Learning New Tricks

In my former life I taught kindergarten!  I loved it, but dreaded the yearly computer proficiency test.  I could do lots of things on the computer.  I had a website that was updated weekly, I sent weekly emails to parents, I was responsible for the elementary school newsletter...you get the idea!  However, I did all these things through Publisher.  The proficiency test focused on Excel.  Excel was beyond me....I know because I took a class and still couldn't get it.  The problem was that Publisher was just too user friendly and Excell was not.

What does this have to do with beading?  That's the question I am sure you are asking if you bothered to get this far reading!  Well, I write instructions for many of my designs.  In the past I have taken hundreds of photos to show step by step views to go with written instructions.  I decided that this year, 2011, I was going to learn how to incorporate diagrams in my instructions.  Little did I know how difficult this would be for a 53 year old.  Mastering a new computer program!  Agggh!

I started simple!  My ex baby sitter (now grown into a professional young man) showed me how to use Word to make diagrams.  It took him meer seconds to work up an awesome diagram!  I thought, "Wow this will be easy!"  Yeah right!  It took me about two hours with many start overs to make a simple RAW diagram.  I was so proud of my work that I attempted to show my 17 year old son what wonderful new skill I had learned!  That did not work out like I had anticipated!!  He said that the diagram was easy to do and proceeded to tell me that if I used PhotoShop (way out of my price range and how does he know about it) I could do even more!  Bad teenager!!!!!!

I kept at it and have finally gotten to the point where I can make a simple diagram in about 10 minutes.  Recently, I was reading the Etsy Beadweavers thread and someone posted these inexpensive (free) drawing downloadable programs.   Well, I downloaded Creative Docs, thinking this will be fun!!  I spent ALL yesterday affternoon working with the program...nothing to show!  I looked everywhere for a tutorial...Ha, not one available!!  If nothing else, I am persisent and kept at it.  Finally, I was able to make a simple RAW diagram.  I just don't understand the lingo and what certain things mean!  But I will bulldoze through it!!!!

For all you wonderful instruction designers out there, you know who you are, how in the world do you do it so quickly?  Maybe, I should have majored in art, that way I would have been more open minded to work the programs!!!!  I am too afraid to make mistakes!  Or maybe, I'm too old....Nah!!!!! I will overcome!!!!!!!!   Norma Jean vs the computer!!!!

Del Signore Medallion

    

When trying to find an inspiration for this month's Etsy Beadweavers Challenge "A Touch of Royality",  I decided to look at my husand's family tree.  According to documented research done in the past, my husband is in direct line to become the Baron of Aquila.  Sounds great, but unfortunately that's about all there is.  The family lost everything during a serf uprising. 

In 1557, Luigi Del Signore (shortened to Dell when the family came to America) married Lorinda Di Medici (yes THAT Medici family) and he became the first Baron of Aquila, due in part to his gallantry in the defense of Firenze (Florence, Italy). My figure of inspiration is Lorinda Di Medici, the first Baroness of Aquila. I have used my imagination to depict what I would think to be the Del Signore Medallion.

In making this medallion, I used cubic right angle weave to bezel the rivoli.  Getting the curve just right was a problem.  Yes, I did take it apart many times. The shield shape was also made with cubic right angle weave.  I just played around with the shape until I arrived at the finished product.

Please visit the EBW blog http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/ between the 9th and 15th of February 2011 to vote for your favorite piece. I will warn you in advance, Voting will be difficult as there are so many beautiful entries!!

Playing with Beads

I have been playing....I know I have tons to do, but playing with beads is more fun!!  I learn so much.  Here are some of my creations.  You will notice that nothing is complete!  Enjoy!



netting with embellishment



netted beads



back of triangle weave bezel




front of triangle weave bezel



new channel bracelet idea




my donut...what will I ever do with it?





three bead herringone




RAW beads



leaf chain




large flower




small flower



I now have to figure out how to combine some of these ideas to make beautiful wearable jewelry!  No more playing with beads for a while, though.  Laundry, photographing, downloading ETSY pieces, and about ten other things are calling me!!!

Bead Embroidery

Last August I went to The Southern Bead Retreat in Callaway Gardens, GA.  The instructors were great and I learned a lot.  One of the instructors was Sherry Serafini working with bead embroidery.  In her class, I made this beautiful cuff.  I learned about cabochon attachment and bead placement.  Sherry loves to work with glitzy materials in an asymmetrical way.  This is typically not how I work.  I tend to be be very symmetrical and not as glitzy.  But I am learning!

Until that class, my only forays into bead embroidery were backed cabochons.  Below is the first one I made.  My father-in-law made the cabochon for me.  I love green, so malachite was perfect!  Since this one, I have made a couple more.  One of which sold just recently!

This Christmas, I received a book on bead embroidery and this fired my creativity again.  I have completely finished one project and am currently working on a second.  The first project is called "Dark Winter Night".  I used snowflake obsidian as the main focal stone.  I even added some crystal bicones to add some necessary sparkle for the twinkly stars at night!  You can hopefully see some of Sherry's influence, but not too much!  I would not want to copy her work! 

In the work in progress, I used two stone cabochons that I found while at the bead retreat.  They matched in colors, but one had more circles while the other one had stripes or lines.  I tried to repeat these elements in the surrounding beadwork!  I have so enjoyed doing these!!! 

Busy, Busy, Busy

While not teaching much in this month of December, I have been incredibly busy.  One of the most important things I did was to enter the Etsy Beadweavers Challenge; Simon & Garfunkel Songs of Inspiration.  I chose "Cecilia" as my inspiration.  I created a gorgeous beadwoven bracelet using copper bugles, copper colored seed beads, and indicolite Swarovski bicones. I was so pleased with the bracelet outcome that I then created a pendant to accompany it.  I have both items listed in my Etsy shop.  I have had two requests to write up instructions for the bracelet.  That is what I am currently working on.

I have also been busy designing and writing instructions.  I know that come January, I will be back into the swing of teaching so I took this time to be creative.  Here are some of my new designs.  I hope you like them.

Bling Ring

Duchess Earrings

Laura Ring

Angelina

Happy Beading!!!!

New Learnings from One Master

Taking classes from some of the masters can be real inspiration!  I finally finished Huib Petersen's 'Russian Summer' that I started in August at the Southern Bead Retreat.  It turned out wonderful and I learned many new things!!! Huib used color combinations that I would not have used, plus he makes Russian leaves different from me!  The Russian leaves are very ingeniously made, especially the way he connects the tops together.  The star flowers used an interesting 3D approach that I found could be incorporated into making other items. After finishing 'Russian Summer', I was chomping at the bit wanting to use some of my new learning in making my own designs.  Below you will notice the necklace with the captured cabochon.  I used Huib's 3D approach to embellish the cabochon with drops that fit nicely inside the lacy bead embellishment.

I loved Huib's star flowers but wanted to change them to make them more blingy so I added a crystal rivoli and matching bicones.  Here is a photo of a necklace where I used these new star flowers.  Also, notice the Russian leaves.  You can see how different they are from Huib's.

Currently, I am working on a new bracelet using a modification of my new star flower.  I have three links done but I wanted to post these photos to show how one idea can morph into many different designs. 

Learnings gathered from the master beaders can push your own beadweaving into a higher more evolved level.  I encourage everyone to take classes and continue to learn.  I am off to finish my bracelet and then maybe finish Cynthia Rutledge's kit that I started in August.  I wonder what new learnings will come then!!!

Etsy Beadweavers' Monthly Challenge

As a member of the Etsy Beadweavers Team, I always looked forward to the monthly challenges.  They were fun and encouraged my creativity.  Then came summer vacation...our wonderful month in China.  It was fantastic!  However when I came home I had just a few weeks before the Southern Bead Retreat in Callaway Gardens, GA.  No time to enter the challenge!  After the retreat, excitement was at an all time high!  My teaching side of beadweaving was taking off.  I was so busy writing instructions and trying to finish already started projects that I had little time to enter. 
I have finally caught up...until next month...so I entered the challenge this month.....Here is my entry!

It is called Holiday Posie Necklace.  It uses my posie pattern as the central flower focals.  I used a deep rusty red with a hint of blue glimmer Czech rondelles coupled with faux pearls and  bronze and yellow seed beads.  The  leaves are also woven from Czech rondelles and lovely earthy green delicas intertwined with a beige satiny delica. 

The rope uses bronze seed beads along with a complimentary green 4 mm Czech bead, a satiny gold seed bead and lots of tiny OD green seed beads.

 There are tiny little buds on the closure.

The necklace would be lovely with a flowing black dress for the Christmas season.  The theme for our contest this month is Holiday Treasures.  I'm sure this necklace fits!  Our contest is open for voting starting  November 9 th and lasting through the 13 th.  Please come vote for your favorite at http://www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com  There are so many beautiful designs to choose from!!!