I’m in book heaven at the moment so I thought I’d share a few of my finds.
I’ve been searching for some marquis beads so that I can make some Art Deco style earrings. I’m sure I’d have them if I was willing to pay through the nose for them but I only need two and I’m feeling rather thrifty about the whole thing. In my search for the stone beads as well as for more Art Deco style Jewelry patterns I found two beaders that I’m absolutely in love with: Jean Campbell and Marcia Decoster. I simply adore their work. Incidentally I have for a while. I recognized a few of their patterns online, which prompted me to pull out my “Hope to make this someday” binder, and I’ve already got quite a few of their patterns. Yay!
I confess that I’m a pattern hoarder. While browsing books online at Amazon I found a bead book for under $3, which I initially thought might make a fun give away.I needed to break $25 for free shipping though so I convinced myself that I had to order something else. All together I ordered “Handmade Underground Jewelry” by Shannon Le Vart, “Creating Glamorous Jewelry” by Jean Campbell and “Beaded Opulence” by Marcia Decoster.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from “Handmade Underground Jewelry”. It didn’t get the best reviews on Amazon but who am I to turn down a $3 beading book. It’s much better than I thought it would be and now I’m contemplating ordering another copy to give away.. I just need to justify spending another $23 to get my free shipping. It actually has some pretty cute stuff in it. You will not find the necklace that is on the cover in the book which is a bit bothersome. The patterns in the book are geared more for the younger crowd but the designs are fun. It’s a great book for a novice beader and even better for a teenage girl. I happen to have one of those on hand, and I’m looking forward to helping her with some of the project in the book.
Marcia Decoster’s “Beaded Opulence” certainly wasn’t a let down. It’s a hardback book which makes it’s current price an even better deal. Marathon Man saw the book sitting on the counter and even stopped to say “that’s gorgeous” about the piece on the cover. Opulent indeed. I’m particularly in love with the Medici drop earrings and the Etruscan Treasure necklace. The designs look time consuming, but very do-able. I love clear and concise instructions.
I’ve got to tell you that when it came to Jean Campbell I had a really difficult time deciding which book to order. It was a toss up between “Creating Glamourous Jewelry” and “Beadwork Inspired by Art: Art Nouveau Jewelry and Accessories” It was a tough call but I’m pleased as punch with my purchase. Im not sure what I’m going to make fist but it will probably be either “Ann”,”Cleo” or “Grace”. Each design accompanies a photo of a Hollywood starlet. Jean did a fabulous job with her interpretations of the jewelry in the photos. Again, very easy to understand instructions and I looove that she includes the numbers for the swarovski elements that you need.
And that brings me to my Japanese books. I was super stoked to discover that they came in the mail yesterday and I spent quite a bit of my evening last night pouring over them.
“Honey Beads Japanese Book” was a nice surprise. I love buying from Bookstoron on ebay. The books always arrive earlier than I think they will, they are nicely packaged, the package includes a hand written “thank you” and a folded origami crane. It’s like getting a little present from a friend in the mail. I’ll even pay a dollar or two more if I need to to order from them as I’ve always had good experiences doing business with them. Buy with confidence. At any rate, one of the things that I love about the books toron store is that they show so many patterns in the book. I like to know what I’m getting. They can’t, however, show them all. It’s always a treat when a book shows up loaded with what I consider bonus patterns. This is certainly one of those books. I don’t read a lick of Japanese so I struggle with figuring out the appropriately sized seed beads but for everything else, the bead sizes are given in mm. I’ve had trouble finding size 5mm fire polish beads in colors I want to use. Fortunately this book uses mostly 4 and 6mm beads.
I can’t find the other two books that I ordered on Ebay so I can’t create links to them. One has a photo of a little girl on the cover and it has some super cute stuff in it including, necklaces ,bracelets, earrings, barrettes, and crowns..all for little girls.
The other book has a cover that is mostly pink and (in English) it sports the words “Floral Motif Beads Accessories”. This is a particularly cool book because it contains instructions to make 26 different crystal flowers. I bought it for the pink Dianthus that is on the cover but quite a few of them look intriguing. THe down side is that this book is going to make you want to buy stock in Swarovski. Much like “Creating Glamorous Jewelry”, there is a lot of bling in this book.
Happy beading. I’m still waiting for my partially filled bead order to show up. Fusion offered me a discount code to use on my next order. I know it happens but now I’ve got to figure out what I”m going to do with the rest of the beads that I ordered for that particular project. Or, you know… I’ll just try my luck with Art Beads
I finally finished the earrings from my Melanie Potter "Wildflowers" kit.
This was an interesting project for me. The first time I set eyes on a “school of beadwork “kit I had no idea it was actually a kit. There was a photo of a necklace inset into an article on Carol Wilcox wells. It was gorgeous and to me it looked like something a princess should wear. After some searching I discovered the school of beadwork site and was over the moon to see that the necklace I wanted was in a kit. At the time, I couldn’t swing the money for it though. Marathon man lost his job and purchasing a bead kit seemed frivolous and so the School of Beadwork was put on the back burner.
After our move to Oregon we attended a bead show in Portland. I scored some fun stuff, including a freeform eye bracelet, a June Wiseman Pattern, and then I found the school of beadwork booth and they had the kit. (yay!) Marathon man was with me and he really liked Carol Wilcox Well’s “Sweetheart’s Bouquet” kit. I had a decision to make.
On the one hand, I was super stoked to have one of the sought after kits in my grasp. On the other hand I had marathon man. He way paying for it, he loves me enough to have come to the show and was also showing an interest in what I was doing. On top of it,… he calls me “sweetheart”. How could I refuse? We chose the olivine and padparadscha palette and went on our merry way. I figured I’d just buy the other kit from their website further down the road. Unfortunately I waited too long and the Scalloped Choker is no longer available as a kit. At another booth I scored the necessary supplies that I needed to make Carol WIlcox Well’s Double Delish Earrings.
At any rate, I bought the beautiful Sweetheart’s Bouquet kit and shortly after the move in to our current home I misplaced the instructions. SIlly me, I can never remember where my “safe place” is. I emailed the site to ask about obtaining replacement instructions. They seemed like very nice people and I like to do business with nice people, so I ended up purchasing the WildFlower kit, which brings me back to the beautiful earrings at the top of the post.
The instructions are exceptionally well thought out and are easy to follow. (providing you’re paying attention). I started with the earrings because I thought that was the piece that I would be most eager to wear. Interestingly enough I am now more eager to finish the pendant. I goofed on my first flower, but I didn’t actually notice it until I finished my second earring. I took the first one apart and redid it. I was mostly working at 2am, as that was when I actually had a few quiet minutes. Unfortunately, fatigue was an issue. I did it over the course of two nights and evidently the second night I got out the wrong beads because when it was all said and done half of my petals were the wrong color! I restarted it and on the last petal I broke one of the bezel beads. So I made it again. Eventually after making it five times I had two beautiful beaded earrings. Not following the directions was my fault. Breaking the bezel bead was frustrating and all in all I ended up using about three times the number of needles in the kit (and I still have the pendant to make).
Loves:
The kit is put together beautifully. I love that they included an entire spool of thread. I’ve purchased kits from a local bead shop and it always irritates me that they measure out the required amount of bead thread. There is also an ample supply of beads. I also feel that for what you get, and I’m including the attractiveness and intricacy of the pattern) that it’s a pretty good deal and it is very professionally done. I’ll definitely buy from them again. `
Not so Loves: (and I’m sure this is user error)
I’m working on the pendant. I really want to get it done so that I can wear it but I’ve restarted it three more times as I keep breaking bezel beads while trying to work the second set of petals. So at the moment my frustration level is pretty high. I’ve got a short enough attention span as it is, so it really pains me to make something over and over and over again. In this case, I think it will be worth it. I’m going to give it one more go and if it happens again I’m going to set it on the back burner for a bit so that I can work on something new. At this point, I’ve made it so many times I could probably make a beaded flower without using the pattern.
You can purchase a complete kit from the School of Beadwork by Clicking here. If you would like to see more patterns by Carol Wilcox Wells, she has some books available at Amazon.
Categories:
Beading, Carol Wilcox Wells, Designer, earrings, Kit, Melanie Potter, seed beads, Silver, Swarovski, Uncategorized Tags:
earrings, Melanie Potter
I gave my bracelet away to a stranger
Remember this bracelet? Probably not, but it’s okay. I made it in a bead class back in Salt Lake city. It was actually the first bead class that I ever took. The original post about the bracelet can be found here.
At any rate. Now that I’ve got most of my jewelry out where I can see it, I’ve been eyeing this bracelet. I like it, but I rarely ever wear it. I was thinking that maybe I should give it away, but then I thought to myself.. who would want a used piece of beaded jewelry? It didn’t match what I was wearing but I felt compelled to wear it, so I put it on and went about my day
My day was getting off to a slow start and I was in desperate need of caffeine, so I made a quick stop at the local Dutch Brothers. (Great drive through coffee if you’re ever in the PNW). As soon as I stuck my arm out the window with my punch card, the gal at the window excitedly asked where I got my bracelet. I told her I made it, and she wanted to know if I ever sold them.
I’m not going to bore you with the details of our conversation but I will say that it feels really good to have a stranger validate you. It doesn’t matter what it is, a nice hair cut, cute shoes, whatever..it almost always brings a smile to the recipient’s face. It made me feel wonderful to receive the compliments and wanting to make someone else feel the same way… I decided to give it to her. That’s right, I gave it away to a stranger.
Every once in a while I think it’s nice to be impulsive in a good way. My children were watching with interest and as we drove away I laughed and said that perhaps it would be good for my karma. I need all the help I can get. (Well, I didn’t tell the kids that last bit).
I’d love to do it again. I just need to figure out the logistics.
In beading news, I’m developing a love hate relationship with my Melanie Potter, Wildflower kit. I’m down to the last piece and I keep breaking one of the bezel beads.
Also, my daughter has expressed an interest in learning how to bead. Yay! Tomorrow I’m taking her to buy a bead board. I’m going to help her pick out a project, some beads, and come Monday she’ll have something that she made all on her own. Having my daughter want to follow in my footsteps… Now that’s the ultimate validation right there.!
Happy Beading!
New Zealand, pattern by Cathy Jakicic
I purchased a beautiful book titled “Bead Journey” a few years ago. The basic premise of the book is that it contains patterns from around the world. I’ve been lusting after several of the necklaces for some time now and finally decided I was just going to give it a go. This particular pattern falls under the category of “New Zealand” and is by Cathy Jakicic.
On the plus side, the book does give sources for some of the more unusual beads. On the down side, the book is already several years old and was probably put together some time before it’s publication. The Aventurine stones used in the book are actually 18mm round carved aventurine beads, and they are gorgeous. The source cited for these beads is “Planet Bead” and a non-local number is given. (I only point that out because I have a bead shop about a mile from my home called “Planet Bead” and it’s not the store you’re looking for). I googled “Planet Bead” and found a website for them but the store is empty. I suppose I can call, but I’m hesitant to give my credit card number over the phone for someone I don’t know. I prefer to buy beads from recognizable web stores. At any rate, for the moment I don’t have 18mm carved aventurine beads. Lol, I also don’t have 8mm smooth, round carnelian beads, so I just made do.
New Zealand
This aventurine necklace went together easily. I’m not a fan of crimping, but it is appropriate for the pattern, although I do think I might need to invest in some heavier accu-flex. In the pattern she calls for two copper spacers between each of the round carved beads. My aventurine beads are faceted, but they are more oval than round. I felt that doubling up the spacer beads would change the overall shape of the necklace even more. With the elongated beads, one spacer was a better choice. I’m surprised by how much I like this necklace and was even more surprised by how much I like them together. I think the carved beads would make a world of difference though so I’m still trying to source them.
"New Zealand" pattern by Cathy Jakicic
The second necklace in the set is a carnelian and copper necklace. There appears to be an error in the book though. The necklace calls for 1 16 inch strand of 8mm carnelian beads and 1 16 inch strand of 5mm copper spacer beads. Interestingly enough, it states that when it is finished it is 42 inches long. I know that there is this newfangled thing called new math, but I have no idea how you add 16 + 16 and end up with 42. At first I thought it was a mis-type, but the photo in the book clearly shows that the carnelian necklace loops around the outside of the 17 inch aventurine necklace twice. It also appears to have way more 8mm carnelian beads than you are going to find on one 16 inch strand. So my guess is that there is an error in the supply lists, and that sucks. It would have been great had I figured that out prior to going to the gem faire.
Speaking of which, I went to the gem faire a few days ago. Twice even. I met a new friend there on Friday afternoon and then we went out for dinner. I then went back on Saturday to do my actual shopping, which brings me back to this post. I was looking pretty hard for those aventurine beads. Obviously it was a no go. I did however find some large, smooth, round, apple colored beads for $10. I almost bought them. They also had what I was sure were 8mm round carnelian beads for $5. I asked how large they were though (I was thinking they were probably 8mm, but that they might be 10) and the gentleman stalking me to make sure I wasn’t shoplifting, told me that he thought they were 4mm. Seriously? So I asked another person working the booth and she though they were maybe 6mm? I thought about it and decided I didn’t want to buy from people who didn’t have a clue about their mechandise. So on I went to the next booth.
New Zealand, both necklaces together
I ended up purchasing both strands of beads from another vendor. I’m fairly certain that my faceted carnelian beads are 10mm, despite having her assure me that they were the 8mm I was looking for. They were a good deal, Anya was waking up and I decided I needed to wrap things up. She was nice though and made an effort to be helpful so I went ahead and made the purchase.
After assembling the necklace I noted that my strand wasn’t 16 inches long. That probably accounts for some of the good deals at gem faire as well. Lesson learned, always take calipers with you to gem faire, and measure the bead strands if you want to get a realistic cost comparison to say, fire mountain gems. At any rate, I didn’t have enough beads to even make my necklace 32 inches long, yet alone the 42 inches that I was aiming for. Having said that, I still love it. I love it so much, I’m going to keep my eye out for the appropriate sized beads, in the right quantities, so that I can make it the correct length.
Despite what appears to be an error in the pattern, I’m going to recommend this book. It has a wide variety of jewelry styles which I like and so many of them are beautiful. I still want to make “China, Philippines, Nepal, Thailand, Scandinavia, England, Scotland, Tanzania, Dem. Rep. of the Congo, Canada, Mexico, and Peru”. I’d add “Morocco” to the list but I’m not sure Marathon Man would go for me spending so much on beads for one project, or spending that much on beads in general. You can see it though, on the cover of the book. Just follow the link below. It’s gorgeous!!
