Showing posts with label right angle weave. Show all posts
Showing posts with label right angle weave. Show all posts

6/17/14

A Time to Stitch Five - Reveal

Blues are slated to be big this Fall, and I love the shades Pantone includes in their Fall Color Report, especially when paired with the trendy neutral, Aluminum.



Classic blues and silver-grays were the colors I chose to work with for today's A Time to Stitch Challenge hosted by Christine Altmiller and Therese Frank. Our challenge was to take one stitch and make three designs with it, changing up the beads in each - either the size, color, shape or finish. The purpose of our exercise was to observe how bead choices affect the overall character of the design.




My stitch for this challenge is right angle weave and the design is the very chic O. Mosaic Cuff from Rachel Nelson Smith's Seed Bead Fusion. My first cuff is five rows wide in blue pewter and sterling silver size 15 Japanese charlottes. Bright Cobalt is the star of this cuff with accents of the not-quite-gray, not-quite silver Aluminum. Light and delicate, the cut surfaces of the charlottes shimmer metallic on the wrist and give this cuff a definite special-occasion quality. Rachel offers several design options for the cuff and I took this one directly from the pages of her book.


Still the O. Mosaic pattern, but for my second piece, I came up with my own design variation. Color blocking and round size 11 seed beads make this version instantly more casual. I went bi-tonal with the Aluminum, weaving in a matte and a metallic shade with the classic blue. At four rows wide, it's the same width as the charlotte version, but the slightly larger beads, smooth surfaces, and combination of finishes make this cuff appear much heavier.


I'm just starting my third design. At three rows of size 15's, it will be a skinny version. The blue is royal, the silver-gray is understated, and I think the minimal matte-metallic gold is really going to pop!

This has been a fun and very enlightening exploration of bead choices and how they impact the finished design. Many thanks to Christine and Therese for continuing to challenge all of us. (I, for one, am hoping there will be more!) I hope you'll have time to check out the work of all the participating designers:

Hosts:

Participants


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9/15/13

Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! Blog Hop

I'm so happy that Michelle Buettner of MiShelDesigns decided to give pearls the spotlight in today's blog hop. Michelle's invitation was the nudge I needed to tackle a project I've been trying to bring to the top of my to-do stack for almost two years. That's how long ago I purchased the pattern for Shelley Nybakke's Satisfaction cuff. Substantial and statement-making (you won't find anything prim or stuffy at Shelley's Sturdy Girl Designs), the cuff uses Swarovski crystals and pearls to create texture and sparkle in built-up layers of right angle weave.

Once I completed the gunmetal base and had the outer channels filled with crystals, I began to question my original plan to use black pearls in this design. Side-by-side, the black brings drama to the piece, but the gray pearls add their own light and glamor. For my own Satisfaction, I intended to stray a bit from Shelley's design of alternating pearls and crystals in the center channel. So I compromised by using Light Gray in the pop-up sections of pearls/crystals, and Mystic Black in the recessed sections of sterling spacers and pearls. Drama and glamor - now that's a double dose of satisfaction!



I purchased the pearls for this design at The Beadcage in Columbus, Georgia. The Beadcage is a Swarovski distributor and always has a well-stocked and totally tantalizing wall of pearls to choose from, a great choice if you live in the Atlanta area.

Soft and classic, or saturated and edgy, pearls are everywhere this Fall - click the links below to see how today's participants are mixing them up in their designs.
 
























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9/15/12

The Shape of Water

Human nature is like water. It takes the shape of its container. – Wallace Stephens

While I worked on this necklace, I was listening to Laura Hillenbrand’s book, Unbroken, where Wallace Stephens’ quote is certainly borne out as three downed World War II airmen drift 2,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean in a 2-person canvas and rubber raft.  Water is practically a character, both giving and taking life in Hillenbrand’s epic tale.

Which brings me to the water focal, the second of four focals I received from Beth and Evie McCord of EB Bead and Metalworks. I wanted to use it as the centerpiece in a statement necklace to wear this upcoming season, something with dramatic drape in a face-framing length. I chose Swarovski pearls, graduated in size (from 6-10mm) and in shades of blue (from inky night blue to sparkling light blue.)
I wore it to a meeting yesterday with an open-neck white shirt and black slacks. I can see it work very casually with a chambray shirt or a square neck tee, or elegantly with a sheath dress and sweater. No earrings or bracelets required!
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2/18/10

Wishful Thinking

I came across a fantastic hobo bag in a gift shop in Florida, sporting my favorite colors, sage and brown, finished with burnt red piping, and with just the right amount of slouch, but it was MUCH too pricey for this tourist to buy! I found the same colors in my bead stash and stitched up a right angle weave bracelet. Finished it off with a copper toggle, just like the expensive shoulder bag. If I can’t wear that hobo on my arm, this is a fine substitution…(sigh!)
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