Hear me roar: I finished a piece of beadwork for myself!
Lately it's been for a class sample, for a kit, for sale, but it seems like ages (though you'll probably tell me it was last week) since I've made something for myself. The silvery leaves worked out exactly as I'd planned, the colour fade on the rope was so much fun that it made it go faster, and best of all, the colours are exactly true to real life: I didn't adjust the photo at all, except to crop it. Wish I could do that on a regular basis.
I do wish I could remember the name of the stone though. My friend Google really was no help at all, as the name I sort of thought I remembered is in fact nasty dull black radioactive stuff which I think this isn't, at least I hope not. Dying of radiation poisoning just isn't among my plans for 2009.
I have taught many, many beading classes, some of which became kits (probably less than half), so I have instructions lying around, not really doing anything, ignored, unloved, unused. My plan is to try to list at least a few each week.
Although you can't see much of it, the rope part of the necklace below is a classic stitch, seen all over the place, fairly impressive to look at, but pretty straightforward actually.
Materials
This is one of the classes that I've taught a few times, and actually sell plenty of kits for, and I never tire of using it. I'm sure I have at least half a dozen necklaces with some amount of cellini spiral joining one bit to another.
If you work it with really really REALLY tight tension and seamlessly weave the beginning to the end, you get a self-supporting bangle, kinda chunky.
Great in contrasting shades, or in my usual monochromatic palette. Or make a couple of short pieces, thread them onto heavy gauge wire with chunky lampwork beads (I made the three below too) and bend the ends to form a clasp, for a more fitted bracelet.
You can also, along the length of the rope, gradually use larger and larger beads to get a more pronounced spiral. Very versatile all round.
Chunky Cellini Bangle Instructions: $5 PDF download
Materials
Japanese size 15 seed beads
Japanese size 11 seed beads
Size 8 seed beads (I've used both Czech and Japanese)
Size 6 seed beads (I've also used both here)
Size 10 or 11 needle (depending on the thread you choose)
Your favourite beading thread
4 comments:
Charlene! It's so...so...bright for you! I'm very proud that you suppressed any urges to make it mud colored. Seriously, though - gorgeous!
Hey! I resemble that remark!
rhodochrosite?
I don't think so.
I've never seen anything quite like this. It's deeper and slightly redder than rhodocrosite, and the borders between the different colours are sort of bitty, like an emulsion that's falling apart, rather than like contour lines on a map, which is what I've generally seen on rhodocrosite. The non-pinkish parts are agate-like in their translucency, sort of a warm greyish.
When I bought it (at a bead show, I can't even remember which one) the seller told me the name, told me it was rare (I know, I know, there's one born every minute) and from Sweden or Norway or somewhere in the area. I can't remember anything useful. I seem to think the name may have started with "th", and sounded dull, dry and sort of scientific like an unexciting element that's too boring to give an attractive common name.
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