24.10.07 The first workshop I taught, The Hojas drops earrings and fly bracelet

This is a very special day for me.

On the 20.10.07 The Israeli bead commune I belong to celebrated 2 years.

On the 23.10.07 I celebrated one year of beading.

I have discovered that also "Benedicte" has celebrated recently one year of beading.

When I saw her work, I was depressed :0). You are a genius Benedicte! You are a true artist!

Her stuff is just INCREDIBLE.

If you don't know who I am talking about, please visit this site:

http://benedicte01.canalblog.com/ "De perle en perle"

And I also recommend you to rush and buy in her new shop if you can allow yourself, because in a very little time from now it will be 10 time more costy and valuable, I can assure that!

Not to add that "p'tits cailloux" (Olga) - your last autumn collar - How do you do that??? It is A..m..a..z..i..n..g !

When I saw my first beading birthday was getting closer and closer, I decided I must do some special project for celebrating my first beading year.

This event is something which is so exciting for me, it is like a real birthday.

I have few projects in mind I would like to do, but I didn't have much time to actually do them and it requires also a lot of ongoing thoughts which are not here for the moment.

I uploaded some time ago in my bead commune the last two necklaces I did, including the second Hojas collar. I didn't expect that, but the Hojas took most of the attention. My friends asked me for a workshop.

Woow, a workshop to teach!

This was the best present I could offer myself for my first beading birthday!

Before I tell you about the preparations, I must tell you that it was fantastic! I enjoyed so much and felt so good. I couldn't slept after that, too much adrenalin.

For the first time in my life, I really felt I was teaching.

Now about the preparations:

I tried to break apart the collar to its principal motives, explain them and also practice them as much as can be done, in about 2-3 hrs.

I thought about making from the drop motif an earring or a pendant. I had three trials till I understood how I should make it. I even got it finally more flat then in the collar.

I also did the base of the earring with the daisy row, which is the base to the band of the collar.

Here, I cannot forget you Diane Fitzgerald for all your great help in my trial to understand how this band was made (and not only the band, but the main creation itself). Also thank you Chris Prussing, for your sharing and excellent explanations.

After the drop and the band, came the fly motif. I decided to make a bracelet.

Here you will see all the results.

The girls seem to have enjoyed. We had a great atmosphere and good food that each one brought. I don't have a picture of the event but I hope I will keep it for a long time in my mind.

If I get pictures from their work, I will upload it here.

"Bluemchen-collier " - A necklace for 2 brown dresses I bought this summer

I prefer the colors of the original necklace which is taken from the book:
Perlen spielereien, p. 44 "Bluemchen-collier".

However, this one suits very well to the two dresses I wanted to make for the necklace.

I feel my rythm of creating and crafting is just slowing down and down, but I hope it will change soon and that I will find time to do it more again.

My Ootheca cuff appears in Rachel Nelson Smith's site :-)

You can check in the student works category:
http://www.msrachel.com/

I just discover a new amazing creation of her: The "Sea star bangle".
I don't know how you wear that but it is impressing!

16.9.07 Saragura Hojas II - from Matsuno seed beads only

This time I could use my new stock of Japanese seed beads in order to create this collar that I like so much.
As the second one I did (see http://judith27k.blogspot.com/2007/03/hojas-saraguro-collar.html), I think I improved myself and learned from old mistakes - but only one thing remains as before. The collar is not flat, it is dimensional as oppose to the one I tried to reproduce. I still don't really know why, maybe a thread tension story.
Anyway, working with uniform seed beads - it is a complete other story.

21-22.8.07 A set for Nomnom's wedding Olivine dress

The Donuts Ring challenge - you can already guess who inspired me...

This time I made it. A CUBIC DONUTS.

Many Matsuno beads exploded on the way and did to me a lot of troubles - forcing me to shorten the circumference of the ring but finally it was exactly the size I planned it in the beginning. I couldn't believe the sight of Matsuno beads exploding one after the other - in the most critical points! GRRRRRRRRRR..............

I bought these Matsuno beads quiet recently and expected them to be from supreme quality. This isn't the case. They aren't supreme - but still they are quiet good.

I even made an experience before buying more and discovered that with my nylon thread of about 0.2 mm - I can make six passes though each Matsuno bead. After that they just can't make it anymore and they EXPLODE. Interesting to find the limits.

I am now working on a project as a "next chapter" of this ring, but this time I work in a linear way and not circular. I find it much better and if beads explode it isn't such a big deal.

Trying to make a circle - I ended up with a square

It didn't take much time to get strong inspiration from David Chatt which I admire.

I really wanted to challenge myself making a circle according to David Chatt's technique.

It didn't really go, but I still like the results.

I find this ring very suitable also for men. I tried to conviced Omer to go with a ring of this kind but he is not much convinced :)