Bead Origami

New in the Shop: Pagoda Set, Rivoli Kaleidoscopes, and Sakura Earrings

2012-02-14T13:17:00.000-08:00

I listed several new items in my Etsy shop over the past few weeks. If you're interested, click on the images to get the detailed information on each item.

First up is a pair of earrings in silver and red, created with my Pagoda Beaded Charm design:

...And also a matching Double Pagoda pendant:

Next there are three Rivoli Kaleidoscope Pendants; the first in red, crystal, and silver, and loosely matching the above Pagoda set. Do you see how I replaced some of the Miyuki drop beads with peanut-shaped seed beads?

Then there's this one in black, green, and gold:

And the larger variation in fern green, purple amethyst, and teal:

Finally, I listed two pairs of Sakura Charm earrings, the first in the original cherry blossom colors:

And the second in apple blossom hues:

All of these items are available for purchase in my Etsy shop: click on any of the images above to get more information about each item.

Crystal Sapphire Rivoli Kaleidoscopes

2012-02-07T16:56:00.000-08:00

I made a set of Rivoli Kaleidoscope pendants with a sapphire rivoli for the center, and aquamarine and crystal AB one-hole rivoli pendants. The three pendants differ by the size of the center rivoli, the number of beads used, and the fold of the rotational symmetry of the pendant. The first follows the original pattern, and has 8-fold rotational symmetry:

The second pendant uses a slightly larger rivoli, which requires 9-fold rotational symmetry for the bezel to encompass the rivoli:

Continuing in this theme, an even larger rivoli requires 10-fold rotational symmetry:

Of course, rotational symmetry isn't the only example of geometry going on in this design; it also has reflection symmetry. Can you find all of its axes of symmetry?

The Rivoli Kaleidoscope pattern is available exclusively at my website if you'd like to make your own.

Tila Garden Pendant Alternate Colors

2012-02-04T12:54:00.000-08:00

I've been tinkering with additional color schemes for my Tila Garden Pendant class at the Bead and Button show in June. This scheme uses more primary colors for the flowers, and darker, earthy-toned tila beads and seed beads:

In this pendant I was going for a white picket-fence garden look, but it came out more Easter-y than I had expected:

I adjusted the colors of this pendant with greener beads to give it more of a garden look, but now I think it looks slightly radioactive:

I think I'll tone down the green beads and try making this brighter version again. What do you think?

The Tila Gardens Pendant class is scheduled for two additional sessions on Friday, June 8, in either the morning or afternoon. More information about Bead and Button Show class registration, along with general information about the show can be found here.

Light Clusters Kits and Jewelry

2012-02-02T17:34:00.000-08:00

There are two color choices for Light Clusters beaded bead kits on my website. First up is a pink pearl color scheme; I've sold several pairs of earrings and a few pendants using these beaded beads, and the kit will make both.

The other choice is in hematite and silver; a shiny scheme that will go with just about anything.

Both kits are available at my website, and include all the beads needed to create two small and one large version of the design, a beading needle and the appropriate thread, and the pattern for the design delivered electronically in the PDF format.

I've also listed two pairs of earrings in my Etsy shop using the same kit materials. First is a pair of pink pearls earrings:

And next is a pair in hematite and silver. The seed beads used for this pair are slightly more subdued than those in the kit.

Both pairs are available in my Etsy shop, and ship in a handmade origami box folded by yours truly.

New Pattern: Rivoli Kaleidoscope Pendant

2012-01-30T10:23:00.000-08:00

My newest pattern, the Rivoli Kaleidoscope Pendant, is now complete.

This design features three different types of Swarovski crystal rivoli beads; a round, foil-backed no-hole rivoli that sits in the center, and two different sizes of Swarovski rivoli pendants (aka circle pendants, XILION pendants). Miyuki drop-shaped seed beads and additional Japanese seed beads complete the pendant.

This design can be woven in a variety of color patterns, from the very flowery pendant above to this strikingly dark pendant:

While the pattern is written for a 14 mm round rivoli, I also discuss how to utilize larger rivolis in this pattern. These variations also result in a symmetry change. For example, the pendant below with the larger rivoli in the center features 10-fold rotational symmetry instead of 8-fold rotational symmetry.

The Rivoli Kaleidoscope pattern is available exclusively at my website if you'd like to make your own super-sparkly pendants.

Pagoda Series Kits

2012-01-26T13:51:00.000-08:00

I created two sets of matching kits for my Pagoda series. First we have the Pagoda beaded charm in Redwood:

And in Pandora Sapphire:

Next there's the Double Pagoda Beaded Bead in Redwood:

And again in Pandora Sapphire:

The Double Pagoda kits make one beaded bead each, while the Pagoda kits make three beaded charms. All of the kits are available at my website, and include all the beads needed to create the design, a beading needle and the appropriate thread, and the pattern for the design delivered electronically in the PDF format.

Pendants with Rivolis

2012-01-24T13:18:00.000-08:00

Are bezeled rivoli pendants still in vogue? I hope so, because I've come down with a craving to make them...

I've been fiddling around with this design for a while. It started when I tried to come up with a unique way to bezel a rivoli, but each time I tried, the rivoli itself would be mostly covered up by other beads. So I tried pairing it with its sister crystals, the Swarovski circle pendants (aka rivoli pendants, aka XILION pendants) that I've used in several other designs. However, it was difficult to get the rivoli pendants to stay put. I took a cue from Florence and Gwen's Rivoli Sunflower and added some drop-shaped seed beads, which seemed to do the trick:

It still needs a name - I was thinking Rivoli Party might work. What do you think?

Hematite Crystal Helix Necklace

2012-01-21T19:06:00.000-08:00

A while back I bought some Swarovski bicone crystals in the crystal silver night shade. They sat in my bead box until I decided to pair them with some cobalt and silver-colored seed beads for some Crystal Helix beaded beads. They pair very well with hematite round beads for this dark silvery necklace:

In the Crystal Helix pattern, I talk about how this beaded bead can be woven in both left-handed and right-handed symmetries so that the seed beads will twist up to the left or right, respectively. All of the beaded beads in this necklace are in the left-handed symmetry, so they twist in the same direction from one bead to another along the necklace.

The Crystal Helix pattern is available for purchase exclusively at my new website. Remember that from now through Monday, January 23, enter the coupon code 20off at checkout to receive 20% off your entire order!

More Tila Garden Pendant Classes at Bead & Button

2012-01-18T17:41:00.000-08:00

If you tried to sign up for my Tila Garden Pendant class at Bead & Button after it had already sold out, you're in luck; the show organizers have added two additional sessions of this class!

The two additional sessions are on Friday, June 8, in either the morning or afternoon. These sessions take the place of the cancelled Cyclic Orbitals Necklace class, which was, unfortunately, not quite as popular.

More information about class registration along with general information about the show can be found here. I'd love to see you there!

New Kits: Bubble Series Beaded Beads

2012-01-16T11:39:00.000-08:00

Along with the launch of my new website, I've also put together kits for several of my designs. These kits include all the beads needed to create the design, a beading needle and the appropriate thread, and the pattern for the design delivered electronically in the PDF format. Kits for the Bubble Series are available in two color schemes, Ocean Sapphire and Lavender Glow. Here's the Double Bubble Jacks design in Ocean Sapphire:

And again in Lavender Glow:

A slightly larger beaded bead in the bubble series is the Bubble Box design. Here it is in Ocean Sapphire:

And Lavender Glow:

Finally, here's the third beaded bead in this series, the Teardrop Bubbles design, in Ocean Sapphire:

And again in Lavender Glow:

The Teardrop Bubbles and Bubble Box kits make one beaded bead each, while the Double Bubble Jacks kits include materials for three beaded beads. All of these kits are available for purchase exclusively at my website. Also, from now through Monday, January 23, enter the coupon code 20off at checkout to receive 20% off your entire order!

Free Pattern: Candy Cubes Beaded Bead

2012-01-14T11:12:00.000-08:00

In the time that I have been writing patterns, I've often been asked if I have any patterns suitable for a beginner. Regrettably, until now, most of my patterns have been for the intermediate or advanced level, although I've always sought to write my patterns clearly enough that anyone with a basic understanding of beading diagrams will be able to understand them. But if I were to recommend a beaded bead design to someone with no previous beading experience, my first choice would be a basic cube. I've written a pattern for such a cube, and it's available as a free download at my website.

The basic cube beaded bead is woven in right angle weave, and is also the simplest unit of the box stitch. Once you learn how to make a cube beaded bead, you can change the bead type and color patterns to get a variety of different effects from this simple design. Here I've used AB2X Swarovski crystals in three different colors for a very sparkly pair of earrings, perfect for a night on the town:

But this design also works well with Miyuki drop seed beads. Here I use four colors of these seed beads in an even color distribution for a petite pair of earrings. In the pattern, I describe how to use two, three, or four colors of beads to get an even color distribution throughout the beaded bead, a color pattern strategy often used in origami. The result reminds me of candy, so I like to call them Candy Cubes.

The Candy Cubes can look very elegant with just one or two types of beads. The bracelet below uses two types of cube beaded beads; one made from 3 mm round grey freshwater pearls, the other from irregularly-shaped "keshi" freshwater pearls.

Strung with alternating 4 mm and 6 mm round freshwater pearls, they make an elegant pearl bracelet.

Finally, I experimented with several different types of beads that can be woven into cubes. The picture below shows Candy Cubes made from 4 mm Swarovski bicone crystals, 4 mm fire polished Czech glass, 3.4 and 2.8 mm Miyuki drop seed beads, and drop-shaped freshwater pearls:

Gathered all together, they make a tactile cascading pendant:

The beaded rope for this necklace is another variation on the right angle weave technique, woven with Japanese round seed beads, drop seed beads, and fire polished glass beads.

The Candy Cube beaded bead pattern is available on my website as a free download. Have you woven a cube beaded bead before? I'd love to see what you made!

Bead & Button Class Update

2012-01-12T14:47:00.000-08:00

A brief update on my Bead & Button classes: the Tila Garden Pendant class is already sold out, but there's still room in the classes for the Cyclic Orbitals Beaded Bead Necklace, Ice Queen Necklace, and Cubed Tila Beaded Bead Necklace.

The Cubed Tila design in particular is a relative of the Tila Garden Pendant, and students of both classes will learn the strategies of tila beaded bead weaving used in both designs.

More information about class registration along with general information about the show can be found here.

New Pattern: Crystal Helix Beaded Bead

2012-01-11T17:30:00.000-08:00

Along with the development and launch of my new website, I also wrote up a new pattern, the Crystal Helix Beaded Bead:

These little beads work up quickly and are fun to weave, and are a great step up in complexity from the simple cube beaded bead. When woven with 4 mm bicone crystals they make a nice size for earrings, but with 6 mm crystals they make a petite pendant:

I discuss how to make both sizes in the pattern.

I also like how this design can be woven in both the right- and left-handed directions; the seed beads will spiral one way or the other, regardless of how the bead is oriented. The photo below shows both versions. Imagine turning them over or upside-down... The seed beads will still spiral in the same direction, just like DNA.

I also made a simple necklace in black and cobalt using both sizes of this design. Even though the design is based on a cube shape, the finished beaded bead takes on a round form.

The AB finish on the jet black bicone crystals looks a little yellow in this particular batch of crystals (jet AB crystals are notorious for looking different from batch to batch), but I think it provides a nice contrast with the blue beads.

Website Re-Launch - Instant Download Patterns, Kits, and More

2012-01-10T08:51:00.000-08:00

After much coding, writing, designing, and editing, I've finally finished rewriting my website:

I re-wrote the entire site from the ground-up, and it includes tons of new features. To start, all of the beaded bead patterns/tutorials previously available through my Artfire or Etsy shops are now available through my website to download immediately after payment; no more waiting for the pattern to be e-mailed to you! In addition to rewritten versions of the first six patterns I ever wrote, my website also contains my newest pattern, the Crystal Helix beaded bead:

For beginning students, or if you've never woven a beaded bead before, I figure that the best place to start is with a basic cube. With this in mind, I wrote a free pattern for a cube beaded bead in several different color combinations. It reminds me of candy, so I've named it the Candy Cube beaded bead:

Kits are now also available for several of my patterns. Here's one of the color schemes available for the Teardrop Bubbles kit:

I'll be talking more about the new features of my website over the next couple of days. In the meantime, to celebrate I'm offering a special discount valid only at my website: from now through Monday, January 23, enter the coupon code 20off at checkout to receive 20% off your entire order!

And don't forget, Bead & Button Show Registration opens at noon CST today! I've heard that some classes sell out within minutes, so don't delay!

Bead & Button Class Registration Begins January 10

2012-01-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

I'd like to start off this first blog post of 2012 by wishing everyone a very happy and prosperous New Year! I'm looking forward to all kinds of exciting changes in 2012. One of which is that I'll be teaching four projects at the 2012 Bead & Button Show in June. Class registration starts next week on January 10, and you can click on the links below the images below for registration information for each class:

Cyclic Orbitals Beaded Bead Necklace - Friday, June 8

Ice Queen Necklace - Saturday, June 9

Tila Garden Pendant - Saturday, June 9

Cubed Tila Beaded Bead Necklace - Sunday, June 10

More information about class registration along with general information about the show can be found here. I hope to see you there!

Christmas Lights Necklace

2011-12-21T15:48:00.000-08:00

I finished this piece a little while back, using a relatively simple beaded bead design based off of a truncated dodecahedron structure; a regular polyhedron with faces of triangles and pentagons, with 90 edges for 8° seed beads to lie on. The twist with this design is that it's color-symmetric; the five seed bead colors used in the beaded beads are distributed symmetrically, and no two beads of the same color lie next to each other.

I thought about what kinds of repeating patterns use the same amount of several different colors, and immediately thought of strings of Christmas lights. So I used bright colors of silver-lined seed beads to mimic the shimmer of these tiny lights.

Christmas tree-green fire polished Czech glass beads complement the colorful Christmas light beaded beads.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Bead & Button 2012 Classes

2011-10-25T16:02:00.000-07:00

I have some exciting news to share! I'll be teaching at the 2012 Bead & Button Show next June! The show jury accepted four of my class proposals, three of which feature brand new beaded bead designs. This will be my first time teaching at Bead & Button in addition to my first time attending the show, so I'm just stoked to be going!

My classes are tentatively scheduled from June 8-10. First up is the Cyclic Orbitals beaded bead necklace, featuring three different sizes of Cyclic Orbitals beaded beads. The completed necklace includes lapis, smoky quartz, and Czech glass beads:

Next up is my Ice Queen necklace, which you might remember from last winter.

Then I'll have two classes featuring the two-hole Miyuki tila beads. I call this pendant "Tila Gardens" because the tila beads form little plots for colorful beaded flowers:

I'll wrap up with the Cubed Tilas beaded bead necklace, featuring the tactile and geometric Cubed Tilas beaded beads:

The 2012 Bead & Button Show will take place in Milwaukee, WI from June 1-10, and class registration will begin online on January 10. If you're going, whether you're taking a class or not, I'd love to see you there!

New Necklaces with Lampwork

2011-10-17T16:22:00.000-07:00

I took a break from web design last weekend to finish a piece that's been sitting around for over a year (eep!) I wove this electric green Ionic Octahedron last year when testing Gwen's Ionic Polyhedra pattern, and made two matching Mini Ionic Octahedrons shortly thereafter. I was having a hard time deciding what to do with these beaded beads, until Melissa Vess suggested that she could do some custom work matching lampwork beads to my beaded beads. I sent her the Ionic Octahedron, and she came up with four cute little lampwork beads:

I strung this necklace rather simply with matching Czech fire polish glass beads and silver Japanese seed beads, to leave the focus on the lampwork and beaded beads.

Speaking of lampwork beads... I got around to taking some pictures of a necklace I strung as a gift for my Mom a while back. It features more of Melissa's work, this time a lampwork focal bead. I strung it with six strands of Czech seed beads, fire polish beads, and freshwater pearls:

The stringing method is the same as my Lavender Splendor necklace, featured in the 2009 Bead Star special issue.

Thanks Melissa!

Fall Harvest Set

2011-09-17T11:20:00.000-07:00

Dust has gathered around this blog over the past month and a half, so I thought I'd start by explaining what I've been up to. I'm working on revamping my website from the ground up, so I've been spending some long hours at the computer when I would normally be beading. It's been a lot of work, but I'm learning a great deal about web design and I'm excited about how it's coming together!

But in the meantime, I found a little time for some beading. I created these Pagoda beaded charm earrings for the fall season about a year ago, and found it high time to make a matching pendant.

So I made an additional Pagoda beaded charm, turned it upside-down, and matched it with a Double Pagoda beaded bead:

Both the earrings and the matching pendant use 4 by 7 mm briolette Swarovski pendants (article no. 6007) in the place of Czech drop beads, a substitution that I've explored before and found that it generally works for most of my designs.

I also made a pair of little crystal helix beaded bead earrings in the same color palette.

The copper ear wires in this pair are from the same batch as the year-old Pagoda pair, so when you compare them you can see that they oxidize quite a lot over the course of a year of moderate use. I think I like the oxidized look better though; the darker copper draws less attention, leaving it on the beaded charms where it belongs. What do you think?

New Sakura Charm Kits

2011-08-10T17:05:00.000-07:00

Sakura Charm kits are now available in three different color schemes over at beAd Infinitum. First we have the original cherry blossom pink:

Next, there's forget-me-not blue. I used blue lentils with an AB finish for this kit, and I like to face the AB side to the back of the flower for a subtle glow to these little charms.

Finally, the last color scheme is called silver moon, loosely based on a pair of earrings that Gwen made, for an otherworldly little flower.

Each kit contains the Sakura Charm pattern and enough beads for seven charms, plus a beading needle and plenty of thread. They can be found at the beAd Infinitum Patterns and Kits page.

Beaded DNA: Gene Regulation Necklace

2011-07-21T18:08:00.001-07:00

Continuing with the theme of beaded DNA based off of Gwen's pattern, I figured that it was high time to use this design in a wearable item of jewelry. While I still think that my latest variation would be make a great cuff, I tend to wear more necklaces than bracelets, so I searched for the perfect sequence for a DNA necklace. Here's the final result:

The sequence of this necklace comes from the regulatory region of the lac operon of E. coli, specifically, the 106 base pairs between the start of the CRP binding site, and the start codon of lacZ. Regulation of the lac operon was the first mechanism of gene regulation to be discovered, and it remains the primary example of gene regulation taught in Genetics 101 classes today.

The lac operon contains the genes necessary for an E. coli cell to digest the lactose sugar, but E. coli prefers to munch on the simpler glucose sugar. Therefore, the genes in the lac operon are only active, or expressed, when there is no glucose around, but plenty of lactose to eat instead. The cell knows to express the lac operon through a system of proteins that monitor the presence and absence of glucose and lactose, and according to these sugar levels, certain proteins will either bind or not bind to regions of the DNA sequence depicted in this necklace. Only when the lactose levels are high, but glucose levels low, will these proteins be in the correct combination to encourage lac operon expression.

I used silver plated seed beads for the cytosines, capri blue for the guanines, green for the thymines, and purple for the adenines. For any of you who also had to memorize the ideal sequences of the -35 and -10 elements in a genetics class, the lac operon's -35 element of TTTACA is in the center of the above picture. Can you see the string of three green and purple base pairs? The -10 element sits just off-center of the necklace.

Other than its importance in gene regulation, I chose this sequence for this necklace because it's an example of noncoding DNA, or a DNA sequence that does not serve as a blueprint for a protein. These types of sequences make up over 98% of the 3 billion base pairs of the human genome, and were once called "junk DNA" because they were thought to be of little consequence. Regulatory regions such as this one are just one example of the significance of noncoding DNA.

Plus, it makes a significantly cool necklace :)

Beaded DNA Experiments: Major and Minor Grooves

2011-07-09T16:59:00.000-07:00

When we last looked at my variations on Gwen's beaded DNA earrings pattern, I had changed the base pairs in the pattern to more accurately reflect the structure of a B-DNA double helix. I had also started to change the backbones of the structure as well:

Why would I go to the trouble of changing the DNA backbones? I was attempting, (albeit incorrectly, as I shall explain), to introduce major and minor grooves into the beaded DNA.

Image by Richard Wheeler, used with permission

As seen and labeled in the image above, B-DNA has two grooves formed by the spaces in between each backbone. This detail is quite significant in molecular biology, when you consider that the proteins that read the genetic material in the DNA have two different grooves from which to pick from. Incidentally, since the major groove is wider than the minor groove by over 2:1, it is more-often used than the minor groove.

I originally thought that I had reflected this property of B-DNA by changing the backbones in the 14-base pair structure above. To check, I beaded a longer DNA structure of 29 base pairs. The sequence in this structure is that of the recognition sequence of the homing endonuclease PI-MtuI from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Unfortunately, this structure does not show the major and minor grooves that I was aiming for. The change in the backbones also made it more unstable than the original.

I revisited my notes from my previous doctoral coursework, and reminded myself that it is not really the backbone that gives DNA its major and minor grooves: it's that the base pairs are offset from the backbones. You can think of it as a ladder where the rungs do not go through the center of the sides, but are instead sitting on the top or the bottom of the sides, like how railroad ties sit below their tracks and not through them.

After a couple of attempts, I managed to achieve this effect with the DNA pattern.

To do this variation, I picked up an 8°, 11°, and 8° instead of the bugle bead called for at about 3:30 minutes in the original pattern, also changing the colors of the surrounding 11°s to match the base pairs. The colors between all four base pairs are not balanced, but that's by design, since the pyrimidines, T and C, are smaller than the purines, A and G. I used three seed beads of the same color between the base pairs for the backbone. To make the base pairs pucker up above the backbone, I skip the center 11° when passing through the beadwork again at about 4:00 and 4:20. The rest of the double helix is woven essentially the same as the original pattern.

A 12-base pair structure woven with this method seemed to show both the major and minor grooves that I was going for:

(Thanks to lovelyfailed for this color palette, "Soapbox Parade")

Indeed, the offset base pairs can be observed by looking straight down the double helix.

But just to make sure that it worked on a larger structure, I wove the 29-base pair sequence from PI-MtuI once more, and I was pleased to find that it showed the same effect:

I don't know about you, but I find this variation... Quite groovy! It's quite the likeness of the real thing:

I'm certainly not done with this pattern, but I'm very pleased with how this variation turned out. It's still a little large for earrings, but I bet that it would make a nice cuff! I think that a cuff-sized sequence would be about 55-60 base pairs long... Now I just have to find the right sequence!

Do you have a favorite DNA sequence?

Margie and Me Color Challenge: SoBe Style

2011-07-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

The theme of today's Margie and Me Color Challenge reveal is "SoBe Style," a summery theme representing the Art Deco style of architecture that defined Miami in the '20s. I just love all the light pastels in this palette, combined with a touch of red and dark teal.

Photo via National Geographic

For this challenge I decided to make earring charms to go with a pair of California Convertible earspirals that I bought from Harry Mason Designer Jewelry last year. I've always been a fan of their earspirals, and I like how their convertible earwires can be swapped with custom dangles for many different pairs of earrings on one pair of earwires. Very convenient if you're the type of person like me who enjoys making beadwoven earring charms, but not the actual earwires.

(Again, just to reiterate: the charms are mine, but the earspirals are not my design nor were they made by me.)

I started with a pair of teal Sakura Charm earrings that ended up a bit darker than the overall original palette, but I think that it works really well with this design:

Then I made a lighter pair using aquamarine crystals, in the Sakura Charm variation that I've been playing with for the past couple of weeks. This resulted in a much lighter effect:

Finally, I used a lighter shade of crystals in this helix-themed twist on a simple cube beaded bead. I think that helices are starting to be a theme around here... Anyway, I think that this pair strikes an ideal balance between all the colors in this palette.

To get your own pair of earspirals, check out Harry Mason Designer Jewelry at their website, or at their store at Pier 39 in San Francisco. If you're in another part of California, check out your local Harvest Festival this fall to meet the artist in person!

Thanks as always to Marcie for putting on this fun color challenge. Check out all of the other participants pieces at Marcie's blog!

What's your favorite summer color palette?

Old Flowers, New Flowers

2011-06-30T16:50:00.000-07:00

The theme for the latest round of the Artbeads.com blogger program was "What's Old is New Again!" The idea is to take a vintage or antique item and combine it with modern elements to create an entirely new design. As I previously mentioned, I chose a cloisonné necklace that I received from my grandmother for this project, and decided to make little flowers out of Swarovski pendants and Japanese seed beads to match the flowers on the cloisonné beads. Here's the final result:

And the original necklace for comparison:

The project theme was announced at about the same time that Swarovski announced their new spring innovations, and I thought that the new chrysolite opal color would best match the green flowers. Unfortunately, this color was not yet in stock at Artbeads.com, and it isn't available in the top-drilled bicone shape anyway, so I settled on the peridot hue instead.

I also paired it with aquamarine...

... and rose, for all three flower colors on the cloisonné beads.

The flower design is a variation on the Sakura Charm pattern, which is available at beAd Infinitum.

The new necklace is shorter than the original, and I think that the crystals lend a much brighter air to it as well.

What's your favorite way to reimagine vintage jewelry?

Full disclosure: The swarovski crystals used in this necklace were received as a gift from Artbeads.com. No payment was made for the review of these products.

Beaded DNA Experiments: Base Pairing

2011-06-29T17:39:00.000-07:00

A few months ago Gwen Fisher published a video using Doceri software on how to weave a pair of DNA double helix earrings using seed beads and thread. As a molecular biologist by training, I was completely enamored with this design and immediately set out to play with it (all the while kicking myself for not coming up with the idea first!), but I've only now gotten around to writing the first of what will be several posts on my variations on this pattern. If you haven't already seen her free video on how to make your own pair of DNA earrings, check out Gwen's blog for all the important details.

I first tried this design on a short random sequence of eight base pairs:

I managed to get the design to work the first time, using significant tension in the second and third rounds of the design to get it to twist. The helix actually started to twist while I was beading the second round.

After trying out this pattern, I immediately wanted to modify it to make it look closer to the structure of real DNA The biggest difference between this design and a DNA double helix is that the bases, consisting of A, G, T, and C, are on the "rungs" of the DNA ladder, not on the sides.

Image by Richard Wheeler, used with permission

The image above shows the chemical structure of B-DNA, the most common form of DNA. The bases are the flat ring structures containing the blue nitrogen atoms. The thymine and cytosine, or T and C bases, are called pyrimidines and have only one ring. The adenosine and guanine, or A and G bases, are purines, contain two joined rings, and are therefore somewhat bigger than the pyrimidines.

Each side of the DNA ladder, what we call the "backbones" of each of the two DNA strands that make up the double helix, is made up of a repeating sequence of sugars and phosphates. You can see in the image above that there is one sugar (the non-flat ring next to each base, containing no nitrogen or phosphorus) and one phosphate (made up of yellow phosphorus and red oxygen atoms) for each base. Therefore, the important genetic material in DNA is confined to the inner part of the structure.

One other important feature of DNA is that, except in rare cases, A will always pair with T, and G will always pair with C. This is why DNA sequence databases such as the public National Center for Biotechnology Information will list the sequence of only one of the two strands; if our sequence is:

AGCCATATGAC

..we can match each base in the sequence with its partner to get the sequence of the other strand:

AGCCATATGAC

TCGGTATACTG

I tried to incorporate this aspect of DNA to modify Gwen's design to use color-coded twisted 6 mm bugle beads for the base pairs. I also changed the colors of the DNA backbone to solid blue for the 15° and 11° seed beads, and capri blue for the 8° seed bead, to try and mimic the repeating sugar-phosphate structure.

From a beadweaver's point of view, the structure works up and holds its twist just as well as the original. But the molecular biologist in me really wanted to see all four types of those bases.

So I switched to 8° seed beads in place of bugle beads for the bases; two seed beads for the purines, and one for the pyrimidines, and also color-coded the 11° seed beads on either side to match its associated base (I also changed the backbone a little bit, but that's a topic for another post):

I like this arrangement much better. It results in a somewhat thicker helix, but it's much more biologically accurate. It would probably work better in a pendant or a cuff than in earrings.

Gwen also tackled this arrangement by using 8° seed beads and a 3 mm firepolished crystal for each base pair, resulting in a slightly larger helix.

I'm still not done creating further variations on this design, but those are topics for future blog posts. Next time I'll talk about DNA's major and minor grooves...

Have you ever tried incorporating ideas from your day job into your beadwork? How did it work?

Origami Interlude: Kusudama

2011-06-23T13:01:00.000-07:00

A little while ago I picked up Tomoko Fusé's Kusudama Origami because this book is chuck-full of the type of modular origami designs that I so enjoy. This book also explores the more traditional types of kusudama origami, where individual units of folded paper are strung or glued together into a (usually) round structure. I find modular origami more satisfying when a structure can be completed without glue or string, but the designs in this book are so pretty that I had to give this style a try. I started with a single double-flower version of her primula design:

Which quickly started to multiply..

I used 15 by 15 cm TANT paper for these flowers. This paper comes in a rainbow pack and in packs of different hues, and the red pack contains 12 different shades of red and bright orange. I only needed about half of the pack for the whole structure.

The finished "Bouquet of Primula" contains 16 individual flowers. I was hoping that I could use only 12 to achieve dodecahedral symmetry, but alas, more flowers were needed to fill out the whole ball. It measures about 9 inches in diameter.

I'm anxious to adapt this style of flower ball to beads, where dodecahedral symmetry might be more feasible. In the meantime, I'm enjoying my paper version.

Have you tried a new style of craft lately? How did it turn out?

Floral WIP and Travel Notice

2011-05-20T12:39:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted anything new; moving and traveling has eaten up most of my time over the past month. I did however manage to get started on my project for the next round of the Artbeads.com blogger program. The theme is "What's Old is New Again," and the idea is to take an old or vintage element and incorporate it into a new piece. I chose this blue floral cloisonné necklace that I received from my grandmother a few years ago, after she had it in her collection for many years.

I like the little pink, blue, and green flowers on each bead:

My original idea for this project involved Swarovski bicone pendants in beaded beads, but after Gwen figured out how to incorporate them into the Sakura Charm pattern, I just had to try this as well. While Gwen's final result is a 7-fold variation, I wanted to stay with the original 5-fold flower of the pattern to match the flowers on the cloisonné beads. It took me five attempts to arrive at something I was satisfied with. You can see my attempts in this photo, starting at the left and continuing clockwise to arrive at the charm in the center:

I found that to get a 5-fold flower to work with bicone pendants, I had to work with progressively smaller seed beads to get them to fit without being wobbly. The back of the charm also ended up somewhat different than the original; the weave and bead counts are slightly different, and the bail is rotated to straddle one of the bicones, instead of sitting between two of the petal beads.

I tried to match the colors to that of the flowers in the cloisonné beads. Do you think it's a good match?

Finally, I'll be traveling internationally for the next three weeks to spend some time with my husband as he participates in the San Francisco Symphony 2011 European Tour, so any jewelry orders placed from now until June 9 from either my Etsy or Artfire shops will ship on June 10. I will have some e-mail access on my trip, so I will still send out tutorial orders, but these orders might experience a delivery delay of up to 48 hours.

In the meantime, the Sakura Charm pattern, as well as the Circle Starburst and Balloon Box patterns, are available at beAd Infinitum 24/7.

Bon voyage!

New Pattern: Sakura Charm

2011-04-30T15:22:00.000-07:00

Just in time to celebrate the arrival of May flowers, my Sakura Charm pattern is complete and now available at beAd Infinitum.

The idea for this charm came out of the Bead Mavens Vernal Visions Challenge, where I created this necklace to mimic the cherry blossom trees that bloom at the start of spring. I was humbled to receive an honorable mention for this entry! Each Sakura blossom was woven individually into a self-supporting charm measuring about 10 mm in diameter, and then I assembled over 30 of them to make the necklace using a combination of three different stringing methods. These charms are easily incorporated into other types of jewelry. I created two of them to make this pair of earrings to match the original necklace.

But why stop with cherry blossoms? This design also works for several kinds of 5-petal flowers. I used three shades of blue lentils to make these cascading forget-me-not earrings:

As with the Circle Starburst design, the Sakura Charm also works well with Swarovski crystal circle "rivoli" pendants in place of the glass lentils. Here's another take on forget-me-not earrings using these sparkly crystals:

Finally, I made a forget-me-not necklace using charms made with sapphire AB lentils, and strung with bugle beads for festive simplicity.

The Sakura Charm pattern illustrates in detail how to weave the basic Sakura Charm, and then describes how to make all the jewelry that you see here. It also includes over a dozen photos of completed pieces for inspiration, as well as a couple of variations by both Gwen Fisher and myself. I'd love to see what you'll create with this design!

How are you celebrating Spring so far?

Infinity Egg

2011-04-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

Continuing with the theme of egg-shaped beaded and origami polyhedra, I've completed this beaded egg using Gwen and Florence's Infinity Weave technique:

This "Infinity Egg" measures 1 1/2 inches long, and just over 1 inch wide. It's surprisingly stiff and stable for such a hollow structure. It's a little big for a pendant, but it would make a nice ornament for an Easter Egg tree.

The basic structure is the same as the truncated hexadecahedron that I've wrote about before.

The Infinity Weave is used in three patterns over at beAd Infinitum, starting with the Infinity Dodecahedron and continuing with the Donut and Prisms patterns. I guess that this egg is a variation of both the Dodecahedron and Donut patterns, but the weave is so versatile that there are an infinite number of other possible variations as well.

Happy Easter everyone!

SATeam Mother's Day Giveaway Event

2011-04-04T15:17:00.000-07:00

My wonderfully talented team is having a Mother's Day giveaway!

Until May 1, each valid entry will be included in a drawing to win one of three gift certificates to any participating SATeam shop. You can enter more than once, and all entries are free of charge! For the details on how to enter this giveaway, along with a list of participating shops, check out the SATeam blog.

Mother's Day is a month away! What are you getting for your mother?

Beaded Eggs

2011-03-30T17:14:00.000-07:00

Last week I wrote about a truncated hexadecahedron, or "The Egg," made from modular origami units. As you might imagine, this polyhedron can also be made with beads.

This beaded egg is made from potato freshwater pearls at a diameter of just under 4 mm, and measures just over an inch long. Unlike the origami egg, the beaded egg has one bead on each edge of the polyhedron, instead of one on each corner. This means that I needed to use 72 beads, instead of 48 origami modules, to create the completed structure.

It's hollow and sturdy too, which is always a plus in my book.

This one is made from 3 mm aventurine rounds for a slightly smaller overall structure.

Finally, I used irregularly-shaped potato pearls at a size of about 5 mm for this beaded egg. The result is a little bit irregular but it's an interesting effect.

Do you enjoy seasonal beadwork for the springtime?

Origami Interlude: "The Egg"

2011-03-24T21:04:00.000-07:00

Continuing with the themes of springtime and the rebirth that comes with it, today I thought I'd share some origami that I've had kicking around for a while. The modular unit used for this piece is the triangular gyroscope module by Rona Gurkewitz and Bennett Arnstein, which is made out of paper cut into an equilateral triangle. Multiple units can be pieced together to make a number of polyhedra, particularly structures including 5- and 6-sided faces, including the dodecahedron, truncated octahedron, and truncated icosahedron, with each unit sitting on an edge of the polyhedron. However, one of the more unique examples shown in Gurkewitz and Arnstein's books is the truncated hexadecahedron, fittingly referred to as "The Egg."

"The Egg" is made from 16 hexagons, 8 pentagons, and 2 squares. You can think of it as a soccer ball that's lost about 1/5 of its faces, and wrapped itself up to compensate. While it certainly has symmetry, it's considered an irregular polyhedron because the shapes that make up this polyhedron are not regular, meaning that the edges of each face have slightly different lengths.

The great thing about origami, and beads too, is that we can can still construct such almost-regular polyhedra from regularly-shaped modules. The Egg uses a total of 48 triangular gyroscope modules, and I for one can't tell that the finished structure is irregular.

Twenty modules, made from foil paper, make a shiny little dodecahedron.

What's your favorite kind of egg? Origami? Beaded? Fabergé? Chicken?

Vernal Visions Challenge Entries

2011-03-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

The deadline to enter the Bead Mavens' second challenge is midnight tonight. The theme for this challenge is "Vernal Visions," which is all about the vernal equinox and the start of spring. For my first entry, I thought of the cherry blossom trees that always bloom right around the start of springtime. I sought to mimic these little flowers with Czech glass lentil beads and Japanese seed beads, and came up with a satisfying little flower design which is self-supporting and holds its shape quite well.

Collected together with bronze bugle and round seed beads for the stems and branches, we get a long, blooming branch of a Sakura tree:

For my second entry, I thought of another special event that takes place right around the start of spring, my mother's birthday. When I think of my Mom I always think of pearls, and I was itching to work with some lustrous keshi freshwater pearls that don't really fit into my usual geometric style. They became the fringe on some round beaded beads, which I complemented with pink Light Clusters beaded beads. Since both beaded beads can be strung through multiple openings, I strung through them using two lengths of beading wire in a crisscrossing pattern, with additional pink and peach freshwater pearls:

A little detour gives the necklace its focal, and an overall Y-shape:

Thanks to the Bead Mavens for putting on this fun challenge! Check out the rest of the challenge entries here.

What's your favorite springtime design?

Lucky Clovers Pendant

2011-03-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

I made a little ball of 4-leaf clovers:

It's in the shape of a cube, with six clovers total, one for each side. I strung it corner-to-corner for this pendant, which makes for a nice touch of prairie green on this St. Patrick's Day.

I'm hoping that it will make me successfully pinch-proof today.

Are you wearing green today? What shade of green do you prefer?

New Balloon Box Beaded Bead Kits

2011-03-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

Two new kits are now available for the Balloon Box beaded bead at beAd Infinitum. The first is in this gorgeous deep blue palette which I've named Pandora Sapphire:

The second is in a Turquoise Patina palette, because, even though the beads are glass, everyone can use a little turquoise:

Both kits can be found on the beAd Infinitum Patterns and Kits page, and include the full pattern, a needle and plenty of thread, and all the beads necessary to complete the project.

Finally, a special thanks to everyone who commented on my Winter Illuminations Necklace. I'm happy to report that my sister is well and relatively far from the disaster area in northern Japan. If it is within your ability, please consider donating to the American Red Cross to help with the disaster relief.

Winter Illuminations Necklace

2011-02-24T17:16:00.000-08:00

I completed my piece for the latest round of the Artbeads.com blogger program, this time in a "Winter Enchantment" theme:

To be honest, I was somewhat wintered-out after finishing the Wintery Mini Ionic Polyhedra set and my Ice Queen necklace last November, and I thought that I couldn't possibly think up another icy, wintery design before suffering from brain freeze. So I turned to another interpretation of wintertime:

Photo © Peggy Holsclaw 2011

In Japan, several of the parks, shrines, and temples are lit up in the evenings during holidays and seasonal events (their Fall Illuminations are particularly spectacular). My sister Peggy is currently living in Japan and took some beautiful photos of the Winter Illuminations in the bamboo forests of Arashiyama, a district on the outskirts of Kyoto.

Photo © Peggy Holsclaw 2011

This photo really spoke to me: something about the combination of silvery bamboo leaves with the intense blue bamboo stalks communicates a fresh crispness without being overly cold. I used light sapphire AB Czech pressed glass lentil beads to mimic the shape and shade of the bamboo leaves, dark indigo AB2X Swarovski crystal bicones for the intense blue color, and a collection of black, hematite, and silver Japanese seed beads to complete the design. After a couple of attempts I created this beaded bead design, which is a cousin of the Double Pagoda beaded bead:

I made five of them total, and paired them with additional Cosmic crystals complete the necklace:

Finally, for a limited time Artbeads is kindly offering a 15% off everything coupon code to such awesome readers such as yourself. The coupon code is ZZ-DESIGNER-0211, and is valid until the end of the month.

What wintery-themed pieces have you created this season?

Full disclosure: The swarovski crystals and Czech glass lentils used in this necklace were received as a gift from Artbeads.com. No payment was made for the review of these products.

Dodecahedral Balloon Box

2011-02-23T08:08:00.000-08:00

I finally finished a work of beaded art that I had been meaning to get to for a while. It's a dodecahedral version of my Balloon Box design.

The colors are from Margie Deeb's The Beader's Color Palette, specifically palette #48, "Persian Pottery." At over an inch and a half in diameter, it's too big to incorporate into jewelry, but it would be very appropriate for an ornament. I think it would look really nice in red and gold, or perhaps dark blue and silver.

The structure is hollow and solid like the original Balloon Box. The overlay of seed beads in this piece uses the same bead count and sizes as the original, but if I make this dodecahedral variation again I'll probably change this up. As it is now, a little bit of thread shows between the seed beads in the overlay, which can happen when using the same technique for different polyhedra. It shouldn't be too difficult to fix though.

What's your favorite type of variation? Size, shape, color, or all of the above?

Margie and Me Color Challenge: The Modern Madrid

2011-02-19T09:00:00.000-08:00

For Marcie's latest Margie and Me Color Challenge, I chose Margie Deeb's "The Colors of Constructivism," or palette #102 from The Beader's Color Palette. Lots of grey, black, teal, and more grey in this palette. Not my usual choice of colors:

I made a Double Pagoda Beaded Bead pendant since I just finished its tutorial and therefore had this design on the brain. I went for teal and grey round seed beads, teal Miyuki drop beads, some shade of AB2X Swarovski crystal (Indian Sapphire?), and black Czech drops:

I think I pretty much failed to match the colors called for in the palette. With a little planning, I would have picked up some of the newer Crystal Silver Night Swarovski crystals, which I think would cool down this pendant but still give it some sparkle. I still like the pendant though, enough to keep it for myself :)

Be sure to check out all the other Margie and Me challenge pieces on Marcie's blog.

Have you ever worked in a color palette that just didn't fit your style? If so, what did you come up with?

New Tutorial: Double Pagoda Beaded Bead

2011-02-18T13:00:00.000-08:00

My newest beadweaving tutorial, the Double Pagoda Beaded Bead, is now complete:

It's a little bit bigger than the Pagoda Beaded Charm, and uses a similar collection of shapes and sizes of Czech glass teardrop beads, Swarovski crystal bicones, Miyuki drop Japanese seed beads, round Japanese seed beads, and the newish 2 by 4 mm peanut-shaped Japanese seed beads which I love so much. However, 8° Japanese seed beads can be substituted for the peanut seed beads in both designs, as in these two charms below:

I've categorized the Double Pagoda as an advanced design since it uses a combination of non-standard weaves, but intermediate beadweavers should be able to follow the tutorial since I included numerous detailed photos and illustrations. It's the perfect size for a petite pendant. Here's one in electric emerald:

I also finished a necklace derived from my color-matching experiments with one of Melissa Vess's gorgeous lampwork focal beads:

The focal is complemented by two Double Pagoda Beaded Beads and over a dozen cube beaded beads, made to match the colors in the focal.

Finally, since I still had a leftover Double Pagoda that didn't quite match the focal, well as one extra cube beaded bead, I paired them with a simple variation of the Double Bubble Jacks beaded bead for a doubly-double (quadruple?) cascading pendant:

The Double Pagoda Beaded Bead is available ~~in the tutorial sections of both my~~ ~~Etsy and Artfire~~ ~~shops~~ on my website if you'd like to make your own. I think I'll make another one myself for Marcie's latest Margie and Me color challenge this weekend.

What will you be beading this weekend?

Origami Interlude: Hollow Blue Cube

2011-02-04T12:06:00.000-08:00

My husband took me on an origami paper shopping spree for my Christmas gift last December, so I picked out several sheets of beautiful Washi paper. I decided to make this modular cube:

It's a Tomoko Fusé design from one of her many origami books. The book is called Cranes and Fans, and it's only in Japanese as far as I know.

While the edges of the cube are constructed from washi paper, the faces are constructed from TANT origami paper, which differs from standard origami paper in three ways: it's thicker, textured, and colored on both sides. I like it a whole lot better than standard origami paper for such 3D structures that contain so much open space, because the thicker paper helps to stabilize the model.

This model uses 12 sheets of washi and 6 sheets of TANT paper, each at 4 inches square. It holds its shape well without adhesives.

Have you tried a new material within the past few months? How did it work out?

Margie and Me Color Challenge: The Village Corner

2011-01-29T09:00:00.000-08:00

For this month's Margie and Me Color Challenge, Marcie put forth two color palettes to choose from; the Amazon River-inspired palette #29 from Margie Deeb's The Beader's Color Palette, and a largely turquoise palette based off of this photo of a little medicine shop from a small village in Mexico:

Since I've been working with turquoise drop beads for another project, I went with the Village Corner palette. After some tinkering, I used this palette to create a larger version of my Pagoda beaded charm design as a pendant:

I hadn't originally intended to use the coral beads side-by-side; my first idea was to intersperse them throughout the pendant. But I like how they give little frames to the finished pendant, similar to the doors in the inspiration photo.

For this Pagoda beaded charm variation, I basically scaled up all the beads in the original design to a larger size; the 4 mm bicone crystals became 6 mm bicone crystals, the 15° seed beads became 11°, etc. I made some further adjustments to the design compared to the original, but the shape is essentially the same. Here it is side-by-side with an original Pagoda beaded charm:

Be sure to check out all the other Margie and Me challenge pieces on Marcie's blog.

What techniques and strategies do you use to scale up an original design to a larger size?

New Winter Starburst Set in the Shop

2011-01-27T16:02:00.000-08:00

I listed a new jewelry set in my Artfire and Etsy shops today. It consists of a Circle Starburst beaded bead pendant and Squared Circles beaded bead earrings:

It's in sort of a wintery nighttime color palette huh? I think that the sharpness of the Swarovski crystal circle pendants accentuate the crisp feeling of this palette.

The Circle Starburst pattern is available at beAd Infinitum, while the Squared Circles tutorial is available in my Artfire and Etsy shops.

I also recently received the beads for my latest contribution to the Artbeads.com blogger program, which is also in a wintertime theme this time around. The colors will be in more of a black and light sapphire palette, and the beaded beads will be of a different construction, so stay tuned for this piece over the next few weeks.

What beads do you choose for a wintertime theme?

Color Matching: Lampwork and Beaded Beads

2011-01-25T15:55:00.000-08:00

I'm always looking to challenge myself to incorporate new color palettes into my beadwork. One of the more fun ways to accomplish this is to color-match beadwork to the colors of a lampwork focal bead or bead set. Indeed, color maven Margie Deeb recently noted how seed bead and lampwork artisans are kindred spirits in the exploration of color, and expressed a desire to see more collaboration between these groups of artists (I'd argue that Cynthia Newcomer Daniel and Melissa Vess are making much headway in this area).

So when I was making some new Double Pagoda beaded beads in preparation for writing a tutorial, I decided to color-match some of them to one of Melissa's focal beads.

I was picky about the colors that I chose for this beaded bead, since Melissa's bead contains some very specific shades of tan and silvery aqua. For the Swarovski crystals, I chose the dark indigo hue, which is similar to the dark blue iris shade of my chosen peanut seed beads. I went all-tan with the seed beads, in slightly different shades, and put the aqua colors in the drop beads.

My first Double Pagoda attempt contained more tan and less blue than the lampwork bead, so I swapped some of the tan seed beads for dark blue iris.

The difference is somewhat subtle, but I think it matches the lampwork bead much better.

Here are both attempts side-by-side next to the lampwork bead:

Do the colors match and complement the lampwork bead? What do you think?

Shooting Stars

2011-01-23T13:36:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago Marcie Abney released a tutorial for her Shooting Stars Bracelet, a design I've been admiring for some time. I purchased the tut from her Etsy shop and made a few shooting stars of my own. I started with the color proportions called for in the pattern, but since I didn't have the specified color of faceted drops, I chose a different color palette in blue and silver:

The design is quite fun to weave together. The stars have a not-quite-flat quality to them that I actually quite like, and since I'm not particularly a bracelet person I can work up the individual star components for other types of jewelry. At just over an inch across, they'd probably make nice solo pendants, and Marcie shows that they can make a festive pair of earrings too. I made another one in teal and metallic bronze, and added some 2.8 mm Miyuki drops to the corners for a little bit of flair:

Finally, I mixed up the color proportions and made a shooting star in the electric green palette that I used for an Ionic Octahedron a few months back:

This palette is really growing on me, so it's definitely not the last time I'll be using it.

When you're following a tutorial or a pattern, do you use the specified colors, or do you mix it up?

Rivoli Sunflowers

2011-01-20T10:29:00.000-08:00

I dabbled in rivoli bezeling the other day and made a few Rivoli Sunflowers. My first attempt is now a solo pendant:

The design is straightforward and fun to put together, and somewhat easier in construction than your typical peyote or RAW rivoli bezel. I've had issues with thread showing when I use peyote to bezel a rivoli, so when I use this method I have to pay attention to minor differences in bead size between different batches of seed beads (which is probably why the evenly-sized delicas are so commonly-used in this technique). Since the Rivoli Sunflower is a fringe method design, it's a little more forgiving in this respect. And it has Miyuki fringe drops, which makes it extra awesome, since drop beads are awesome.

My second Rivoli Sunflower ended up very orange, an unusual color choice for me. I think I'm either terribly missing the summertime during these winter months, or I'm channeling my inner Giants fan. Probably both. I paired the Rivoli Sunflower with Swarovski bicones, cranberry Czech glass, Venetian rounds, and two basic cube beaded beads in this necklace:

The Rivoli Sunflower pattern is available at beAd Infinitum if you'd like to make your own.

New Circle Starburst Kits

2011-01-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

Two kits are now available for the Circle Starburst pattern at beAd Infinitum. The first is in copper, purple, and silver, in a color palette I've named Royal Copper:

The second uses Swarovski crystal circle pendants instead of glass lentils, in deep red and dark purple, with a hint of silver. This color palette is called Sharp Siam:

Both kits can be found on the beAd Infinitum Patterns and Kits page, and include the full pattern, all the beads necessary to complete the project, two needles and plenty of thread, and (since it is recommended for this design) a copper headpin for storing the finished bead.

Origami Interlude: Sonobe Unit Origami

2011-01-11T19:26:00.000-08:00

This January, I've been thinking about what I'd like to accomplish this year, both with this blog and with my beady and crafty art in general. I want to get back to exploring some of the basic geometric shapes that I've used in my work, both in beads and in origami.

I was first introduced to modular origami many years ago through the Sonobe unit, an invention of Mitsonobu Sonobe. As one of the simplest units in modular origami, combinations of multiple Sonobe units can be pieced together to form an infinite number of polyhedra. Twelve units create this stellated octahedron:

Here's an individual basic Sonobe unit. Each unit has two tabs on the edges and two corresponding pockets in the center.

I used four sheets each in three colors of paper to create this polyhedron. The flower-patterned paper is washi, which is a dream to fold.

The smallest Sonobe octahedron that I've ever made measures about 20 mm in diameter, or about the size of a medium beaded bead. I've thought about creating beads out of Sonobe origami, but they would need to be reinforced with glue or a layer of varnish to withstand any wear and tear.

An additional fold to the Sonobe unit results in a slightly different effect, as shown in this cube. It uses six units in three colors:

A popular Sonobe polyhedron is the stellated icosahedron, which requires 30 units. Here's one in six colors:

Free instructions for a simple Sonobe unit can be found at this link, with instructions on how to piece together the 30-unit polyhedron here. Check out this page for a taste of the many more variations on this unit, which have been thoroughly explored by origami masters such as Tomoko Fusé, Kunihiko Kasahara, and Meenakshi Mukerji.

Beaded Bead Sets in the Shop

2011-01-05T10:21:00.000-08:00

When designing a new piece of jewelry, whether a necklace or set of earrings or even a solo pendant, I tend to try a number of different color patterns in my beaded beads. Sometimes I'll finish a beaded bead and then realize that the colors are not quite right for what I'm aiming for, but instead of taking it apart I'll usually keep it in a box with other prototypes and beady experiments.

The box has become rather full, so I've decided to part with some of these orphan beadies. I've sorted them into four sets and listed them for sale at discount prices. Click on the images for more information:

All of these sets are currently available in my Artfire and Etsy shops.

Tutorial Sale: Two Days Left

2010-12-29T15:50:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder that until December 31, all of my beaded bead tutorials in my Artfire shop are 15% off.

The sale ends at 11:59 PM on December 31, so don't delay!

Winter Tutorial Sale!

2010-12-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

It's the end of 2010, so it's prime time to start thinking about what you'd like to do in the new year. What are your goals in 2011? For beadweaving ideas, perhaps you'd like to expand your color choices, learn a new technique, or work with entirely new materials?

For the second year in a row, I'm offering a special end-of-the-year opportunity to get those ideas flowing. Until December 31, all of my beaded bead tutorials in my Artfire shop are 15% off.

Sorry, this sale is only applicable to the tutorials in my Artfire shop, not those available in my Etsy shop or via beAd Infinitum. (However, I urge you to check out beAd Infinitum's newly-modified copyright statement, which better supports individual jewelry artists who want to incorporate beAd Infinitum designs into their work. Check out the latest newsletter for details.)

The last time I offered a tutorial sale was a year ago today, so make sure not to miss out on this deal. The sale ends at 11:59 PM on December 31!

Eclectic Beaded Bead Pendant

2010-12-17T11:55:00.000-08:00

Remember those Balloon Box beaded beads that I made with extra fringe drop seed beads a few months ago? I finally got around to incorporating them into jewelry in this eclectic pendant:

The larger Balloon Box beaded beads are accompanied by some medium-sized beaded beads constructed from classic round Japanese seed beads, both 3.4 mm and 2.8 mm Miyuki drop beads, as well as peanut-shaped Japanese seed beads. I liked how I was able to incorporate all three of these uniquely-shaped seed beads into one beaded bead, but they show just a little too much thread for my taste. They eventually served as prototypes for the mosaic beaded beads that I made for Marcie's Margie and Me color challenge last month.

A couple of basic cube beaded beads, constructed from 3.4 mm Miyuki drop beads, complete the pendant.

The Balloon Box beaded bead pattern is available at beAd Infinitum if you'd like to make your own!

Time Machine and Pentacluster Pieces

2010-12-14T15:50:00.001-08:00

Recently, I had the opportunity to try Gwen and Florence's Time Machine beaded bead pattern from beAd Infinitum. I ended up making two Time Machines in different color schemes. I thoroughly appreciated the level of detail and quality of writing in this pattern, as it allowed me to complete two Time Machine beaded beads without any confusion or half-completed beaded messes.

This Time Machine beaded bead features hues of patina green, light amethyst, and copper. I decided to make it into a pendant:

I like how faceted roundelles can be used in this pattern; there are some gorgeous beads in this shape coming out of the Czech Republic nowadays in color schemes not found in faceted round beads.

I also made an Ionic Pentacluster in the same color scheme, just because:

For this next piece, I again chose my color scheme from a particular green and purple color palette from a Czech faceted roundelle. I also used these same roundelles when stringing this necklace:

I originally had a completely different idea in mind for another beaded bead to pair with the Time Machine focal, but I found that Pagoda beaded charms matched style of the Time Machine much better. I think the matching Miyuki fringe drops really tie them toether. I also made two related, slightly larger beaded beads in a design which I think I'll name the Double Pagoda beaded bead. Cyclamen opal Swarovski bicone crystals complete the necklace...

...and Pagoda beaded charm earrings complete the set.

The Time Machine and Ionic Polyhedra beaded bead patterns are available at beAd Infinitum, while the Pagoda beaded charm tutorial is available ~~in my Artfire and Etsy shops~~ on my website.

Jewelry for the Craft Show: Old and New Designs

2010-12-10T11:11:00.000-08:00

Between weaving beaded beads, forming a few dozen pairs of earwires, and folding origami gift boxes, I'm almost ready for the craft show tomorrow. I took the time to re-create a few popular pieces which sold out from my Etsy shop a while ago, such as this Light Clusters beaded bead earring and pendant set:

I also decided that I could part with this springtime-themed necklace that I created this past year, featuring a Balloon Box beaded bead and two smaller Double Bubble Jacks beaded beads:

Finally, I made earrings out of the extra Pagoda Charms that I made for my Ice Queen Necklace. I've also made a few new Pagoda Charm earrings that I haven't had the chance to photograph, and I think I'll bring the materials to make more at the show if anyone is interested in a demonstration.

The knit-one-one holiday craft sale is on Saturday, December 11, from 10 AM to 4 PM at the knit-one-one studio in Berkeley, CA. Check out the knit-one-one blog for more information about all the artists participating in this show. I hope to see you there!

Origami Interlude: Masu Boxes

2010-12-08T11:22:00.000-08:00

In preparation for the knit-one-one holiday craft sale this weekend, I took stock of all of my craft sale odds and ends and found that I was low on jewelry gift boxes. As an origami nut, I felt that I should really start folding my own gift boxes instead of purchasing them. I originally envisioned folding Tokomo Fusé's hexagonal modular Fabulous Origami Boxes, but as pretty as these boxes are, they're a little too time-consuming to piece together and not always sturdy enough to withstand the hustle and bustle of a busy shopping bag. So I turned instead to the classic Masu box:

The bottoms of these boxes are folded out of cardstock using the traditional pattern, while I used a variety of decorative washi, foil, and scrapbooking papers for the tops. After some tinkering and testing, I reinforced both parts of the boxes with an additional layer of cardstock for extra stability.

These boxes are so quick and easy to make. Before I knew it, I was completely hooked.

Did I mention that I really like to collect washi?

Yep, I'm definitely hooked...

Every purchase from my booth at the craft show this weekend will be packaged up in one of these spiffy gift boxes. The show is on Saturday, December 11, from 10 AM to 4 PM at the knit-one-one studio in Berkeley, CA. Check out the knit-one-one blog for more information. I hope to see you there!

Ice Queen Challenge Addendum

2010-12-07T13:30:00.000-08:00

I didn't realize it at the time, likely because I hadn't been there in December in 20 years, but after a trip to Disneyland this past weekend, I think I was channeling Sleeping Beauty's castle in my Ice Queen necklace:

Then again, my necklace has more blue and a little less purple. What do you think?

In the meantime, the Bead Mavens have announced their next challenge, Vernal Visions, with a focus on the theme of the Spring Equinox. The entry rules have been modified compared to the previous challenge, so be sure to check out the details on the Bead Mavens Website.

I'd like to give a big thanks to all the sponsors of the Ice Queen Challenge. A special shout-out goes to Linda of BeadsForever for the choice of an item from her shop. I chose this dichroic cab called Symphony and it's as gorgeous in person as it is in the photo:

Another big shout-out goes to Tradewinds Studios, Ikandiclay, MandarinMoon, Kelly Angeley, NEDbeads, and Artbeads for their generous contributions to this challenge, as well as Cynthia Newcomer Daniel and Mikki Ferrugiaro for gift certificates to their shops.

Christmas Berries Set

2010-12-06T14:31:00.000-08:00

I've added two new pieces to my Artfire and Etsy shops. This pendant is woven in my Bubble Box beaded bead design, and features gorgeous green freshwater pearls and metallic Japanese seed beads:

I used the same materials to create matching earrings, in my Double Bubble Jacks design:

Both of these pieces will be available for sale this weekend at the knit-one-one holiday craft sale on Saturday, December 11, from 10 AM to 4 PM at the knit-one-one studio in Berkeley, CA. Check out the knit-one-one blog for more information about all the artists participating in this show. I'd love to see you there!

Margie and Me Color Challenge - Mosaic of Color, #129

2010-12-02T11:16:00.000-08:00

I just finished my second challenge piece in as many weeks. Marcie Abney puts on a color challenge every few weeks based on color palettes from the color maven Margie Deeb. The latest palette is #129 from Margie's book The Beader's Color Palette, and is based on the gorgeous mosaics from Islamic architecture.

The light blues in this palette match some peanut-shaped Japanese seed beads, which I've been tinkering with in beaded beads for a little while. While my Pagoda charms include these little peanut beads as accent beads, I wanted to make a beaded bead that featured these peanuts prominently. They're a bit tricky to design around, and I must have come up with a dozen prototypes, but after drawing some inspiration from Gwen's Mini Ionic Polyhedra I finally settled on a design that I'm satisfied with. They're solid and sturdy but lack a round core bead, so they're easy to string together. I incorporated five of these peanut beaded beads into this bracelet:

I really like how the colors of the peanut beads mix with matte AB cobalt and peach-colored seed beads.

Thanks to Marcie for putting on this fun color challenge! Check out her challenge piece and the other participants' work on her blog.

Second Place!

2010-12-01T17:21:00.000-08:00

My Ice Queen Necklace took second place in the Bead Mavens Ice Queen Challenge!

I'm still pleasantly surprised but very excited to have placed in this challenge, given the spectacular collection of gorgeous entries by many talented bead artists from around the world. Congrats to Zoya Gutina for the well-deserved first place finish, and thanks to the Bead Mavens for all their hard work in putting on this fun challenge!

Craft Show on December 11

2010-11-29T12:01:00.000-08:00

I'm participating in a craft show at the knit-one-one studio again this holiday season. The show is on Saturday, December 11, from 10 AM to 4 PM at the knit-one-one studio in Berkeley, CA. I really dig this little show; it's an intimate gathering of about 12 local artists featuring everything from textiles to jewelry, papercrafts, ceramics, and even chocolate! Check out the knit-one-one blog for more information about all the artists participating in this show. I can personally vouch for the ceramics from KoideStudio - I have two of her kitty mugs and they are the cutest mugs ever :)

Here's a sampling of some of the items that I'll have for sale:

If you're in the area, I'd love to see you there!

Ice Queen Necklace

2010-11-28T11:16:00.000-08:00

After refraining from entering contests or challenges for well over a year, I've now committed to two challenges in the past few weeks. I just finished this necklace for the Bead Mavens Ice Queen Challenge:

This piece contains a whopping 17 individual Pagoda Beaded Charms, and it's easily the first time that I've made so many identical beaded beads.

I actually didn't think of entering this challenge until I coincidentally came up with the color palette for these charms. I like that it's wintery but also glowing with colors of blues and purples - somewhat different than the monochromatic snow-white palette usually associated with winter or an Ice Queen.

Then again, there's a whole lot that you can do with a monochromatic snow-white palette. Different combinations of crystals, pearls, and different seed bead finishes can add variety and texture without adjusting the colors in a piece. My wedding necklace from last summer uses this strategy:

Upon request, I entered this piece into the challenge too. Check out all the other entries here - there are some seriously beautiful pieces in this gallery!