Whirlwind

I have had a fantastic couple of weeks and so busy I couldn't get to blog. I flew to Louisville, Ky to visit a friend who had set up a beading class for me to teach with Geri (one gracious lady). www.beadweaversonline.com Geri has a Beadweaver's shop in the Mellwood Art Center, where she holds classes and sell beads, finished jewelry and has a second store where her students can sell their work.


I taught a 4 hour bracelet class with an Ndebele base and embellished with flower, leaves and a butterfly. Five wonderful beaders participated and we have a great time. I can't wait to go back and teach again.

The next day, I spoke at the Unity Church in Middletown. (In my previous life, I retired from ministry in Colorado.) Then I did a workshop for the church.


For the next three days, my friend Sharon drove me all over Louisville and showed me the sights. There is a wonderful glassblowing factory in downtown. It was fun to watch how this hot liquid becomes such a beautiful creation. We also visited an art installation in the hotel 21C. In the ladies restroom is a mirror with small TV screen set in it and constantly showing on the screen are the eyes of people looking around. The we went to the Kentucky Arts and Crafts Museum where many Kentucky artists have items for sale and the current major display was of woven tapestries. You have to see them upclose to realize how much work is involved. The one that really caught my attention was of a woman's face (and many other images) but the face was so realistic in color, texture and shading, you almost waited to hear her speak.


As soon as I got back, I had a class that night, then duties at church on Sunday and Monday. Then Monday evening I found a group of beaders who meet in the Palm Harbor area at Uncommon Threads and I joined them for an evening of beading and chatting. Some exquisite work was shown. One lady was working on the Star Compass Purse in the recent Beadwork Magazine, but she had enlarged it to about 10" across.


Then on Tuesday I participated in the Great American Teach-in at an elementary school in the Clair-Mel area and had 30 girls to learn a 2 drop peyote. They were so eager and so much fun, but by the time I finished, I was hoarse.

On Wednesday, I met with my usual group and taught them a new trick on an old techique.

Then Wednesday night I met with 6 beaders for another Ndebele bracelet with inclusions. I'm winding down now, but what a great time I had.

I'll look for another project for my next blog and in the meantime, a tip I learned was to use chapstick to coat your thread if you forget your Thread Heaven or microcrystaline wax. Rub you finger lightly over it and then pull the thread through your fingers. It seems to help with the Fireline tangling too. Try it.

Another Beady Day

Do you know what lentil beads are? Not beans, beads. Well here's a picture. These are Swarovski crystal lentils. Size 10mm in Vitrail Medium II. They are drilled from front to back with the hole being set to one side. They look a lot like a rivoli with a hole in it. I found them in two stores, Beyond Beadery in Colorado and Beads Gone Wild in West Palm Beach.

I fell in love with them after a friend asked me to repair a necklace that her aunt had given her. The necklace was completely unstrung, so I didn't know how to put it back together. I searched the internet and found some examples from the 1940's and 50's where the vintage crystals were strung. One was up and the beads on either side hung down, but you were looking at them from the side, so you didn't get the full impact of their beauty.

Since then, I have purchased over 100 and here is but one of the ideas I've had for them. The rope is Herringbone (Ndebele) spiral, then straight across the front, then spiralling again. When the rope was complete, I then anchored the thread at the straight area and criss-crossed over the rope adding a lentil at each point on the bottom.

Another pattern appeared in a beading magazine that had the lentils standing up using the Ndebele stitch. I worked a bracelet of lentils that are not crystal, as the edges are too sharp on the crystal. The beads have a finish that makes them look like they just washed up on the beach, very much like labradorite.

Here's a picture of the crystals from another angle that shows how sharp the edges are. Beautiful, but deadly, especially on a bracelet.

Next time you're shopping, if you see lentils, give them a try.

Today's tip: Needles that are hard to thread may be turned backwards. Roll the needle around and come in from the other side. The eye is punched out with a bevel shaped die and sometimes the back side is not as cleanly cut as the front, thus making it harder to put thread through it.

Happy beading, Marilyn