New NEDbeads Policy Updates

Hey there, beady land!  I know I am a terribly inconsistant blogger... I had hoped to do better with it this year, but so far life has jumped in front of me too many times to really pay enough attention to the blog.  Today's post is one that I hope lots of people will find, however, as I am changing up the policies regarding my tutorials.

I don't know about you, but I have been hearing so many things about copyright everywhere that the thought of one more discussion really makes me want to run the other way, but I was recently gently convinced to read two more discussions on others' blogs, and am really glad I did. I found out that there are many designers out there who feel as I do, and aren't afraid to market their designs in a way that feels much more comfortable for me, personally.  There has been so much angst and anger everywhere in the beady world over this particular issue, and many horror stories as well of how many designers have had their work disrespected, copied, stolen, etc etc.  And when someone has a policy of selling their tutorials or patterns without giving the purchaser permission to sell the finished work, or ask that a higher price be paid for using the design commercially, I respect that and support it.  It's a personal choice that I think each designer needs to make for themselves.  Above all else, I believe that we need to respect each others' work, and practice good ethics.

I have realized that the policies I have in place on my own tutorials (no selling finished work from my tutorials without a commercial license) aren't making me happy.  I don't feel good about them.  I don't feel good about them because they don't reflect my beliefs about art and creativity, and they don't make me feel good about sending designs out into the world.  I know there are unethical people out there that will do what they wish, and that outright copies will be made and sold, and that there are times when I won't be credited with my work.  But I want to share, especially with those who have inspired me, or taught me something, or showed me a new way of looking at my beads.

I want to learn, and never ever stop learning.  I want to create pieces that make others want that same thing.  And I want to share what I learn about how I go about creating, and my process.  If there is anything I can offer to the community that has taught me so much and helped me to learn how to take my own path, I want to offer it.  My hope is always that people will enjoy my tutorials, and to take whatever parts of them inspire them most, and create something later on that is theirs completely with whatever they have learned in the process.  I've had some lovely ladies who created marvelous things based on my tutorials, but changed in such a way that their own creativity took them in a completely different direction in the end (one special friend in particular created a beaded bead from my Runway bracelet base!) and they ask if I mind if they sell the pieces.  Do I mind??  I am ecstatic!!!  I love to see them, I love that they took them places.  I am truly and honestly honored, any time that I can show someone something that sparks their own creative voice.  To me, this means that I am passing it on, paying it forward - and that means a great deal to me.

So my decision has been that I want to change my policies and allow any work made from my tutorials to be used in any way the purchaser sees fit OTHER than mass production.  The tutorials themselves - all written material and images - will retain my copyright and can't be shared, taught, or reproduced without written permission.  Don't share the tutorial - but by all means, share what you learn about your own process if you can, you WILL inspire someone else along the way.

My prices will remain the same, and won't go up.  I realize that people who have purchased commercial versions of these tutorials will be feeling rather miffed right now, since they paid a higher price.  If you have purchased a commercial version from me, please send me an email at nedale67@gmail.com  and I will give you a half price discount on another pattern of your choice.  Please do NOT purchase your pattern and then email me - I will set up a listing for you when you contact me.

I will be working over the next few weeks to amend the wording on all of the pdfs and listings in my shop, as well as the policy statement, but given some of the things that I am dealing with personally right now, it may take awhile.  So please disregard the 'For Personal Use Only' portion of them, as this public post gives permission to sell your finished work.

I have a new tutorial in the works as I write this, I can't wait to show you!!

Bead happy, bead ethically, respect your designers' policies and hard work and have a fabulous week.

Super Soup!! BSBP Reveal #2!

I am sooooooo excited!!  I can't wait to hop around and see what everyone has made for their Bead Soup Blog Party reveals!  Lori Anderson has done it again, and set a gorgeous table for everyone to feast at.  If you aren't familiar with the BSBP, please check out Lori's blog Pretty Things and read allllll about it.  I want to extend a huge thank you to Lori, who has done such an incredible job with this, and who has given us all such a fantastic opportunity, both to work outside of our own personal 'boxes' and to meet friends all around the world.  And now... get ready, set... go!!

My wonderful beady twin Bobbie Rafferty, of Beadsong Jewelry sent me this lovely soup to work with, and I am really hoping she likes what I came up with from it.  :)  (I also stole her lovely picture of the soup here, because her picture was only like 40000 times better than my poor attempt - Sherwood wasn't around to take one when I ripped into my soup ingredients, lol.)

Luscious soup from Bobbi

I couldn't find a way to include everything I wanted to in one piece, so I have created two necklaces to use as many beads as I could.  I apologize to Bobbie that I wasn't able to use all of them... but the ones that got left out are just simmering in my stash, waiting for the perfect time.  

The first necklace was created around the beautiful Elizabeth Girod lampwork focal flower.  I wanted the necklace to be reminiscent of multi media pieces, and so I made the neck straps in various stitches and even STRUNG one of them!  (For those of you who know me well, you know I haven't strung anything in ages - and I needed to re-learn those skills, but I love how it came out.)  I really wanted to include the beautiful sari silk ribbon that Bobbi used to wrap my soup package with, but no matter how hard I tried, it just wouldn't fit.  I used my focal, some of Bobbi's lovely dagger beads, several of the lentils, and some of the Chinese crystals.  :) 

The focal was embroidered onto a small piece of stiff stuff, then backed with ultra suede and brick stitched on the edging.  I added two more rows of brick stitch, and then some picots and fringing.  The lentil bead and crystal are a second layer of fringe right below the flower, to match the 3D effect of the lampworked flower.  

On the right side of the necklace, I made a simple spiral rope with crystal inclusions, and a strung rope with the lentil beads, seed beads, and more crystals.  I think it balances with the other side fairly well, and I like the mix of textures, with a small spiral, larger beads and spaces on this side, and a continuous large rope on the other side.

On the left side, I used a Dutch spiral stitched rope (something I hadn't done in years, again!) and then embellished along the completely gold rope with tiny red seed beads to highlight the spirals.  

I finished this one with a clasp I had in my stash, because I felt like it really needed something flowery to balance the front.  I wanted to be able to put this piece up for sale in my shop, but unfortunately discovered three quarters of the way through beading that the size 11 beads I was using were apparently galvanized, as the gold finish was flaking off.  Oooooooooo, grrrrrrr!!!  I thought I had rid myself of all of the galvanized finish beads in my stash, but apparently I missed some.  :(  So, it will have to be a 'for show' piece, but that's ok too, as it's pretty to look at and gave me some new ideas for other designs, as well.  Between the colors themselves and the stitches I chose, this one really stretched my creativity in many ways!! 

For my second piece, I just HAD to use those incredible freshwater pearls, and the gorgeous clasp Bobbie made for me (by hand!! She made it by hand!!  I am totally envious, I can't do wirework to save my own life).  So, of course, the amethyst and the pewter had to jump in too... and I decided to use a little of my bali silver, some cubic zirconia rondelles, two large silver grey freshwater pearls, and two large faceted amethyst beads at the center.   I enjoyed my stringing so much (rusty as I was!) that I decided to string this piece, too.  This one was a creation for just me, made with some of my very favorite things.

Below is a closer up photo of the pendants I added.  The longest hangs from a gunmetal chain rather than a silver one because I felt like it highlighted the tarnished silver of the pendant, and is a black onyx point that I've had for ages.  It's a special pendant to me, as it was a gift from my mom.  The smaller point is amethyst, and it is accompanied by two more 'fringes', one of which is a piece of the pewter Bobbie sent me, and the other of which is a handmade charm by Andrew Thornton.   I adore Andrew's charms, little medieval 'cities' that just make me happy.  I hung it from an eyepin (yes, I did that horrible wrapping job myself) with sterling and amethyst.

And, of course, I had to include a beautiful close up shot of Bobbi's wire work sterling clasp.  Isn't it perfect??  I hope I did it justice.  I really love this necklace, I've worn it several times already, and it swings and sways and makes a lovely little chinking noise when I move.  Thank you sooooooo much, Bobbie!!!!

Now, you MUST visit Bobbie's blog and see what she has been cooking up with the bead soup I sent her.  Her work is fabulous and she is MUCH better at blogging than I am - she actually posts often, rather than my regrettable once every month or two, lol.  Here are the two soups I sent off - photographed by Bobbie again because she made them look much yummier than I did... I can't WAIT to see how she chose to use them!!

Please take the time, and a cup of your favorite beverage, to go to Lori's blog and hop around to all of the other reveals - I know I will!!  Click HERE for the list!

Winner!!

A huge thank you to everyone who stopped by and commented on my Runestones necklace, you are all way beyond kind to me!!  I wish I could give something to each of you, for following along with my beady adventures and encouraging me.  :)

Teddy picked a name this afternoon - although he's gone off to nap again now and I wasn't able to snap a pic this time...  Congratulations to Jeanne Evans (whose comment oddly showed up as an Anonymous due to Blogger's peculiarities)!!  Send me your mailing address via email or Facebook, Jeanne, and I'll get that in the mail stream for you!

Freeform Again - Runestones and a Giveaway

Finally!!  The third piece in my trio of freeform is done!  I started this while I was working on my Choose Your Own Adventure pieces (which are in my previous post; a blog hop hosted by my lovely friends Mandi Ainsworth and Karen Williams), when I intended to have a trio of bracelets to reveal on the day, but I only managed to finish two of them - and this one decided it had to be a necklace instead.  I have to listen to the beads when they yell at me that loudly.  So more soup was mixed, and off I went. Here is Runestones.

I am so happy with this necklace.  It was a wonderful piece to work on, and looking at it now still makes me feel happy.  I love the colors.  I love the feel of it.  Not just the feeling I get looking at it, but actually touching it - it's very textural and fun to stroke.  The fringe on this one also lays just how I wanted it to; I used OneG to string the fringe and do the small bits of peyote, and it's very swingy and drapey.  The center-most fringe is a peyote strip, which has a bezeled Amethyst claw at the end.  Hanging from the focal stone is another center fringe which is tipped with a gorgeous copper freshwater pearl, also bezeled.

During the process, I thought of a beautiful, fictional woman whom I can't even rightly describe... long hair, with beads and braids and dreads and plain, brushed wavy locks mixed in, a flowing dress with medieval three quarter length sleeves,  charms dangling from many bracelets, three large stoned rings on her slender, well kept hands, bending over a wooden table laden with scrolls and candles and jewels and leather journals, smooth polished bones, chunks of raw amethyst and rusted keys.  In my mind's eye, this necklace was the result of a prophecy of some kind, the stones frozen in their tumble as they revealed their secrets...

The main body of the necklace is made with freeform peyote stitch, which connects to each of the embroidered focal stones.  The amethyst 'claws' are on top of the base, and woven to it with more strands of peyote.  The clasp is hand fabricated copper from one of my favorite metal workers and was custom made for me.  I tried it on (OF COURSE I tried it on!!!!) and it's magnificently comfy and wearable and feels yummy on the neck, with nothing poking in or sticking out (which I always worry about when I make fringe or 'spiky' edges).

My Runestones necklace is made of a huge bead soup mix which includes the faceted Sugilite focals, the oval Sunstone beads (which have a glorious sparkly glitter-like matrix up close), amethyst 'claws', freshwater pearls, Swarovski crystals, copper metal beads, vintage and modern glass and every kind of seed bead I own.  There are dagger beads, drops, Czech cathedral crystals, Swarovski and cubic zirconia drops, faceted AAAgrade Amethyst beads, bugles, cubes... on and on.  I hunted and pecked and used anything that looked like it might be talismanic, or that looked like it belonged.

I still have some soup left over, in fact!!  Most of the bigger stones and such were used in this, but there are still some gorgeous things left in the soup, including two of the faceted Sugilite, some of the awesome Sunstone, and a carved Amethyst bead.  I would really like to celebrate the completion of this project by giving away the remaining soup.  I intend to add in a few more seed beads, and a few more crystal drops to round it out a bit, but below is the picture of the soup I'll  be gifting.   Leave me a comment, Teddy will pick a name.  :) :) :)

And, just because - - - a pic of what the back looks like.  :) 

UPDATE - Giveaway is closed now, 3/3/13 - Teddy will pick a winner in a  few hours!  :) :) :) Thank you, everyone who commented!!!!!!!

Reveal: Choose Your Own Adventure

I'm so happy today to be able to post photos of two new bracelets, made for the Choose Your Own Adventure blog hop hosted by Mandi Ainsworth and Karen Williams.  The idea behind the blog hop was to create something in freeform peyote stitch, which is one of my favorite techniques.  I thought it was an awesome idea, not only for people like me who already adore freeform, but for those who would like to try it out for size.  I am really enjoying being part of their Facebook group as well, and highly recommend stopping by if you're of a mind to try out some freeform yourself; they have some wonderful ideas and tips in the posts.

I tried something new with this first one.  I used leftover bead soup from my Honeybutter necklace (made years ago in freeform right angle weave) and have named it Honeycomb.  Instead of starting off with one strip of peyote and working off of that strip continuously, I made several strips and then wove them together with more freeform.  When I start with a single strip, the edges tend to have scallops from connecting new lines of peyote to the original strip, and I wanted to see how it would lie if you didn't have the scallops doing the connecting.  I really like how it makes for several 'paths' in the work, and then ends in fairly solid peyote at the ends.  The clasp is from the Elegant Elements line of findings.

For those of you looking for a similar color palette, the original Honeybutter soup mix started off with a bead mix of the same name which is, I think, manufactured by Miyuki, and if you do a Google search, you should be able to find the same basic mix in several sizes of seed beads and firepolish beads as well.  I then added a TON of my own stash beads (Swarovski, freshwater pearls, faceted glass, cubic zirconia, triangle/cube/hex/24kt gold plated seed beads, etc etc) into the mix to make it more unique, but you could certainly use their mix as is.

With my second bracelet, Compass, I had more of a true adventure, even though I didn't try anything 'new to me' with it, because it truly evolved as I worked with it.  I had a fairly plain, been-there-done-that plan in my head as I started, and didn't plan the chains or jump rings or the basic steampunkery feel to the piece.  It just happened as I worked, which is what I think freeform is really all about - seeing where it leads you.  I used my own custom Chocolate Cherry bead soup mix (which was concocted for a special friend by request) and a Lisa Peters Art focal cab and freshwater pearls for the side 'cabs.'  The base idea was to create something with my Atlantis Cuff tutorial frame work.

I really like the double clasp, which to me adds some complexity and is visually very cool when worn.  The clasps are attached with double jump rings threaded through the gaps left in the peyote work, and then one jump ring is attach to those two, to hang the clasps.  The rings for the other side of the clasp are attached the same way.  And although it makes it slightly trickier to clasp (you would definitely need help doing it up) it also makes for a very secure connection which is likely to last longer than using thread loops for attachment.  I am usually a bead snob - I admit it.  I like to use sterling silver beads and chain or 24kt gold plated beads and findings... but I have lately been smitten with this bronze colored base metal look, and it seems to go really well with the 'chocolate' part of the mix as well as adding a more antique feel to it.  And although the metal is very soft, I think that the doubled jump rings do make up for some of that and will hold very well.

I had planned to have three pieces to be revealed all together, but the last one is still a work in progress, as it turned into a much bigger project than I thought.  It was *supposed* to be a bracelet, but it decided to be a necklace instead and I am just now finishing some of the edging, which comes before the fringing, which comes before the clasping... so it may be awhile, lol.  It uses the bead soup shown below, faceted sugilite, sunstone, and an unmistakable feeling of magic.  It has a fortune teller feel for me, something that would be used to predict and unmask and show secrets.  I can see a lady with long flowing hair, dressed in a gypsy style, a lady who has an accent you just can't place and a sparkle in her eye...

I haven't advertised it very much, but if you'd like a bead soup custom made to your shades/bead preferences, you can order one in my shop - you give me the colors you're looking for or send me a photo of your focal and I create a soup for you from that. I decided to offer that awhile back when some of my friends asked, and I know that making a soup isn't what everyone enjoys, even though they like to work with the results.  :)

I can't wait to go hop around and see what adventures everyone else has had with their freeform experiences,  and I really hope you will, too.  There is bound to be some really gorgeous eye candy out there!!  Here's the participant list, please come along!  (If my links below don't work for some reason, please go to Karen's Blog at Skunk Hill Studio to find clickable links on her post!!)

Mandi Ainsworth - Adventure Guide

Karen Williams - Adventure Guide 
Bobbie Rafferty
Sarah Meadows
Katherine Gale
Mandy Duffy
Leanne Kirsch
Jean Hutter

Nancy Dale
Judy Riley
Natasha Wiegelman
Pam Chesbro
Stephanie Woods
Romana Tschunko

Bette Greenfield
Mary Harding 
Melody Marie Murray
Shirley Moore
Marj

Sally Russick
Therese Frank
Tanya Goodwin
Christine Altmiller
Lea Paličková
Ivona Šuchmannová

Jennifer Chasalow VanBenschoten
Kay Haynes
Tammy Bowman  
Alisa Lehman
Lori Callahan 
Tami Norris

Jane Kettley
SaraBeth Cullinan 
Tami Norris
Julie Schmidt Bowen
Tammi Clapper
Cynthia Machata 

Kay Haynes
Bette Greenfield
Alisa Lehman
Tammi Clapper
Debbie Rasmussen

Bead soup is here! (And some more links...)

My lovely partner for the BSBP sent me lovelies!  I am thrilled that we were able to connect so quickly, and am so glad to have met Bobbie of Beadsong.  She's a wonderful person, and we're having fun getting to know one another.  We seem to have lots in common!

Without further ado, here is the amazing soup she sent to me!! She packaged it with a gorgeous red ribbon, and sent me a beautiful card.  (I felt kind of  bad, because the day I was getting things together to mail out, my husband was in a mad rush to get out the door for work and I didn't have time to write a note at all!)

The beautiful lampworked flower focal bead is by Elizabeth Girod,  and look at all the beads Bobbie included in my soup!!  I love the clasp she made especially for my piece, too - so jealous, as I can't work with wire no matter what I do.  I'm lucky if I can make a wrapped loop without hurting myself, lol.  I wanted to get a photo of allllll the beads together, but the amethyst, onyx, agate and red onyx would NOT sit still on my white background and I had to resort to the bead mat.

I think it will be a challenge for me to work with these colors, and that's always a good thing - streeeeeeeetch!!!

I hope that Bobbie enjoys playing in the soups I sent her,  I was extra pleased that she is also a fan of my friend Julie Canon of Julsbeads, and that she likes the focal sets I sent her!  I sent two soups because I just wasn't sure what would be best.  They kind of coordinate, so they could be combined, or used separately.  Bobbie's blogged about our soups here.  :)  (The gold clasp in the first photo is a custom clasp made for me by Hodgepodgerie on Etsy - HIGHLY recommended!!)

My apologies for the short post today, but I'm swamped and have to run.  Cheers!!

BSBP and Trying Something New; Wherein I post so many links you'll be here at least four hours if you click them all

Loooong time no post... sorry!  There has been a lot going on in life right now, and so I have neglected a lot of things, including my blog.  Some bad things and some really great things, both.

Of the lovely, beady, NEDbeads type things, there are a few!!  Marcia DeCoster's new book, Beads In Motion, is coming out very soon and I am very excited, as Marcia decided to include one of my pieces in her gallery.  Check it out HERE to see some examples of the lovelies she is going to share with us!!  I can't wait to make some of these designs, they all look scrumptious!!

I am also participating, for the first time, in the wonderful Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party, and am very excited about that as well.  If you aren't familiar with the party, check out Lori's blog and see, it's fabulous!!!

My partner is the talented Bobbie Rafferty of  Beadsong Jewelry!!  I am absolutely thrilled, and having gone through and read Bobbie's blog, I am LOVING her work.  Look at some of this beauty!!

The earrings are amazing, the necklace is sublime and I am particularly in love with this gorgeous freeform peyote bracelet.  I have been hooked on freeform myself lately, and just can't seem to stop.

I made up Bobbie's soup and sent it out this morning - actually, I sent two because I wanted to make sure that she had something to choose from.  I can't wait to see what she thinks, and if she likes what I chose! (Fingers and toes crossed!!!)  I would love to post a teaser pic, but I honestly don't know how to 'disguise' a photo, so I had best wait, lol.  Our reveal date is 4/6/13 as we are part of the second group.

I am also taking part in a wonderful blog hop called Choose Your Own Adventure (seriously, how could I resist with a title/theme like that???), hosted by Mandi Ainsworth (of the Bead Circle) and Karen Williams (of Skunk Hill Studio), where the participants are to make a freeform piece.

Mandi does amazing podcasts and has a fabulous site - make sure to click on her link and check it out.  She recently did a podcast with Karen, and introduced the challenge there, and Karen introduced it on her website as well.  If you'd like to know more about the hop, check that out here on Karen's blog.  Karen does amazing freeform work and is the author of several beading books, too!  I have been working on this for awhile now, and am actually making a mini series of pieces of freeform.  It's been a wonderful exercise so far and I can't wait for the reveal date, February 23rd.  They have also started a new community page on Facebook called Freeform Peyote Beading, where there is a LOT of eye candy to be found, and some really great tips on freeform beading.  

I am hoping to participate as planned in Battle of the Beadsmith 2013 as well, as long as the not-so-great life events don't dictate otherwise.  It's really kind of intimidating again - there has been so many posts of so many truly Great pieces over the last year that my brain is almost numb!  Here's to hoping that the muse finds something BIG to inspire me...

A friend of mine has also asked if I will participate in an embroidered art doll round robin with a few of her close friends.  This is a very new sort of thing for me, as I have never beaded on a form before, only on flat embroidery backing.  I am looking forward to it a lot, although maybe a little worried too, as I think it must be very different from my normal embroidery.  I've chosen to do a bird form for mine, made by Renetha Stanziano (I can't sew - NO I can't!).  In order to practice a little beforehand, I am also going to try embroidering a starfish form, which is being made for me by my fabulous friend Julie Cowan .

Finally, the Beadsmith has used my Lotus bracelet design in a hyyyoooooge six foot pop up poster which they will  be showing during their travels to different shows, etc, and I love it!!  They also have one of the original Lotus bracelets with them, which they commissioned earlier this year.  :)   (If you'd like to make your own version, I have a tutorial available in my Etsy shop.)

So... beadiness = busy-ness = calm.  I need calm right now.  And courage was definitely the word for the year as I deal with the bad things.