ABC's of Creativity - Some of Our Favs

Back in January of 2013 Maria and I were working to get her newsletter setup and published. We talked about things to include and the idea of the "ABC's of creavitity" was mentioned. I thought that it would be great to have here on her blog and I offered to write the first one about being inspired by Art. So we started on journey last January 14 with A is Art.

Over the year every 2 weeks either Maria or I have written about a topic suggested by a letter of the alphabet that would inspire, inform or entertain you, our readers. There have been challenges along the way, including the time that Maria and Blogger did not get along; remembering who was going to to which subject and family committments. But together we were able to take you on this creative journey.

Today I am going to look back at some of our favorites.

My post B is Beads was fun to look at different types of beads and how they can be used. It was great to find information about some of the oldest beads ever found.

These ancient shell beads with manmade holes are among the oldest ones ever found. They could be about 90,000 years old. (from National Geographic News)

Maria's post C is Color was both informative and inspiring. It touched on the various color relationships and shared inspiring palettes and beadwork. Including this amazing collaborative piece entitled Teczak - The Rainbow.

This ultimate color wheel was designed as a fundraiser by Ewelina Rzad. 50 beaders from Poland participated. Soutache and seed bead wrapped cabochons are tastefully layered into a collar. Each cabochon is a mini work of art.

One of Maria's favorites is her post E is Embroidery. She was able to show the amazing embroidery with both thread and beads from across Ukraine and around the world.

This "sorochka" chemise uses beads to create a row between stylized flowers or acced their centres. It was created in Ukraine and is now part of Maria's collection.

The post J is Jewelry was fun to write as I looked as accessorizing from top to bottom. There is lots of eyecandy but also helpful images like this.

Guideline for necklace lengths

The two posts about Maria's areas of beading expertise are informative and inspiring - L is Loomwork and N is Netting.

"Costume of Kabuki" kimono on display at Bead & Button Show with designer and beader Takako Sako

Bead Shroud of Tabakenkhonsu @ MET

I enjoyed the challenge of preparing the post Q is Quills. There is limited information online about this unique First Nations art form. Using pictures Maria took during a class with First Nations' beadwork artist Naomi Smith, I was able to take you thru the basic steps of this variation of beadwork.

Maria's work in progress

And of course we could not take you on this creative journey without including S is Seed Beads. Maria's post does everything we were hoping do with each post; inspire and inform.

Czech seed beads with iris, silver-lined, matte painted stripe and opaque finishes.
From "Beader's Paint Box", 2013 seminar

I hope that you have enjoyed our creative journey thru the alphabet and that we have inspired and been informative along the way.

Wishing you a happy, healthy and creative New Year.

Happy Beading!

ABC's of Creativity - C is Color

Visual presentation by Maria Rypan, 2012;
"Beader's Palette" by Jan Huling

"Beader's Paint Box" presentation for Creativ Festival Spring 2013
INDO Bracelet, Lariat & Earrings, Rypan Designs 

How do you get your beadwork to pop? Maria's presentations share a little bit of colour theory with lots of examples to show how to place bead colours, finishes and metallics against each other. The visuals make it possible to examine many variation and then apply what was learned in your beading. 

Color is a phenomenon of light or a visual perception that enable one to differentiate otherwise identical objects. It is described in terms of hue, lightness and saturation for objects; hue, brightness and saturation for light sources. Hue can be contrasted with black or white. (Miriam-Webster Dictionairy)

The relationships are best understood with color wheeels, a concept invented by Sir Isaac Newton in 1666.  These wheels from Color Matters show the basic concept.

Primary Colors. You can't stir beads to create the secondary or tertiary colors. But you can choose to place them according to the color wheel. These beads all have the same saturation. Black is not a hue. 
INDO Lariats have novel Indonesian lampwork beads, Rypan Designs 

Complementary. These beaded boxes use the very same hues, but vary in their color placement within the same design.
"Anemone Box Series" beaded by Jo-Ann Woolverton; inspired by Julia Pretl

Complementary. Using a bit of the opposite color on the wheel gives your beadwork zing.
"Wisteria" Textured Net, Rypan Designs

Analogous. Use colors next to each other on the wheel. These warm colors seem to advance.
"Coca Cola Bottle Caps" necklace and bracelet by Maria for friend Dolores

Monochromatic. Try tints and shades of the one color to make it interesting. These cool colors seem to recede.
Dangle Earrings using Swarovski ELEMENTS®, Rypan Designs 

This TBS Bag of Bead Challenge was full of opaque, transparent and  silver-lined TEAL seed beads. It also included the pressed glass, buttons and sequins.
Two pairs of complimentary beads were strategically placed to create the netted pattern. Note the playful color effects and turnaround beads in the strung fringe.
"Sedona Kilim",  Maria Rypan, 2000

Rainbow® Color Selector is a 5" wide tool which also comes in a Tonal Color version.
It's available from Fire Mountain Gems.

This ultimate color wheel was designed as a fundraiser by Ewelina Rzad. 50 beaders from Poland participated. Soutache and seed bead wrapped cabochons are tastefully layered into a collar. Each cabochon is a mini work of art. Light tinted red and purple hues create the 'V' which turns to cool colors on the right and morphs into warm colors on the left. 
"Tęczak - The Rainbow". CLICK to see how cabs were wrapped in soutache by the bead artists

Margie Deeb's bible for beaders

This is the only book of its kind written specifically for bead artists, The Beader's Guide to Color teaches beaders of all levels everything they need to know about color to create unique and vibrant beadwork designs. Author and artist Margie Deeb discusses in depth the psychological and symbolic associations of all the colors of the spectrum, and the ways in which color can be used to create and accentuate pattern, rhythm, and movement. Twenty-one color schemes are described and illustrated in detail with accompanying projects. 

Playing with color is fun!

T&T Road Trip

For my Summer project for ANPT, I was on a mission to visit T&T Trading, Inc. where I imagined I should find some really neat beads. 

We travelled to Detroit; then 100 more miles to Grand Ledge outside Lansing, the capital of MI. Sooooo how could we miss it??

BEADS trailer parked on grass

Proper signage in a rural setting

BEADS spelt on the roof. Driver stretching legs after a long haul

A quizzical call from down the road determined we needed to turn back to find these landmarks. Moral of the story: Peal open your eyes for BEADS signs in all shapes and sizes.

Found the treasures I came for.

Have you heard of French seed beads? How about millefiore mosaic and drawn chevrons?

 Beadwoven color placement experiment

More variations... Which will it be?

Snowflake Decorations

Snowflake ornament on my tree

"Snowflakes", TBS 2011 Calendar, December

It's hard to believe it's time to decorate the tree again.... Luckily, I have some of my snowflakes handy from last year. Glass bugles, seed beads and Swarovski crystals never spoil... Since they're specially interlocked in like a fan around a circle of beads, they keep their shape forever.

This extraordinary snowflake can be made quickly once you get the knack after you've made your first one. A very fine beading wire, .010 SoftTouch by Softflex, is the secret to holding the crystal-tipped long bugle V's in place around the circle of seed beads.

Several ways to get the instructions: See page 90-91 of Beaded Ornament for the holidays and Beyond from Bead and Button and BeadStyle Magazines by Kalmach Publishing Co., 2009.

Order an all-inclusive Snowflake kit with a choice of 15mm, 20mm or 30mm bugles and crystal pearl or silver-shade vitrial finish from Rypan Designs. Or get patterns for use with your own bugles and crystals. The instructions are available in printed pattern with a Supply List or a downloadable .pdf. Shortly it will be available in a Ukrainian .pdf version soon as I get the illustrations matched up to my translations.

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.

Coca Cola Extravaganza

Here's my birthday gift creation for a dear friend who LOVES Coca Cola in all shapes and forms. The commemorative soccer balls bottles for FIFA World Cup started it.

Coca Cola caps discovered at the Bead & Button Show made the wearable component of my gift possible. The decoupage beads were made in the Philippines for fellow vendor Priscilla Marban. I chose five different cap styles so I could get a bit of a pattern going. There were many more themes to choose from.

I started stringing the necklace the evening before at the Meet-Up for Toronto beaders in High Park. It was a chilly evening, but in good company and with extra heat from blankets, we kept on beading. The necklace has assorted seed beads strung in between the large disks. Once the cream & gold caps were exhausted, I made a bracelet with the remaining four red ones. For packaging I used the cleverly-designed fountain cup from our travels back from Milwaukee. It was perfect for the "Coca Cola Extravaganza" accessories.

Dolores, the birthday girl, loved it all.

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

Pearl Drop Crystal 'V's

V08-3a - Pearl Drop Crystal 'V' - Interlocking Band

Here's the latest creation ready with full instructions in beadwork kit or pattern form in time for teaching this weekend at the Ottawa Bead Society.

It began with a "What IF?" and the 'gerdan' morphed into these two necklace. This is a springtime variation of the Opulent Crystal 'V'. The interlocking band was tightened by alternating four seed beads instead of five. Swarovski pearls added drama. Then I thought of just suspending the netted 'V' from a string of luxurious pearls? I like it! Would you believe there are five different sizes of pearls between the two variations?

V08-3b - Pearl Drop Crystal 'V' - Strung Pearls

This is so new, you'll just have to ask for it. I'll get it and other new goodies into the Catalogue in May. Better yet, come to see them in person to the Toronto Bead Society's Bead Fair May 1st & 2nd or Bead & Button Show in Milwaukee.

Silver Shadow Snowflake Collection

A very unique and $$ Vitrial Czech 6/ seed bead inspired this Limited Edition. As seen above, they work beautifully as the inner circle and base for Swarovski Silver Shadow 6mm crystal tips on the 20mm or 30mm twisted bugle V's. I love how this Vitrial combo has transformed the pictured elegant 3-D Snowflake into chic ornaments.

These Silver Shadow Snowflakes, as well as the entire collection of pearl and Swarovski Crystal AB bicones on bugles ranging from 15mm to 30mm, straight or twisted, will be available at The Hobby Show. Write or call for your choice of one or 3-pack Snowflake beadwork kits.

Painted Stripes Collection

An impulse purchase of two hanks of uniquely hand-painted

pony beads with fun-colored lining inspired this collection.

I found less is more when you have such amazing miniature

art beads. Teaming them with jet black showed off the

multi-stripes best. Strategically placing them in simple

beadweaving patterns also worked well. These three styles

are a great place to learn bead weaving. There's netting in

form of a Textured Net Lantern necklace or as a Chicklet

Bracelet. Try the Diagonal Weave with enough beads for a

bracelet and necklace or lanyard. Make a great fashion

statement with these fun accessories.

This Painted Stripes Bead Kit Collection is a very

Limited Edition. It will be launched at the TBS Bead Fair

this weekend and hopefully be available for the next one

at The Hobby Show in Toronto.

Detour yields unexpected treats

A simple ride with friends on the back roads of Ontario turned into a day full of surprises... On the drive up towards the Forks of the Credit, an antique sign beckoned. We turned left instead of going straight. The short ride revealed Beaumont Mill, a historic structure full of antiques and collectibles in Glen Williams. Inside it felt like a treasure hunt with loads of nooks and crannies upstairs, downstairs and in between. All the jewelry was in one room.

I found a pair of white seed bead earrings which I figured would go with an heirloom necklace passed down to me from a relative in Ukraine. From the bald spot near the clasp and few loose beads, the necklace appears to be series of white seed bead loops stitched through a thick cord. The earrings I bought at the Mill feature a seed bead knot with four twisted fringe loops of seed beads. Check out the similarity! Looks like both pieces were made from the same beads. Could they be Czech?

Meanwhile, outside the Mill there was a rally of antique automobiles from 1920-1930's. What a treat! Who would have expected such a welcome? Apparently they meet twice a year at designated spots and this was one! Our timing could not have been better! We followed the vehicles down the road into the village of Glen Williams where the local town folk were dressed in period costumes. They got to drive into the village. We in our modern vehicle had to park and walk across the bridge. Famished, we dropped into the Copper Kettle Pub for a bite. Who would have thought we'd be treated to live music? The musicians sang around a table in the center of the room. They were were great! The entire place was full of character(s). You'd never believe it was 2009!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: You never know what you may be missing if you don't turn around the corner.