New Pattern and Kits: Star Fragment Pendants

I finished my latest beading pattern, the Star Fragment Pendants.

Coiled Cubic Right-Angle Weave

Over the past several months I've been quietly working on this new variation on CRAW. It's an idea that originated from several places; most importantly it builds on Gwen Fisher's Twisted CRAW technique, though I recently dived through my old photos and prototypes and found related bits of beadwork dating back to 2008 (!). I started exploring this concept in earnest after taking a four-day class with David Chatt, where he encouraged me to explore versions of RAW and CRAW that twist and spiral.

That was last January, and since then I've beaded a whole box of beadwork ranging from promising experimental samples to quite ugly (but educational) failures to satisfying pieces of finished jewelry. It's been quite an artist's journey for me, full of both joy and disappointment, confusion and gradual understanding, and a whole lot of hard work. I'm looking forward to telling this story further as I present more of this beadwork, but for now I'll focus on the first design out of that box.

CRAW That Twists and Coils

The Star Fragment Pendants feature this CRAW variation that not only twists in the style of Gwen Fisher's technique, but also coils like an old-fashioned telephone cord. While others have explored these ideas with embellishment and bead size strategies, the twist of this version is generated by the specific thread path of the stitch. Like CRAW, coiled CRAW can be embellished and made into components, and the same ideas also apply to prismatic right-angle weave.

The beading pattern for this design describes how to make two different sizes of Star Fragment Pendants from embellished coiled CRAW components. In the pattern I explain the similarities and differences between CRAW, twisted CRAW, and coiled CRAW, and I introduce terminology to describe the unique features of the stitch. The pattern is in the PDF format and clocks in at 22 pages and 85 full-color illustrations and photographs. I classify this pattern as advanced and it's most appropriate for experienced beaders who have mastered CRAW and are ready for the challenge of learning this new variation. Though to be honest, I find the action of stitching twisted and coiled CRAW easier than traditional CRAW, but it's difficult to wrap one's brain around the subtle intricacies of coiled CRAW structures if you haven't already mastered CRAW.

Small and Large Star-Shaped Pendants

This design uses a collection of traditional beads; Japanese seed beads, round beads, fire polish beads, and bicone crystals. The petite pendant features one component, while the large one features two components in two different sizes. The components stack and join in an offset way that's a little tricky to assemble, but I like how this substantial component has such dimension and texture, and I'm quite happy that it also has negative space in the center (a concept that I frequently struggle with).

Kits for this design are available in three different colorways and include all the beads needed to make both pendants, though at the time of this writing the bronze colorway is currently sold out (I'm in the process of re-stocking this colorway, so check back soon for updated availability). Both pendants look lovely strung either separately or together on a silk ribbon.

Thanks for looking!

Beaded Bead Reflection Photography

I've been playing with photographing some of my beaded beads on a reflective surface.

It's a fun but challenging photography technique and I think it works particularly well for silver beadwork. I used a piece of dark reflective plastic to generate the reflection, which does the job quite nicely however it also picks up every single speck of dust in the light tent. I had to spend a ton of time editing out the dust specks in post-processing to generate these shots.

Here's a shot of a Fairy Triangles beaded bead. I like how the reflection picks up the lower part of the beaded bead as well as the top.

Here's another shot of the silver Half Tila Technocluster beaded bead, which I previously tried to photograph in a previous post.

For reference, here's my previous attempt at photographing this beaded bead. The big difference is in the reflective surface; in the older shot I used a clear piece of plastic to generate the reflection (instead of a dark piece of plastic), but since both the top and bottom sides of the clear plastic show, it makes a double reflection rather than a single reflection.

I like the reflection in the new shot, but the beaded bead is a little overexposed. I prefer the way the beaded bead looks in the older photo.

Finally, I used this same technique to photograph the Diffractions Necklace, which is the project that I'll be teaching at the Beading by the Bay bead retreat in March of 2016.

This necklace features both cube- and dodecahedron-shaped beaded beads that use a unifying set of materials and embellishments, and I'm looking forward to teaching this project because it's a great example of beading with different geometries to make different types and sizes of beaded beads.

Thanks for looking!

New Beading Video and Kits: Dainty Prismatic Right-Angle Weave Flower Charms

A few months ago I had the opportunity to film a series of videos based on four different areas in beading. The videos are now available at the Interweave Store both as instant high definition video downloads as well as in the DVD format. This is the last in a series of four blog posts on those video projects; check out the previous posts here, here and here.

Together with the team over at Interweave/F+W, we organized these videos with each level of beader in mind. Beginners can watch me weave each step of the project one stitch at a time, I share several variations for experienced beaders, and throughout the course of each video I include many tips and tricks that are useful for beaders of all levels. If you're new to my Bead Origami style then these videos are a great introduction to my approach to beadweaving, but if you're already familiar with my work then you'll want to check them out too as I cover a new project in each one.

For the last video I focused on a topic that often shows up in my work; stitching beaded flowers using Prismatic Right-Angle Weave (PRAW).

Stitching Flowers with PRAW

Last spring I put together a webinar on Prismatic Right-Angle Weave where I talked about the geometry behind the term, and I showed several different examples of beaded art that use this technique. I also explained how to stitch four different kinds of basic PRAW beaded ropes in a detailed supplementary PDF file, which was then adapted into an article for the August/September 2015 issue of Beadwork Magazine.

In this video I talk about how to use PRAW to make dainty beaded flowers using a collection of shaped beads and seed beads. I start with a brief review of PRAW, and then I show how to weave three different sizes of these flowers using PRAW-4 (CRAW), PRAW-5, and PRAW-6. When we use the same materials and vary the PRAW count, we get flowers with four, five, and six petals (respectively).

I also discuss petal-shaped beads in this video. For this project I chose dragon scale beads in a specific finish that gives us many different colors in one bag of beads, but I've also used lentils, rizos, rose petals, and even drop beads to emulate flower petals with beads.

Quick Petite Earrings

In the next part of the video I show how to make a quick pair of earrings using 5-sided charms with matching pear-shaped crystals. I also cover how to balance the earrings so that the flower faces forward.

Delicate Bracelet

In the last part of the video I show how to make a matching bracelet using 4-sided charms, including how to connect them together and how to attach a magnet clasp.

Once you're comfortable making these charms and connecting them together, try creating a collection of charms using a different number of sides. You can mix and match and connect them together to make more intricate necklaces, bracelets, and earrings!

This video is available both as a High Definition Video Download and in the DVD format, and includes a supplementary PDF pattern with step-by-step written instructions and a complete materials list for the bracelet and purple pair of earrings shown in this post. Additionally, a special limited edition kit is also available for this project, and it includes the video download, the PDF, as well as all the beads needed to make the bracelet and earrings shown here. The last time I partnered with Interweave to sell a kit it completely sold out, so you won't want to miss your chance to snag this one!

Thanks for looking!

New Beading Video: Stitching Beaded Molecules

A few months ago I had the opportunity to film a series of videos based on four different areas in beading. The videos are now available at the Interweave Store both as instant high definition video downloads as well as in the DVD format. This is the third in a series of four blog posts on those video projects; check out the previous posts here and here.

Together with the team over at Interweave/F+W, we organized these videos with each level of beader in mind. Beginners can watch me weave each step of the project one stitch at a time, I share several variations for experienced beaders, and throughout the course of each video I include many tips and tricks that are useful for beaders of all levels. If you're new to my Bead Origami style then these videos are a great introduction to my approach to beadweaving, but if you're already familiar with my work then you'll want to check them out too as I cover a new project in each one.

The third video in this series combines two of my favorite topics: beadwork and chemistry!

I start the video with a little lesson in organic chemistry (don't worry: there's no test at the end!). I give a brief overview about the atoms that make up molecules found in living things and how those atoms are connected together to make molecules. I also talk about different ways to visualize or render molecular structures, from 3D renders that show the dimensionality of the molecule to the shorthand skeletal structures that form the basis for the beadwork in the video. I also review several of the beaded molecules that I've already covered in patterns on my website (such as caffeine, serotonin, and dopamine), and I explain why these "small molecules" are ideal for this specific method of making beaded molecules.

The main molecule that I focus on in this video is L-ascorbic acid, otherwise known as vitamin C. Vitamin C is an antioxidant small molecule made up of six carbon, eight hydrogen, and six oxygen atoms, and it's also notable for having chirality; it's the counter-clockwise or left-handed version of a pair of molecules that have the same structure but are mirror images of each other. As is the case with many organic molecules, only this left-handed version is biologically significant, and it acts as a cofactor in at least eight different enzymes that serve a variety of important biological functions. To keep the beadweaving simpler, we ignore the chirality as well as the hydrogen atoms in this beaded version of vitamin C, but being a stickler for such things I felt the need to point out the importance of chirality in molecular structures anyway ;).

After I show how to weave the beaded vitamin C molecule, I also demonstrate how to stiffen the molecule using a clear acrylic floor finish. It's a technique pioneered by Diane Fitzgerald and Jean Cox for firming up and supporting finished beadwork. Once called Future Floor Wax, it's now called Pledge Floor Care with Future Shine, but whatever the name it makes the finished beaded molecules stiff and supported.

With a few jump rings, a handful of drop crystals, and little bit of chain, a pair of these molecules make lovely chandelier-style earrings. I wove them in red and silver for a berry-flavored version, and I also made a grape-flavored pair in purples in greens.

Finally, this golden version uses smaller seed beads and a variety of colors of crystals for a more delicate, brighter variation.

This video is available both as a High Definition Video Download and in the DVD format, and includes a supplementary PDF pattern with step-by-step written instructions and a complete materials list for the pair of red and silver earrings shown in this post.

Thanks for looking!

New Beading Video: Geometric Beaded Beads, From Cubes to Dodecahedrons

A few months ago I had the opportunity to film a series of videos based on four different areas in beading. The videos are now available at the Interweave Store both as instant high definition video downloads as well as in the DVD format. This is the second in a series of four blog posts on those video projects; check out the previous post on working with 2-hole beads here.

Together with the team over at Interweave/F+W, we organized these videos with each level of beader in mind. Beginners can watch me weave each step of the project one stitch at a time, I share several variations for experienced beaders, and throughout the course of each video I include many tips and tricks that are useful for beaders of all levels. If you're new to my Bead Origami style then these videos are a great introduction to my approach to beadweaving, but if you're already familiar with my work then you'll want to check them out too as I cover a new project in each one.

The second of these videos focuses on a topic near and dear to my heart; geometric beaded beads.

When I was putting together this video, I asked myself: "if I could teach a beginning beader the fundamentals of geometric beaded beads, what would I cover?" I started outlining this video on how to weave the five Platonic Solids, and I still give a brief lesson on what makes these particular forms so interesting, but after thinking about it and receiving some insightful feedback I decided to focus the beading portion of the video on cubes and dodecahedrons and an important variation on each form.

There are several different ways to make beaded beads using these basic geometric forms, and many different beaders have explored these forms over the centuries (Valerie Hector's research in The Art of Beadwork indicates that Chinese beaders have been making these beaded beads since at least the 15th century). I cover both the basic cube and the dodecahedron using the single-needle, cubic right-angle weave (CRAW) approach with sparkly bicone crystals, and I explain each stitch to fully show each step of the process.

In the next part of the video I show how to weave a cube beaded bead with corner-cover beads. In this variation, we weave the structure using both bicone crystals and seed beads to give us seed beads at each corner. The advantage of adding these beads is that they protect the threads that can show at the corners, and they give us points where we can further embellish the beaded bead.

A pair of these beaded beads makes a quick, delicate pair of earrings.

The section on dodecahedron beaded beads with corner-cover beads is the most challenging part of the video, but I think it's one of the most useful techniques to master. Adding this form to your stitch repertoire will give you a strong foundation to tackle more advanced embellished beaded beads.

For a neat pendant using just this one thread path, I created three beaded beads in different sizes using a simple bead substitution...

...And then I wove them one by one, enclosing the smallest inside the medium inside the largest structure for a dodecahedron, inside of a dodecahedron, inside of a dodecahedron. It's three dodecahedrons in one!

A collection of cube and dodecahedron beaded beads pair with round crystal pearls for a very sparkly necklace.

Experienced beaders will want to check out the sections on bead type variations, and the summary of several advanced designs that use these beaded beads as a base.

This video is available both as a High Definition Video Download and in the DVD format, and includes a supplementary PDF pattern with step-by-step written instructions and a complete materials list for the beaded beads, necklace, and earrings shown here.

Thanks for looking!

New Beading Video: Weaving Beaded Beads with Two-Hole Beads

A few months ago I had the opportunity to film a series of videos based on four different areas in beading. The videos are now available at the Interweave Store both as instant high definition video downloads as well as in the DVD format. This is the first in a series of four blog posts on those video projects.

Together with the team over at Interweave/F+W, we organized these videos with each level of beader in mind. Beginners can watch me weave each step of the project one stitch at a time, I share several variations for experienced beaders, and throughout the course of each video I include many tips and tricks that are useful for beaders of all levels. If you're new to my Bead Origami style then these videos are a great introduction to my approach to beadweaving, but if you're already familiar with my work then you'll want to check them out too as I cover a new project in each one.

In the first video I talk about how to weave beaded beads using peyote stitch and two-hole beads. I expand on the idea I explored in the Double Pinwheel beaded bead pattern and apply it to other shapes, starting with the 2-hole bar beads.

The 2-hole bar beads combine with Japanese seed beads and round core beads to make elegant little beaded beads that remind me of tiny baskets. I cover how to make both the basic beaded bead, as well as how to modify the design to make it in three different sizes.

I also describe how to make the Double Pinwheel beaded beads using 2-hole triangles, and how the shape of this bead is less symmetrical than other 2-hole beads which makes a big difference as you add each triangle to the beadwork. For another, simpler variation, I talk about how Half Tilas easily substitute into these beaded beads in place of the 2-hole bar beads.

Experienced beaders will want to check out the sections on the handedness of these beaded beads, and my attempt at weaving this design using SuperDuos. I discuss my approach to incorporating SuperDuos into this design, the result, and what I might do to change that result in future attempts.

This video is available both as a High Definition Video Download and in the DVD format, and includes a supplementary PDF pattern with step-by-step written instructions and a complete materials list for the necklace and earrings shown here.

Thanks for looking!

Artist Profile in Bead & Button Magazine

If you've seen the August 2015 issue of Bead & Button Magazine, you might have noticed a cameo appearance of a Magic O Ball beaded bead on the cover.

Well, that's because I'm featured in this issue's Artist Profile on pages 46-47. It's an honor and it was a pleasure to be interviewed about my work and my artistic and scientific journey. (Though, it's rather surreal to read about myself from a third person point of view!)

I'm doubly honored that the Bead & Button editors found my own photos of my work fit to print. Generally, I try to optimize my photos for web viewing, so I was pleased that they turned out well in print too. They chose several of my geometric designs, such as the above Fiberoptic Dodecahedron beaded beads, and several of my chemical designs too.

I've gotten a couple of questions about the beaded chemical structures featured in this article, so I'd like to do a quick summary of them here. The golden necklace shown below features the chemical structures of the Serotonin and Dopamine molecules, which are neurotransmitters (i.e. chemicals that work with neurons) that have a couple of functions in your brain. Serotonin contributes to feelings of happiness and dopamine contributes to feelings of pleasure and satisfaction.

This necklace uses seed beads, jump rings, and a simple clasp, and the technique used to create it is a variation on Gwen and Florence's Infinity Weave. The advantage of this technique is that it results in flat but supported beaded structures, which are perfect for serotonin and dopamine because these molecules are mostly flat in real life. The beading pattern and kits for this piece are available on my website.

The endorphins are also neurotransmitters, and they're also feel-good molecules. Unlike serotonin and dopamine, endorphins are a type of protein and they're significantly larger and have much more dimensionality, though they're still on the small side as far as proteins are concerned. There are a couple of different types of endorphins, and the specific structure shown in the magazine is the necklace-length alpha-endorphin.

I created this piece with crystals, bugle beads, and seed beads to accurately reflect not only the atoms in an alpha-endorphin molecule, but also the different types of bonds and its dimensionality as well. I entered this piece into the 2013 Bead Dreams competition (where it made the finals!)

The technique behind this piece uses a combination of specific, redundant thread paths and thread tension to mimic the 3D structure of the molecule. While I've applied this technique to other 3D molecular structures, I've yet to come up with the best way of explaining how to create the Endorphin Necklace. I like using a detailed, step-by-step writing approach for my beading patterns, however this isn't a feasible approach for a piece as complex as the Endorphin Necklace as such a pattern would be hundreds of pages long. A more streamlined method of explaining the technique may work, but it would be best-explained in the context of a collection of beaded molecules. Either way, it's something that I will have to carefully consider in the future.

In the meantime, if you'd like to learn more about this technique, I have written a pattern for the smaller ethanol molecule, which is the molecule of interest in alcoholic beverages. I paired them with a variety of fruit charms for a pair of earrings that can be made to match your favorite cocktail. The pattern and kits for the Cocktail Hour Earrings are available on my website.

Thanks for looking!