Bead Blog

Beading in the snow

This weather is terrible! But I guess being snowed in is a good excuse to get the kettle on, get your beads out and snuggle down on the sofa with a good project. Unless you are the unfortunate beader I met on facebook who has been snowed out of her studio!

I was lucky enough to have a workshop with the lovely and very talented Sabine Little on Monday. I spent a very chilly day learning how to make glass beads and I have to say that I am now hooked!

It was a close call me actually getting there however. Sabine lives in a picturesque village just north of Sheffield and it had snowed again earlier that morning. Needless to say the weather combined with my lack of directional skills meant I was quite late getting there! I’m waiting to see how my beads have turned out as they had to go in the kiln. Can’t wait! You can read more about my workshop experience with Sabine in a future issue of Bead.

I think I left Sheffield just in time as the weather has taken a massive turn for the worse. Sabine is now completely snowed in! I am now sat in my office back in Arundel watching the snow building up outside and thinking about getting home to the warm (and my beads!). I’ve got several beading pieces on the go at the moment including some new projects for Bead which I’m looking forward to getting my teeth into when I get home!

It’s been a busy month (as you can tell by my lack of blogging woops!) Issue 27 came out last week and is packed full of lots of fabulous projects, with a real variety in techniques - from chainmaille to polymer clay and of course the ever popular beadweaving projects. Fiona Abel-Smith’s beautiful ‘Four In One Necklace’ is our cover piece for this issue. It works perfectly with her dramatic handmade focal beads. I’ve already had comments about these and you can learn how to make them yourself in Issue 29!

     

Bead’s website has a fresh new look. You can now shop a lot more easily and there are lots of new beady products (just in time for Christmas!) If you missed the fab ‘Gone Beading’ bags at the Big Bead Show you can now get yours online.

Don’t forget to check out the current issue (27) for all the lowdown from The Big Bead Show as well as to see winning entries from the British Bead Awards.

Keep warm and keep beading!

X Chloe X

 

 

Inspiration Anywhere

I am away for a few days at the moment and have taken some beadwork with me.

This current piece is inspired by Miriam Haskell and a leather piece I once saw so it has changed somewhat.

But in the shower this evening I spotted its resemblance to the shower hose and head!

Ever been inspired by anything strange?

Jean Power

Editor of Bead

Great Minds Think Alike

The idea of Beader's Block (similar to writer's blockbut  with more colour!) has been on my mind a lot recently. Not only do I feel as though I've been suffering from it for months but I also am planning on writing about it in issue 25 of Bead.

In each issue of Bead we feature our "Readers' Polls" (where we ask questions on our forum and print your answers and comments) and our "Top Tips" where I let you know my top 5 tips on a certain subject.

So, for issue 25 I thought I would combine the 2 areas and have them both about the same subject- "how do you deal with beader's block?"

Off I headed to our forum and soon saw that one reader was having just the same thoughts and had posted her own thread on the subject- perfect timing!

So, if you want to join in with her thread, or the polls (and here) visit our forum to have your say.

As I said I seem to have been suffering from it recently and although I have been beading and working away it is on items where I have a specific deadline or agenda- none of "my own work".

Until today that is. All it took was someone to mention the name Miriam Haskell and I remembered a diamond and leather bracelet of hers that I always wanted to bead a variant on. The words joined with a deadline were all I needed- inspiration had struck and off I go!

Jean Power

Getting It Right

Getting a copy of a magazine done can be a very involved process. When that magazine involves actual instructions that people will follow there's a whole other layer of work!

Since day one of Bead I have always ensured that one of my main priorities is that the instructions for each project we feature are right.

Fortunately I am not only an editor but also a designer and maker so, unlike many editors who are just editors, writing and following beading or jewellery-making instructions is not alien to me!

To help make sure the instructions work I have added in lots of little steps which help along the way.

Each and every project we feature is checked out by me, a proof-reader (who is also a designer and maker) and the actual project designer.
As incredible as it may seem, many other magazines never show the project designer how their project will look before it appears on their pages or ask them to check it over- which frequently leads to big errors.

No project goes to print until we are all happy with every aspect of it even if this does often mean our poor page designer has to redo and redo pages as we add in more diagrams, squeeze in extra tips or just feel that the layout needs to change to help clarity.
Many other magazines work the oopposite way and squeeze projects to fill a set number of steps (usually 6, 9 or 12) or pages. Easier work for the magazine team but not so good for the readers!

Another part of making sure the instructions are right is actually getting out my needles and thread (or pliers, clay etc) and doing it for myself.

Issue 22 features a great project based on beading strips and interweaving them together to form a beaded bracelet.

               

Although the project itself isn't too hard and just involves peyote stitch, the instructions are indepth and I wanted to make sure readers who may not have tackled something like this before dove in and had a go. So I decided to add in an extra 4 pages and 12 diagrams on top of what the designer had given us.

And of course to make sure they all worked I had to get my beads out and do it myself...

And I'm pleased to sy they work!

Even More Bangles

Ever since I beaded the first of my RAW bangles back in December I've been itching to make some more.

Tody I finished my 4th one which uses the same main seed beads as all the others but a different feature bead.

I eventually want around 15 so whilst it may be a while before I reach that amount I'm getting there now with 4!

These will be a project in issue 21 of Bead which is out March 17th 2010.

Red, Red And More Red

Issue 22 of Bead has the theme "colour" and one of my projects for it is these herringbone ropes with a hidden clasp.

This is one of my favourite projects to make and I have had fun beading three more variations which tie in with my personal Colour Challenge as I'm beading them all in colour schemes where red is the dominant colour

The latest one I'm working on mixes red and green- look out for issue 22 where you get to see the 5 I've beaded in all their glory.

Missing Bead Mojo

I seem to not have done much beading so far this year and it took me a little while to work out why that was. I realised that both of the main projects I have on the go at the moment (a beaded snake and a beaded sea urchin) had reached the point where I needed to take my scissors to them and start again.

I hate this bit so was obviosuly delaying doing so- with the result that no beading was being done at all.

So, I decided to take myself in hand and knuckle down and do it. But then reaslised that I couldn't actually find the essential beads for my urchin- so beading mojo gone again.

Instead I have lots of wirework I need to get on with for a class I'm teaching soon so finished off this wirework bangle instead.

Avatar

The snow is still seriously affecting a lot of the UK and Bead's offices have been shut for a few days because of it.

I'm still here in snowy London and sneaked off today to go and see the movie Avatar

Although the film is set in 2154 I was pleased to see that beadwork and macrame were still being used!

You can see some of the costumes from the film here though my favourite- a large chest covering piece isn't there. I'm debating the idea as a future project for Bead...

Wirework Day

Although my main job is editing Bead I still work as a teacher, designer and author- all bead and jewellery related I'm pleased to say.

Today I'm chopping and changing between jobs on Bead (issue 20 is about to go to the printers and I'm working on issues 21, 22 and 23) and preparing last minute samples and instructions for a weekend residential Wirework Projects Class which is in a couple of weeks.

 

I have taught at this residential school a few times before and it's always a treat. Not only do you get more time to spend on actually making, but add to that good food, lovely surroundings and opportunities to relax with everyone in the evenings, and a good time is had by all.

Christmas beading- or not

I'm away from home at the moment so don't have all my stash and supplies with me. I was excitedly beading a lovely snake ring from Sharon Erwine but the reel of thread I bought with me keeps breaking so I've had to abandon that unfortunately.

I did try to struggle on determined to get some beading in but after the thread snapped for the 5th time I realised it was pointless. Not only would I end up spending 4x the time beading the piece but I would never be able to wear it.

I also brought with me some origami and other paper kits but need glue and craft knives for them which of course I didn't bring- typical!
So instead I'm working away on diagrams and instructions for issue 21 of Bead- and itching to get home to my beads!

Jean Power