Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Beaded Beads!

Hello Everyone,
Today, I wanted to share my passion for making beaded beads with you.
Here is one of my yummy Beaded Beads:


Last year, I wanted to pursue the process of making these little lovelies.  I read and re-read and tinkered with lots of instructions and tutorials available from many excellent Resources and Artists. I made several with the instructions 'glued to my eyes/hands/beadmat/dreams' (I know you know what I mean?).  One day, I magically found I had put the instructions completely to the side, was totally focused on the shape and texture in front of me, the stitches and the colors...and created my own little beautiful bead!   Wow...now THAT was a '!happy dance!' moment.  It took me another 3-4 months to perfect my work and a little longer until I was brave enough to photograph one.  Pictures don't lie, they tend to show lots of imperfections..uhmm..'opportunity for improvement'.  Imagine my surprise when the first pic showed a pretty fabulous little bead!  Whoo hoo!  

I knew I had these 'right' last Christmas.  For the holidays, I made a bunch of these with my fabulous co-workers in-mind.  We typically exchange something very small, something fun, sometimes with an underlying theme from our past year(s) together.  These beads were a perfect idea since each of the ladies and gentlemen I work with are fun, have their own unique style, and have different favorite colors.  This inspiration was perfect for how I create each beaded bead!  Tho I exclusively use only tiny-sized 11 and/or 15 Japanese or Czech glass seed beads to achieve fine-detail and maximum sparkle, I always choose different color combinations, different shapes and textures for each beaded bead.  The result is that no two of my finished beaded beads are ever quite the same. Besides, who wants to be bored with repetition?...not me!

After each bead was created, I strung them onto natural fibers such as beautiful Sari Silk ribbon or colorful cotton twine (the stringing possibilities are endless!).  Then, I added coordinating crystals and art beads, and a jingle bell bead for the holiday.  The fiber was simply tied into a rustic over-hand knot for the top hanging loop.  Wa la!..each beaded bead became a lovely and memorable keepsake ornament for the holiday tree or for a special wreath or mantle display.  Several were not too 'Christmas-y' and have since become glittering sparkling Sun-Catchers!  Fabulous, as I continue to see them around the office!

Since I now find the making of these as truly relaxing and an awesome experience, I've decided to offer them to everyone at my Etsy Shop: ABeadsLife at etsy.com.  A full description of creating and materials used is found with each bead listing.  Each of the single beads is approximately 20mm (maybe a little smaller) and very lightweight.  There is also a set of five 12mm beads in my Shop.

I think these would make beautiful design elements for other crafty folks to experiment with? for jewelry pieces perhaps?

What are your ideas?  I would love to hear from you!  Here are 2 more to whet your appetite:



And finally, as promised, my other 2 doggie kiddos: 
Cherry the miracle Yorkie (there's a story, and she's always by my side):


Poppy the Pomeranian Pup (finally settling down for a little nap-time):


We also have a Cat in The Box: Tipper.  Anyone else have one of these?  :)

Happy beading!
Carol

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