Garden Stripes String-Along

Garden Stripes String-Along finished about a month ago, but time is all of our hardest design elements.  Some people are still working on their first necklace and a few have finished both necklaces.  I'm retired and I find I have even less time than when I had a family, job and large house..... It happens.

My first necklace had a light background - now see how others colored the patterns.

Wendy Pagent used very similar colors and did a nice bright spring-like necklace. I especially like the pop of light lime in the trellis sections.

We had a few members get overly ambitious. It amuses me as I can see myself doing the same and starting 3 necklaces in different color combinations.  The impulse didn't last too long, but will grow over time, I'm sure.

Susan Kirby did a dark background and although it's all the same patterns it has a totally different feel to it.  The two necklaces together make a nice statement piece.

Then we have Marsha Brown's necklace, singular.  She crocheted both of the necklaces together as a single piece.   She's enjoying being able to have a variety of lengths by how many times she doubles it over her head.

This is also a beautiful set of colored patterns in a mix of light & dark backgrounds.


I seem way behind finishing up things to get an e-book of the patterns done.  I'm not complaining, but RA health issues as well as cumulative years on this planet sure slows a body way down.  Meanwhile, enjoy these excellent examples of what people can do with beads, thread and a crochet hook.

No dogs, No cats, No birds

I say that I don't have pets, but this Cactus Wren sure makes herself right to home.  If I happen to leave the back door open she flies in, down the hall and gets a drink from the kitchen sink.  Then she diligently checks all of the window sills for spiders and bugs.  

Yesterday she visited and saw the tray of seed beads on the work table.

 She landed, pecked and went scratch, scratch, scratch - oh my, seed beads all over the place!
       I yelled
              she left in a hurry
                      I cleaned up!
Guess they were not good to eat but, sure looked like a pile of seed.

These are new etched size 8/0 Czech seed beads from Bead & Glass.
Aren't they beautiful beads? Amy panders to my seed bead needs.



I Should have been working on this, the next section for Garden Stripes String-Along.  I just had to see if the etched 8's looked like I envisioned when they were strung and crocheted.

Yes, I do get easily distracted, however at least I didn't reorganize my underwear drawer this time.

Garden Stripes is closed

The String-Along is fully subscribed and is closed.  

Now we begin.....

We are all looking at colors and trying to come up with a set that we think will work.  I said "3 graduated light or dark colors for the trellis".  One participant said her work table looked like it exploded with green bead colors and she still couldn't find what she wanted.  

How often do you look at the beads you own and determine that a shopping trip is needed because you don't have the right color? 

Garden Stripes Registration

It's time to sign up for this journey of discovery.
Gremlin/problem with PayPal button fixed - 12:30 AZ time

Sign-Ups are now closed as of Friday, October 23, 2015

Check out more information as to what we are going to be doing on this flyer . . . .

Garden Stripes Flyer

It will cost you $38 to join and crochet two ropes that have no patterns yet.  What do you think . . . a dark background or a nice pearl background?  You get to make all sorts of color choices - or use my colors.

This is a ten week project for the intermediate to advanced slip-stitch bead crocheter.  There will be no how to bead crochet instructions. However, when we're done, you'll be very comfortable adding in thread and beads as well as working from sectional graphs or charts. 

READY.........                  

                                .... then let the fun begin

Garden Stripes ~ String-Along

We are about to embark on another String Along.  This string-along will take its inspiration from a cottage garden. There will be two 45" necklaces, designed, strung and crocheted in multiple sections over an approximate 10 week period. I have ideas, but nothing has been designed yet - that's why this is a "string along with me" as I create week by week.

Find out the details in this PDF Flyer

Garden Stripes Flyer

There will be trellises to hold up vines and serve as a background for all the flowers. Then there will be flowers, lots of brightly colored flowers to plant on one of your necklaces.

Will you make a pale necklace set, a bold dark background set or create your garden in never before seen neon colors? We are going to talk about our inspirations, ideas and colors on a FaceBook Group.

So mark your calendars to sign up on October 20, 2015.  We'll be starting the actual crocheting on Halloween weekend, October 30th.  Room is limited to 40 participants, with preference given first to the last group of crocheters.

Garden Stripes

 I know I want a pearl background but am having trouble finding the right colors for a graduated trellis.  If I can get it all worked out, and the hands continue good, there will be a Garden Stripes String-Along.

Picking colors is always the hardest thing to do.  There are times that I think I'll just sort and re-sort beads rather than make anything with them.

I'd better hurry up as I have to take the car in for a recall fix tomorrow and I need something to crochet while I'm waiting.

I'll keep you updated as I get closer to having something ready to go - hopefully starting around Halloween.   Watch the Blog and FaceBook.

Printed Native Stripes

As of July 5, 2015 it's live on Amazon and you can purchase your own printed copy ... enjoy

Give it a week and the last of the String Along files will be ready to have printed copies from Amazon.  I'm just waiting for a proof copy.  This is still one of my happy pieces even if I've seen ropes done in elegant colors.  You can see what others have done on Pinterest.

I'll let you know when it's ready

Book organization

Patterns & Graphing went out of print last year and I've finally gotten a printed republished edition up on Amazon.

You can also get an eBook copy from Bead-Patterns.  The nice thing about eBooks is that you can print out individual pages to scribble notes on.

And the prices have gone down also.





Urban Stripes has been an eBook for some time now, but I finally got the higher resolution photos together to do a POD edition on Amazon.

I personally still like paper copies of patterns, beading and other books.  
Amazon printed copy is here



When I did my first Bead Crochet book 14 years ago, I thought it might be just a 30 day wonder. Digital cameras were new and expensive, there were no Print-on-Demand services and downloads were scarce. I'm amazed (and grateful) that sales of all of my books continue as new beaders discover what they can do with bead crochet.

African Stripes

I don't move as fast as I once did, but it's still fun to dream up patterns in this technique.

Circus Bangles

Cleanup Distraction

 I almost got this written this afternoon except my Boyfriend yelled that he could see smoke and a possible fire across the wash from the house.  Right now it's so dry and brush fires in Arizona can quickly burn out of control.  Stay tuned for an update.....

As I was cleaning up the studio work table to host a couple of visiting bead people, I threw all larger loose beads onto a tray.


I kept thinking, "what a nice combination."

The idea bulb went on...... I'd clean a bit, string a few beads from the tray, put a few beads away and string a few more beads.   

A messy work surface does say creativity, doesn't it?  Grab the crochet hook and see what it looks like as a single crocheted chain.

Not bad....

I'll unravel this first attempt as I need to figure out how to even out the chain tension.  Some areas bunch up into over large picots and others have too much cord showing between beads.  

I think it's a quick, fun way to use up odds and ends of beads and add some fun to an outfit.  

It's about 10 days to leaving for New Hampshire for the summer.  Please tell me the snow and mud season has left the East Coast.

Given what needs to be done before packing the car, I've put the moth sculpture away for 6 months.  I did see an oriental running stitch quilting technique that might look great on these wings.

Well.... the moth project is  now packed away for after Thanksgiving when I get back to Arizona.  For the moment all of the pieces and odd other bits are in one box waiting.

I unearthed another project that needs more research.  I was playing with the possibility of paper jewelry and put it aside when I noticed that the edges of the paper were badly fraying. I need to find a sealant for the paper that leaves it still feeling like paper and not stiff wood.  This took me back to my summer camp days. Did you ever make lanyards as a child?

I'll have an idea, try it, reject it and put the project tray aside for another while. The potato starch was interesting, but what a mess it made.  I would have been better off making potato soup with it.  

You sure can find a lot of possibilities waiting to happen when you deep clean a studio.  Let's see... there are 2 sliced up billiard balls, a box of rusty flea market keys, Arizona Artifacts waiting to be made into a unique pendant, A bead crochet large cuff bracelet waiting for more pieces of rope,  and tubes of seed beads everywhere.

Waiting for Rain in Arizona

You can smell the rain in the dry desert air.  The wind is gusting, making things rattle, squeak and moan outside.   It isn't too often that the forecast says 100% chance of rain around here.  Yet, there is still a possibility that it won't rain at my house but will rain a quarter mile down the road.







Tombstone's historic courthouse waiting for rain as it looks from my back porch this morning.  The clouds are rolling by quite fast and the wind is pushing the winter bare tree branches around.  I can see some of the birds flapping like crazy against the wind but not going much of anywhere.

It's going to be a good afternoon to turn the space heater on and work on some beadwork.  I have some light ecru pearl 8/0's out for a background.  Now I need 5 spring flower colors.  I have a matte green for leaves and a good yellow.  I need to root around for 4 more colors that makes you think of specific flowers.

Sometimes I think the hardest part of any project  is deciding on what colors to use

I guess you could say that March is coming in like a lion here in Southern Arizona.

It's live on Amazon

It's live - it's up on Amazon..... and they've discounted it.....

Republished Edition of Bead Crochet Ropes 

Also, you can now purchase this republished print version in England and the rest of Europe through Amazon.

If you've just discovered bead crochet, or wanted your own copy, here is your chance.  If you are one of the people who teach and have asked me for copies, you can wholesale order copies through Create Space, Amazon's POD subsidiary.

Now I'm off to a couple of Tucson's Gem & bead shows.  I need a pearilized 8/0 bead for the next String-Along - Garden Stripes - ready to go about Feb 15th.

Bead Crochet Ropes Republished

Republished edition of the original 2002 booklet.

will be available through Amazon's print-on-demand services in about 5 days. 

It will also be on Amazon Great Britain and Europe.

This is an exact reprint so the original tips and material information will not be current.  As the printing process is different, it's on different paper and had a long printing history, the price has been changed to $16.25.  The core information, clear how-to photos and patterns are still some of the best out there on the bead crochet technique. If you want to learn, this is how-to-do-it.  

So keep an eye on Amazon, but make sure it's the "republished edition"  

The price on the eBook has also been lowered if you like digital editions.

The eBook is on Bead-Patterns.

                                          ENJOY

Moths, Books & Beading

Well, I have a real mess of fabrics, paper patterns, old shoe laces, wire, beads and this huge reference book of moth photos that are larger than life sized -- way larger.  However, I have no soft sculpted moths yet.  I've been bending up wire, trying to figure a stable way to embed 6 moth legs in the middle of a stuffed cloth body.  So far all of my moth bodies wobble and promptly fall over.  So back to the drawing board as I really want legs on my moths.

As I travel around, running errands, I've been crocheting.  No, I've not been doing the driving!  Here is my Sister's "essence of snake" lariat that needs only another couple of inches to be done.  It sure does have that look of snake.  In the background is a pile of bracelets waiting to be joined.  I love everything but the bracelet joining.  It's right up there with doing my IRS taxes and I can procrastinate on both things almost forever.

Bead Crochet Ropes is the first book that I published, 11 years ago.  It's been out of print for some time now with only an eBook version.  I've had so many requests from different people, bead stores and bead crochet teachers for a print copy.

My Graphic Artist daughter has changed software 3 times and now lives half a country away in Chicago.  We've worked out the conversions, tweaked layout and photos back into place and as soon as Amazon's Print-on-Demand agency quits fiddling about the correct ISBN #,  there will be a republished, ink on paper book once again.  I'm in hopes of seeing something in 10 days to 2 weeks.  Cross your fingers.  The paper won't be as nice and it's one of those instant print processes .... so the price will be a lot lower at $16.95.  I've also changed the eBook price on Bead-Patterns.com.

I've been told that the set of how-to photos are some of the best out there for learning (or reviewing) the technique.   This edition is an exact republication of the original book.  Many things have changed over the past 11 years, however I've left the original information exactly as it was originally printed.

If you have an original copy, you may want one of these to cut apart and make notes on the pages.

I have a treat coming up as I'm heading North to bead with long time beading friends for a day or two.  It will be nice to see everybody and even better to share creative solutions.  I hope they help and push me further along the Moth pathway.

Cold Season's Greetings

As the year turns, we start waiting for the light to return.....

With the Winter Solstice upon us, I want to take this opportunity to wish my family, friends &; followers a peaceful Solstice time and a happy and prosperous 2013.

"The time has come," the Walrus said,

"To talk of many things:Of cabbages--and kings-- 

Lewis Carroll

I realize that I've been very quiet these past 7 to 8 months.  So ...... here is the story in brief.  I'm going to step back, slow down and take life a bit easier.

Being diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis has left me confused in both mind and body. I went from not being able to do anything to a shadowy existence. It's not easy to make up new habits and ways of life at age 70. As one of my sisters said, "you had the good times, now you're freaking old so get used to it!"  Medication has been holding the major symptoms at bay but leaves me tired and sometimes thinking impaired.  Beyond that I have reclaimed an almost decent normal life with the help of a dear companion who puts up with my nasty attacks, washes dishes and will drive me anywhere. He is a comfort and a luxury I can't do without these days. 

Where am I in beading and creativity.  I can no longer travel to teach.  I can (and will) do small in-studio sessions by prior arrangement.  I will continue to publish patterns and pattern sets.  However one major side effect of the medications is a worsening of the terrible procrastination  symptoms.  It just seems to take me three to four times longer to get anything done.  I'm going to attempt to do another Spring String-Along; "Garden Stripes".   Bear with me, please -- I have the ideas, it's just getting them diagramed, written up and the samples crocheted.  Instead of 7 days between sections, it could be 10 days. Anyone want to trade comma, spelling, graph and grammar proofing for a string-along spot?  I have one valued helper in Terri, but a backup wouldn't hurt.  

The beading mess is normal, alive and multiplying.

I can't not create - it's who and what I am.  It just cannot go back to a full time job with all-nighters to get to shows or workshops. Hold on -- I may take more exploratory side trips and become another Grandma Moses.  Who knows what the future will bring.  I'm sure going to find out as soon as I get things more organized.  

I'll still be around, more in the background, but doing something.  If you are in Southern Arizona or South New Hampshire for a couple more summers;  get in touch and let me set up a more private workshop for you in my studio.  

Fragments, Shards or Artifacts

I finally caught up with Lulu Fitcher in her West Peterborough  NH Studio and enjoyed an hour or so browsing through her pots, buttons and other neat ceramics.

She had a large jar of broken pot bits and here is what I came home with.  Can you see these backed with gold lame and freeform beading around them?

Modern archaeological artifacts?

 I first saw Lulu's ceramics at the LNHC Fair several years ago and have wanted her to do some small pieces for bead embroidery ever since that time.   Turns out all I had to do was root in her artifact jar.  












This is what happens when one of her unglazed porcelain fragments meets a bead crochet rope.

 

Circus Bangle ~ String-Along

Julie's Cartwheel with Magatamas

Barbara's Ringmaster

 The String-Along is finished and participants are finishing up their Summer Bangle sets.  There are some beautiful bead and color combinations coming to light.



Julid used Magatamas for her edge beads and it reminds me of an overshot waterwheel. One could come up with some very interesting bangles this way.

Linda's Ringmaster

Roberta's Ringmaster

Terri's Ringmaster

Toni's glowing Ringmaster

The blue and white center pattern gives this a 4th of July Carnival look, doesn't it?
















Linda needed only a partial pattern repeat to size her bangle correctly.  An added patch of solid black gives this a personal touch.














Just great circus colors in Roberta's bangle.















An invisible join is not always the answer.  A well done beaded bead works beautifully here.

















Toni wasn't terribly happy with her colors.... however I love them.  Maybe being in High School in the early 60's when kelly green and dark blue were popular had something to do with this.



Give everybody a big hand as you enjoy their circus colors.

You can crochet your own Circus now
with the pattern set at Bead Patterns.

Shaped Beads in Bead Crochet

I've been doing a Circus Bangle String-Along for the past month using shaped Czech beads on one edge of each bangle.  While I've used most of these beads before, I've never paired them with #10 Delicas and used them one right after the other.  

While all of them worked well, some worked better than others.  Also, different manufacturers will have shaped beads that are slightly different sizes.  If you are going to use beads like this, it makes sense to test or swatch your work before you put a lot effort into making a piece.

Daggers are an almost-work bead. Some of the bases are just enough larger that the tend to flop over instead of standing straight up.  Also, the wide part can be wide enough to touch or overlap, allowing the edge beads to ruffle.  It's not a bad thing, but may not be what you expect.

Drops, the right size drops work beautifully as they have nice pointy bottom edges that fit into the crochet work. However, like daggers, their hips can be wide enough to bump the bead next to it and cause things to ruffle.
Ruffle Fix; modify your pattern to use a smaller bead in between the ruffling beads.
Lentils work beautifully and give your edge a different aspect as they sit sideways.  No problems here at all.
Rizos, a brand new bead on the market, has turned out to be one of my favorite beads for this kind of edge bead design.  They are not big and bold, nor do they come in bright primary colors, but they fit between 10/0 Delicas and stand up beautifully.

Drops in the Circus Cartwheel Bangle

   

Here are examples of how each of the shaped beads work in bead crochet ropes.....  Fun Stuff, no?

Daggers in the Circus Ringmaster Bangle

Lentils in  Circus Balancing Bangle

Rizos in Circus Trapeze Bangle

In a week or so, a pattern set for these Bangles will be on Bead Patterns  

Rizos in Circus Spangle Bangle