This week marks my one-year anniversary at Bead&Button, and I thought I’d celebrate the occasion by sharing six projects that taught me something new about beading. Here are some of my favorites, in no particular order.
1. “A metalsmith’s match,”
by Shelley Nybakke, in the June 2007 issue. I love the depth and detail
of this bracelet, but I also like how Shelley used the structural
possibilities of right-angle weave and combined them with sturdy metal
beads.
2. “Swirling sun,” by Hatsumi Oshitani, in the August 2008 issue. I know, I know. I’ve mentioned this one before. But odd-count herringbone? A St. Petersburg chain bezel? I learned lots of new techniques from this project.
3. “Ladder stitch cubes form a bracelet with structural style,” by Lynne Soto, in the April 2007 issue. I’ll confess: I’m normally not a fan of ladder stitch. Or bugle beads. But seeing them used en masse to make this thick angular bracelet changed my mind. There’s a real logic to the way the materials and the techniques come together that makes them both appealing.
4. “Chandelier ensemble,” by Julia Gerlach, in the August 2006 issue. This project is an exercise in patience and perfectionism. Getting each link and loop to the same size is challenging, but the results look so polished and professional it’s worth the effort. The lesson? Patience and practice pay off. (Unfortunately, this back issue is no longer available, but the project is also in the book Creative Beading,Vol. 2)
5. “Pearl garden,” by Christine Strube, in the August 2005 issue. I love how feminine this necklace looks in the photo, and I wanted to make it as a gift for my mother, but when I went to buy the beads I couldn’t find the same varieties of pearls. I looked at what made these pearls work in this design (the variations of sizes, shapes, and finishes), and I chose beads that would fill out the design in a similar way. I love the results, and I’ve grown fearless with substitutions since then. In fact, I love finding different or unique beads to use in a design.
6. “Collier du soleil,” by Anna Elizabeth Draeger (Nehs), in the August 2005 issue. Anna’s piece is lovely, and it’s one of the first pieces that really inspired me to play with a design and come up with my own ideas. I’d never thought of stitching long rows of herringbone to make a necklace before. I tried this technique right away, using graduated sizes of beads to accentuate the curve, and it’s still one of my favorite pieces.