Playing With Wire

 

My daughter and I are fascinated with wire.  We’ve been playing with it for weeks, finding out what it can do and what we cannot force it to do.  This week, in addition to our experiments, we made three projects.  I don’t have pictures of my daughter’s projects, but here are mine.

First, we made a butterfly out of wire. It was pretty easy, just some spirals wired together.  We used Beadsmith silver craft wire, 18 gauge, wrapped with 24 gauge.

Then we made simple rings with some beads.  I used 3mm Swarovski crystals in turquoise with 21 gauge copper wire.  The lesson we used is called 3-Bead Hammered Ring, but I used 5 beads in mine.  This was the first time that I hammered a ring to make it harder, and we were both surprised at how much harder the metal got!

Then, we made a ring called The Wave.  This one gave me some difficulty.  The instructions were great, but I think it’s a little above my level right now.  My ring definitely doesn’t look like the one in the tutorial, lol.  But I’m wearing it, so it’s not that bad.  I managed to make it the right size, and to smooth out all the ends inside so that it isn’t scratchy on my finger.  I used Beadsmith square craft wire, 21 gauge, in silver and antique bronze.

Now I’m going to try making a beaded rosette.  My boyfriend’s sister wants an ohm symbol, and she wants it to be round.  I found a really nice picture of one, and I have the Easy Bead Pattern software, so I put it in there.  It’s a free program, check it out. 

First I tried peyote stitch, but none of the shapes in the picture were coming out correctly, so I switched over to rosette stitch.  It looks great, but I’ve never done this stitch before.  It’s kind of like bead embroidery, done in circles.  I’ll give it a try and see what happens.  It looks like I’m going to have to use a million beads, though.

What do you have on your beading table?

Cat 

Busy Day

 

After losing my muse for such a long time, I’ve been back in the mood with a vengeance the past few days.  I finally finished my Czech tile bracelet, and I love it!  Beside the tiles, I used some reddish Czech size 11 seeds, gold size 15 seeds, and 4mm gold Swarovski pearls.  It’s too big for me, though.  I always do that when I make bracelets.  I underestimate the size of the clasp.  Plus I have a very small wrist.  Oh, well, it’ll either be given away or sold, and I’ll make myself another one.  I want to try and write down the thread path I used, also, so that I don’t forget how I made it. I added a magma color Swarovski heart to the clasp.  It matches the red in the beads perfectly.

I’ve also made a few pairs of earrings.  I made the ones with the green Swarovski margheritas that I’ve been planning to make.  I also made two other pairs.  One is made with some black and gold wooden beads that I found at the bead shop, and the other is made with a milky white pair of beads that was in their bead soup mix, so I don’t know what they are.  They’re kind of hard to see.  I couldn’t get a good picture of them, even using a dark background.  I’ll try again tomorrow outside, maybe that will help.

I’m so glad to be beading again and enjoying it!  I missed it so much.  Maybe having my new wallboard helped me out.  It really does make me feel like I have a little studio, even though everything is really in a small 4x3 foot space in the corner of my bedroom.

Well, I’m going to get back to beading while I’m still in the mood for it!  Maybe I’ll have some more pictures in a few days.

Cat 

More Storage

 

Look what my boyfriend put up for me yesterday!  Lots more storage!  My neighbor was giving away the pegboards, and we got a beginner set of hooks and storage stuff at Lowes.  Isn’t this cool?

I can hang everything up where I can see it easily, and get to it quickly.  He is so good to me.

Now I just need to see which hooks and accessories I use the most so that I can buy more of the ones I like.

And on the bottom right, you can see my current work in progress, a Czech tile bracelet which I will hopefully be finishing today and have pics to show soon.

Cat 

A Bargain at Any Price

 

Head on over to Jen’s blog, The Cheeky Kea, to find a good short read.  She tells us why buying handmade jewelry (handmade anything, really) is such a great bargain!

It’s a good thing we all love what we do, because very few of us are going to become millionaires from it.  I’m happy if I can just keep buying more supplies.

Speaking of supplies on hand, since I’m sharing links today, Operation Tackle That Bead Stash is a great blog that does exactly what it says.  Sarah helps you to use up the supplies you already have before you go out and buy more. (well, except for those times when you really can’t hold yourself back, haha)  And even gives you a chance to earn prizes while using up your stash!  Plus there’s great eye candy from some very talented beaders.  If you haven’t visited yet, you should check it out.

Cat 

Finally, Some Prototypes

 

After all my agonizing, I did finally come up with a couple of things to do with my tile beads.  I’m still experimenting, but the more I work with them, at least I’m learning which thread paths are possible with these.

The first one I made is part of a bracelet.  You don’t want to see the earlier attempts that got me here.   But at least I ended up with something I like, and I may even embellish it some more if I can figure out how.  Here is what the piece of it looks like so far.  Not too bad.

Then I attempted a beaded bead inspired by Anna Elizabeth Draeger’s bangle bracelet design in the latest B&B.  This is actually embellished cubic RAW.  The cubic RAW is Anna’s, the embellishments are mine.  I think I’ll be taking this one apart.  It doesn’t seem very useful.  I’ll wait awhile though, you never know.  I may need a rectangular bead for something.

I know the pictures are phooey.  That’s the problem with having my photo studio downstairs, and having to set the whole thing up every time I use it.  I never get down there and do it.  I just go for the quick pic upstairs on the bead mat.  I can be so lazy sometimes.  Oh, well, you still get the idea of what I’m working on.

I like working with these beads better than I do the Tilas, though.  The walls are thicker, so I don’t have to worry about them chipping when I make multiple thread passes.  And I like the Picasso finishes.  I don’t like the ones I’ve seen that appear to be metal-finished.  They look like someone gave them a coat of metallic spray paint, and it doesn’t look like it will last very long.

Cat 

Where’s My Muse?

 

Aaaack!  For days I’ve been playing around with my new Czech two-hole beads, trying to make a bracelet design.  Except nothing is working out.  Every design seems to look good in my head or on paper, and then when I start fiddling with the beads it just doesn’t look like what I’d imagined.  Or it doesn’t hold together firmly.  Or it looks like a design I’ve already seen.  I love these beads!  I want to make something with them so badly.

I guess I really only have a few choices.  Keep fiddling around and see if something useful comes out of it.  Move on to another project until my mind clears, and bring these beads out another day.  Buy a Tila project and work on it to get my juices started. 

I’ll probably end up doing all of those things.     Right now I just feel desperate and frustrated.

What do you do when you want to use a particular bead or type of bead but it doesn’t want to cooperate?

Cat 

Finished!

 

I finally finished my little box!  I’m quite happy with it too.  It’s from Julia Pretl’s book, Little Bead Boxes. This link is to a newer edition than mine.  The book I used had 4 boxes in it, this one has 12. It looks like she also added more shape variations and more pattern designs. There are also additional patterns on her website.

It took a long time.  I didn’t keep track, but I’d say there’s at least 20 hours of work in it.  And I’m not a slow beader.

I used doubled Nymo, so the sides are quite stiff and don’t need any extra reinforcement.  But I normally bead with very tight tension.  If you tend to bead with looser tension, use something like Fireline. And I’d still double it.

The diamonds pattern wasn’t hard to follow, but for the lid I got to a point where the pattern wasn’t working as written, so I just had to wing it.  I’d done enough of it by then to know how to make it work though. 

It was also difficult getting the handle bead on the lid.  My needle broke in half, and I just kept using it that way because it was actually easier with a shorter needle, but I was terrified of breaking another bead while weaving in.  I might even wire on the top handle bead next time. There is a small open circle at the point where you begin the lid, so wiring the handle on wouldn’t be difficult. (haha, now that I’ve discovered wire, I want to add it to everything! Maybe I can wire the feet on too.)

As I said before, add the feet before you start the sides.  It would just make it easier to weave them in without hitting the sides or trying to get your fingers inside the box.

I broke about 8 beads during the process. Every bead that broke was a matte bead. They seem to be thinner. I’d skip using matte beads and stick with the opaques. Julia even tries to tell you this, but of course I didn’t listen.

I only charged $60 for it.  If I’d known how long it was going to take, I’d have charged more. Ah, well, live and learn.

Also, buy extra beads of the main color, in my case black.  Since the entire bottom is black, I went through one and a half 10 gram tubes of black delicas.  The pattern only called for 7 grams.

I only spilled my beads once during the entire time I was working on it. 

Could a beginner make this project?  Maybe a very determined one, but I’d say no.  You need a good understanding of peyote and structural beading.

Would I make another one?  I sure will! Julia provides blank graphs, so I look forward to making my own designs.  I also want to try some of the shapes in the newer book.

I can’t think of anything I left out.  Leave a comment if you have a question, and I’ll answer it.  The answer will also be in the comments, so you’ll have to check back for it.

Now on to my next project.  I’m making a wired amethyst pendant for a friend’s birthday.  It’s coming along smoothly, but I hit a brick wall with three wires left to play with. I’m tired of spiral embellishments, need to try something else.  I don’t want to just cut them off, because there is a small flaw in the stone that I want to cover up. So I set it aside for the night, maybe I’ll get a grand idea in one of my dreams.

Cat 

Almost There!

 

I am almost done with my little box.  I only have to add some finishing touches to the lid and the rim of the box, then add a handle to the lid and I’m done!  The lid even fits properly on the inside rim that I made for it. The entire box is very firm and sturdy.

I already have the beads that I’m using for the handle, so tomorrow is the day.  I’ll finish it up and then have a photo of the completed project to show you.  I’ll also share my feelings about the whole process, and whether or not I’ll ever make one again.

I can’t wait!  I’d finish it now but I’m too tired at the moment.

Cat 

It Has Feet

 

Slowly but surely, my little box is getting done.  It has feet!  And that was no small task, let me tell you.  If I ever make another one, I am putting the feet on before I even begin the sides.  It would be so much easier that way.

I’ve also begun working on the lid.  You can see the little piece of it there in front of the box.  I can’t wait to finish it!  I just hope I do the lid and the rest of the base correctly so that it all fits together. 

 

I also made a pair of earrings.  I love these earrings!  They are so flashy, and I just adore bling.  They are made totally of Swarovski crystals, so I had a hard time trying to get a clear picture of them.  But I got one, so here they are.

I think I’m going to make another pair using green crystals.  They’ll be great for St. Patrick’s Day.

 

Cat 

Random Questions!

 

I feel like blogging, but I have no idea what to blog about today.  So I went to the Googles, typed in ‘random questions’, and actually found a blog by that name!  It is, if you haven’t guessed already, filled with questions just waiting for answers.  So I thought I would answer a few and see what happens.  I picked her question list from March 28, 2007.  So here goes:

Have you ever met an internet friend in real life?  Yes, but I’m not allowed to say who it was, by their request. Suffice to say it was a very pleasant meeting.

Have you ever been in the newspaper: your photo or something you’ve written?  Yes, I was in a Cotillion (kind of like a coming-out party/dance) when I was a teenager.  The whole group of us had our photo in the paper.

Would you rather dress up or dress casually when going out with friends or your husband?  Casually, always.

What are three things you’ve got planned for today?  Work on my little beaded box, teach my daughter some basics of wirework, take a nap

Have you ever won a trophy? What for?  No

What kind of music do you dislike most?  Has to be a tie between rap and hip-hop

Are you registered to vote?  No, I’m not able to register, due to our laws.  I wish I could vote.  Everybody who can should take full advantage of the privilege.

What do you do if you can’t sleep at night? Do you count sheep, get up and do something else, or toss and turn?   I usually read on the internet until I fall asleep, or if I really can’t sleep I get up and bead.

What is your favorite pizza?  Hawaiian

What kind of water do you drink? (tap, flavored, bottled, etc.)  Tap

What shoes do you regularly wear?  sneakers

What is your favorite thing to do on a rainy day?  make jewelry

When was the last time you were sick?  with a cold? I can’t remember, it’s been very long.  With a chronic illness? always (i.e. chronic).

Does your DH / SO workout? Regularly? Not so regularly? What does he do for exercise?  Yes, he works out three times a week

If you had a choice of birthday cakes, what kind would you want someone to make for you?  Fudge lava cake.  I love chocolate.

When hanging around the house, do you wear shoes, go barefoot, wear socks, or wear slippers? socks, fuzzy ones with rubber treads 

What one thing would you really like to own? Why?  My house.  I would like it to be paid off so that I wouldn’t have a mortgage payment every month.  The good news: It’ll be paid off when I’m 60 years old.  The bad news: That’s not all that far away.  Only seven years to go!

Okay, the list got too long so I skipped a few questions.  I should have picked a shorter list.  And now you know a whole lot of useless stuff about me.  Except what to buy me for my birthday.  Fuzzy socks or chocolate. 

Cat