As we head out of the pandemic and start to plan ahead for a return to a "new normal", it's time to plan ahead for upcoming class offerings as well. Keep in mind that the class projects shown here are like a menu for bead stores and bead societies to pick from for my upcoming classes with them. At the time the classes are scheduled, they may not have finalized their choices yet. Due to sourcing difficulties in today's changing economic environment, not all class offerings may be available at all times.
Brutalist Ribbitorium
This is a full day class complete with all sorts of unexpected delights: pewter Green Girl Studios frogs, Rachel's paint skin cab, velvet, shaped Czech beads.
The Rachel cab was a special order: I fell in love with the narrow skinny shape and asked Rachel to make me a duckweed and pond scum worthy cab, special for this project.
The project combines a bead embroidered pendant with CRAW rings interwoven with velvet cord. Very unusual combination and despite its funky inspiration, a very regal looking piece.
This class will be available from the second half of 2023 and at the point of me writing about this, I am not planning on teaching it on Zoom this year, but will most likely offer it through the bead societies and bead stores I am teaching for this year.
The Astronaut
Description of the Astronaut project:
Astronaut bracelet is a small, comfortable and positively odd design. In its center, there is a small cab depicting one of three kinds of astronauts: a pug, a tabby cat and a panda. Upon request, disgruntled bulldog is also an option. Are you not into the descendants of the great Laika? ( First dog in space, although she never came back. I promise you these cosmonauts are well prepared for safe return.) Anyhow, if you don't want space animals, a paint skin by Rachel cab is also an option for this design.
On the surface it is a very simple little thing, but don't let that fool you. The galaxy swirling around our astronauts will bend your mind. So will the unusual use of French wire.
There is no template given, the placing of the French wire is going to guide your design, mastering the technique is a big part of this class. Because of the lack of the template, you are in charge of the fit: birdie wristed indiviuals can make it narrower by keeping their galaxies from expanding too much, and those of us with more real estate can give the astronauts a bit more space.
Southseas' Treasure Bracelet
Southseas' Treasure was originally created for the 2023 Bead Cruise where it was a great success!
It's a small project, a freeform bracelet that's centered around the larimar focal. Each stone is a different shape, and the stone's shape is what influences the general shape of the rest of the center portion of the bracelet. Besides the pretty larimar there is a galaxy cab by Melody Cross, a beautiful three dimensional flower crafted out of rainbow metallic lambskin, freshwater pearls, cup chain and other crystals.
The center portion is affixed to a flat leather band and the closure is a magnetic clasp. Just a very lush, luxurious combination of materials that will make for a relaxing and fun class experience.
Poison Garden Necklace
This project was originally created for the 2022 Colorado Bead Retreat where it was really well received.
It's substantially different from my other designs because it combines bead embroidery with working with velvet, velvet cord, and having a lot of hand stitched; small pieces come together into a very organic, flowing Art Nouveau-esque design that ends up being very soft, like a piece of clothing. Not something you will come across from anyone else, truly a design I am proud of.
Sometimes the less complicated, more vigorously edited designs become my personal favorites, that's truly the case here.
This will make for a very engaging, intense learning experience despite the fact that it's not a design that's covered in beads from end to end. Something different!
Rock Candy in Blueberry Bliss and Drunken Flamingo Master Colorways SOLD OUT
This is highly wearable bracelet with a domed, faceted focal that's such a show stopper. The Drunken Flamingo Master colorway features a charoite doublet, while the Berry Bliss colorway has a lapis doublet. Because of the way the stones are glued to the quartz topper, irridescent rainbows appear from some angles. This was not easy to capture with photography, so please take a look at the videos for it.
The focal is extended from the center of the composition leaving negative space that keeps the overall feel light and airy. The process to create the ombre textures is easy peasy and repetitive, but the outcome is so worth the repetition: it's just a famously fabulous piece to wear. So versatile!
Lotus Prey
Lotus Prey is an all day long class. The necklace comes together from three separately embroidered parts that feature a delicate dead thing, lots of crystals, and 3D lotus flowers made out of shiny orchid- pinky-purple lambskin. The delicate dead thing is a tiny resin kitty skull with a ram's horns for which I will offer a gorgeous substitute for those of you, Dear Beaders, who do not like dead things but want to take this class never the less. ( The substitute will be one of Rachel Hungary's paint skin cabs specifically made for this project.)
Here it is on me. It fits well and it's light. But it also makes a heck of a statement.
Since Swarovski dumped us but also, in a way tried to keep some of us as their "side piece" by trying to make designers like myself sign a brand to brand contract - which I refused to do- moving forward, all my new designs will feature anything but Swarovski items.
Edit, 7/8/21: I would not qualify for signing their contract due to their updated policy anyway.
And since I did not sign their dumb contract I can keep on saying SWAROVSKI as much as I want. You can too.
Some of the crystals in the case of this sorbet monster wonder necklace are Preciosa, coated by E. H. Ashley in beautiful finishes. Some of the other ones are directly from the land of the People's Republic.
I am pleased with both varieties and will be utilizing both in upcoming designs. Swarovski can keep their shinies and stick them where the sun don't shine. The world of beaded art jewelry is moving on one crystal at a time.
Things I wanted to achieve with this particular design besides convincing myself and hopefully you, Dear Beader,that we shall shine on even without Swarovski, were the following: juxtapose form and color and ideas that don't much belong and show that they can be made harmonious.
Skulls are oftentimes combined with dark colors. Especially when they have horns.
Not with happy sorbet tones.
Not with serene lotus flowers.
Sure there are plenty Georgia O'Keeffe paintings out there to prove me wrong, but in general, if I was to tell you that I made a cool necklace with a be-horned skull, I bet that this is not what your mind's eye would see.
But why should I not make a happy, flowery, sweet, serene, sunny skull necklace? After a year and a half of global "what the hell just happened", the world needs more happy serene sorbet horned skull necklaces. It's a celebration of life in a world that's kind of falling apart, but we are still here, so might as well celebrate a bit, shall we?
On the shape of the composition: notice the ram horns attached to the skull and how they curve? The curvature of the center component follows the same shape while the two sides containing two more lotus flowers curve the opposite way. It's a play on the spirally horns all throughout the piece. As it is above, so it below, things swirling in a pleasing pattern.
I could have complicated the side and the back and could have added more weight and detail, but I wanted to keep things comfy and wearable and completed the necklace with the addition of a nice gold lambskin rope. As usual, the lovely metal components are the work of Anna Chernykh of Anna Bronze.
As I am writing about this necklace, it only exists in its current sorbet incarnation. I am planning to add a different colorway in time.
I am very pleased with this well balanced design and it will make for a tempting treat for Beady Peeps to return to public beading at last. Looking forward to seeing You All in person!
Tragic Heroines Bracelets
This project is named Tragic Heroines because the girl with the red dress reminded me of one of my favorite movie scenes. I am sure you know the scene: Lucy Westenra walking into the garden to fornicate with Dracula on a stone altar, from the 1992 classic, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Lucy of course becomes a wildly unsuccessful vampire and gets beheaded, but her character steals the show from a very prim and proper Mina. Of course the image doesn't have anything to do with the movie and the dress was a lot more orange and our Lucy was a redhead, but these are small details when a mental leap has already been made.
The girl with the seahorse was a lot harder to find a name for, if these were to be named after tragic movie heroines... Underwater, but not merperson. Not dead either, not drowned, who should I name this one after? Thought about Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water. Sweet Elisa falls in love with an amphibian fella and in the end goes on to live with him in the water. Since both are shot first, I think she qualifies as somewhat tragic too. This movie's whole feel is all aquatic, green and blue with some red so the bracelet does not resemble anything of the "feel", but hey, naming projects is not the easiest task.
Both cabs are square and about 30mm. The shape of the bracelet repeats this pointy, angular look. Clean, crisp lines and some cool, 3D layers are juxtaposed against the organic garden like pattern that fills the sides.
Beadslide clasps complete the clean, modern look in silver. On both colorways.
The purple- Elisa- colorway is soft, sort of dreamlike lavender and lilac. Very pretty.
From every angle.The dark purple metallic lambskin is the perfect match for the lush purple glowing garden.
The Lucy colorway is more assertive with its gorgeous teal and red. I have not included many closeups of it like I did with Elisa, because a few details will be changed about it. The bugles will be replaced by the same color but with silver lining to add a bit more light and the teal flowers I got for the kits are ever so slightly different in color than my sample.
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