Vase Completed...

My beaded Vase is at last completed, now onto the next...but which one? I think I am in the mood for a small one but I really liked the last one. And then what theme? Any ideas?

Vase Skin Completed

Finally...it seems like forever since I began this vase skin! Now that the skin is finished all I have to do is the embellishments. I have put a few flowers on and 1 leaf and I beaded up another leaf. After I get that little grouping on I will put a few pearls here and there and call it good. The bottom was much easier than I thought it would be so I am going to order those vases I spoke of in an earlier Blog. I have also found a few items around the house to work on in the meantime. Yes, I am addicted. Come back and see the progress on those as well. Oh! And I finished another peyote bracelet and have an order for one in purples.
I am on my way to Florida in a few days and have a lot to do to prepare for that trip. I am hoping to get some accounts on the way down.
Wish me luck!!

Bottoms Up!

We are getting closer! Here is the vase as I near the end of the bottom. Then all I have to do is get the top done. One thing…if you decide to do one of these resist the temptation to add anything until you are finished with beaded the vase. It is more time consuming to bead this now because I have to watch that my thread does not catch on the flowers. Also resist the urge to decrease too much as you turn onto the bottom.
Having finished the summer Garden Bracelet I was working on I am going to be starting a new one with these colors. The cloth it is on is actually a light green so the colors, at least on my monitor are accurate. The shell is an original lampwork by Generations Lampwork and I will be using that for the center I think.

Peyote Stitch Bracelet Completed!

OK so now that this is finished I can concentrate all my efforts on the beaded vase. Whew...This is a gem of a bracelet! It began with a beautiful original lampwork bead by Rufus and Roxy! You can see a complete description on my website blog at www.divelladelights.com/blog

Peyote Stitch and Knit One Pearl Too

As the vase nears completion so does the bracelet. The direction of the vase is hard to see but after I finish beading the actual vase I will add the embellishments. I have decided on a title...Midnight Garden so I will be going with that theme. There will be beaded flowers, leaves and a few dragonflies, perhaps a butterfly and I am thinking vines...we'll see. I go back and forth between the two and now I have thrown in a sweater into the mix. I made the boyfriend sweater a few years ago and actually married the guy! Against the old wives tale for certain. Anyway he is due for another and here is the beginning of that...did this last night watching some tube with my honey. I am adding a copper crochet necklace to the batch of projects tonight, although I have to get that done for a special order at the jewelry store. I love having a few different things going on at once, it keeps me from getting bored. The free form peyote is really good for me as I tend to be OCD and very black and white. Abstract has never come easy for me, I do better with realism so this is quite a stretch.

You can see another little vase peeking out from behind, that'll be the next one while I wait for the shipment of larger ones to come in.

I will be taking a break pretty soon as I will be driving my daughter's car down to her in Florida where she is in "A" School in the Navy. I can't wait to see her as well as get out of the snow for a few days, we have had so much. Well, I had better get back to it...more tomorrow unless I finish it today...as if.

The Beaded Vase Continues

The Beaded Vase continues…
I had to resist the urge to take it apart and start over so I began the bracelet pictured here. I have to keep in mind that this is a learning tool and not a for sale project. I have learned a lot in this process and have been busy taking notes with photos. I think part of the reason I want to start over is because I am afraid of getting to the bottom and I am nearly there. The bottom of course, has to be completely flat so it is stable. Then there is the top up over the lip. One thing I am happy about and that is the choice of thread I used. I did not think about the end sue when I began and it is strictly a stroke of luck that I used Fireline. It won’t matter if it gets wet, king of important in a vase.
I also have a picture in my head I am anxious to begin after seeing some of the patterns emerge from this experiment.
I found a place on line where I can get the vases at a reasonable price and I am resisting the urge to order more until after I complete this one to make sure I can even do it. I have to order 12 at a time to get a price break and I really have no other use for them aside from these beaded vases.
Hopefully I can get this completed today, or at least the bottom.

Peyote Vase Fixes

Ok so one step at a time. When I made the error of increasing too fast it left a little hole...I wish I would have taken a photo of that before I attached the flower shown here. I took a small vintage Lucite flower, a genuine pearl and attached it over the hole with a 3-seed bead picot. If you look to the right of the flower there is a spot I don't like so I making a Russian Leaf to put there and actually I will put this leaf in progress and 2 smaller ones for a little grouping to be more aesthetically pleasing.
I have searched for and looked at and purchased a lot of Russian Leaf instructions and have 2 favorites. I need to have instructions that are very clear and detailed. I learn best by doing so the whole reading and applying is not the easiest for me. I found 2 sources that are excellent: Russian Leaf Instructions by Suzanne Cooper available here http://www.suzannecooper.com/ and this Shanasta Saling's instructions for a Russian Leaf Pendant in the Bead and Button book here: http://books.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?WRD=the+best+of+bead+and+button
If you are looking for some good instructions take a look at these and save yourself some money and time.
Back to the vase...So I will put little groupings of flowers and leaves here and there to incorporate it all into the design. Come back and see the progress continue.

The Vase Continues

Not much progress has been made for the last couple of days due to my back and hip being out of whack. That will surely change now that my husband bought me a wonderful new drafting chair to work on. When I sat on it I wanted to roll it home! We re- organized my studio so the computer is on a table the same height as my work table so I can get rid of that old metal folding chair and use this new one at the computer as well.
The vase is certainly a challenge for me but lots of fun at the same time. I have learned a lot doing this one and there is a part of me that wants to take it all apart and start over. The fact that I have found these vases fairly cheap may prevent that but the part of me that is OCD says otherwise. I find myself looking around at other items I can bead over so I certain this is an addiction. Think there is a 12 step program for beaders? I may need it soon.
I had someone ask why I did not bead the top, here is why: the vase begins at the smallest part and when I am finished beading down and get the bottom finished I will then go back to the top and finish it up over the lip.
Well, I am going to roll on over to my work table and get to it...more tomorrow!

Peyote Stitch Trials

This is a lot of fun, although quite painful. My hip is not well this morning so my mission today is to find a drafting chair or something similar that will give me the height and some good support. This chair is just not good for my back. I have a pain in my shoulder as well which I suspect is due to the chair as well.
The vase is coming along and is quite addictive. I am learning some things about peyote stitch in the process and this is probably a vase I will keep. A couple of hints for anyone who wants to do one of these:
1. Keep your increases several beads away from a step up if you can
2. Never increase near a square bead.
So what I have figured out is that when I see an increase coming I have to plan more carefully.
I also cruised around and found a good price on glass vases...told you it was addictive. I am going to wait until I finish this one, I am a little spooked by the top and bottom.
The bottom I know has to be all the same size beads so I figure about 1/8" from the bottom I will switch to all the same size, probably #8. I am not good at decreases yet but this will surely give me practice! As for the top that should not be that bad...invert the vase and bead down over the lip and decrease a row. Sounds easy, we'll see.

Peyote Stitch Beaded Vase Trials

My daughter asked me for one of my free form peyote stitch bracelets in green for her birthday. I wanted to learn how to do leaves anyway so it was a great project. I bought Peyote stitch Beading Projects by Bead and Button to learn the leaves. This was a very good book with detailed instructions that are very, very good. Anyway, it also had a beaded vase project in it also done in free form peyote stitch. the one in the book is stunning done in earthy colors which I love. I do not have a surplus of those colors but long ago I bought a couple of kilos of beads when I was shopping with Fire Mountain for my beads. I have since switched to a local supplier for several reasons. Back to the vase. I had this old glass vase and a bunch of beads that I did not want to use for jewelry as I prefer uniform size which these are not. It would be easier I think to do it in my new beads but I don't buy those by the kilo yet so I don't have enough on hand for the entire project.
The same daughter mentioned above has been after me to do beaded flowers. Perhaps if this turns out well I will try my hand at those next.
Funny how things progress and attitudes change. I swore when I began making jewelry that I would never do the stitch work or work on a loom...now I am thinking about the loom and have definitely found a love for the stitch work although it does take a lot of time!
Wish me luck!! Anyone with any tips...tip away!