2014 Art Fair Application Creations

It is Art Fair Application time of year now. I decided to continue exploring my collection/series of porcelain jasper colors, concentrating on more wearable, less elaborate, over the top, WOW designs, i.e. ones that stand a better chance of being sold. I plan to do more items in the under $100 category before summer shows. Planning on Czech glass button bracelets and working on bead embroidered rings and whatever else the Muse creates.

A favorite seller is my dutch spiral necklace. I thought the grays in the porcelain jasper would make a more versatile item, wearable year round versus last year's creation featuring the pale vintage rose and light creamy white. The spiral transparent gray beads have an aurora borealis finish, which breaks from my natural color palette with semi precious stones.

A favorite style is the flat spiral weave which I used the round porcelain jasper stones as the core beads for this two strand bracelet. The center and edges feature Swarovski vintage rose bicone beads.

Using the flat spiral weave with the same beads but in a single strand, I created a shorter version necklace, 19 inches long including the beaded toggle bar and ring closure.

This is another two strand flat spiral bracelet which has fresh water gray pearls as the core beads, vintage rose Swarovski crystal bicone beads in the center and porcelain jasper rounds on the edges. I have previously used the pearls only on the edges of this style. I used the lighter pinks for the beaded toggle bar and ring because the pearls create a more delicate looking bracelet.

None of my porcelain jasper collection is currently listed in my Etsy shop, KRDesigns11, but you can express interest in purchasing items here on my blog or contacting me via Etsy. You can see my 2013 items on this blog starting around June 2012. My etsy shop does have similar styles of items in a variety of colors of beads. Thanks for bearing with me during my adventures of my new computer, new operating system, new software for photo editing, etc. My lack of blog posts spared you my complaints from the changes that were not of my choosing.

Look for the listing of my 2014 Art Fairs on the upper right hand column of the blog as I learn of my acceptance in the shows.

Illinois State Fair

Sign directing us to the building where the exhibition was held on the fairgrounds.

 

Photo of the display of my entry with the pink award ribbon and description card.

The Illinois State Fair is now over for 2013 and my necklace was returned unsold. If you are interested in it, please contact me in the comments.

Illinois State Fair Professional Artists Exhibition Award

My Variscite Pendant Woven Necklace received an Honorable Mention Award at the Professional Art Exhibition, Craft Division, Illinois State Fair, Springfield, Illinois. It will be on display during the Fair 8/9 - 8/18/13.

New Item for 2013 Jury Process

Porcelain Jasper Woven Herringbone Necklace

 

 

I have been working on items for my 2013 Art Fair applications. New work is expected, so I decided I had enough cabochons and materials in the colors of porcelain jasper to create a series of items showing different skills and in different price points. I also knew I wanted to create using bead embroidery (stitching into fabric) with some bead weaving (directly sewing the beads together) and also to limit my use of Swarovski crystals in an effort to create more everyday items versus special occasion accessories.

 

I am sharing a preliminary photo of one of my higher price point creations. This necklace is created from a herringbone stitch in two types of beads both called size 11, but the delica beads (pueblo sands or pinky color) are tinier and columnar shaped and the seed beads (transparent charcoal gray) are  slightly larger and a donut shape. The two beads give texture to the work. The spiral is created by stitching down one bead and up three beads before adding two more (one of each) beads. This is a very time consuming process which some find tedious. I prefer to say it is a labor of love.

 

I made the connection (a lobster clasp and wired ring closure) in the front with a large beaded bead which slides on the necklace and over the closure. It is hidden behind the cabochon. This leaves a nice appearance from the back view for times when wearing an updo hairstyle. The necklace is beadwoven and is 20 inches long. This style would also be attractive created with a shorter, choker length to be worn higher on the neck. The cabochon can be removed and the necklace worn with the clasp in the back for a simpler look.

 

I attached the bead embroidered cabochon to the beadwoven beaded bead. I created my signature lacy edging around the bezelled cabochon which is backed with soft ultrasuede. Ultrasuede does not ravel, so it is used to create a neatly finished product.

 

 

 

The stone cabochon is glued to a piece of fabric so that rows of beads can be sewn around the stone and capture the stone between the beads and the backing fabric, called bezelling. Beads used to create the bezel include semi precious stone hematite round beads, size 8 transparent rosaline pink seed beads and size 15 hematite colored seed beads. Finishing the outer edge and securing the ultrasuede to the bezelled cabochon are 3mm jet black Czech fire polished glass beads. The embellishment beads include size 15 hematite colored seed beads, 3mm cyclamen opal Swarovski bicone crystal beads, pueblo sands delica beads, and size 15 transparent rosaline pink  seed beads. I like to use the same bead in different sizes to connect the composition. The colors chosen are inspired by the colors I see in the stone.

 

This is my first post with the new version of Blogger. I am hoping to become more comfortable with the changes as I plan to share my other creations.

A Month With Only One Post!

Recently I have been focusing on creating bead embroidered one of a kind jewelry using porcelain jasper cabochons. I wanted to use as much material as I could that was made in the USA. I decided to expand the area to North America when I saw the porcelain jasper is from Mexico. I live in a city which has a large Hispanic population, I eat lots of fruits and vegetables grown there, and it seemed natural to include my neighbor. I have also purchased cabochons from Canada, neighbor to the north, which are not necessarily natural to the USA.

Purchasing metal findings components made in the USA is easy from RioGrande. I recommend you request paper catalogues from them if you are able to purchase wholesale. The catalogues/website are great for browsing and learning. Their website has many tutorials, the company uses solar power, and it is easy to see which items are green.

The Evanston Art Center invited me to submit four pieces of my work for their 21st Evanston and Vicinity Biennial Art Show. I am grateful for this nudge back to the jewelry creation side of my business. The technology side of business is constantly changing which requires more time and energy learning more things, none of which bring in customers. I am grateful the Monday deadline was extended a week; I am able to do more elaborate items during the added week. Instead of a pin, I have designed a wide cuff bracelet with a porcelain jasper cabochon focal, side cabochons with about half the bracelet bead embroidered. The ends are bead woven with a button hole opening for a stone button. And it is in some of my favorite colors to wear, pinks and greys, so you know some of the items are in my size. If I am not accepted for the show, I will be wearing some of these items at my first Art Fair in mid July.

On the technology side, I have decided to watermark my photos. From personal experiences, I am aware that some think it is okay to copy my work, tell others how to make my items, and to post my photos without my knowledge/name associated with it (etsy.com is given credit for the photo). As I struggled with this issue, I have not posted any new items on the internet.

I am adding cabs of a purple/white stone from Utah to my inventory. Looking forward to creating a series of jewelry with them. Back to the bead work.

Bead Embroidered Tiny Druzys

I have been trying to create items with lower price points to sell at my Art Fairs. I am currently working on bead embroidered druzy cabochons that are tiny--between 18 and 23 mm. I am using delicas, size 13 charlottes and size 15 beads. It is taking more time than I expected because the beads I have are also tiny. But I'm having fun creating these cute little babies with lacy edgings. I have one more in aqua blue that I want to finish for my indoor show on March 9 & 10. Being primarily a bead weaver, I have mostly delica beads. Before I do more bead embroidery on regular size cabochons I need to shop for seed beads. I'm also planning to use Greek leather cords with adjustable length, probably in white.

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.

Bead Embroidery

In the comments on my last post, I mentioned the possibility of photographing my beaded cabochon work. I created these when I was finding my way as to how I wanted to express myself with beadwork and have not actively pursued selling them. They are not on etsy, flickr or facebook. The first one uses the stacked cage method from Larkin Jean Van Horn's book Beading on Fabric. The cab is made by Robert Jennik of Knot Just Beads near Milwaukee, Wisconsin (he is a vendor at the Bead & Button Show and also in Naperville, IL at the Suburban Bead Encounter). I wish I had purchased more of his work because he has not brought more to Naperville that I have seen, and the round shape was so easy to bead and the colors are versatile.



The next cabochon is an agate I purchased from another beader who was wire wrapping stones her friend inherited. I carefully chose 3 from the large sack she was rapidly wire wrapping while we watched in amazement how easily she accomplished it. I really like the picture nature made in the stone. The cab is captured using the Gourd on the Ground (peyote) method which is the most common method I've seen. You can see that I embellished these in my favorite lacy style.



This last cab is a vintage Swarovski crystal round in emerald which is captured using the Lace Cage method. This was my first and only cuff bead embroidered and glued to a metal form. Besides using too much glue on the ultrasuede (messy), I would not use crystals that stick out from the other beadwork except near the cab. I used size 15 charlottes (no longer being made)for some of the beadwork. Tiny!



I used all three methods of capturing the cab which I found useful based on the shape of the cab. The other book I owned when I created these items is Beaded Embellishment by Amy C. Clarke & Robin Atkins. Both are excellent books with lots of inspirational photos; both books are artists who create in fabric rather than jewelry makers. In the past year, I have acquired The Art of Bead Embroidery by Heidi Kummli and Sherry Serafini and Beading with Cabochons by Jamie Cloud Eakin. When I started looking at the details in these books, I realized each contradicted the others, so I set them aside to explore what works for me. I will share that in my next post.

I have two pins that are about halfway completed...waiting for gluing...and a dozen or so more for earrings and pins. I have a lot of beads, but seldom the ones I need. My goal for making pins and earrings is to get lower price point items in my inventory.