I noticed that an earlier post boasted about the number of honeycomb bangles I had completed, but did not show a photo, so here one is. I will get around to taking proper photos of everything eventually!

There's nine bangles here - I have actually completed ten, but gave one away because it's too small for me.

Once you get the hang of the pattern these are fun to make and every bangle is quite different depending on the beads used. I still have a few strands of nice crystal rondelles, so I'll probably make a few more of these before I'm done.

Works in Progress

 Well I have actually been doing some beading lately. Sometimes I get so stuck on design elements that I can't do anything until I mentally work my way through the issue. This project at left is a case in point. I originally planned to combine the pendant with some lampwork beads in similar colours. They are very chunky beads, and the plan was to have one hanging off the bottom of the pendant, and the others on the necklace, in an asymmetrical design. Well, I tried several different ways to achieve this. I fussed about this project for a few weeks - trying to work out how to achieve the effect I wanted to achieve. Eventually I had to admit something: the polymer clay cabochon (from http://helenbreil.com/) simply will not work with the lampwork beads! Wrong scale, wrong design, wrong look - the only right thing is the colours. Funnily enough, once I admitted that, and put the lampwork beads away, the ideas started flowing ... the beading is now going strong. The current concept isn't as elaborate as the initial design, but then, if I am to be honest, I wouldn't wear a really elaborate design anyway. If my current concept works like I hope it will, then this will be wearable to work and social events, which is always my standard for a successful necklace. I think that means I spend too much time at work! I really hope it works - I love the cabochon which is a vivid mixture of my favourite blues, greens and gold.

The ideas have also started flowing on my steampunk piece again, and I include a photo to show that work is actually progressing. Once again, I had to abandon the initial concept because it just wasn't working. Then the new concept required items which weren't readily available (the watch faces), so I have slowly been collecting these through the magic of ebay. I have enough to get started now. There has been some truly tedious work with felt, to make the watch faces into larger cabochons (layers of progressively larger felt circles). I finished the first sample over the weekend and I'm happy with the way it turned out, so I will keep going now.

I rather wish that I was better at drawing. It would be easier to design my beadwork if I could draw out my ideas and see if they work. I think I might have to hunt up a drawing text book! At the moment all I can achieve is very simple sketches, which are enough to 'save' an idea, but not enough to really work through the construction issues of a design concept, which is what I need.

Of course, there will be another hiatus in these projects shortly as I am off to the Bead and Button Show. Only 20 days to go now! I was extremely fortunate to win a place in one of the master classes with Sherry Serafini (http://www.beadandbuttonshowstore.com/b12b2.html). I am taking the gorgeous grey and yellow cabochons I purchased from Stone Femme (http://www.etsy.com/shop/StoneFemme) to use in the class. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find grey beads (not silver)?! Pale yellow is even harder. Anyway, I have found enough beads to get started, and hopefully will come across more at the Show. I'm getting very excited about the Show and the rest of the trip (Chicago and Hawaii). I can't wait to get in amongst all those beads!

I may actually ask some of the teachers whether they draw their designs first and how they do it.

A Pin for Every Purpose - Threads

A Pin for Every Purpose - Threads:

'via Blog this'

A very useful article on different types of pins and how to use them.

Honeycomb Bangles

I just finished number eight of these bangles - green and bronze, very nice. They really are addictive, although I must admit part of the reason I have made so many is because I've been re-watching some old shows on DVD. The bangles are easy to make while 'watching' telly, if you don't have to concentrate on the actual telly. I have re-watched eight seasons of NCIS and almost one season of Chuck while making these bangles! I think it might be time I moved on to something else ...

Have you ever noticed that it's inevitable that when you're having trouble with a design, the problem is because you don't have just the right components, not that you are stumped? ;) I was all set to get started on my Steampunk piece again, but 'realised' I needed some extra components. Now I have to work on something else while I await their arrival. Thank heavens for Ebay, you can find lots of weird and wonderful stuff from all over the world on there!

Name Tags and Bead Expo

As well as my Bead Challenge entry, I have also finished a 'sort-of' UFO. I made myself a beaded name tag a few years ago, which all Bead Society members are supposed to do. I did mine in bead embroidery. While I was happy with the effect, I made a couple of major mistakes. Firstly, I measured my beading area to be the same size as a conference badge, which actually turned out to be too big. The badge is very heavy and drags on clothing. Secondly, I used much too small a pin-back on the badge, so it rarely hangs straight. I have to admit it's also a wee bit goth. So I very rarely actually wore my badge, and had been 'going to' do a new one for ages.

Anyway, last week I dragged out an old book of cross-stitch alphabets, and used that to make a square stitch name tag. Because square stitch is a grid, you can easily bead cross-stitch patterns using that stitch. I did make a couple of mistakes with it though. Firstly, I should have measured everything out before I started. The beading ended up being too long for its height, so I had to add some rows top and bottom. However, that meant I was cramming some beads with thread, and I actually broke a couple. This means there is a couple of gaps in the beadwork. They aren't too noticeable, but they are annoying. 

I might try again next year sometime and see what I come up with.

The old and new tags are in this photo, so that you can see the size difference. The old one really is over the top!

We have just finished the annual Bead Society Expo [http://www.beadsociety.com.au/expo.html]. I am the Vice President and am one of the front desk people at the Show. For the most part it went very well. It’s exhausting being on your feet running for four days when you aren’t used to it! It’s nice seeing everyone enjoying themselves and spending up. It’s also really nice to see all the member’s work in the Exhibition and the Challenge – it’s inspirational but also makes me feel a bit competitive! Given that this is supposed to be the UFO year, I’m happy to report I found some beads to use on my UFO necklace. I also found some more Swarovski crystal rivolis for the big blue bling project, so hopefully there will be some movement on that UFO. Of course, I also bought some lovely new stuff, which will increase my stock of UFOS quite a bit! I purchased some lovely cabochons, gorgeous crystals and fabulous beads. It’s probably fortunate I was busy a lot of the time, otherwise I would have spent even more money …

It means that I’m really looking forward to some enjoyable beading though!

Bead Challenge 2011

Well, I can finally post a picture of my Bead Challenge entry, which occupied most of my beading time for over a month. Every person that enters the contest is given an identical set of beads, and has to use all of them, plus whatever else they like, to make something with. This year's beads were silver and amethyst [http://www.beadsociety.com.au/challenge.html].
I nearly didn't do anything, because I was having trouble deciding on a design. Then I was poking around my beading stash and found the cabochon, which I bought at the Bead and Button Show in 2008. I had it in my head that it was pinker, but actually there are shades in the stone that exactly match the amethyst beads. Once I had the focal stone, the rest of the design fell into place. I must say the fringing was very tedious, and I think I will avoid doing that in future. The bead lace works well with the central pendant though, so I will do that again.
Lessons learnt: start early on a Challenge, especially if you're having trouble with inspiration. Get out everything in your stash that might be remotely suitable and try it all against the Challenge beads -  you never know what will strike a chord and give you ideas.

Nearly ready to get going again

Hooray, I got my Bead Challenge entry done! I can't post a photo until after the Bead Expo, but I'm very happy with it. There's over 200 crystal beads of varying sizes in it, so it is very, very bling.
I also recently got some new supplies for my Steam punk necklace, and I have a clear idea of how I'm going to re-jig it to make it work, so I'm about to get started back on that project. It would be very nice to get that one UFO finished by the end of the year.
I must confess, I recently splurged on some new cabochons, which are fabulous. So it's even more urgent to get this project done, so I can get started on this new one!