I came. I saw. I BEADED.Teeny tiny Japanese seed beads and Swarovski crystal beads and long thin needles and skinny thread. An itsy bitsy lightweight safety chain! I broke out in a sweat getting that sucker attached!
It's a bracelet. I took the pic upon finishing it this afternoon. My very first Older Broad Bead Project that required considerably more effort to create than the simple seed bead strands a lá Summer of Love.
With the help of a friend, I followed a (modified) pattern from Bead & Button.
Well, kinda sorta followed it [because I'm a kinda sorta artsy craftygal].
Turns out there's something wonderful known as freeform beading. This is a good thing. As I happily worked along on this bracelet, I invariably (due to my 'creative process') miscalculated the pattern, forgot where I was with the bead count, allowed for slips of the needle. The bracelet ended up being my interpretation of freeform. Yeah, right.
'Go back and re-do' is not my modus operandi, so it is what it is.
Oh well.
It turned out just fine. As in don't-examine-it-too-closely just fine.
Beading isn't rocket science, but it ain't no walk in the park either.
Like most crafts that require concentration, beading can be a challenge. At the same time, it's enjoyable (in a masochistic way). Is there room for error? I'm banking on it. It behooves the novice to make use of any and all sparkly beads available. Tip: they do double duty by dazzling the eye away from little bitty mistakes.
Thank goodness for Ott-Lite with magnifiers and beading needles that split open to facillitate threading. Both tools helped get me through the project relatively unscathed (save for the throbbing headaches).
Love the results and plan to do more...since I've already invested in the light/magnifier...
4 comments:
Very nice! I just finished a beaded necklace as a gift and failed to take aphoto of it in my haste to get it in the mail. As for breaking a sweat while beading... I have been there many times. Also, love the link for the big eye needles. I will be getting some of those for a future project.
Wowie zowie - you're a beader!
I may need to ask you for handy tips as well as advice when I run into (future) beading probs/ dilemmas!
Yes, those big eye beading needles are wonderful. I started with a regular needle, which got bent and drove me mad with the threading and re-threading.
The big-eye needles are heaven-sent! They are super flexible, and the thread doesn't slip out easily like it can on a regular needle.
A beader I am am.
Beader, Weaver, Knitter,Painter... bring it on and I'll try it.
I am at your service with beading questions. But alas I am self taught so I don;t know the end all proper ways of beading. I really am loking forward to those beading needles.
I think self-taught is oftentimes the best-taught. I enjoyed painting and was more creative with it before I took any art classes! The art classes were beneficial but at the same time kinda messed me up...
Anyways.
Thanks for keeping an open beading-hotline!
If you encounter any prob with getting those Big Eye needles, I'll buy a couple at my local beading store and send 'em to ya.
As always, thanks for commenting!
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