KR Designs 11 - Beadwoven Jewelry Blog

This blog is for my comments about making beadwoven jewelry, my inspirations, frustrations, and love of color.

The banner is Lilacs in Springtime, a free form peyote bracelet.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

KRDesigns11 has a Facebook Page



I set up a Facebook page for my beadweaving jewelry business. The photo above is of the bracelet I used as my avatar on the page. I have been posting new and renewed listings on Etsy (only one per day) and will post that I have a new blog post, too. I have allowed people to write on my page, so you can comment without the review system that I have here on blogspot.


So I'm asking you to visit my page and "LIKE" it if you do. I need to have 25 people "LIKE" my page before it gets its own URL. I'd post a link here, but since it doesn't have its own URL, it won't work. Maybe searching for "KRDesigns11" would be easiest; the category is "Artist". www.facebook.com/pages/KRDesigns11/180040212060403

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Unfinished Objects

My bead embroidery project of making pins and earrings is going slowly. I found I needed to order supplies a few times -- and the process is full of starts and stops which I don't find satisfying. The price point for the pins will be higher than I hoped because most of the cabs cost me more than I usually spend on crystals for my bracelets. I only thought it should take less time than making a bracelet would make it cost less. I need to get organized so that the process is more efficient.

I did make two pins before I started researching using my personal library of books to learn how the pros bead with cabochons. I will include photos here, but know that the beading techniques are mine, and not those used in the books. I attached one row to the backing material and then beaded into those beads rather than the backing material. The pins are small with only a few rows of beadwork, so they appear to be adequately supported.



I determined I would do earrings going "by the book". First I didn't have the right size/color beads. Received the beads, finished the beadwork, looked for the ultra suede, realized I didn't have an appropriate color (no dark blue or black)so I waited for another order. (Order arrived out of stock of one color ultra suede and with the wrong color beads for the edging on the lapis earrings, so there is an order from another vendor in process. There will be two pairs of lapis earrings, which I'd need to order gold tone pin backs if they were to be pins.

While waiting for supplies, I beaded a herringbone rope (20 hours without the clasp) for a polymer clay bead as the pendant. I was pleased with the rope and felt a sense of accomplishment. After designing the bail/connection, redoing it twice and still not finding the right colors, I realized the rope is pastel summer shades while the pendant bead is fall shades. So I'm thinking I need a fall colored rope but don't feel like another 20 hours to create it right now. I put pictures of this on Facebook.

Wednesday night I put together a flat spiral bracelet with luster peridot green Czech glass beads and felt like I accomplished something. I used light lime metallic size 13 charlottes as some of the connector beads which gave a nice sparkle to the glass. It was just something I put together from what I had on hand. So easy!



I went back to the cabochon project Thursday, but discovered the method didn't work for the cab with a high dome, so will use the stack method if I have the right beads! I did complete a pair of earrings with blue lace agate cabs as I have lots of white beads and had light blue ultra suede on hand anticipating doing bead embroidery someday.



Friday I finished an oval pair of lapis earrings using hematite colored beads since I haven't received the color I wanted. I used pliers to pull the needle through on the edging, so I will try to figure out something different when I work on the round lapis earrings. This was not fun!



I will be taking a break from bead embroidery to relax with beading I enjoy and to prepare for an Art Spree in two weeks.

I do not wonder why I have unfinished objects.