Blue Willow Bracelet

This bracelet was made for the ArtFire Beadweaver's Guild Challenge. The challenge was chosen by  by Krafty Max for being the Winner of the March Challenge! This is what she says:

Vintage China has always been something I love to look at.  Our work - beadweaving - was also VERY popular when this China was made.  The theme will be - VINTAGE CHINA.  It can be via thecolor scheme, the actual look and style reflecting China or even something that actually encompasses a piece of Vintage China.  Let's have fun and enjoy creating our designs!  ~KM ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first patten I thought of was Blue Willow. It has been a favorite of mine since Childhood. My father had brought back a piece of china from when he was in WWII. The story book also was an influence. There are two legends surrounding the scenes in the China patterns. I just love the scenes, the bridge, pagodas and the blue willows themselves.

 My Laptop crashed so I turned to an old cross stitch pattern software program on our ancient computer to plan out the pattern. Then warped the bead loom and started beading it. I was done with two scenes and thought that might be long enough, wrong. So I had to jerry rig a way to put the bracelet back on the loom to finish it. Valuable lesson measure before you take a piece off the loom. All those ends to sew back in and use to attach the magnetic clasp. Found and added some larger accent beads in the old, old stash. Even found some beads made in the pattern of blue willow that are now earrings that will be a freebie for whoever purchases this bracelet. 

Blue Willow Tree and Pagoda

Bridge with Three Men

Special bracelet

My daughter likes jewelry but hasn't been a real fan of mine until recently. They changed her dress code at work and now she has to wear all black. She wanted one of my skinnier spiral bracelets in black but I couldn't do a plain black one! This one is silver and black with an additional charm that is going to be a surprise!

Also found some crystal beads in black at Caravan Beads in Asheville, NC. What a neat shop! I could spend a lot of money in that place but I restrained myself!

New Bracelet

New bracelet for sale on ArtFire

Actually I finished two this one and one for the ArtFire Beadweaver's Guild. It isn't due to be posted until June 30th I'm just ahead of the game! I also posted some small coin purses and some bookmarks to my ArtFire Studio. 

     

 Getting used to a new computer Windows 7, vs the idiosyncrasies of Vista. groan..

I have a photography / Studio assistant. Star got into the act the other day. She jumped up on the table where I had my light box set up. She loves beads and will steal bracelets if they are left out.She is my Southern kitty from a rescue down here.She loves bling. My other cat Sunny is a Northern boy but the meows sound the same. LOL

     

Bead work

Finished two bracelets, one for an ArtFire Bead weaver's challenge due next month but we will be a traveling again. So glad the tornados missed us. We did hear one a couple of days before this onslaught that hit near Raleigh. Strangest sound  not quite like a train, landed in a  nearby community in Canton. Luckily no one was injured in that one.

Will post photos as soon as i get off this computer and get  some done!

Bead cupboard

We found this cupboard at a local thrift store. My Dh just added the slide out for my bead hanks So Kewl! I always wanted to hang the hanks but didn't want them all dusty this closes and they are covered! Now I won't hesitate buying hanks of beads... uh oh Dh didn't know this aspect. More bead shopping!! The grey boxes are findings and my tubes etc are down below.

Beading frenzy

I've been working on beading lately. This bezel has morphed a lot from this picture! When it is done or closer to be done I'll post new pictures. I tried a circular Spiral peyote or Cellini spiral and it was too bulky so I ended up with an embellished simple spiral instead. It looks goo together. I've done a netted spiral type thing on the bezel.

Finished this Raw Bracelet and did some earrings to go with it. I think this is the first of many of these!

CATMAN2.ORG

This is the rescue where we found our cute calico retriever cat! CATMAN2.ORG

Did I bite off more than I can Chew??

Guess I just got tired of nothing happening in our guild on Artfire. After seeing what other guilds do in ArtFire even with the messed up guilds there it seemed time. I want our work promoted, tweeted, Facebooked or what ever! There are really beautiful woven items in ArtFire!
      Yes the ArtFire guilds are messed up. Wouldn't take my pictures, can't edit them once they are there. The calendar is last years and you can't update it. Last but not least you can't use the Forums! I tried to go in and set it up, no go. So I did what all the other guilds have been doing for ages. Took it off site. I hope this works and not just me doing it all. I need all of them to help.
     We have our first Studio of the month!  see part below!  Photo shop to the rescue