Daunting?

Maybe, but I think I have a plan......I think there are times that working without a plan works, but when there are deadlines involved a plan sure helps. It might be that I deviate from the plan as time goes along, but I need a starting point.

Here are just a few of the rings that the Dallas Bead Society gals made for our collaboration. Each one is a little master piece. I love the addition of the Heather glass as well.




My original idea with these ringlets was to place them on undulating waves of ndebele, but I think seeing them from their edge doesn't do them the justice they deserve.

Then I considered a back drop of black aurelia's but the rings need to be center stage. It was suggested beaded chain, and I considered that as well, and came up with some darn cute chain in the process, but it's a lot of rings and I think being en masse is going to be the best design. So I've laid them out and will be connecting them to one another in what I hope will be a pleasing arrangement.

Now that I have a plan, the rest should be easy!

I'm going bead cruising

In fact twice next year.....The first time in March, I've been invited back to teach on the Heather Powers Cruise. The news is out because I just saw it over on Heather's blog. And I must say teaching with Bev, Tracy and Dallas is a tad exciting!

Pictures from the 2009 cruise

Beautiful blue waters

Sustenance




The second cruise isn't quite finalized yet, but I'll be sure to let you know when it is. Let's just say they are two geographically and climatically different cruises. So you'll have to see which one suits you best!

Getting back to this year, Beading by the Bay is next week! Seems like forever ago when Susan and I conceived this brilliant idea and asked Jean and Maggie to join us.

Color

Margie Deeb has once again put together a beautiful publication to guide you through 2010 Spring and Summer colors.



Her skills as a graphic artist are apparent in the clean easy to use layout.



It is an incredibly comprehensive look at not only the color trends but has lot's of additional information regarding how to combine colors. One that I found very helpful was a discussion of proportions and placement. Although I've been intuitively picking colors for my beadwork, Margie's explanations of what works are invaluable.

Oh, and...Aurelia is included in the artist color section!


Along with work by many other designs, all of which demonstrate use of the current trend colors.

More BitterRoot

In case you aren't bored to tears with my BitterRoot....I know at least some of you wanted pictures of the finished shawl, so here you have them.



The yarn used was a Schaefer hand dyed called Heather a merino wool and silk combination.


It is a heavier weight and after having a look at Ravelry, I think a lace weight in this pattern would be quite nice. But for the moment I am swearing off triangular shawls. I'd like my next one to be more of a rectangular wrap.

I love this little detail, sort of like a stained glass window and I wonder how designers figure these things out.




Also for the curious it took about 6 weeks of knitting a few rows in early morning and the occassional long afternoon of knitting. I'm very happy with it.

BitterRoot is Blocking!

Yes, I finished BitterRoot Designer Romi Hill created this beautiful design which captured me because of it's use of beads in the lace. Knitty lists the pattern as piquant which is something akin to intermediate I guess and I suppose it is, but lace is just a combination of knits and purls and yarn overs and knit two togethers, it's no harder then knitting and purling really, it just takes a bit of paying attention. I love to get up in the early morning quiet and knit a few rows. Some people do yoga, I knit lace (hhhmmm....betting yoga would be better for my body)

It's in the process of being wet blocked, a step you just can't ignore with lace. In the matter of a few weeks, it went from this



to this



Blocking lace is transformative, it makes it beautiful and it must be done.
Can you see those beautiful blue iris beads that adorn the outer edges of this shawl (after I typed this, I realized, no, you cannot see that level of detail, so tomorrow you shall have a close up, beads and all), the perfect shawl for San Francisco I might add, which is why I was so highly motivated to finish before Beading by the Bay.
And speaking of Beading by the Bay, there are still a few slots open so if you've been waiting to decide if three days of beading fun fits in your schedule, now is the time to sign up!

Mark's office floor has been pressed into action as a blocking mat and I must wait patiently for it to dry, most probably I don't take it up until tomorrow morning. I can hardly stand the wait, which is funny, because I know you've had this happen, you're beading in public and some non-beader approaches you and says 'You must be so patient...' which I so am not, it amuses me every time.

Serena

I've always felt Serena was an unappreciated

book piece....


bracelets are sometimes hard to capture, and the colors did not translate as well as they might have. So I'm always encouraging people to give it a try, and Paula, owner of the BeadCage did just that!



She used jet ab, with gold and teal and I would say the result is stunning. Thanks Paula!

What colors would you use?

gold aurum crystal with silver and gold seed, red crystal with black and white seed, turqouise ab2x crystal with gold seed.... and do send pictures!

Ringlets!

I'm surrounded by ringlets,

some form the Dallas girls

who are participating in the collaboration, and some from Heather Trimlett who sent more along for some kits I'll be putting togehter



and some from Raquel Fraga, who sent me this lovely rendition



from Marcia DeCoster's Beaded Opulence.

Soon, I will be offering ringlet kits online, bright colors, black and white, all including both Heather rings and the materials to make your very own coordinated seed bead ringlets. I'll keep you posted!