Yep, hanging my head in shame. I have not been back to my block since September 2012. Life took over with work, providing stock for The Collective Store, planning for an overseas trip and just general day to day living which just happens to also involve renovating our house. Why oh why can't I just bead!!!!
We were away for 9 weeks traveling in Europe. What a wonderful time we had. So many fabulous sites with one being the Swarovski factory in Wattens, Austria. Well, not actually the factory unfortunately but their beautiful display close by.
Imagine those beautiful beads in this setting. Perfect place to be made don't you think.
Anyway I am back now and I promise to be more diligent with my blog. I am going to put a few free tutorials under the heading of Simple Stuff. Mainly for those of you that may just be starting down the wonderful path of beading. I plan to start with "Heart on a Feather" so look out for that. As I said nothing intricate, just putting a few components together. Make sure you leave a comment. I am always open to hearing what you think and that includes good or bad. How else can I improve if I don't know what you think. Happy beading everyone.....
A couple of months ago I went to a bead retreat in Montville. It is something we do every year and this time we escaped to Montville Queensland for 7 nights/days of glorious beading. Six close friends go and it is a time when challenges are set. There is lots of muttering, cursing and general stress about the place. Doesn't sound like a great time? Oh but it is. We eat, chat and bead, challenging ourselves by attempting new tutorials and the end result is amazing. This time we did weaving, wirework and dabbled in filigree.
My favourite was filigree. I've always wanted to do this and here was my chance. At first it was daunting with glue all over my fingers, lots of metal shapes in my tray to choose from and no idea what I was doing. My three pieces are below. From left to right we have Brass Garden, the centre is a brass rose with a swarovski flat back and just resting underneath the rose is a swarovski butterfly. It is finished with a chinese crystal drop.
Time flies was fun to do, in the end, but there was much deliberation over where to put what and again I have used a couple of swarovski crystal flat backs just to add a bit of sparkle. You have to have that don't you?
Blaze, well I have to say this one was in my head to start with. I knew what pieces I wanted to use and just had to make them look right. Each tip has a small swarovski flat back as does the centre. Finishing it off with ribbon was my friend's idea and I think it works well with this one.
I am definitely going to do more of this. Well I have to really because I've got about a thousand bits and pieces. Another case of "I better get that just in case I need it". Nothing changes **sigh**
Well I have been very remiss indeed. Just not had time to update my blog at all. Life races away and pretty soon it is nearly Christmas! Back in June I entered a competition within the Bead Society of Victoria community. It was to create a piece using a majority of triangle beads. I was lucky enough to win the First Time Entry Prize. I was very pleased with that but felt even more honoured when I was asked if I would write a piece about myself to be featured in their Country Corner. This I duly did and it was featured in the June issue of BSV's magazine "Connect" My entry for the Triangle Challenge is above - Les Petites Pyramides
when you are confined to the house. Hurt my back and have been pacing the house, up and down the hallway and standing up most of the time. Did you know you can bead standing? Oh yes indeed. I was sooooooooooo bored I had to do something! The bracelet in the front is Elegant Noir. I have always wanted to use these sliders and finally came up with something I liked. I have also made earrings to match. The tutorial will be available soon. The middle bracelet is from www.passioncreation.fr I had these sliders already waiting. The third is my own design. Once again, ages ago, I bought some bead frames thinking they would be perfect for something. Well the something came to mind yesterday and turned into this bracelet. I'm sorry my pics are not the best at the moment. Having to use my mobile phone to take them but it gives you an idea of what I have been up to.
So many of us shy away from odd count peyote. It's that tricky turn we don't like to contemplate. I was the same but now actually really like odd count. This video may help - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaFT8FcTC-U&feature=related It is well explained and is produced by Doodlebeads.
A work friend has a wedding to go to this month. She asked me to creative a necklace that was not too fussy or bulky and would go with the outfit she had purchased. It was a particular shade of green and these colours bring it alive. Loved it so much she asked for a bracelet to be made too.
Simple stringing using some orange and gold glass beads I had left over from a project a few years ago. Black beads are faceted glass, orange glass rounds and they have gold daisy spacers and bead caps in between. Threw in a few seedies so it would not be too bulky around her neck.
Each year in January a group of us head south of the border to Bellingen in rural New South Wales. Here Camp Creative is held at the Bellingen High School. It covers such things as photography, art, drama, music, woodworking, ceramics, dance, beading and the list goes on and on. I have been going since 2005. Each year I learn new techniques and come away feeling so inspired. We go for seven or eight nights and rent a house together to save costs. The day is spent in class and followed up by gathering on the deck at home sipping wine, nibbling on cheeses and other yummies and relating our days activities. Each person has a designated night to cook and let me tell you, the food is delicious. Of a night, after dinner, there are projects to complete. Prior to coming to camp we have already picked and put together projects to challenge us. These are done each evening, some with instant gratification and others that take a lot of time and effort. Everything is rated by the "Whinge Factor" as to how difficult or fiddly it is to do.
In the past I have made a wide variety of things at camp. I've dabbled in beadweaving, polymer clay, wirework and this year leathercraft which was a whole new world.
Some items I have made are :
