Sigh! When was the last time I have completed a project and got it posted? Three months? Really, I have asked myself countless time "To bead or not to bead"?
I had been drowned in busyness. Excuse? Partly. The truth is, I was stuck with a project dealing with cubic right-angle weave. The weave itself is not difficult and you can learn it easily in this tutorial: beadmavens.blogspot. The tricky part was that I had to work around an odd shaped focal bead and I did not know how to weave a bezel.
Well I shall show the completed project in order to explain the problems I had encountered in this project:
WHAT ON EARTH IS THIS THING!!! Ha ha, it is a necklace.
Okay, it all started that I was given this beautiful Tiger-Eye measured about 1.6" X 2.5". Yup, it is a pretty big one. I did not want to just add a bail and wear it with a cord or chain. Hey, come on, I am a beader and I like challenge! So, I selected a project which is in Bead & Button October 2011 issue. The project on the cover page is like this:
Oops, I should not have shown this - my necklace seems so ugly comparatively.
Sob, sob. I have my problems:
1. Focal stone is odd shaped
2. I have no idea how to weave a bezel
3. Even if I can weave a bezel, the focal will be too big and chunky
4. I cannot handle size 15o beads so each wormy strand was not easy to bend
Notwithstanding these problems, I went ahead with the project and ended up with a monster like this!
Because of the asymmetrical focal, the necklace formed is also lopsided. Nevertheless, I will still wear it because I made it and a lot of thought has been given in the making process!
Phew! What a load off my chest! I now can move on to other projects which I can handle.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteIt has been a while since I have seen you here. I know how it is to be busy. I seem to only post when I have a challenge reveal to do. Anyway great job on the CRAW it is a stitch that I don't seem to be able to wrap my brain around yet. Here is a tip on doing a bezel around a focal piece use right angle weave with size 11 seed beads for the base row. Keep going until it fits snugly around your focal, then you can use peyote with size 11 seeds for two rows on front and two rows on back, it is okay to do these rows without the focal piece in place, just make sure the focal fits back in the ring. Next use size 15 seeds for two rows on the back and last two rows on front to tighten the bezel around the focal piece. I hope this was useful to you.
Oh and by the way I really like the necklace.
Therese
Hi Therese, so nice to have heard from you again. I am glad you like the necklace, I think the curves on both sides are not balanced and I shall do some adjustment. Perhaps more curves on the left side.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the tip on doing a bezel. I will definitely give it a try. My first step is to get over the hurdle of weaving with size 15o beads, lol.
Wow.. I think it is a beautiful necklace that you have made.. Claire here..
ReplyDelete