Beading Babes Reveal with Manek-Manek Beads

I know I am so late with this post.  I usually have it up the night before but honestly if you had the opportunity to go for a boat ride and bead while your boys are fishing wouldn't you.  Yes I can bead in the boat too!  LOL  

With that said I have to tell you that our little Beading Babes group has grown so much with the addition of a Facebook page we now have 127 members from all over the world!  This time we decided to work on Helena Tang-Lim's "Echo's of Nefertiti" published in the June 2012 issue of Bead and Button.  Also because Helena is so sweet we were given the opportunity to purchase her "Four Leaf Clover Cuff" at a reduced price if you posted your reveal today.  These are the third and fourth patterns I have done of Helena's and let me tell you I have learned so much.  So on with the reveal!

I first tackled the Four Leaf Clover Cuff because I didn't think I would have the opportunity to purchase coin beads and if you have been following this blog for a while you know that I totally tend to be a pearly girl and had the pearls.  But as I am so scatterbrained I had not taken pictures until this morning.  As I was editing the photos I really looked at the beadwork and I totally have to apologize to Helena because my stitching is horrible.  I so enjoyed working on this cuff because it was such a relaxing stitch pattern.  And frankly I thought it was one of the only things that did not give me issues beading wise this past month.  WRONG!

Here is my Creamed Coffee version of Helena's Four Leaf Clover Cuff.

Now on to Echo's of Nefertiti.  As I said I thought I did not have coin beads but you know what I actually did have 3 in my stash.  Yay I can at least play with the pattern.  Oh and what about using a color combo that is darker than my usual.  And hey what if I used spikes?  Oh the thoughts were flowing but........not including the fingers in the process that is for sure.  This has been an issue for me in the last month.  I want and think something is going to work but when it comes down to it, it just doesn't.  So I scrapped the pieces I had done and last night quickly packed a bunch of beads in my travel tray and took a ride in the boat.  This is what I was able to finish last night.  Again Helena makes a pattern that flows so easily from one section to the other that before you know it you are well on your way.  Through her instruction you learn so much about technique and stitching that you feel satisfied that you not only create gorgeous pieces that you feel inspired.  Thank you so much Helena.

Here is Nefertiti's Maid.  As I did not have enough coin beads to make the whole piece.  LOL

Please stop over to Karyn's blog to see other gorgeous creations from our group.

I will also be revealing again tomorrow for the Echo Creative Club.  I know I know busy busy girl!

Hugs and Blessings 

KK

Beading Babes Reveal - And Echo Creative Club part 1

Wow for some reason I thought this wasn't til the 12th.  I hope I am not in for any more calendar issues this year.  That would be bad.

So if you are not familiar with Beading Babes I will let you know about it.  Karyn at Releases by Rufydoof gathered a pretty cool bunch of beaders to pick then work on a project from either Bead and Button or Beadwork magazine.  It is so much fun to see what others think of the patterns and also offer advise to each other when we hit stumbling blocks.  So how about this month.

Well it seemed that many of us hit several stumbling blocks on our projects for this round.  Either the time was at issue or the pieces weren't coming together as expected.  I did attempt both projects for the month but ran into some difficulties myself.  

First up is Smadar Grossman and Ravishing Rosettes published in the December 2011 issue of Bead and Button.  I will totally admit that the color scheme in the magazine is not me in any way so initially I overlooked it.  I have decided not to vote on the projects because I need the challenge so when this was one of the picks I had to take a second look.  And I love it.  I needed to adjust it a bit to either fit the beads I was using or the tension issues you all know I have.  Smadar is a fabulous designer and I hope to one day get one of her own patterns as we all know the magazines tend to edit some pretty important tips right out of print.  So here is my Tangerine Tango

See Dawn I told you I was totally rocking tangerine!  

What a fun and cheery necklace this makes and I have to tell you I (yes really) I made a simple 2 by 2 chain maille connection to finish it!  

And as promised I have it as a pairing!  Yay!

I also tried Barbara Falkowitz Runway of Pearls published in the Dec/Jan 2012 issue of Beadwork but that was not as successful as I would have hoped.  I am not sure if the triangles I used were right and I ran out of pearls.  So what I want you to do is hop over to Amy's blog and check hers out.  It is Awesome!

So I mentioned the Echo Creative Club too right.  Well I received my beads from Jeannie this week and WOW  I really can not believe she made them out of polymer clay.  I was so excited I was working on them when I got a sweet little email from her asking if we would also post when we receive the beads.  OOPS I already opened it up.  But you know what?  I was so careful opening it because I love her packaging that it was easy to put most of them back in the bag and make it look like I hadn't touched them yet.  LOOK at these!

I have told Jeannie (probably way too many times) I love being part of this and playing with her beads more than I can really put into words.

I do have a bit of a busy week ahead but things are beginning to get better.  Hope I didn't just jinxed it.

Hugs and Blessings

KK

Beading Babes Reveal

So I may have missed my marks totally on these two projects but sometimes that is just how I roll.  LOL  

First we tackled another Carol Ohl project.  Earthly Hues from the August/September issue of Beadwork.  I loved this project from the beginning so I knew I had filed it somewhere.  That was the first issue.  Where is somewhere?  With a bit of help the pattern was located and now to start gathering supplies.   Well you know I can not make anything easy on myself so here comes the story.  I had 4mm cubes and I had 2mm cubes.  If I go with the 4mm I would not have enough and where the heck were the 10mm rounds I thought I had?  Frantic searching in the hallway putting beads in piles of colors.  No luck.  Scrap that idea.  2mm cubes would so work but the colors were either blue or pink.  Now to search for the 8mm to match.  Well you wouldn't know it from my color challenge in the previous post but I tend to stay away from pink.  Really I do.  So where will inspiration strike.  Hummmmmmmm.....Well it struck in the form of an orphan bracelet I made back in September.  You can read about it here. 

So with that in mind you know I changed up the beads to fit my own unique style.  I have always said that I follow patterns well and that is still very true when doing reviews but when I am just playing I like to throw in a bit of well me.  So in my version of Earthly Hues (which is still earthy but on the ocean side) I used 8mm round crystals, 2mm cubes, drops, and 11 and 8 seeds.  I really enjoyed making this one once I got the rhythm going but when it came to making the pendent...yep another issue.  I couldn't get the cubes and the 8mm beads to sit like the picture.  After about 6 attempts I knew it was a total no go.  What to do?  Set it aside til something sparks.  And spark it did.  I had been keeping this little turtle because he was just too cute.  He called to me and said "pick me I have all the right colors".  Now you know the beads talk to you too so don't look at me like I'm the crazy one.  Anyway here is what I have decided to call "Turtle's Paradise"

I really do like this one so much even though it is way off the pattern path.

On to project 2.  Sleek in Silver by Hatsumi Oshitani in the October/November issue of Beadwork.  Well honestly I thought I was out of making this project because frankly I am still on a tight bead budget and those sweet tila's in this one seemed so out of my reach.  Well thanks to Kelli Burns of the Hole Bead Shoppe Blog and her really cool Friday Trivia game I won a $25 gift certificate to her shop!!!!!!!!  I raced over and saw she had those sweet tilas!!!  Win and of course I picked a few extras for my stash!  And you know what they came on my birthday!!!!!! Beads on my birthday!  (do you see the happy dance?)  I knew exactly what I wanted to use in this one and so without further ado (because you all know I can "ado" for so much longer)  Here is Spike Silver.

and doesn't it so match my Delightful Daggers bracelet?

So now I have to cut this post short as I just received a call from my son's doctor.  He has strep AGAIN!!!!!  OMG he has had it since October 21st and I am so glad and nervous that he is getting his tonsils and adenoids out on the 15th!  I hope this post finds you all a little less crazy than I am right now!

Don't forget to pop over to Karyn's Blog to check out the rest of the Beading Babe's versions of these two awesome projects

Hugs and Blessings

KK

Beading Babes with Carole Ohl and links

Hey has it really been a week?  I have to tell you all that I have been a bad blog friend these past few weeks just lurking around and not posting much of anything as well as having trouble replying to the awesome comments you have sent.  I have either just been coming off the high drama of all that happened with Shelby, sad because I never seem to have enough time with my family up north, and well my muse I call Rhiannon had also decided to venture out without even a whisper of why.  I have been so off that I even messaged Karyn (our founder of this awesome group) on Friday because I looked at the calender and it said the 16th but I totally knew she had mentioned Sunday in her post.  DUH it totally would have helped to change the calender from September to October before making myself sound like a total moron.  Okay I know I can do that just fine so maybe not.  Anyway I want you all to know that all is good at the moment so I hope to get back into the swing of things.  You are all so sweet to still follow this crazy girl!

With that done let me tell you what this post is really about!  

Beading Babes!

Karyn at Releases by Rufydoof came up with this concept that we pick a pattern, generally from a magazine, and each one of us makes it and then shows it.  Well hay that is why we blog anyway but what is so cool is that she gathered beaders of all skill types together as a way of encouraging each other to learn and have fun.  Ain't she just too sweet?

So the pattern that was chosen was one that I have set aside for that "I so want to do this someday" pile.  You know the one we forget about til we come across it again.  I was so happy because it did jump out at me when I first saw it and this was the perfect excuse to make it.  Well you know me and oh yeah the deadline thing.  I tend to wait until the last minute and I was beading that awesome bracelet of Jaycee's in my last post as well as working on a piece that I have been wanting to finish, and then I was sweetly gifted another great pattern by a designer Nancy hooked me up with.  Thanks girl because I am truly loving it.  Well again I am a terrible judge of bead quantities so I have once again run out of a couple of things so the last two projects had to be put aside.  You know what I had to go to a baby shower up north and I needed a new bracelet!  Camelot Cross to the rescue!  I also had an awesome find at Walmart that was just the ticket to make this project sparkle!  Yay!

Here is my version (and once again I as still working on perfecting my picture taking but I still think you will get the gist of it)

I changed two elements in the pattern.  First is the clasp.  I did not care for or have a button that would match and I am no longer a fan of a simple beaded loop to hold oh and neither of them really gave me that finished look I like.  So I beaded another square without the crystals and let me tell you I love it!!!! A simple little toggle and oh yeah baby it works!  Also as you can see my crystals (walmart score) alternated color in each of the squares.  It made for a simple little twist to make it unique to me.  I know that others had found a flaw in the pattern but because I had been just looking at the diagram I think I missed it.  This pattern not only worked up fabulous it wears awesome!  

Thanks so much Karyn for doing this I had a great time making it.

Two quick things to let you know about.  First I am loving the Book Tour of Barbara Lewis', Painting with Fire Artwear Goddess!  Yes I have been trying to visit each one and the tips, tricks, and artwork are totally amazing.  I would love to get into this art medium but that my just be a long time in the future,  In the mean time you should check everyone out it is so pretty amazing stuff!

And

Shannon's (Missficklemedia) husband is having a sale for "Mike's Ladies" as a way of saying thanks.  Go read that awesome post. 

I guess I have made this post long enough huh?

Hugs and Blessings,

KK