ABC's of Creativity - N is Netting

Netting is a beadweaving technique used in cultures around the world and for many centuries.

Here is a piece from 680-670 BCE, it uses blue faience beads to make a beaded shroud. The arms of the net are tubular faience beads.

Bead Shroud of Tabakenkhonsu @ Met

The mesh like structure of beads makes it this an easy to identify beading technique. The challenge is to know if it is horizontal or vertical netting. 

diagram of horizontal netting (from about.com)

diagram of vertical netting worked from a base row of beads (from about.com)

This Lemko collar was made by the bride for her wedding. Anna Harhay Kryza used a bead loomwoven band as the base for the vertical lower netting.

from the collection of Diane Melnyk

a selection for vertical netted collars with geometric designs

This vertical netted collar is Maria's version of the traditional Ukrainian netted collars with their geometric patterns, appeared in the Jan/Feb 2006 issue of Step by Step Beads.

Rypan Designs Netted Diamonds Collar

When commissioned by Vesniwka, a renown Ukrainian women's choir in Toronto, to make collars  for the singers she used red, gunmetal and gold.

Vesniwka collar protype

The depth and style of the design reminded many people of the beaded collars from ancient Egypt. So Maria reworked the colors to turquoise and gold.

Rypan Designs Egyptian Collar

This netted collar is not a deep as the Egyptian but the placement of the beads creates a beautiful zigzag pattern. Here Maria has used just simple size 10 seed beads.

Rypan Design Netted ZigZag

Taking the netted zigzag collar, changing some of the seed beads to mini rondelles, hi-lighting the zigzag with silver seed beads and adding large rondelles to some of the picots has changed the traditional collar into a fashion forward design. This design is in the current (Aug/Sep 2013) issue of Beadwork.

Rypan Designs Chic Chevron Collar

Here again in the zigzag pattern, but deeper and some of the seed beads have been replaced with bugle beads. A few rows of netting are worked into matching earrings.

Rosey's Zigzag

These next two netted items are very different from the collar style of beadwork. Here the netting forms a rectangle with is connect to a long netted band with stringers of beads and bugle. The Indigo Kilim appeared in the Jun 2003 issue of Bead & Button.

Rypan Designs Indigo Kilim

The Sedona Kilim below was made for the Toronto Bead Society Bag of Beads challenge 2000. It appears in the gallery in Diane Fitzgerald's book Netted Beadwork.

Sedona Kilim, beaded by M. Rypan

For most of the previous projects the main netting was done with seed beads, here twist bugle for the major part of the netted design. Seed beads are used for the fringing.

Rypan Designs Twig Willow Twist

Netting can also be used for projects other that necklaces. Here are some beaded pysanky. Many different techniques are used for beaded pysanky. The two front eggs are done using netting. Maria's article about bead pysanky appeared in the Spring 2011 issue of A Needle Pulling Thread.

From pysanky,info

I have also used netting to make small circular netted snowflakes. Here seed bead and Swarovski crystals create a sparkly snowflake ornament.

Winter Wonderland Snowflake, designed and beaded by J. Woolverton

I hope that you will try the easy and versatile stitch to create something wonderful.

Happy Beading!

ABC's of Creativity - M is Metals

For most beaders metal appears in your design as the closure or finding. 

But metal beads, spacers, connectors can also be a design elements.

To help you work them into your design here is some helpful information.

Gold's purity is noted by its karat weigth. 24kt is 99.9% pure down to 10kt which is 41.7% pure. Its alloys are copper and zinc. In addition to karat weight gold you will also find the following: vermeil which is gold-plated sterling silver, gold-filled which is a base metal (copper or brass) mechanically bonded to sheets of gold, and gold-plated which is a base metal (steel or brass) electroplated with gold.

Silver like gold is alloyed with copper. This is noted as a percentage rather that karat weight. Fine silver is 99.9% pure silver. Sterling silver is 92.5% silver. Silver-plated like gold-plated is a base metal electroplated with silver.

Lower costing metals include copper, brass (copper and zinc alloy), bronze (copper and tin alloy), pewter (tin alloyed with various other metals), nickel and surgical steel.

For more information check this article by Lisa Kan.

How to decide which to use can be a matter of budget, available and design.

For design you may be inspired by the shape and styling of the bead or finding. But have you ever created a design based on the color of the metal? This wonderful article from the Art Bead Scene Blog about The Color of Metal. From the oranges and brown of copper and bronze to neutral greys of silver and pewter.

It got me think about pieces I have made with metal as strong design element.

I received some wonderful copper findings as part of a bead soup. To the warm brown copper closure I added  more copper, blues and purples.

Bead Soup 7 Bracelet, beaded by J. Woolverton

For this piece it is the contrast of the bright copper against the green lampwork beads that works well.

Dragon's egg necklace, beaded by J. Woolverton

These beaded beads have gold colored seed beads triangle beads. The yellow of the gold gives a lovely spark to the palette of green beads in the base.

Bellisimo beads, beaded by J. Woolverton

For this necklace the copper veining in the turquoise lead to the addition of copper spaces, copper colored Swarovski pearl and crysal copper Swarovski cyrstals. It is a classic combination.

Turquoise Copper necklace, beaded by J. Woolverton

I have only scratch the surface of metals in beadwork. I hope that you will be inspired to look at your metal components as more that just a finding.

Happy Beading!

ABC's of Creativity - L is Loomwork

A loom is a hand-operated or power-driven apparatus for weaving fabrics, containing harnesses, lay, reed, shuttles, treadles, etc. (dictionary.com)

Loomweaving beads requires a simpler loom with no need for extra device. Just something to hold the warp threads strung. And then the weft threads are created as you weave. The beads are secured by tying on thread. Picking up beads, pushing them up between the warp threads and securing them by passing back over the top of the warp threads. As seen on the loom used to loomweave these kimono panels. The panels then are stitched together like fabric to create this amazing kimono.

Panel in progress on small simple wooden loom

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

I’ve seen many different styles of looms with each artist sincerely believing their version is the best. They are absolutely right in their claims. Because there are so many styles and global commuities who do loomwork, looms come in all shapes and sizes. For loomweaving you need a long or expandable loom to string the long warp threads which are secured to coils, combs or nails at both ends of a basic loom made of wood or a fancy high tech Mirrix loom.

8" Lani Loom from Mirrix

Some loom manufactures claim the loomwork created on their loom can be finished by simply pulling in the warp threads.

New loom from Clover, going to experiment with it

Other styles embrace the warp threads that can be finished in fringes. Or tied into elegant swags. This is the case in in the Ukrainian -style of ‘gerdany’ which I teach and and have patterns for.

Leaning long wooden loom against table for a more comfortable work environment

Adding fringe to finish warp threads on lower edge of medallion

Joining warp threads to make swags

I’ve had the pleasure of taking a loomwork course with Don Pierce. The creator of “Larry the Loom” which can be tilted for comfortable loomweaving.

Larry the loom, from Don Pierce

Vyacheslav Kalejnikov builds his own window frame looms which are an ideal height for weaving while sitting on a small stool. He uses found objects, i.e.curtain pulls for the top and nails along the lower edge where he can wrap warps threads around. He prefers to do large scale projects. Note the aids used to make sure he picks up the beads one row at a time. Vyacheslav prefers to use 2cut beads which tend to stretch out faces.

Vyacheslav working on his custom loom

Because of the distinct differences of seed beads, you need to be consistent by choosing either the  more donut-shaped Czech seeds v.s. rounded squarish-shaped Japanese seed beads. Mixing them together in one piece could cause unevenness. Cylindrical beads, i.e. Delica® or Aiko® should be used on their own. It has a complete different feel than a piece loomwoven with seed beads. Use nylon beading thread, i.e. NYMO or C-LON for the warp and weft.

Early bandolier bag makers used a wooden loom to create beaded designs which were then applied to the bags. Artists strung beads on the loom in a series of parallel lines, a process that made it difficult to create abstract or circular designs. Consequently, most pattern woven on the loom are geometric or linear.

courtesy Jean Upton

Master craftsman Maria Chulak of Pyadyky, Kolomyya Region, Ukraine shows off her ‘gerdany’. These are stylized. The motifs appear to be floating and a few are loomwoven in contemporary fashion color.

Originally there were no such things as loomwork patterns. Traditional embroidery patterns were used for reference. Opaque seed bead were matched to the embroidery thread color. It’s interesting to see how the old became new again in 2011. Solid loomweaving of the embroidery pattern recreated in Czech seed beads.

An assortment of stylized 'Gerdany'with traditional motifs' by Maria Chulak, 2006

"Gerdan" by Maria Chuluk, 2011

An assortment of 'gerdany' by Maria Chuluk

An assortment of stylized 'gerdany' by Maria Chulak. I own the center one.

Jennie Bochar’s grandmother's 100 year old ‘gerdan’ depicting a protectress “berehynia’ loomwoven in Ukraine was photographed during my Gerdan-makingSeries at the Ukrainian Museum Archives in Ohio 2011

 Here we prepare to weave a medallion style piece:

Aligning the woven bands to prepare for weaving the medallion

Maria and Grace show off a loom with folded band ready for weaving medallion

From my 3 week Looomwork series that I taught at beadFX earlier this spring.

Matiss, 9 year old, managing his beads

Matiss' work in progress

Maria and her amazing students at beadFX April 2013

If you are interested in learning my style of loomwork I will be teaching a 3-week series again this fall at beadFX.

This entry in our creativity series was prepared by Maria, but blogger was not letting her create, edit and post it. So I have been Maria's tech support.

Hope that you will look at loomweaving with beads as a creative possibility. 

Happy Beading!

Bead & Button Show

Maria at her booth at 2012 show

This weekend, Jun 7-9, is Maria's 10th year at the Bead and Button show. She will be in her usual place, booth #933. She looks forward to seeing fellow beaders, customers and other members of the beading community.

She will have the newly updated Diagonal Weave pattern. It includes an insert with full color pictures of the steps.  You can use this very versatile pattern with everything form simple seed beads, triangle beads and even Swarovski crystals. 

The Jeweled "V" necklace is a very elegant design with a surface embellishment of tiny rondelles. Maria will have the latest color variation of this project. This regal shade of purple makes this a wonderful statement necklace.

Also in this regal purple is the Beaded Soutache bracelet. A variety of different beads using our herringbone stitch give this bracelet a wonderful texture.

Those of you who will be at Bead and Button stop by the booth, even just to say hello!

Happy Beading!

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!

Toronto Bead Society Spring Bead Fair

 

 
This weekend's TBS Spring Bead Fair is our last bead show in Southern Ontario until the fall. Here is a $2 coupon. There are almost 50 vendors planning to be there. Here is the list of exhibitors.

Instead of classes this season there will be scheduled demonstrations. Here is the schedule.

Maria will be doing two demonstrations. On Saturday 1:30-2:30 will be Twig Willow Twist. On Sunday 3:30 -4:30 will be Diagonal Weave Versatility.

Twig Willow Twist, beaded by M. Rypan

Diagonal Weave Bracelet with Swarovski Crystals, beaded by M. Rypan

Jo-Ann will be doing a demonstration as well. On Sunday, 1:15 - 2:15 Flat herringbone bracelet.

Flat Herringbone (ribbon) Bracelet, beaded by J. Woolverton

The booth will have a selection of kits and patterns as well as all 4 of Maria's books.

All of Maria's Books

We look forward to seeing you at the Bead Fair.

Happy Beading!!