Thursday, July 21, 2011

Beading

I count myself lucky to be part of a family with so many talents.  This past weekend I went to visit my brother and his family and got to have some fun beading with my sister-in-laws (plural) and my little niece and nephews.  My brother's wife, Amy, is a very talented crafter/artist and showed us some basic beading techniques.  Today I'm going to show you how to start your own beaded necklace or bracelet.  In my next blog I'll give a tutorial on how to make a simple pendent to add to your necklace or bracelet. 

Supplies:                              
-A clasp of your choice
 (Toggle, Lobster, etc)
-2 crimp beads
-Fishing line, hemp, etc.
-Needle nose pliers
 or a Crimp tool
-Beads


 Start by cutting a length of fishing line (here we used fishing line but you can use any variety of things to string your beads onto, as long and it's good and sturdy like fishing line or hemp etc) long enough for a necklace or bracelet.  I would suggest making it longer than you think you need because you can always make it shorter but you can't make it longer.  A good starting point would be between 30-40 inches or longer. 

String a crimp bead and one half of your clasp onto your length of fishing line. Thread your line back through the crimp bead, leaving a tail of several inches.  You will thread the length of line and the tail through the beads as your working.  This will give you extra stability and lessen your chances of beads falling off later.  




You should now have a small loop coming out of your crimp bead that has your clasp hanging from it. Using a needle nose pliers press the crimp bead flat. Then going between your two pieces of line press perpendicular on the bead as well.  This will ensure the lines don't fall out of the crimp bead. 


Add your choice of beads until you get the length you want.  Make sure you leave several inches at the end of your line to add the other half of your clasp.  When you've finished adding your beads repeat Step 2 and 3 and thread your tail back through your beading.  Tada you have a beaded necklace.  You can add multiple lengths of beads to your clasp for a layered look or add a pendant for added interest.  You're only limited by your imagination and creativity.





Melissa, my youngest brother's wife, worked on a all pink necklace to which she added a pendant that I'll show you in my next tutorial. Below is one of Amy's many creations.  She loves to mix things up with color and texture.



Everybody got in on the act including my 2 year-old nephew who has already mastered the beading technique. 



Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Oakhaven Pottery



© Jackie Sanders Photography 2011
I love going to art fairs and supporting local artists.  Last week my mom and I went to Faire on the Green put on by Oshkosh's Paine Museum.  It started raining the minute we got in the car to 30 minutes later when we finally found a parking spot.  Luckily the rain stopped and we could enjoy the art fair, soggy though it was.  There were tons of amazing arts and crafts there and despite my lack of funds I usually like to get at least one thing to take home with me.  I had $20 in my pocket and after getting lunch had only $15 to find something awesome.  Finally at the very last booth I found this beautiful piece of pottery for $10.  I love blue pottery.  In a bin full of little glazed bowls this blue one stood out to me with it's hand pressed details and contrast of colors.  Plus it's just so tiny and adorable and perfect to hold little bits of jewelry.
© Jackie Sanders Photography 2011
The artist is a Wisconsin local Eileen McDaniel of Oakhaven Pottery. They had tons of gorgeous pottery that I would have loved to own.  If you like her work check out her website at www.oakhavenpottery.com

Friday, July 15, 2011

Welcome

Welcome to the artsy creative.  This is my first blog ever.  I just graduated college for the second time and unfortunately have quite a bit of time on my hands while I try to figure out the job thing and the life thing.  I'm an artist and a photographer and love just about anything creative.  I look at blogs quite a bit to get ideas for different projects and have been thinking for a long time that I would love to share what I learn and share my own unique ideas as well.  I hope this blog inspires you to try something new.  Thanks for stopping by. 

yours truly,  jackie