Sunday, May 23, 2010

Sunny Weekend :)

Hello from Sunny Stuttgart!


It’s such a lovely sunny weekend. The sun has arrived just in time for another long weekend! *yay!* I am not back in work until Tuesday! Oh how I love living in Germany – the month of May really does rock!

Yesterday, Joe and I headed down into Stuttgart, because we had nothing better to do and we didn’t want to waste any sunshine so we went round the Saturday flea market, I was hoping to find some supplies, old vintage beads or something to give me a bit of inspirado and creative juice. Amongst the rubbish that some stalls were selling, I came across a stall that sold anything to do with old watches, faces, perspex covers, straps, hands, cogs and other fittings – so how could I refuse to get something to turn into steampunk?

I have not yet ventured much into steam punk, I do not know why – because I love the style and finding vintage elements that fit in so well with it make it so alluring.

So – for a few euros I bought these …


Hundreds of watch hands! They are so thin, such thin metal pieces, which if strung together may only make up maximum a couple of inches in length. Joe found the fact that I had bought these very amusing, he’s never heard of steampunk, and I did not really want to venture in to explaining it to him. I just told him, that anything with a hole is a bead … and to me, these are unusual beads! (He started casually shaking his head at this point, bewildered at the functioning of my creative brain) but I’ll prove it to him… as soon as I can think of something to do with them!

You got any ideas for them?

x

PS: see this link for the end result ... http://www.flickr.com/photos/smitten-kitten-de/4687747773/

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Inspired by ...

"Glammed if you do, glammed if you don't"

Which is a fabulous blog that i have enjoyed reading for a while now!
Her feminine fresh style selects such wonderful clothes and style for anyone to drool over, and her blog has been the only fashion blog that I have got in to and been inspired by. Check it Out - Click Here

Earlier this week she put up a fantastic handbag ... where i cooed over the style and soft colours, and then daydreamed about a necklace to match! Well, that was it - I was then on a mission!!!
I got very frustrated when I had none of the right beads that i needed (which is surprising, because I have so many!) But it was a good excuse reason to go to the bead shop!

Unfortunately I could not find the exact colour of ribbon, so i opted for something close to the mark and came up with this!


I would say that it is about 95% exact to what i had initially daydreamed about when I saw the handbag, so definately a successful project! (I hate it when I dream about something, then fail to make it come to life)

 So, what do you think?
Would it look good with the handbag?

It is already for sale in my DaWanda Shop ... CLICK HERE

x

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

How to make beaded beads - FREE TUTORIAL!

Yesterday was really a non-eventful day.

Monday Blues ...
Grey skies …

but I have been on no planes! *woop! woop!*

It was so quiet in the Stuttgart office today – my boss is in America for the week, and all the Business managers are in the UK for sales training. It was also kind of nice it being so quiet – it means that I can just keep my head down and get on with it. I was hoping not to have to return to Hungary for another 4 weeks or so, but I was asked to travel next week to train our new designer. She has worked with us before, but so many things has happened since she left; new team, new products, new location … so I have been asked (very nicely) if I would go with her and introduce her to the R&D team. No problemo!

I was happy to put my name down for a bookmark swap today, I wonder who I will get as my partner ... hmm … I have so many lovely beads, and loadsa ideas already whirring round in my brain so I’m sure I’ll be able to make something nice!

Last evening, also – not much happening! I made sweet thai chicken wraps for Joe and I for dinner and I have stared at my beads … yes … stared at them! *oh the Monday blues also affect the mojo!*

So, rather than feeling a failure on the creative side – I applied myself to write up the beaded bead tutorial for you all. My goodness – it really is hard work isn’t it?! God knows how you all write beading instructions! I got in such a twaddle with it from the word go! I had major brain farts!

If you were all sat round the table with me, it would be so much easier to explain …

So, with my apologies – here are the instructions!
You’d probably be better just looking at the pictures!! :p *lol*
*** ***

You need per bead:
• 6mm Pearl rounds – x4
• 4mm Crystal Bicones – x8
• Seedies
In complementing colours

You can substitute the main beads for different sizes – as long as there is a maximum of 2mm in size difference between the round beads and bicones, they will sit well together.


You start building the bead by using Right Angle Weave
(double thread stringing method)

1: 30cms of string should suffice! String the first pearl bead, taking it to the centre of the thread – and making sure both ends of the line is of the same length.

2: Continue by adding 1 bicone on each end of the string,

3: Add on another pearl bead and cross both lines through.

4: Continue by adding 1 bicone on each end of the string,

5: Add on another pearl bead and cross both lines through.

6: Again adding 1 bicone on each end of the string,

7: Add on another pearl bead and cross both lines through.

8: Finally the last 2 bicones

9: Once complete – string the strings back through bead #1 and pull tight. (Ensure that the sting on the right side, enters bead #1 from the right side, and that the string on the left side enters bead #1 from the left side – otherwise you will get a tangled string.)



1: When the bead is now bunched together, you start to see the base of the bead. Now it is time to embellish it with seedies. The quantity of seed beads does depend on the size of seed beads that you want to use (I personally try to keep tm as small as possible) and it also depends on what size you have used for your main pearl beads.

String on each side seed beads so when they meet together, they meet in the middle of the big pearl beads comfortably.

2: When they meet in the middle, you use 1 bead to thread both strings through (see red bead) and you work your way out again to the next pearl bead so it forms an “X” and then the ends thread through the next main bead. Repeat another 3 times around the bead!

See, now you have it!

What I do to finish off, I then use the remaining strings to thread through the bicones once again, with half-hich knots inbetween. Then once finished, cut it short with a dab of glue!!

If you make any - would love to see them! Send me the link of your photos!
Thanks!

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Beadweaving ... still such a hurdle for me

Hello from Sunny Stuttgart!
Today so far has been nice and relaxing. Joe and I went into Stuttgart city centre for nothing in particular, so I felt it was a good reason to go into my local bead shop! Hee hee!

After saying yesterday, that my beaded beads are as far as my beadweaving skills go, it came to mind that I actually have not pushed myself for even trying to get better at beadweaving. ::) I am soOoOo impatient, and love to have things finished in an afternoon.

My impatience for beadweaving also comes from when I was first trying to create something – and I was trying to make things with bad quality non-uniform seedies. Of course I would get frustrated using these! So I turned my back on beadweaving quite quickly after I half-attempted it!

I made a stand at the bead shop … I bought some Nymo, and some Delicas … and a proper beadin needle (can you believe that I didn’t have one before today? That is probably another reason why I tried and failed at beadweaving previously) ::)

Where does inspiration come from?

Last night for me it crept up from “Homes and Gardens” magazine. A lovely feature called small scale geometrics with subtle colours.


Hmmm … pretty!
This one inspired me most …

Oooh … what to do .. .what to do … love the colours … love the shapes … how to be inspired without blatantly copying? I picked the parts that I loved the most, the colours and the petal-like shapes… Flowers then seemed obvious to me.

So, today I chose my delica colours based on the inspirado, and I weaved a flower design from a dusty book that has been on my bookcase for a long time.


Then sewed then together to make earrings


Don’t look too close – there are mistakes! But all in all, not too bad of an attempt at beadweaving. It definitely helps with the right thread, the right beads and a beading needle! Can’t believe I had been trying without the important, right quality materials!

Love to all
x

♥ Beaded Beads ♥

My favourite beading forum ...

is making a beaded bead necklace for charity, and those who wish to participate have been asked to make some beaded beads. So, naturally I put my name down - and created these very pink beaded beads! Hope you like them.

some of the members on beadbuddies have asked how they are made - so I am considering to make a quick tutorial. Would you also be interested?

Enjoy your weekend
Nicola
x