Retreat Goodies

I just got back from a 4 day bead retreat in Fairy Stone Park Virginia. What a great time! 14 women, beads galore, and lots and lots of fun!

This bracelet gave me fits. The pattern came from here, but as I do not remember much of my high school French, I had a hard time figuring out how to make it work. I had to start over twice and I ended up not doing it exactly the way the instructions said to, but it worked. I have some other ideas about making it work better, so I'm going to try another one soon. This one is made with Tourmaline AB2X Swarovski crystals and Delicas. I am going to be adding 3mm crystals along both outside edges (Crystal Brandy color).

This "dainty wire woven bracelet" comes from a pattern by Gen Smith. It was lots of fun. A friend made one in 24 gauge instead of the 20 gauge I used and it was very pretty as well. The wire is Parawire and the crystals are Swarovski.

This St. Petersburg lariat is 54" long from tip to tip (49" plus a 2.5" fringe on each end) and has approximately 350 Czech firepolished beads, pressed glass drops, and Swarovski drops, along with a tube and a half of seed beads.

This cuff is made with approximately 300 Czech 4mm firepolished beads in green iris. There is a core of size 8/o seed beads which makes the bracelet take it's curved shape. If I make another (I want to, this time with crystals) I will make sure to use the appropriate color of Fireline, because too much of it shows.

Framed Again

I picked up my framed piece today and am much happier with it. The reverse mat eliminated that annoying white line between the beadwork and the mat and the sharpies touched up all of the places that the white interfacing might have shown through due to the piece not being exactly square. The museum glass I decided to buy makes it very difficult to tell that there is even glass over the beadwork.  

Now, I am waiting to hear from Bead & Button about whether or not I got into Bead Dreams this year. I wonder how they will be contacting people?

Framed

Well, I went to pick up my piece at the framer and took this photo. Then I decided I wasn't happy. The mat was cut in the traditional way, leaving a white line all the way around the piece between the beadwork and the mat. This really wasn't what I wanted. So the framer cut a new mat with a reverse bevel. I went in this morning armed with my Sharpie markers to see the new mat. I ended up going around the whole piece with my markers, coloring the white interfacing next to the outer edges of beads. This way, since the piece isn't exactly square, the small places that don't have beads will not be obvious. 

The owner of the shop decided that, since there was still the possibility that I wouldn't be happy after the mat was put in place, he wanted me to position it myself. So he put on the glue and I put the mat where I wanted it. I was finally happy with what it looked like... and I get to pick it up tomorrow morning!

On a side note, I started working on my 2nd piece for the 2008-2009 BJP, using the same green beads I used on Elemental Earth. They were already out and I was feeling like I wanted to use them some more, so there you go.

Elemental Series Complete!!

I finally finished my Elemental Bead Embroidery Series today. :) I am very excited and will be submitting my Bead Dreams application tonight (or tomorrow at the latest, since that's the deadline)!  I really like how Earth turned out. It is so hard to get a good photo of this piece!!!