Common Ground Chinese jump Rope Necklace Class

Attendance was light but I had a wonderful group of students. Here is my completed Chinese Jump Rope Necklace of Beaded Beads and Natural Touch Resin Beads. This one can be worn long or wrapped double. Joanne

Fall Beadwork Necklace

I'm a little late with my Tribute to Fall necklace. I fell in love with this particular hand painted porcelain and sterling pendant from Artbeads, paired it with some stoneware tube beads repeating the triangles found in the pendant, and thought that I would imbed it in brick stitched chevrons and arrowheads. However, when I actually received the pendant, it was so strong that I just couldn't see surrounding it with seed bead work. I thought about this piece all winter. It just needed to stand alone. I am not a bead stringer but prefer to work with more elaborate stitching. I appreciate "less is more" when others do it, but tend toward a "more is better" person in my own work.

I finally hit on a strip of right angle weave and some glass chevron beads. I chose to work the RAW in large (for me) about size 6 beads so that I could use a heavier thread that I usually use since it would need to carry the weight of the pendant. The areas of right angle weave are alternated with short strung sequences containing the stoneware tube beads, glass chevrons and beads of glazed porcelain by Clay River Designs. The catch is a sterling toggle with imbedded carnelian by Star's Beads. I like to repeat elements found in the necklace in the catch, either by metal, color or both.

I was pleased that I could incorporate some beadwork stitching and still showcase this spectacular pendant. Joanne

  

Star's sterling-carnelian toggle clasp


Stoneware tubes 


Clay River Beads

Disclosure: The Hand painted porcelain and sterling pendant as well as the stoneware tube beads were kindly provided free-of-charge by Artbeads.com, within the frames of Artbeads.com blogging program. The author of this blog has not received any payment from above-mentioned company. The post above represents only personal opinion of the blog author.

Blue Bird Artbeads Resin Piece continued

I have continued working in right angle weave to complete a light, airy environment for Tania Hartman's lovely resin on silver bluebird. The beigy-yellow beads are the right angle weave base in which I periodically add selected pressed Czech glass leaves and flowers in blue. The pressed glass additions sometimes take the place of one of the right angle weave beads and sometimes are added on top of the right angle weave base. Every time I add a pressed glass element, I go through the element a second time with treads to stabilize it. I am using #10 fireline and a #12 needle. This makes it a little tight for some of the beads and I have learned just how hard I can pull the needle with a pliers to get it through a tight bead without breaking it. If I have to back out and go around a particular bead, I catch the thread next to the bead and continue on. If a hole appears, I cover it with a pressed glass piece. I always try to use the heaviest thread that a particular project will allow and if I were not adding the pressed glass pieces, I would have done the right angle weave with #8 fireline, but I feel that the heavier thread will support the projecting pieces better.

I usually try to avoid metal findings as I don't like the addition of metal in a clasp if it does not appear elsewhere in the piece. That is why I was so excited over the boro glass toggles that Artbeads offered. However, after seeing them, I felt that they were too big in scale for the delicacy of the bluebird and elected to go with a sterling clasp inset with a yellow citrine from Star's beads (www.starsbeads.com) instead. The bluebird does contain silver and the yellow citrine helps blend the clasp to the beads. Sometimes I will add silver (or gold, or brass) spacers or heishi beads in the beadwork itself if I know that I am going to use a metal clasp.

This is a very light piece due both to the lightness of the resin pendant and the openness of the right angle weave. I think it will complement a casual outfit as well as something dressy. I thank Artbeads for the opportunity to work with their selection of wares. I have not forgotten the boro toggles--they will be next on my to-do list. Joanne

Disclosure: The Tania Hartman Resin and sterling pendant was kindly provided free-of-charge by Artbeads.com, within the frames of Artbeads.com blogging program. The author of this blog has not received any payment from above-mentioned company. The post above represents only personal opinion of the blog author.

Blue Bird Artbeads resin piece

I can't wait till my son gets here for Easter to install a new internet connection. I have been having trouble for the past few weeks connecting. I have chosen to begin working in right angle weave with the Tania Hartman resin and sterling blue bird piece from Artbeads. I think that the right angle weave in beigy-yellows with blue flower and leaf accents will be delicate enough to support but not overwhelm the pretty bluebird. Joanne

Disclosure: The Tania Hartman Resin and sterling pendant was kindly provided free-of-charge by Artbeads.com, within the frames of Artbeads.com blogging program. The author of this blog has not received any payment from above-mentioned company. The post above represents only personal opinion of the blog author.

FGP#25 "Clubbing the Night Away" final touches

It is always tricky thinking out the presentation of a beadwork piece. I was not satisfied with the way that the 6 of clubs piece hung. The wire joins at the top where I placed loops for hanging created small hinges which moved just enough to allow the piece to bend and not hang straight. I searched for heavier wire but would have to had used brown. The 14 gauge wire that I used was the heaviest black I could find, I really did not want to add a brown border by whip stitching another round of wire with a different join site. I had no luck at craft and/or hardware stores finding something that would do the trick. However, it was time to get my teeth cleaned, and I asked my dentist about wire. He sent me to an orthodontist friend who gave me a piece of thin but very stiff orthodontic wire. It did the trick. All I needed was to support the top line that contained the loops and joins of the original wire. I whip stitched the orthodontic wire to the back of the piece between the first 2 rows of beads. It is barely visible and improves the hang immensely. Joanne

Here are the final shots and details of each couple. I am still waiting to here when and where the deck of cards may be purchased and when and where (in Pittsburgh, PA) the exhibit of all the card pieces will be. I will post here when I know. 

FGP#24 Finished 6 of Clubs "Clubbing the Night Away"

Th dance floor is continued flipping and repeating shapes from the already finished side to the other side. Bead ladder first, then rows of brick stitch in varying sizes, shapes and values of gray, and last filling in spaces with right angle weave maintaining high contrast between the figure edges and the background.

I can't wait to see the whole deck where each card is interpreted by a different fiber artist. Joanne

FGP#23 Dance Floor continued

I am continuing to work the dance floor in brick stitch outlines with right angle weave filler. The brick stitching is sometimes tapered. It helps to have multiple sizes of the same or similar bead. Working down to the deadline now. The photography for the deck of cards is commencing. I will post here where the cards may be ordered and when the exhibit of all the deck pieces will be when I get the information. Joanne

FGP#22 Dance Floor Brick Stitch

The collaged dance floor is used as a pattern for brick stitched lines in large gray on gray beads. Cylinder, triangle, rectangle and other beads are used to emphasize the lines and squares. Right angle weave fills in the center opf the squares as well as the background surrounding the squares and lines.

By this time all 4 corner nails have been removed so that the holes could be filled in with beads. Side nails are placed to maintain the size spread and they are repositioned as needed to make room for the stitching. Joanne

FGP#21 Right Angle Weave Background

Once the upper left corner is done, I began on the upper right, repeating the process--stitch the motif, then surround it and fix in place with right angle weave. I also wanted to repeat the pale bluish rectangle beads from the disco ball so that they did not appear in only one place. They made a cool tall drink.

FGP#19 Background Right Angle Weave

I removed the nail in the bottom corner and filled in the hole with a bead as I worked the right angle weave in that corner. When I get over to the other corner, I will do the same. The piece remains attached to the board by the nails in the top corners and loops. I have placed the picture template under the figures to follow for placement. Next time I will sand the board. I am getting splinters in my finger tips.

There is a second way to add picots to the edge of brick stitch in preparation for butting against right angle weave. First, with the thread coming out of a bead in the brick stitch row, add 3 beads onto the thread. Pick up a thread bridge with the needle (you might have to skip a bridge depending on the size of the beads). Snug the three beads down so that they rest in a triangular point. Go back through the last bead only. Now put 2 beads on the thread and move over to the appropriately distanced thread bridge. Pass the needle under the thread bridge (again, you might have to skip one), snug the beads down and go through the last bead. Continue adding beads 2 at a time, passing the thread back through only the last bead. This forms a picot edge of little 3 bead triangles with shared base beads. The top bead of the picot is the one that will be picked up and incorporated into the 4 bead circle of the right angle weave structure.

I am also doing some brick stitch rows that will become the dance floor pattern--all gray please. There is no red in a black playing card. I have also removed the brassy beads as I felt they were too distracting.

I do like the way that right angle weave complements the figures. I feel that the change in texture that the right angle weave structure provides helps the figures stand out from the background.

I added my signature initials to the bottom by bending brick stitch ladders into letter shapes and surrounding them with right angle weave. When the signature block is done, it is incorporated into the corner stitching. I do like a subtle signature so I chose dark gray on black leaving the texture of the beads
to define the letters.

After establishing where the brick stitch lines will be placed, I removed the picture from behind the figures and added nails in the sides of the piece to make sure that the wire frame stays spread out tom the required shape.

In doing the right angle weave, interior spaces are filled first so that the figures and their spaces can be flattened and pressed toward the edges. If I worked from the outside in, I could end up with wrinkled figures. The right angle weave is then connected to the frame to completely encompass the figures. Shading in grays is worked to maintain high contrast between the figure and the background. I have to always keep in mind that fact that this will be photographed and reduced so the figure outlines must not be subtle.

I must also say that I had forgotten how much incredibly slower going stitching in single needle right angle weave is than brick stitch. Also, right angle weave around irregular figures can be confusing. However, I believe that I have previously stated that I believe in fudging--if the bead doesn't fall off--it's right! Stitch on. Joanne

FGP#18 Frame continued

Well, Back from a holiday break. We went to visit the granddaughter in Rochester, NY. I did take 2 days off before Christmas to sew a snow white dress.
But now back to the project: First, I photographed the figures on black and gray backgrounds to decide which I liked better. For all but the disco balls, I preferred the gray.

I stitched 2 rows of round #6 seed beads in black and very dark brown around the entire wire frame. I like the depth that close but not identical shades provide. I decided to up the weight of the thread to 10 lb fireline as the bead holes allowed it and I figured, the heavier the better.

After the 2 rows of round beads, I added a row of dark iridescent rectangular beads, followed by a row of bluish gray rectangular beads. I think that the rectangular beads will add rigidity to the frame and the gray will help shade the frame into the proposed gray background. As I bead around, I attach any figure that butts the frame.

I have decided to leave the upper left corner to last. This is where I planned the speakeasy door with the eye hole. I am debating leaving this feature out as I am concerned with getting the background too busy as well as adding a detail too small (the eye in the hole) to carry down to the reduced playing card size.

Another decision is what stitch in which to actually do the background. Brick stitch will be more stiff but add lines to the background. I like to surround my brick stitch figures in a background of right angle weave as there are no distracting line of beads in right angle weave. However, right angle weave is a softer stitch, it will not be as stiff a supporting structure. Right angle weave also takes longer to stitch than brick stitch. I have chosen to do the lines of the dance floor in brick stitch and the surrounding background in right angle weave. I think that the dance floor lines will add sufficient support especially if done with rectangle beads.

I am sampling some of the brick stitch lines representing the dance floor. I may or may not decide to keep these. I do like the blue and gray, but like the gold-brassy beads less. I am concerned they might draw attention too much away from the figures. I will wait and delay my decision till more is stitched.

I have decided to do the background in right angle weave. To prepare the brick stitching for right angle weave, I do a picot row. I add a bead, pick up the thread bridge between the 2 beads below and DO NOT go through the bead a second time. This allows the bead to set up with its hole perpendicular to the previous beads below in the brick stitch row. These picot beads will be incorporated into the 4 bead circles that are the basic unit of right angle weave. Joanne