Maven Meld Challenge

by Mandi Ainsworth on August 30, 2011

The Bead Mavens have come up with an exciting new challenge they are calling “Maven Melds.” It involves combining techniques and/or design elements (melding) two or more Bead Maven tutorials. I love this idea because it challenges both new and seasoned designers to really get innovative and push themselves creatively. That’s why I want to enter, well that and the fantastic prize list!

Cynthia's Meld of Nancy's Trellis design and Mikki's Arianne Bangle

Here are the details from the Bead Mavens website:

The Rules

  • You must use two or more Bead Maven tutorials…these can be any of the tutorials in our stores or any of the free tutorials we’ve posted on this blog. You are encouraged to add your own design elements, but the piece must include elements of the two (or more) tutorials you chose.
  • The tutorials can be from the same Maven or a mix of different Mavens.
  • Tutorials you have purchased from us previous to the beginning of the contest are fine to use.
  • Only two entries per person.

    • How To Enter

  • Send two good (clear, crisp and well-lighted) photographs, one showing the whole piece, one a close up or detail of the piece to theBeadMavens@gmail.com
  • Write a paragraph (up to 100 words) about your design and creative process, and what inspired you about the tutorials you chose.
  • Email your entry to us by October 15th, 2011, midnight EST.
  • Include your e-mail address, the title of your entry and your full name in your email, please!!!!!

    • Judging

  • Pieces will be judged on compatibility of tutorials chosen, technical skill, color harmony, and overall design.
  • The Bead Mavens are not eligible to place in the contest or to receive prizes.
  • We will choose three winners and one honorable mention from the entries.

    • Check out the example Maven Melds

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    Dainty Brick Stitch Earring Tutorial

    by Mandi Ainsworth on August 25, 2011

    The very first thing I learned to bead was a pair of brick stitch earrings. I learned from thin book that I have since lost track of, but I got hooked and made every pattern in multiple colors. I’m starting to see them in retail stores, and thought it would be fun to create a cute design and share the tutorial. I hope you enjoy making them for yourself or a quick gift!

    The 1st pair is the prototype in delicas, the 2nd pair is the example used in the instructions, and for the last pair, I swapped the colors of the fringe.

    Supplies:

    • size 11 seed beads in 2 colors
    • 2 crystals, 4mm
    • earwires
    • needle and thread

    Choose which color of size 11 seed beads you would like to start with (color A) and ladder stitch 7 beads together. Make sure you leave a tail long enough to weave back in later. If you need help with ladder stitch, you can view this tutorial.

    Begin brick stitch, beading right to left: 1 bead of color A, 4 beads of color B, and 1 bead of color A. If you need help with brick stitch, view this tutorial.

    Decrease your brick stitch and bead left to right: 1 color A, 1 color B, 1 color A, 1 color B, 1 color A.

    Decrease your brick stitch and bead right to left: 1 color A, 2 color B, 1 color A.

    Decrease your brick stitch and bead left to right: 1 color A, 1 color B, 1 color A.

    Decrease your brick stitch and bead right to left: 2 color A.

    Your thread will be coming out the top of the left bead. Add 7 beads of color A, and go down the right bead. Needle up through the left bead and follow the path again to reinforce the circle of beads. Later you can attach your earwire to this loop.

    After you reinforce the circle, your thread will be coming out the bottom of the right bead. Pass through all the beads on the outside edge of the triangle. Take your needle off your working thread and put it on your tail thread. Weave the tail into the triangle securely and trim the end. Put the needle back on the working thread, and you are ready to start the fringe.

    String on 9 color B, 7 color A, and 9 color B. Needle up through the outside edge bead on the other end of the triangle, and then right back down into the very next bead.

    String on 7 color B, 5 color A and 7 color B. Then, needle up through the second to last bead on the opposite side of the triangle.

    Weave through the brick stitch portion until you can exit down into the center bead of the bottom of the triangle. Add 1 color A, 1 crystal, and 1 color B. Pass back through the crystal, the color A bead, and then the center bead of the bottom of the triangle. Weave your thread securely into the brick stitch portion and trim the end. Add an earwire to the top loop and you’ve finished an earring. Make the other one and then strut around modeling your new earrings! ;-)

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    Advantages of Bead Kits

    by Mandi Ainsworth on August 23, 2011

    Kits are a pretty hot commodity in our beading community, and I love to buy them, bead them, and create my own. Jill Wiseman started posting on her status when she was makingthekits (yes, all one word) and now others in the Facebook beading community post the word as well. There is also a nice range of difficulty of kits from basic beginner to advanced. So what is it about the little bags of beads, smartly labeled and complete with instructions? Well, in this article, I try to answer that question by outlining the advantages and benefits of bead kits.

    Tila Tornado Kits, available when the Bead Circle Kit Store launches September 1st!

    1. Everything You Need- Kits include everything you need so you can jump in and get started on a project without worrying about putting it aside later because you lack materials to finish it. For this reason they are also portable, so you can throw it in your bag along with your basic beading supplies, and take it on vacation or to a bead society meeting.

    2. ONLY Get What You Need- When you buy a kit, you get the quantity of beads you need for the project instead of buying strands or tubes with standard amounts. This makes budgeting easy and prevents overspending on unnecessary supplies.

    3. Accessibility- There are times you want to learn a specific technique or design, but there are no classes available, or you can’t travel to learn from a specific instructor. Many designers and instructors offer kits on their own websites or other websites making them more accessible to a wider audience.

    4. Fun with Colorways- Beading a kit in which the designer has chosen the color palette offers several advantages. It can help you break out of your color box, or presents you with interesting color combos you haven’t considered before, or helps you see a color used in a new way. For advanced beaders, it may be difficult to tell from the picture and supply list which color or type of bead goes where, and it may be easier to do it in the designer’s colors first before choosing your own color palette.

    5. Experience New or Not Readily Available Supplies- Learning to work with new materials is enjoyable and helps you expand your beading repertoire. Sometimes these materials can be hard to find, or your local bead store may not carry them. Examples are CZs or maybe a specific piece of filigree, and the kit will include it so you can try it without having to track it down.

    6. No Expiration Date- Another great thing about kits is they will wait patiently for you to work on them. I’ve talked about decision and no-decision projects before, and kits are great when you want to get in a zen state of beading along without making any color or bead decisions.

    7. Support Your Favorite Designer- Many designers and instructors make a living from selling their kits. When you support them with a purchase, it enables them to come up with more designs and kits. Also, many designers are also willing to give extra help beyond the instructions if you get stuck. I would be happy to do that for any of my kits.

    These are mostly logical reasons to buy a beading kit, but I believe there is an emotional element as well. I know for myself and my bead sisters, it goes something like this: I see it, I love it, I want to wear it, I buy it! Then, all the logical reasons justify the purchase, hehe.

    What do you think? Tell us what you love about kits. Do you purchase kits for any of the reasons listed or is it a certain “something”? Please share with us in the comments!

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    Shreveport Bead Retreat 2011

    by Mandi Ainsworth on August 15, 2011

    I decided to carpool with Ralonda to the Shreveport Bead retreat held August 4-7 this year. We have sort of a Bead Mastermind where we share ideas and encourage eachother, so talking in person instead of using all our cell minutes was a great benefit in addition to saving on gas. Also, Ralonda made us spinach and bacon quiche for breakfast…Yum! We swooped in on Friday afternoon, and after a whirlwind of greetings, hugs and setting up our kits, it was time to gather our table-mates and head to lunch at Monjunis.

    Killing time by playing on phones at Monjunis.

    The anticipation was killing me as I clutched the plastic bag full of paper envelopes close. Ralonda and I had spent a “play day” making nickname tags for our friends, and I couldn’t wait to see their reactions. We passed them out and everyone loved their name tags, and laughed at the funny ones that were too true. It was a good distraction since our food was taking longer than usual, but I loved my Neapolitan pasta and toasted ravioli. Full and happy, Bead Geek, Soul Sister, Garden Goddess, Blessed, Sparkle Slut, Project Ralonda and Sticky Note (me) headed back to the hotel to do what we came here for: BEAD!

    Of course, the PURPLE colorway was the most popular.

    Friday night, I worked on finishing up a second Waterfall Lariat sample so I could have one to display and one to wear. Then, Karen (aka Garden Goddess) and I made some Mojitos. I stayed up a little later beading away because I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep. I was so excited about my 8:30am class!

    It was so fun having the beautiful Belinda in my class. Here I'm telling her about my new Waterfall Lariat kit.

    I did get some sleep, and even managed a trip to Starbucks for a double tall latte. My class was the Tila Tornado bracelet and I taught 11 amazing gals. The general consensus was: “I bought some Tila beads when they first came out, but I’m not sure what to do with them now.” I’m such a fan of this design because it uses a hot bead, and you can really put your personality into it with variations in bead colors, sizes, and counts. We decided on one edit to the instructions: Supplies, 50 crystals (or 100+ crystals if you believe there’s no such thing as too much bling)! Two of the students I’ve had in class before, and for another two it was their first retreat. We had so much fun, and several students wore their bracelets back to their tables!

    Spicy Julie and me wearing my completed necklace, Olivia, designed by Maggie Meister.

    Also on Saturday, I finished my Olivia, which is a Maggie Meister design. I have now officially completed all my Beading by the Bay projects! I made it in garnet and black, which is a huge contrast to Maggie’s green and gold. It’s for my sister in her style of colors, and I think she’ll love it. Saturday night we went to Albasha, which is my all-time favorite place to eat in Shreveport. We had fried cheese, cabbage rolls, chicken shawarma, fried kibbe, and baklava. We watched Amber do some belly dance performances and she danced with a sword balanced on her head! Amazing day of friends, food, and beads.

    Julie with redneck wineglass in one hand, art doll in the other.

    Sunday morning I decided to sit it on Ralonda’s Beaded Art Doll class. Julie (aka Sparkle Slut) worked on her new doll, and I continued my work on Raja. He’s been a work in progress for nearly 2 years, and he wants more beaded stripes. I made some great progress on his belly, and it was great to hear Ralonda talk about her doll ideas and see her inspiring examples again. Julie and I got a great idea to have a round robin with art dolls, and I’m so excited about it! We had a group trip to Jo-ann to choose our fabric, and I decided that the theme of my doll would be “free spirit.” There are 10 of us, and we created a beading schedule that would allow us to exchange our completed dolls at the August Shreveport Bead Retreat next year!

    Bead Sisters: Me, Ralonda, and Cathey

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    The 5 Best Bead Organizers Ever

    by Mandi Ainsworth on July 10, 2011

    I’ve gone through many different storage systems trying to find the perfect way to organize my beads and projects. Here are my top 5 picks, how I use them, and where to get them.

    If you need help organizing your bead stash from start to finish, register for the July 12th online class: Organizing Your Bead Space for a Creative Explosion.

    1. Snap ‘N Stack Organizer

    These are the best project boxes I have ever used. I label the outside with the project name, and they all stack so nicely on my shelf. They are portable, and many ladies in the bead society use them to take projects and supplies to meetings. You can sometimes find them at Target, here at Jo-ann, and here on Amazon.

    2. Screw-top Vials


    I like these to hold accent type beads and strands. Without taking the lid off, I can see everything that’s inside and it makes finding things easy. If I’m pulling beads for a project, its easy to take out only the vial I need. You can find them at Michaels, here from Jo-ann, and here on Amazon.

    3. Bead Pavilion


    These are perfect for holding many tubes of beads in a small space so you can see all the colors. I like to have my whole palette out to inspire my designs. You can find them here from Sova Enterprises and here from Beadaholique.

    4. Photo Boxes


    These come with 6 cases or 12 cases, and they are perfect for storing beads you have pulled for a project. If the project is small, you can work out of the case and makes great traveling storage. You can find these at most craft stores in the scrapbooking section, and here at The Container Store.

    5. Design Save’n Go


    These are perfect for storing work-in-progress, and I wrote a glowing review of them a few months back. I like that the mats hold the beads in place so they don’t roll around. It’s perfect for bead retreats and classes. I work whatever I want on the first board during the free beading time. When its time for class, I don’t have to go through the hassle of cleaning it off and putting all the beads away. I can just grab the second board and use it for the class. You can sometimes find them at Jo-ann stores, but not their website. Fire Mountain also carries them here.

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    BCP 05 | Talking Organization with the Clutter Fairy

    by Mandi Ainsworth on July 7, 2011

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.


    In this episode, I talk with Gayle Goddard, the Clutter Fairy, who teaches people how to be more creative and productive through organization. We discuss why its important to be organized, her unique perspective on studio organization, and give a bit of a class preview. I hope you enjoy the interview!

    Links

    Before

    After

    More listening options:

    If you need help organizing your bead stash from start to finish, register for the July 12th online class: Organizing Your Bead Space for a Creative Explosion.

    What do you think? Tell us about your bead space. Organized Chaos, Spotless, or Pit of Doom? Favorite Organizer? Color Scheme? We’d love to hear from you!

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    Studio Tour

    by Mandi Ainsworth on July 6, 2011

    A month after I shot my candid, ridiculously unorganized, apartment studio last spring, my husband and I started to look for our first house. So, my organization vacation was a great opportunity to purge all the things I wasn’t using, and organize all my beads. I was grateful for the head start, and now that they drywall is patched and the everything is labeled, I am happy to show you the results.

    I could never have done this without my class with Gayle Goddard, the Clutter Fairy for 2 reasons:

    1. I’m a free-spirit, and I like the idea of whirlwind bouts of art-making. Problems arose when I couldn’t find anything and had no room for new supplies. Gayle helped me realize how much more creative and productive I can be if I placed a few limits on my whirlwind. Now, my organized materials surround and inspire me, and being in my studio beading makes me happy and not stressed.


    2. Even with my realization, I needed a plan of attack. When I look at my before video, I cringe to think how much worse it could have gotten because I didn’t know where to start. Gayle showed me step by step how to kill my closet clutter and get organized. Her philosophy about organizing beads and art supplies helps it stay that way.

    Tomorrow on the podcast, Gayle and I discuss how she started her business, why it’s important to be organized, more about her philosophy, and our upcoming online class: Organizing your Bead Space for a Creative Explosion. Stay tuned for more organizing goodness!

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    Spiral Rope Necklace Tutorial

    by Mandi Ainsworth on July 4, 2011

    Here are my instructions for a simple spiral rope necklace. If you’re new to spiral stitch, check out this video from Beads East that does a great job of explaining spiral rope structure. This tutorial is just one of the many variations of spiral stitch, and I hope you enjoy beading it!

    Supplies:

    • size 8/0 seed beads (turquoise)
    • size 11/0 seed beads (ivory)
    • size 15/0 seed beads (orange)
    • S-clasp with soldered rings attached
    • needle and thread

    Step 1: String on 4 core beads (size 11). Then string on the pattern: one size 15, one size 8, and one size 15.

    Step 2: Pass up through 4 core beads to complete the first stitch. Leave a long tail so you can thread the end and attach a clasp when the rope is complete.

    Step 3: String on 1 core bead (size 11) and the pattern beads: one size 15, one size 8, and one size 15.

    Step 4: Pass through the last 4 core beads, including the one you just added. This completes the second stitch.

    Step 5: Continue to add 1 core bead and the pattern beads, and push each group to the back before starting the next stitch. You will begin to see the spiral.

    Step 6: Some beaders like to add thread by tying a knot to connect the old working thread to the new working thread. I have broken or lost the knots before, so I like to weave down the last 3 pattern beads, and tie a couple half hitches between core beads.

    Step 7: I tie in a new thread below the last 4 core beads so I don’t clog them with knots.

    Step 8: When your rope is the desired length, and string on twelve size 11 beads and the clasp. Pass back through the last core bead and tie a half hitch. Pass through the core bead and the entire circle again to reinforce it. Weave off your thread and repeat with the tail thread on the other end. Then, its ready to wear!

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    BCP 04 | Talking with Jean Campbell

    by Mandi Ainsworth on June 24, 2011

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

    In this episode, I will share my conversation with designer and author Jean Campbell. We discuss the unlikely origins of Beadwork magazine, steps beaders can take to get published, and a behind the scenes look at her newest book, Creating Glamorous Jewelry with Swarovski Elements. I hope you enjoy the interview.

    Links

    my finished Sakura, designed by Jean Campbell

    More listening options:

    What do you think? Are you looking to be published? Are you encouraged to bead with no fear? Please share with us in the comments!

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    Native American Necklace Contest

    by Mandi Ainsworth on June 17, 2011

    Go rent Dances with Wolves because you will need it for inspiration! I’m excited about this contest for two reasons:

    1) It’s international, and the prompt on Perles et dent’Elles is written in English, French, and Russian. It’s awesome to see beads connecting us across language barriers, and I can’t wait to see the resulting beaded creations from around the world!

    2) Feathers and other natural materials are “in” right now in the fashion world, and I think beaders will come up with some amazing riffs blending these elements with traditional Native American influence.

    The Prompt:

    Drawing your inspiration from the movie DANCES WITH WOLVES by Kevin Costner, we propose that you put into beads your personal vision of a necklace that could have been worn by a Native American woman.

    1. Your necklace must be original work of your own creation.


    2. Imposed technique: peyote stitch.


    3. Imposed colors: brown, beige and three colors of the entrant’s choice.


    4. Materials:

      – seed beads of any size (Miyuki round or Delica, Toho round or Treasure, or other seed bead brands);
      – any other materials of your choice like wood, feather, bone, metallic tubes, etc.

    5. The contest is International, worldwide beaders may participate.


    6. Photos make the judgment by the panel of five independent jurors.


    7. Jurors will score each entry upon three criteria:
      – creative capacity;
      – technical quality;
      – appropriateness of the entry with the theme of the contest.


    8. Photo requirements:
      – size – 800×600 pixels maximum;
      – the entry must be shot against white background;
      – no distinctive signs must be put onto the photo. The entrant’s name will be revealed upon entries announcement.


      9. Entry photo is to be sent until Midnight September 1, 2011, at following email address: perlesetdentelles@yahoo.fr

      The sending of your photo will validate your registration.

      Please indicate in the email your full name, your nickname (if exists) and the link towards your site, blog or album if you have one. It is not obligatory to have a site or blog to participate in the contest. Also indicate the country of your residence. Languages to be used in your correspondence are: English, French or Russian.

      Publication of photos on the blog Perles et Dent’Elles: September 20, 2011.

      We shall publish the three first place winners first and then other entries in order of their arrival. Winners of the three first places will be rewarded with vouchers offered by our sponsors whose names are indicated here below:

      This contest is held by the team of Perles et Dent’Elles:

      • Coco-Labijoutisse
      • Nouchka
      • Veronik
      • Zaza


      If you need to build up some motivation, or courage, or the confidence to enter a contest, check out podcast episode 3: 7 Reasons to Enter a Beading Contest. Ralonda and I outline all the benefits for you. I will also continue to update the Links page with new contests. Good Luck!

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