Today is one of those day where no matter what you feel that you are always late. Does it happen to you also?
Also now I have to hurry out but first I want to show you what’s on my table today. A simple visual post that will make all happy.
It’s pretty clear how those beads are going to be put together, don’t you think?
Don’t forget to go here to see what other bead tables look like today.
” [...] I am reminded of an old man who for thirthy years or more sat in the main street of Pune and cleaned shoes. He was terribly crippled, with withered sticks for legs folded on a little wooden trolley. In his youth he was destitute and in despair. Survival seemed impossible. Then one day he began to clean shoes. He had a good chest and gradually his arms strengthened. He was not only the best shoe cleaner in the town, but he was respected and held in friendship by all who passed. […] All he had was a fine chest, prana, sparkling wise eyes reflecting the seer within, and his shoe cleaning equipmente. The Upanishad was right. With just breath and soul and courage, the man achieved a life to be admired.”
B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Life
I am in a strange mood lately, I am trying to find my direction and when I read this extract this morning I thought: provided that I find my way, will I have the guts to walk it?
Tags: B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Life
I have been playing with unconventional material lately and I found out it is a great exercise to boost creativity.
Last Wednesday, I wrote that I wanted to create something using washers (I am still not sure that this is the right term..).
Today I can tell you that my Industrial Revolution collection now features two pairs of earring. And more are coming soon.
This is the first pair I made.
I used LoS to give a rusty, used look.
And this is the second pair, made using smaller washers.
For this pair, I just filed 2 out of 3 discs to create some texture.
Curiously, as my mind was completely absorbed in this reinventing process, I decided that it was time to reinvent a bracelet I made some time ago and that never satisfied me.
It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t nice either.
So I dissembled it and, yes, now I am happy with it.
Does it ever happen to you to undo an old creation?
Tags: bohemian beads, creativity, hardware, liver of sulphur, LoS
If you are like me, you understand pretty soon why a journey to the local hardware store can be as inspirational as one at your bead store.
Take a washer for example, isn’t it a perfect starting point for a bracelet or a pair earrings?
Can you see it? I know that you can!
I am working on the details but I can say that the Industrial Revolution collection is just behind the corner!
What about you? What’s on your bead table today?
Oh, I almost forgot! Have you already seen the end result of Michelle’s Valentine Challenge?
Here is what I did with my card.
Not too much but I wanted to play with the embossed letters and I was lucky enough to find the important one.
Tags: Bead Table Wednesday, btw, hardware store, washer
Last month, Michelle Mach thought that it would have been fun to host a non-beading challenge.
She simply asked to pick up one card from her lovely embossed cards and to alter it.
There were no rules, no limitations, nothing. Creativity was our only limit.
I am not into the card craft world. I have seen wonderful things on the web, but I never walked that path. Nonetheless, the challenge was appealing and I picked my card.
Teacher Gift: Embossed Note Cards (Typography - Alphabet Letters)
Why did I chose the alphabet pattern? I can only say that it immediately stroke me, I saw it and thought “I want that!”.
Michelle sent me the card right away and in less than a week it flew over the ocean and landed in my mail box. I am sorry that you cannot touch it, because the texture and the quality of the paper are really wonderful.
I knew from the beginning what I wanted to do with the card but I was hesitant to begin. I was afraid to ruin Michelle work and the thought that I had only try didn’t help me. .
In the end I did it but if you want to see how Michelle’s card was altered, you have to wait till the revelation day: the 14th of February.
Tags: alphabet letters, beads & book, challenge, embossed cards, michelle mach, note cards, valentine's day
What happens if you mix up two techniques you don’t master?
I think that the final result depends on the lucky you have and this time luck was on my side.
Last week I stumbled on this youtube video and find it very inspiring. And you know, I had to give it a shot.
I picked a big cherry quartz glass and started my project.
First of all I had to make a sort of bezel to set the pendant. It took me two hours to come up with something decent and workable.
It didn’t look great, but I knew it would have worked. So I took several pieces of wire and from now on it was all a wrap-and-thread work.
At first it looked pretty messy and I felt lost. But I suddenly remembered that there was no thing as wrong nor a pattern to follow. It was just the wire and me. As I realized this, everything became simpler.
Full of hope, I kept wrapping and threading and the next thing I remember was that the design was taking shape.
It all happened in a couple of minutes. I don’t know how, when and why, but a tree was there.
Only the roots were missing and, at this point, they were a piece of cake.
I love it!
Tags: cherry quartz, quartz glass, Tree of life, wire work, wrapping
After my first wrapping attempt I made a new one.
I used a similar semi-precious bead as the regular shape really help the wrapping process and I think I did a better job. I could not stand all the marks that my pliers left on the wire on the first pendant and now I cannot see any, even if I look very closely.
It remains a basic wrapping, nothing compared to the wonderful designs I have seen around. But I’ll get there.
The most scary thing is that you cannot improvise.
The more I think of new wrappings, the more I realize that to make complex and wonderful wire architecture you must figure out in advance what you want to do.
So, please, tell me I am wrong because I am not so good at planning.
Tags: pendant, wire work, wire wrapping
Last weekend I tried my first serious wrapping.
After seeing some pictures of wrapped beads and a tutorial video, I thought “OK, enough with the studying. Let’s do it!”. Yeah, I am that kind of person. I like learning while doing things rather than reading a complete step by step procedure.
So I took my three pieces of wire and started.
As I was bending the wire around the bead, I soon realized that my wire was too hard. Anyway, I didn’t undo everything and went on with my project.
I added rose/purple beads just to have fun before making the final big hoop. I should have thought better about it, really. Eventually, I could do a hoop and my first wrapped bead pendant was finished.
It’s a basic wrap with a lot of flaws, next one will be better!
Tags: Gem wrapping, wire work, wire wrapping
Happy Bead Table Wednesday everyone!
There are earrings on my working table today.
Not much but my creativity was still buried under kilos and kilos of all the delicious things I ate in Italy.
What about you? What’s on your bead table today?
Tags: Bead Table Wednesday, btw, earrings, jasper, turquoise
Now that I am back, I can wish you all a wonderful new year.
Picture taken from Flickr
2012 started pretty good for me. On the very first day of the year, I sold these two pairs of earrings.
They are ready to go to Austria and I hope Claudia will love them.
As if this was not enough, my very special and personal graphic designer surprised me with my new business cards.
They are plastic coated and I struggled with the light to take a decent picture… not sure I made it, though. I am biased, but I can assure you they look great!
Let’s be honest, I couldn’t have wished for anything better.
Tags: business cards, crystal beads, earrings, new year, turquoise
