I Won!!

One of our enterprising Australian beaders has begun a series of design challenges. These challenges are run through a Facebook page called Australian Beaders. The challenges are run very similar to the Design Quests that I enter except that a focal piece is included that must be used. This first challenge was named 'Bushranger's Bounty'. The focal was a Hummingbird. Here is what I came up with.

Beautiful beads as you can see. The focal began life as silver but I didn't like it at all and set about covering it up. I put a layer of Faux Dichro Liquid Glass and stuck copper/gold foil to it that I had left over from my card making days. I put around three layers of the foil on. It looked messy and bumpy and so I looked through my stash and found some gold coloured dry gouache. I sprinkled that on the top layer Liquid Glass and let it dry again. (The Faux Dichro takes a few hours to dry so I added a new layer every couple of days) When I came back to look the bird was no longer gold but blue! Not quite sure how that happened. Perhaps it reacted with the liquid or maybe somehow the dye in the cutting process had joined into the fun I don't know. Luckily the colour matched beautifully with the other beads. Don't you love it when complete accidents end up helping you out.

As for the design. That came about as my designs often do. I started playing and then decided if I'd keep it or not. I began with the green squares and black seed beads and worked out a simple weave. Underneath that diamond weave I added a frill so that I could use the pearls and swarovski beads. After that I needed a background for the bird and still had some beads left over so I added some fringing.

I like some aspects of the necklace and am not so fussed about others. How cool is it that I won.

Rose Quartz

Rose Quartz is such a pretty stone. If I wore pink, I'd make so much from this delicate pink crystal. You may remember a couple of years ago I came second in a Designer Quest. That pack included three lovely double drilled rose quartz pieces. You can see a picture of it here. One of the favourite pairs of earrings I have made are also rose quartz. I wire wrapped them with sterling silver wire.

Annette Piper is an Aussie beader I was lucky enough to meet at a Bead and Gem show a few years ago. Annette has a background in gemology and gives a wonderful description of rose quartz on her blog 'Under the Loupe'. I encourage you do read it and see her beautiful rose quartz bracelet.

Re-Using and Re-Purposing

I love to take apart older pieces that are no longer worn and remake them into things that I love anew and give new life to the old. I've already shown a couple of things I've made for others from pieces they've been given and not worn that I've remade. You can see them here and here.

I still have lots of my mother's old stones and pendants that I want to make into pieces that I will wear. I also have her gold watch given to her for her 21st. The face is so small you can hardly see the time but it is a memory of my mum. She wore that watch for years and along with the wedding rings of mum and dad, I'd love to incorporate them into something I can wear myself.

This necklace was made using one of the old coral chip necklaces so popular in the early 1980s. I hadn't worn it for ages so took it apart, added some colour and some wood beads.


Cate from the blog Heart on My Sleeve has re-purposed a turtle necklace. She loved the beads but never felt comfortable wearing so used the turtles in other ways. Cate shows both her re-purposed work and that of others in her blog. It's worth a look. Here is one she made into a brooch using an old earring loop.

If you'd like me to link to your re-purposed works then provide the link in the comments section.

My Latest Designer Quest Entry

At long last I'm in enough semblance of order to put up a post. How long this will last, who knows. The first term and a half of the year has been one of the busiest I've known. I'm not even sure why but I've not kept up with anything I ought.

Just before the Easter holidays the first of this year's Designer Quests was due. I bought myself a pack and it sat there for so long as I had no idea what to do. There just weren't that many beads if I was to make something without adding anything. Eventually I decided to add.

I've never tried fringing and have wanted to so I figured I'd fringe and add in the beads given. I plaited a kumihimo braid that blended the colours of the pack and set off. My goodness! I had no concept of how much time fringing takes. I think in the end I must have put around 50 hours into this. The last day I worked 13 hours straight just to get it done. I also ran out of beads and had to unpick a previous piece to scavenge the beads. I think it will be a while before I make another fringed masterpiece.

A masterpiece this is. I love it. Am really happy with it. Of course I didn't win as you can hardly see the original beads at all. It did get a few votes in the open poll though.

What do you think?

Dichroic Glass Pendant Necklaces

Wendy from Guru Creations has been changing her focus and therefore selling off a lot of her work. I have managed to buy quite a bit of stuff that I'm looking forward to using over time. Here are two necklaces I've made recently. Both are simple but still a little different.

This first one is an experiment. The circles of colour needed to be featured but I didn't want them to be over taken. What I decided to do, after attempts at Kumihimo and other braids, was a simple plait. Except that the amount of wires wouldn't fit through the holes of the beads. Hmmmm. So, ever the improviser, I made that a little feature too. I found tigertail in colours that were in the pendant, continued the circles in the round shapes of black glass beads, some faceted, some not, and this is the result. It's actually lovely and light and sits well on the neck.


The second one I attempted began with the black lines on the glass. I've always wanted to achieve a simple spiral rope. Every other time I've tried the thread is too thick, the needle too big, and I haven't been able to pass through the beads enough times to make the spiral. This time it worked. Again, I found some beads in the colours used in the pendant. These are scattered throughout the rope. The main part of the rope is in various types of black seed beads. There are delicas and myuki beads used and several sizes also. After all, making a rope all the one size gets boring! I decided to see what would happen if I increased the number of beads in the outer beads. Once I reached the pendant I changed the size of the inside bead and kept increasing. The asymmetry of the necklace is quite fun, I think and takes a simple piece just that little bit out of the norm.

I'd love to know what you think of these necklaces. Also, I played a little bit more with arranging my photos. What do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas in comments.

Experimentation

I have all these buttons at home. Some are from old sewing projects, some I bought simply because I liked the look of them. I want to make things with them but am often at a loss as to what to do. I make things and then just don't like them. Here is a ring that I made recently that is not too bad. It will need to be worn by an arty person being large and purple and orange (the colours I always associate with art teachers from school). So, tell me what you think.

Using my Kumihimo

A couple of posts ago I showed some of the necklaces that I'd managed to incorporate my braids into. I have also made a couple of bracelets. The first one is incredibly simple but then the braid itself is so pretty it didn't warrant any other detail really. It was with this one that I made the coil that makes for a very simple end that makes the braid very usable and also keeps the attention on the braid rather than the link.


The second braid is not quite so successful. I love the look of it but the wire at the side needs a little adjusting as the plait comes out of it. I love the effect of the button but it is a little heavy for the braid. Looks great though. I also love my picture as, after lots of fussing I finally managed to make it look great and uncluttered.


I really must put more time into the photos so I can get myself some sort of portfolio to show people. That is for another day though.

For Friends

I was having dinner with some friends of mine a few weeks ago. One of them asked about my jewellery and how it was going and I ended up with a couple of requests. One friend, Meryl, asked me to string some pearls. "Of course", I said, so I've taught myself to string pearls. I had fun. I bought all the proper silks with the needles attached and made use of my embroidery knotting skills. I started three times and it's not a professional job to my inquisitive eyes, but I'm quite pleased with myself.

The request from my other friend, Aline, was even more fun. She had a necklace of her mother's that was too heavy to wear but that was Venetian Glass Beads from her trip to Venice. Was their anything I could do? Here is what the necklace was originally.


So we decided to make a series of necklaces for her daughters and granddaughters. Eight in total. It took me a while to get going which isn't unusual, but I love what the results were. I made each necklace a different colour and mostly different styles. Because there were nineteen beads and I had to divide them into eight, some necklace have three of the original beads while others have only two.

Lavender
On gold tone fine chain with Swarovski crystals.

Burgandy

Red tigertail with fresh water pearls and Swarovski Crystals.

Blue
Silver tigertail with Swarovski Crystals. Pendant is a chinese cube from a pattern by Valerie Hector. Smaller beaded beads are made using Right Angle Weave.

Teal

Fresh water pearls with Swarovski Crystals and silver tone chain. Pendant is a chinese cube from a pattern by Valerie Hector.

Purple Velvet

Silver tone chain with Swarovski Crystals.

In the next three designs I even incorporated some of my Kumihimo braids. I am so pleased that I can find different ways to incorporate them.

Mint

Kumihimo braid with delica beads and Swarovski Crystals. Beaded beads are made using Right Angle Weave. Can be worn assymetrically or symmetrically.

Amethyst

Kumihimo braid using tigertail, hand made gold tone clasp and Swarovski Crystals. Beaded beads are made using Right Angle Weave.

Light Amethyst

Kumihimo braid using tigertail, hand made gold tone clasp, fresh water pearls and Swarovski Crystals. Beaded beads made using Right Angle Weave.

So there they all are. Aline loves them although I might have to rework the Blue one so it fits the personality of who it's going to better. If I do change it I'll show you what I do. I really enjoyed the challenge of using the same beads in so many different ways.

Etsy

I have a shop on etsy but haven't updated it for ages. With moving and house shopping and many other reasons and excuses I haven't kept it up. I popped along to Jenny's blog today and she is very involved in etsy. There are challenges she is entering that I didn't know existed and she participates in a great way that helps promote her own work but also the work of others. The last challenge she was in was a beadweaving challenge and the works on display are wonderful. I love seed beading work. Go and check out her blog. Hopefully soon she will tell us how she went in the challenge.

Braiding - Two

Because I was experimenting with different materials that I had around the house I also tried the braiding with different wire combinations. Some I used wire only and for other braids I combined wire with different widths of satin cords. The picture below shows exactly the same satin chord used with the same wire/cord width and show the different effect that is created. The wire, once braided doesn't stretch or give in anyway and so gives a completely different effect. While I'm not so keen on the gold wire, the textural result is quite fun.

This next picture shows other experiments also. The top 3 use only craft wire. I'd like to do more of these and make some bangles out of them. Once curved they sit really comfortably on the wrist. They work better with the thicker gauge wire, I discovered.

The pale braids are some of my favourites - satin cord with tigertail. I most certainly with be making lots of those to hang my pendants from. And then the black one is stain cord with leather.

Braiding - One

My house is up for sale and it is difficult to sit down and bead and craft. It always makes a mess and I need the house ready at the drop of a hat. What I started just before this though was braiding. Japanese braiding or 'Kumihimo'. I have had tremendous fun using bits and bobs I've had around the place, experimenting with textures and widths.

I have only really tried with two basic patterns. I like ribbons included. Especially if they have metallic thread on the edges as it gives just a little bit of glam. I'm going to have to invest in some more ribbon I think. The thinner ribbon is better. It fits into the weave neater.

When I bought my Kumihimo disc I also bought some micro macrame string and some texture ribbons. I think the textured ribbons give a beautifully soft finish but if used in necklaces I think they might stretch too much.

making Jewellery. My Process Part 3

I still am really happy each time I look at how the turquoise set finally turned out. Here is what I did with the red beads.
This piece took hardly any time at all compared to the turquoise one. Because the original beads were from another necklace/bracelet set, some of the beads had single holes, some double. I wanted to use this in the design. I was able to do this by making the focus of the necklace two pieces of wire and creating a frame.


The frame was given strength by the beads that slipped over both wires and had interest because of the different shapes and placements of the beads. I used the basket wire weave to fill in the gaps.

The earrings have their shape because of the same reason. The bottom two beads have a single hole while the top red bead is a double hole. I love how they hang. I love the cross effect created. I love the colour combination. This pinky red looks so much better without the turquoise.

Again I plaited the strand so that the necklace can be worn long. My friend loves it. I showed her this one in much the same way as before. This time, immediately she saw it she lunged for to grab with and cried out as she moved, 'Oh I love it'.

I tell you, it feels great to have a reaction like that.

Making Jewellery. My Process Part 2

As the beads sat in their bags I mulled over the dilemma. What to do? At the time I was finding out more about wire work and was experimenting with basket weave. I thought I'd give it a go. In the end it worked. It took a lot of fiddling though. At first it sat wrong, the stone kept moving even when taped down. I didn't wrap evenly on the top and bottom. I added the beads at the bottom in a way that didn't work. I found that the frame wires sat a little better once I'd hit them with a hammer. It gradually took shape. It took, I think, 5 goes to get it right. It still wasn't quite centred but with some loops to finish of the wire it looked as though it had all been planned.

Once the pendant was done I had to work out what to do with the other beads. I hung it on tiger tail but it looked funny. The wire is so thin and the pendant so big. I ended up taking 4 wires and plaiting them together. My friend wanted it long so I took it into work and measured it on her.

Then I started on the earrings. At least now I had a design to match. Hopefully these would go easily. It took 4 tries to get the proper design of the frame wires. It is all one wire and it had to allow the bead to be seen while still holding it firmly in place. Finally, success. Cheers all round. Now just one more earring. Well, making it turn out the same size as the first was a challenge in itself. Three tries later and it was close enough.

Thank goodness I was using craft wire not gold!!

I'm so pleased with the way it turned out. It was so different to what my friend was expecting it took a bit of convincing but the lovely ladies at work oohed and aahed so much over it she was eventually convinced.


Here is the finished set. Oh yeah, I had some beads left over so I used them in the bangle. I love how it turned out.

Making Jewellery. My Process Part 1

About a month ago I finally finished a couple of sets for a friend of mine. She talked to me at the beginning of the year, could I help her. Her sister had given her a necklace and bracelet set. She loved some of the beads but the necklace was plain and the bracelet cut off her circulation.

I asked her if she had anything particular. She said that she didn't really but, 'could I emphasise the green more than the pink and could she have a necklace, bracelet and earrings please'. So with those instructions I set to work.

Well, setting to work for me means mulling. I set all the beads out. If I was to make a three piece set pretty much only the green beads, that meant I'd need to add things. Luckily, I'd just purchased some cheap turquoise cabs that were just the colour.

To keep costs down, I decided I'd use brass wire. I wrapped the large turquoise cab and started to string... and got completely stuck.

After some months of mulling, I took the beads with me to a bead day with friends and asked for help. This is the idea that they came up with.




Armed with these new ideas, knowing I could use the read and yellow beads for a completely different set, I happily went home.

I wrapped the small cabs and went about putting them with the beads for earrings. I put one together... and hated it. Perhaps I could work the necklace itself. That didn't go well either.

In the end I cut all the wires, put the turquoise set in one bag and the red beads in another and set them aside.

If You Fall Down Seven Times Get Up Eight

In the spirit of learning through quotes of wise people, here is a quote for today.

Every Failure is a Step Closer to Success
People who try to do something and fail.
Are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed.
Experiencing failure is inevitable on your journey to be successful.
Every defeat is merely an installment to victory.
You'll find that the number of times your succeed is in direct proportion
To the number of times you fail and keep trying.
You won't be judged by the number of times you fail
But by the number of times you succeed.
Failure is nothing but education,
Nothing but the first step to something better.
You can't be a winner and be afraid to lose.

Max Steingart

It has taken me a little while to get myself moving over the last two weeks. I prepared for my home show. I invited other artists to show their wares, invite those they knew. I printed flyers, sent email invites, talked to people. Over two days, around 12 people showed up. The four of us made a total of $510 in sales. Admittedly, two of the four of us sold nothing and I sold the most but still, I count it as a failure.

So I have licked my wounds and now I am back. Failure is but the first step to something better...provided that I learn the lessons. And so I will work at ways to make the next one better. I will again begin focusing on my OurGV business. I move onward and upward. Most of the teaching in todays OurGV training was about not giving up. Taking the falls, leaping towards the possibility of failures so that the successes can start to come.

And if you have run successful home shows then leave me a comment and tell why they worked.

I've Been Reviewed!!

The people at Etsy DUST blog have reviewed my etsy site. They said I was great. Go check it out.

Growth

Well, it's been a long time coming but finally Soulscape Artistry is expanding. It is exciting to add another artist to the website and therefore to the collective. Penel of Fire Bird Beads is a beader who I first met at the Bead and Gem Show in 2004. Turned out, we lived near to each other and gradually over the years we have helped each other out. I believe Penel's business will add a great deal to the live of Soulscape Artistry.

It shows that sometimes, it's just the timing that needs to be right. This beading job of mine is only part time and sometimes progress is slow because of that. Slow does not mean that nothing is happening though. These last two weeks have seen the addition of Penel to the website as well as having my work taken by two stores on consignment. Hopefully it is the start of exciting things.

Mothers' Day Open House

First weekend of May was the second annual Mothers' Day Open House presented by Soulscape Artistry. Things were a little different this time as Sarah was off shooting a movie. I was on my own. I set everything up the night before and waited for the people to roll on in just like every other time.

Two people came.

Oh my. This is bad. I was prepared for a little quiet, but nobody!!!

Depressed, I went to bed and hoped that the Saturday would be better. It was a little better.

Eleven people came.

There is nothing quite like a time where you put lots of effort into an event and you're left sitting by yourself at home hoping to hear people at the door. The car doors from next door make you strain in hopes the people are actually coming to see you, voices make you look up to the window in hopes of seeing a face. Not pretty.

Things picked up a little in the afternoon. Some people stayed for a while. Others came and went fairly quickly. I was thinking that it was good that at least some things had been bought. Nelda had sold 3 beautiful handbags by the end of the day. Marjo had sold a rock and a plaque. Sarah had sold some things, as had I.

And so the day came to an end. Now for the truth. What had we achieved? Imagine my surprise when sales were added up and we had sold just over $800 worth of goods. OH MY GOODNESS!!

So lesson learnt. Never lose faith.

The work we do is of a wonderful standard and people really do love it. There is also the possibility of a couple of the ladies who came holding a showing for their friends. I do so hope it happens. I have always planned for the business to expand naturally as people come to know what we do. I hope I am not disappointed.

Onward and upward.

Australian Etsy Sellers Blog

There is now a blog featuring the many Australian artists who sell through etsy. Different people will be featured at various times. Drop in and have a look. Sometimes there will be competitions, (there is one going now) and news of what us 'DUST'ers are doing. Here's the link:

Aussie etsy blog

Second Prize!

I just won second prize for my Designer Quest entry!! How exciting is that!!!!!! Yaay me.

See two posts down March/April Designer Quest for picture.