Snippets from a bead artist.

6.30.2018

July's Beading Prompt

Hello again!  I hope you've all had a lovely month tasseling along and making wonderful pieces.  It's hard to believe our year is half over and we're into the seventh month (and prompt) already, but here we are!


July's prompt is the underwater world - and that's pretty broad, but I thought it would be a great one to use for this vacation-y kind of month.  Sea, sand, underwater creatures, fishes, coral... so many things to choose from.  If you're into making up your own designs, I highly recommend a Google search of ocean imagery - you will be inspired for YEARS.  If you're into doing tutorials, I dug up a few off of Etsy that look fabulous.  :)

Kathy King's necklace tutorial grabbed my eye instantly - this looks so lush and beautiful (and FUN)!  She also has kits available with all the necessary beads.  The tutorial is HERE.



The amazing Eleanor Pigman has two tutorials/kits up that would be perfect for this month's theme - a pretty mermaid and an adorable crab!  You can find them HERE.



Barbara Briggs has the Sea Dragon Wrist Wrap tutorial (and a kit as well) in her shop -perfect for someone who's loving the geometric beadwork craze.  You can find it HERE.


Hannah Rosner created this gorgeous nautilus shell peyote bracelet - you can find the pattern HERE.


Chloe Menage of PinkHot has a wonderful tutorial for a beaded tape measure that features little sea creatures, as well - you can find it HERE.


And Sharri Moroshok has her Anemone Beaded Beads in a pattern HERE.  I love these, and have made a few myself with garnet beads - sOOOOooo fun!!


I hope this month's prompt is inspiring for you - and even that you get a chance to bead something for it in the great outdoors, whether at the beach or at a picnic table, or out in your garden.  :)  Happy beading, everyone, and see you in August.

6.03.2018

June Beading Prompt

Hello, all!  Sorry for the late posting this month!  Between allergies and other personal loss things, things have been feeling pretty rough around here for about a week, and I've fallen behind on just about everything... we won't speak of the housework.

HOWSOMEVER, here I am at last and I think this is a seriously cool prompt - I'm not hesitant to say so because it wasn't my idea, lol!  I was running on empty at the end of May and asked for suggestions in the group for things they thought might be interesting.

June's prompt, therefore, is beaded tassels!  What a cool concept and what a gorgeous treasure trove of inspirations I found when I did some searching.  I could only think of a very few things I did myself that included a tassel (I'm much more likely to do fringe or drops!) and this is a pic of my favorite, called Water Lily:



It just so happens that Marcia DeCoster has a design in this month's Bead and Jewelry Magazine featuring a tassel, as well!  I believe this is a UK magazine, but ohhhhhh... so tempted!! I have HEARD that they sell single copies in Barnes and Noble, after all.  :D


On Etsy, there are (is?) a plethora of designs to choose from if you don't already have a tassel tutorial in your stash, or if you're not feeling like designing your own.  I'm only going to list a few of them, because I double dog dare ya to go and search yourself, if only for the eye candy.

The lovely Helena Tang-Lim (Maneklady on Etsy) has this luscious Tassel Lariat - tutorial HERE.


Cynthia Newcomer Daniel has a stunning tassel HERE that I love:


Norma Jean Dell (njdesigns1) has a lovely lariat necklace tutorial HERE that includes adorable little loop fringes:


Amanda Connell of BeadiACDesigns has this intricate and opulent pendant tutorial HERE:


Lynn Davy 's Nemesis necklace tutorial is an excellent one for learning to attach a tassel under a lamp worked bead (and who doesn't have a hoard of those saved up?!?!) HERE:


And Nikia Angel's Tudor necklace with three tassels is just divine, you can find it HERE:


A big thank you to the group for not only being so patient with me, but for helping me to come up with a really lovely prompt for everyone this month.  Be happy, get tasseling!!