Boro Toggle Peyote Beadwork Necklace

When I first saw the boro glass toggles on the Artbeads website, I thought that they could be a design element in themselves. I have worked a basic beadwork necklace with short peyote tubes looped to strung bead sections with loop in loop hinges. The hinges provide flexibility as well as places to relieve stress without wearing thread. I have done the necklace in two portions with duplicate catches so that it can be worn as a short necklace and bracelet set or as a longer necklace. The boro toggles can be placed anywhere around the necklace and act as focal points within the necklace. I especially liked the toggles with an internal contrasting spiral. In this case, I used an aqua toggle which is the main color for the beads in the necklace. The toggle has a spiral of yellow which I also picked up in the beadwork as accent beads of yellow as well as orange for spice. And I did have a few pieces of yellow striped aqua furnace glass which I also included, placing the large holed furnace glass on short strips of seed beads so that they have some sliding movement. This was a fun piece to design as well as wear. Now I need to go play with my new puppy. Joanne

Disclosure: The boro glass toggles 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#17 Frame

When I first started to do brick stitch pictures, I worked from the figures out to the edge. I found it very difficult to end up with straight edges. Since this particular project has a required finished size, I am going to establish the outside edge first then work the background to tie the figures into the already set frame. Because of the size, I feel that this beadwork will require some support, so I am going to wire the outside edge. I chose 16 gauge black colored artistic wire.

First, I sawed a board a little bigger than the 12"x19" finished project size and drew with marker and ruler the 12"x19" rectangle on the board.

I drilled small holes just inside the corners as well as 2" in from the top edge and hammered finishing nails into these holes. I added nails for hanger loops at the top above the extra nails.

I looped the wire around the nail  2" in from the top corner and wound the wire around the bottom nails and the other top corner to the nail 2" in from that edge. The wire was cut and looped off. I threaded a second piece of wire through the two top wire loops, wrapped over the nails above the piece and refastened to itself. I am not an expert wire wrapper but did not want an asymmetrical fastening of the wire. This was my solution.

I then brick stitched size 6 beads around the wire by picking up a bead, putting the needle around the wire and going back through the bead.

A second row of beads is brick stitched to the first forming a framed edge of brick stitching to the supporting wire. Note that the board is temporary only, it exists to establish a definitive size and shape to the outline. The piece will be removed from the board when it is stable. Each project requires an individual presentation technique. When this project is done, I will try to remember to do a blog on presentation variations. Joanne

FGP#16 Second Disco Ball

The second, smaller disco ball has a different orientation showing the bottom of the ball. I choose to start with a circular bead ladder at this bottom circle. After a few rounds, the smaller ball is attached to the side of the first and larger one.

Rounds of brick stitch continue with smaller beads on the bottom and larger beads on the top.

When the bottom edge is neared, a bead ladder is thrown to outline this edge, then filled in. As before, bead ladders in new areas are done in small increments. It is much easier to control the shape of a short bead ladder than a long one.

When the bottom is done, the thread is attached at the top and beadwork progresses upwards. After the smaller ball is completed, rounds of brick stitch are finished around the larger ball adjusting its shape. Joanne

I think what I like most about doing pictures in brick stitch is that the designing decisions are not done with the original collage. Decisions need to be made and adjusted continually as the bead stitching progresses. I find that once all the decisions are over and done with as in working a charted design, I lose interest. Tweaking the design, changing it, making it work is the carrot that keeps me going. Joanne

FGP#15 First Disco Ball

The original collage was made with disco balls that were photos of pictures. I was never quite satisfied with them. I searched until I found a real disco ball that I could photograph and do so in several orientations. I am much happier with these new photos so have pasted them over the original disco balls.

To begin the beadwork, I chose a line in the photo to make as my first bead ladder. It happens to be in the lower middle of the ball. And remember, I do not do a bead ladder the length of the line, I do the bead ladder in 1"-2" stages, curving the line by increasing, decreasing, and bead size changes in the second and third rows. I decided to add bugles and rectangular beads to add to the mirrored tile effect of the disco ball. I am using 8 lb fireline as a thread. The largest beads will be in the center, belly, of the ball to attempt to add dimension.

As the beadwork progressed, I shaped the curving lines by tapering the edges with 2 and 3 drop brick stitch (that is adding 2 or 3 beads at a time in a single stitch).

When I came near the bottom, I stopped and restarted at the bottom and then worked up, attaching the two pieces.

I then went back to the original line and added beads on the other side working upwards and incorporating the arm of the female disco dancer.

When the top of the ball was completed, I did an extra row of brick stitch around the circumference of the ball to smooth out the edges. Note that this stitching requires a large selection of beads of varying colors, sizes, finishes and shapes. I tried to follow the value differences in the disco ball photo and use specialty beads to enhance the dimension and reflection of the ball. Fun! Joanne

FGP#14 All Three Nightclub Dancing Couples

I have now completed all 3 nightclub dancing couples. I am entranced by the gestural expression that can be achieved by brick stitch beadwork. I am not a grid person. I have seen wonderful work done in peyote and loomed beadwork that has been beautifully gridded, but I prefer the freedom to stitch in whatever direction I choose and to use the varying direction of bead rows as a part of the design.  In addition, freely changing bead shapes and sizes can be used to emphasize certain areas over others and give a better impression of what is in front and what is behind.

Note that since the end result is to be photographed as a playing card, The disco couple is upside down.
However, this is not the end. Now all three couples need to be fixed in place by a beaded background including a pair of disco balls, a speakeasy door and a dance floor. Joanne

FGP#13Charleston Couple

The Charleston Couple is completed by adding the hands and faces. When constructing the first bead ladder of a new area, I often do not choose an outer edge but instead choose a prominent inner line. There is little room for detail in the hand sand faces, so jaw lines and cheek shading must convey the essence of the face, especially in this couple who are facing away so that features are not apparent. More important than detail is the feeling of the motion of the dance and the fun of the nightclubbing experience that is the essence of my interpretation of the 6 of clubs.