Southern Bead Retreat

I just returned from the third biannual Southern Bead Retreat.  There were fantastic teachers there!  Below is a photo of the group of teachers along with myself!  From left to right, is Dianne Fitzgerald, Huib Petersen, Sherry Serafini, Cynthia Rutledge, myself, and Marcia DeCoster!  Kimberley Stathsis was also a guest beader who taught an earring class, but she wasn't there for the whole retreat.

I will be posting the completed works in a later post....I still have to finish one kit!!!  For now I would like to tell you about the two new tools I found while there.

The first tool is a new type of beading mat.  Here is a photo of it.

I think it is made of a high quality cotton-based short velvet. The inside velvet on this mat is such a soft shade of sage green.  The seed beads seem to fall hole up when you pour them onto the mat making it easier to pick them up.   The padded ridge, made from a printed short velvet fabric, around the mat keeps your beads in place and also works as a comfortable hand/wrist rest.  I bought this mat from Cynthia Rutledge.  Here is the photo of the tag information.  It was a little pricey, but I felt it was worth the money invested!!

The second tool is probably the most important!  After a long day of beading, we would gather around tables in the home room and chat while we beaded.  We needed some relaxing refreshment, so it was a good thing I brought this tool!

Yes, you guessed it!  A wine bottle opener!!  The wine flowed, we beaded, we chatted, and we relaxed!!!!  We learned a lot and had a wonderful time!!!

Happy beading!!!

Etsy Beadweavers Challenge for June

It's that time again!  You will need to vote for your favorite beadwoven piece in this months Etsy Beadweavers Challenge.  The theme is "Mystery".  There area so many gorgeous pieces to choose from!

I chose crop circles as my mystery!  Are they a hoax, made by people?  Are they a natural occurrence brought about by Mother Nature?  Or are they made by aliens or alien craft visiting the Earth?

Here is my entry.....https://www.etsy.com/listing/100981003/crop-circles-necklace-ebwc

My piece is made with Toho permanent copper finish seed beads, Swarovski glass pearls and crystals, and a gorgeous tiny maroon seed bead.  Working with the Tohos was very hard because with the permanent finish the hole were tiny.  I used a copper bail and three strands of silk cord for the neck rope.  I hope you like my entry!!

Go vote at http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/

Norma Jean 

Nautilus Cuff

I can't believe I finally finished my nautilus cuff!!!  I have been working on this for a month!   I bought the nautilus shells at a trunk show at the local bead shop!  I fell in love with them and just had to have them.  The only thing I need to tweak is the clasp.  I'm not sure what I'll use.  I though a ribbon that ties would look different, but it'll be hard to close.  I thought about using a peyote strip with snaps....I'm just not sure!  I'll have to sleep on it and let my right brain problem solve!!!

What's On my Beading Mat?

Since I'm not very good at coming up with things to blog about, I thought I would start showing you photos of what I am currently working on.  My blog site will become more pictures and less words!!  I hope you like this idea!!

This is a new bracelet component!  I am writing the instructions for this.....

This is the start of a new necklace.  When done it will be very sparkly and have drops added!

I have been working on this for quite a while.  I want to design a close bezel that completely covers the back of the rivoli and can be embellished easily!!  This is my third try!!!  Gotta love trial and error!!!

This is a new bracelet design.  I need to finish it  and write the instructions.  I also would like to adapt it for a necklace!

I was playing around with one of the above bracelet motifs...not sure if I'll use it or frog it!!

This is Huib Petersen's California Poppy  in pieces...I am slowly beading it using the directions in the book Beading Across America.

Finally, I have my Nautilus shell bead embroidery bracelet that I am working on.  Bead embroidery is very relaxing for me!!!  

I hope you like the things I am working on!!!

Norma Jean

Organization Feeds Creativity

Typically when someone thinks of a creative person, they probably think of that absent minded professor.  You know, the one who has things piled all over,  the one who is late for everything, basically, the one that needs a keeper!  Not all creative people are like that.  I tend toward order, structure, and routine!  When my beading table becomes covered in beads and works in progress, my mind focuses on the mess instead of what that mess can become.  So I start organizing my table.  Before the holiday, I was in a whirlwind of beading work with my beading table looking like this...

I can just hear some of you out there saying, "That's not messy!  What is she talking about?"  Well, guys, for someone like me that is very messy!  When my boys were little they had specific labeled bins for their toys!  I know some people think that anal, but it works for me!   My studio table is now organized and order reins supreme again!  Just look at this wonderful bead organization....

I keep all my beads (I know it doesn't look like a whole lot of beads, but there are many.) in a large cabinet that can be closed.  I don't like looking at all those containers.  Here are close up photos of the bins I use....

Notice all the labels!  Like I stated before I like order!  Now that everything is organized I can find things more easily, and my beading life is full of creative ideas!!!  I still haven't reached that level of order where I have all my beads separated by color along with size.  Thank goodness, I'm not that anal!!!  LOL

While cleaning and organizing my studio, I found a wonderful small indicolite Swarovski oval rivoli.  I immediately knew I wanted to make a glitzy small pendant!  See organization does work for me!!!

Using Peanut Beads in a Design

I was at White Fox Bead Studio the other day and the owner was working on a bracelet she was making out of the new peanut beads.  I was struck by how the beads laid.  So I bought some and started experimenting!

I cannot do CRAW with these beads!  So I tried simple RAW; it worked!  Then I added more rows.  Still working!

I put this gray bit aside and went back to the pink beads.  I decided to add more types of beads to add contrast to the look of the peanut beads.  Here is what I came up with.  A chunky flower!

Notice the gray leaves poking out from each side of the flower.  This was the first part of my experimenting!  I made leaves from the gray peanuts.  I combined these leaves with the flowers by using sparkly crystal bicones.
 I made several flowers and experimented with connections.  Here is my first connection.  It was too tight with too many beads!  But I did like the look of it!

I ripped and re-beaded.  Here is the next connection.  I'm not certain I like it.  There is too much space in the X meeting of the beads.  I liked the first connection better!

I'll keep working on the connection for a while.  I would like to make a necklace and possibly a bracelet using these chunky flowers!  I'll post more photos when I'm done!!  Happy beading!!!

Etsy Beadweavers' Challenge

Voting starts at midnight tonight and goes through the 16th!  Everyone can vote just go to http://www.etsybeadweavers.blogspot.com/    Happy Beading!!!!