Florally Challenged

Toho Challenge 2013

Last year I was invited to participate in the Toho Challenge. We were each given this delicious mix of beads and asked to simply, 'Go play!'. It's no secret that I love green, especially the sour limes and olive shades, so look who was a happy bunny when the beads were handed over!
The pack include seed beads in various shapes and sizes, CzechMate two hole tiles and daggers and some plump oversized drop beads. The idea is to incorporate as many of the beads as possible.

Not all the designs are featured on the website, as many designers join in to participate over a year long period, but you can see lots of amazing and beautiful pieces here.

The first little bits and pieces

The bead pack also contained a lot of beads. One of my default rules is that I tell myself, 'I don't do big, I do dainty', so I decided to challenge myself to do 'big'... with so many beads... how could I not!
The colour palette was organic, so floral themes seemed a natural starting point. I approached making a statement size piece by starting small. I also opted for familiar shapes and began with an Albion stitch tropical flower. This gave me a simple way to keep on adding small pieces.

love the two hole CzechMate Dagger beads!

The plan was shaping up, but the next big challenge was the newer territory of engineering; to create an underlying structure that would sit well, support the elements, but still move easily.

Next, I adapted stitches to include as many of the beads in the pack as possible, which was a fun challenge and taught me heaps about ripping out and doing over, until I 'got' how to use beads with two holes instead of the usual one.

mannequin test run

The finished necklace

All the different sections were pinned and re-pinned until I settled on an arrangement, it's amazing how hard asymmetry can be to balance.
Finally, it was all stitched together and the whole piece road tested to make sure it was comfortable to wear and behaved how a necklace should.
The necklace was posted off to the USA, arrived safely and will now be displayed along side the other entrants at shows and events.



I loved every minute of the process and I'm so happy! because now I've been invited to participate again this year... the beads have just arrived. I can't wait to start playing, they are an enticing new challenge.

Rosy Ribbons

Vintage inspired beaded ribbon bracelets

I love the fashion for wrapped bracelets and my Huckeberry Buckle workshop is all about beaded ribbons and embellished buckles. I can now confess that when I first designed it was a working 'in theory' idea.
A beaded ribbon is not like a real ribbon, it is rigid, it takes up space, it needs to have room to move and it definitely hates being pushed in and out of a buckle repeatedly.
What followed was a search for a neat and dainty, yet everso discreet clasp that I could include in my design, getting me past the technical hitch stages and back into gorgeous design territory again.
Happily the 'in-line' clasps, which I now have in my little store, are perfect for any narrow beaded bracelet designs and have proved really popular. At shows I have a demonstration bracelet, which is a double or triple length wrap bracelet... can't tell you how many times I've been asked for the pattern!
So, the pattern is now included with all orders for in-line clasps, it's also to celebrate that I have a new colour of clasp in store now, to go with matt vintage bronze finish and shiny silver plate there is now a slinky dark shiny pewtery gunmetal colour too...mmm

Beadworkers Guild party time

May means the Beadworkers Guild get together... on alternate years a festival of beading over four days... then in between an event like this weekend, a saturday Bead-in a sunday of shopping and many many hours of chatting and inspiration. I decided to treat myself to a day of beading before setting up my stall for the sunday bazaar. This year the inspiration was the work of  Mr Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his lovely Margaret MacDonald.
Now I'm a weeny bit ambivalent about latching on to an artist or art movement and 'being inspired' specially if it's someone who's work I already admire or a genre that I enjoy. But spending a day in the company of beaders being inspired, has warmed me to the concept.

Carefully thought out display boards for inspiration

First, the Guild had organised some colourful inspiration board, then invited a speaker from a little known architectural gem by Macintosh called 78 Derngate in Northampton. The talk was a fascinating insight into this less well known Mackintosh interior design.

My nearly finished idea

Next, the committee members and volunteers had prepared pieces, some with charts to follow for the less experienced beaders, others to kick start our creative ideas. I was supposed to be among these volunteers... but time ran away with me and all I could present on the day was a nearly finished piece...

Maureen Lord gets clever with iconic motifs

I found the variety of ideas and techniques very inspiring, yes even the simple re-interpretation of roses and grids looked really lovely, like glass mosaics, and among the most worked design on the day by members who didn't feel quite ready to begin to design  in public.

Around the room there were lots of boxes of crayons and sketchbooks being put to good service.
I think my favourite submission was this clever crystal creation by my friend Tracy Clegg, I usually instantly love and covet her work, this piece was so watery and pale and utterly divine!

Tracy's divinely watery rose pendant

So, with all that inspiration to see, you want to know what I did, sigh! I spent a great part of the day not beading, but chatting.
I began a bezel with thoughts of a grid like thing, but the bead count would only divide into three, then I made a boo and what should have been a crisp triangle got rounded shoulders... but do you know what? it was a grand day out just the same!

My experiment which might
be a design one day!

The rest of the weekend wizzed by in a blur of catching up with so many friends, many of whom I only get to see at Guild events. Then a whole day of meeting beaders and selling my kits, books and designs on Sunday. It's always such a lovely experience, fascinating to find out what people want to be beading and yes, rummaging in their goody bags... I have no shame and will delve into any promising looking shopping bags as they go by. I did a little shop myself and will show and share my stash when it is unpacked. For now I'd just like to raise three cheers for the Beadworkers Guild, another brilliant event.

Oh! and did I mention the challenge? every year the Guild has a challenge, all members can enter. This year the beadwork on display was so good! I just wish more folk would enter... and as I didn't myself this year I can only promise to try and do better next year... I'm loving the title so it should be fun to enter... which looks like another watch this space moment.

Meanwhile, if you are in need of a lovely beady packed quarterly magazine, access to a website full of beady info and maybe in need of some beady chums in your neighbourhood... sign on and become a Guild member, they are a fab bunch of people.

Romance with friends

sugar candy, mmmm!

I love a good wedding, no really, there is nothing better than the opportunity to dress up and party!
just before Easter we went to our friends 'renewal of vows' wedding. This was truly a no expenses spared (thank you so much my lovelies, you know who you are), kind of day. An unashamedly romantic day too, with poetry and love, laughter and the best kinds of tears... the happy couple's grown up children part of the celebration and a lifetime of friends and family to join in.
Post vow making was the best buffet ever... little paper bags and jars and jars of delicious sweets... those magical confections that the corner shop had in penny amounts on saturday mornings, sticky bliss!

The cake was a divine confection of chocolate and strawberry, and the day flow by in a dazzle of afternoon tea, roulette tables, dancing, entertainers, more food and fireworks. I still cannot fathom how that magician made the wine bottle sink through the table (no really!), nor how I started by holding a pack of cards and ended holding a block of glass... without noticing... and I don't drink!!!!
Like all good parties, we as guests were blissfully oblivious to the year long preparations, the hours and hours of work to get so many lovely details in place.
As an off duty designer I couldn't help but love the colours, a gentle chocolate and strawberry theme, with clever vintage mixes. The bridal party were in adorable '50's outfits, grown up bridesmaids in flatteringly bitter chocolate silk, flower girls in  dreamy cream with little fur bolero's and tippets, and all the guys in Gatsby smart suits and correspondent shoes. I loved the flowers too, just look at this bridesmaids bouquet... definitely going to have to explore this colour mix!!!

two lovely peeps

Delicious colours on a delightful day