The Urchin Bead

My first beaded bead.  How exciting.  It was based on the urchin bead pattern from Marcia Decoster's Beaded Opulence.  The goal was to achieve something like:

 Eye catching isn't it?!

The pattern is based on embellished right angle weave with a variety of bead sized.  I had to improvise a bit as I didn't have the exact sized recommended in my seed bead stash so it was a bit of a gamble on how it was going to turn out.  Specifically, I used cylinder beads instead of the largest seed beads, and delica beads instead of the crystal embellishments.  Step 1: lots and lots and lots and lots of right angle weave stitches.  My goodness!  I spend an entire evening making this thing when I estimated it would take a couple hours.  So many tiny stitches!  After telling my friend about my many hours of bead stitching, he gave me the nickname 'the bead surgeon'.  I approve, haha.  So how did my bead turn out?

Not  to bad for a first attempt.  I will definitely be giving this another shot with the exact bead sizes specified in the pattern.

This one is quite large... about an inch and a half across.  I am also going to try making one half the height and with only three spines.  I hope that the results will be small and light enough to make earrings out of.

My biggest lesson from this experience is that beaded beads take lots of time!  It's amazing the amount of effort it takes to make something so small.  The results all worth it though!

My Newest Addiction - Beaded Beads

First of all...welcome to the first post of my blog.  I hope that this can be a way to share my hobby and creative endeavors, share my inspirations and just put my creations out into the world.  Now onto the actual subject of this post.

My jewelry making focus for the last year or so was wire wrapping and glass fusing.  I had pretty much put strict bead work aside.  A few months ago I was organizing all my supplies and I rediscovered my seed bead collection.  A box full of little shiny beads of all sorts of gorgeous colours.  I wanted to use them, but how?  I sometimes incorporate small beads into my wire wrapping designs, but it had been a while since I had made anything that showcased small beads.  Christmas was also approaching and my mom was asking for gift ideas. I scoured the internet and settled on two books that really caught my eye.

The first was Marcia DeCoster's Beaded Opulence.  Just looking at the cover I was impressed.  A beautiful complex piece made completely from seed beads and other small beads.  I looked through the available preview and I was hooked.  So many intricate patterns that were way beyond stringing beads on a thread.  The patterns looked challenging!  I find that I am disappointed with a lot of books these days because they don't push me to try something new.  That is not the case with this one.  I have decided to attempts the 'urchin bead' as my first project from this book.  My success or failure to be reported in my next post.

The second book that caught my eye was Creative Beading Vol. 4.  This book encompasses a wider variety of techniques and skill levels that Beaded Opulence does.  However, there are still many patterns in here that look like they will be challenging and rewarding to make.  I think my first project will be based on the "collecting leaves" pattern.  The one on the book is for making an embellished necklace, however I plan on incorporating the leaf 'bead' design provided into a set of long draping earring.  I'm excited to see how they will turn out.

Though I have rekindled my love affair with beads, I don't plan on leaving my wire wrapping ways and glass fusing ways behind.  I'm looking forward to producing a wide variety of pieces in the near future.  I always seem to have design ideas bouncing around my head.  I just need to force myself to sit down and take the time to bring them to life!