ABC's of Creativity - K is Kits

In recent conversations with some of my beady friends we have talked about how we got started beading. Many of us can pin point a teacher, class or kit. In many cases all three.

Found in the bottom of my kits drawer Rypan Designs Airy Crystal Choker Kit from 2000 (still waiting to be made)

Kits whether purchased for use in a class with a teacher or from a booth, website or bead store to work on at home on your own are a great way to get a head start with a project.

With a kit all of the challenging prep work has been done. Supplies have been chosen and gather. Instructions are ready to use. In some cases findings, needle and thread are also included. Your first challenge may be deciding which color kit to pick.

Rypan Designs' Chicklet Bracelet - work in progress

Often once you have used a kit by one designer you will likely want to do more. Progress your way from simple to more elaborate projects. Or you will want to make your own versions of the design.

My variations on the chicklet bracelet, beaded by J. Woolverton

If you have never done a specific technique kits can just the thing. You will learn something new and have finished project in the end.

From back in 2006, my very first attempt at chain maille. Kit by Marilyn Gardiner, made by J. Woolverton

Here are some of my favorites -

Maria's Rypan Design kits were among the first that I ever did. The Chicklet bracelet is a favorite, in fact I recent purchased more chicklets to make more variations. I also like the Cascading Swag series.

Refined variation in copper & copper lined amethyst, kit by Maria Rypan, beaded by J. Woolverton

Marilyn Gardiner's chain maille kits are wonderful. After my first kit in 2006 I have done a number of others. Here is a classic design, Byzantine Bracelet.

Byzantine Bracelet in progress, kit by Marilyn Gardiner, maker J. Woolverton

Marcia DeCoster in another fav. She taught in Toronto a few summers ago. I purchased some additional kits to make after the classes. Her elegantly packaged kits include a CD with pattern for printing. 

Under the Mast, kit by Marcia DeCoster, beaded by J. Woolverton.

I like to think of future projects as kits. I try to pull together everything I need into one zip bag or basket.

Future box project, pattern by Julia Pretl. I have decided to change two color and noted them on my hand written supplies list.

I hope that you will give a kit of a new technique, new designer or and long time favortie designer a try in the near future. But also remember to ask yourself what if and make your own version of project the next time around. Check out the gallery of Maria's students & customers' beadwork made beyond the kit.

Happy Beading!

Gerdany Seminar 2012 - Stamford, CT

The weekend at St. Basil College started with a presentation of "Beyond Stringing" as an introduction to different types of beading. We got right into beadweaving on Friday evening with Picots and Ladders and a special Byzantine Cross pendant. 

Easels showing the six different styles taught at the seminar

Pick and choose three colors for playing with picots. Gorgeous results!!

Picot Necklace and Byzantine Cross start off the Seminar

Bishop Paul checks out the Byzantine Cross kit at the start of the seminar

Picot necklaces and braclets by Sue, Helen and Marion - Fri night

Sue and Betty are overjoyed with their beading experience on Friday

Helen F has instant gratification by wearing her new Picot Necklace 

Marion, Helen and Sue's Picot necklaces and bracelets

Marian K not only organized the Seminar, but was a participant

Sr. Nataliya completes the 'X' which cleverly connects the ladders

BRX1 - Bracelet with an 'X' beadwoven by Sr. Nataliya 

Maria P models her Ladder Bracelet with and 'X'

Saturday started with "Contemporary Beadwork in Ukraine". The Netting Day included Textured Net, Netted 'X's and a Chicklet Bracelet for fun. A trip to the Ukrainian Museum was a perfect afternoon activity. Bead BINGO wound up the evening.

Maria explains the methodology of the Textured Net

Variations on a theme - Netted Bugles & Scythian Gold kits

Lots of kit choices for each technique

Sue and Helen help each other figure out the net

Marion H beads the Scythian Gold Net

Phyllis holds up her Simply Luxurious Net

Seminar participants take a break from beading. We're on our way to see the Ukrainian Museum. It was a gorgeous fall day before Hurricane Sandy.

Spot the beaded adornments: 'gerdany', headdresses, 'zgardy', 'laskunky', 'korali', Venetian beads 

Saturday Night Live: Bead BINGO

Marion & Stefania, lucky Bead BINGO winners

Maria of OH visits cousin Christine of CT for a weekend of 'gerdany-making'

The Byzantine Crosses were blessed at the end of Liturgy on Sunday. After brunch, we learned the Diagonal Weave, a handy stitch for Suspended Swags. Show and Tell brought out a lot of interesting 'gerdany'. There was a great interest in loomwork, a good possibility for next year's seminar. 

Stefania Szkafarowsky upcycles black and gold beads for Suspended Swag. First step was to bead a Diagonal Weave band for the swags to be draped from.

Stefania does Show and Tell of her 'gerdany' collection on Sunday

Maria Polnyj brought her gerdany in various stages for Show and Tell 

Two-needle netting in progress by Maria Polnyj, 2012

Netted zigzag in progress by Maria Polnyj, 2012

Maria Polnyj's netted 'gerdan', 2012

Christine models her beaded veil with cousin Maria's approval

Christine shows her own beaded headpiece from the 90's

PHOTOS: Sr. Natalia, The Sower, and Maria Rypan

Miss December - Fan Wheel Snowflakes

Fan Wheel Snowflakes by Maria Rypan
December 2011 - Toronto Bead Society Calendar

Hard to believe December is here and folks with 2011 TBS calendars are now viewing a flurry of my Fan Wheel Snowflakes! There are a lot of ways to make a few of your own: beadwork kit choices galore; get a pattern for your own creativity;

Snowflakes by Jo-Ann Woolverton, ON

Order a Ukrainian PDF with illustrated instructions;

Intro of Ukrainian PDF 

Get the Russian language Oct 2011 (#10) issue of "Модьній" Bead Fashion magazine, Kyiv. The Fan Wheel Snowflake project is on pgs. 39-41;

“Модньій” Bead Fashion, pg. 39

Follow the English directions on pgs. 90-91 of Kalmbach’s Beaded Ornament for the Holidays and Beyond from Bead & Button; BeadStyle Magazines.

Beaded Ornament for the Holidays, pg. 90 

In the spirit of the season, enjoy snowflakes big & small, beaded or real kind. What a wonder! No two are every alike... Happy Holidays!

Bead Unique - Snowflake Kit

Snowflake Kit by Rypan Designs on the top left of pg. 16

Hot off the press! Bead Unique offered up a spread of "Cool Kits" in this Winter's edition. My "Snowflake" ornament starts off this feature. They've just listed the basic components for one size. Patterns with instructions for two different lengths of bugles are available in printed version and a new 3-pg PDF.

Truth be told, once you have the pattern, snowflakes can be beaded in a host of colors and sizes. See my Student's Gallery for Jo-Ann's personalized gifts for her collegues. No two snowflakes are alike!

Rypan Designs Kits are available in two series: Swarovski ELEMENTS Crystal AB with pearl seeds and s/l crystal bugles; and Silver Shade with vitrial seeds and twisted s/l crystals bugles. See my Catalogue for all-inclusive beadwork kits with bugles ranging from 15mm, 20mm and 30mm.

Start now to be ready for holiday decor or gift giving. Enjoy!

Winter 2011

Scalloped Hearts

HRT1 - Scalloped Hearts in Dark Montana & Navy Iris bugles

New color combo... Another road trip project... This was done while returning from a wonderful wedding in Buffalo, NY this past weekend.

I needed to make a new sample, as well as do a test run on my Scalloped Hearts instructions for an upcoming workshop at the Creativ Festival next week. It was quite easy. Was it experience?? Was it the detailed illustrations with the thread paths clearly drawn? It was definitely the latter.

This is a unique beadweaving technique found in contemporary gerdany from Ukraine. There are a lot of twists and turns for each heart. The most important rule is to follow each step exactly as drawn. Once you've made one, the rest are easy because they repeat. It's easy to get carried away with all hearts all around the necklace. It could be a choker too, or a bracelet. Getting more ideas just sounding out as I write the blog. Scalloped Hearts kits are also available in amethyst, pearl gold, padparadscha to name a few. Patterns give the ultimate in creative license.

Twig Willow Twist

TW-WL-TM -Twig Willow Twist in copper

Metallics continue to dominate the accessory scene. Copper leads the way with brass moving up in popularity. The TWIG WILLOW TWIST takes all the newest in glass beads and combines it into a stunning piece. Have you ever seen twisted bugles edged with copper or brass? How about glass triangles with a metallic core? They’re sandwiched in between metallic seed beads for maximum impact. It’s all about texture, shape and silhouette.

Beadweaving gives you the ability to manipulate stunning beads into a glamorous piece with just a needle and thread. Learn from the master, Maria (that's me), who's got her finger on the pulse for what's unique in neckpieces and bracelets.

There's still space available in the 3 hour Twig Willow Twist workshop at the Creativ Festival in Toronto on Fri at 1 pm. Or catch Maria and her beadwork kits, patterns and books in booth #717.

Miss December - 3-D Snowflakes

TBS Calendar, December 2011 - Snowflakes by Maria Rypan

The new 2011 Toronto Bead Society Calendar is out and I'm Miss December! Really, my 3-D Snowflakes grace that month's spread.

There are many ways you can make your very own snowflakes like those pictured. You could take a workshop Fri, Oct 22nd at the Creativ Festival in Toronto and get tips and tricks from the master, that's me.

You could get a Rypan Designs kit and choose your favorite from a multitude of bugle sizes and two Swarovski crystal finishes. If you have a bead stash, just get the pattern. The insert clearly illustrates how to space out shorter v.s. longer bugles. Check the Student's Gallery to be inspired by my samplemaker Jo-Ann's multi-colored snowflakes. Each one is different to match her colleagues personalities. They make great gifts!

You could also find the instructions in Beaded Ornaments for the Holidays and Beyond from Bead & Button and BeadStyle Magazines. Waukesha: Kalmbach Publishing, 2009: 90-91.

The proceeds from the sales of this calendar are going to The Native Women's Resource Centre to support youth programs and craft classes for women of all ages. Would you like a calendar full of eye candy and inspiration for 2011?