Calla Lillies

For some reason, I have been obsessed with Calla Lilies. I really like the flower, and I've been wondering for a long time how I could possibly interpret them in beads. In searching the internet, I haven't really found anyone who has tried to use bead weaving stitches to create one. Ever since I picked up Diane Fitgerald's "Shaped Beadwork", I've been really been crunching the brainpower on it.

On Thursday, I had picked up the latest copy of Beadwork, and on the final page, there was a contest advertised: Beadwork VII: The Beaded Earth. I was suddenly inspired to try and bead the orchid from one of my previous posts (ambitious, much?). While sketching out a few ideas, I finally came to some realization how to actually bead a Calla Lilly.

So, this is prototype one. It's rather pretty, but somewhere in the back of my mind says that its a snowdrop and not a calla lilly. A friend who was over shortly after it was finished said that it was missing the bend-y back sides and wider flower petal. Back to the drawing board.

The picture really doesn't do it justice. You don't really seed the curl of the sides or the tip, but this weas just a quick picture to get it out there. I'm not sure how I feel about this one yet. My thinking is not done yet, I'm still not completely satisfied with how it turned out, so I will keep experimenting.

Wish me luck!

"My" Design?

I'm sure this is a question that every 'hobbyist' or 'amateur' beader asks themselves at one point - what constitutes an original design, and what is simply a small modification of the original? What is original vs. 'inspired by' and is there really a difference? What is a stitch technique, and what is someone's hard-won original work?

Some answers are easier - if you make a piece stitch for stitch, colour for colour from a magazine or book, you're copying! It's certainly not original. Change the colours, but keep everything else? Still copying in my book. Different colours does not an original design make. Change the stitch a little...probably still copying!

So, my discussion piece is above. Stitch - circular flat peyote. No one's got the right to claim that one as exclusive! It's the colour placement - in a recent issue of Beadwork, in my favourite "Seed Bead Style" section, there was this circular flat peyote piece that placed colours in such a way to make them look like they were swirling. Neat! I thought. It's diagonal peyote designs for round things!

In the artist's example, she created a bracelet with her circular flat peyote pieces stitched side by side. I had just completed the main body of "Geometry Experiment #1" (see earlier posts) and was into let's-see-what-happens-if-I-interlink-things stage. The result was above - "Green Gordian" (after the knot). I played with the bead count and made smaller circular peyote pieces to add some dimensional interest. I did a peyote toggle clasp, as in the magazine design.

Is this bracelet "my" design?

Geometry 3

Same basics as my first (below), but I decided to try and get some sort of design out of it. Pentagons lend themselves very easily to star-type patterns. All seed-beads, not cylinder beads. It gives it different texture, as you don't get the little building-block 'click' of cylinders. I think it gives the fabric a bit more personality.

Geometry Continues

So after my 'Geometry Experiment #1', I ended up going to my kinda-local bead store with a co-worker of mine, whom I had newly hooked on beadweaving as well. (Yes, Anna - I am evil.) Diane Fitzgerald is a beadweaver/designer/artist extraordinaire, and when I saw her latest book, Shaped Beadwork, the debate lasted about 12 minutes, but I picked it up.

I am VERY glad I did. While this particular design isn't in the book, the basic instructions for the pentagon and isosceles triangle shapes were. Creating all of the shapes and stitching them all together took a very long time. I'm very happy with the outcome, however. I already have all sorts of plans for this design...especially about how to miniturize it. It's about 2" x 2" all told. I puffed it up by squeezing the sides, then dipped it in Future Floor Polish. It keeps its shape quite nicely now!

Geometry Experiment #1

For years, I've been hooked on netting and all of those possibilities. (If you think netting just creates diamond-patterns, check our Sandra D. Halpenny's site!) I've been curious to try different things, so after I found the instructions on how to make the triangles you see here in yet another magazine, I decided to give it a shot. After all, it was peyote, and I started with peyote.

Hooked! This was so fun to make. The square is me trying to see if the same 'formula' could be applied to other geometrical shapes with straight sides. It was very tight, but it worked. I'm going to be tweaking the bead count a bit and see if I can't come up with something more flexible.

The design was random, and totally mine! The chain is simple, cross-woven strands, with the occasional beaded bead to pull in the dark bronze colour a bit more. The tubes are six beads tall and four beads wide, and the tiny beaded beads are covered 'flying saucer' shaped plastic clear beads I've had kicking around for years. My first attempt at doing beaded beads too! Thanks to Jeanne for helping me figure out what kind of chain would work with this. Clasp is a beaded peyote toggle and peyote loop.