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.