The January/February Challenge

Hi everyone,

Sarah here, I'm kicking off the 2017 challenges with a 2 month creative challenge - In the Shadows.  

Before I get to that though, I'd like to say a big thank you to Liz for all the work she's done on the challenges and the pleasure she's given us through them! I know lots of us have explored different colour combinations, tried new stitches and expanded our skills through participating and I'm sure you’ll all join with me in saying thank you! Liz isn't leaving the blog completely though, so I’m sure you'll see her around and about on occasion.

This months challenge is a 2 month creative challenge on the theme of “In the shadows”, I haven't included a picture because I want you to interpret the theme in your own way.

To get you thinking, here are some starting points; a monochrome colour scheme including light and shade, representing a movie/character/song/book etc that in your opinion is overshadowed, creating a piece for a creature that lives in shadows, eg a Vampire. Don't limit yourself to these though, let your imagination run wild!

Alongside your entry please write up a short paragraph including your inspiration and how your entry relates to the challenge theme.

THE PRIZE:

This month our sponsor is Celia and she's offering a £15 voucher to spend in her online shop Jencel!

HOW TO ENTER:

Email a photograph of your entry to Sarah at ottbs@live.com along with any other details we have asked for. The challenge runs until Midnight on Tuesday the 28th of February and the winner is drawn and announced within 3 days. You can email your entry at any time during the 2 month period. The challenge is open to beaders worldwide.

RULES & OTHER INFORMATION:

• Entries must have been started on or after January 1st 2017.
• You can make any item, it does not need to be jewellery.
• You can use any craft technique but it must include beads.
• Your entry must be a finished piece and include a paragraph on your inspiration and how your entry relates to the challenge theme.
• If your entry isn't your own design you must credit the original designer.

There is more detailed information on the challenge here but if you have any questions please leave a comment below or email us. 

Have fun and happy beading!

Sarah

Beaded Fantasies {Bead, Book & Bounce}

I'm so excited to announce that the latest book in our Bead, Book & Bounce feature is Sabine Lippert's Beaded Fantasies. As always, if you have already finished projects from our Bead, Book & Bounce choice, you're welcome to share them when we 'reveal and review', or you might like to create additional projects using the patterns as an inspiration and changing them to suit your tastes!

"This book is a glorious riot of colour and beautiful beads." Dee Wingrove Smith.

Read the remainder of Dee's Book Review: Sabine Lippert's Beaded Fantasies on her wonderful blog, Beady Musings. There is also an excellent review of Beaded Fantasies on the Speedie Beadie blog.

Patterns In Other Places -

If Beaded Fantasties isn't already on your bookshelf, or you're not quite ready to commit to a purchase, there are two free downloadable projects available from the Lark Crafts Blog - Les Fleurs Necklace and Purple Rope Necklace. Both are beyond beautiful!

And, If You're Interested -

Sabine's blog, Try To Bead, is a veritable feast of delicious projects including an inspirational gallery, project kits and free patterns. You can also read an Interview With Sabine Lippert, with advice for budding beaders and would be designers!

Introducing - Bead, Book & Bounce

I can’t speak for everyone else, but I own a beautiful collection of books that have been given to me by friends and family - who seemed to believe that I had mastered each and every beading stitch and had the confidence to tackle some complex projects. So far, I haven't made a single project! 

It’s all looked a little bit over-facing, but I think it’s about time that I challenged myself and I’d very much like you to all to join me in dusting off your beading books with our new feature - Bead, Book & Bounce.

We’ve chosen some of the most popular beading books and each month, we’d like you to join us in choosing a project from that book - perhaps one that you’ve always had your eye on - to make along with us for the next two months.

We’ve tried hard to choose books with a variety of projects - so that no matter what your interests, skill level or budget – there should be something for you.

How It Will Work

Start Date – On the 7^th of each month, we’ll reveal the name of the beading book that we’ll be working from over the next two months. We’ll link to existing book reviews and projects that have been made from, or inspired by, the book. You’ll then have two months to blow the cobwebs off your own copy, sort through your beadstash and work on a project from the current book.

Projects – You can choose any project from within the current book and you’re welcome to make that project ‘as is’ or make your own adjustments - whether that be to colour, beads or the basic pattern. We do not want to limit you, we want to encourage you!

Reveal Date – On the reveal date – the 6^th of each month - we’ll post a list of participants on the main OTTBS Blog. We’ll then encourage you to ‘bounce’ across to everyone’s individual blog to read their personal reviews of the book and see some photographs of their finished project. That way, everyone gets to show off their amazing work!

Anyone who doesn’t have their own blog, can upload photographs to folders on the Facebook Group or to our FlickrPool - so they won’t miss out on having their work ‘oohed and ahhed’ over by other participants.

Note: Once underway, there will always be two beading books in progression. So, you could find yourselves working on two projects at once - but only if you want to. There’s no pressure. We just want to keep things interesting.

Book Review: Not Your Mama’s Beading by Kate Shoup Welsh

I discovered this book a few years ago while browsing in the local library. After bringing it home and flicking through it, I instantly went online and bought myself a copy! As you can see from the cover it’s not your typical beading book.

What I liked most about this book, and I have to admit that it was the main reason for buying it, is that it’s a lot of fun to read! But along with all the witty banter there is a lot of useful information and tips. The other reason was that I fell in love with “Billy Idol Called-He Wants His Bracelet Back”, a punk style cuff made with Swarovski bicones.

The book is divided into three parts:

• Part one is “Brushing up on Beading” which contains the history of beading, information on different types of beads and findings and instructions for the basics such as stringing, crimping, knotting and beadweaving.
• Part two contains all the project chapters: Necklace Drivers, Cuff Stuff, With This Ring (And These Earrings) I Thee Thread, Ornamentation Nation and Gifts Flair For Your Pied a Terre.
• And part three is an appendix of resourses such as recommended beading books, magazines, online bead suppliers and bead shows. Unfortunately it appears that the author has forgotten the rest of the world as they are all US based. There are also a couple of peyote and RAW graph sheets for designing your own patterns, seed beads per inch tables, life size bead charts to check your bead size, average bracelet and necklace lengths and a guide to wire gauges.
  

The majority of the book is printed in black, white and blue and for the most part has only drawings and diagrams. The photos of the projects are all in the middle, in full colour glossy pages. In a way, it’s nice to see them all together but it could make working the projects a little difficult if you have to flick back and forth between the project and its accompanying photo. There are little black and white photos on the project’s page but they’re too small to be of much use.



I feel this is very much a beginners book. Many of the projects are fairly easy with the use of wire wrapped dangles and stringing but there’s also some beadweaving projects. But as with most books there's usually something you don't like. For me it's that this book may be trying a little too hard to be cool and different and the way it's written can be annoying after a while! And part from my initial excitement I haven’t gone back to this book to create any of the projects, not even the cuff I fell in love with. Overall, a nice book with a lot of really useful information but because I feel that the designs let it down, I wish I’d stuck to getting it on loan from the library.

Not Your Mama's Beading
By Kate Shoup Welsh
Published by John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Reviewed by Liz

2012 Frog or Finish A Long - February Goals

Welcome to the February Frog or Finish A long Goals, this month five of us from the Facebook Group have nominated projects to finish during the month.

Dee has carried over her Jean Power's kit from January,


Rebecca has also carried her rope over from last month,


Erika has chosen this bead embroidered cuff to work on in February, "I'm afraid I've got far too many UFOs. This one is a cuff bracelet that I started in Sept at a workshop with Laura McCabe. The picture isn't great as the leather it's on is actually a really pretty metallic plum colour. I've never attempted bead embroidery before and find it quite challenging. I really hope this will make me finish it!"


Gemma says, "I've had this bracelet on the go for what feels like forever. Its nearly done but I need some incentive to finish it as I'm bored with all the fringing. In fact I said I was going to finish it last year when we set beadbusting goals in May but I only managed a few extra rows. Bad Gemma! I'm calling it Anemone Cuff. Its based on the "Sea Urchin" project by Stephanie Burnham from the BWG journal 2006 and I probably started it that year so its high time I finished it! All I have to do is finish off the fringing in the 15s and find some sort of clasp."


I originally made these yellow tulips as earrings, but am just not that happy with them. They are quite small (and really tightly woven!)so I don't want to frog them but think they will be lovely on the ends of a lariat, so my project this month is to make the lariat rope and any other embellishments needed so that these will finally be part of a wearable finished object.


Check back later this month to see how we do.

Happy beading!

Sarahx

Pattern Finds - Wireless Earrings

I adore big hooped earrings, so when I saw these beauties by Cynthia Newcomer Daniel of Etsy Store Jewelery Tales, I almost swooned! These are definitely going on my list for the OTTBS Facebook group Earring challenge.


(as always click on the pic to go to the listing)

Happy beading!

Sarahx

2012 Finish or Frog Along - January

I have lots of old UFOs (unfinished objects) lurking in boxes around the house that I really need to do something about! Knowing that I would not be on my own, I put a call out to our Facebook Group (Link top right) and asked if anybody wanted to join in with a 2012 Finish or Frog Along. The idea is that we pick one UFO a month and decide whether to finish it or frog it, I am hoping that I will either end up with 12 pieces of jewellery or a nice pile of pretty beads to make into something else! Luckily a few people were up for the challenge and here are the UFOs chosen to be either finished or frogged this month.

Rebecca is going to finish this gorgeous rope,"Here is my UFO! It's going to be a CRAW rope, with a pretzel shaped knot attached to the bezel. No idea what the stone is, but it's pretty... it looks like icing! The rope needs to be a lot longer, and I'd like to embellish around the cab a bit more... but I'll just see how it turns out!!"



Dee has chosen this stunning Jean Powers kit to finish,"Sadly my Jean Power bangle kit didn't get finished so here is the current state of play, which I hope to improve by the end of the month and get it finished."



In fact Dee has already made some progress!



This unfinished necklace from Catherine made me swoon, I can't wait to see it finished! Catherine says, "This is my version of Jill Devon's Moonshadow necklace in greens and golds, with some of my precious stash rivolis (it takes several different size ones, but different colours work well in pairs). I completed this part in August but still haven't got the rope done so I hope I can complete this in a reasonable time and even wear it this Spring/Summer.



My chosen UFO is this little piece of right angle weave. RAW is not my favourite stitch as it takes me too long, which is why I haven't finished this, even though I do really like the way it looks. I doubt I will finish it as a bracelet, but maybe use it as a focal in a necklace.



If you have a UFO that you would like to finish this month, please join in! Check back later this month to see how we get on.

Happy finishing!

Sarahx

Earring Reveal 4

Lots of lovely earrings have been landing through the letter boxes this week! We have another 6 pairs to drool over today!

First up from Catherine to Clare,




Next from Rachel to Vickie,


These beauties are from a pattern by Nancy Dale (NEDBeads on Etsy)


And from Vickie to Rachel,




Aren't they all gorgeous?

Happy beading,

Sarahx

Stash Busting Beadalong Progress 1.

Gosh that week has gone so quickly! I hope you have all been enjoying the earring reveals, I know I have, such gorgeous work and more to come!

I am happy to have some great progress to report and also a new goal from Gloria! Check out the pictures below.

Gloria is joining this week and this what she has to say about her goal - I was lucky enough to get a place on a Laura McCabe workshop held in Scotland during September. The workshop that I attended was for Laura's Treasure Necklace. This is a really special necklace made up of 9 beaded lockets - each of which open up to reveal a small box. Techniques include herringbone and peyote stitch with embellishment. I didn't get much done during the workshop - I was enjoying the company too much!! The OTTBS progress blog has given me all the inspiration I need to actually finish this piece - thanks!


Catherine - Here is the first week's progress on Laura McCabe's Stargazer bracelet. I have a full time job and a son of 13 so bead time can be a bit sporadic. I'll often go for a 'quick fix project' so I have a finished item fairly quickly, but component based projects like these are also good! Where I usually stall is in the 'joining up and finishing', so I may need more encouragement there!


Sarah - I furiously beaded last weekend while watching Strictly Come Dancing and X Factor and was surprised by how much progress I made. I have completed most of the focal, this weekend I will make the Pagoda embellishments and the focal will be complete. I have made a few adjustments to the colour way as I go along, but I am pretty happy with it so far.


Jo - Not much beading time but stage 1 is complete! 4 sparkly bezelled rivolis. The next step is to bezel the points which is something new for me so will try and get that done this week!


Check back with us next week!

Happy beading,

Sarahx

Pattern Finds - Parisian Beadwoven Earrings

Well since we are in the middle of our earring swap, I have them on my mind at the moment! These Parisian Beadwoven Earrings from Peyote Bead Art on Etsy are just so gorgeous, I knew I had to share them here, and of course they would make perfect stocking fillers! As always, click on the picture to be taken directly to the listing.



Happy beading!

Sarahx

Night and Day Earring Reveal 2

I have a bumper crop of earrings to share with you today! No less than 6 beautiful pairs of earrings.

Rebecca made this beautiful pair of Day earrings for Carol from a pattern by Diane Fitzgerald


These gorgeous Night earrings, deigned by Ellad2 were also from Rebecca to Carol.


Gill made these stunning Rivoli Day earrings for Lesley.


Gill also made these gloriously bling Night earrings,


Jo made these gorgeous Pheasible Knot Day Earrings for Faye.


and also these stunning cubic raw Night earrings.


I am so impressed with the individuality and talent shown in all these earrings, I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I do!

Happy beading,

Sarahx

Stash Busting Beadalong!

This week I have been flicking through my copy of Laura McCabe's fabulous book Embellished Beadweaving and deciding that it really is time for me to actually make something from it. I decided and I would try the April Showers Necklace using stash beads and that I would set myself a goal of finishing it by Christmas. I mentioned this on our Facebook group and luckily a couple of our members have decided to join me and have set goals too, we will post our progress on a weekly basis, hopefully this will keep us motivated!

Here is a photo of the April Showers Necklace and the beads that I have chosen, I don't have a huge selection of size 15's, as I really don't like using them so I am using 4 colours of those instead of 5 and I am using drops instead of magatema's. The colour combo isn't one I would generally choose but I do think it will be very rich and a great Christmas necklace.



Jo is making this lovely Orb Kit and says "I actually have 2 of these gorgeous orb kits as I requested a different colourway from the usual goldstone and the lovely Laura McCabe kindly gave me several to choose from. The custom cut points in the kit are Norweigan Moonstone and they have iridescent flashes in them similar to labradorite. They have been matched perfectly with the monotone palate of beads that Laura has chosen to compliment them. I've only had this kit for around a month but it was already languishing in my bead box which is hidden away in the understairs cupboard. Hopefully by agreeing to keep Sarah company on this Christmas project my lovely necklace may even get worn this year!"



Catherine says "Here's a picture of the Laura McCabe bracelet kit I want to complete
for my Mum by Christmas, it's the class I did in September called Star Gazer. I haven't even opened the packets yet, as in the class I was working on a different version for myself. I know I CAN complete this, but need a little encouragement to keep me going to completion. The colours in this are Mum's favourites so I hope she will like it although she rarely wears jewellery that isn't rings or earrings. It should be really sparkly. I am going to be sneaky when I see her next to get a wrist measurement"



This beadalong has turned into a bit of a Laura McCabe-along! I can't wait to see the progress that we make. Thank you so much to Catherine & Jo for joining in!

Happy beading!

Sarahx

Day & Night Earring Swap - Sign ups closed

Well sign up is now closed for the swap and in total we have 20 swappees, what a great response, thank you to everyone who signed up!

Main Swap Details

Sign up by 7th October 2011
Contact partner for details etc by 14th October 2011
Send out your 2 pairs of earrings by 29th October 2011
Email partner and me once you have received your earrings.
Add your photo's to Flickr once you know your partner has received her earrings.

Partner e-mails have been sent out, so if you have signed up & haven't heard from me, please e-mail me on librabeader at gmail dot com

I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with!

Happy swapping!

Sarahx

Now Closed - Facebook Celebration Giveaway!

Today we welcomed our 100 Facebook Group member, so I thought a giveaway was in order! I rummaged through my stash and came up with the items above, there are tiny cube beads, 11's, 15's, drop beads, a lampwork bead and a sterling silver frame.

All you need to do is comment on this post by Midnight Thursday 1st September, I will then use Random.org to choose 1 lucky winner. You don't need to be a member of the group, though we would love to have you with us! There is a link in the sidebar on the right.

ETA: Please comment only once on this post, to keep things easier when I am using the Random Generator, Thank you!

Good luck and happy beading!

Sarahx

Bracelet Swap Reveal!

The wait is over! The bracelet swap reveal is finally here. Thank you to all the participants for making this swap so much fun! The bracelets are all beautiful and I know everyone is happy with their gifts. Don't worry if you missed out, we'll be doing another one in the Autumn.

Shirley to Norma

Mary to Tamara Tamara to Mary

Danielle to Erin Liz to Sarah Faye to Catherine Gemma to Donna Kit to Shirley

Carol to Vickie Vickie to Lesley Donna to Carol

Lesley to Liz Catherine to Gemma Sarah to Faye

Norma to Danielle Erin to Kit.

Happy Beading!

Sarahx