CREATE YOUR STYLE Lights Up the Main Line Bead Society

It was my recent pleasure to illuminate members of the Main Line Bead Society in Springfield, Pennsylvania about being a CREATE YOUR STYLE ambassador, share current Innovations and Trends, and introduce them to the www.create-your-style.com web site.

 

The group learned how we become ambassadors and what our responsibilities are in exchange for our association with the Swarovski family and legacy. They were impressed when I listed the global regions we come from and how we recently welcomed our first Russian Ambassador. They had no idea there were so few of us but that we came from so many places!

I showed them several of our sampler "candy boxes" to see how we are introduced to new innovations, our  "bible" of products and how we were recently bereft at the discontinuance of crystal yarn, to name a few of the now "vintage" products. We talked about the current hotties of gemcolor pearls, crystal rose and luminous green, as well as upcoming colors of nature blends and birthstone beads. I made up little sample bags that members passed around, and also displayed my own designs using some of those elements. 

There was no internet where they meet so I simply chatted for a while about the Create-Your-Style.com web site. No one knew about it! It was great fun to turn people on to the wealth of information and inspiration there from the interactive features such as the online design tool to the videos from the Professor of Crystal Nick Regine, the APPS, the Ambassador blogs, and the shopping! Lots of questions and note-taking ensued.

And their favorite part of the meeting... maybe, might have been, ya think? SWAG!

Thanks to the VERY generous support of Swarovski, I came loaded down with CYS gift bags for everyone with issues of Water and several packages of elements, plus a few cool things for which we had a drawing including copies of our Crystal Jewelry Inspirations (which I signed for them), color carousels, a couple issues of Sound and little books of designs and projects.

I am looking forward to workshops with this wonderful, enthusiastic bead society. I think the fave designs being considered were my Deco Rose bracelet and my Filigreellipse earrings. I'm looking forward to teaching them.

 Thanks, MLBS for such a sparkling evening!

My First Wire Crochet with Swarovski Crystals, Beadalon Findings and Dagger Beads from Unicorne

My first wire crochet!

I had not yet been drawn to wire crochet since it tends to be organic and I am a more architectural designer. But I needed to learn this technique for an upcoming Jewelry Television gig. I already know how to crochet and bead crochet, I just never did it with wire. Nothing like a deadline for live TV to compel you to take on something new and learn how to do it well, and fast!

Several CREATE YOUR STYLE with Swarovski Ambassadors are wire crochet dynamos so I turned to the Crystal Jewelry Inspirations book for tips. Many thanks to Laura Timmons for her project which described a method of braiding individually crocheted strands. Aha! It was just the technique I needed to employ. Thanks, Laura! I also looked at the web site of Dixon Chick Stephanie Dixon, so thanks for the additional inspiration, Steph!

I wanted to feature these striking, silver-dotted, red glass daggers from Unicorne Beads, so I strung them between sections of alternating sizes of Swarovski Jet crystals for two crocheted strands, one strand also including Beadalon oval links in gunmetal. The third strand uses all Jet crystals in sizes 5mm and 8mm. All strands use 26 gauge Artistic wire from Beadalon, non tarnish silver. Thanks to Laura I realized I could crochet single strands and braid them together into a more substantial form, though I used only 3 strands and her project uses many more.

Finishing up is straightforward enough if you've done any wire work that includes end cones or caps and wire wrapped loops with a clasp. Here's what I did: secured all braided strand ends together into a tidy "nest" that fit inside my bead cap, leaving long ends to string through the bead cap and form a wire wrapped loop.  Twirled the wire ends into a thicker gauge cable for the wire wrapped loop. Made a wire wrapped loop capturing one oval link. 

Used Beadalon's Quick Link connectors to extend the necklace with more small gunmetal oval links, and used an ear wire as the clasp. 

I suppose I should say that I got hooked on wire crochet and look forward to exploring it again.

Tune in to Jewelry Television (JTV) JEWEL SCHOOL on Feb 3 and 4th, 10-noon EST, to see the cool crochet kit you can buy to get started yourself!

Studio storage and finished jewelry

Storing your stash is one thing; storing your finished creations is a whole new adventure. I used to pin my finished pieces all over  my booth display panels which were stuck in a corner of my room. Some things hung from hooks I made to cling to branches (yes, from trees). But it was a mess, the pins were bending all the time,  and I feared the ruin of my display panels.

I ended up hanging pegboard. I was not sure how it would look, or if it would be cost effective because I'd need LOTS of hooks, and worried about how pieces would hang.

As it turned out the boards look really clean and their natural wood color works great as the background color. Hooks come in lots of sizes and shapes, and I slipped sturdy tubes over several pegs to help round out the way pieces are hanging.

Thanks to my hubs Mike I only bought  hooks with smaller gauges of pegs (the part that goes into the holes) to fit easily. IMPORTANT TIP if you want to do pegboard! Larger pegs distort the holes and are a pain to move around. Make sure to look for the hooks with the slimmer pegs!

I also still use my branches and hammered copper hooks so my jewelry wall has a bit more of a display feeling than just plain pegboard. Why not paint it, you ask? Because paint scratches-- and what color would match all my jewelry? Plus you can see that the pegboard matches the woodwork trim in my studio!

Now I am on the look-out for a nicer tube-thingy than cardboard to pad some hooks. Maybe there's an interesting but neutral color,  easy-to-cut hose... or the tubes used to control network wires. I'll find something.

But meantime I am quite happy with clean arrangement,  ease of organization,  low cost and especially the now-I can-see-everything-and-so-can-customers look of my jewelry wall!
PS: Yes, it's a TV, and yes, that's my Swarovski CREATE YOUR STYLE Ambassador apron on my dress form! 

CraftOptics

The better to see you with, my dear!
Just got a pair of CraftOptics lenses. Wow these are cool!












They are naturally a bit more to wear than just normal glasses, but the soft silicone nose piece makes it really comfy. There's also a little light which works off a small battery pack that clips onto your pants or whatever, like a cell phone would. The light slides right onto the optic part for targeted illumination. Clever! The light cord runs through a clip on the arm of the specs, and has a small spring action clip to attach to your shirt so it stays out of the way. VERY nicely engineered. (My lenses look lit up in the photo but it's just a reflection from my laptop screen.) AND they come with croakers, the soft cords that slide onto the arm ends like the kind of eyeglass cords surfers wear, with a button that slides on the cords to adjust the specs to stay put or let them hang down.

The magnifier part flips up to reveal my personal prescription. The glasses are nice and large so it's easy to look up through the top part to see normally, and then look down through the optic part for magnification, as you need. It's all very well thought out the way these work.













Great for my eyes and especially my craftsmanship! I expect to be using these on Beads, Baubles, and Jewels segments taping soon, so you'll be able to see them in action–rather, see me in action using them–when the episodes go on the air. I'll let you know when they're on!

And yes, mine are purple.

Fun with Beadalon

Making new videos for the Beadalon web site brought out
a variety of my facets, er, faces. :-)

Look for the videos now on Beadalon's You Tube page. My latest videos include how-to-do, why-to use, and what-to-use for: loom bead weaving, Elasticity stretchy cord designs, WildFire beading thread, all sorts of beading needles, bead organization and storage, arranging a beading work area, and Hybraid (Is it a wire? A beading thread? It's both!)

Here's one showing some basics for a well equipped beading work area.


Even though I was feeling a bit wired and threadbare myself after a long week just back from doing two back to back Jewelry Television shows, I know the videos now showing on Beadalon's You Tube page will educate and inspire you.

Stick around, because you never know when some of my actual design tutorials will appear, too!

CREATING SWAROVSKI STYLE in TUCSON 2012

The CREATE YOUR STYLE with SWAROVSKI experience in Tucson this year was beyond my expectations.
First, being together with the other ambassadors was as warm and fuzzy as it was sparkly! I heard this event brought more ambassadors together in one place than ever before.
We had a special showroom with tables to share our creationss, kits, books and more with everyone. Seeing the diversity of work and astounding innnovation in materials and techniques among us was simply cosmic.  For example, look at Diane Whiting's Crystal Balls necklace--and the issue of Step by Step Beads in which it appeared. (True story--I was the editor in chief of that magazine and brought that project in from Diane before we even really knew each other!)

Kristal Wick's collection of finished jewelry and kits featured some of the most lush combinations of crystals and her original fabric beads, plus more yummy luxe materials. if you haven't made one of her necklaces, check out her kits and her fabulous books online--because you are missing out on making something extraordinary that will have people oohing and aaahing.

The vunderbar folks from Austria presented the new shapes, colors, materials, tools, effects and trends for the next year.  Everyone was so eager to see the presentation and listen to Chris, Raphaela and Katrin "romancing the stones!" (But we missed Nicole and Marlena, who could not attend.) Here are ambassadors Debi Simon, Brenda Schweder, Kelli DeFries and Stephanie Dixon.
Among other new tools and web enhancements, we'll all be able to add a fabulous color wheel tool to our own web pages, showing how to mix and match all the Swarovski elements styles and colors.I love getting our little "candy box" of samples of many new elements.



Classes, workshops, and make and takes were a huge success--can you tell from my student that she was happy with her Chessboard earring project?

The newest part of the event was a showroom for Ambassadors to display (and sell) our finished work, kits, tutorials, books and DVDs, and demonstrate our favorite techniques.It was so incredible to meet people face to face! The best part for us was being together with the other Ambassadors. I am sure our camaraderie was tangible. We just love being part of this group! (And we really missed those who coud not be with us.) Personally I can't eait to do this again next year. Thank you Swarovski for making this possible (and for the nightly Happy Hours). Huge hugs to our Ambassadors who helped put it all together (Tammy, Diane, Debi). Thanks to the local bead society folks who were just as nice as could be on helping us in any way we needed.
And thanks to everyone who came to see us!


Make the world beautiful!

BEADING ON A LOOM

Sign up to make this stellar cuff
at the Bead & Button Show!

Working on the Beadalon loom is so much fun, it really takes me back to my beady beginnings. I started using seed beads on a loom almost exactly like the one that every student will get in my class at the Bead and Button Show in June. I know, I know–what about those pesky warp thread ends, right? That "chore" has kept you from using the loom, right? Not any more!! In my class you will learn to whisk those ends outta sight plus many other practical and easy loom weaving tricks:

Use strong and non-stretch WidFire
to string the main long threads (warp)
and for weaving (weft).

We learn how to read and design a chart.

See how to make your piece as long as you wish!

Discover how many things you can
weave on a loom--earrings, for example!

The colors of the Hollywood Cuff
are shimmering Miyuki size 11 Delica beads

Next to the zen of weaving with Miyuki Delica beads and the satisfaction in the way those beads fit together, the best part of this project is the way we finish. We simple cut the cuff from the loom, fold under the threads, and adhere into a bezel cuff from EK Success. The look is superbly crafted and stylish.

So sign up! You keep the loom as part of the class kit, and I will have plenty of other patterns and blank cuffs for sale so you can make more– because I guarantee your friends will all want to be a film star too!

My Gift of Peyote Patterns for You!

I hope you enjoy these 8 peyote patterns, designed for Hanukah but with a few that are universal. Each medallion can become a pendant, cuff or brooch, or incorporated into a greeting card, work of fabric art... it's up to you! I made one into a necklace.

Worked in size 11 Delica beads, the actual size is h x w 1 5/8" (42mm) x 1 1/2" (40mm). Note how the side edges have the in-out beads. This enabled more horizontal straight lines in my designs. It also allowed me to use the bead holes along the top edge to attach a rolled peyote tube as a bail through which I strung my beaded cord. These patterns are easy to follow in either peyote or brick stitch.

A bit about Hanukah for those who wonder if Jewish kids really all got gifts for 8 days. I personally did not. With four kids in my family, are you kidding? Do the math! Plus, this isn't a "holy" day. It's much more of an historic celebration. Here's the short version:

Hanukah means "rededication." In 168 BCE when the Syrian king banned Judaism and took over the temple, the Jews took it back led by Judah the "hammer", the Macabee. After the battle the remaining temple oil (for the eternal flame over the Torah ark) seemed too low to last for more than a day, but it lasted 8 days --some say that's the time it took until new oil could be created. The festival is full of games (like playing with the dreidle) and fried food (more oil, that's right!) Traditional yummies include donuts, called "sufganiot," and of course my personal favorite, latkes, or potato pancakes.

No matter how you spell it, Hanukah is a festival of light and celebration for the Jewish history of survival against all odds.
So happy Hanukah, or as we say in my wonderfully multi-cultural house, Hanuchrismakwanzstice!

And more than anything, HAPPY BEADING!

Menorah, with all 8 candles lit,
reflecting the entire Festival of Lights.

Peace Dove. When are you showing up?

Dreidle, the toy top with Hebrew letters
standing for the words
"a great miracle happened there"
referring to the Hanukah story.

"Chai", Hebrew word for Life.
The toast "l'chaiim!"is to drink to life!

Hamsa, or Chamsa
Middle Eastern symbol for the protective
hand of Gd. The Hebrew word for five
(as in fingers) is "chamesh."

The  flag of Israel is designed
to look similar to a tallit,
or prayer shawl.

The Torah contains the 5 books of
the Old Testament. Portions are read
at every Jewish service.
Torahs are hand scribed on scrolls
to this day. No errors are allowed,
so they are written in sections
If a mistake is made, only the
one section needs to be rewritten.

Tree of Life, "Aitz Chaiim"
in Hebrew
shown here with day and night

More about how to learn PEYOTE STITCH

So many people have contacted me lately with the desire to learn peyote stitch. Perhaps it is the release of the new emag Fabulous Peyote Stitch with Crystal Accents.  Who can resist adding crystals to a stitch so wildly popular?
Everyone wants to learn!

Peyote stitch is sometimes called the gourd stitch. It is considered a Native American technique but is found in many other cultures around the world. Why is it called "peyote?" Wiki says the gourd stitch was traditionally used to decorate ceremonial objects in rituals involving peyote mushrooms, sacred rituals. That's all I know about it except it has to be THE most popular bead stitch of all time.

There are many version of peyote stitch, most commonly even-count peyote and odd-count peyote, referring to the number of beads per row. There are design advantages to which one you choose. Look at my original You Tube video for even-count peyote here:

 

It gives you some idea of how I teach; I draw the diagrams for you, and it has become my signature method. Since these original Doodlebead videos were made I've had my lessons from the TV show Beads, Baubles, and Jewels made into commercially produced DOODLEBEADS DVDs. These have much cleaner videos, but these originals remain my favorites. I made them using iMovies, and they were indeed to impetus for the product that became the DVD. :-) I hope to do more, with music of course. Edutainment, that's what the world needs!

You can buy my Doodlebeads DVDs--there are two volumes so far-- and I suggest Volume I to start. Along with the videos you will have access to printable diagrams as PDFs so you can follow the video while looking at the diagram I use in the tape. Go to my Sleepless Beader Etsy shop:

In case you are really new to bead stitching, there's also tubular, circular, and multi-drop versions of peyote and about every other stitch. So think how many things you can create even if you only know one stitch, such as peyote. It's rather exciting.

Also, using Delica or Toho cylinder beads gives peyote that perfectly flat fabric many beaders admire. Try Delica size 10s--they are a bit larger than size 11 and should make it easier on your eyes, and help enable your success. And remember to keep your thread tension snug and consistent, that will also help your work turn out best.

Happy Beading!

PS: Thanks to Joy D. for inspiring me to get this post out there.

Playing with Beadalon Rubber Tube

For my Oct 6th appearance on Jewelry Television, Beadalon asked me to design using their 1.7mm rubber tubing, in both black and frost colors. Slender as a flower stem but very durable, the tubing is hollow which means WooHoo! You can thread through it with beading wire or Artistic Wire (less than 20g) and it cuts like buttah with a scissors, snips or craft knife. Was I a happy camper! (Y'all know I love the look of rubber in jewelry designs!)

Since lots of people ask about how ideas come about for my finished work, I'm sharing some of the constructions I played using the tubing. 

My first idea was to cut black and frost tubes into pieces and string them with 4mm round Swarovski Siam crystals, for one of my fave combos of  red and black and white. I curled .015 beading wire (same way you do with curling ribbon) to give the strands movement and more body. This necklace is unfinished. I think it will succeed if there are tons more strands for a more substantial presence, and, having (for the moment!) a limited supply of the tubing, I moved on to a new direction.

Having a pile of cut pieces of tube leftover, I took beading wire--not curled--and crisscrossed through the tubes and crystals in a traditional netting stitch. The only diff here between beadwork netting and this is that I strung the pieces of tubes instead of beads between the junction crystals. I'm not quite sure yet how to give this a polished finish as a piece of jewelry but it sure looks unique around a glass holiday ball or votive.

Here I strung doubled over lengths of the frost and the black tubing through a pendant bail, which I taped to a table on a wire. I strung one of the new Swarovski silver lined big holed beads intending eventually to do some sort of weaving with the tubes, as in those lanyards we all made as kids. (With gimp, remember?) I still need to work out that process.

Grabbing a handful of the tubing inspired me to work with it in bunches. I cut pieces into varied lengths, strung them with beading wire, and crimped more Siam crystal rounds on each wire end. I simply took Beadalon crimp beads (not tubes) and squashed them flat with a chain nose pliers. The crimp beads are small enough to be innocuous yet add a touch of silver.

Here's how I wired the crystal-tipped tubes together so I could hang them from a pendant bail. Totally easy!

More multiples of tubes, wired with beading wire and crimped onto a slide multi-strand clasp. I attached a pendant bail at the center of the tubes.

Here's the finished pendant, using stacked turquoise donuts and a whirl of tubing wired with Artistic Wire.

Using the frost color tubing seemed perfect with Beadalon's SP Quick Links and chain. I strung short lengths of the tube on eye pins with Swarovski Comet Argent Light 4mm bicones, and used simple wire wrapped loops to space the embellished eye pins along a lovely rolo chain. This necklace sparkles big time! So – the discovery I made in this play time with rubber tubing was that it can look dazzling and elegant, as well as industrially chic.
Do you think?