Bead Fest Philadelphia 2013

With only one week until Bead Fest Philadelphia, Aug 23 -25, Maria is enjoying her last weekend in Ukraine. Once home she will be heading to Philadelphia to set up for Bead Fest.

Booth @ Bead Fest 2012

Along with over 350 other vendors Maria will her kits and patterns so you can create your own one-of-kind jewelry. Rypan Designs will be booth #103.

She will have the kits for the netted collar that appeared in the latest issue of Beadwork.

As seen in Aug/Sep 2013 issue of Beadwork

In addition to the many kits and patterns Maria has 4 books with a variety of projects in each. My personal favorite is Assorted Beadweaving, Lessons #2.

The image below is a customer appreciation pass for Bead Fest. Save the image, print it out, fill it in and bring it to the show. You will get weekend pass for only $5 (value $15).

Customer Appreciation Pass Form

Stop by the booth and say hello.

Happy Beading!

ABC's of Creativity - P is Peyote Stitch

Peyote stitch, also know as mosiac or gourd stitch, is a very structural stitch. The beads are generally worked one bead at a time in a very tight formation. They line up like bricks or tiles.

Here is a great tutorial video by Leslie Rogalski. Leslie shows you in step by step with detailed drawings and beads how to do even-count flat peyote.

Here is geometric patterned flat peyote stitched bracelet designed by Marilyn Gardiner.

Southwest Charm Bracelet, beaded by J. Woolverton

Also on Marilyn site a wonderful free tutorial for a beginner's flat peyote stitch bracelet.

Once you have master basic flat peyote you can take a small strip of flat peyote and zip the ends together to make a tube. For instructions check out Pamela Kearn's pattern in the Jun/July 2013 issue of Beadwork for this wonderful use of peyote tube, Boho Bangle.

Circular peyote let you create shape beyond just a strip of beadwork. Triangles, squares, pentagons, hexagons and more can be created based on the number and placement of increases. Two great resources for learning how to do these shapes are Diane Fitzgerald's Shaped Beadwork and Jean Power's Geometric Beadwork.

If you take some of the shapes and stitch them together you can make 3D objects. Diane's Moorish Tile Beads combines squares and triangles.

Moorish Tile beads, beaded by Toronto beading students during class (2011)

Jean's Geometric stars uses squares that are distorted by increasing on every round.

Geometric stars, beaded by J. Woolverton

So we have looked at basic flat peyote, peyote tubes, circular peyote and peyote shapes stitched together. Next is tubular peyote stitch. This is different than our peyote tube as it is worked in rounds. Here is tutorial video by Melissa Shippee.

Melissa is showing a very thin tube. You can also use tubular peyote to bezel a crystal or cabochon. The tube would need to be large enough to go around the crystal or stone. Using smaller beads will pull the tube tighter and hold the crystal in the tube.

delicas and size 15 seed beads are used to bezel this crystal, beaded by J. Woolverton

This project was finished with some peyote stitched petals.

Zinniz Flower, designed by Jean Power, beaded by J. Woolverton

If you work tubular peyote off of a peyote stitched shape you can make a vessel or box. Julia Pretl's Little bead boxes is the resource for learning how to do this kind of project.

Here is my very first little box. I have since made at least one of every box in book.

beaded by J. Woolverton

Another resource is Melinda Barta's Mastering Peyote Stitch.

Here are the leaves that I stitched and used to work with this beautiful owl for a blog hop.

beaded by J. Woolverton

I hope that you will try peyote stitch in one of its many forms.

Happy Beading!

Beading in Crimea

Maria has been having a fabulous time in Crimea. She has been enjoying the sun and the sea, while trying to avoid the jellyfish in the Black Sea.

While there in Evpatoria she was able to share her love on beadwork both young and old at the Lesia Ukrainka Library. 

Since publishing this post this morning I received these details from Maria.

The beading workshop was organized by Fr. Bohdan Kostecky, pastor of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) Mother of Perpetual Help for parishioner and others. It's an 8 year old parish which is now building a church.  The workshops were held in a local library. 

When Maria arrived there were girls sitting at the tables ready to bead. She couldn't get the materials out fast enough. First session was at 1:30 pm and the kids kept coming. They started off with Ladders ("Lantsuzhky" translate to "chains") using various sized of beads - larger crow and acrylic, smaller beads. Maria showed older girls how to do the Picots.  Then they made Daisies using the round 6mm beads at the other end of the table. Ladders and daisies were made using stretch cord for instant gratification. One thing flowed into the next.

teaching ladder stitch

Fr. Bohdan Kostecky checking the instructions while the children create

Promptly at 3pm more ladies arrived to learn how to do netting. They were overwhelmed and surprised at first when Maria asked them to chose which color combo they'd like to work on. Took a few moments to get them going and then of course, it was easy. Everyone got a fair bit done. 

teaching basic netting

Best of all, the "BBC" (Baba told baba) network worked overtime and the news spread about the wonderful experience. Father got a few calls of disappointment from people who missed it because the newspaper did not give the address of the library. Someone from the city office took the workshop and was saying they wanted something like this on a larger scale. A neighbour expressed disappointment at not knowing about this event as the priest daughter walked by bedecked in all her accessories.

everyone enjoying their new skill

On the positive side, next week there will be a donation made by participants for the Church Building Fund in lieu of a kit and workshop fee as Maria donated her time and the materials for the good of the church so it can offer the learning experience, a cultural experience for parishioners and community at large.

Maria with Fr. Bohdan's daughters after class wearing their beautiful creations

To see more pictures check Maria's Facebook album.

Happy Beading!

Downloadable Patterns

As of August 1 you will be able to purchase a selection of Rypan Designs patterns for instant download. Available here are 15 patterns for $8.95 (CDN) and 1 pattern (neckace & bracelet) for $12.95 (CDN).

Select the pattern you would like, add it to your cart, accept the license agreement and either continue on to pay with PayPal or continue shopping. Once you have made your payment a confirmation email will be sent to you with instructions on downloading the PDF pattern. It is important to know that the link for the download will expire after 24 hours.

Once you have your pattern, print and start creating. You will have a beautiful handcrafted piece of jewelry before you know it!

Here is a look at some of the patterns that are available.

Twig Chip Cascade & Chicklet Bracelet

Chicklet Bracelets

Textured Net

 

Egyptian Net

Triple 'V' Jeweled

Netted Zig Zag

Twig Willow Twist

Please let us know what you think about having access to downloadable patterns.

A big thanks to John Fusco and the team at A Needle Pulling Thread for getting this up and running!

Happy Beading!!

ABC's of Creativity - O is Online Learning

Back in May we covered I is Internet and looked a number of inspiration sources on the web. There were some links that were instructional as well.

This post will focus specifically on many of the resource free and fee based that are available online.

I know that many fellow beaders started by taking a class at a show or bead store with a designer or bead artist. But I know that sometimes you can't get the class schedule to work with your schedule. Online classes help with this problem. Here are two site for online classes.

Maria has recently become an instructor at CraftArtEdu with her Netting Primer. The online classes here are a series of narrated images that take step by step through a project. There are classes available for more that just beading. Well most of the classes have a fee attached to them, you are able to go back and review the class at your leisure. There are a number of free classes.

If you are looking for more jewelry making lesson, then take a look at Beaducation. Here the classes are video presentation. You are able to view and review at any time. Written instructions come with all but the free classes.

Of course in addition the these class specific websites you can find many how to videos on Youtube. Here is Maria's video for her Diagonal Weave bracelet.


Here is Cathy Lampole demonstrating how to finish a strung bracelet.


I am recently come across Wikihow.com. Like wikipedia it combines the knowledge of many people to be shared with the world. Wikihow looks to create step by step instructions for everything. I used it recently to learn how to make Chinese sliding knots to finish a necklace. The animated step by step instruction are accompanied by written instructions. The great thing... it is all free!

Back in I is Internet, I mentioned following designers' blogs for inspiration. Many of your favorite designers sell kits and/or patterns for their designs. Some with use a site such as Bead-Pattern.com to sell their patterns but also check their individual websites. Some even have some free patterns, tips or tutorials to share with you.

Here are some of my favorites - Jean Power, Diane Fitzgerald, Cindy Holsclaw, Kerrie Slade, Cathy Lampole and Julia Pretl. And starting on August 1, 2013 you will be able to purchase downloadable patterns from Rypan Designs!!!

Your favourite bead magazine likely has patterns from past issues for sale on their sites as well.  Here are Bead and Button, Beading Daily and Bead (UK).

I hope that you finding a new source of instruction on the web!

Happy Beading!

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!