Thursday, December 9, 2010

Freeform Brick Stitch Bracelet




Well, folks, here I am again at long last...and I'm patting myself on the back for finally finishing something new in beadweaving. I've been on a tatting kick and in another failed attempt to enter something in the latest EBW Challenge, I managed to create a new bracelet. However, I missed the deadline because I got sidetracked making a "Conantree" (Christmas tree decorated with CONAN on TBS themed decorations). I am happy though, that I did make something new. It's been a year and a half since my world fell out from under me and I lost my drive to bead. Slowly but surely, I'm working to gain it back...challenges and swaps are helping the process.


I saw a freeform brick design somewhere and thought I would give it a try. My attempt was supposed to reflect the lyrics to the "Sounds of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel, which was the December theme for the Etsy Beadweavers's challenge. I chose a line from the second verse:

In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone,
'Neath the halo of a street lamp,
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence

....and created my design using various greys with a "stab" of neon pink. Freeform brick really suits my design style, much moreso than peyote, however, like all freeform, it has a mind of its own, thus adding to the unknown time frame for completion. I followed my own rule for freeform, though, which is: never "unbead" anything...in other words, whatever you have already stitched must stay, you have to use it. Keeps you thinking about creative ways to cure something you don't like about your beadwork. This bracelet is going into the next Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery show next week. If it doesn't sell there, I'm listing in my Etsy shop in January.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Copper Treasury


Here is a gorgeous treasury simply titled Copper ! My Natural Beauty agate slab necklace is one of the featured selections. Thanks to fellow Etsy Beadweaver, Connie of Asterope Bead Creations for including my necklace.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Needle Tatting Tutorial Uploaded !


Needle Tatted Earrings with Beads


It was so hard getting this project off the ground. My Windows Movie Maker maker and I were no longer married, so I had to figure out how to do it myself :-/ and I had to wait until the mood hit (which is the way I've been operating since we split). Anyway, I figured out how to import, drag and drop, add fades, titles, captions and music (which disappeared when I added narration...arrrgh !) and voila ! My second tute in two years. Now that I know how, there will be more to come :-) I prefer making photo sequences because if I screw up while in the middle of a project, I would have to start another one and work up to that point just to re-record the video. Maybe I'll use video with a quick project. However, I have a very vocal parrot who tends to dominate the airwaves whenever he senses something important is going on (aarrgh !). I hope you like the video (don't know why it looks so out of focus...the photos were crystal clear when I was working with them...maybe compression altered them...oh, well).

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Etsy Front Page Happy Dance !

Fellow Etsy Beadweaver, Crownrose Gems, posted this treasury a few days ago and today it spent a short time on the front page of Etsy.com ! My Venezia bracelet is part of the collection which is based on the popular Millenium trilogy by Swedish author, Stieg Larsson. I wouldn't have know about my front page appearance if it hadn't been for Statsy.com. I totally forgot about the fact that I linked it to my Facebook profile and besides generating an email to me, it automatically posted to Facebook ! Very handy indeed !

Sunday, July 18, 2010

A Novel Treasury




My Venezia bracelet is part of this treasury based on the novel, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. This collection is so interesting, I'm tempted to go check out the book !

Friday, July 16, 2010

Tatted Earrings with Beads


Tatted Earrings with Beads, originally uploaded by ambrosianbeads.

Needle tatting seems to have taken over my beading life, especially since I'm getting a clue as to how to design. Here are some earrings I made recently. I'm working on a video tutorial and learning how to use Windows Movie Maker in the process. Hope to post that soon.

Monday, July 5, 2010

"Adrift" Freeform Bracelet



"Adrift" Freeform Bracelet, originally uploaded by ambrosianbeads.

Again, a tale of procrastination and inertia but with a happy ending ! This bracelet started out as a project for the EBW Spring Swap, but I had a hard time moving ahead using these colors....they just don't motivate me. I used them because my swap partner liked "earth tones." I searched my bead stash for the "earthiest" bead colors I could find, and found only a few. The clock was ticking and the shape kept growing and I couldn't stop it, but knew I didn't have enough time to let it grow into the size it wanted to be. So I set it aside and started the round pendant (see previous blog post).

Fast forward a couple months and the as yet unfinished bracelet...determined to submit a completely new item to the recent gallery show, I took it out and let it reach it's destined size. It was kind of growing on me, but I probably won't attempt using these colors again anytime soon. Finished in time for the gallery jury day, I submitted it and it was accepted, and just a week later it sold to a lady from France ! And I'm happy to report, I've also sold a necklace I finished last December and three pairs of earrings ! I think my "year of inertia" has finally come to a close :-)

Friday, May 21, 2010

Water Falls Treasury


Another lovely treasury entitled "Water Falls" by Trinity Designer Jewellery features my "World on a String" necklace. I appreciate her efforts and artistic eye and wish I could reciprocate with a treasury of my own, but I have never been able to snag one...and I know how much fun it would be to make one !

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Necklace makes another treasury appearance


My Caribbean Sea Blues Necklace has made another appearance on Etsy, this time in a treasury entitled Blossoms Up by Lorraine ofTrinity Designer Jewellery. Enjoy the beauty of her selections ! Be sure to follow the link to the treasury, because I still haven't figured out how to get a screen cap of all four rows of a treasury :-(

Monday, April 19, 2010

EBW Spring Swap-Tale of Procrastination and Regret !





A couple months ago, an idea for a swap of beadwoven creations among members of the Etsy Beadweavers started to be tossed around. 12 members signed on and then the beading began. I received Laura Zeiner's name. I didn't know Laura, but she listed her preferences and said her favorite colors were earth tones...wouldn't you know, most of the bead colors in my stash are bright "jewel" tones like magenta, purple, royal blue...alot of black, gold and silver beads too. I had to search the stash for a few muted colors and thought about trying out a new beadweaving technique. I was curious about the spiral peyote stitch I had recently seen in Bead and Button and thought about creating a bracelet for her. I poured out the beads, got settled and time after time, got lost in the pattern and found myself ripping and restarting. For some reason, I couldn't wrap my brain around the directions, or the pattern just didn't present itself in the beadwork as I went. Oh, well, back to the drawing board.

After having procrastinated long enough on even starting the project, I found myself up against the deadline and feeling guilty. I tried a couple more designs, but they weren't interesting enough or shaping up properly. I had some round agate slices and one of them was in muted brown shades. I started beading around it in peyote stitch, switching bead sizes, but the edges were too wavy...more ripping ensued. Finally, the piece began to shape up, but I needed to finish and get it in the mail. I slipped it on a silver neck cable and packed it up to send, regretting that it was just a mere shadow of the project I had in mind initially. Fortunately, Laura wrote that it was beautiful and she loved it. Whew ! I hope she's not just being nice ! Please visit Laura's blog: Stick Lizard Designs and make sure to follow the link to her Etsy shop.

Today I received the swap item that was made for me by Hadass and was thrilled that she used my favorite color, magenta and that it fit perfectly. She added pearls which I never use, so I'm pleased to have some to wear. Please visit her blog: Spring Colors and make sure to check out her Etsy shop.

Thanks to Christine of Christine's Beadworks for keeping us all in the loop ! Please stop by her blog and see the beautiful mosaic of all the beadwoven creations made for the swap.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Mural Painter Seeks Donors


Through my Brazilian percussion band, Batala , I have connections to so many different people, events and projects. One of my Batala sisters passed on this plea for funds to help mural painter, Joel Bergner create a mural to raise awareness about domestic violence in our communities. I checked out his paintings and immediately fell in love with the bold colors and simplicity of line. I hope some of my friends will also appreciate his style and the seriousness of this issue and help see this project to its completion. If you would like to donate, please see the link in the upper corner of my blog and thanks so much !

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Triangle Time

Triangle Twister bracelet


My Triangle Twister bracelet was featured on this blog recently: Pardalote in an article about peyote triangles. Once you try them, they are definitely addicting. Took me forever to find a tutorial, finally located instructions in Carol Cypher's book: Mastering Beadwork.

Monday, March 8, 2010

I'm a Winner !


I got a message the other day from my fellow beadweaver and Facebook friend, AJ, telling me that I won a pair of her earrings ! I was so surprised because I didn't remember entering any contest, although I am a fan of her Facebook page, Earthe Fae Designs. The contest was open to all Facebook fans, and lo and behold, I won ! I can't wait to receive these lovely earrings. Thanks again, AJ ! Please take a look at some of the other beauties she has in her Etsy shop, Earthe Fae Designs.

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Tatting Addiction


Red Tatted Bracelet, originally uploaded by ambrosianbeads.

I haven't done any real beadweaving in ages it seems. It has to do with my emotional state during the divorce I just went through :-( However, I got a little kick in the creative pants, so to speak, by learning how to tat recently. The two basic design elements, ring and chain, are all I know, but I figured out how to link them along the edge and turn corners so I designed this bracelet with beads. This one I made for a friend for Valentine's Day. She has been an enormous source of support for me in the last year, and I wanted to present her with this little token of gratitude. She loved it !I've posted more bracelet photos on Flickr and will be listing a bracelet or two in my Etsy shop soon.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Treasuries !!!

"Red for You"

"Colors (5)"

Two days and two treasuries ! My Caribbean Sea Blues necklace and African Helix and Glass Pendant necklace were featured in treasuries ! Ileana of Enchanted Beads and Daniella of Daniellart were kind enough to include my two necklaces. Plus Ileana took the time to send me a full screenshot as I have practically given up figuring out how to get the entire treasury in a screenshot. Please click the links under the photos to go to the treasuries :-)