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February 22nd 11:46 :21 am by
Cid
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I finished the other earring, and Photobucket is cooperating, so here’s the complete set. I made the pendant earlier (see previous posts.)
The first earring broke the 1-hour-max rule, but the second earring went so quickly that I think the average fits in the time frame. The first earring always takes me forever, because I’m designing as I go, and I do a fair amount of experimentation. The second earring, even though I have to produce the mirror image of the first, takes far less time. I’ve gotten so much better at reversing the design since when I started!
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February 11th 2:59 :31 am by
Cid
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Last night I fell and twisted my ankle. So today I had to get out my cane that I bought a few years ago after another injury. I realized that the cane is pretty darn uncomfortable on the hand when you’re putting a lot of weight on it (it doesn’t help that I hurt that hand when I fell too). Since I am big on functional and utilitarian things also being beautiful, I decided that my “thing” today would have to be a grip cushion for my cane.
My cane is a dark red wood, chosen specifically for it’s attractiveness. I used scraps from the navy blue wool felt that I’ve been using for alot of things lately. To make it a sufficient cushion, I decided I’d have to double layer it. Which is why I had the idea to do a small amount of beading on it, because the threads will be covered by the inner layer anyway and this way I can make it pretty. Since the beading would be on such a narrow area I opted for simple stripes instead of a pattern. I beaded two rows of raspberry, two lime green, two royal blue, and then finished with an additional two of rasperry. Very very simple.
Amazingly, I had measured just right so that the piece fit onto the cane perfectly without being too difficult to pull on or loose so that you worry about it slipping. To be extra careful, I added some leather thong on each end that can be used to tighten the grip if necessary, and also serves as decoration.
Photos (although you can’t properly tell the color or really see the beads):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7886411@N06/2255870537/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7886411@N06/2255870541/
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I found directions for and learned a really great technique for speed beading flat peyote. (Drawback: When you screw up, it’s a lot more complicated to backtrack.) I don’t do that much straight-out flat peyote, except for these folded pendants I make. The speed beading technique was AWESOME for this.
So I started working on a pendant into which I could incorporate my curled peyote from Day 5. To go along with the curly piece, I thought I’d add a ruffled edge to each flat piece.
The first photo shows the flat peyote. The second shows what it looks like when I’ve twisted and folded it and also the curly piece, now embellished with a pink freshwater pearl. The third photo shows the nearly complete pendant. I’ve added a ruffled edge along the front of the curved piece, using 15/0 beads. I still need to weave in the thread ends and make a beaded-tube bail.
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I been sick! ;>(((((
cold, cough, fever,aches—all that great stuff we all try to hide from!
3 days ago, I finally finished the beadwoven bracelet for the etsy-beadweavers Spring Break challenge-so that was one thing–
yesterday, I painted a little teak bowl- that needed *something*- last night, polished it with beeswax and tonight, add something else to it—don’t know for sure what!
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I saw this technique in one of my books, so I decided to try it. It creates a curl in an otherwise flat peyote stitch piece.
I have trouble following directions in books, because I’m left-handed and all the illustrations are for right-handed people.
I think this has a LOT of potential. Finished piece to come.
The photos are hugely enlarged. I’m working with 11/0 beads (not Delicas, though). The piece pictured is about 1.5″ long IRL.
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I think my favorite aspect of thing-a-day is being inspired by everyone else’s projects. I keep adding new projects and media that I want to try!
Today’s adventure was learning to bead. After salivating over Elizabeth’s ametrine and copper necklace, I dragged my boy down to Chinatown, where we acquired beading supplies. I’ve never made jewelry before, but with some how-to tips, a good pair of pliers, and an “Intro to Jewelry” kit, I managed to make this:
More details behind the cut!
(more…)
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This project came to me at a dinner party the other night when the mention of wine glass charms came up as the hostess picked up one glass after another asking “is this mine?” I only had time to make one today, but hey, there are 27 more days left! 
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I usually pick a palette of colors and mix them up somewhat randomly in a piece, but I thought it might be cool to combine colors in sort of an ombré pattern, although my sketch doesn’t go from dark to light. It goes from color to color, starting with purple and ending with turquoise. (I took a photo of one of my bracelets, converted it to gray scale, printed it out and colored it with colored pencils.
I really like the way this looks. I’m definitely going to try it.
