life” should appear in the Sept/Oct issue of Belle Armoire!

So now it has temporarily come back to live with me until it’s time for the auction!

handmade-beaded-jewelry, wearable-art, beads, beading, jewelry, mixed-media

Ready, set, go make something!

This short series of discussions that we’ve been having about the various pathways and journeys that you can take into designing your own original work was not intended to turn your creativity into just another mechanical exercise. It’s also somewhat artificial to imagine that most of us are so organized and linear in our creativity that everything always flows in one pre-determined order. Still, I believe that the more you understand about your own preferences and biases, the more you may be freed to try new things.

I hope you will spend some time thinking about the steps you usually take in designing, and maybe even spend some time mapping them out. Understanding your dominant patterns of working can both help you to play to your strengths, and also to challenge and stretch your creativity.

Perhaps you could deliberately try a completely different approach to your next project, just to see what happens. It may not work. But then again…it could be wonderful!

Here is a list of all the articles in this series:
Introduction
Focal Point
Theme
Color Scheme
Materials
Structure
Conclusion

designing, creativity, tutorials

Structure: Patterns and techniques

No matter how intuitively you work, at some point you will need to make some decisions about the structure and pattern you’re going to use in order to avoid having to go bead buying right in the middle of a project. That is usually not the best time to be making clear-headed decisions!

You might be the type of person who decides what project to do based upon what type of stitch you feel like doing, and you make most of your structural choices at the very beginning of your design process. For me, the technical details are often one of the last things I consider, but like all of the other pathways into designing, structural questions can easily pop up at any time along the way.

In design terminology, pattern generally refers to repetition or lack of it in stringing or weaving a piece. (It can also refer to the plan for the exact placement of beads in something like a flat peyote weaving, but that’s not what I’m referring to here.) The pattern can be repeating, symmetrical, asymmetrical, or random. No matter how complex your piece is, from a single strand to the most intricate multi-strand weaving, these underlying patterns can be detected.

Asymmetrical and random patterns are the most dynamic and challenging to the eye, but can still be peaceful and pleasing if they are balanced visiually, either by color repetition or by judicious placement of larger beads. A peaceful feel may not be your desire, however! Repeating and symmetrical pieces tend to be easy on the eye with a classic feel, but they can also be seen as static and boring. You can use your pattern choices to keep the eye moving around the piece, or to focus it on a spot you choose. Pick the pattern you use to complement your entire theme and be aware of the underlying message pattern can send subliminally. This is certainly not an unimportant afterthought, even if pattern isn’t the first design element you consider!

Other structural considerations in designing include length, complexity, and contruction methods/techniques. Will your necklace be a standard length or adjustable? How many strands will it contain? Will it be needle-woven, strung, loomed, or a combination? Will your design necessitate large-holed beads that can accommodate many thread passages? Will it require special findings that you must buy or make? Will you use thread, wire, or some combination? Do you have enough materials and all the tools you will need?

This is also a good time to fill in all the gaps, before you start constructing. You may need to head back to the torch or go on a (perfectly justifiable) shopping trip. Make sure you’ve got enough of everything, including all the mundane items like thread, wire, crimps, jump rings, and spacer beads, to complete your design.

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Materials: Building a palette

I usually like to build my working palette and choose my materials after I’ve decided upon focal point, theme, and color, but it can be fun to try it the other way around. Some designers like to use this method most of the time, sorting through their beads and treasures, and letting the raw materials “tell” them what to choose. I’ve personally never had the stones speak to me. My more practical method to building a palette works well for me, whether it is my first step or somewhere further down the designing road. I’ll share it with you in case you want to give it a try.

I usually take my focal piece (or the first item to catch my fancy if I haven’t chosen a focal piece yet) and place it on a white towel. After gathering up all the possible beads, stones, buttons, and other treasures that might look good, I “audition” them by laying out small piles of each candidate near the focal pieces. Keeping my theme in mind as well - if I’ve already picked one - I look at how the colors, sizes, shapes, and textures interact. There is no right or wrong answer to this part of the process, but it often takes a lot of time. Do not let yourself be rushed! If any beads seem too prominent, you may want to remove them, or at least place them judiciously in the mix. keep in mind also whether your idea calls for a variety of shapes and textures or for a more uniform selection. Each choice you make will narrow down future choices, so sometimes you might have to start all over again if it isn’t going the way you want.

Sometimes you will find that you just don’t have everything you need to proceed with beading. Don’t look at this as a problem! Instead, this is the perfect justification for buying more beads!

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