Rose Window Rivolis!

Hello everyone!

I'm sorry for the long blog silence - as is the new normal, I've been busily working behind the scenes experimenting with brand new bead shapes, coming up with designs that I can't show until the companies are ready and writing instructions which will be published months later. So although it looks like I've disappeared, I'm actually working flat out with six patterns completed and scheduled for publication and four patterns waiting to be written up. Back in January/February of this year I created a collection of work with Preciosa Ornela's beautiful Charlotte beads - these size 13 beads have two cut surfaces which reflect the light making them twinkle and shine like no other bead I have ever come across and they were a delight to work with. For one of my pieces I went for maximum sparkle and mixed Charlottes with Rivolis to create a pair of glittering earrings which have been used in Preciosa's latest magazine advert.

I named these earrings 'Rose Window Rivolis' as the way the Rivolis show through the nets of Charlottes reminded me of the circular stained glass windows found in Gothic architecture. I paired gold Charlottes with Crystal Honey Rivolis to create a subtle glowing effect but I chose Crystal Vitrail Light Rivolis to go with the silver Charlottes so that the wonderful colours would shine through the delicate silver framework.

The pattern for these earrings has now been published in the latest issue of Digital Beading Magazine and so you can create your own Rose Window Rivolis in any colour you choose. Don't forget that we would love to see what you make from this pattern, so please feel free to send me a picture or to share your pictures on the Preciosa Facebook page or the Digital Beading Magazine Facebook page.

I'll be able to show you more of my work in the coming months including the rest of the Charlotte pieces, a collection of work using an exciting new bead shape from Preciosa which is due to be launched in June, a whole host of new patterns that use everything from seed beads to Pellet™ beads and an exciting collaboration between myself, yorkbeads and A Grain Of Sand - so be sure to watch this space!

See you next time!

Kerrie ♥

Farewell 2013!

Hello everyone!

Well it's that time again, the end of another year. At this point in time I like to stand on an imaginary threshold and look over my shoulder reviewing the past year while taking an excited peek at the coming year. For me, 2013 was a year of incredible highs and terrible lows with one event that very nearly stopped me beading, it nearly stopped me breathing if I am honest but I am hopeful that 2014 will be kinder to me and that nothing will ever take the shine off my beads. Looking back I can see that I have been blogging for 6 years now and written 152 blog posts. My work has changed and yet stayed the same but my confidence has grown and I have formed some strong relationships with various people and companies in the bead world and although I carry a lot of sadness right now I find myself in a good solid place ready to move into the new year and to bead on. There are lots of plans in the pipeline which I will share throughout 2014 but before I put the lid on 2013 I have a few links and pictures to share - December has been a busy month!

The first piece of news is that one of the Kumihimo pieces I created for Prima Bead has been published in the latest issue of Bead & Button magazine and it made the cover! Looking at that cover really makes me smile and appreciate the good things that happened in 2013 as although I designed the project, it is very much a collaborative piece involving some of the people and companies that I have joined forces with: the tools and the push to learn Kumihimo were provided by Prima Bead, the grey seed beads fit in with my Midnight Garden collection and came from my friend Kandra at Kandra's Beads, the silver flowercup beads are by Preciosa Ornela and came from www.yorkbeads.com, the beautiful clasps came from A Grain Of Sand and of course the project was published by Bead & Button magazine.

In the same issue of the magazine there is also an 'Artist Profile' featuring my recent work and in it I talk a lot about my collaborations with Prima Bead, Preciosa and York including my recent work with striped seed beads and many of the new bead shapes on the market. The hard work of the recent couple of years seems to have come together beautifully and I am very grateful to all of these people and more for giving me the opportunity to show what I can do.

 

Just a few days prior to the Kumihimo project and profile being published in the magazine, Bead & Button also released another one of the projects I created for Preciosa Ornela as a FREE digital download. This time it is a quick and easy bangle that uses the new Pellet™ beads and all you need to do is to click on this link and then either sign in or register to download the pattern.

And a few days before that, issue 7 of Digital Beading Magazine (another favourite of mine) was released and I have two designs in this issue, one of which was shown on the cover of the magazine. Holiday Hearts (shown above) was created for Preciosa Ornela earlier this year as part of my striped seed bead collection but we decided that these quick and easy rustic looking hearts made perfect tree decorations and so I made a few more to decorate the editor's Christmas tree!

The other project that appears in Digital Beading Magazine is one of the designs I created for Preciosa using their exciting new Thorn™ beads and the project includes instructions on how to make these eye-catching bracelets and rings.

So that is how the year ended and today I am reflective and thankful but tomorrow I will begin working on the glittering pile that beckons me and seeing where the path of 2014 leads me.

Happy New Year everyone!

Kerrie ♥

Three patterns on one CD!

Hello everyone!

It might seem a bit quiet around here lately but rest assured, a LOT of beading is being done. I'm still working with various companies trying to come up with designs to show ways to use their products and although this is great fun and an exciting challenge for me, it means that pictures of new beadwork are few and far between at the moment.  I have at least ten pieces waiting in the wings but I have to keep them under wraps for the time being - but I can tell you that before too long there will be a colour explosion and I will be bombarding you with picture after picture!  So until that time all I can tell you is that I have just added a new PDF to my website and you can purchase it by following this link.

The PDF includes three of my patterns that were previously published in Digital Beading Magazine: Simply Spikes, Galactic Gumdrops and Bohemian Bloom. It is twenty pages long and also includes a fascinating bonus article about hybrid seed beads written by Perry Bookstein of www.yorkbeads.com. I have set the price of this bundle to £5 for all three patterns as they are magazine versions and are therefore not as minutely detailed as the other patterns I sell. I would also like to mention that these PDF's were designed for online viewing rather than for print.

So that's it for now but I'll be back soon with lots of new pictures, but a word of warning ... you might need some sunglasses before you look at my latest work!

Bye for now!

Kerrie ♥

Spikes in Bloom!

I've just returned home after a lovely couple of weeks visiting family in Spain and there were so many beady things happening in the run up to our departure, that I didn't get chance to tell you about the new pattern I have with Bead & Button magazine.  Some time ago, Perry of www.yorkbeads.com asked me to create a piece using his new spike beads that would be used in an advertising campaign.  As you know, I love a challenge and so I was thrilled to be asked and excited about the opportunity, but I was also very nervous as I had no idea whether I would be able to create anything suitable.  I had already designed several spike pieces and each one was the best that I could make it but as this one was going to be used for an important advert, I knew I needed to try and create something completely different.  I had heard some of my beady friends tell me that they were not fond of spike beads as they looked too aggressive and so that sparked off the idea in my mind to try to find a new way of using these beads, a way that softened their initial dangerous look, something that made them look more feminine and if I could, something that would give them an elegantly floral appeal.  I spent a considerable amount of time experimenting with these 5 x 8mm baby spikes and eventually I mixed them with my trusty Midnight Garden Toho 176B's and a length of grey organza ribbon and found a way to make them bloom.

Just like the Gumdrops in my Garden pattern, this is now another FREE on line pattern.  All you need to do is follow this link and either log in or register and you will be able to download the pattern for Spikes in Bloom.  The pattern includes instructions for making a bracelet, pendant and ring but there are all sorts of other possibilities too and I look forward to seeing your creations.  I find the rings are particularly addictive to make and as you can see, I made myself a whole handful!

And below are copies of the adverts so far, the top one can be seen in the June issue of Bead & Button magazine and the bottom one appears in the current issue of Digital Beading Magazine.

I hope you have fun with the new pattern.

See you next time!

Kerrie ♥

Stripes and Spikes!

Issue three of the new on-line beading magazine Digital Beading Magazine is now available and it seems to have grown yet again with 166 pages and over 50 very varied projects.  I have two new projects in this issue and I was thrilled to see that my project Floribunda Bangle is on the cover!  The bangle is part of the range that I have been creating with the beautiful Czech glass striped beads from Preciosa Ornela and is a really substantial 'statement piece', but as all the flowers are removable you can make as many as you want or even just make one to wear as a pretty pendant.

The second project 'Simply Spikes' is exactly what the name suggests; a set of bracelets and rings that use only the new spike beads from www.yorkbeads.com and strangely for me ... no seed beads!

And last but not least, little 'Flash' the stripey owl has his Australian version of the Preciosa Ornela advert in the magazine too!  I know it looks as though I have hijacked this issue of the new magazine, but don't worry, with 166 pages there are plenty of other projects to choose from - why not purchase a copy and see for yourself?

See you next time!

Kerrie ♥

Spike Contest!

I’m guessing that you will have seen the new spike beads from www.yorkbeads.com that are popping up all over the place and I am also guessing that it was not ‘love at first sight’ for everyone – after all they are, well, spikey.  In truth, I think that I was less than enthusiastic the first time I saw them, but having had chance to work with them, I’ve learnt just how versatile they are and I have made a range of pieces now – some that show off their beautiful ‘look at me' shape and other pieces that blend them into my usual style of work making it look as though no other bead would have worked in their place.  Being a member of the very active Facebook group ‘Bohemian Spike Beadwork’ has also opened my eyes, as members from all over the world come together to share an appreciation of Bohemian Czech spike beads.

Showing the work of group members: Connie Whittaker, Helena Tang-Lim, Patrick Duggan, Romana Tschunko, Karolina Emingrova, Mandi Ainsworth, Maggie Roschyk, Jennifer Chasalow VanBenschoten, Aurelio Castano, Sabine Lippert, Melissa Ingram, Hana Hanule Cerna, Susanne Madeo-Mehner.

Perry from York Beads tempts group members by adding pictures of all the new spike beads as they arrive and members are encouraged to share pictures of the pieces they have made using these beads (but Czech spike beads only please or else your pictures will incur the wrath of The Administrator and risk being swallowed by the infamous ‘fire swamp’).  The albums are full of fabulous creations ranging from beadweaving to stringing and crystal clay to embroidery and there are also some fascinating pictures showing how spike beads are made.  If you are looking for some ‘inspikeration’ and for ways to use these exciting new beads or you just want to see what is going on, why not head over to Facebook and join the Bohemian spike group.

These spike beads already come in four different sizes and an amazing array of colours and finishes but now the innovative people at York have added two new very different shaped beads to the spike family – the ‘Beadstud’ and the ‘Pyramid Spike’.  The Beadstud is 12mm in diameter and 8.5mm in height and it has two holes that are 6mm apart.  The Pyramid Spike is 7mm by 11mm and has a single hole.  As well as bringing you the news about these brand new beads, I can also tell you that I am hosting a blog contest and 6 lucky winners will each receive a prize of 48 of these new beads (12 Pyramid Spikes and 12 Beadstuds in Chalk Bronze Luminous and 12 Pyramid Spikes and 12 Beadstuds in Chalk Green Luminous).

I’ve already placed my order and I can’t wait to get my beady fingers on some of these beauties and start experimenting with them.  So if you would like to be in with a chance of receiving this fantastic prize – here is what you need to do: solve the cryptogram below and leave your answer (along with a way to contact you should you be one of the winners) as a comment on this blog entry.  The names of six lucky people will be drawn randomly from the correct answers on Monday the 4^th of March and the winners will be notified - and yes, this contest is open to international entrants! If you cannot see the cryptogram clearly, please follow this link which will take you to a larger version.

Please note that I have changed my blog settings so that all comments are moderated and will not show until after the contest has closed.

So get puzzling and good luck everyone!

Kerrie ♥