On A String

 One of the things I get asked about a lot is how do I come up with designs and track my progress. I sat down and thought about it - it's as simple as a notebook and a pen.  Which sound easy right? But, there's a bit more organisation and process to it.  I generally record everytime I bead, what I've done, in just a few simple lines. I also keep a tally of what I need to buy next time I'm putting in an online order or visiting a bead shop. And I also keep a sketch book close by for when I'm either coming up with a new design, or planning a tutorial for a workshop.  So with that all in mind, I decided to plan a beading journal to fill what I saw as a gap in the market - a tool for beaders to capture the essentials of their beading journey in one spot.  I consulted with some of my beading friends, and designed ' My Beading Journal ' as a physical resource for beaders of all skill levels.  With elements including: - Favourite bead stores, social accounts and d...

The colours of Autumn (or Fall) if you’re in the northern hemisphere, are resplendent tones of orange, brown, rust, yellow, red and bronze. Lush green leaves on trees start to turn at the beginning of April, and by mid June are mostly off the tree and in piles on the ground.   Japanese maples are one of my favourite trees to watch transform into these glorious shades, and nature lends itself to a perfect colour palette. The image below of a Japanese maple with orange and hint of yellow is reflected in my piece I designed in 2016, based on a design from Marcia DeCoster’s beaded rings pattern . I gave this one to a friend in a Kris Kringle exchange, knowing these colours were her favourites. Another beautiful Autumnal foilage is the Elm tree – although the falling leaves make a huge mess everywhere, the large green leaves in beautiful shapes are another inspiration for a leaf patterned design. The pendant necklace shown here, matching this glorious gold American Elm, is also a ...

Beading has a long and colourful history – with archaeologists and historians noting beadwork in Europe dating back to a time with shells and animal bones here used as beads in necklaces. The glass bead makers of Murano in Italy were creating their spectacular pieces at the end of the 14 th century, and French beaded flowers were being made as early as the 16 th century. Beads have been used as a bartering and monetary system, and throughout many cultures, beads have decorated costumes, headwear, footwear and jewellery.  How did I start beading? About 15 years ago, I watched a friend make a pair of simple earrings, by simply stringing some beads onto wire, and then looping them to make earring wires. And I was literally hooked. My thirst for knowledge of this wonderful craft continues to this day, and is fuelled by my membership in groups such as the Bead Society of Victoria , and travelling to worldwide exhibitions such as the Bead and Button Show , which was held annu...