Almost thought we lost Fiona yesterday.
Sunday, May 06, 2012
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Completed Dallas Lovett Pieces
Highland Mist Bracelet and La Fiesta Earrings, design by Dallas Lovett. My earrings, made to colour match the Highland Mist bracelet, my own design, inspired by Dallas. The bracelet and my earrings use Toho permanent finish metallic mauve and Swarovski cyclamen opal beads.Monday, February 23, 2009
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Spiral Rope Variation
This spiral rope is a variation of a rope I learned from Sonoko Nozue at last year's Bead and Button show. Actually, since I scanned this, I've changed it - added another layer. Guess I'll have to re-scan it.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Broadcollar Necklace a la Julia Pretl
The scan doesn't do the colours and texture justice. There are gorgeous 30mm bugles just below the short netting and underneath the long netting.Saturday, August 23, 2008
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Strung Necklace with FWP Chain Detail
Made with:Softflex Medium
New Fresh Water Pearl Chain
Venetian Glass Bead
Octagon Spacer
8mm Faceted Fire Polish Rounds
Hammered Oval Toggle
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Melanie Potter's Lunar Lights Bracelet
I had the pleasure of taking Melanie Potter's Lunar Lights bracelet class. I finished it this week. The colour of the Swarovski rivolis is Crystal Vitrail Light. I made a matching ring. Note: I used Silamide to make the bracelet and Fireline to make the ring. Although I prefer thread, I think that for this project I'd recommend Fireline, it has so much more body and hold.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Macabre, beautiful, wasteful, definitely engaging.
This project came up on a jewelry group - a diamond encrusted skull byartist Damien Hirst titled "For the Love of God".
Gallery website http://www.whitecube.com/
Artist with skull http://tinyurl.com/ypyjjy
More on the artist http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damien_Hirst
UK newsarticle with a slideshow of how the piece was made. Click onthe "In pictures For the Love of God". http://tinyurl.com/3dzk48
Gallery website http://www.whitecube.com/
Artist with skull http://tinyurl.com/ypyjjy
More on the artist http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damien_Hirst
UK newsarticle with a slideshow of how the piece was made. Click onthe "In pictures For the Love of God". http://tinyurl.com/3dzk48
Friday, March 02, 2007
2007 Bag of Beads Spreadsheet
I've had some requests to explain how I used a spreadsheet to choose the colours for my Bag of Beads project for the Toronto Bead Society. So, here goes:
1. I selected a colour strip in a palette that I liked (from a book).
2. I identified the 8 colours that made up the strip and named them.
3. I measured each instance of the colour and recorded it in Excel (spreadsheet software).
4. I then sorted by the name I gave, totaled the area for each colour and calculated the percentage. I grouped some together into a colour group, so that I ended up with 5 categories and a percentage of each to use.
5. This mainly told me that the primary colour to use were greys, minimizing the whites and reds.
6. I DID NOT measure my beads by these percentages. I just paid attention to the mixes as I went along.
Hope this explains it!
1. I selected a colour strip in a palette that I liked (from a book).
2. I identified the 8 colours that made up the strip and named them.
3. I measured each instance of the colour and recorded it in Excel (spreadsheet software).
4. I then sorted by the name I gave, totaled the area for each colour and calculated the percentage. I grouped some together into a colour group, so that I ended up with 5 categories and a percentage of each to use.
5. This mainly told me that the primary colour to use were greys, minimizing the whites and reds.
6. I DID NOT measure my beads by these percentages. I just paid attention to the mixes as I went along.
Hope this explains it!
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Toronto Revue Theatre Marquee Collapse
http://www.torontoist.com/archives/2007/02/revue_cinema_ma_1.php#comments
For those of you who've been to the store, you probably know the Revue Theatre across the street. The historic building's marquee collapsed sometime overnight Sunday. Looks like rusted suspension chains to me. Without the marquee, the building is rather ordinary and unlike most other buildings on the street, or for that matter on most downtown Toronto streets.
For those of you who've been to the store, you probably know the Revue Theatre across the street. The historic building's marquee collapsed sometime overnight Sunday. Looks like rusted suspension chains to me. Without the marquee, the building is rather ordinary and unlike most other buildings on the street, or for that matter on most downtown Toronto streets.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Beaded Lizard?
Anyone else notice that Joni Mitchell appeared to be wearing a beaded lizard at her induction into the Canadian songwriter's hall of fame?
The detail is from is the best photo I could find of it: http://tinyurl.com/2pze9c Alas, my computer software doesn't function like the ones on all the CSI programs - when I zoom it, the pixels get blurrier, not clearer - go figure!
The detail is from is the best photo I could find of it: http://tinyurl.com/2pze9c Alas, my computer software doesn't function like the ones on all the CSI programs - when I zoom it, the pixels get blurrier, not clearer - go figure!
Friday, December 29, 2006
Top 10 Bead Items of 2006
This year is almost over, and I've been thinking about what I think the top 10 bead related items of this past year.
Here are mine (in no particular order):
1. Kumihimo. I discovered Japanese braiding at Bead and Button, and have had fun with it ever since! Have you seen my Titania necklace http://beadstudio.blogspot.com/2006/08/titania-necklace.html?
2. Micromacrame. I picked up the book by Kris Buchanan. http://www.kristinebuchanan.com/book1.html The photos and projects were very inspirational. It helps that the C-Lon cord comes in over 50 fantastic colours. It's not the 70's anymore indeed.
3. Bead Embroidery. I taught myself some of the basics, then took a course with Sherry Serafini - who really filled in all the blanks. http://www.serafinibeadedjewelry.com/
4. Cabochons. Now that I know what to do with them (see "Bead Embroidery" above), I love them. I have several awaiting some free time to make into wonderful jewellery. Here's my latest http://beadstudio.blogspot.com/2006/12/raku-cabochon-pendant.html
5. Polymer Clay. I have a love-hate relationship with polymer clay. I finally tried it this year and found it in some ways as difficult as oil painting - I never got the hang of colour mixing - they all came out brownish grey, no matter what I did. Anyways, I'm perservering, and I certainly have some great ideas - just not the skills - yet - but I think the learning curve may be quite steep. That said, you should see the gorgeous polymer clay beads I've got from the wonderful Barbara Colautti.
6. Dichroic Aikos. I finally broke down and bought some.
7. Treenway Silks, especially the Montano series. Great for kumihimo.
8. Storing By Colour. I'm experimenting with storing my beads by colour rather than by type. That said, some still end up in their own places - like Swarovki, pearls, etc. It was really tough putting the Czech 10's in the same place as the Japanese 11's.
9. Creative Bead Weaving by Carol Wilcox Wells. This isn't a new discovery, but rather a visitation with an old friend. Considered to be the beader's bible by many - and it really stands the test of time. Can only be outdone by The Art and Elegance of Beadweaving, also by Wells.
10. Nancy Zellers great new website: http://www.nzbeads.com/. A very sophisticated and perfect site with lots of eye candy and useful information.
Happy New Year everyone.
Heather
Here are mine (in no particular order):
1. Kumihimo. I discovered Japanese braiding at Bead and Button, and have had fun with it ever since! Have you seen my Titania necklace http://beadstudio.blogspot.com/2006/08/titania-necklace.html?
2. Micromacrame. I picked up the book by Kris Buchanan. http://www.kristinebuchanan.com/book1.html The photos and projects were very inspirational. It helps that the C-Lon cord comes in over 50 fantastic colours. It's not the 70's anymore indeed.
3. Bead Embroidery. I taught myself some of the basics, then took a course with Sherry Serafini - who really filled in all the blanks. http://www.serafinibeadedjewelry.com/
4. Cabochons. Now that I know what to do with them (see "Bead Embroidery" above), I love them. I have several awaiting some free time to make into wonderful jewellery. Here's my latest http://beadstudio.blogspot.com/2006/12/raku-cabochon-pendant.html
5. Polymer Clay. I have a love-hate relationship with polymer clay. I finally tried it this year and found it in some ways as difficult as oil painting - I never got the hang of colour mixing - they all came out brownish grey, no matter what I did. Anyways, I'm perservering, and I certainly have some great ideas - just not the skills - yet - but I think the learning curve may be quite steep. That said, you should see the gorgeous polymer clay beads I've got from the wonderful Barbara Colautti.
6. Dichroic Aikos. I finally broke down and bought some.
7. Treenway Silks, especially the Montano series. Great for kumihimo.
8. Storing By Colour. I'm experimenting with storing my beads by colour rather than by type. That said, some still end up in their own places - like Swarovki, pearls, etc. It was really tough putting the Czech 10's in the same place as the Japanese 11's.
9. Creative Bead Weaving by Carol Wilcox Wells. This isn't a new discovery, but rather a visitation with an old friend. Considered to be the beader's bible by many - and it really stands the test of time. Can only be outdone by The Art and Elegance of Beadweaving, also by Wells.
10. Nancy Zellers great new website: http://www.nzbeads.com/. A very sophisticated and perfect site with lots of eye candy and useful information.
Happy New Year everyone.
Heather
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Raku Cabochon Pendant
A wonderful raku cabochon by Vera Romoda - bead embroidered, embellished and fringed to make a pendant. This piece is huge! The cabochon is 2.75" (65mm) in diameter. I call it "A Bird in the Hand" (there are 2 other birds in the fringe).
Friday, November 24, 2006
Christmas Bells Bracelet
Something that started as a practice strip - ended up being a Christmas themed bracelet. I was playing with 2 drop peyote, practicing with some left over 6/0 mix. When I ran out, I switched to 11/0, which meant it was now 4 drop peyote! When I finally ran out of beads altogether, I thought the strip could be a bracelet. Added the toggle and the bells, a voila, a Christmas bracelet.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Digestive System Model - Polymer Clay
Amazing what you can make with polymer clay. FYI, the stomach is wadded up waxed paper covered in a thin layer of clay.
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