I'm back, maybe!

Hello on this dreary Sunday morning on the East Coast of the US!  I may finally be back to creating and blogging!  I say "maybe" because there is a lot going  on in my world.  We are doing some upgrades in our kitchen and family room.  You know how they always say that once you start something like this you find that the job grows bigger!  Well, this has lived up to that saying and it's gotten a little more involved than we thought it would.  And, being the kitchen and family room it's been rather disruptive.  But, I'm excited about the changes we're making and it all should be done by the beginning of December, just in time for me to turn into the Christmas elf and decorate to my heart's content!  Since I can't really do much in the rest of the house I'm hoping that now that the major decisions have been made I can get down to my studio and finish projects that have been around in various states of completion all summer.   We expanded our garden this year and the weather wasn't too hot so I was able to spend more time out there which is why not many projects were finished, or even started.  Hopefully that will start to change now.  I really miss the creative process even though I consider gardening creative. 

Having said all that, I did manage to finish one beading project.  It wasn't terribly involved and didn't take long to do!  But, I love it and I wanted to share it with you.  It's another geometric beadwork project inspired by Kate McKinnon.  I kind of teased it in my last post on who inspires me.  You can read that here.   Here is the completed pendant. 

 

 

It starts with a warped square which I love stitching.  I made an  entire bracelet in warped squares last Fall.  You can see that one here.   The directions for stitching a warped square are in Kate's first book on geometric beadwork, Contemporary Geometric Beadwork.  Early in August Kate sent out an email with the idea for a new project, create a warped square and then work and exploding round and keep going until you had the number of rounds you desired.  The exploding round is one of the innovative concepts that Kate came up with while working on the book.  It's difficult for me to explain it so that it makes sense but Kate has a wonderful YouTube video that makes it all clear and you can also find the instructions in her book.  I admit that I wasn't sure how it worked when I read the printed instructions but once I watched the video it was easy to do. 

 

I started with the warped square that I turned into the bail for this pendant and from there stitched the largest square. On the final round I added drops for the corner beads.   I did 2 more squares, the medium and small, and then stitched the smaller squares.  Then I played with how I wanted them to be arranged and the pendant you see is what I came up with.  I love it and it's light weight and fun to wear. 

 

Here are a few details.  

 

 

 







 

 

 

 

 

 

As I said, it was fun to do and didn't take very long at all.  Which is probably why I finished it!!!   I chose the colors for a vineyard feel.  I'm in love with geometric beadwork and I'm working on a cuff bracelet that is coming along slowly. 

 

 

I want to thank all of you for visiting me especially after such a long break from blogging.  I really appreciate your visits and all your wonderfully kind comments.  Have a wonderful day!





A New Beading Obsession!

 

Hi everyone!  Thank you for visiting me today.  I really appreciate your visits.  I know it's been quiet around here lately.  Spring is always a busy, busy time and this year is no different.  In fact, it's been busier later in the season because the season was so long in coming.  But, I think  things are under control in the garden, the big chores for the year done and now I can tweak things here and there and sit back and do more enjoying than working! 

 

I haven't been entirely absent from my art life.  My daughter and I took a fabulous weekend of mixed media classes with Seth Apter at The Queen's Ink a few weeks ago and I've been obsessing over the book Contemporary Geometric Beadwork by Kate McKinnon!  I'll show you some of the things we did in Seth's class once I get them organized and ready for prime time!  This post is all about my new obsession, Contemporary Geometric Beadwork, or CGB, which is easier to type!

 

Without further ado, my first bangle...

 



 

 

The book that got this all started came out about 2 years ago.  I love geometric beadwork and so I immediately pre-ordered it and then, when it arrived, let it sit while I drooled over all the gorgeous pieces of art jewelry shown.  The book itself is beautiful which I love because I'm a book lover from childhood.  This book not only has beautiful art but quotes pertaining to art in all forms.  And, I'm a sucker for quotes.  I have a whole stack of quotes cut from magazines and other places sitting waiting to be used for some art project or another.  So, the book had me from the moment I opened the package.  It's a collaborative effort with several fabulous bead artists working on it.  And, the best news is that there is a second volume in the works.  Pre-ordered that one too!!!! That one won't sit idle for so long! 

 

Anyway, I finally got started using the book because my friend Kathy, the owner of Bead Soup, decided we should start a monthly group of beaders to come together and work on some geometric beadwork, primarily from Kate's book.  Perfect, just the push I needed!  So, I started from the beginning and decided to make a Power Puff bangle.  This particular design is a Jean Power creation.

Jean was one of the collaborators on the book.  Her work with triangular designs is well known in the bead world.  Once you get the triangle down you can really do anything in the CGB book.  The method of working is very architectural and structured around a few basic constructions, the triangle being one of the basics.

 

The Power Puff bangle is just a series of connected triangles.  I made mine as a bracelet bangle because I can't make a bangle to fit me!  Bangles must go over your knuckles and then onto your wrist.  My knuckles are bigger than my wrist and to fit over them the bangle then flops down onto my hand.  So, I decided to make it flat and use a concealed magnet for a closure.  It really looks like a regular bangle.  I sometimes have to look for the closure and people think it is a bangle. 

 

Here are a few pictures of the whole bracelet so you can see what the entire piece looks like.

 



 

 

 

Here you can see the magnetic closure

 

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I've worn it several times and it's very comfortable to wear.  The variations in color and color placement are unending and I already have a great idea for a Fall version.  But, right now I've moved on in the book to Wings and Horns!!  Yes, Wings and Horns!  They are the offspring of the triangle!  You'll be seeing that one soon! 

 

 

Now it's out to the garden to cut some flowers for the house.  Thank you so much for visiting today.  I love having you drop in and I love hearing from you!  Have a great weekend.