My Beadwork Blog and Gallery

Beading is a bit of an obsession. My beadwork blog is home to my thoughts on pieces I am working on, techniques I am learning, and my beading inspirations. I live in Bournemouth, Dorset and am mum to two gorgeous young children. I volunteer at both school and toddler group, and work part-time in online ad production. I try to fit in as much beading here and there as I can, for both relaxation, and to stretch and expand my creative side. I've learnt a variety of textile crafts over the years, but have always loved jewellery-making. I enjoy wirework, but beadweaving and bead embroidery have proved to be my favourite mediums, and it is these types of beadwork that I always seem to come back to. I love the colour and feel of beads, planning new projects, learning new techniques and of course, bead shopping! I read a wide variety of beading magazines and books, and apart from the occasional workshop, am primarily self-taught.

Sunday, 10 July 2011

Nearly there with my Blue Vintage Cabochon Bead Embroidered Collar!

Apologies for this being the first post in six weeks! I still have some pieces to add to my galleries, but it has been a choice of blogging or beading around the everyday melee. Beading won and as a result this collar is taking a shorter time to complete than my Green Shell Cabochon Collar.

Here it is so far - I have embroidered, embellished, lined, and backed with ultrasuede, so I just have the edging and some fringe to go!



It would have been even quicker if I hadn't spent so much time unpicking it! My initial design only used the large focal cabochon, but I then added the smaller ones and edged them all with sequins.

 As I beaded, I realised that the two styles I was trying to combine just didn't go together.  I wanted a one piece collar, but the way it was going it would only have worked by splitting it up into components and then reattaching them. So after much unpicking and re-stitching, I now have a collar I am happy with. Although revising a design can often make it a great design, this time I should have trusted my instincts first time round.

This has been interesting in a way as I do now have a design for some lovely small pendants and earrings or smaller necklace components.

I will post a photo of the collar when I have edged and fringed it over the next couple of weeks.

Thanks for following!
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