Just a few more beaded beads

I wanted to show you the last of the beaded beads I made using Cindy Holsclaw's patterns.

First up is the Tila Garden Pendant.  I really like the way this bead uses tila beads to make little walls around the embellishments.

In my last post, I mentioned that many of Cindy's beads have the same base structure.  The tila garden pendant also starts with a dodecahedron.  The tila beads make it a bit trickier, but luckily for me, I was a pro at dodecahedrons by this time.  :)

It really is a gorgeous bead.

The final beaded beads I have are from Cindy's Raindrop Flower Necklace.

This necklace features four different types of beaded beads, including a stunning pendant that encloses a swarovski pearl.

I only used three types of beads in my necklace because I wanted to make an extra of the medium beads.  I think it will make a great pendant.

I love the finished necklace.  

If you are interested in any of Cindy's patterns, they can be found here.  They are all very clear and have illustrations and photos, which help tremendously.  I'm not sure you could go wrong with any of them.

More beaded beads and charms

In my last post, I mentioned that I have been working on more patterns from Cindy Holsclaw.  I am almost up to my ears in beads and charms.

I think my favorite bead is the supernova pendant.

As I was  beading trough these beaded beads, I realized that the base structure is the same in many of Cindy's beads.  The embellishments are what makes each one different.

Once you've beaded a few dozen dodecahedrons, it becomes easier and you can whip through the base structure and get to the good part.

One of the things that makes the supernova pendant different is that the embellishments sit on the corners rather than on the sides of the structure.  This means that there are twenty embellishments instead of fifteen.

Also, the pendant is embellished with crescent beads, making the bead look like it's exploding out.

I really want to make a few more of these.

I also finished the charms for my sakura bouquet necklace.

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I had been eyeing this pattern and kit for almost three years now and was so excited to have a chance to work on it.

There are four different types of charm.  Each is beaded with a similar technique and they work up very quickly.  

Cindy's tutorial provides several inspiration photos.  This arrangement is similar to one in the tutorial, using all forty charms in the kit. 

Did I mention that the kit makes *forty* charms?  I can't wait to finish the necklace.  :)

Classes with Cindy Holsclaw

A month or so ago, Cindy Holsclaw posted on Facebook that, thanks to the Kansas City Bead Society, she would be teaching several classes in Kansas City.  It took all of 5 minutes for me to clear the couple of days with my husband and email the class coordinator for the bead society.

I had been putting off joining the bead society and had a momentary panic that only members would be allowed to attend the classes.  It turns out I had nothing to worry about.  The coordinator was sweet and welcoming.

After a short wait, the weekend arrived.  Cindy taught four classes:  Rizo Triangle Necklace, Botanical Cells Bracelet, Brain Chemistry Earrings, and Highlands Gardens Necklace.

Friday's class was the Rizo Triangle necklace.  It was also my first introduction to the Bead Society ladies.  All of the ladies were nice and welcoming and we were all excited to meet Cindy.

Cindy took a few minutes to tell us about herself and her background as a biochemist.  Cindy is a warm and kind person and a good teacher.

Beaded beads and components are not always easy to visualize.  Cindy's explanations in class made it easier.

The Rizo Triangle necklace is composed of several separate components and a rope made with seed beads and rizo beads.

The components were fun to make and worked up quickly.  They are also very versatile.  You can combine big and small components to make all sorts of different things.

The rope looks complicated, but it really isn't.  It also works up quickly.

Sadly, my daughter had a previously scheduled class on Saturday, so I wasn't able to attend the classes that day.  They looked amazing, though.

Sunday's class was the Highland Gardens necklace, a class I had been wanting to tale for a while.

Again, this class was focused on beaded beads.  Cindy brought a ton of examples for us to see, many in different stages of completion.

We started on the smaller bead.

After lunch, we started on the larger bead.  This is somewhat more difficult.  The result, though, is amazing.

Cindy had four colorways for this necklace and all of them were stunning.  All of us had at least two or three favorites.

I haven't strung my necklace yet.  I want to make a small chain mail chain for the large bead.  The smaller beads will also be pendants.  My daughter already claimed one.

Cindy also brought samples and kits from her online shop.   As amazing as her photos look, the pieces look even more amazing in person.  I bought a few patterns that had been on my wish list, including the Sakura Bouquet necklace.

I've been working on these patterns and am happily surrounded by beaded beads and charms.  I'll be writing about those next week.

Along with the samples of current patterns, Cindy also brought samples of her upcoming workshops and recent work.  All of these were amazing.  I was particularly taken with the Twirling Waltz necklace as well as a few others that used a coiled CRAW technique.

If you are able to take a class with Cindy, I highly recommend it.  Her instructions are very well written and Cindy is a great teacher.

Conway Beads

One of the things I love about Gwen Fisher is the way she uses beads to create complicated mathematical shapes.  Her Conway Beaded Bead is a perfect example.

The tutorial is aimed toward experienced beaders.  Gwen designed the Conway bead using tetrahedrons and triangular prisms made with a modified cubic right angle weave (or, in this case, tetra right angle weave?).

Gwen gives instructions for two different bead sizes, but suggests trying the larger size first (with good reason).

Not one to go the easy route, I started on the smaller one.

The first step gave me a bit of trouble because I couldn't visualize the shape or the beaded structure.  Gwen's illustrations and photos were very helpful and I followed her thread path, confident that she wouldn't lead me astray.

Step 2 was easier and, after the third step, it "clicked."

After that, it was (mostly) smooth sailing.

If you try this pattern (and I highly recommend that you do), remember that the first few stitches are fiddly, but it gets much easier (and faster) and you progress.

The next bead went very quickly.   The bigger beads were easier to work with and I had the pattern down.  Gwen mentioned in her blog post that the design is intuitive and she is totally right.  I was able to do the second without double checking the pattern.

I even made a small one using size 15 seed beads.

These little beads are fun to make and, once you get the hang of it, they work up very quickly.

I might have a problem.

You can find the tutorial for the Conway bead here.  You can find more of Gwen's patterns on her etsy shop and you can find other designs by Gwen and Florence Turnour on their website, Bead Infinitum.

Lorelei's second Michaels challenge

Lorelei Eurto has a knack for finding, and having a vision for, beads that I would normally pass over.  Case in point:  her first Michaels challenge.  I would have not looked twice at those resin sliders, but wow, am I glad that Lorelei did.

This time around, Lorelei found several different types of beads and asked her readers to show her what we could do with them.

I dove into the challenge without really having a plan.

However, the brown disc beads were calling my name.  I remembered a design from Cindy Holsclaw and decided to try it with the disc beads.  Cindy's Squared Circles Beaded Bead was perfect.

Cindy has more wonderful patterns for sale on her website, Bead Origami.  You can also see her newest designs on her blog.

I had my focal beads, but needed to put them together with the other beads.  After a bit of experimentation (okay, quite a bit of experimentation), I came up with this.

I found a few rectangle beads in my stash (also from Michaels) and thought they matched the rustic nature of the beaded beads.  I wanted to use a bit of leather, so I added a few embellishments to mirror the design on the rectangle beads.

I really like this necklace.  I would never have put these beads together, but I really like how they look.  I am a bit sad that I didn't use the white beads, but I'll save those for the next challenge.

The first time I wore this necklace, I received so many compliments.  Everyone especially loved the owl button, something I would never have added on my own.  Thank you, Lorelei.

Please take a few minutes to visit Lorelei's blog to see what the other participants did with these beads.  I know you won't be disappointed.

Beadwork Magazine's beaded bead contest

For my entry in the second Time to Stitch Challenge, click here.

You may have noticed here, there, back and again that I have a bit of an obsession with beaded beads.

For the past several months, in celebration of its 15th anniversary, Beadwork Magazine published patterns for a series of beaded beads.

Many of us have been making those beads and waiting for the time we could use those beads to create something for Beadwork's Beaded Bead Contest.

When I started with the first beaded beads, I knew it would be a challenge to make them all play nicely together.  I figured I would just wait for an idea to come to me.

And an idea did come to me, in the form of the kiddo.  When I showed her my first few beads, she asked if they were supposed to be stars or planets.  *lightbulb*  (Have I mentioned that my daughter is awesome?)

The kiddo and I spent the afternoon researching planets.  We took notes on color and size.

The first pattern published was "Seeing Stars," designed by Melinda Barta.  I used this pattern for Mercury and Pluto.

The second design was the "Cube Cluster Beaded Bead," designed by Gwen Fisher.  This wonderful bead became Jupiter.  My Jupiter even has the red spot.

I used Florence Turnour's "Stargazer Beaded Bead" for Earth and Uranus.

These two beaded beads are just a sampling of what Gwen and Florence have in their store, Bead Infinitum.   Gwen and Florence are mathematicians and their beaded cubes, rings, prisms and spheres are well thought out, fun to bead and amazing when completed.

The "Treasure Trove Beaded Bead," designed by Cynthia Newcomer Daniel, was perfect for Venus and Neptune.

Cynthia has other wonderful designs in her etsy shop.  Cynthia's patterns are a joy to bead and the end result is always stunning.

The last design was the "Dewdrop  Beaded Bead," designed by Cindy Holsclaw.  I was excited to use this pattern for Saturn and Mars.

If you like the "Dewdrop Beaded Bead," you should visit Cindy's store, Bead Origami.  Cindy designs amazing beaded beads and pendants.

Once I finished my beads, I realized I had given no thought on *how* to make these beads work together.  The different colors and various shapes made it difficult for me to create cohesive design.

Then I remembered a set of beads made by Donna Millard.  The colors worked amazingly well with my beaded beads.

You can find more of Donna's work in her etsy store.  I have yet to see a bead from Donna that isn't absolutely breath taking.  I highly recommend taking a peek at her store.

I put Jupiter in the middle and laid the rest of the beads out in order.  (Who else remembers "my very eager mother just served us nine pickles?")

I even found the perfect clasp.  Do you see how great it looks next to Donna's beads?

I could not be happier with the result.

I love how Donna's beads pull everything together and make my beaded beads work together in a way I didn't think they could.

You can find my entry here.  If you have time, though, take a look through the gallery.  There are some fantastic designs and you can vote for all of your favorites.  The winning piece will be published in an upcoming issue of Beadwork!

More Beaded Beads

I was excited to receive my October issue of Beadwork Magazine because it featured the last in a series of five beaded beads.

The Dewdrop Beaded Bead is designed by Cindy Holsclaw.  It's a cute beaded bead that uses tila beads and two sizes of drop beads.

I made this version without the drop beads.

These are cute little beads and I love how the tila beads are framed by the seed beads.  If you would like to see more of Cindy's designs, check out her store, Bead Origami.  I've had my eye on this pattern for several months now.

These were the last two beads needed for me to start work on my piece for Beadwork's Beaded Bead Contest.

The other beads are "Seeing Stars," designed by Melinda Barta, the "Cube Cluster Beaded Bead," designed by Gwen Fisher, "Stargazer Beaded Bead," designed by Florence Turnour  and the "Treasure Trove Beaded Bead," designed by Cynthia Newcomer Daniel.  These beads were published in the past four issues of Beadwork.

Here are my versions of all five beaded beads.  Can you guess what I have in mind for them?

What I've been working on ..

It's been awhile since I've posted anything "beady."  You might think I've been slacking, but I've been working on my Beading Babes projects and on my piece for the Challenge of Travel.

In addition to those, I have been also working on a few other things, and even managed to complete a few of them.  :)

First up is a UFO that's been hanging around for a bit too long.  It is a bracelet based on Scarlett Lanson's "Aegean Sea" necklace in the October/November issue of Beadwork.

I'm not sure why I never finished it, although I suspect it's because I didn't like the open area at the side of the focal.  Oh well, I'm over it and enjoying my new bracelet.  :)

I made the necklace some time ago.  I don't typically create the project in the same color scheme as in the magazine, but I totally fell in love with the colors and *had* to match the sample as best I could.

You can wear this lariat either symmetrically or asymmetrically.  I love it both ways.

Scarlett's designs are amazing.  She combined so many techniques to create this lariat.

I made two more small beads using Melinda Barta's "Seeing Stars" pattern, published in the February/March issue of Beadwork.

I also made a bigger "Cube Cluster Beaded Bead," designed by Gwen Fisher and published in the April/May issue of Beadwork.  I started with 10mm beads in the base and ended up with a 1.25 inch bead.

Here they are with the others beads in the series.

The other beads are the "Stargazer Beaded Bead," designed by Florence Turnour and the "Treasure Trove Beaded Bead," designed by Cynthia Newcomer Daniel.  These were published in the June/July issue and  August/September issue of Beadwork, respectively.  

These beads are destined to work together in a single piece for Beadwork Magazine's Beaded Bead Contest.  You can find more information on the contest and about the beads in an earlier post here.

Speaking of beaded beads, I finished a necklace using the Infinity Ubercube pattern designed by Gwen and Florence.

I love making these cubes.  They don't take too long and are so satisfying to create.

My necklace is based on this design by Gwen.

I also have a few more Infinity Cubes waiting in the wings, this time in pink.

I think they will work well with these beads by Donna Millard.  If you are as wowed by these beads as I am (and you really should be), you can find more of Donna's work for sale in her etsy shop and on her website.

I can't decide how to put everything together.  Maybe with some chain or leather?

And if you are wondering how to make you own Infinity Ubercubes, you can find that pattern and more on Gwen and Florence's website, Bead Infinitum.  You will find more beaded cubes, rings, prisms and spheres than you thought possible.

So, that's what I've been up to.  Check back later in the week for a glimpse (or two) of  my Beading Babes projects and my piece for the Challenge of Travel.