Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Creative Finds: Beaded Colorways Book Review


As I've mentioned before, I'm not a huge fan of seed beading. Until I started following Beverly Ash Gilbert's blog. Free-form beading? I can wrap my head around that concept. Following a pattern? Nope. I still really don't. Or can't. Not sure as I did try out two projects in the book, but ended up tearing them both out. The first because I used regular sewing thread (and intended it to be practice...sewing thread is too fragile) and the second because the project I started was laying out funny. Not to say that I won't try the projects in the future. They are spectacular and dreamy. I read the book for a few months before I got the courage to really try it out and just recently received all the correct materials to actually work on it. The projects in this book have provided a lot of eye candy for my creative mind to play with as I dabble in new mediums. Beverly teaches the peyote stitch and 3-bead netting stitch.

As I mentioned, I started projects, but tore them out. I recreated the projects into my own version, which is an update on my Classic Lariat, re-invented as the Beaded Lariat. (I love lariats. Must be from living in Texas for nine years.) I used some Sarah Hornik lampwork beads as the tassles of the first Autumn Leaves Lariat. The bead colorways are from Beverly's collection of Bead Soups and Medleys. I mixed in some additonal gems such as the tiny garnets and green, organically shaped cultured pearls. The free-form beading was wrapped around leather cord, a red hemp cord, and a yellow waxed linen cord.


This Southwestern Beaded Lariat is half finished. I still need to create a new clasp and add the lariat tassles. It's designed differently from the above lariat. The lariat above can be worn doubled around the neck or tied in a single long rope. The one below is designed to be worn as a long lariat and has the hook enclosure as part of the decoractive element on the front. I sprinkled in generous helpings of undyed turquoise roundels, my lampwork beads, and dyed red coral. I also included one of my own light turquoise with red lampwork heart as the focal bead. There will be dangling ropes behind it when I finish it...(not sure when). Again, wrapping the freeform seed ropes around leather cord, red hemp, and light blue waxed linen. I love this color combo (even though it's getting overplayed, I can't help it...it's still so southwest-y, I must still play with it).

18 comments:

  1. they are really beautiful - you have a knack with those for sure! i think it is great how you have beads of your own mixed into the whole thing...

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  2. Thank you, Maire! I was really excited with the result. I think I'll be doing a bunch more. Next, I want to create some polymer beads to mix with the bead colors.

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  3. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! I don't see myself beadweaving but I do love the free-form style. Thanks for sharing this post! Have a great day!

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  4. I haven't seen that book! I use a lot of graphic design colorway books but that one looks awesome! And AMAZING, very detailed necklaces. Must have taken forever to make!

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  5. Thank you, Lori. I love her book and the ideas on color. I'm also reading Maggie Maggio's on Polymer Clay Color Inspirations (will do the book review later). Between the two, I'm totally inspired by color (besides my natural affinity). But, now I'm learning the properties behind color. The bead combos are some of Beverly's delicious combinations. I don't have the space for creating my own combos yet. As for time...the first one took longer, but the second one took only one evening. It will take one more to finish. :-)

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  6. Jen,
    I love that you just threw out all conventions and rules and flew off in your own direction!! Your designs are wonderful and the colors and textures you added to my soups are scrumptious!

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  7. Your necklaces are so beautiful! I have to admit I got a headache trying to read the polyclay colorway book. Maybe I need to peruse it again, although I might also try Beverly's book. Awesome work, Jenn!

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  8. Very Pretty Jenn. I love your southwest color combination, its very pretty.

    When I started out beading, my first necklaces were all seed beads, and dangles, and it was so much sewing, but really pretty in the end.

    I took a look at Beverly Ash Gilberts Blog, and the colors on her blog were so beautiful, and the photographs just gorgeous. I will have to have a look at that book, and maybe try a few more seed bead necklaces. Very Inspiring. :)

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  9. I really like these! I have visited Beverly-Ash Gilbert's blog/website and LOVE her color combinations. Plan on purchasing some for myself. Anyway, keep creating! You're getting some very pretty results!

    T

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  10. They are tremendous necklaces, you've really done justice to Sarah's beads - I admire her work so much!

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  11. Thank you, Juli, Tara, and Sue...I love Beverly and Sarah's work, too!

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  12. Hi Jen~
    I love your work!!!

    PS.... I've given you the Sunshine Award! Please see my latest blog post for details!! Have a great day! :)
    ~Nikki

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  13. I love, love, love the first necklace! So beautiful! Colors, style, everything....I think you are really on to something here :)

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  14. Nice lariats. I love seed beads (have a shoebox full of them) but most seed bead projects take more hours than I can spare. But I do have lots of necklace-making plans for the retirement years!

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  15. Thank you, thank you, Nikki, Raye, Becca and Jillian! Mucho apreciado!

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  16. Oh Jenn these necklaces are so beauitful, wow...you've done an amazing job on them. I love them both and espeacially the bottom one.

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  17. Thank you, Mandy! They were way fun to do...I'm partial to the bottom one, too.

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