Book Report... 'The Art of Beaded Beads' Starving Artist Blog

I haven't done a book report since I was in High School.... and I won't tell you how long ago that was, but if my graduating class every had any reunions; I've missed 10, 20, 25, 30 and 35..... Actually, that's not entirely true I seem to remember rewriting a few book reports 6 years ago for my son....

THE BOOK 'The Art of Beaded Beads' Exploring Design Color & Technique
edited by Jean Campbell
Publisher LARK



I got this book last summer to help focus my new found passion for seed beads... And since I'm a bead maker, what could be better than a different way to make components or BEADS!

I run a gallery all summer and on nice days between customers I sit outside, so this summer I tried to turn a lap-full of tiny beads into a single larger bead. (slightly more successfully than spinning straw into gold...) .

The first bead I attempted was the tropical Bouquet Bead... First you make the leaves then you add flowers, the design calls for 3 flowers... I couldn't see the point of the 3rd flower as it would be on the bottom so mine has 2 flowers.


Then I moved onto the tetrahedron bead.... ("A shape with 4 triangular sides") I fell in love with these beads and made little triangles for a couple of weeks, they make great earrings.


Then I tried to make a Dodecahedron... There isn't actually a mistake in the instructions on this bead but the layout of the text instructions could have used a bit more thought... This bead took me 4 days and I will never make another one... It's lovely but....


I also tried the Sea Anemone Bead... I can't get this one to work properly even though it's suppose to be easy.... The shaping on this bead is done by changing bead size ... (Bead size trivia: Seed bead size is the number of beads that can be strung on an inch of thread, So if you have beads and don't know what size they are just string them and measure an inch! The Japanese ones will be exact, the rest you may have to sort out the wonky beads....) Yes this project called for Japanese Seed Beads, I only have Japanese beads in size 15, my 8's and 11's are just 'cheap' seed beads... which could explain why this bead is not working....



DO I like this book yes, although I'm not sure what criteria was used to organize it, as shape & style & difficulty of bead projects seems to be totally random. The book starts off with instructions on how to do all the basic 'weaves'...however, I found the instructions for individual beads to be more than adequate... knowing exactly what stitch I was doing seems overated! I can see myself attempting lots more of these beads this winter, the book features instructions for 40 beads. That leaves me 36 more to try!

I think one of the nicest things about making stand alone beads is being able to use them in an original project once they are finished... the great coloured images throughout this book are all of 'beads'. There are few examples of finished jewellery so if you do turn the finished projects into jewellery you have something that is uniquely yours!

Other member book reviews!
Galadryl Design

http://danagonia-enc...uriosities.html

http://famileejewels...ed-Jewelry.html

http://thisnortherng...1/28/gemstones/

http://beadsophistic...al-book-review/

http://islandgirlsin...aded-beads.html

SALE !!! 20 % off in my etsy shop!

Trying out the New Etsy Coupon codes! So everything is 20% off from Nov 24 through Nov 30... come buy your favorite bead! I think this bead is on etsy!

Oops... so you need a coupon code, if you want the 20% discount instantly you need to type BF2010 into the box!

Almost wordless Wednesday... on Tuesday

My favorite waves picture from FL.... actually the beach was closed to swimming ...

Interview with the artist - Lynne from Islandgirl

Sateam Interview with me

This interview was done last fall.

Almost wordless Wednesday

Aren't these 'Kroc Sox fun..... I love knitting these! Believe the hotter the summer the more 'SOX" and felted hats I sell!

How it came to be... Starving Artist Blog

Or why I NOW work with glass... I started life as a Geologist....


There's lots of directions that I could head off in with that statement... very little that I do with glass was premeditated... I took my first flat glass class because a friend of a friend canceled and didn't want to loose her money... so I stepped in.... My first big panel was a bathroom window for my sister, the second one was the panel that Noreen... the friend that talked me into taking my first flat glass class started in that class... she bit off way more than she could chew! But that panel was finished 6 or 7 years later and installed in her parents front hall.... IN between about all I did was attempt a 6 panel faux tiffany lamp... I finished one panel in the class... cut out all the rest and had the pieces unlabeled on top of the drier in the basement... My 2 year old went down stairs and transferred all the neat piles of unlabeled glass into a bucket.... they stayed there unsorted for about 8 years.... The lamp then spent 11 years in my dining room in SK and has been hanging in 'Rapunzels' tower in NB for the last 3 years!



My foray into glass beads was because I saw and bought a hot head because it was in a wholesale catalogue and in those days there weren't a lot of new toys available so when there was something ... I got it!

Bounce forward another 6 years to my move to NewBrunswick in Sept of 2001... gone is my 1200 sq ft commercial studio... I have an unheated, uninsulated garage to make beads in or a dungeon with water up to my knees whenever it rains to do stained glass in.... What a choice!


Dungeon still has almost no heat but the river is gone.....

Now I have a heated bead studio and a sump pump in the dungeon.... I'll take the bead studio with the windows facing the government wharf... who wouldn't prefer to cuddle over a warm flame and watch fishing boats come and go, then work on a muddy concrete floor ....

View through the screen and my messy workbench!

For the last 11 years I have also run a seasonal gallery featuring work done by Canadian Women... but that's a whole nother story!


Other artists participating in this month blog

Sylvia from Galadryl


Bonnie from The FamiLee Jewels


Julie from Northern Girl Jewelry

ABS carnival bloggers ... Celebration

Celebration

1. The formal performance of a solemn rite, such as Christian sacrament
2. The observance of a holiday or feast day, as by solemnities
3. The act, process of showing appreciation, gratitude and/or remembrance, notably as a social event.
4. A social gathering for entertainment and fun; a party.

I just noticed when I was posting my remembrance link that the November carnival blog is BOTH groups.. well Wikepedia doesn’t define Celebration… those are the definitions from Wiktionary… but what does all that mean to me and my life as a glass artist in New Brunswick.

My husband celebrates the day that Money Pit his sail boat goes in the water,

but for me that is almost the same time that I open my gallery for the summer... I'm more likely to celebrate closing for the season, this year I was open 98 days straight... That's a long time to smile and be nice on a daily basis!


Money Pit is now back on land but not before non-Tropical Storm 'no na-mee' hit on Friday the 15... and broke the mooring line. The boat literally ended up - 'up the creek' which was better than 'out to sea'! She got scratched and no longer has a mooring ball but is still floating!




We all celebrate different things in different ways..., but, I guess from a bead point of view I celebrate every time I open the kiln and find a bead that I like!

And finally... yesterday the last piece of pink vinyl siding was removed from this house.... Now that's something to celebrate!