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Friday, June 1, 2012

Looming in the Summer

Loomed by Pat Moore, Fall 2011
Beaders in the Guelph area will have the opportunity to learn about loomwork and create their our loomed necklace.

On three Tuesday evenings in July (3,10 &17), Maria will be teaching her loomwork series at the Crafter's Cupboard in Guelph, ON.

The first hour of the first evening will be an overview of the looming technique, with photos and finished pieces. You can sign up to attend just this part of the series if your want to have a better understanding of what goes into a loomwork piece.

The balance of evening one will be the pre-stringing of the looms.
Getting the warp threads on the loom
Making a design decision
Ready for weaving
 On week two we will get you started with actual weaving part of the design.
First woven beads
Pretty pattern

Week three finishing! This night will cover steps to complete your project, including joining the band to start weaving a mediallion or stringing swags and other final finishing.
Preparing band for mediallion

Weaving the mediallion
Stringing swag
Fringe is the final finishing step for mediallion style pieces. Some may be ready for this step if they are eager weavers between weeks 2 & 3.
Adding fringe
Most will have to do final finishing at home. 

If you are interested please contact Shelley at the Crafter's Cupboard to register.

revised June 9/12 by Jo-Ann

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Jelly Collection

Hi, I am Jo-Ann, Maria's sample maker, show and social media assistant. I will be posting about some of the current and up coming projects she is working on.

The spring bead show season is in full swing. It started with the Creativ Festival where Maria introduced her new collection of kits and patterns especifically designed for kids. The Jelly Collection was presented at the show with a Make and Take bracelet for children and the young at heart.
Display of available Jelly Collection projects
Kits, Patterns and Make and Take supplies

We had beaders as young as 4 and and old as some lovely senior ladies. We had boys and girls. They made elegant and sophisticated bracelets as well as some that were wild and funky.
Siblings (age 4-8)

9 year old's work in progress
It was great fun to introduce beadwork to these eager crafters.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Easter Card 2012

Resurrection Paska on sepulchre created 25 years ago

Hard to believe 25 years have passed since my husband and I created the sepulchre for our church, St Demetrius the Great Martyr Ukrainian Catholic Church in Toronto, Canada. Just call us Fred & Wilma... 

This feather rock creation is unusual because massive volcanic material makes for a realistic-looking tomb for the Good Friday service.The tilted board was designed to hold the "plaschennytsia", a painted canvas with Jesus Christ laying in the tomb. The flip side was that it could not be quickly disassembled on Easter Sunday. The 'rushnyk' ritual cloth with the 'Paska' bread surrounded by 'pysanky' Easter eggs was our pastor's clever solution.
St. Demetrius church interior, Easter 2010
May the blessing and mercy of the risen Lord Jesus Christ, be with you always.

Христос Воскрес! Воїстину Воскрес!

Sunday, March 18, 2012

"Pysanky: Then & Now"

There's one more chance to catch to see my multimedia presentation about Ukrainian Easter eggs at St.Vladimir Institute on Mar. 31st. The slides start off with traditional batik-style pysanky; goes on to visiting Pysanky Museums in USA and Ukraine; and ends with a contemporary beaded eggs. 


Maria wearing Nina McDaniel's 'gerdan' with an ostrich egg shell pendant. Photo: Ian Archer
This was first presented at the weeklong Pysanky Event from Feb. 25 to 29th organized by the Ukrainian Catholic Women's League of Canada (UCWLC) Museum of the Toronto Eparchy in conjunction with Canadian Ukrainian Art Foundation at the KUMF Gallery

 Beaded 'pysanky' display and Maria and Eugene's 'pysanky'. Photo: Ian Archer  
Maria's article in A Needle Pulling Thread, Spring 2011
Beaded 'pysanky' by artists from Ukraine
There was an exhibit of 'pysanky' by several artists, pysanky-making workshops, and a Sunday afternoon program with my presentation and a performance by a children's choir. I showed the pysanky presentation three more times to school children tours.
Ukrainian School students writing 'pysanky' at a Chromej Family workshop
Maria and Joyce try out electric 'kistky' styluses
Removing wax to reveal an electric 'pysanka'
Children's Choir from St. Mary's Dormition UCC. Photo: Ian Archer
UCWLC Museum Chair Marta Chomyn thanks pysanky artists: Maria Rypan, Parania Sozansky, Cassandra Wojchikowskyj, Maria Steventon, Doris Cherkas, Irene Chromej-Johnston. Photo: Ian Archer. (Lower) Olenka Kleban and Oksana Hawrylak of Kosa Kolekiv conducted pysanky workshops for St. Sophia School
St. Sophia School visit Pysanky Exhibit at KUMF Gallery
Grade 1 students journaling beaded 'pysanky'
Helen Basaraba's 'pysanky' inspire Grade 1 students
Best journal compliment by Grade 1 student




Friday, February 24, 2012

Hands Down - Beading ROCKS!

4 Girls, 1 Playtime


It's new, it's hot and it's catching on so fast! These exciting new Kids Beadwork Kits use large Jellies beads and stretch cord for the 5 year olds and waxed cord or finer stretch cord with mid-sizes for 10 year olds. There's nothing like it out there!



Find the Jelly Collection kits at the Spring Creativ Festival and let the kids choose the colours. Get started beading by signing up for a Make and Take "Jellies Ladder" bracelet at Rypan Designs - Booth #372


Jellies Ladder Bracelet



Friday, January 6, 2012

"Vertep" Nativity at St. Demetrius, Weston, ON

"Vertep" at St Demetrius the Great Martyr Ukrainian Catholic Church 
Two years ago this life-sized Nativity set was installed outside St Demetrius the Great Martyr Church on LaRose Avenue in Weston (Toronto), ON. The figures were written (painted) in the Byzantine iconographic style in Ukraine. 

The Holy Family
Each one was cut out and masterfully placed on the straw-strewn floor of the manger. The cradle of hay between the Wise Men and Mary convinces you this truly is the creche. The illuminated star woven from wheat shines on the Baby Jesus.  
"Христос Раждається - Christ is Born" in lights
I'm very fortunate to drive past this "Vertep" every day. It's a blessing as this Nativity is a daily reminder of why we're celebrating Christmas.

"God is with us!"  
"З Нами Бог!"



Thursday, December 8, 2011

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!