Book Review: Beadweaving Beyond the Basics, by Kassie Shaw

It was an honor to be asked to review Kassie Shaw's new book, "Beadweaving Beyond the Basics."  I was sent the preview pdf file of her book and have spent several hours thoroughly enjoying it. 

The book includes 24 beading designs and each design has beautiful photos and clear instructions.  But it is so much more than just a book full of patterns.  In her introduction, Kassie states that her goal in writing the book was not only to teach readers how to create the designs, but also to inspire everyone to discover their own creativity and ideas.  She certainly accomplished this goal with me.  I can hardly wait to finish up my current projects and begin exploring with the ideas that came to mind as I read each chapter of her book.

Kassie writes that the main purpose of the book is to teach some intermediate level variations on basic stitches, and then use them as jumping off points for readers to create their own designs.  Her purpose is very clear in all three chapters of the book as she takes us from a "primer" that explains the basic bead weaving stitch through her thought process that led her to create the next design.  Beaders who want to create their own designs will find this book a very practical and inspiring tool to help them become designers of their own original work.

The primary beading stitch Kassie teaches is Right Angle Weave (RAW), but instructions on other basic stitches such as Herringbone (Flat and Tubular), Cubic Right Angle Weave (CRAW), Peyote (Even and Odd Count), and St. Petersburg Stitch are also included.

The three main chapters explore variations of Right Angle Weave (RAW):  1)  Double Diamond RAW,  2)  Faux RAW, and 3) Layered RAW.  The way Kassie explains each technique and explores the possibility of new designs using these techniques inspired me as a designer and I highly recommend this book to others.  

SuperDuos and Hiding Thread

I recently published a new tutorial for my "Night Out on the Town" Necklace and inside it I revealed a trick for hiding thread when creating a beaded rope using SuperDuos.

Most everyone knows that when using SuperDuos, you somehow need to get from the bottom hole to the top hole of the bead in order to connect it to other beads.  There are two methods for accomplishing this.

Method 1 - The most common way is to pass the thread along the side of the SuperDuo that the thread is exiting and then pass through the top hole. 

This method will cause the thread to move in the opposite direction around the circle when adding the next beads.  The thread can be seen along the edge of the SuperDuo.  

There is nothing wrong with the above technique. In fact, there really is no other way to do it when beading flat bead work (like a bracelet).  But as I was beading my rope, I really didn't like seeing the thread laying on the side of the bead.   

It suddenly dawned on me that I could hide the thread!  So here is the method for hiding the thread when creating a rope.

 Method 2 -  Instead of going up the same side of the SuperDuo that the thread is exiting, move the thread across the “back/inside edge” of the SuperDuo and pass through the hole of the SuperDuo on the opposite side from where the thread is exiting. 

When the SuperDuo beads are pulled together into a circle forming the rope, the inside of the SuperDuo where the thread passed over will not show.  It will be on the inside of the rope and you will continue to add beads in the same direction each time. 

This also works for making Beaded Beads which are explained in my Night Out On the Town  necklace Tutorial which can be purchased in my Etsy shop.

As always, I wish you Happy Beading!

OK, So It's Been a While!

Yes, life happens and blogs get put at the bottom of the list.  But I'm still here and am going to try to keep up with blogging a little better in 2015.  It's a New Year with new goals.

Mainly I want to share about my jewelry business which continues to be a big part of my life.  For the past year I've been concentrating on designing bracelets and took a good part of 2014 learning Adobe Illustrator so that I could write tutorials using diagrams to explain the process.  I'm happy with my progress and plan to continue on this pathway, expanding into necklace and earring tutorials.

I'm a member of the Beadsmith Inspiration Squad which keeps me learning about and designing with some of the new beads being manufactured.  So I'll be sharing some posts on all of these new beads and what I'm creating with them.  Here are a few things I've designed over the past few months.

Bezel and Chain using Half Tilas

Hex Pyramid Beads

New Duracoat Silverlined Delicas

African Turquoise SuperDuo Mix and Matubo 8/0 Seed Beads

African Turquoise SuperDuo Mix and O Beads

I have not yet written tutorials for any of the designs shown above, but I did just finish writing a tutorial for my "Night Out on the Town" necklace that uses the new Silver and Gold SuperDuo Mix.  I used beadweaving and stringing techniques in creating this necklace.

The tutorial can be purchased on either my Etsy site or my Artfire site.

Here's to a good 2015 for you all!

Metal Beads, Super Duos and Rizos

The challenge was to use three of my favorite bead shapes in one design, Super Duos, Rizos, and Metal Seed Beads.

I've been using metal seed beads for some time and love them for their consistent shape and size.  They work so well with right angle weave and I've used them in several different bracelet styles.  Here's my Trinity Bracelet using size 11 metal seed beads.

The super duo beads have two holes and have an unusual shape.  Here's a bracelet I made using super duo's.  I called this one Cinnabar because of the unique picasso finish on the beads.

 

 

The third bead is called Rizo and it is pretty new on the market.  It is shaped like a tiny grain of rice and has one hole in one end of the bead.  Here is a pair of earrings combining super duos with rizos.  The rizo's are used at the tips of the bottom triangles.

 

 

The design using all three types of beads with their own unique shapes and sizes was an exciting challenge.  My Luxury Squared bracelet is the result of the challenge.  Of course, I also had to add a bit of Swarovski crystal bling to the mix!

 

 

The moral of the story?  Don't be afraid of challenges.  They can inspire and bring out your creative muse in some very interesting ways.

 

 

Fun with Super Duos

Just a quick post to share some fun things I've been making with the new Super Duo beads.   I created these earrings for a fun earring exchange this Christmas.  These are the earrings I sent.  I'm still waiting to receive mine from an unknown Santa.

 

I also made a necklace for my Mom for Christmas.  She's told me at least 35 times how much she likes it which makes me very happy.  Mom will be 100 years old Jan 11 2013 so I called this necklace Centennial.

 

I love the Super Duos.  They have two holes (one in each end) and are very uniform in shape so they are easy to use in many different ways.  There are lots of new colors to play with too.

 

Happy Beading!

At Long Last!

Finally, the day has arrived!  Almost all of the gorgeous 2012 Battle of the Beadsmith entries have been posted and I must say - they are breathtaking!

You can see all of the entries in the group page on facebook.  Click on this url:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/edit/a.2468982920008.2109259.1115392815/#!/groups/274053372682035/photos/

My entry was held up being posted until almost the end because my competitor's entry was not received and they are unsure if the e-mail was lost or not.  I have no misgivings about being a finalist, but I did have a lot of fun making my piece.  It features cabochons created by Vladislov Ivanov and Kremena Ivanova, married owners of Golem Design Studio.

I had so much fun creating this necklace.  I love the zentangle nature of the cabs and knew I needed to keep the beadwork simple because of all the design and motion going on in the cabs.  I'm also excited that the artists who create these amazing cabs are making smaller sized cabs - providing jewelry designers with even more creative possibilities.

Golem Design Studio also has an Etsy shop.

Elegant Elements Clasps - Part II

Meeting Steven Weiss from The Beadsmith has been one of the most memorable and fun events in my life.  He organized a wonderful group of beaders to receive two of the Elegant Elements Clasps which The Beadsmith distributes to beading stores throughout the world.  What was created with the clasps was totally up to each beader.  The creations are beginning to be collected in a wonderful album on facebook which you can view HERE. 

I previously blogged about the freeform bracelet (Enticement) I created with one of the gold plated Elegant Elements clasps, but I'm just now getting around to blogging about the second one.  Here is a picture of the beautiful clasp.  It is rhodium plated with Swarovski crystals - pure bling!

And here are some pictures of the necklace I created.  I used the beautiful clasp as the focal.  The beaded beads were created with crystal, silver and black seed beads using Cubic Right Angle Weave (CRAW).  I call it Destiny, a very fitting name I believe!

Because it has such special meaning to me, this one will not be for sale.

There are more exciting creations being added to the facebook album by some incredible beaders, so don't forget to check back often.  And if you are interested in the Elegant Elements clasps, you can contact The Beadsmith to find a store near you that carries them.

Bead Journal Project 2011

I'm very excited about deciding to participate in the Bead Journal Project 2011.  BJP is a group of people who have decided to create 12 beaded journal pages, one per month, for a year.  The goal is simply personal development and providing a pathway to expand our own artistic creativeness.

One of the goals for myself in 2011 is to increase awareness of myself as an artist.  I am looking forward to not following any rules and letting my muse have her way on these monthly projects.

We can use any medium in our projects as long as we also include beads.  I'll be using some of my dichroic glass cabochons and using bead weaving to create my journal pages.

I haven't decided on any particular theme, but I have decided to keep my projects small (no more that 3" x 3") so that I don't get overwhelmed and give up.  I guess that's my worst fear.

I hope to share my progress and my creations with you all throughout the year.  Happy Beading in the new year to one and all!

Bead Mavens Ice Queen Challenge

The Bead Mavens recently held an Ice Queen Challenge and the winners have been announced.  You can view all three winners on the Bead Mavens website and also on their blog. 

I was one of the donors to the prize pool and so I got to "meet" the 2nd place winner, Cindy Holsclaw of Bead Origami.. Cindy gave me permission to display her beautiful winning necklace.  The necklace contains 17 individual Pagoda Beaded Charms in a beautiful Icycle blue color.

You can read more about the necklace on Cindy's blog.  She also has her own website and Etsy shop where she sells her beadwork as well as tutorials - one of which is for the pagoda bead used in this necklace.

My donation was a gift certificate for something in my Etsy shop.  Cindy chose one of my dichroic glass cabochons which I called "Symphony."

It's a bold piece and I'm really looking forward to seeing how Cindy might use it.  Congratulations to all the winners of the Bead Maven's Ice Queen Challenge.  Every entry was outstanding.

Walking in the Woods Treasury

My boulder opal bracelet was included in this lovely treasury created by Smadar's Treasure on Etsy.


If you feel like shopping for some beautiful beadwoven items, check out her shop. Here's one of my favorites (it was truly hard to pick just one!).


I met Smadar through the Etsy Beadweaving (EBW) Team Group on Etsy and she has truly been an inspiration to me.

Thanks For Your Votes!

Oodles and oodles of thanks to everyone who voted for my necklace in the Abeadstore.com Beaded Impressions contest. My entry came in 2nd place and I won a $50 gift certificate! Here's my necklace but you can view all the winners here.

I'm sure you won't be able to figure out what I'm going to buy with my $50 gift certificate! Happy shopping tomorrow!

Tropical Holiday Challenge

WHEW! I completed my entry into the Etsy Beadweavers (EBW) Team Challenge entitled "Tropical Holiday." I keep wanting to call it Tropical "Vacation" - I must need one!

I called my piece "Paradise" as it certainly would be paradise to be lying on a warm white sand beach listening to the ocean waves lapping against the shore and enjoying all the colorful flowers.

Please visit the Group blog here to see all the entries once the mosaic is posted. Members have until Feb 2 to post their entries. Be sure to come back between Feb 9 - 15 to vote for your favorite.

All My Time is Spent on the Computer!!

It seems like my designing and creating time has taken a backseat to working on the computer these past few weeks. But I did accomplish a lot!

I opened a second Etsy Shop for all my non-beaded creations called "Dangles By Linda." You can look at it by clicking here. I have lots of work to do yet taking pictures and uploading all the info to the site.

I also opened a website on eCRATER (it's free!) and you can look at my pages by clicking here. Again, lots of work yet to be done, but it's a start.

I also signed up for Google Checkout. I've always (and still do) use PayPal, but didn't think adding another option would be a bad thing.

I spent time yesterday in one of the Virtual Labs on Etsy. Chatted with lots of fellow Etsians, got questions answered by an Esty person, and learned how to fling hearts and paper airplanes across the virtual room. I also learned how to do "show and tell" in the virtual lab.

I learned how to do an Etsy-mini and posted it here on my blog. I also learned more about widgets and how to add them to my sites. I also learned how to add a picture of one of my products to Google Base (don't ask).

I did get one more bracelet finished (I know, I said I needed to stop making bracelets and work on my challenge piece). You can find a picture of it here.

I have made a promise to myself that tomorrow is going to be spent on creating - no more computer work! My husband is off on a fishing trip to Mexico, so I can really make a mess!

I wish everyone a Happy New Year! Stay Safe.

New Etsy Beadweavers Challenge

The Etsy December Beadweaving Challenge has ended. There were 658 votes and 31 gorgeous entries. The winner with 133 votes (20% of the total number of votes) was Karin of Gypsy Eyes Jewelry who won with her Queen of the Frozen Tundra necklace. Congratulations to her!

Now we face a new challenge - TROPICAL HOLIDAY!

When I first heard the new theme, the first thing that came to my mind was lots of bright, bold colors - luscious green palm trees, gorgeous blue waters, brilliant red and pink flowers, and for some reason, bright yellow bananas. How will I ever combine all that into one piece of jewelry?

The good news is that we have until February 5th to complete our piece. Stay tuned for updates and on my progress.

This is my entry into the Etsy Beadweaver's December Challenge titled "Snow Queen." I chose to use shiny silver and gold rocaille (size 15) seed beads to make the flowers and leaves and the chain is a spiral stitch.

Etsy Beadweaver's December Challenge

I can't believe how the time has flown by and I haven't written anything here since the end of October! So much has happened and I've been making so many new beaded items and it's been very exciting. I really do need to be more responsible for my blog, especially since I have my first follower! Thank you - that was so exciting to see.

For the first time I created a piece to enter into the Etsy Beadweavers monthly challenge. The theme is "Snow Queen" and the entries this month are absolutely awesome. My entry pales in comparison to so many of them, but it was a great learning experience for me and I'm glad I decided to enter my piece even though it was scarey.

If you are interested in seeing all the entries, you can view them on Etsy (http://www.etsy.com/index.php) and in the search field put "EBWC" which stands for Etsy Beadweavers Challenge.

In a few days, all of the entries will be posted on the Etsy Beadweavers Blogspot
(http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/) and you can actually vote for your favorite beginning December 10th.

My Journey to Beads

All my life I have enjoyed creating. As a young girl I learned to sew with needle and thread and to crochet with my grandmother. I enjoyed artwork and crafts. But I never realized how much it meant to me until a few years ago. I worked several years as an elementary grade school teacher and then got into computers and accounting. I spent my whole life working at jobs I didn't really enjoy. I discovered beads in my 50's.

It all started with my love of discovering pretty rocks. Whenever I would visit a new place, my head would be looking down at the ground hoping to spot something pretty. My growing rock collection soon led me to joining a rock and gem club. I learned how to identify my rocks, but I also learned much more. I learned that rocks I had collected could be cut, polished and formed into shapes that could be used in jewelry. Well that opened up a whole new world! Making cabachons, wirewrapping and silver work were soon new skills I was learning.

Then came the Gem and Mineral shows. While attending all the shows, I made a new discovery - beads. I began stringing beads to make my own jewelry. I learned how to crimp and about all the different findings that could be used in making jewelry. I became hooked.

I think I came full circle when I discovered that I could use a needle and thread with beads and with my pretty rocks. I learned that there were many different beadweaving stitches that could be used to combine all the things I love into jewelry. The creative possibilities were endless!

But I'm not done. I also discovered Polymer Clay and Precious Metal Clay. These two mediums allow for even more creativity in combining them with beadweaving. And what about making my own beads out of them? And what about learning lampworking? Those handmade glass beads are gorgeous!

So that's my journey to beads in a nutshell. I'm pretty sure the journey will not be over for a long, long time, God willing. I thank Him for giving me this desire to create.