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

Presentations in Ukraine

How appropriate for the PowerPoint slide from OH to be the lead in for my presentations in Ukraine...

So much has transpired between the visit to the Ukrainian Museum-Archives Aug 13th and Sep 13th. There was a visit to an amazing Pysanky Museum in Reading, PA on the way to Bead Fest at Valley Forge. Then there was a two week trip to Ukraine for research and family visiting. I have tons of photos and stories!! These will be told a little at a time between shows and trips.

Maria at entrance to Ivan Honchar Museum, Kyiv, Ukraine

It was a great pleasure and privilege to share my "Contemporary Beadwork in Ukraine" PowerPoint with beaders and folk art enthusiasts in Ukraine.

I thought it would be interesting to show my presentation to master craftsmen, beaders, museum directors and staff who graciously allowed me to photographed some beadwork in their "fondy" archives. I wanted to show them how I've incorporated their work and stories into one of my many presentations. This one covered the different styles of beadweaving, gerdany, loomwork, embroidery with beads, metalwork, wirework, beaded eggs, etc.

I presented the "Contemporary Bead in Ukraine" twice. First on Sep 6th at the Educational Metodogical Center in Ivano Frankivsk, Western Ukraine. Then on Sep 13th in a great hall lined with display cases full of incredible artifacts at the Ivan Honchar Museum in the capital Kyiv.

A photograph is worth a 1000 words and provides a

stunning contrast to my contemporary outfit.

The Ivan Honchar Museum is dedicated to preserving traditional

folk arts through photograph and artifact collecting.

Maria tells about Ina Wasylkevych's cabochons and leatherwork in Truskavets.

A great buzz was created at the Honchar Museum

It was really wonderful to see so many beaders hanging on to every word, even photographing the the slides as I was showing them. Great questions came afterwards, as well as even greater expectations and ideas of what to do next.

Thanks to my brother, Paul Wasylkevych, for the photos and assistance with the PowerPoint presentation.

Contemporary Beadwork in Ukraine at UMA, OH

On the way to Philadelphia for Bead Fest, we'll be stopping at the Ukrainian Museum-Archives in Ohio on Aug 13th and 14th. I'll be presenting my Contemporary Beadwork in Ukraine and a Trunk Show Friday evening.

I've pulled the best photos of the most fascinating beadwork seen in my many recent trips to Ukraine. You'll see several bead artists/vendors at the Vernisage, a piazza full of folk art next to the Lviv Opera. Visit master craftspeople’s homes. See how the rich legacy of beadwork evolved into contemporary colored accessories. You’ll be amazed at the variety of beadwork styles, bead embroidery, wire bead flowers, beaded eggs... and more.

My RYPAN DESIGNS Trunk Show will feature books, beadwork kits and patterns related to Ukrainian-inspired themes and more. Refreshments will be served.

There will be two Gerdany Beadwork Workshops on Saturday for an excellent hands-on intro to the world of beadwork. Be sure to sign up for classes. This could be your new hobby! Advance registration required for workshops. Space is limited. See www.umacleveland.org Contact: (216) 781-4329 or email staff@umacleveland.org Ukrainian Museum-Archives Inc., 1202 Kenilworth Avenue, Cleveland OH 44113-4417

Wintery visit to the museum in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland

Ivan Franko statue by Alexander Archipenko (1887-1964)

Two BEADWORK Favorites Stitches

“Fan Wheel Necklace” & “Scythian Gold” by Maria Rypan

These two projects were reprinted in BEADWORK Presents: Favorite Bead Stitches. Interweave Press LLC, 2010: 100-105.

The Fan Wheel Necklace was inspired by contemporary beadwork seen at the Vernisage, an art piazza in Lviv, Ukraine. The wheel is a circular fan whose points are topped with crystals and whose shape echoes through the wavy crystal-studded band. It was originally published in Aug 2007.

The Scythian Gold is a twist on contemporary Ukrainian beadwork. The V-shaped netted collar features an embellished diamond-shaped opening. The project’s name relates to one of the original habitants of Ukraine, the Scythians. It was published in Aug 2009 following my interview "A Conversation on Ukrainian-Style Beadwork with Maria Rypan" on pgs. 60-62.

Crystal encrusted open diamond in the Table of Contents

Metallic Twist Collection

CLMN-TM1 - Twisted Columns Bracelet

TW-WL-TM1 - Twig Willow Twist

Here's my newest contemporary 'gerdan' collection created around exquisitely twisted bugles with a metallic edge from the Czech Republic. It has coordinating metallic-lined drops and triangle beads and comes in copper and bronze gold.

The wider twisted bugles and copper-lined drops were used in the bracelet. The finer bugles and triangle beads were used in the necklace choker. Metallic seed beads were used sparingly to frame the twisted bugles and make the drops and triangles pop. Twig Willow Choker looks nice up worn up high.

Beadwork kits and patterns will be ready for the Toronto Bead Society Bead Fair this weekend. Contact me if you would like one or the full set. Check my Events for upcoming bead shows. It never seizes to amaze me how beadwork comes together when you keep asking, "What if?". It's fascinating and fun.

TW-WL-TM3 - Twig Willow Twist

Catch BEADWORK, Oct/Nov 2009 on the newstand

It's tricky estimating the exact moment your friendly merchant will get their shipment of this month's BEADWORK. A safer bet may be to order one directly from Interweave Press.

This one's a keeper if you're interested in reading about the different types of beading in a particular corner of the world. Based on my newest Powerpoint "Contemporary Beadwork in Ukraine", read Melaina Juntti's "A Conversation Ukrainian-Style Beadwork with Maria Rypan". (pgs. 60-62) That's Editor Melinda Barta and myself holding the "hot off the press" issue at Bead Fest, PA.

The interview is followed by my project "Scythian Gold", a twist on a contemporary Ukrainian "gerdan". It's a V-shaped netted collar with an embellished diamond-shaped opening. The project's name relates to one of the original inhabitants of Ukraine, the Scythians, and draws inspiration from troves of ancient gold jewelry excavated in the country's royal burial mounds. (pgs. 63-65). If you'd like the novel beads I used, or a full kit with my illustrated instructions and all beads, drop me a line.