A trip to Arundel today to work in the office for a couple of days and my first task is opening the post.
This is always a treat as you never know what you're going to find!
Todays delights include the sets of beads for the next bead soup, pieces from Kerrie Slade which will appear as a project in our Colour Special (out in April 2010) and 4 lovely projects from Lynn Davy which are scheduled in up-coming issues.
After my trip away I'm fully back to work and issue 20 is nearing completion.
I previously wrote about taking project photos for this issue and my Crystal Geodes project.
Well, the pages are now all laid out and proofed and I can give you a sneak preview of how the main photos will look- not at all like the one I showed you!
It was decided that in the one I previewed the gold dish was so shiny that it became hard to see the actual beads/ charms and this one showed them off more.
Next week I will be filming them for Bead-TV as they will be one of the free projects to watch with issue 20.
Hope you enjoy beading them!
As much as I love working on Bead, when I visit the office and see such delights as this (which lights up) I do wish I worked on Dolls House World!
Jean Power
Editor of Bead
Lastly one with green beads:
I have now finished one of my red projects for our colour special. I can't finish the next one until I get hold of a nice, strong magnetic clasp. Then I just need to crack on with my fourth version- which will be red and green.
Red and green is a great example of a complementary colour scheme (using two colours opposite each other on a colour wheel) whilst the necklace I have finished is monochromatic (using just examples of one colour) and the unfinished one is analogous (using colours next to each other on the wheel, with this example using all the colours in the wheel.)
If you want some help coming up with a scheme then this is a great website.
As well as project photos, last Wednesday we also took lots of step-by-step photos for future projects.
In this photo I am using tiny cylinder beads to bead the two-needle right-angle-weave base for these Crystal Geodes which will feature as a project in issue 20 of Bead (out 20th January 2010.)
The finished project photo looks like this:
If you check back soon you'll get to see a sneak preview of the actual project laid out on the page.
Issue 19 of Bead hits the shops and letterboxes this week and it's a real jam-packed edition.
As well as all the finalist in the first ever British Bead Awards we have also crammed in 2 profiles, 13 projects and all of our usual articles and pages.
Amongst the projects we have three that are ideal for Christmas- one bauble, one card and one pair of earrings:
As well as a fantastic double project featuring two very different lariats based on the same techniques and an advanced crystal pendant from me:
In addition I'm pleased to announce our first ever additional free download project:
So make sure you get your copy to find out how to download yours.
Today was the main day for taking project photos for issue 20 of Bead (which will be out 20th January 2010.)
It is a taxing time as we work hard to choose the best props, backgrounds and colours to accompany each project, but we do have fun.
In this issue we have an earrings project which is based on miniature beaded pineapples. So of course the prop was obvious!
It took a lot of trial and error to get the photo right as the earrings are so small and the prop so large but after lots of experimentation with placement such as you can see in these photos:
I think you'll agree the results were worth it:
It is hard to believe that those first two pictures turn into the page you see in the third photo. That is the magic of the hard work put in by our page designer who transforms the words and photos into the fantastic layouts on each page.
I'm still working away on my series of herringbone ropes for our special "Colour" issue- due out in April 2010.
I have almost finished my red and mixed colours version (it just needs the hidden clasp added) and am now beading my all reds version.
After this I will bead one with red and it's complementary colour- green.
After the exciting news a couple of days ago, about an additional Big Bead Show, I actually have some more news I can finally reveal- in 2010 there will be even more of Bead to love!
We are increasing the amount of times we're published from 6 times a year to 8- this means we get to have an extra 2 issues in which to bring you the best of the Uks beaders, bead makers and projects.
The first extra issue will appear in April and will have the theme of "Colour"
In addition to lots of articles on using colour, with tips from all of your favourite designers, there will be some specially commissioned projects which show you the best way to use colour in all aspects of your work.
I'm especially pleased about this as I have been busy working on my own personal Colour Challenge and hope I can let you know more about what I have learnt.
My project for this issue will be one that's a huge favourite of mine and one that I'm working on at the moment. It's a herringbone rope with an ingenious (if I do say so myself!) hidden clasp so that any part of it can be worn at the front.
It's a great project for playing around with colour and as I'm working with reds at the moment I plan to bead three different variations all in red- check back soon to see how I get on- and also to find out more about our second extra issue!
Jean Power
