Bead Mavens

Sad News

2011-11-03T12:17:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry to announce that we have decided to disband the Mavens.
Priorities of the members have changed and we feel that rather than keep replacing people we'll just go back to our individual blogs and stores.

We'll keep the links up to our stores and will put up links to our individual blogs where I'm sure we'll all be active in the areas we feel we need to be right now. The free tutorials will remain in the archives :)

We all thank you tremendously for the support, friendship and input and hope you will follow us all in our individual endeavors.

Maven Meld Winners

2011-10-31T17:27:00.000-07:00

After a very tight judging session we have our winners
First place went to Susan Jaisle for a fabulously feminine necklace
"Gothic Creek Canyon"

Second place went to Twyla Habrick for a superbly elegant choker

"Desert Dreams"

Third place went to Debra Schwartz (DatzKatz) for an amazing blossom meld with a staggering amount of beadwork "Trellis at Serendipitous Tarouk Lagoon"

And Honorable Mention to Gerlinde Fromont who submitted two pieces,

shown here "Twister"

Congratulations to all our winners and to everyone who submitted an entry. The entries were all fantastic and we enjoyed seeing what you all created from our tutorials....you made our job of judging incredibly tough! We'd also like to thank all our wonderful sponsors, Artbeads, Pam from BelloModo, Melissa Vess, Sandy Spivey, Lea Avroch, Sheila Hoag, Linda Roberts, Marilyn Norman and Lyn Owen who made our challenge so special...you guys rock!

We love seeing what you do with our designs so we've decided to make the Maven Meld our annual contest!

So....you have almost a year to get your entries ready this time our yearly closing date for entries will be October 14th and as we're giving you plenty of time there will be no extensions :) Take a look at our original post for the meld or our website for rules and instructions for entering.

To give you a little help I've broken down our winning designs so you can see how they melded our tutorials.

So....now you know how a winning meld is created....get cracking!

Working With Color

2011-10-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

While color is one of the most pleasurable elements an artist can work with, it’s also an element that can be challenging to handle. While I’m certainly not an expert, my confidence with color has come a long way since I began beading, and I have a few tried-and-true strategies that I rely on to guide me.

Many beaders I know (myself absolutely included) have a palette toward which they’re strongly drawn on a purely emotional level. If you’re a beginner, consider giving in to this “pull” as you create a basic stash for your beadwork. Buying beads for the simple pleasure their color gives you is a wonderful way to come to understand your own color sense. You’ll begin to gain more confidence in your color choices and be able to branch out into more adventurous palettes once you’ve become comfortable with a set of your own “basics”.

As your collection grows, group your favorites along traditional lines – reds, greens, blues, neutrals, metallics, etc. – but identify which tones, tints and shades of these appeal most to you. Do you prefer bright, primary hues or more muted ones? Do pastels shades draw you in? Does your taste run more to gold than to silver? Do you prefer brown or grey to black as a neutral? Once you have identified your personal core palette, you can begin shaking things up a bit by adding colors that are outside your comfort zone.

One way to begin branching out is to use a color wheel. Color theory is a complex science, I know, but a color wheel is designed to demystify things. Most wheels I’ve seen provide basic instructions for their use and offer a fairly no-fail way of finding which colors work together in harmony. It’s a good place to start exploring different color combinations.

Another technique I like to use is to take a palette from a great fabric or wallpaper. I prefer upholstery fabrics generally over dressmaker fabrics, as the prints are frequently bolder and more colorful. Even if you wouldn't like chintz on your sofa, a great chintz print has a good many colors within it, and they're all toned to work together. A visit to a mill-end upholstery fabric source can send you home with a handful of swatches that are a great starting point for a project. Wallpaper samples are excellent, too; some suppliers will let you cut swatches from books or will give you discontinued books. I like to keep a folder full of clippings. These can often suggest design, as well as color, possibilities.

Nature is a profound source of inspiration for me. If you respond to that as well, take your camera into a beautiful garden and snap away. Nature’s palettes vary with the season, and as a colorist, Mother Nature doesn’t err in her pairings. You might like to keep a scrapbook of your photos to help jog you out of a color rut.

Just choosing the palette isn’t the only difficult part of working with color as a beader. Have you ever had the experience of choosing an array of wonderful colors that looked great together in the tubes, but then when you beaded up the project, the result was bland or clashing and not at all what you’d expected? Seed beads are tiny; their color can change subtly when placed adjacent to other beads or when they’re not used in a mass. Spill out small amounts of the beads you’re considering and see how they work with your other choices. You may want some colors to “pop” and others to recede. The beads that ultimately work beautifully in a design may be deceptively unappealing all by themselves in their tubes. Experience brings a better “feel” for this.

And I also like to make my own beadwork swatches. It's a great exercise to work up a small section of a design using several different colorways. It provides a good chance to see how different combinations of beads work together before I get deeply into a project and find it hard to make changes or bring in new colors without affecting the overall design. And I hang onto these little experiments; they come in handy for reference later, and sometimes I find myself incorporating them into a new designs!

What are your favorite color strategies?

Challenge Update - Deadline Extension

2011-10-08T05:37:00.000-07:00

We've had quite a few requests for an extension on our October 15th deadline for the Meld Challenge, and so we've decided to meet that and have extended your deadline to October 29th, at midnight EST. We hope this helps out, and lets you have the time to create your gorgeous entries!!

We can't WAIT to see all of your beautiful creations!

Beader's Block

2011-10-04T12:14:00.000-07:00

It happens to everyone, eventually.

You sit in front of your beads, and nothing happens. Maybe you pick up your needle and thread and string a few beads; do a few units of RAW or start a spiral rope. But then, instead of getting that wonderful "new project" glow, it just looks tired and blah.

So you rip it out, and try something else.

After the third or forth go with no results, you know you've got it: Beader's Block.

Your muse is gone. Off to Mexico, flirting with someone else, eating spicy food and drinking tequila. She's having fun, but you're not. So what's a beader to do? I have a few tried and true methods for luring my muse back; they don't all work all of the time, but usually one of them gets her on the boat and headed back home where she belongs.

Walk away from the table. That's right: stop begging and pretend that you just don't care. Go to the zoo, take a walk in the woods, or play with a toddler. Don't take a sketchbook with you. Don't look for ideas. Take a 24 hour break from being a beader.

Borrow someone else's muse. Work up a pattern from a magazine or a tutorial; try something that is very different from your usual style. Name the other beader's muse and get cozy. Flirt.

Make color palettes. Lay out different colors of beads in new combinations - break away from your usual tried and true color choices. Take photos of your new combinations, or write down the numbers for later reference. Do not, under any circumstances, bead with them today.

Pick up a book on art or architecture and trace lines. Don't think about how you would go about beading them, just trace off lines and motifs from pictures you find appealing. When you have a nice stack, make yourself a snack or a meal and look at them when you're done eating.

Whine about it.

And then let me know if any of these methods work for you. Or, even better, share your methods for overcoming Beader's Block in the comments section. I'd love some new things to try!

Maven Meld Update!

2011-09-21T07:50:00.000-07:00

We've got some entries coming in, and we're excited over here! There is some really gorgeous beadwork happening here, and we wanted to share them with you. We hope you will be entering your own melded creations soon!

Here is Gothic Creek Canyon, by Susan Jaisle, in which she has melded Mikki's Gothic Butterfly tutorial and Callie's Oak Creek Canyon Bracelet tutorial.

And here is Celestial Garden, by Rebecca Dean, who used Nancy's Trellis Necklace pattern and Heather's Satellite Beaded Beads together.

And here is Guinevere's Trellis, by Kristen Stevens, who combined Nancy's Trellis Necklace tutorial with Heather's Guinevere Necklace/Bracelet tutorial.

Lovely work, ladies! Come on, everyone, keep those entries rolling in!!

(To see our full rules and ways to enter, please visit our website @ www.thebeadmavens.com)

St Petersburg Chain

2011-09-13T10:32:00.000-07:00

We recieved a request from Emily for a St. Petersburg tutorial and as Mikki had one on hand....here it is...enjoy!

Cubic Right Angle Weave Video Tutorial

2011-09-09T06:05:00.000-07:00

Watch as I show you how easy Cubic Right Angle Weave is!! I enjoyed making this visual tutorial to share with you and I am going to set about making the next one soon.....how to start a ladder row the easy way. In the meantime, have a look see and practice this wonderful stitch.

Tips and Tricks Tuesday: Traveling with Beads

2011-09-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

One of the nicest things about beading is its terrific portability. It’s possible to travel with a substantial stash of beads and tools in order to be ready when the “beading mood” strikes. Organization is the key. I always bring beadwork along when I travel (knitting, too, but that’s another story!). Here’s how my portable “studio” evolved.

(Disclaimer: If some of my tools and totes look a tad “road weary”, it’s because I really do use these things frequently; they’ve served me faithfully for years. In fact, they’re on the road with me right now!)

First, I rounded up some soft sided carrying cases. I found mine in the cosmetics section at a Target store. The handles are very convenient, and the zippers provide secure closure. Inside the totes, I can stow clear plastic boxes for bead and tool storage. The ones I like are available at most Walmart stores in the crafts department, and come equipped with small, flip-top tubes perfect for bead storage. I line these boxes with a piece of bead mat, so they can double as a work surface.

My necessary tools are needles, a refrigerator magnet to corral loose needles and “park” the ones I’m working with when I need to set my work aside (my magnet is a big square; any kind will do, but I like one large enough that the needles don't stick off the surface), scissors, tweezers, mandrels, a baby spoon to scoop and sort with (a tip I picked up from reading Marcia DeCoster's book), a thread burner, a measuring tape, wax and a bead mat. If you do much wire work, you might consider packing a set of mini-tools or rounding up a container large enough to store the ones you most use.

Next, I like to organize the project I’m currently working on in the smaller of my two totes. When I’m ready to bead, I can spread out the mat on a convenient surface and go to work. If I’m on a plane, I’ll use the mat-lined box as my work surface and stuff everything else loosely into the zippered tote. If the ride gets bumpy, it’s easy enough to pop the box lid shut to keep from losing anything. If you’re packing several separate projects, you might like to dedicate a plastic box to each one, and transfer them from the larger to the smaller tote as you work on them. When traveling, I tend to use my larger “Hello Kitty” tote to stash bulk seed bead tubes and smaller boxes of crystals, cabs, etc. and work on only one project at a time out of my smaller blue tote.

Lastly, I like to take along some small zip top baggies for miscellaneous storage. I buy mine in bulk at Walmart, about $1.00 for 100 bags. And I find that some 1/4" postal rubber bands are handy to secure my plastic boxes as an extra measure of safety again spillage.

I wouldn’t go anywhere without my beads; whether traveling for business or pleasure, there are always odd moments to be filled, rainy days that demand amusement, etc. With just a little advance planning, you can enjoy your beadwork wherever you go!

Happy Beading!

~Callie

Nancy's Maven Meld

2011-08-31T09:11:00.000-07:00

Hey you all! I just wanted to write a brief blog post about my meld, and how I put it together, in case any of you were interested in making something similar. (I am so blown away by everyone else's melds in the Mavens, wow!!!! And thank you to both Cynthia and Callie for the lovely shout outs in their posts, and the wonderful comments, too!)

My little necklace is made up of several tutorials, not just two - and it was SO MUCH FUN to make! I can't recommend these tutorials enough! (Links to them below.) I used my own Trellis Necklace for the strap, but each of the beaded beads were made from one of my colleagues' tutorials. I added some crystals into the netting on the trellis, and left off the flowers.

I am addicted to beaded beads, so these were just my favorite things about this piece. I also think that there are TONS of variations that you could do on this theme, with beaded beads along side of lamp worked beads, or small sections of rope, or you could use a beaded bead in place of the crystals in my Trellis Necklace Tutorial, too, and that would look very cool.

So, I have beaded beads which I altered a little from Mikki, called RAW Beaded Bead Earrings. These are the last beads on either end. (I altered the middle bead count to three, and then left off the top bits and closed them up early.)

The next beaded beads in line are from Callie and are called Cloisonne Beads from her earring pattern.

The next ones are the same ones from Mikki, altered as I did with the first ones, and then I made some beaded beads from Heather, called Satellite Beads (oh, and by the way, Heather is having a 16% off sale right now in her shops!!).

Finally, for the focal, I made one of Cynthia's Itsy Bitsy Beaded Bead - although I altered this one as well, by upsizing it, and using different crystals/beads for the 'supports' in the inner ring. Honestly, I think Cynthia's tutorial is the one that is the most challenging (especially for beginners), but it was SO worth it!

I used crystal rondelles for the spacers here, and some Bali silver disc spacers between those. Once I had made my beaded beads, I strung them between the two lengths of trellis rope, using the connection method I show in my tutorial for the crystals. This means, that although they aren't strung on wire, they are still held VERY sturdily in place by the multiple passes of Fireline. To make sure that the Satellite Beads (which have large holes) sat in line, I strung size 8 beads inside of them.

Every single one of the tutorials for beaded beads listed above are absolutely fabulous - I highly recommend them, and they would be wonderful additions to most any Meld you want to make!!

Lila Loves Orchids

2011-08-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

I had a marvelous time making my Maven Meld, “Lila Loves Orchids”. Nancy and Cynthia are beading geniuses! Both of their designs offer marvelous construction, and the clear, easy to follow directions put these creations well within the reach of most beaders.

If you’d like to make the necklace I created by melding Nancy’s Lila Earrings and Cynthia’s Orchid necklace, here’s how to proceed.

You’ll need 14 39ss (8mm) chaton stones, and just a few more beads, say 2gr extra, in sizes 11/0 and 15/0 than you would to make the Orchid necklace alone. My color palette was in shades of gold, brown and olive, and I used Olivine chatons; I can imagine this necklace being gorgeous in any colorway!

First, you will need to bezel the chaton stones. I followed Nancy’s excellent instructions exactly as to bead sizes, but I chose colors that were right for the palette I’d selected. After bezeling all the stones, I set them aside.

Next I stitched the basic “Orchid” necklace as per the pattern instructions, with the exception that I reversed the order of steps 12-16 and steps 9-11. That is, after step 8, I skipped to steps 12-16, then went back and completed 9-11, then continued in that order to complete the pass. You may certainly keep the order exactly as Cynthia wrote it, but you’ll need an additional chaton if you do.

Next, I resumed with step 17 and worked through step 20 as instructed.

With Step 21 (remember that in the necklace I made, the Step 21 unit is actually the step 24 unit and vice versa,) I began to attach the chatons, which I did by replacing Cynthia’s embellishments with a right angle weave unit comprising 11/0 beads and working through the 11/0 in one of the picot points on a bezeled chaton.

In step 24 (remember, actually the step 21 unit), I replaced Cynthia’s embellishment with an embellishment worked over the 8/0 beads in the ring added in step 9:

Bring the thread out through an 8/0 and pick up three 11/0s. Pass through the opposite 8/0 so that the embellishment is diagonal over the right angle weave unit. Next, pick up an 11/0 and pass back through the second 11/0 previously added. Pick up another 11/0 and pass through the opposite 8/0 so the embellishment forms an “X”.

Work through the 8/0s to exit from the bottom 8/0. Pick up three 11/0s and pass through the 8/0 your thread is exiting(picot added). Pick up three 15/0s and pass through the 11/0 your thread is exiting. Work back up to the thread exit point indicated in the original pattern and continue. Complete the remainder of Cynthia’s steps.

I added a final pass to link the chatons and create additional visual “weight” needed to balance the weight of the chatons. Follow these steps:

1. After adding the clasp, travel through beads to bring the thread out through the 11/0 that your thread entered in Step 23. Pick up six 11/0s and pass through the 11/0 at the tip of the picot on the side of the first chaton.

2. Pick up three 11/0s and three 15/0s and pass through the third 11/0 to form a picot. Pick up 2 11/0s and pass through the 11/0 at the tip of the next picot point in the bezel. Repeat once.

3. Pick up six 11/0 and pass through the 11/0 that your thread exited in Step 24.

Repeat these steps across the bottom edge of the necklace. Secure the thread in the beadwork and trim.

“Lila Loves Orchids”! And you’re going to love working with these two incredible designs!

Maven Meld Prize Pool!

2011-08-24T04:46:00.001-07:00

Today we're here to tell you about the incredibly wonderful prizes you could win when you enter our Maven Meld challenge! (If you haven't seen what this is all about, please do visit our Challenge Page on our website for details on how you can enter.) Our sponsors have been deliciously generous, and our lucky winners are going to be OH so happy!! (Please take a moment to click on the links to our sponsors' shops and give them some love while you're here.)

Our First Prize Winner will receive the following:

A generous gift bag from Artbeads AND a $75 Gift Certificate for Artbeads shopping
A generous gift bag from Bello Modo AND a discount code included for 20% off online Bello Modo shopping
Beautiful handmade dichroic glass cabochons from Silvermoonlyn
A stunning stone cabochon from Tradewinds Studios
Beautiful handmade dichroic glass cabochons from Beads Forever AND a generous seed bead mix
A $25 Gift Certificate from Melissa Vess for her amazing lamp work beads
A $50 Gift Certificate each from Mikki, Heather, Callie and Cynthia (good for tutorials from their shops only)
A kit for making on of Callie's newest bracelets
A hearty bead soup mix from Nancy and her Lila Earrings tutorial

Our Second Place Winner will receive:

A generous gift bag from Artbeads AND a $50 Gift Certificate for more Artbeads shopping
A generous gift bag from Bello Modo AND a discount code included for20% off online Bello Modo shopping
A $25 Gift Certificate from L.A. Jewelry Designs for her lovely lamp work beads
A $25 Gift Certificate from Glass Art Cabochons for Sandy Spivey's lovely handmade cabochons
Beautiful handmade dichroic glass cabochons from Beads Forever AND a generous seed bead mix
A $40 Gift Certificate each from Mikki, Heather, Callie and Cynthia (good for tutorials from their shops only)
A hearty bead soup mix from Nancy and her Lila Earrings tutorial

Our Third Place Winner will receive:

A generous gift bag from Artbeads AND a $25 Gift Certificate for more Artbeads shopping
A generous gift bag from Bello Modo AND a discount code included for 20% off online Bello Modo shopping
Gorgeous handmade dichroic glass cabochons made by Beads Forever AND a generous seed bead mix
A $30 Gift Certificate each from Mikki, Heather, Callie and Cynthia (good for tutorials in their shops only)
A hearty bead soup mix from Nancy

Our Honorable Mention will receive:

A generous gift bag from Artbeads AND a $10 Gift Certificate for more Artbeads shopping
A generous gift bag from Bello Modo AND a discount code included for 20% off online Bello Modo shopping
A $20 Gift Certificate each from Mikki, Heather, Callie and Cynthia (good on tutorials from their shops only)
A hearty bead soup mix from Nancy

So if you haven't started your own Meld yet, now is the time!! The deadline for entries is October 15th, 12 AM EST. We can't wait to see what you make!

Tips and Tricks Tuesday

2011-08-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

For my tips and tricks I want to go back to some basics....
Thread & Needles.
There are a lot of threads out there for beadweaving and everyone has their favorites...me? I'm a Fireline gal and here are some of the reasons.

Drape
When I work up flatwork designs....peyote pattern cuffs...I want the quality of the Delicas to really show so I choose a 4lb Fireline. Strong but not stiff it brings your beads together to make a fabric with a beautiful drape that just feels incredibly rich to wear. Don't lose that drape by using too heavy a thread!

Everyday Strength
For work that has crystals involved or needs a tight tension I choose 6lb Fireline which gives me that extra strength against those sharp little blingy things and the confidence to pull tight when I need to. When working with beads a bit larger/heavier than seed beads this is definitely the thread I trust.

Body & Toughness
Sometimes you need to use a thread that gives your work a bit more body and that is one of the fabulous things about Fireline, it comes in LOTS of weights.
You may have to stop by your local fishing store (or WallieWorld) to get the heavier weights but I would definitely advise it when working with netting. Netting is just lovely but having large holes means it's easier to get caught on things so I tend to go with a heavier thread when working in this stitch.
A heavier weight thread will also add body/stiffness to the piece you're working on, so if you need it to stand on it's own try 8, 10 or even a 20lb thread.

Needles
At last we have a needle that doesn't go Uri Geller when you've worked a couple of pieces. The new Tulip needles definitely stand up against even the most bend inducing designs. Yes, the finish does chip so you'll have to decide what is most important to you but for me I like to have them for the tricky jobs so that I don't have to change my needle fifteen times a project. I still keep my trusty Pony needles by my side in three different sizes.
Why different sizes? For those times when I need to go through a bead just one more time annd my needle won't quite make it....I dig out a finer needle and presto I didn't break the bead! Nothing worse than breaking a bead within a design...that's when you'll hear a lot of beaders scream :)
And while I think about it....different lengths. You will always find a short needle on my bead board because while I like working with a long, 2+", needle when you get to the end of your thread you use a lot up weaving in with a long needle. So I change it out for a short 1 1/4" needle which makes weaving in short ends so much easier!

Maven Meld: Arianne Climbs the Trellis

2011-08-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

I combined Mikki's Arianne bangle with Nancy's Trellis Necklace and I love the way these two patterns work together!

If you'd like to make your own version of this bracelet, here is a rundown of what I did to combine these two tutorials into a new bangle. First off, of course, you'll need copies of these tutorials; if you don't have them yet, you can purchase them by clicking on the links above. To the materials list, I added (4) small lampwork beads (approx. 6x9mm) and a piece of memory wire to use as an armature.

The first thing you'll need to do is decide how many repeats of the design you want; I chose four. Begin with the Arianne Bangle; I used 36 B beads and 8 A beads in rows 1 & 2 to make a fairly large bangle (inside diameter of 7.25cm); if your wrist is larger or smaller, add or subtract beads, but make sure that both numbers are divisible by 4.

After that, I simply followed the Arianne pattern for the textured bangle, making allowances for the changes I made in the first rows.

On the long edges, I added picots using (3)15° beads after the crystal just to dress things up a bit.

Cut a piece of memory wire about an inch longer than the outside of the Arianne bangle and work the core of the Trellis pattern over it. (The ends of the wire will "double up" inside the core to make a circle; join the ends of the core section together to keep the memory wire ends inside.)

I used lampwork beads in place of the large crystals; lay the core section plus one bead against Arianne to determine how many rows you need in the core. It's going to be different for each bracelet, depending on your beads and your weaving tension.

Work the embellishments from the bead towards the center, stopping just before the center. I eliminated steps 3-4. It's okay if you end up with an unembellished bit in the center; Arianne will cover that.

Place the Trellis section inside of Arianne and join the segments.

Voila! Arianne Climbs the Trellis.

Tips and Tricks Tuesday - Dealing with Mistakes in Beadweaving

2011-08-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

Nancy’s last “Tips and Tricks” post dealt with correcting mistakes in bead embroidery, and I found her post enormously instructive and helpful. I thought I’d follow her lead and pursue that topic just a bit as it applies to beadweaving.

First let me say that I'm in that camp who believes that many a design breakthrough has begun as a "mistake"! A different thread path, a bead more or less in a repeating pattern can be sometimes viewed in the overall not as an error, but as a design decision. So think before you rip! That said, however, there are true mistakes that will have to be addressed. So let's talk about those.

It’s almost impossible to discuss correcting beadweaving mistakes without saying just a few words about thread. Thread choice in a project may very well affect how you go about making any needed corrections. The braided threads, such as PowerPro and Fireline, have the advantage of rarely ever being split by your needle as you bead. Plied threads such as Silamide and flat nylon threads like Nymo can be split by your needle as your bead. If you need to undo your work bead by bead by pulling out the thread, it’s generally easier to remove beads from a braided thread. If a flat or plied thread has been split, pulling it out of your beadwork could result in shredding which would likely necessitate cutting a section of the beadwork away.

Wax is a great idea for use with either type of thread. Not only does it add to thread longevity over the life of a piece, but it may also help prevent the type of splitting that makes mistakes more difficult to correct. I tend to prefer microcrystalline wax, as its stickiness is also an aid in tension control, but beeswax is fine too. Beader’s choice! Re-wax your thread occasionally as work. And try to slide your needle against the side of the hole in the bead you’re entering so it’s less apt to contact and split the thread that’s already in the bead.

You can’t fix mistakes you don’t discover – and you want to discover and fix them as soon as possible after making them. Form the habit of examining your work often; check carefully for mistakes. Don’t just admire your work – really scrutinize it for anything that looks amiss.

When you find a mistake, decide how you'll need to fix it. If it’s only a short way back, probably it will be easiest to remove the needle from your thread and gently pull the thread out of the beadwork. Then place the needle back on your thread and resume beading. If the mistake is quite far back, you can still pull thread out of beads, but in this case you may decide it’s best to take a sharp scissors to your work and cut the mistake away. To do this snip thread(s) right before the point where the mistake occurred, separate the section with the error from the error-free beadwork and set it aside. Then remove the working thread bead by bead as above until you have about 4-6” worth of tail that can be woven in later. Start a new thread and resume beading. You may want to pick apart and sort all the beads from the section you cut away and replace them in their containers to reuse as you work - good work while you're watching a movie in the evening!

Obviously, it’s far easier to pick back your beadwork if you don’t have to deal with knots. While they may be necessary at times, for most larger pieces of weaving, it’s possible to stabilize thread within the work simply by weaving in and out of beads, going forward and backward following the thread path in the pattern you’re working. Try it when you’re starting a new thread: Weave the new thread in until it doesn’t budge when you tug on the working end. No knots! If you have to rip back, you can use a tweezers to pull the woven in end out of the work.

Missing Bead in corner of bezel

The last tip I’ll offer has to do with broken beads in peyote flat work. I guess there’s nothing more tragic (in beading, anyway)than completing a gorgeous piece of flat work and weaving your last tail thread in only to break a delicate bead! (The best way to avoid this in the first place is to weave through just one bead at a time; pushing your needle diagonally through beads puts stress on them and makes breakage more likely. )

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Weave in and out through beads around the spot with the missing bead

However, if this happens to you, don’t panic! Thread is your ally. Here’s how I deal: Start a new thread in the work about half an inch away from the location of the broken bead.Weave in and out, duplicating the thread path around the broken bead for a distance of about half an inch in all directions, but do not weave any thread in the space where the new bead will be placed. After the work has been stabilized with the additional weaving, carefully cut away (I use a thread burner to burn away) the smidgen of thread that held the missing bead. Now weave through your work to the place where the missing bead can be replaced.Weave a new bead into the work and weave again through the closest adjacent beads. When you feel confident that the work is stable, weave in your tail threads.Now you can exhale!

Missing Bead Replaced!

When you've finished your project, fill a small plastic bag or empty bead tube with an assortment of all the beads you used in your work, as well as a few yards of the thread you used. Then, if a future repair should be necessary, you'll have what you need on hand.

If only we could feel sure we’d never have a mistake to correct, how simple beading would be! But of course, this is the real world, and mistakes do happen. Having simple techniques available to repair errors makes the work less daunting and the results more gratifying.

I have a philosophy: Even if I have to sacrifice some of the finished work to correct a mistake, after all, it’s beading I love to do, and fixing mistakes only gives me more of it! It feels good to go forward with a clean slate.

Happy Beading!

Callie

What the Heck is a Maven Meld?

2011-07-29T10:03:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed us throwing around the word "meld" lately and now we'll let you know why.

It's our new contest!!!!

"Maven Melds"

In discussions about what our new contest would be we decided we wanted to do something a bit different. As our hope is to share our knowledge and encourage growth in the realm of seed beads we wanted to do something that might help the budding seed beader take a first step into the world of designing and at the same time offer up a contest that could be challenging to even the best designer.

So we came up with 'Maven Melds'....what IS that? Ok... meld is defined as "a cause to merge" and a 'Maven Meld' is when you take two or more Maven tutorials and merge them together to create something new. A bit of this and a bit of that.

We've been busy creating melds to show you what we mean....a picture paints a thousand words, and all that. So, here are the ones we've finished so far...and over the next couple of weeks we'll each be posting about how we went about creating them to give you some tips for creating your own melded entry.

Mikki's meld of Heather's Anastasia and her own Wicked Weave.

As usual, there will be fantastic prizes for the winners, and lots of fun in seeing what each person chooses to create!

Callie's Meld of Nancy's Bezeled Chatons and Cynthia's "Orchid" Necklace

Nancy's Meld of beaded beads designed or inspired by Cynthia, Callie, Heather and Mikki

Cindy's Meld of Nancy's Trellis design and Mikki's Arianne Bangle

The Rules

You must use two or more Bead Maven tutorials...these can be any of the tutorials in our stores or any of the free tutorials we've posted on this blog. You are encouraged to add your own design elements, but the piece must include elements of the two (or more) tutorials you chose.
The tutorials can be from the same Maven or a mix of different Mavens.
Tutorials you have purchased from us previous to the beginning of the contest are fine to use.
Only two entries per person.

How To Enter

Send two good (clear, crisp and well-lighted) photographs, one showing the whole piece, one a close up or detail of the piece to BeadMavens@gmail.com
Write a paragraph (up to 100 words) about your design and creative process, and what inspired you about the tutorials you chose.
Email your entry to us by October 15th, 2011, midnight EST.
Include your e-mail address and your full name in your email, please!!!!!

Judging

Pieces will be judged on compatibility of tutorials chosen, technical skill, color harmony, and overall design.
The Bead Mavens are not eligible to place in the contest or to receive prizes.
We will choose three winners and one honorable mention from the entries.

Tips and Tricks Tuesday

2011-07-19T05:18:00.000-07:00

Being a Bead Maven has a lot to do with sharing; ideas, techniques, designs, and the joy of beading. We've decided to do a new series on the blog, starting today, sharing something else; some of our own personal tips and tricks while stitching, whether it be weaving or embroidering. Hopefully we will have at least five more posts on Tips and Tricks to help out both the beginning beader and the experienced designer.

Detail on Custom Cuff/ NEDbeads

Working With Mistakes in Bead Embroidery is my choice to start off with!

If you're anything like me, there is a LOT of ripping out that goes on while embroidering a piece. It includes times when I have put my lines of beads too close together and they're pushing against one another; taking out stop-stitched work; wanting to take out only part of what I've stitched while leaving some of the work untouched and edging/measuring mistakes made when finishing a piece.

I reinforce everything over and over, and this makes it harder. I tend to tell folks that it is SO much better to reinforce, because then your work is much more likely to last for a long time, and use or wear on the piece won't be so likely to shift your beads. This is wonderful EXCEPT when you're trying to fix a mistake in the work. Taking out bits of beadwork that don't work for you in the overall design without disturbing the bits you like is hard.

Linda made this point in an earlier tutorial post, but it bears repeating: make frequent knots while working!!! Seriously, this is one of the most important tips Linda and I can give you. Once you've bezeled your focal or cabochon the way you like it, STOP and make a knot or six, before you move on to the next line of beading. I've had to completely re-do bezels because I didn't knot off, and ripping out the beadwork near the bezel resulted in such loose work on the bezel that it had to go. Once you've sewn a few lines of beads that look lovely to you, STOP and knot!!! This way, when you decide you would like to remove one part, and keep some of the rest, you have parts that will still be secure after your rip out. I've done as much as three inches or so of work, thinking how great it looked, and then decided that I needed to remove one or two lines and replace them with another color or size of bead, and had to rip out more than I wanted to because I didn't knot - lots of lost time and repeated effort.

Reworking lines of beadwork that have been stitched with backstitch is usually quite easy, as all you have to do is pick the threads from the back side of the work and pull gently to get them out. To keep from having to do this, however, I recommend that while you work you keep a few things in mind; don't make your stitch through the fabric too close to the edge of the beads you are laying down (this results in lines that are puckered up because the beads are too close together in the line of work itself), you can always push them back to the other beads if they are too loose; leave just a tiny smidge more room between your lines of backstitching than you think necessary (I promise they will lay better for you without pushing up against each other); work with an even tension and don't pull your work too tightly.

Stop-stitch work is the worst for me. I tend to reinforce these beads several times so that they won't wiggle even a little when the piece is done. This means TEENY tiny stitches on the back of the work, that are almost like knots themselves. When I go to rip out, I normally have to actually cut the thread between the larger bead and the seed bead holding it in place to get them off. This results in terribly tiny thread ends, way too short to knot off, especially if I really like what I've already beaded before the stop stitches. When you have a thread that isn't long enough to knot off by itself, there are two things that I have learned work pretty well; the first is to hold that thread down on the backing, and to add your new thread to the work and knot OVER that left over thread. Knot over it several times to keep it as secure as possible, and then continue beading normally. The second, which I have used also, is to tape the end. I have!! I use a tiny piece of tape on the backing to keep the thread stable, and then go ahead and complete my work. Once I am ready to glue the piece up, I take off the tape, pull the thread to make sure it's nice and tight, and glue over it. If you've sewn through the tape while working the piece, you can leave it there, and just glue over it if you have to.

I can't emphasize this next bit enough: measure measure measure!! if you're working with a metal cuff or necklace blank. Secondarily, DO NOT cut your piece of fabric to exactly fit the cuff blank before working, not ever ever ever!!! Always give yourself at least an inch on all sides that won't be stitched on. (I leave an inch and a quarter or more.) Your work will almost always cause fabric shrinkage, and the resulting cuff will be either too short to reach the ends of the blank, or not wide enough to accommodate the blank. If, however, you've already cut the work, you've finished embroidering and you find it's too late, and your edges don't come slightly over the edges of the blank, there is hope. Don't glue it up or add backing at all, just go ahead and stitch the edge with brick stitch as though you were already finishing the edges. Now that's done, you can add more rows of brickstitch as needed to get to the width/length you need. Then you can go ahead and glue it to the blank, and glue the backing on. Now you edge it, just as you would have normally, but use the thread between stitches to secure it rather than using the edge of the fabric. Ta-da! And the best part - it will look as if you planned it that way, and that it has a double or triple edging, which looks cool.

Hope some of these help you out, and if you have questions on particular things that I haven't touched on, please let me know, and I'll help if I can!

Detail of Midnight Garden Purse/ NEDbeads

~ Have a great week! ~ Nancy

Maven News

2011-07-10T04:14:00.000-07:00

Changes, changes....as you may notice one of our Mavens has fled the nest, Good Quill Hunting has retired from the group to pursue all the new and exciting things that have happened to her since her move to Colorado. We all wish her every success, which we know will come her way, with her fabulous beadwork. We are sad to see her go but we totally understand the 'not enough hours in the day, too many directions' dilemma.

Love you, GQH, <<group hug>>

So...then there were six....and what have the six been up to?

Watermelon Monimia

Mikki....is pattern writing like crazy and gave up teaching her weekly beading class to concentrate on designing. She has a flatwork design for Perlen Posie in the works and is also working on finishing up all her 'volume' tutorials which are the things she originally planned for a book and they will be released this month. She also finally found time to enter the Etsy Beadweaver's Challenge for August, the theme ~ "Summer Juicy Fruit" with a Watermelon bracelet.

Nancy.... actually has a lot in the works, but most of them can't be revealed yet. At the moment, she's finishing a necklace, editing the Maven website and working on getting a few more tutorials going for her shop.

Cindy's Caribbean Sea

Cindy....is thrilled to have her Caribbean Sea bracelet (re-named Filigree Fling) published in Creative Beading Volume 6. It's a beautiful book, with lots and lots of fun patterns in it. She has just finished up a wonderful meld, which was quite a lot of fun to do, and is already thinking about melding again. She has, regrettably, been very slow lately about writing new tutorials. She hopes to do better in the coming weeks, and get more projects out of her mind and into your hands!

Heather....What on earth have I been up to? I have just finished writing my Guinevere Necklace pattern, to compliment the G. Cuff that I listed earlier this month. It takes me what seems for ever to get my patterns finalized before I push that "list" button. That final commitment to sell a pattern can be somewhat daunting - you are exposing your self to the big wide world and when things are received positively, I know why I am doing this.... I love my "Job"!!!!!!
I now need to work on my growing list of new designs including a cuff for Perlen Poesie......got to come up with something that will be easy to write as well as interesting to make and I would like to do a Meld as well.....Meld you ask? Well, stick around as we are all busy with something special and creative for you all to get your teeth into......we will keep you posted.

Callie's "Georgia" Necklace

Callie.....is equally thrilled that her "Floral Inspirations" bracelet is also included in Creative Beading Volume 6! She's also working on two new tutorials (one of which, the "Georgia" necklace, will also be offered as a kit) and finishing up a couple of necklaces, as well, in addition to a Meld of her own!

Linda is pining for time to get back to some serious beadwork and has planned some embroidery projects. Meanwhile, she's working on her painted, beaded lace earrings and is about to list some whoppers and new styles on Artfire. Supplies are in the works - Painted lace pieces you can bead or incorporate in your own work. She's finishing up an order for The Moorings Gallery for their August Jewelry show & thrilled to be working towards a craft show in December, "Have Yourself a Gothic Little Christmas."

Something we're all working is....well, I can't tell you yet :)

But I can tell you it's something you will be able to do and there will be prizes! We're all busy working on our own examples and I can tell you...it's lots of fun!! Keep watching this space :)

And I know everyone is pleased to know that we will be continuing the free tutorials....so check every other Friday for those.

And we hope everyone is having a great summer!!

Wave Bracelet Tutorial

2011-07-03T11:25:00.000-07:00

So...these are lots of fun to make...change the beads up, use triangles, cubes, hexes, peanuts...anything...as long as you go from small to large to small. Tension is incredibly important and you might even want to switch to a heavier weight so you're confident about working tightly :) Enjoy...Mikki

Russian Snake Stitch

2011-06-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Serendipitous Beaded Beads

2011-06-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

For a beader, making beads out of beads is, as Carol Wilcox Wells observes in her book The Art and Elegance of Beadweaving, "a double dose of pleasure, nirvana!" The possibilities for making these little beauties seem truly endless, limited only by the beader's imagination. They allow us to use up odds and ends from the beader's stash and experiment with color, texture and form on a small, manageable scale. I've written a simple "recipe" for a beaded bead I often use in my own designs. The bead is a basic peyote tube worked in the round and embellished with surface netting. Depending on your choice of materials, the beads can be elegant and dressy or casual and playful. Make one to wear singly on a chain or make any number to string together for a unique and personalized look.

Materials:

For the Base: Size 11 ° seed beads in 2 colors, A & B

Size 8 ° seed beads, C

For the Embellishments:

Seed beads in sizes from 15 ° up to 6 °

3- or 4-mm round or bicone crystals or fire polished beads

3- or 4-mm glass pearls

Thread: 6# test braided or nylon (such as Nymo D) bead thread in a color to suit your choice of beads. (Note: A bit of thread does show in this bead design. I like to let the thread be a design element and use a pretty color, either contrasting with or complimenting the bead colors. If you use nylon thread, be sure to string any crystals carefully, straight onto the thread and not from an angle, to avoid shredding and possibly cutting the thread.)

Beading needles: Size 12

Microcrystalline or beeswax

Scissors

Mandrel (optional, a good size for these beads is a manicure stick you can buy in the drugstore.)

To Make the Base:

On a wingspan of waxed thread, thread on a beading needle, and string twelve 11 ° beads, alternating between A and B. Pass through all the beads again and through the first B once more. Pull the threads tight to form a ring.

Working peyote stitch in the round, work as follows:

Work two peyote rounds with B, stepping up after each round through the first bead added in that round.

Work three peyote rounds with C, stepping up after each round.

Work three peyote rounds with B, stepping up after each round.

Work one peyote round with A, but DO NOT STEP UP.

To Embellish:

There are 11 rounds of peyote stitch in the base. You will embellish rounds 2-10.

Rnd 1: Pick up three 15 ° and pass through the next base bead in the round, net added. Repeat around and step up through the first B in the next round.

Rnd 2: Work a 15 °, an 11 ° and a 15 ° in each bead in this round; step up.

Rnd 3: Work three 11 ° in each bead in this round; step up.

Rnds 4, 5 and 6: work an 11°, any bead or crystal size 8 ° (3mm ) or larger, and an 11 ° in each bead in this round; step up.

Rnd 7: Repeat Rnd 3.

Rnd 8: Repeat Rnd 2.

Rnd 9: Repeat Rnd 1.

As you work, allow the embellishments to sit on top of the base round you’re working in. These beads become quite chunky and crowded, particularly as you work the last rows. Sometimes it can be hard to see which round to work into. If you have that problem try alternating colors in the base beads; this may make it easier to see what bead to work into.

After finishing embellishment Rnd 9, work the thread ends through Rnds 1 and 2 of the base beads, taking a few half hitches here and there to secure the thread. Trim the thread ends.

Experiment to your heart’s desire with these beads! I’ve named them Serendipitous Beaded Beads because there are so many unexpected discoveries in the making of these simple elements. Once you understand the basic recipe, experiment by making the base longer (work more base rounds) or wider (use up to size 6 ° beads in the base). Make a more tubular bead by using the same size base and embellishment beads on every round. In the central section of the bead, vary the net size from three beads up to five or seven. Make a very formal bead by mirror imaging both sides, or make a free-form bead, letting bead choice vary from round to round. These are remarkably versatile beads and a great deal of fun to make!

Happy Beading!

Callie

Learn the basics: Ladder Stitch

2011-06-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

Ladder stitch is one of the most basic beadweaving stitches; it provides a foundation for other stitches, and is used in many projects to provide stability and strength, especially in large or heavy pieces. It's a good stitch to have in your repertoire; you never know when it will come in handy.

Thread a beading needle with a comfortable length of thread, and string (2) 11° seed beads.

Go back through the first bead, then the second bead, positioning the beads so that they are side by side. (The thread from the previous step is shown in grey.)

String another 11° seed bead. Go back through the last bead strung, and then go through the bead added in this step. Pull the beads together tightly, so that they sit side by side. (The thread from the previous step is not shown.)

String another 11° seed bead. Go back through the bead added in Step 3, and then go through the bead added in this step. (The thread from the previous step is not shown.) Continue adding beads until your ladder has the desired number of beads.

Easy Beaded Bead Chain

2011-05-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

Double Diamonds

2011-05-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

Walls, elevators and closed doors

2011-05-16T06:09:00.000-07:00

It started with a financial adviser urging me to make a will. The question arose, therefore, of exactly what would happen to my supplies in the event of my demise. I counted this morning. Not including the hundreds of Pez-shaped containers of beads that cover my studio wall, there are 178 bead & craft supply drawers in my studio. In my storage closet, there are several huge Rubbermaid bins containing more of the same. This should be heaven, right?

But what happens when you run terminally dry of ideas? When the thought of lovingly, laboriously crafting one more piece of jewelry is accompanied by a dull, sick thud in the pit of your stomach? Write it off to major life changes - retirement, relationships changing or ending, a spell of poor health, a lousy recession market. No matter what the cause, there you are - there I am - with a room full of supplies while Brenda, my mood-disordered Muse, is humming elevator music.

Now, I can manage a short while of nothing. I can consume trans fats and watch daytime TV with the worst of them but it's a crumby substitute for the rush of endorphins that occurs when you start to visualize something fabulous that you want to make. There is so much pure joy in working with your hands, watching something intricate emerge from what begins as a notion in your head and a pile of beads. Or yarn. Or canvas. Or...you get the idea.

It occurred to me that I was not burned out of ideas, but rather I was burned out with making to sell. Stephan King refers to this process in his book, "On Writing"...The first draft, he says, is "closed door," you are writing only for you. I needed close the door. And I had that wall of beads.

My first exploration was with masks and Huichol style beadwork - a process of embedding beads in a wax/resin paste. Suddenly, my block went away. I found myself sitting down to work with my first cup of coffee in the morning - before showering or getting dressed. And there I would still be at 2:00 in the afternoon, until the unsettling notion that someone might knock on my door and find me in such a state occurred to me.

Around that time, Brenda stopped humming elevator music. I was accepted into a great alternative show, "Have Yourself a Gothic Little Christmas," and I began to think about Victorian costume and jet jewelry, about midnight purples and lace - lots of lace. While I plan to have more expensive and time-consuming pieces at my table, I wanted to make something most people could afford too - a recession line.That's when I got my hands on fabric paint and started buying lace.

Sometimes, we need a change - of attitude, of mediums and materials. My own history tells me I will always go back to beadwork. There's something magical about it having to do with light and color and the long, long process of building a piece out of microscopic bits of glass. But meanwhile, I'm having a blast with painting lace and there's this fuzzy notion forming about combining lace with beadwork that's taking shape in my head.

Here's to that wonderful drug, creativity. And here's to fallow time, too - the periods of rest when you think you'll never have another idea. That's part of the process. May we all have "closed door" days when we make just for the joy of making.

Thanks for reading! Clicking on "older posts" will take you back to tutorials.

Learn the Basics: Right Angle Weave (RAW)

2011-05-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

This is a stitch with a bad reputation; many beaders shy away from single-needle RAW because they've heard that it's very confusing. Okay, it is confusing to learn, and it takes awhile before you know what to do next. You might have to practice it a lot more than you want to in order to master it.

But it's well worth mastering.

Right angle weave is one of the most flexible beadweaving stitches, and it can be used in so many ways. It makes a beautiful, flexible fabric of beads, a gorgeous rope, and is the foundation for all sorts of embellished patterns.

So get to it. Make this the year that you take the time to really learn RAW. You won't regret it, I promise!

Thread a beading needle with a comfortable length of thread, and string four beads.

Go back through the first three beads strung to form a circle; pull the thread tightly so that the beads sit next to each other.

String three more beads.

Go back through the bead you came out of in Step 1, and through the first two beads strung in this step to make a circle. Keep your tension firm.

String three more beads.

Go back through the bead you came out of in Step 2, and through the first two beads strung in this step to make a circle. Keep your tension firm.

Repeat until you have reached length desired.

Helix Spiral

2011-05-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

Learn the basics: Tubular Peyote

2011-04-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

Tubular peyote is the foundation for all sorts of fun stitches; the gorgeous Cellini spiral is nothing more than a peyote tube using different sized beads. It is a bit more confusing than flat peyote, however, so before you try it, practice flat peyote until it comes easily. It's a good idea to work tubular peyote around something like a knitting needle or a pen, at least at the beginning; as your tube develops, it's much easier to see where the next stitch goes.

It's very easy to get confused and make a mess of it in the first few rows, so don't worry if that happens to you; just keep going, or pick it out and start over. It may take a few tries, but keep at it, and you'll get it.

Before beginning tubular peyote it is a good idea to be very familiar with regular peyote stitch. Tubular peyote can be very frustrating to learn; the better you understand peyote, the easier it will be. Some people find it easier to work tubular peyote on a mandrel. Find something that fits nicely inside your beaded circle, like a knitting needle or a pen and work your peyote stitches around it.

Thread a beading needle with a comfortable length of thread, and string an even number of beads. Go back through the first bead strung to make a circle.

As in regular peyote stitch, string a new bead and go through the second from the last bead added in step 1, as shown in the diagram.

Add a new bead, skip the next bead from step 1, and go through the next bead, as shown. Continue around the circle, pulling your thread tight, to make the beads form a tube.

When you reach the end of the circle, go through the first bead added in this step to “step up.”

Beads added in previous steps are shown lighter than beads added in this step.

As in regular peyote stitch, add one new bead and go through the last bead added in step 2.

Continue adding beads, going through each bead added in step 2, pulling up your thread and keeping your tension firm.

When you reach the end of the circle, go through the first bead added in this step.

Repeat until the tube is the desired length

Tubular Herringbone with Bugles

2011-04-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

This could also be made as a bangle without the large beads but if you are making it with a clasp the stopper I use is a rubber earring back...great for holding things onto headpins until you're ready to finish. The working tube is just a cord or a dowel or a piece of tubing that is removed once you've finished beading. In this case it stops the headpin falling into the tube of herringbone :)

Learn the Basics: Ndebele (herringbone)

2011-04-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

Ndebele (herrignbone) stitch is another stitch that can be used in a variety of ways. It makes a nice fabric of beads when stitched into a block, or it can be used a variety of ways in more free-form designs.

Practice the stitch by making a small block:

Use Ladder stitch to make a ladder the desired length.

Pick up two beads, and go through the second to last bead in the ladder. Come back up the bead before that.

Repeat step 1 to the end of the row, making sure that the beads are aligned as shown in the diagram.

To turn, follow the thread path shown in the diagram. If you like, you can pick up a bead so that the thread won't show on the side of the beadwork. Pick up two more beads and repeat step 1 to the end of the row, following the thread path shown in the diagram.

Add rows until the piece is the desired size.

Fast Peyote 'Tennis' Bracelet

2011-04-08T00:32:00.000-07:00

My bad....I didn't label the beads. So...the A bead is the #8 seed bead, B is the 3mm pearl, C is the #10 seed bead, and D is the 4mm fire-polish.

Bead Mavens Hiatus Tutorials

2011-04-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

The Bead Mavens are going to take a break, to get to know our new Mavens and figure out what's next for us. As we didn't want to leave this space blank each Friday we have scheduled a new tutorial....some, like today's are basics and we've scheduled the stitch basics every other week. For the other weeks there will be a full project pattern typically utilizing the basic stitch from the previous week. We hope you enjoy them :)

Of course, that's not to say we won't be popping in if we get too excited and want to share.

Also watch out for what Nancy's got planned for the hiatus...she jumped on the extra time to come up with a great participation project.

Learn the Basics: Peyote Stitch

Peyote stitch is one of the most popular beadweaving stitches, and for good reason: it is easy, fast, and very versatile. Whether you are making a flat cuff or a dimensional sculpture, peyote stitch can handle it.

If you're new to peyote, pick up some size 6° or size 8° beads and follow the directions below. Before you know it, you'll be beadweaving!

Thread a beading needle with a comfortable length of thread, and string an even number of beads.

Add one new bead and go through the second from the last bead added in step 1, as shown in the diagram.

Add a new bead, skip the next bead from step 1, and go through the next bead, as shown. Continue across the row.

Add one new bead and go through the last bead added in step 2.

Continue adding beads, going through each bead added in step 2, until you reach the end of the row.

Repeat step 3 until the piece reaches the desired size.

New Mavens!

2011-03-30T09:46:00.000-07:00

Though we've been a little quiet of late things have been going on behind the scenes and now we're happy to introduce two New Mavens :)

Heather Collin of DreamWeaversStudio on Artfire

and

Callie Mitchel of PeregrineBeader on Artfire

We are all so thrilled that these two fabulous beaders accepted our invitation and know you will love their work and them. I'll let them each tell you about themselves.

HEATHER COLLIN

I'm just like you, I LOVE TO BEAD! It is a wonderful way to relax and enjoy the creative process, that somehow takes over your life.

   I started beading stringing in March 2007 and it was not long before I realized that I wanted, no, needed a far greater challenge. I put the internet to good use, scouring the sites for tutorials on how to do it. My first stitch was Peyote - and I battled (I did not even realize I was working with 15'o seed beads), unpicked, persisted and finally got it right. I was so proud of that little sampler AND, I knew I had found what I was looking for. A PASSION WAS BORN!

   I entered my first local competition later that year and actually came in first! I was over the moon about it and had to then write the pattern for that piece for our local beading magazine....not that easy for a newbie on the beading block. But, I did it. Then I entered a National competition and came THIRD over all. I was equally ecstatic - I was competing against accomplished beaders and it was a huge boost to my confidence.

   I've subsequently had 6 patterns published in the Bead Book and have also, along with 2 other talented beaders, had a special edition Bead Weaving Patterns book published.

CALLIE MITCHELL

I am a lifelong artisan/craftsman and began learning the art of beadweaving five years ago. My youngest daughter introduced me to beadwork. She lived near a wonderful LBS and began bringing home gorgeous crystals, beads and findings. As I watched her work, I became increasingly interested in this (then) mystifying craft. She had a copy of Beadwork Creates Bracelets, and one evening I sat down and struggled to learn flat odd-count peyote stitch. Though the learning curve was steep at first, I was truly hooked! I find it profoundly challenging and creative. I delight in using little bits of glass to recreate the forms and colors of the natural world and find inspiration for my designs in nature's wild and beautiful places. I think of my beadwork pieces as souvenirs - concrete reminders of joyful visits - but also as little road maps to new discoveries within the techniques and disciplines of beadwork.

I bead mostly at home in Houston, Texas, but as my husband and I travel a good bit, I carry a little “portable studio” along with me wherever I go. After all, inspiration is everywhere!

Now....head on over to their shops and see all their beautiful beadery :)

Our next post will be Friday when we will announce a special treat!

And I ain't April Foolin'!

Winners of the Vernal Visions Contest

2011-03-23T12:09:00.000-07:00

First Place: Marsha Wiest-Hines

Second Place: Catharina Thomas

Third Place: Jagoda Piotrowski

Best Adaptation of a Maven's Design: Laulo Darbas

Honorable mentions go to Dalia Vainorious and Cindy Holsclaw, as well as Claudia Reitbauer and Debra Schwartz!

Congratulations, everyone!!!!

24 little hours

2011-03-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

I'm scheduling this post for 12:01 am, Monday, March 21, because today is the last day to enter the Bead Maven's Vernal Visions contest, and I don't want you to miss more than a minute of it.

If I knew for certain whether Blogger considered midnight to be PM of the day before, or AM of the day coming, I'd have scheduled it for then; but as I don't, you'll have to miss one minute of this last 24 hours notification.

Yes, all entries are due by midnight, March 21, which means that you'd better bead like mad if you're not done yet.

How to Enter

*All entries must be created especially for this challenge.

*Entries should be your own original designs and not versions of someone else's published works.

The Exception

*As teachers we understand that not everyone is at the stage of creating their own original designs so we are introducing a special category - the best adaptation of a Bead Maven Tutorial! This means you can work from one or more of our tutorials but you must change it or combine patterns You may blend tutorials from more than one Maven. Should you decide to take this option, please name the artist and tutorial(s) used in your piece.

* Entries should be comprised of a majority of beadwoven or bead embroidered components.

*Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd placed winners plus a prize for the best Bead Maven adaptation.

* Please email images of your entry/entries to TheBeadMavens@gmail.com before midnight on March 21st, 2011 with a paragraph about your entry (what inspired you and how you went about creating it) in 100 words or less.

* Note: Only two entries per person please. *

Freebie Friday!

2011-03-18T18:50:00.000-07:00

So....as I've been rather preoccupied this week and missed two of three deadlines I thought I'd share a project :)

This was written for the very beginner beader so it's a little lengthy.

Confidence?

2011-03-14T09:03:00.000-07:00

A question in the forum recently was about confidence, how do you feel confident as a designer and teacher?

It set me thinking and while there's no simple answer to this one there are steps you can take to feel more confident about what you do.

I think we all, at times, feel like we have a snowball's chance in hell of creating something new especially if we're buying up every bead book and magazine out there...not to mention browsing every beader's photos on Facebook. If you're doing that and want to create something of your own.....stop! The brain stores everything you see and will regurgitate it giving you a design that may well be something you forgot you saw....and there is nothing more confidence deflating than thinking you've designed something new only to be told someone did it before.

Put the bead books down!

Figure out what sparks your creative soul....do you love period costume? Flowers? Architecture? Buttons? Fabric?

Make yourself an "Inspiration" book....fill a scrapbook with pictures of whatever gets your juices flowing. If you don't have a sketchbook...get one. Sketch your ideas, make notes about bead shapes and sizes.

What does that have to do with confidence?

Well...if you develop your design this way it gives you the confidence to know the design is yours and you can back it up. It's amazing how good it feels to know exactly where your design came from...takes away all that second guessing.

Photograph your designs....just looking at pictures of your designs is like looking through fresh eyes. Post pictures to Facebook to see what others think. Sometimes if you've been working on a design for a long time it can feel old to you and your enthusiasm for the piece may have waned in the time between inspiration and completion...that doesn't mean it isn't fabulous it just means you've seen too much of it. You need fresh eyes and showing it to others will let you know the true lay of the land.

Don't compare yourself to others.

Sometimes we can erode our confidence by measuring ourselves against other designers...by how much they turn out, their range, etc. We all have our own individual style and work schedule.

If you're teaching the best confidence builder I've found is a good pattern. Writing instructions that are easy to follow will make your job easier and when you leave a class thinking "that was easy" or "that went well" your confidence will grow in leaps and bounds. Also know the level your students work at...design projects that stretch them but ones they can finish in a reasonable amount of time (they should be able to finish it or the component between classes). The more successful your students ae the more your confidence as a teacher will grow.

Knowing who you are as a designer, what your style is, knowing you have built your design from the ground up and that as a teacher you went into class well prepared are all things that should give you confidence.

Of course we are human and we all have our issues so confidence may desert us now and again...forgive yourself for that :)

And remember...have fun with it!

Applause for details

2011-03-10T02:00:00.000-08:00

I love to collaborate and find inspiration when I'm looking for supplies. Often the idea for a new piece will come to me when I'm searching for findings, focals and interesting "bits." I search by hitting "supplies" and using terms like "ceramic" or "leather" or "stone." Getting a little off the beadin' track jogs my imagination and helps me find new approaches. This collection is a shout out to some of the wonderful Artfire suppliers of magical and practical "bits."
Hope you enjoy window shopping! You can see the collection full-size here.

Final emails sent!

2011-03-04T19:04:00.000-08:00

Good evening, and a huge thank you to everyone who commented on my necklace tutorial!! I've just sent off the last two, and I was amazed and thrilled by how many people were interested! Thanks so much for all of your support, and come back soon, we look forward to hearing from you all again!! ~Nancy

Tutorial Friday

2011-03-04T03:55:00.000-08:00

Good morning, friends!! Most every month, the Mavens pick out a tutorial to share with you for free, for a few days. My teammates have been great about providing you with instructions and photos each time we do this... Unfortunately, I only have one tutorial myself; fortunately, it's a really cool one! My Trellis Necklace Tutorial gives complete instructions on how to bead a multi-layered rope with crystal inclusions. The main stitches used are right angle weave and netting. Here are some examples of necklaces I have created in this style:

So!! If YOU are interested in learning this, I ask for one thing: please leave a comment on our blog, and then send me an email at nedale67@gmail.com and I will send you a FREE copy of my tutorial! This is only going to be up for grabs for one day, today (March 4, 2011), from now (my clock says 7 A.M.) until 10 P.M. tonight (Eastern Time Zone, USA).

Wednesday Collection by NEDbeads

2011-03-02T07:55:00.000-08:00

I went and made another collection ~ this is only my third time making them, but I've decided they're quite addictive!! I HAD to include cabs and crystals, I just can't help myself!! Click HERE to be taken to the collection itself. Have a great day!!

Maven News

2011-02-28T09:13:00.000-08:00

Good Monday morning to you, we're glad you could stop by! We've get a few new things to share with you, for those of you that aren't on Facebook with us.

Good Quill Hunting's Christina has been hard at work with her Finger Cuffs and is producing some amazingly gorgeous rings. Please do stop by her website and check them out, not only are they beautiful, but beautifully priced as well! (You know you deserve one!!)

Linda Jones has been posting some tantalizing photos on FB of her newly delivered lace...and it will soon be beaded and turned into gorgeousness, ready for her first annual Goth Show in Nova Scotia. And, of course, she's still working on her secret project...shh!

Cynthia Newcomer Daniel has outdone herself again with one of her designs for the beAd Infinitum's Design Team, this new bangle, titled Toroidal Space has me drooling on myself:

Mikki hasn't been feeling so well, but she did make a beautiful pendant to match her Winter Sun earrings, and it's got such warmth in it. Just what we need in such cold and dreary weather, something to make us smile for the sunshine that's coming our way soon! Feel better soon, Mikki!

I had a giveaway on my blog this last month, and posted the winner this morning, go check out my post if you have a minute. This is what the winner chose as their prize from my shops! AND I'm working away on my Vernal Vision piece, which I hope to reveal in the next week or so...

In other news, we have been getting in some wonderful entries to our challenge, and have posted them on the website, so make sure to stop by and check them out HERE!! We've also been able to announce our wonderful sponsors for the Vernal Visions challenge, and have started to receive the donations in the mail already!! Here is a picture of just ONE of the fabulous prizes we'll get giving to our winners, and make sure to go to the Challenges page on the website and scroll down to click on the links to see more by these amazing artists:

Have a wonderful week!!

~Nancy

My Inspirations

2011-02-26T14:50:00.000-08:00

This is a very tough thing for me to specify because I am inspired by so much in the way of materials, other beaders, colors, things, textures, the weather LOL The list is really endless!! Mood plays a key part as well. I get in 'color' moods and I will do a few pieces in a row by a certain color palette.

I saw a sign today driving around Denver on a church that said 'Aspire to Inspire, Before You Expire', obviously I liked it because I actually remembered it. I hope I inspire others as much as I have been inspired from others!

I am not going to make a list of beaders that inspire me, that would be far too long a list and for far too many reasons. What does inspire me from other beaders the very most is the originality and that comes from design AND color choice and the use of a wide variety of materials and textures, which in turn keeps me attempting to reset my own bar. THAT is inspiring!!

I will often 'sit' and look at a certain item and ponder for a long time before inspiration hits. That is one thing that cannot be forced! Forcing it cause procrastination, in my book anyway. If I have to force inspiration, then often you will find me cleaning the house instead and that is usually on the bottom of my to-do list LOL

Look around you when you get stuck for an idea, Google Bead Blogs, or go to Home Depot or for a long walk in the woods. Do someone else's design for inspiration as well. That has helped me a few times and given my mind a break and it is FUN! Or you could even go to my blog and look at my list of beaders that inspire me.

The Incredible Colors of Beads!

2011-02-24T07:35:00.000-08:00

Always inspired by color and it's amazing placement next to other colors. Seed beads are really remarkable gifts! Here is a gorgeous collection with lots of color from some fab Artists!

Vernal Visions Challenge Update

2011-02-21T09:25:00.000-08:00

March 21st is the deadline for entering.

We have some gorgeous entries so far and look forward to seeing many more!

We have a fabulous list of Sponsors as well! Makes you want to enter! So go shopping for some awesome goodies, then get on with the beading so you will be done by March 21st ;)

Complementary colors

2011-02-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

Complementary colors are any two colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel.

While these combinations are often more difficult to execute than the always pleasing analogous color schemes (colors that are next to each other on the color wheel) they are often more exciting and memorable. They also lend a note of sophistication to your work, which can make all the difference when you want to get noticed.

If you haven't yet started your Vernal Vision's Challenge piece, you might want to consider one of these three complementary color combinations. All three say "spring" in a different way, and any one of these combinations just might be the spark that takes your design from "nice" to WOW.

Yellow and violet are a classic Spring combination; in their pure forms, they somehow manage to be both bold and delicate. If your design includes flowers, or references to nature, yellow and violet will make your design sparkle.

This combination has built-in changes in value; yellow is the highest value color, and violets can range from medium value to very low value. A little bit of violet gives yellow sophistication; a little bit of yellow adds excitement to violet.

Use tints and shades of these colors to set a mood; lighter tints are playful, fun, and sweet; darker shades are sophisticated, strong, and can't help but draw attention.

Red-violet and green is a more intense combination; it is wonderful in geometric designs, with large blocks of color.

Because the values are much closer than in the previous combination, you must be careful how you use these colors; be sure to incorporate tints and shades for maximum impact. This combination is cheerful and fun; if used carefully it can be almost shocking.

This is probably the most naturally sophisticated combination, possibly because neither of these colors are primary colors. Yellow-orange and violet-blue have a good contrast right out of the box, and set a slightly subdued mood.

This combination is perfect for a design requiring a limited color scheme; add black, and you're done. If your vision includes crystals, the yellow-orange could easily become gold, and what is more rich-looking than deep purple and gold?

ArtFire Collection: Hanging by a thread

2011-02-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

I love seed beads, and it is always amazing to me how many different ways beadweavers can find to use them. From simple to over the top; from precise to freeform, seed beads are a medium for so many different types of jewelry artists. Here are just a few of the wonderful items I found while browsing ArtFire:

Maven Finds

2011-02-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Because a picture is worth a thousand words, I'm going to be uncharacteristically quiet today.

Pretty, pretty.

Color Inspirations & Rotting Fruit

2011-02-11T12:42:00.000-08:00

Where does one find colors to inspire?

Everywhere!

Where do I go if I'm in a color rut?

First stop.....Google!

I will do a search for fabrics....kimono fabric, sari fabric and it's always inspirational for me. Here are a couple of sari fabrics that inspire in color and design...and colors I wouldn't normally put together.

I also Google things like images of rotting fruit..."weird" you say...maybe, but look at the colors in there :) There is really no limit to color inspiration if you keep an open mind.

Another way to be inspired is by the stone or bead you're working with.

Here I used the colors from the stone to create the setting and necklace....I also let the designs in the stone tell me where the colors needed to be by letting them flow from the stone.

For the Ipil Ipil pendant I took the colors of the cabochon and incorporated them into the rope.

I confess to getting stuck in color ruts all the time and the best way for me to get out of one is to play with clay...for some reason I put colors together better with clay than I do with beads. Sometimes I take designs straight off my beads for my flatwork designs.

I think the best tip I can offer is to not let yourself become limited as to where color inspiration comes from....nature is always good but often the effects of Mother Nature are overlooked. Rotting fruit, moldy things, rusted things all make for great colorways. It's also fun when someone compliments your color choice and asks you what inspired it....and you get to answer "I was watching a peach rot".

To Get Your Juices Flowing

2011-02-09T08:40:00.000-08:00

It's collection day and I thought I would offer up some inspirational pieces for your perusal.

Up first are some amazing lampwork beads available on Etsy.....there was another bead....but someone bought it (looks over at Ms. Cindy)...fortunately the artist had tons of gorgeous goodies in her store to choose from.

Click on the collection to be taken to it....just in case you feel like shopping or something :)

Next is an Artfire collection with thought given...and a nudge...to those of you thinking of entering the section of the Bead Maven's 'Vernal Visions' challenge where your entry is based on a Maven's tutorial.

Here, I've paired up some of our tutorials with focal beads that might give you the inspiration you need to get cracking on your entry.

So...hopefully these will give you some inspiration and not stretch the credit card too far :)

Run, Hamster, Run!!!

2011-02-07T14:31:00.000-08:00

If you didn't know already "Run, Hamster, Run!" is the Maven's chant and hopefully we do it with style though I know personally I look more like the image below than above :)

As a team we encourage each other but I think we also challenge each other to produce more than we might on our own. This is a good thing I think.

I am so impressed with all the work coming from the Mavens Dens lately and it makes me very proud.

So....I hope you will forgive us if we don't always make our deadlines with the Mavens...yes, I'm late with this post. Also the forum is quiet lately mostly due to how hard we've all been working but I figure you're all more interested in seeing what we create rather than us just talking about it. If you have a question and you post it in the forum and we don't get right on it....try posting on our Facebook page as we all tend to see that more than anything.

One thing I did want to mention is a fabulous contest Nancy has going on her blog right now. She's "Playing Favorites" with a contest to win something from either her Artfire or Etsy store up to $150!!!

If I won, my choice would be this beauty, Industrial Asymmetry

And all you have to do to enter is shop at one of her favorite stores and leave a comment on her blog about what you bought and from whom. What a great deal!

Nancy has inspired me and I'm working on putting my own, similar, contest together and will announce as soon as I've figured it all out :)

Watch out for my Collection of wonderful things on Wednesday...I'll actually be doing two...one Artfire and one Etsy....some yummy things I've been finding.

First Friday Tutorial

2011-02-04T08:11:00.000-08:00

The first Friday of the month is when we give you a free tutorial. Nothing huge, just a tip you might find helpful :) Today's tutorial came from receiving a cry for help to create post earrings. This is actually quite simple and if you've never done them before you'll be wondering why and I see lots of post earrings in your future :) Usually we only leave our tutorials up for the weekend but this one will stay so you can refer back to it :)

Post Earrings

Burying the post

String 5 beads...I'm using 11/0 seed beads here.

Go back through all five beads and tie the two ends of the thread together so the beads form a ring. Knotting makes sure the ring stays tight. Slip the post of the earring through the center of the ring.

Work a row of peyote with one bead in each stitch, finish off your threads.

Make a second ring exactly the same but do not finish the ends.

Place this ring on top of the disc of the post so that the disc is sandwiched between the two bead rings. Stagger the edge beads so that the edge bead of the top ring lays between the edge beads of the lower ring. Zip the two rings together through the outside beads.

This is what it will look like from the side :)

Work a row of peyote into the top ring adding 2 beads per stitch. (10 beads)

Step up through the first 2 beads.

To reinforce the attachment of the two bead rings, turn the work over and pass the thread though the single bead on top of the two.

Pass the thread back through the 2 beads.

Weave through to the next 2 beads and repeat the last two steps.

Continue around until all five sets of 2 beads have been worked in this manner.

Your earring should now look like this. At this point if you don't feel it is secure enough you could add a drop of bead glue into the center of each ring so the post disc is glued from both sides.

And here is your burried post with a base of beads ready to add embellishments or whatever your muse directs you :)

I just changed from circular peyote to tubular peyote to create a home for a pearl...as soon as the tubular was high enough to reach the holes in the pearl I added the pearl. I passed the thread through the pearl, through the opposite bead and back through the pearl. I then worked another two rows of peyote and finished with one row using 15/0 seed beads.

So there you go...a simple technique for your beading arsenal.

We hope you enjoy it and get much use out of it...and as it's a basic thing you get to incorporate it into things you sell :)

Late Breaking Maven News

2011-02-03T07:41:00.000-08:00

"Late" being the operative word! I'm behind schedule!

Mikki...never stops! She's putting together an earring tutorial for post earrings, for tomorrow's blog, working like mad on her book, keeping up with her "Pattern of the Week." (You can gasp for air here.) Also! her "Winter Sun" earrings for the Artbeads blogger program were well received and the pattern is available in her shop already - watch for a matching Rivoli Pendant to match. Whew. Click the link to find her new "Winter Sun" pattern.

Nancy has sold another bracelet in at her NH gallery locations and she's just finished her beautiful new "Regal" bracelet and earrings and they'll be listed this week in her Artfire Shop.Sherwood, Nancy's husband (and our resident tech angel) has updated the website.

"Regal" Cuff and Earrings

Cynthia (Drum roll here)will have a project in the Spring Issue of Perlen Poesie but is keeping the details secret. Shhhh. And she's hard at work on her piece for Vernal Visions Challenge Piece.
And speaking of Spring! Find Cynthia's "Hugs and Kisses" here.

"Hugs and Kisses"

Christine is still adjusting to her new home in Colorado and is buzzing with ideas. She's working on commissions and has a new tutorial in her artfire shop. Find Christine's new necklace tutorial
here.

"Nephthys"

I'm working on a mask embellished with Huichol-style beadwork and it might end up being my entry for Vernal Visions. And if you ever thought bead embroidery was slow and painstaking - try this method! But I'm having a ball - in slow motion. No picture! Top secret!

Happy beading all!!! Wishing you all luck on your entries for Vernal Visions! If you haven't started yet, there's still lots of time to produce your next work of genius!

Linda

Maven Inspiration

2011-01-28T06:07:00.000-08:00

Arabian Nights Bead Mix by Beverly Gilbert

Good Friday Morning, all. I hope that each of you have had a lovely, creative and productive week, and are all set for the weekend.

Today's subject is inspiration, and although I should have spent more time this last week setting up an interview with someone who inspires me, I didn't have the time, so this morning I started thinking about what actually does inspire me the most...and the answer I came up with is: the beads themselves! Of course there are plenty of artists out there who inspire me, the list would go on and on. But my inspiration truly and mainly comes from looking at, touching and combining the beads themselves.

When I work the web and check out the beads out there, I get blown away. There are so MANY!! It could be a focal bead, especially lampwork, or a gorgeous bit of rock that someone has crafted into a cabochon... or just a large pile of seed beads, whether mixed or all of one color. Some colors mixed together inspire visions all by themselves. I was wandering around in Beverly Ash Gilbert's shop the other evening, and the mixes she sells make me swoon. (Do you really think I left the site without making a purchase?? HA!!) But it can be just the bead's shape, as well - little triangles fascinate me, as do the new tiny tiny square beads. Tilas have been exciting everyone for months now...

Do you have a favorite finish for seed beads? Mine would have to be the AB finish, whether it's on a matte bead or a shiny, sparkly bead. A favorite stone that inspires you every time? My newest obsession is with Mahogany Obsidian... but I love them all. How about pearls? Do you like the freshwater, or the crystal pearls? I'm nuts for freshwater, no matter the color. I love their unexpected shapes and the way that they will lie in any crevice in a bead embroidery project, and the way that they always seem to enhance something that has crystals in it.

What inspires you about the beads themselves? I'd love to hear what you have to say!!

ARTFIRE COLLECTION OF THE WEEK: "CUFF 'EM!"

2011-01-26T10:16:00.000-08:00

I think the theme speaks for itself! Apparently I'm not the only person besotted with cuffs. I was amazed to see the number of fabulous handmade cuffs available - in every medium you can think of from lace to leather - and OF COURSE, beads!

Hope you like it - and here is a link. See these beauties full size at ArtFire! Comments here on the blog or at ArtFire are always welcome.

Challenges

2011-01-24T08:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday morning from the Mavens! Today is a day to talk and think about challenges. The Mavens are all being challenged, including me. Mikki has been challenging herself with sticking to a schedule for her beading and keeping up with the deadlines she sets herself. (And doing a great job at it too!) Visit her blog to keep up with all of her news HERE. This is Mikki's newest flatwork design:

Cynthia has been challenging herself to come up with new and unique bangle designs - and also doing a terrific job. She's come up with two already this month! Visit her Artfire shop for the newest tutorials for her bangles HERE! Here's one of her older bracelet designs that I LOVE:

Christina has been challenging herself with her move to Colorado and keeping up with her beading in the middle of it all - a task that I think deserves some major applause, especially since she's been doing such a great job of juggling it all. One of her gorgeous necklaces, made with her new rope technique (tutorial available for Snake Chain Rope HERE!):

Linda has been challenging herself to add more of her glorious work into her Artfire shop (to see what's available, click HERE) and to work outside of her comfy creative box by making some masks - not necessarily beaded - while also getting used to her retirement and her part time job. She's ordered some feathers already and I can't wait to see what she makes!

Here are the feathers she's just gotten in:

And I've challenged myself to keep a commitment this year, one that I haven't tried before. I'm working on the Bead Journal Project for 2011, and have to create a piece every month for the year in order to complete my commitment. Each participant creates one bead embroidered piece a month, and then chooses how to put their components together at the end of the year, or can choose to leave them separate. Some ladies are making beaded goddess dolls, others are doing smallish squares or circles of embroidery. I've decided (a bit late on in the first month!) to make small 2" x 2" squares, each one different, and to put the squares together at the end of the year to make a purse. I am considering my theme, and have not yet quite decided what that will be, other than I believe that I will be working with a specific color scheme each month and using black as a unifying element in it all. I've started the first square this morning, and am using blues and greens in a quilt-square arrangement. I'm quite excited, because I think I've chosen a small enough component so that I will be able to fit one in every month without getting behind, or feeling overwhelmed. If you would like to see what people have created so far, please do visit the blog and check out the links to the individuals' blogs for pictures! Click the photo to see the blog:

How are you challenging yourself this month??

And don't forget that we have the Vernal Visions Challenge ourselves, and we would LOVE to have you enter!! Please stop by the website and see the rules, and create a piece of Spring to share with us!

Bead Mavens News

2011-01-22T09:54:00.000-08:00

Happy Saturday everyone! We have all been very busy behind the scenes, quiet, but quietly busy.

Cynthia has been on on a bangle 'kick' lately and has 2 new patterns in her ArtFire Studio. They are most luscious I might add!

You can purchase that one HERE

and this one can be purchased HERE

Nancy has been working on bracelets also recently. Here are her 2 latest pieces of gorgeousness.

She still is working on the clasp for the last one. Beautiful works!

Mikki is right out straight with a book idea and hopefully things will pan out for her in that regard. Here is one of her latest pieces and you can read about it on her BLOG too.

and she is working on the cool Zentangles for a line of cabs:

Linda last I heard 'had mask making on her mind', so hopefully we shall see the results on what has been on her mind soon ;)

As for me, I have been dabbling in some cab making of my own, nothing fancy, just some better options. I have a new pattern in mid swing, but have been distracted, but will hopefully be able to finish it this week for the following image:

and hopefully also for my bangle:

I have more plans for this one before I do a pattern for it ;)

Have a fab weekend everyone!

ArtFire Collection

2011-01-19T12:25:00.000-08:00

Click Here to go to Collection

Any way you slice it, beads are THE bomb!

Maven Finds

2011-01-17T10:08:00.000-08:00

Today, I would like to show some really awesome things to work with, that I have used or plan on using in my work.

Firstly, I have used this, as many of you may know already, but I think this is an item ALL beaders should have in their tool stash! This is the 'just right' size, in my opinion ;)

http://www.mirrixlooms.com/16inchloom.html

I love love Desert Rubble's polymer goodies!! She has an awesome eye for detail and her style is so unique!

http://www.artfire.com/users/DesertRubble

Another of my favorite shops is Dime Store Emporium. Go for the unusual, I say!

So there are a few awesome places to shop! Hard to believe such diverse items could fit so well together. Happy shopping!

Color Schemes

2011-01-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, I shared a few items that I'd found inspiring; today I'd like to show you what happened when I used Photoshop to turn some of the photos into blocks of color. If you have Photoshop and would like to try this with some pictures, I used the Mosaic option under the Filter, Pixelate, menus. I then dragged the bar back and forth until I got a selection I liked.

Any of these would make a lovely palette for a beaded piece with a Spring theme; you wouldn't have to use all of the colors, of course, and you could certainly add additional colors if the spirit moves you. So, without further ado, here are three palettes for you to use as is, or as a jumping off point.

This palette has a little bit of everything that is Spring in it. It would make a bright, beautiful bracelet or a stunning collar. I can see flowers, or beaded beads, or shapes made from RAW with this palette. What does it say to you?

This palette is subdued; it is the softer side of spring. I see an elegant netted Victorian choker, or a gorgeous bead woven piece with the palest pink rivoli as a focal.

This palette makes me think of Spring in New York - one of those magnificent days when the forsythia is bright green and the Iris Reticulata are as dark as blue gets without turning black. There's a little bit of snow still on the ground, but Spring is on her way, and everyone has gone mad for her. This palette says sophisticated beading to me; something light and airy, but very, very structured.

What do you see when you look at these palettes? Do any of them make you want to run to your bead stash and start pulling out colors? Have I inspired you to get out your own graphics program and start making palettes from your favorite pictures? I'd love to hear from you - please leave a comment, or hop on over to our forum and let's chat about color.

Dreaming of Spring

2011-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

I know, there's still a lot of winter to get through before Spring is here. And I've no right to complain, since I live in California. But I miss the flowers, and I'm having a bit of trouble coming up with a concept for our Vernal Visions Spring Beading Challenge, so I went for a rummage on Art Fire and found all sorts of pretty things to inspire me.

Do any of these put you in the mood for some serious Spring Beading? Click on the photo of the collection to be taken to the actual collection, and to see these lovely items quite a bit larger. And, if you find any of them inspiring, do let me know!

Community

2011-01-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

It's January again, and time to think about what we want to change in our lives, what we value, and what we want to do with this brand new year.

This year, I'm determined to join in more, and do more things. For those of you who don't know me in real life; I'm terribly shy. I avoid large groups, and I have a tendency to isolate myself. I'm sure I'm not the only one out there who feels this way; if you'd like to break out of your shell and get more involved, I invite you to join me on this journey.

Because every journey begins with the first step, let's start with something that is very comfortable for us: a trip into the world of virtual communities. The Bead Maven's Forum is our own very safe world; if you haven't joined yet, please let that be your first step. Click here and sign up. If you've already signed up, but haven't participated yet, please introduce yourself; we'd love to start getting to know you.

If you've already introduced yourself, then start a new thread. Let us know what you're interested in, ask us a question, show us your latest work, or tell us a funny story. Comment on someone else's thread. Do you have a good source for beads, cabochons, ultrasuede or other supplies? We'd love to know; those are just some of the questions that have already been asked.

Are you already an active member? Are you, like me, very comfortable and busy in the virtual world? Then it's time to venture out into the real world. Resolve to join a real-life bead society or guild this year; take a class, or go on a retreat. Meet up with an on-line friend at a bead store or gem show.

Let's make 2011 the year of community in the beading world. Since most of us are separated by geography and time zones, let's promise to meet online on a regular basis and discuss our adventures. I'll be there every morning with my coffee; won't you join me?

Maven News

2011-01-07T10:53:00.000-08:00

First off I thought I'd give you the low-down on how we have planned the blog for 2011.

As we are each incredibly busy and because some people have told us they couldn't keep with all our blog posts we have decided to publish three posts a week. We will each take a week and this post rounds out my first week.

We have also come up with a schedule of topics and one you will definitely want to put the first Friday of the month on your reading schedule as we will be posting a free tutorial. However...you have to be quick because these tutorials will only be up for three days and then they will disappear.

Wednesdays will be "Collection" days when we show you some of our designs along with some designs we love by orther people. 'Maven Finds' will highlight great things we've found...maybe a great source, an amazing tool, the latest must-have and anything else that catches our eye. We will, of course be keeping you updated on our current challenge and answering your questions.

Watch for us talking about who and what inspires us along with articles on color inspirations. We want to inspire you to create beadwork you're proud of.

A wonderful thing happened this week for the Mavens as Nancy Dale and myself were named as "Up and Coming Bead Designers" by non other than my hero, Marcia DeCoster, on the Lark Crafts Q and A site. What an amazing honor...both Nancy and I are still grinning!

I finally decided on a theme for a beading book and managed to write the outline and decide on a title. Now I just have to bead it and write it :)

Speaking of beading books....the Mavens are planning a couple of collaborative books...of course these things take time but if you don't plan they'll never happen.

Our New Year

On the personal side we're all thrilled that things are working out for Chris after her move to Colorado. Congratulations to Nancy for her recent sales. Linda is busy reorganizing her home...and doing a fabulous job. Cindy is creating some gorgeous adaptations of some of our tutorials.

Me? I'm getting back into the teaching thing, first class of the year was yesterday and I have another class tomorrow. I, too, have been organizing...but not my home, my work schedule so I can find the time to write the book.

We hope 2011 is off to a good start for all our readers and that you'll stick with us through what we feel is going to be an exciting year.

Pretty Wintry Things

2011-01-04T10:50:00.000-08:00

Once a week a Maven will publish an Artfire collection to the blog.

Shamelessly publicising our work but also spotlighting the work of other bead artists. As my week has included a snowfall almost unheard of in this part of the world it inspired me to choose some things that show just how pretty winter can be....or how prettily you can adorn yourself in the winter :)

To get a closer look and explore some of the artists included click on the collection.

YULE TIDINGS FROM THE BEAD MAVENS!

2010-12-21T03:39:00.000-08:00


Thought for 2011 - You change the world by lighting your little corner

As I write you, the exact moment of the Winter Solstice has just passed and we are only five days away from Christmas.

This year’s solstice is particularly meaningful as it held a full lunar eclipse. A Lunar Eclipse is a full moon on steroids and it’s effects are often felt well before and after the actual moment when the Sun and Moon align in perfect opposition. It may be a time of change and renewal for many of you. (If you'd like more information, see this article at Café Astrology).

The Moon opposes Neptune and trines Mercury on Christmas day and it will provide a gentle relief from the frantic energy of the week. A good time to be home or with loved ones, listening to your favorite music and sharing hopes and dreams.

The Bead Mavens will see you next year! We have lots we’re dying to share with you and Nancy Dale and I are working on a special project. Stay tuned! And meanwhile, Blessed Be and Merry Christmas. May 2011 be filled with peace, joy, love and creativity for all of you.

Linda
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I would like to thank all our wonderful friends and followers! I hope this New Year brings change and prosperity to all of you and that you all have the most wonderful Holiday you have ever had and get to spend it surrounded by the love of family and friends!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! Stay safe!
Christina

*****************
A very Happy Holiday to all!
Nancy
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Hoping everyone has a wonderrful holiday and that all your beady gifts are accepted with the thanks and praise they deserve! Thank you all for supporting us in our new venture that is the Bead Mavens...we'd be nothing without you. We look forward to seeing you (and your Vernal Visions entries) in the new year.
My Christmas wish is that everyone in the world be as nice as beaders!
Enjoy!
Mikki

Wishing everyone a peaceful end to the old year and an energizing start to the new.
Cindy
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Maven Finds

2010-12-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

We're hoping that you're done with your shopping, and ready to relax by the fire with a nice cup of something and think about a new beading project.

Something about the vernal equinox, maybe?

Although our contest requires your entry to be made predominantly from seed beads; you can include other elements. Maybe one of these will inspire a creative impulse in you:

Namaste Handmade Glass Lampwork Focal Bead by Melissa Vess SRA

Puffy green blue yellow Triangle Teardrop Square Cabochons

Glass Goddess Bead - handmade lampwork by Louise Ingram

Green Girl Studios Jumping Bunny Bead

Mayan Ruins Rich Red Vintage Lucite Beads

Lampwork Flower Beads Set - First Light

Happy Beading!

VERNAL VISIONS - PAGAN TRADITIONS

2010-12-14T08:21:00.000-08:00

"Eostre" (digital art: L.L.Jones, Model for Eostre...Katie Warwick)

In Pagan tradition, the arrival of Spring - with it's promise of new life and growth, is celebrated with three festivals: Imbolic, Ostara and Beltane.

Oestre or Eostar (there are many variations of the spelling) marked the Spring Equinox, the beginning of a new cycle of life and was a feast of the Goddess Ishtar/Astarte/Esther and celebrated her rebirth. Her symbol, the egg, represented not only the goddess's rebirth but the rebirth of all nature.The hare and the rabbit, the most fertile animals of pagan times also represented fertility and are associated with the Spring Equinox celebration.

The Germanic Goddess, Ostara (Eostre, Oestre, Eastre) is also associated with the Dawn. Her name comes from a Germanic word "austron" - dawn, and austron is derived from "aus" which means "to shine."

What a delightful challenge to create something beautiful from the notions of sunrise, the return of light equal to the measure of dark, the planting of seeds, the hatching of eggs, birth, buds, bunnies and blossoms.

Sit and close your eyes, remember the feel of Spring - how welcome the warm air is after the bare branches and cold of winter. And then sit down and make something worthy of a goddess who embodies all of that.

How to Enter

All entries must be created especially for this challenge, must include seed beads and be majorly beadwoven or bead embroidered. Entries should be your own original designs and not versions of someone else's published works.

The Exception
As teachers we understand that not everyone is at the stage of creating their own original designs so we are introducing a special category...the best adaptation of a Bead Maven Tutorial. This means you can work from one or more of our tutorials but you must change it or combine patterns....yes you may blend tutorials from more than one Maven.

Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd placed winners plus a prize for the best Bead Maven adaptation.

Send images of your entry/entries to TheBeadMavens@gmail.com before midnight on March 21st, 2011 with a bit about your entry...what inspired you and how you went about creating it, if you worked from our tutorials, which ones...in 100 words or less.
Note: Only two entries per person please.

Vernal Visions - Christian and American Themes

2010-12-12T06:33:00.000-08:00

You haven’t had enough inspiration yet for our Spring challenge?? Here’s a tad bit more:

The most relevant Christian holiday in conjunction with the Vernal Equinox is, of course, Easter. In christian faiths, this moveable feast (so-called because the date varies from year to year) marks the end of Lent and the Easter Season actually goes fifty days until the Pentecost. In 2011, Easter will fall on April 24th.

This holiday, so central to the christian faiths, brings with it huge amounts of inspiration in and of itself, if you are one of the faithful, and brings with it as well some incredible artwork that is bound to inspire any bead artist. From stained glass to paintings to scripture and poems, Easter is all about celebration and all about life.

Eggs, rabbits and hares are Pagan fertility symbols, says the Catholic Church in their Encyclopedia. Since birds lay eggs and rabbits and hares give birth to large litters in the early spring, these became synonomous with the new life springing from the Earth. Which brings me to the Easter Bunny, which was actually brought to America by the Germans who arrived here in the 18th century. Their traditions of having the children make secluded little nests of their hats and bonnets for the OsterHas, who would bring them small gifts and eggs if they had been good children - much like Santa at Christmas. This led to our modern Easter Basket and the somewhat older tradition of hiding the baskets for the children to find in the morning (now we just hide the eggs!).

Eggs lead me to Carl Faberge and his amazing jeweled masterpieces, which I simply could NOT resist adding in here. If you needed even a tiny bit more inspiration, how could these beauties fail to move you?? And, although I did not know it until just recently, Faberge had made tiny eggs, too - that were worn on pendants alone or in groups... what a perfect idea for the beader!!!!

We wish you tons of creativity and joy - and have a wonderful holiday, all!!

Vernal Visions: Greek and Egyptian Mythology

2010-12-09T09:43:00.000-08:00

Two of my most favorite subjects are presented today as inspiration to the Vernal Visions Challenge.
I could write and quote at GREAT Lengths about the Greek and Egyptian Equinox celebrations, but I will spare you and give you the inspirational 'highlights'.

On Greek Mythology-Spring Equinox

In Ancient Greece there were several days of celebration from Mar. 24-28.
On the first day, costumed choruses of men and boys sing dithyrambs (odes to Dionysos, the God of Wine).

On the second day there are comedies (such as Aristophanes, Comic/Playwright'). "Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever." Aristophanes

On the third to fifth days there are trilogies of tragedies (such as Aeschylus’s, Greek Tragedian). Crowns and other prizes were awarded.
"Time as he grows old teaches all things." Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound

This in turn brings us to the Greek Theater Masks.

The Greek & Egyptian Spring Equinox celebrations are also intertwined with Astrology. The astrological year begins on the equinox when the moon moves into the first sign of the Zodiac, Aries, the Ram, named from the Greek God Ares.

The origin of the symbol...or glyph...for Aries is unknown. The symbol of the ram appeared for the first time in Ancient Egypt. It was depicted as the head of Amun, considered to be the leading deity whom all other gods followed. At that time, the head of a goose was also used to represent this Zodiac Sign, and the two symbols were often interchanged. In the Babylonion Zodiac, Hunga (The Hired Hand) symbolized Aries. The modern interpretation of this glyph likens it to the horns of a ram. In Vedic Astrology, it is said to be symbolic of the upward flow of Spirit...as in a fountain...the universal consciousness in its creative aspect. It is also thought to be representative of a sprouting seed, from which germination results in the tree and fruit. In its seed form, it is said to symbolize potentiality. As this symbol appears to move upward then outward and finally downward, it signifies the ultimate sacrifice of Spirit in its descent into the Realms of Matter.

On Egyptian Mythology-Spring Equinox

For Egyptians, Sham el Nessim (Sham el Nisseem, Sham el Niseem), literally meaning ‘sniffing the breeze’, marks the beginning of the spring. A custom termed 'Shemm en-Nessem' (or the Smelling of the Zephyr) is observed on the first day of the Khamaseen. Early in the morning of this day, many persons, especially women, break an onion, and smell it; and in the course of the forenoon many of the citizens of Cairo ride or walk a little way into the country, or go in boats, generally northward, to take the air, or, as they term it, smell the air, which on that day they believe to have a wonderfully beneficial effect.

It was believed that offerings of fish were made to the ancient gods to ensure a good harvest. Salted fish, smelly fish known as fiseekh (feseekh), symbolized to the ancient Egyptians fertility and welfare.

Eggs for the pharos were dyed and hung in temples as emblems of regenerative life. They not only symbolize new life, but they serve as small art works to enjoy at the picnics. Dyed eggs from pharaonic times are a direct predecessor of our Easter eggs today.

To read about Easter Egg history from yet another Source, click HERE.

Now comes the Goddess Isis.

The Festival of Isis was held in ancient Egypt as a celebration of spring and rebirth. Isis features prominently in the story of the resurrection of her lover, Osiris. Although Isis' major festival was held in the fall, folklorist Sir James Frazer says in The Golden Bough that "We are told that the Egyptians held a festival of Isis at the time when the Nile began to rise… the goddess was then mourning for the lost Osiris, and the tears which dropped from her eyes swelled the impetuous tide of the river.

If you cannot find some vast inspiration here, then I don't know what else could be said LOL

Vernal Visions Challenge: Spring Fever

2010-12-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

Sring Fever is defined as a feeling of restlessness, excitement, or laziness brought on by the coming of spring.

For me, it begins with the first buds on the forsythia, and then the flowering bulbs: tulips, daffodils, ranunculus, and freesia here in Central California; hellebores, snowdrops, and iris reticulata when I lived in New York.

Those first few, brave little flowers - some of them coming up even as the snow still lay in piles on the ground - always made my heart sing. Spring was putting on her colors, and old man winter was not going to keep her down.

It's also the first little vegetable seedlings, pushing out of the dark earth, and flowers on my apple trees. It's the earth itself, dark, wet and getting warmer; the rich scent of loam as I plant my seeds. It's the first day that I hear the hum of a bee, and the wriggling worms that always make me jump.

It's the birds, too; the song of the mocking bird as he sings, night and day, to impress his future mate; the courting sparrows, and the puffed up, studly doves.

But if you're not into Earth, how about water?

In the UK, surfers have been known to ride the Severn Bore, a tidal surge in the river Severn that reaches its highest heights around the vernal equinox, or spring equinox, due to the movements of the sun and moon.

Surfers, boaters, and nature enthusiasts flock to the Severn Estuary, which has one of the world's greatest ranges between high and low tide. During a rising tide, the funnel shape of the estuary squeezes ocean water upriver, resulting in waves that can reach 4 feet (1.2 meters), or higher.

It's an amazing ride; surfers who catch the wave can ride for miles. Last year, which was a peak year, several several riders made it ten miles upstream before the wave lost its intensity.

How to Enter

All entries must be created especially for this challenge, must include seed beads and be majorly beadwoven or bead embroidered. Entries should be your own original designs and not versions of someone else's published works.

The Exception

As teachers we understand that not everyone is at the stage of creating their own original designs so we are introducing a special category...the best adaptation of a Bead Maven Tutorial. This means you can work from one or more of our tutorials but you must change it or combine patterns....yes you may blend tutorials from more than one Maven.

Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd placed winners plus a prize for the best Bead Maven adaptation.

Send images of your entry/entries to TheBeadMavens@gmail.com before midnight on March 21st, 2011, with a bit about your entry...what inspired you and how you went about creating it...in 100 words or less. If you worked from our tutorials, please tell us which ones you used.

Note: Only two entries per person please.

Vernal Visions Challenge

2010-12-05T00:13:00.000-08:00

We Mavens are happy to announce our next challenge!

The Vernal Visions Challenge is about Spring, the Spring Equinox, where day and night are equal and this encompasses so many cultures and celebrations that we've divided it up into five sections so we can give you as much inspiration as you will ever need.

Mikki : Aztec, Mayan and Native American celebrations

Aztec celebrations for the equinox are held at the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan where thousands of people flock to climb the pyramid.

"Nanauatzin became the sun god also known by the name, Tonatiuh. His image, depicted above, came to represent rebirth and continuity. During the spring equinox, March 21st, the ancient ruins of Teotihuacan are visited to honor the famous deity. Visitors report an amazing light show of sun-filtered beauty as an equal balance of night and day is reached."

For Mayans it's Chichen Itza in central Yucatan...and here it's "Snakes on a Pyramid" as people gather to see the amazing phenomenon of a 120ft rattlesnake creep down the staircase of the Temple of Kukulcan, also known as "El Castillo". Referred to as "The Return of the Sun Serpent"...this is an amazing thing as it's all created by shadows from the pyramid itself.
Those Mayans were wicked smart!

Native Americans will celebrate the equinox with a drum circle, they will ask the Great Spirit for a healing for Mother Earth, and see it as a time for the Earth to awaken after the long winter, a time to plant new seeds for a new harvest.

Watch for Cindy's post on Tuesday about modern ways the Spring Equinox is celebrated.

How to Enter

All entries must be created especially for this challenge, must include seed beads and be majorly beadwoven or bead embroidered. Entries should be your own original designs and not versions of someone else's published works.
The Exception
As teachers we understand that not everyone is at the stage of creating their own original designs so we are introducing a special category...the best adaptation of a Bead Maven Tutorial. This means you can work from one or more of our tutorials but you must change it or combine patterns....yes you may blend tutorials from more than one Maven.

Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd placed winners plus a prize for the best Bead Maven adaptation.
Send images of your entry/entries to TheBeadMavens@gmail.com before midnight on March 21st, 2011 with a bit about your entry...what inspired you and how you went about creating it, if you worked from our tutorials, which ones...in 100 words or less.
Note: Only two entries per person please.

Ice Queen Challenge Winners

2010-12-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

First Prize goes to Zoya Gutina

“Long time ago the Ice Kingdom started from a single Lone Snowflake... The Ice Queen remembers the very first days of the existence of her realm. Wearing this necklace she manifests the greatness of her Kingdom. She wears it on the most celebrated occasions...”

Second Prize goes to Cindy Holsclaw

“By nightfall, the Ice Queen's palace glows with colors of ice blue and splashes of purple. The towers and spires of her palace are decorated with sparkly icicles. I sought to mimic the edges of her palace in this necklace with Pagoda Beaded Charms and Swarovski bicone pendants.”

Third Prize goes to Liana Morgan

“The name of my necklace: Angels' tear. This necklace carries this name because my mommy is ill very much. My necklace the teardrop polished beads symbolize the angels' tears. The joining of the elements 3 pieces Miyuki cube symbolize the family champing. It is my younger brother, my mother and me. We cling together, and we belong together. My necklace 11 Czech seed beads, Miyuki cubes, polished drop bead was being made.”

And we'd like to award Honorable Mentions to:

Kelly Krch

Jagoda Piotrowski

Judith Bertoglio-Giffen

Marsha Weist-Hines

We'd like to thank everyone who participated; choosing the winners was one of the hardest things we've ever had to do. So many beautiful pieces were submitted, and the discussions among the Mavens were long and fierce. Your work has inspired and impressed all of us.

Christmas in the UFO Pile

2010-11-30T12:23:00.000-08:00

the dreaded UFO's that hover around us in our work spaces. Tormenting and taunting us as they linger in our peripheral vision. They are the devil on one shoulder and whisper mean things in your ear. For those who are not familiar with the term, it is an UnFinished Object. Do they seem to appear when you are in the most hurry? When you are distracted and really shouldn't be beading at all and are neglecting other obligations because you SWORE the beads told you to come sit with them? Perhaps the color scheme you took days to figure out was really bad and you should have just used black and white? Or, heaven forbid, you didn't have all the materials you thought you did..my Boyfriend always says, "suuuuuuure you didn't have enough beads!" while we stood in the bead shop. It is true I didn't have enough, but while I am here I may as well get more. ahh the games we play ;)

I have a tote I keep layers of velux covered with piles of beady rubble and things that need to be torn apart or finished under my table. There is a good stack in there. I WILL get to it and empty it out one of these days, no rush since I packed it from Maine to Colorado just as it was..it's not going anywhere...right?! What do you all do with your 'beady rubble'? I can imagine the tubes of beads I would have if I wiped out the pile! Then again, it is like Christmas going through them! You find colors you forgot you had and focal beads you forgot about...all kinds of goodies! "OH! I have been looking everywhere for those crystals!"and you see things with a new eye too...that was fabulous, why didn't I finish it? Others you promptly take scissors to and wonder who let a child play with your beads!

I have developed an idea with the UFO's. I can tell what kind of week it was on that particular velux mat by the colors I chose that are laying there when I uncover them. Generally, I just tear up everything, but then I am left with a pile of beads. I have started to just start bagging them up, per mat, and using them for freeform pieces. I think it can go without saying..I have many freeform pieces to put together.

I would LOVE to hear what nasty torment your UFO's tell you and what you do with them! Go have an early Christmas and take them apart!

Down to the wire

2010-11-28T03:00:00.000-08:00

Today is the last day to enter the Ice Queen Challenge; you have until 12 noon, EST, to email your entry.

If you're not done yet, and you're reading this before noon, we hope you're beading like mad right now. We don't want to put any pressure on you, but if you're not finished yet, you don't have a moment to waste. Get back to your beads right now!

The entries span a wide range of materials and techniques; we're happy that so many of you agree with us that seed beads are the perfect way to dress up an Ice Queen, but we're also very impressed with your creations using other media. You've gone all out, and any Ice Queen would be proud to wear your creations.

We've received so many gorgeous entries; judging is going to be a very difficult task. It's quite likely that none of the Mavens will get much sleep for the next few days; we'll be carefully looking at all aspects of your work to determine first, second and third place winners. Messages will be flying among us over the next few days as we debate the merits of your work; don't be surprised if the Internet is a bit slow for the next few days.

The prizes have been pouring in and are already packed up and ready to ship out; the winners will share the bounty from the following suppliers, plus gift certificates to some of the Mavens' ArtFire shops.

Mikki's Favorite Things

2010-11-25T08:16:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, we're all happy you are here.

In my last post I had mentioned my chart for beads per gram so I thought I would share that with you today aloong with some other tips about measuring and weighing beads for kits, for magazine articles, instructions and just for your own knowledge. There's nothing worse than running out of beads in the middle of a project and having to wait for an oline delivery to arrive. Also when you are buying patterns that give you a bead count this chart tells you how many grams you will need to buy.

You can buy gram scales from FireMountainGems.com and if you make kits they are definitely a good investment. Do remember to check the weights of the beads though...some finishes weigh heavier than others. I usually weigh a gram and then count how many beads are in that gram...then make adjustments as necessary.

Another way to go is to forget the weight and do a count.....once you have your count of beads pop them into a tube and mark the tube with a 'fill to' line and label it with the letter of the bead as it appears in your pattern.

You can do this for each bead in your pattern so you have a quick measure.

Label the tube with the name of the kit and keep it safe so you'll have it when you need it....believe me, it saves a bunch of time.

A great tool for counting larger beads are the counting boards these come in sets of four for 3mm, 4mm, 6mm and 8mm beads.

Well...those are a few of my favorite things when it comes to kit making and prepping patterns for publication. Maybe you will be adding one or both of those to your list to Santa:)

The Bones of Bead Embroidery

2010-11-23T03:22:00.000-08:00

First, announcing a new blog schedule. We’ve decided we may be overdosing you – not to mention the fact that even bead fanatics can run a little topic-thin if they are collectively trying to inform and amuse 365 days a year! We’ll now be taking turn blogging Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. If you’d like to follow the blog and get reminders, go to the verrrry bottom of the page and click on “follow.”

In this entry, I wanted to talk about my personal take on the nuts and bolts of bead embroidery – backing, thread, design transfer etc.

The first time I ever saw bead embroidery, I couldn’t wait to begin my own piece.
No, really – I couldn’t wait and I didn’t. I grabbed some heavy-weight interfacing and started a truly free-form cuff. By that I mean that I had no clue at all what the design would be. I just picked up the beads and started. You can see the result in the photo above. What may not show quite as well is that it’s become very soft and mushy and that the stitches holding the front and back together are at best, not entirely uniform. More enthusiasm than skill…

And heavy interfacing is crappy as a bead backing. I now use and swear by Sova Enterprise’s bead backing – which is a ringer for Lacey’s stiff stuff but a lot more economical. You can buy 6” wide Sova backing for $1.49 a yard. Comparing my mushy first effort with subsequent pieces, I have ten year old cuffs which have held their shape beautifully. Bead backing does not fray, does not pull out of shape and is easy to sew through. Like many beaders, I routinely use Ultrasuede (or leather) to line beaded pieces.

As for marking patterns, I often start with a sharp 2B pencil and light lines because I tend to adjust the design as I go. In everything I do, there is at least an element of free-form and because I wait for the piece to “speak” and tell me what color is next, I don’t like to pre-color backing. Bead backing can be dyed – if you’re that sure of your design, but regular fabric pens (the inexpensive kind) will work just fine and allow you to color small sections as you go. I learned the hard way to make sure I color an area before I’m in danger of the ink touching the beads – believe me, if it does, the ink will stay just as permanently on the beads.

The photo above shows an experiment in transfer. I used Lacey’s to try printing a design with my ink jet because Lacey’s is the size of standard letter paper. This is close-up photo of a piece of stone. I set my printer to a T-shirt setting. The colors are less vivid than the photo above, but it was a workable imprint and when it dried – permanent. The darker lines are pen tracings over the print.

Like Nancy Dale, I now use Fireline for embroidery, being very, very careful to knot my thread off as I finish each section as Fireline is hell to pick out of embroidery. You may want to stay with Nymo or C-Lon for embroidery for exactly this reason. Fireline is stronger, but my cuffs done with Nymo and C-Lon have held up just fine. The other advantage of the colored threads is that, if you use transparent beads, you can make subtle changes in shade by changing the thread color.

Next time I blog, I’ll be posting a basic embroidered brooch tutorial. Stay tuned! And PS to Karen, who asked - I don't use a bead mat. I use plain white linen napkins as my beading "mat."

Over and out, regards to all! Linda.

There are two kinds of bead weavers

2010-11-20T03:00:00.000-08:00

One type uses a braided thread, like Fireline, and the other uses a nylon thread, like Nymo.

In the Fireline camp are those who like its strength and lack of stretch; they also like the firmness and body it gives their beadwork. They don't mind spending a bit extra; they are fond of saying that their beadwork is worth it.

The Nymo crowd is there only partly because it's cheap; they like having a bit of give in their thread, and they like the softness and drape that Nymo gives their work.

There are also the rare, hybrid beaders who say they use both, depending on the type of work they are doing, but most have a definite preference.

And then we have the cylinder beads vs. regular seed beads debate.

Those who use old-fashioned seed beads like the texture they give their beadwork; they are fond of saying that beadwork is supposed to be textural. It's more traditional that way. And regular seed beads are cheaper than Delicas, anyway.

Cylinder bead enthusiasts will have none of that; they love the smooth silkiness that Delicas give their work. They're not concerned about following tradition; they set their own styles, and they're willing to spend more to get the look they like.

Do you know bead weavers who fall into the loom/off loom camps? I do. Or how about flat vs. sculptural? Crystals vs. fire polish? Peyote vs. herringbone? Multi-media vs. seed bead purists? I'm sure there are many more examples of the "two types of beaders."

One of the things I love most about our medium is that there are so many choices; we can fall into one camp today, try something different, and find ourselves moving to the other side tomorrow. I don't think it's possible to ever get bored with bead weaving; there's always something else to learn, something new to try, and someone to talk to who has a completely different opinion.

Raise your hand if you love seed beads!

Behind the Scenes of a Contest

2010-11-19T07:09:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday Everyone! TGIF! I thought it would be fun to talk about how I decided to have a contest through my business. As you know there are lots of contests. I wanted to see one that wasn't so bland, that was inspired and exciting and one that also had a large window of time (some do, most don't). I wanted it to be vastly different from everyone else and I thought it would be a great way to network and get myself and my business more visibility. I don't quite recall how I came up with the exact idea that I did, but I am quite happy about the results.

Rules-The rules I tried real hard to be thorough on and thinking of every angle, but sometimes they have to come through experience and be fine tuned. Even for this coming 3rd Annual, I will have a few rules changes. Live and learn is the best way sometimes.

Entries-Last year I had 10 entries and was very happy with that! This year I am closing in on 100 entries and am beyond excited in it's popularity! The price list was also expanded this year. I was asked if I was going to do a 2nd and 3rd place, but I decided against that because I think the Winner will be overjoyed to receive all of the prizes, I sure know I would be thrilled! So I give to that person what I myself would like.

Promotion-To promote the contest, I made several banners and gave the hosting code so anyone could use the banners wherever they liked and made different sizes to accommodate that. Most of the prize donators promoted using those as well on their blogs/websites/social networking sites.

Format-I developed a format for the entries so they would look presentable and uniform and have built pages on my website as entries were sent in. I have used Yahoo for my website for 6 years now, so building the website I can almost do in my sleep. This knowledge helps immensely on time constraints.

Archiving-Since I like to see progress and growth I decided I would archive each contest. This also gives the person entering ongoing links to their websites/blogs and allows those poking around to see the growth of the contest and/or the Artist, which is always fun.

Prizes-When I first started this, I was vending/teaching at a bead show in New England, Bead Fiesta. I thought I would 'hit up' some of my vendor friend's and see if they wanted to contribute. It's a win-win and they get promoted as well. So I went that route and then as this 2nd year approached, I was approached. That was incredible! To have small or large companies ask to donate prizes meant my contest was worthy. I can't tell you how that felt!

Judges-Last year I had intended to have judge's, but that didn't work out so I had a poll. This year, I have asked 5 wonderful Artists, who I knew weren't entering, to be my judges. They kindly agreed even though they are all out straight themselves. One of the Judges suggested I also do a People's Choice. I thought this was a grand idea, so I wove that into my contest. I have to set up a 'Judges' View' page on my website and haven't quite figured out how I am going to have them finalize their picks, but that will come.

So as with everything, life/contests/etc...it's a journey, things changes, rules adapt..but the contest must go on!

It's not me who's out of step - it's you!

2010-11-18T00:27:00.000-08:00

For the first time since the Bead Maven's blog was formed I am actually stuck for something to post. A lot of this has to do with the fact that I promised you 'odd count peyote'............you now get to see how technologically adept I am, somewhere, in something on my desk, are the photographs I took with one hand whilst making an odd count peyote square with the other. That's as far as I get. They are somewhere. I think. At the insistence of Nina and my darling technologically adept sister I have 'backed up' my files, and deleted a huge armful of files which were seriously slowing down my little pink laptop, now, I may inadvertently.....................you get the picture.

So, what pearls of wisdom can I impart to you instead? How about the difference between 'My Style' and 'It All Looks The Same'? Yep, that's quite close to my beady heart. My muse/wife/manager/ Nina has frequently mentioned that my work - full of Swarovski crystal - is 'samey'. I try to tell her it's a style I have developed, and people know it's my work because it's so sparkly, if you look at the great Artists you can distinguish their work from other artist's work because they have a 'style'.

I got a fairly high grade on my art course purely because my paintings were individual, nobody said they were good, just individual. When I sketch a design which has been floating around in my head the next task is to trawl the internet to see if anyone has already made it - and they usually have. Even if you then 'tweak' it a bit, it will never feel like yours - bin it and start again. I accept there are many amazingly good beadworkers who would sooner work from somebody else's pattern or instructions, and in some cases make a better job of it than the designer, but 'designers' have a masochistic gene which makes us actually enjoy the pulling apart, breaking beads, and making stuff that your 3 year old wouldn't be seen dead in.

It's a long journey to create your own individual style, the secret is not to try too hard, do what you feel is right for you.............................and don't listen to anyone who says it all looks the same - you know it doesn't.