An Autumn Bead Crochet Bracelet

Nov14

More bead crochet exploring. This time I used Perle Cotton 8 thread with size 6 glass beads. The black stripes on orange remind me of autumn and Halloween so I created a polymer clay pumpkin bead for the clasp.

So far, I like this thread the best in feel and ease of crocheting. The black color of the thread was a little tricky to find the stitch to go into but my hook slid into the stitch a lot easier than the C-lon cord. That was too stiff for my beginning skill level. This thread also gives a slinky supple feel to the finished bracelet which is a wonderful feeling on my wrist.

The loop for the clasp is a single crochet with the same thread. I then sewed terra cotta colored seed beads around the loop.

What I really loved in creating this bracelet is that it combined 3 techniques – polymer clay sculpture, bead weaving and bead crocheting.

I chose the blue graduated background because it reminds me of a clear autumn sky and it accentuates the orange beads. I love looking to nature for inspiration even in something simple like choosing a background for photography.

October Journal Page Progress

Nov3

The idea for my October beaded journal page has been gestating for the last couple of months. It all started with the image of a candle illuminating the darkness, which came to me during a meditation one day. I thought about the candle as being a wonderful symbol for all of the aha moments I have been experiencing in my life this year. I added the oval moon face but instead of this representing the obvious (a moon), it will symbolize the face of my serene Higher self. I made a little mask from polymer clay leaf canes. As the candle burns brightly and illuminates, the mask falls away and reveals my Higher self. There is much more work to be done on this piece but I am pleased on its progress so far. I have a jewelry show in 2 weeks so a lot of my time is being devoted to getting ready for that. So, this page will emerge a bit behind schedule but its slow progress can also be representative of the slow emergence of my authentic Higher self.

More photo experiments

Oct30

With my photo experiments so far, I have used natural light and flourescent daylight bulbs, colored paper and a black velvet bust. The photos taken in the natural light of my window were too dark. The photos taken on the black velvet bust were too flat looking. The photos taken on the colored paper looked too busy to me. The jewelry was getting lost in the color of the paper. Some props I used competed with the jewelry. Then I borrowed some gradient paper and did some experimenting. It is the best so far, I think. Clean and professional looking, it does not compete with the jewelry at all. In fact, it seems to make the colors of the jewelry stand out so it enhances the piece.

My “Woodland Fairy” bracelet was inspired by a stitch technique in the marvelous book, “Mastering Beadwork” by Carol Huber Cypher. Carol calls the technique “peyote-carry-one” and it is similar to a Dutch spiral in that you add an extra bead which is then not woven into on the next round. It gives more fluidity and drape than regular tubular peyote which can be pretty stiff. It also enables you to add a bead with small holes since you don’t stitch into it on the next round. I decided to use the drop beads I used in my “Woodland Fairy” necklace but I didn’t want to carry them through the whole bracelet. I think it gives the look of a textured bead in front.

What do you think?

My September Journal page

Oct12

I have finished my September journal page, entitled “The Harvest Goddess of Abundance and Gratitude”. Only 12 days behind schedule!

She embodies the cycle of the harvest from the birth of the seed to its growth and manifestation to its harvest and production of more seeds to its dormancy to the rebirth of the seed. The cycle spirals on. The sun rises and gives warmth and nurture to the growth of the seed and its harvest. As the Goddess’s harvest progresses, the leaves fall gently through the air all around her. They will return to the earth to nourish the next seeds.

So, this piece represents the abundance of our harvest and gratitude for what has manifested from the seeds we have sown. Acceptance of the natural rhythms of the earth and a turning inward to contemplate how our seeds have grown and manifested in this cycle.

What do you think?

Another Bead Crochet Experiment

Oct6

Another bead crochet experiment, this time with C-lon cord and a hank of variegated turquoise and brown size 8 beads I purchased during my trip to Michigan last month. I don’t think you’re supposed to see that much of the cord but I loosened my crocheting up because it was getting so tight that I could hardly get the hook (size 2.25mm) in the stitch. Do any of you bead crocheters experience that? I think it’s going to be a matter of practice to get the right tension. This cord is pretty stiff so maybe that was part of the challenge for me, too. This piece is a little over 4 inches long so too short for a bracelet but I could use it for part of a necklace.

I have a color challenge for myself based on a post I read at Morwyn’s AnotherCountry Beadworks blog. She invited her readers to pick 3 or 4 numbers between 1-50. Then you click on a link to a list of numbers that had a color associated with each number. I love lists and anything to do with color so I had a lot of fun doing this. My colors are turquoise, fuschia, Paynes gray and copper. Paynes gray is a dark bluish gray.

What a great exercise to get beyond your usual color choices. So, today I am gathering components to make a necklace with these colors. Thanks for the inspiration, Morwyn!