Blue Bear Beads Blog

Even Count Flat Peyote Stitch – Two Needle Start

Figure 1 Pull 2 full arm lengths of nymo off the spool and thread a needle on each end of the thread. Turn the graph 90º. We will be completing the first 3 rows of the peyote graph in one step. Pick up 2 gold beads (with either needle) and pull them down to the center of the thread. Pick up 1 gold bead, pass both needles through it, and pull it down to the center of the thread. Pick up 1 gold bead on one needle and 1 blue bead on the other needle. Pull them down to the center.

Figure 2 Follow your graph or Figure 2 at left until the row is completed. Tighten the beads so that they fit snugly but comfortably together. Pass one needle through the last bead leaving a loop of thread on the outside of the bead. Be careful not to split the threads that are inside of the bead. Remove the needle from 1 thread and park it out of the way until it is needed. To keep it from tangling you may wish to roll it around a small piece of paper or cardboard or place it into a small ziplock baggie.

Figure 3 Turn your beadwork 90º clockwise. Pick up the thread with needle attached, pick up 1 gold bead and pass back through the last bead on the previous row (heading towards your left hand). This bead will fit in the recessed or “innie” space. Pick up 1 blue bead and pass through the next protruding bead (“outie” bead). Following the peyote graph continue across the row in this manner.

Figure 4 To turn and start a new row simply pick up the next bead and continue working across the new row in the same manner.

Figure 5 Repeat the same turn on the end with the parked thread. Turn and start a new row by simply picking up the next bead and continue working across the new row in the same manner.

I made the front page of Etsy!

Yippee! I was picked by the Storque to be on the front page of Etsy! If you aren’t familiar with Etsy then you MUST check them out. They are a site of LOTS of handmade artists with store all their own. Go get your credit card and sit down. Yes, I AM trying to get you in trouble.

Anyway…this afternoon I made the front page with one of my Sgrafitto Porcelain Wall Boxes. No it’s not a bead, but it is my other passion. Below is a screen shot of the Etsy page. Mine is the on the top row in the middle. The front page changes frequently so I had to preserve it for prosperity!

If you would like to see more of my ceramic art then visit http://www.dawndalto.net

Threading the Needle

One of the most difficult tasks to learn in beadweaving is threading the needle.  In one hand you have this super thin needle with an almost invisible hole and in the other you have a piece of thread that is supposed to go through that same hole that you just can’s see.  Here’s some advice on thread choices and on how to finally thread the needle.

Thread Choices:  My preference in beading threads is NYMO D.  There are other manufacturers of threads, such as Silamide, Conso, Kevlar, etc. but I have been most comfortable with NYMO.  If you have the opportunity try out some of the other threads on the market and find what works best for you.  Match your thread color to your bead color.  If that is impossible, remember that a darker color will recede between the beads and not be as apparent in your work.  Also keep in mind when working with transparent beads that the color of your thread will affect the color of your beads.

Needling the Thread:  Proper threading helps to cut down on the thread twisting and knotting while you work. The secret is to thread the needle before cutting the length of thread off of the bobbin.  Threads are slightly twisted, and doing this will insure that you are always using the correct end of the thread.  Threading a beading needle is usually the hardest thing for a beginning beader.  Rather than thread my needle, I needle my thread.  To do this hold the thread between your index finger and thumb only leaving the tip of the thread peeking out from your fingers.  Push the needle eye onto the thread and pull gently as it comes through the eye of the needle.  If you have trouble flip the needle over and try the other side of the needle eye. (Needles have good sides and bad sides.)  I recommend a thread length of approximately 2 yards.  You will work with longer threads in beading than you may be accustomed to in needlework.  However, as with any art do what is comfortable for you.  If you cannot manage a longer thread without knotting use shorter lengths.  The only difference is that you will need to start a new thread more often.

Now go forth and BEAD!

Bead Artist in the Spotlight…Sig Wynne Evans

Welcome to a new feature of the Blue Bear Beads Blog. Each week (or more often if possible) I am featuring a bead artist. This segment is on Sig Wynne Evans. Sig is an extremely talented artist who I admired long before we met. She and I share a common love of bears and photo-realistic beadwork. Below are her answers to my “interview” questions.

How did you come to the glamorous world of beads? I stumbled in to the bead world back in 1983. There was a gallery around the corner where I used to live in Saratoga Springs NY that had some amazing beadwork. It was done by a man, which was enough to amaze me at the time, and then how it was displayed against the black background with the lights on it, just sparkled more than anything I had ever seen. Plus the style, very deco looking necklaces with lots of fringe. I wanted to wear one out to the Discos I used to frequent!
There was another shop in Provence Town Mass that inspired me during the same time period. It was a long narrow store with nothing but beadwork. Amazing earrings, necklaces, and something I had not seen since. They had these leg coverings, almost like fishnet stockings, with tassels here and there, and a beaded garter on elastic to hold them up mid thigh. I cant imagine wearing something like that, but I was intrigued.
An aquaintance who lived in my building was fantastic at beadwork, especially bead embroidery. I tried desperately to get her to teach me, even the promise of money never seemed to convince her to make the time, or sober up long enough to teach me. So I gave up asking her, and went to the local bookstore. I looked up “Beads” in their “Books in Print” catalogue. There were perhaps 8 titles on beadwork at the time (can you imagine that!!). One of the was Techniques of Beaded Earrings by Deon Delange. I ordered it sight unseen. When it came in, I could hardly contain myself! It was EXACTLY what I wanted! I was jumping up and down. I am sure the clerk thought I was nuts! I went to the only place I could buy beads (Woolworths) bought a package of all the colors they had, needle and thread, and went home. As they say, the rest is History.

What made you start designing and selling your patterns? I started designing because I got bored with the geometric designs. There are just so many geometrics you can do before you go stark raving mad. It gets DULL really fast.
By this time, I had moved to San Jose, CA. There was an ad in the Sunday paper for a local upscale restaurant. A couple was having dinner and wine. What caught my eye was the stained glass peacock in the background. I was so entranced by it, I wanted to capture that peacock in an earring. So I drew little boxes for beads, got my colored pencils and about an hour later, I designed my first earring. I sold DOZENS of the Peacock Earring at a local beadstore. That encouraged me to create more designs. Which lead me later to sell the designs in booklets, and become published. This first peacock design can be found in Earring Designs By Sig Vol 1 Published by Eagles View Publishing, Utah.

Do you have one piece that you have done that is your favorite (or
current favorite)? I would find it hard to pick a favorite of my beadwork or designs. The peacock will always hold a special place in my heart, because it got me started. I think the most technically difficult was the Race Horse and Jockey, since this piece is 3D based totally on peyote with no internal stuffing. It is totally hollow. The same goes for a necklace I had on exhibit at Celestial Seasonings in Boulder CO. They had a call for entries for art work inspired by their tea boxes. I chose Mint Magic. This was the first piece I ever had accepted into an art exhibit! I was thrilled. They had it for a year. Also, Peepers (on my website) makes me smile every time I see him. He is just so bright and looks like trouble!

Do you have any special plans or goals for the future? To add more to The Cracked Bead. Just to keep working on more projects as I have been, and I have been toying with some other wierd ideas. Don’t know if they will pan out, since I get really wierd ideas at times. Sometimes they work, other times they fall flat on their nose. But thats what makes creating fun, right??

You can find Sig at http://www.beadedbear.com

Calling all Bead Artists!

Would you like to be featured on the Blue Bear Beads Blog?!  I am searching for talented bead artists to feature.  Post a little bit about yourself and what you do and send me a link to some of your work for review.

Grammy Glass…Another Fabulous Lampwork Artist

Tonight I wanted to share with you one of my favorite lampwork artists…Janie Jones of Grammy Glass. Janie is based out of Charlotte, NC but you can find her at quite a few shows across the Southeast and also at the Bead & Button Show in Milwaukee, WI. Janie is the the artist who made the wonderful lampwork beads shown in one of the Fuzzy Bead Bracelets that is featured in my Fuzzy Bead Pattern.

Please visit Janie at http://www.grammyglass.com

and click here for info on how to make Fuzzy Beads

Making artist focal beads your own

Do you LOVE to collect “Artist Beads” and then have a hard time making them reflect your style rather than the beads? It’s a challenge and one that I think Susan Barton of Archaic Design has overcome. Her own style shines through and is enhanced rather than overshadowed by this fabulous bead by Anne Choi.

Be sure to visit Archaic Designs on Etsy at: http://archaicdesign.etsy.com

and to see more of Anne Choi’s fabulous beads visit: www.annechoi.com

Raku Beads from Smoking Turtle Studio

I have just finished adding some fabulous raku beads from Smoking Turtle Studio to the site. Les Powell, who happens to be my sweetie, is a talented potter who specializes in alternative firing techniques. After much nudging he developed a raku bead line a few years ago. He is no longer making beads so get them while you can!

I would love to see some of your work using his beads if you have purchased them from us at shows or from the net. Please feel free to add a comment and upload a picture.

Here is a link to the raku beads on the site:
http://www.bluebearbeads.com/products.php?cat=27

They are also available on my Etsy site:
http://www.bluebearbeads.etsy.com

Time Management

Whew! Are you “time management” challenged too? Lately there doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day. Of course, part of this for me has been that I have been hit with one illness or another for the past 2 (almost 3) weeks. I went to work this morning and then came home with a stomach bug. I am quite sick of being sick!

Now, how to overcome! Any ideas? At present I work a full time day job and have 3 businesses. This afternoon I was involved in a lovely discussion on Etsy about this very issue. Some of the ideas shared were:

• Keep a notebook with you to jot anything and everything in (of course you do have to remember to read it too!)
• I have lost of great ideas in the car…how about a mini tape recorder
• Establish an office/creative space that is exclusively used for the intended purpose and don’t let the rest of the family take over.