daxdesigns bead art

A beader’s turn to Greige and testing your colour comfort zones

2012-01-27T11:50:00.000+11:00

Amongst a mad time beading in preparation for my exhibition at the Drysdale Festival of Glass (19th Feb, 2012) I am also preparing for my 60th birthday. Lots of consultation with friends led to it being a themed party inspired by the letter ‘G’. Still not sure what ‘G’ word might inspire what I wear but in trying to decide I bumped up against Griege. In the way of these things I am seeing Griege every way I turn and I even discovered that I have several tones of Griege beads.

Griege is a neutral colour somewhere between grey and beige. It’s an earthy warm beige/gray that designers call elegant and sophisticated. Its not a colour I bead with much – I never seem to feel comfortable with neutral tones. So, having just discovered the word Grienge I decided last night to move beyond my colour comfort zone and to try a turn at beading with Griege. Here is the result – three pairs of earrings with varying tones of Griege in them.

We all seem to have our colour comfort zones – neutrals and pinks are well outside mine. What about you? What colours test your colour comfort zone? Maybe finding a new name for them might tempt you to go beyond your colour comfort zone.

A great link to see Griege in all its hues:

http://www.color-swatches.com/c2/greige/223/swatch.html

Being and becoming a dotty beader: techniques to inspire

2011-12-29T09:38:00.000+11:00

Dotty beads are very much on my mind at present. I am just beginning to learn how to make lampwork glass beads and I am currently practicing how to put dots on my beads. Here are some of my efforts to date. You’ll see from these efforts that there is more than one way to dot a bead and a little way to go in my dotty skill building.

Reflecting on my efforts to date it’s clear that there is more than one way to be dotty. You can dot in specific spots, cover a bead in dots, scatter them, fleck them or litter them. The dot might be a speck, a circle or a strange dab on the surface of the bead. They might be symmetrical or not. You can pair dots, line them up, angle them or squash them. So, as you can see a dot is not just a dot. There is a glorious range of dotty possibilities.

In my efforts to become a better dotty beader and explore those possibilities I’m gathering a dotty technique a day using my old friend Google. Today’s dotty technique comes from: Glass Beads: Tips, Tools, and Techniques for Learning the Craft, By Louise Mehaffey, Kevin (PHT) Brett. Lousie show how dots can be flattened with a paddle to add a decorative effect or to increase their footprint. You can then also poke the dot to add a decorative effect (see page 60).

Decorative dotty possibilities are not new to beaders. They have been using dots to decorate glass beads across the centuries.. The Solarflare Creations website (http://www.solarflarecreations.com.au/Timeline.htm) has a fascinating overview of the history of dotty decorations on beads that includes images of dotted Celtic beads from France and England (350 – 100 BC), Chinese Warring States beads (480-220BC) and Compound Eye Beads from the Mediterranean Basin (400-300 BC).

In current times, contemporary beader Deanna Griffin Dove has even devoted a book to dots.

Dot, Dot, Dots! ISBN # 978-0-9789721-1-0

For a beginning beady dotter, such as myself, the possibilities seem overwhelmingly and gloriously endless. With only my imagination to limit what might happen my desire to be a dotty beader could be with me for a while.

If you have dotty beads in your life – wearing them, designing with them or making them I’d love to hear about the dots in your life.

A musical treasury, the Great Bead Tidy and musings on the music of beading

2011-12-02T11:55:00.000+11:00

As always I was delighted to have one of my beadworks included in an Etsy Treasury this week. It was curated by Leva Krustina and you can view it at this link:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTE0NDc2NTd8MTIyNDg3NTk5MQ/piano-sonata-no-1

It included my Annotations beadweaving bracelet pattern:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/74574605/annotations-peyote-beadweaving-bracelet?ref=tre-1224875991-16

Viewing the Treasury I mused on the place of music in beadwork. One Google search later I had uncovered a 2008 poll by Beading Daily that had found in a poll of 1000 beaders that 74% percent bead while listening to music! 27% bead to rock music, 24% to classical music and 17% bead to pop music. Poll participants said that they bead to music because it helps them to:

feel less lonely
pace their work
drown out their "inner critic"
create and be inspired

Some beaders also find music inspires their design work. My Annotations bracelet designs are a case in point. Here's the latest just listed:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/87634654/annotations-2-musical-beaded-bracelet-or

Annotations 2 peyote graph pattern

For other beaders, beading is an expression of their own inner music. For instance, Ukrainian beader Alexandra Sydorenko writes ‘my song is embedded in beads’. In a twist on this relationship between beading and music, ome musicians are also inspired by beadwork. I found two recent albums featuring beadwork in their titles. The first was Bead Songs by Andy Wasserman (TransMedia Sound Music). The album is described as “acoustic instrumental collection of original compositions for the Native American flute, featuring solo and ensemble arrangements in both traditional and contemporary styles” and features a pair of traditional Native American beaded slippers on its cover (see image). The second was, Beading the Rook, by Fence Kitchen (Northeast Indie; 2006). It is described as a combination of jazz, chamber music and modern dance score. Unfortunately, this album cover didn’t feature any wonderful beadwork. In my search I also stumbled across a famous Australian composer - Percy Grainger (1882 – 1961) who collected beadwork.

The other way for me in which beading and music come together is in the Great Bead Tidy. I have just finished one and bouncy music was present right the way through. In the Great Bead Tidy I furiously sort beads, put away stray beads from past projects and any newly arrived beads and in the process generally totally re-organise my bead storage area. In a very Great Bead Tidy I unpick UFOs that are clearly beyond revival and reorder samples and inspirations for future projects. Little can divert me from the Great Bead Tidy when the mood hits. It often advances with music booming that suits my frenzied tidying mood. In this weekend’s Great Bead Tidy the rockabilly of Carl Perkins kept me company through the deepest part of the tidy – that point at which the tidy is deeply untidy and it seems I will never surface from it! The deeper the untidy, the louder and more robust I seem to need the music to be. Paula Morgan calls this music her ‘wild-side’ music.

Love to hear if and how music and beading go together in your life - what is your 'wild-side' music? Thanks to Leva for inspiring some musings about their relationship in my own beading life. Annotations to all….

Sources

Sizing bangles for beadweavers: hints and how to from the world of bangles

2011-11-21T14:58:00.002+11:00

I have just finished beading a new beaded herringbone bangle for myself (pattern in my Destash shop) that I was sure would fit me perfectly. Of course, it didn’t and not for the first time it's became a sample to sell rather than something I can wear.

Promising myself to learn how to more accurately size beaded bangles I turned to Google for help.
Most bangle sellers measure (size) their bangles using the internal diameter of the bangle.

There seem to be two tried and tested methods for measuring your hand so that you know what the internal diameter of your bangle should be.

Make a fist and measure the length from the outside of the first knuckle to the point between the third and fourth knuckle. This measurement is the required internal diameter of your bangle. (Purple fist in diagram 1)

Number 1 method

Place your clenched hand on a flat surface. Measure between the highest points of your first and fourth knuckles. This measurement is the required internal diameter of your bangle. (Beige fist in diagram2 )

Number 2 method

To double check that you have the internal diameter of your bangle correct there are also a couple of methods you can use:

Take a plastic lid (for example, from a yogurt container). Use a ruler to draw a line the diameter of your bangle measurement. Cut a round circle and put your hand through it to check you have the right size.
If you have a bangle that fits you well, just measure the internal diameter of the bangle and make the internal diameter of your bangle the same size.

Different sellers size differently but here is a general guide: 60mm diameter - SMALL (Size 7) 64mm diameter- MEDIUM (Size 8) 67mm diameter - LARGE (Size 9)

Love to know what methods you’ve used and you have found easiest, least frustrating, most accurate.

Sources

https://eveandruby.com.au/pages/Bangle-Sizing
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVZrAeRAuD
http://www.how-to-make-jewelry.com/how-to-size-a-bracelet.html - downloadable bracelet sizer

Sizing up some beading software for sizing beads

2011-10-13T12:30:00.001+11:00

iBead software logo

If you have trouble sizing beads the latest beading App foriPhone might be for you. That is of course if you have an iPhone. iBead is avery neat little App that provides youwith visual guides to sizing beads and things bead related.

It has a bead size guide (see screen grab image - to the right) for sizing beadsfrom 2mm to 16 mm in size, a calculator for counting the number of beads neededfor a particular length string, a wire size guide that shows the size ofvarious gauge wire (34 – 18) and their mm and inch details, rulers and a guidefor seed bead sizes 6/0, 8/0/, 11/0 and 15/0 and a handy ruler that enables youto measure length and bead sizes.

I can imagine using it in various contexts but especiallywhen I am ordering supplies, and trying to match the size of beads in aspecific project. Its easy to place your bead on the iPhone screen and prestofind the size of your bead.

Wire gauge sizes I can never remember so I appreciate theinclusion of the wire gauge guide.

The bead calculator would be good for those doing beadcrochet and stringing but for bead weavers it needs a few more features addedto make it useful. Imagine being able to be able to choose a specific weavingstitch then calculate the number of beads in grams needed to weave a piece of aspecific dimensions (e.g: length, width, row numbers and bead sizes). There arevarious bead weaving books that attempt to provide this information but imaginehaving it readily to hand. Mind you, for some, maybe it takes the fun of theguesswork out of beading.

The seed bead guide could also be enhanced to make to moreuseful. It doesn’t include cylinder seed beads, size 12/0 and size 18/0 beadsthat I sometimes use. I’d also love to be able to compare the sizes of themajor manufacturer’s beads. Being able to compare size 11/0 beads from Japan,China and Czech for instance would be helpful. It would also be great toinclude the different shaped seed beads now available – triangles, tila beads,square beads and fringe beads to name just a few.

The manufacturers of iBead (Associated SystemsProfessionals) see this as its first version and say that they are planning tomake many additions. What do you think would be helpful to you? What are thecalculations you regularly do or need to do as you bead that you’d like to seeautomated? Consider passing them on to iBead (Adam@aspwv.com) and maybe you can help shape itsnext version.

Rainbows, mnemonics and beading: an aid to memory, and ode to hope

2011-09-26T13:23:00.000+10:00

The first email of the day brought me a feast of beadworkfull of rainbows. It was in the form of an Art Fire Collection curated by amember of Art Fire Beadweavers Guild curated by KraftyMaxon ArtFire.com. My Rainbow Butterfly bracelet was featured (see photo).

Link here to the collection: http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=collections&op=details&cid=27929

Amongst the delight of exploring the rainbow beadwork of others came the reminder that I can never remember the colours of therainbow, despite having been taught a mnemonic to do so.

A mnemonic is a device that aids memory. It is often a shortpoem of saying. It is a wonderful word with a heritage in Ancient Greek and isrelated to the goddess of the memory in Greek mythology called Menemosyne(remembrance). The mnemomic I was taught is the name of an apparently colourfulfellow called, Roy G Biv. The letters in his name give us the rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet

However, for some reason I can never seem to remember hisname. My partner who is from the UK learnt to remember the rainbow throughremembering the phrase - Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain- Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet. For me, this never works either.I don’t seem to be able to remember the saying. So, I set to trying to findsome alternatives that might work for. Two I found are great for travellers orthose who enjoy a drink or two and could perhaps work for me:

Ryanair Offers You Great Breaks In Venice
Ran Out Yesterday, Got Blotto In Vineyard

However, inspired by these and borrowing heavily from them Idecided that a beading based mnemonic might just work better for me. Here’s what Icame up with:

Ran Out Yesterday, Got Beads in Venice
Rondelles Offer You Great Beading in Violet

Not great poetry, but they might just help my memory alittle. If you can improve on them and/or have any handy beadingmnemomics you use I’d love to hear them. After all rainbows are well worth having and remembering in our life. As Wikipedia tells us they have been a symbol of hope across many times and places:

Rainbow flags tend to be used as a sign of a new era, of hope, or of social change. Rainbow flags have been used in many places over the centuries: in the German Peasants' War in the 16th century, as a symbol of the Cooperative movement; as a symbol of peace, especially in Italy; to represent the Tawantin Suyu, or Inca territory, mainly in Peru and Bolivia;^[35] by some Druze communities in the Middle east; by the Jewish Autonomous Oblast; to represent the International Order of Rainbow for Girls since the early 1920s; and as a symbol of gay pride and LGBT social movements since the 1970s. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow)

Here's to better rainbow memories and the hopes that rainbow flags can carry.

Beadwork in the Antique Pattern library - fascinating and free pattern downloads

2011-08-22T19:17:00.000+10:00

Sometimes, I stumble across surprising and delightful finds on the web. Last week was a case in point. I was doing some online research on beadwork in the 1850s for my local beaders group (Bead Society of Victoria, Geelong branch) and found the Antique Pattern Library. Thanks to the hard work of several volunteers you can download free antique craft patterns from the site.

Imagine my delight when I discovered a special area of the library dedicated to beadwork. It was with great anticipation that I downloaded each of the 14 titles in this section of the library. What I found was a wonderful treasure trove of beadwork patterns that look very different to those we use today. Patterns for bead crochet, knitting and beaded embroidery in wonderful detail - some with images, some just words and most, but not all, in black and white. The Priscilla beadwork book: A collection of new and old beadwork with patterns and lessons for working (1912, USA, Ed. Belle Robinson) was one of my favourites. I have included some images from it here as a taster.

From the New Bead Book

I also totally delighted in the Emma Post Barbour's New Bead Book (1924, The National Trading Company, Chicago). It is full of wonderful colour plates of her finished items, clear patterns and instructions for a range of beadwork techniques. See an extract from her preface (left ) I learnt that apparently at the time Natrac quality beads are 'the highest grade made" and much much more. (Of course, I am now off to find out what happened to Natrac!)

Sherwoods, 'Impression Powder and Perforated Patterns for printing all kinds of designs for braiding, embroidery and beading' is testament to the creativity of those who bought it. Only the sketchiest of pattern guidance is included.

You can loose yourself in patterns from the 1700s onwards from France, Germany, UK and USA to explore and learn from.

All of the patterns in the library are free to anyone to use for "educational, personal, artistic and other creative uses". (http://www.antiquepatternlibrary.org/).

Rachel the Rock Wallaby and the Endangered collection of beadwork

2011-08-08T16:22:00.000+10:00

Dax Designs has made its first adoption of an animal from sales of items in the Endangered colleciton of beadwork and pattersn. It's an adoption package for Rachel the Rock Wallaby that the World Wildlife Fund offers to help support its work with the threatened Rock Wallaby species in Australia. To learn more click here:

http://www.daxdesigns.com.au/AboutusAdoptions.html

Thanks to everyone who purchased patterns and beadwork that made this adoption possible.

Puzzling beads and Nelson Mandela

2011-08-04T10:53:00.000+10:00

Just as I was hurrying through the airport in Johannesburg to board my plane to leave South Africa there in front of me stood Nelson Mandela. Not surprisingly, I forgot momentarily about the flight for home, searched out my camera and snapped away. There wasn't much time to admire this extraordinary piece of beadwork 'in situ' so it's great to have the photos. Nelson Mandela is an inspiring person - he holds over 1000 awards and 115 honorary degrees for his efforts to make the world a better place - so it's not suprising that beaders are some of those inspired by him. If you'd like to see some of the other beadwork inspired by Mandela here are some links to just a few pieces:

Handbeaded Fridge Magnets - http://www.lovingafrica.com/product.php?id_product=31
Nelson Mandela Beaded birthday bag - http://thuso.org/?page_id=41
Ane Makahuble, Together Forever Nelson Mandela and Graca 1998, Shangaan beadwork on cloth - http://www.rosekorberart.com/artists/item1304.htm

Nelson Mandela has also had many places named after him, Nelson Mandela Bay being a good example and you'll see in a moment why I mention it in this blog. Exploring the links between Mandela and beadwork I stumbled across a free Nelson Mandela Bay jigsaw puzzle which features a woman beading. Beader or not, its fun to do.

Xhosa beadwork: symbols of defiance and living cultures

2011-07-11T17:21:00.000+10:00

Zulu, Ndebele, and Xhosa people’s of South Africa each create jewelry using beads but each has its own distinctive cultural meanings and forms. The Xhosa speaking people of the Eastern Cape (South Africa) are currently the second largest language group in South Africa and their beadwork survives today despite past attempts by some missionaries to stop it and shifting traditions within the Xhosa culture in current times. Traditionally, in Xhosa culture a person’s social status and identity could be read through their beadwork. Social meanings were created through the use of patterns and colour to mark a person’s age, gender, marital status, social role and social rank.

White in Xhosa beadwork is said to be associated with spiritual purity, red with royality, yellow fertility and green new life. Patterns combine colour with motifs such as diamonds, quadrangles, chevrons, circles and parallel lines to create meanings and messages. There are efforts to keep traditional Xhosa beadwork traditions alive in current times with younger Xhosa people contributing to this through using traditional beadwork in weddings and other rituals in (see Loewe, 2011). Thankfully, the colonial era when wearing beadwork was deemed ‘un-Christian’ has passed. Thankfully also past are times when some missionaries bartered with access to literacy to discourage the Xhosa from wearing their beadwork and some Xhosa traded with ivory to buy seed beads from British settlers.

Whilst Xhosa beadwork has a long history with beads made from the seed of the coral tree, shells, bone or ivory, claws and teeth, the use of glass seed beads in Xhosa beadwork is linked to the 1820s when seed beads were imported into South Africa by the British from Venice in large quantities as a desirable trade item. So desirable were the seed beads that one source records the Xhosa bringing 434 pounds of ivory to a trade fair in the hope of trading it for seed beads (Crabtree and Stallebrass, 2002) and one cow was equivalent to one pound of seed beads.

Whilst contemporary Xhosa beadwork is most often created using size 8/0 beads historically a wider range of seed bead sizes were used. Methods of Xhosa beadwork include a form of bead embroidery where beads are stitched onto animal skins and a form of netting used to create amazing open weave beaded collars. (See photo of beaded Xhosa collar - left and close up above right)

One of the most famous Xhosa beaded collars is that worn by the Xhosa speaking former South African president Nelson Mandela at his trial in the early 1960s. In a statement of defiance and pride for his royal Xhosa ancestry he wore traditional Xhosa dress suitable for his royal lineage that included a collar of Xhosa beads which you can see in the photo (right). His Xhosa clan name is Madiba and when in South Africa recently I was told that local people refer to Mandela as Madiba as a sign of respect and affection.

You can also link here to a more recent photo (1994) of Mandela in Xhosa beads (http://www.africamediaonline.com/search/preview/241_11). There are many other notable Xhosa people but one of the best known musicians is Miram Makeeba who has recorded a well-known Xhosa wedding song called "Qongqongthwane", under the name "Click Song #1"

Loewe and Moon (2011) argue that whilst Xhosa beading is still alive those who do the beading earn very little (between Rand 1000 – Rand 3000 per month) (NB: There are approximately 7 Rand to 1 US or AUS dollar) and most of those earnings are from local people rather than tourists. The fact that beadwork has survived the effects of colonisation and their rarity due to sanctions during apartheid and that they acted as a point of defiance during apartheid is a mark of the great determination and courage of the Xhosa people in South Africa and of the power of beadwork to carry meaning in our lives.

Sources:

Moon, M. and Loewe, M. (2011). The real story about our local beaders, http://makanamoon.wordpress.com/2011/06/24/the-real-story-about-our-local-beaders/
Blauer, E. and Laure, J. (2000). The Glory of African Beadwork: http://www.worldandi.com/specialreport/afrobead/afrobead.html
Article: http://EzineArticles.com/817744
Crabtree, C. and Stallebrass, P. (2000). Beadwork: A World Guide, Thames and Hudson.

New beginners beading classes in Geelong

2011-06-15T15:59:00.004+10:00

If you'd like to learn some basic beadweaving stitches consider joining a small, friendly group of women learning to bead at the Vitality Cafe on Saturday mornings. You can download details here.

Festival of Glass presentations from Wathaurong Glass

2011-06-14T13:08:00.006+10:00

You may recall that I am part of the organising committee for the annual Drydale Festival of Glass. On 10 June, Mark Edwards, General Manager of Geelong-based Wathaurong Glass and Arts (part of the Wathaurong Co-op), presented personalised commemorative glass plaques to members of the organising committee of the 2011 Festival of Glass.

Thought you might enjoy seeing the photos of the committee and of me receiving the plaque.

My personalised commemorative plaque bore the message: 'Wathaurong Glass and Arts. Presented to Glenda Mac Naughton in appreciation of your commitment to delivering a successful Festival of Glass - 2011'.

The Wathaurong people are the traditional owners of the land on which I live and do my beadwork, so it is a thrill to receive this plaque. To honor this history and the genorisity of Wathaurong people in the present I have decided to add a statement of acknowledgement on my blog:

I proudly acknowledge the Wathaurong Tribe as the original custodians of the land on which I live and do my beadwork and share in the hope of the Australian Declaration Towards Reconciliation (2000) for an Australia in which there is justice and equity for all.

“Our hope is for a united Australia that respects this land of ours; values the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage; provides justice and equity for all.”

(Australian Declaration Towards Reconciliation 2000)

The 2011 Festival of Glass was held on February 20 at the Potato Shed in Drysdale. It attracted over thirty glass-related artists, craftspeople and businesses and over six thousand visitors. The 2012 Festival of Glass is on February 19 2012. Learn more:

Procrastination and handy beady facts: they may not change the world but they can save time

2011-06-06T17:19:00.002+10:00

I have a wonderful business card from a local beading business that has simple pictorial information about bead sizes and wire gauges on the back. I find myself checking it often when I need to order wire findings or specific sized beads. Looking at it again today got me thinking about what information it’s handy to have just at your fingertips rather than several searches through a book or Google away. For instance, at the weekend I taught a beginner’s herringbone rope class and to prepare the kits I needed to know how many grams of size 8/0 seed beads were needed to make a certain length of herringbone rope.

To find out was easy but a little time consuming – I beaded an 8cm piece of rope and weighed it. I am sure I have a book somewhere that might tell me but searching through my ever growing beading book library I know I would have been totally distracted by other things. So, I now know that 3 grams of size 8/0 seed beads make approximately 8 cm of a herringbone rope with four beads as its base. One fact does not a book make but I have decided to start a ‘handy beady facts’ file where I can safely store my new handy beady fact till I need it next. Alongside this handy beady fact are going some others that I’ve found on scraps of paper in a recent tidy in bead studio. They are the bits of paper I keep meaning to put away but never seem to do it and never seem to know where.

Talking of what I keep meaning to do … Years ago I had the idea of developing my own Bead Abacus – full of all the facts and figures that beaders need to calculate everything that needs calculating as a beader. Maybe now’s the time to dust off the idea, tackle the procrastination actually do it!!!! I’ll try out the “15 minute rule” to avoid procrastination - just set the clock and spend 15 minutes on it right now… instead of blogging!!!

Be back soon and love to hear what your handy bead facts are… or how you stop procrastination when it sets in…. my 15 minutes starts now.

Signs and beading - a new collection in the making

2011-05-25T13:58:00.002+10:00

Signs are an important way of communicating in many ancient and contemporary cultures and the process of making meaning from the signs of cultures other than our own can be puzzling, fascinating and inspiring all at once.

In my new pattern collection I am celebrating our human capacity to communicate through signs in and across cultures. My first pattern is based on the musical notation of a G Clef and it celebrates our capacity to communicate music to each other through one particular sign system that originated many hundreds of years ago in Europe (around the 10th Century) and is now commonly used in western musical forms to indicate the pitch of the written notes that follow it. As with all signs it will mean different things to different people - for non-musicians it's meaning will be much less specific than for musicians. I wonder what it means to you. For me as a designer and a beader the wonderful curl of the clef was fascinating to try to emulate, it was a beading challenge - The C and F Clefs are equally fun and challenging to do and the designs are on the way.... stay tuned!

A bead for auction: raising funds for Indigenous education

2011-05-19T09:17:00.007+10:00

Kicking Goals for Indigenous Education

A dinner auction featuring bush tukka and raising funds for indigenous education is the inspiration for this beaded bead. The auction is taking place in Queenscliff, Victoria, Australia on 4th June 2011. Supported by the Uniting Church and the Queenscliff Reconciliation Mob, this event will raise funds for the Gavin Wanganeen Indigenous Scholarship fund as well as supporting the local Uniting Church in Queenscliff/Point Lonsdale.

I have donated a beaded bead necklace for the auction on the night - my first ever auction donation so will be fascinated to see what happens.

Meet Vida Goldstein, the Fab Femme collection and a new beaded bead

2011-05-04T14:47:00.006+10:00

I have been working on The Fab Femme collection: designs to enchant, stories to enliven for some time now and looking forward to sharing them over the coming weeks. I have just listed a beaded bead in the collection - the Vida bead. (Link here for the pattern)

The fabulous women (Fab Femmes) of the Suffragette movement (1890s – 1910s) who have changed our lives inspired the Fab Femme collection. Each design in the collection honours a specific suffragette. Many of the suffragettes wore jewellery as a mark of feminine solidarity as they fought for women’s rights, especially their right to vote. This was so widely known and recognised that the UK London-based royal jewellers Mappin & Webb, issued a catalogue of Suffragette Jewellery for Christmas 1908.

The Vida beaded bead honours Australian suffragette Vida Goldstein (1869 – 1949). She was a tireless campaigner for women’s right to vote and for a wide range of progressive social welfare reforms. She gained an international reputation for this work. Here are some snippets from an online biography of her.

In 1890 Vida helped her mother collect signatures for the Woman Suffrage Petition and she was involved in the National Anti-Sweating League (a labour rights organisation), the Criminology Society and various other social welfare campaigns. In 1902 spoke at the International Woman Suffrage Conference in the USA, was elected secretary, gave pro woman’s suffrage evidence to USA Congress committee participated in the International Council of Women Conference. Australian women were granted the Federal vote in 1902 and in that year she became the first woman in the British Empire to be nominated and to stand for election to a national parliament. Whilst she lost this election it did not deter her and she actively campaigned to educate women on their parliamentary rights.

Source:
http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/biogs/A090042b.htm

Foreign travel, beaded beads and broadening the memory: some brief reflections

2011-04-28T12:38:00.003+10:00

I have just recently travelled to Europe and South East Asia and on those travels I was reminded of the widely used saying that travels broadens the mind. It has a long history and can be found in literature across diverse times and places including that for children. I found it today in a children’s book call The Painted Garden written in 1949 by UK author Noel Steatfield about a family who travels to Hollywood. In it you find the words, ‘ Foreign travel broadens the mind ‥. and a broadened mind helps all art’ (p. 3). The Painted Garden was first published in serial form in 1948, and as a book (subtitled The Story of a Holiday in Hollywood) in 1949.

In trying to pack away my bead purchases from the bead shops that I visited whilst I was away I found myself reflecting that (borrowing from Steatfield) foreign bead shop travels broaden a beader’s ‘stash’ and if a broadened stash indeed helps the art of all beadwork. For me, my new purchases have certainly inspired a rush of creativity and very little ‘putting away’ activity.

Yesterday surrounded by my new bead purchases I felt compelled to create some new beaded beads. Before long my foreign bead stash was being put to use creating these beaded beads out the of beads I bought at a small but well-organised bead shop in Dublin (Beads and Bling, 34 Wellington Quay, Dublin 2, http://www.beadsandbling.com/store/) that stocked some Miyuki Delica, size 11/0 and 15/0 beads in colours I had not seen before. Did those new colours help my art – well maybe, or then maybe not – but they certainly inspired a bout of creativity that has broadened the range of beaded beads I can make. Here’s just a taster (below) of what I made yesterday. I had fun making them. Now to remember how I made them so that I can make some patterns to share. I do hope foreign travel broadens the memory as well!

Sources

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/travel-broadens-the-mind#ixzz1KmLPyeQB

Other bead shops in Dublin

Crown Jewels, 12 Castle Market Street
Yellow Brick Road, 8 Batchelors Walk

Singapore sparkles for beaders

2011-04-05T01:16:00.003+10:00

As a major airport hub between Europe and South East Asia nearly 1 million people a day stop over in Singapore on their way somewhere else. It is often described as a shopper’s paradise and many tourists and locals spend their time shopping in Orchard Road where department store after department store laden with every major fashion label in the world attempt to tempt buyers to purchase the particular high fashion labels they stock. Orchard Road is forever busy and with most shops open till 10.00 pm it certainly means you can shop till you drop for any branded fashions from around the globe that beckon you.

But, there are many other ‘Singapores’ to explore and as a beader a must do shopping adventure for me is a few hours spent at a shopping Plaza in Chinatown called the People’s Park Plaza. It is not a glitzy high-end fashion tourist shopping plaza but a delightful local plaza where few tourists go. It is stacked full of four floors of small shops that sell a wide array of everyday items such as furniture, make-up and shoes and services that range from optometrists, travel agents through to traditional Chinese pharmacies. It also has a lively food court in the basement so tempting aromas waft around you as you meander through each level. Its attraction for me as a beader is that on each level is at least one bead shop.

Each bead shop has it’s own personality and all of them are stacked to the brim with their particular specialities. Some have every finding you might imagine and more, others walls of crystals and yet others gemstones. There is a specialist plastic bead shop and one that has all of the above and more. Not only are the beads tempting but, so are the prices. It’s always hard to choose what to buy but on my visit this time the sparkle of crystals and faceted glass beads seemed to beckon. In at least three shops every size, shape, colour and finish that you could imagine was on display. With a little bit of jet lag and no particular project in mind, choosing was not a very rational process but here’s the sparkle that caught my eye.

I made my first project with just a few of the crystals I bought on the flight from Singapore to London and some Delicas from home that I had in my inflight beading stash. It kept me busy from Singapore until sleep time somewhere across the Middle East. Now I can’t wait to bead with more of my Singapore sparkles but that is for another day.

Bead crochet apps for the iphone: it counts for you

2011-03-24T19:06:00.005+11:00

Some people love bead crochet, some don't. I'm still undecided and love my single needle beadweaving too much to give it a real go. But, for those of you who are keen bead crocheters or just starting out there is a very simple little app for iphone that might just suit you. It's call Bead Crochet Lite and it's free.

An easy to use app it calculates how many beads you need to string for a specific length of necklace. Just put in the length (cm or inches), how many beads in each round of crochet and bingo it tells you how many to thread. It takes only seconds to download and even fewer to use. Love to hear if any of you who love crotheting have used it and if you think it's helpful.

Also love to hear of any new software that you think is a must for beaders.

Getting serious - insurance for beaders who sell their work or teach classes

2011-03-01T19:53:00.002+11:00

It's hard to know what image I can use to bring some life to this week's blog post - insurance! So, I have decided just to use a cheery picture of my Rhombus beaded beads to counter the gloom of what follows.

Prompted by a recent blog post by an Etsy colleague I decided to check out what my home insurance covered now I am selling my beadwork and doing beading classes out and about. It is one of those things I have thought about before but never acted on. As always with insurance I faced the questions of what are the risks if I do nothing. Well, it seems my home insurance won't cover me for the beads that I use to make things to sell or the items I have as stock at home but more importantly when they are on exhibition there is no cover for them. Considering that is happening more and more for me, it got me wondering - to insure or not to insure. Then, the question of public liability insurance raised it's tricky head. If I have someone visit me to buy an item at home and they have an accident - my home insurance doesn't cover me as their visit if money changes hand. It also doesn't cover me if I am teaching (for money) at home or elsewhere. So, after much debate with myself and my bank balance I have decided to take out a small business insurance policy.

I'm curious to know what others do? Are you insured for what you do as a beader? What risks are you prepared to take? Have you found the perfect insurance for you? Love to hear your experiences and thoughts.

Festival of Glass: A fantastic success

2011-02-22T16:29:00.005+11:00

Photos often say more than words can so here are photos from our inaugural Festival of Glass on 20th Feb in Drysdale, Victoria, Australia. With well over 5000 people the place was buzzing, sales were great and more importantly people really enjoyed seeing the diversity and quality of work that is done with glass including that by wonderful beadweavers and beadmakers.

Hope you enjoy the images from my exhibit.

All photos courtesy Lyn Ingles, blue pen publishing. Our 2nd Festival of Glass, 19th Feb 2012. Pop the date in your diary now.

Count down to the Festival of Glass 20th Feb 2011

2011-02-15T08:48:00.003+11:00

I am in full preparation mode for the Festival of Glass where I'll be exhibiting some new designs (if I have time to finish them!!!!). I was on local radio at the weekend talking about the Festival and now as you can see from this screen grab of our local newspaper several of the local glass artists (including me) are in the local newspaper. It feels I am spending more time on promoting the Festival than beading for it but it has been terrific to link with other glass artists and contribute to the local community in this way.

The program is up on the Festival website and it is the final committee meeting tomorrow so the count down is on. Wish us luck for the 20th Feb, 2011 - The Pototal Shed, Drysdale, Victoria.

Your favourite Fireline cutting tools

2011-02-03T10:48:00.001+11:00

Its time to sharpen the cutters I use for my Fireline thread. I am using it lots in my beadwork at the moment and with two pairs of blunt cutters on hand I’ve been wondering what others use to cut their Fireline (or Proline) thread for their beadwork. Searching the Internet for advice on this drew several suggestions that ranged from nail clippers through craft scissors, Fiskars sewing scissors, pliers to Rapala line clippers (a brand of specialist fishing line scissors). Several sites suggested cheap children’s craft scissors. I am trying some of cheaper craft scissors quite successfully at present but wonder how long they will last.

Love to hear what you use and why.

Beading Apps by iPhone – do you, would you, what would you wish for?

2011-01-27T12:56:00.007+11:00

I recently lost my rather antiquated mobile phone and this week I took the plunge and decided to buy an iPhone. It’s temptations included its capacity to sync with my computer address book and calendar, take videos and photos and of course the thousands of Apps (little applications) that can be downloaded to it. This morning I found an App that tells me local tide times locally so I can plan my walk on the beach at low tide time. I always seem to arrive at high tide when walking on the sloping sand at the high tide line is so much harder. Bouyed by my first foray into Apps I decided to see if Apps makers have targeted us beaders in any way. I was surprised to find several Apps for beaders.

Beading by Deep Powder Software
Bead Animation Class (Roidus Co., Ltd)
Bead It! SD (Byron Lo)
Bead It! (HD) (Bryon Lo).

There are also a growing number of Apps targeting crafters more generally that could just tempt us beaders. Here’s just two I have stumbled upon to date:

Sketchbook – for sketching creative ideas on the go
Evernote – for storing PDFs and sites you find on line that have great patterns or inspiration.

Curiosity got the better of me and today I downloaded the Beading App by Deep Powder Software. Its lovely bright yellow icon belied the grey interface that meets you when you enter the App. It is simple to use - you can access information in a couple of ways. You can do a search, touch a letter of the alphabet or scroll through their extensive A-Z of beading and beading related terms then click on any you want to know more about. A new screen with more information pops up.

This new screen is a missed opportunity in my view – it would have been perfect to include pictures in full colour on it (and there is the space to do so)– as it is true that in most cases a picture says so much more than words do. For instance, if you want to remember or know what a French earwire looks like it is much more helpful to see it than to read about it. Similarly, with bead finishes or with gemstones seeing images would make it much easier for me to recognise them when I see them.

The Apps makers say that they are open to suggestions so I’ll be making some to them. If you have used this App and have any suggestions I’d love to hear them.

If you have used any good Apps for beaders I’d also love to know. I’ll review those crafty Apps that I try over the next couple of weeks so stay tuned, or should I say stay ‘apped’!

Odd count peyote turns: Which way do you do it?

2011-01-17T14:48:00.004+11:00

Are you a beadweaver? Do you use peyote stitch? If you answered 'yes' to each of these questions you'll probably have a way to do odd-count peyote stitch. We need to use it anytime we are trying to centre a design or a join between two pieces of peyote beadwork. Sunburst Towers (see Photo) is one of the longest pieces of peyote I have woven that was based on odd-count peyote so it gave me plenty of practice at the turn. So, I know that I know how to do it - but have you ever tried to explain how you do this turn to others?

I have just taught my first beadweaving class at the Victorian Bead Society's annual Bead Retreat in Mt Eliza (Victoria, Australia). It was a lovely setting and I enjoyed my teaching until the moment that I realised most of the class participants had no experience of odd-count peyote stitch and to finish the project they would need to know how to do this variation on peyote stitch. I know of at least 3 ways to do the turn and each of them equally daunting to explain:
- using modified square stitch
- using a slip knot
- using a Figure 8 turn.

My favourite way to do the turn is using a modified form of the Figure 8 turn so I opted to try to explain that - all I can say is that my participants were very patient and to my surprise several of them actually learnt it. I think it was more good luck than good teaching so I have decided to write some clear instructions to take with me to my next class... one of those 'just in case' things to do. In thinking about how best to do this I wondered what most beaders find the best way to do this turn.

If you have a view, a good set of instructions you've found on the web or your own hints or tips I'd love to hear from you.

Here's a great animated site which I could have used as a helper with my participants:
Suzanne Cooper - http://www.suzannecooper.com/classroom/flat/flat_class.html

Update on the Festival of Glass

2011-01-17T14:45:00.004+11:00

Stop Press: Website live now for the Festival of Glass, 2oth Feb, 2011, Drysdale, Victoria, Australia. Click here to visit. They will be hosting a glass jewelry competition so any beaders out there might like to consider entering.

Festival of Glass - celebrate all things glass

2011-01-10T14:14:00.003+11:00

A reminder for your diaries if you like all things glass. The Festival of Glass 2011 is on 20th Feb 2011 in Drysdale, Victoria, Australia. Its shaping up to be an exciting event with bead glass artists, beadweavers, glass sculptures, mosaics, glass etchers and glass slumping for those who enjoy crafty glass work. You can bring you old glass along to the Old Glass Roadshow where you can ask glass specialists about your glass. Read poems and stories about glass and choose the best photo featuring glass. Food, music, workshops and more. Dax Designs Bead Art will be there with new designs along with other wonderful beaders and suppliers for beaders.

Highly commended for Sukathai Gold

2011-01-05T17:26:00.005+11:00

What a lovely New Year's present - I have just recieved my Highly Commended Award certificate for my entry in the Victorian Bead Society's (BSV) 2010 Bead Challenge. I called it Sukathai Gold and as usual taking a good photo seems almost as much a challenge as the beadwork did. The BSV challenge entrants all began with the same beads but could add to those in designing their entry. Here's a taster of what I did with mine. It was a long necklace that featured three large focal beaded beads that I created using my own beaded bead design, the challenge beads and some lovely 24ct gold-plated Japanese Delica beads.

To see the other award winners pop by their website - great inspiration for beaders around the world and those who love beadwork.

Etsy Beadweavers Challenge Piece now listed

2010-12-07T11:55:00.003+11:00

Just a quick update on my last blog - several folks have asked to see the finished Esty Beadweavers Challenge piece - here it is - Byzantine Golden Thyme. Voting for the challenge starts on the Etsy Beadweavers Blog on the 9th December - if you have a moment do stop by and vote as it's a great opportunity to view some fabulous and creative beadweaving.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/63520531/byzantine-golden-thyme-neckace-ebwc

Is the sparkle of crystals a health hazard: its beauty and its dangers

2010-12-01T15:51:00.005+11:00

I am just putting the finishing touches to my entry for the Esty Beadweavers Monthly Beadweaving Challenge. The theme this month is Simon and Garfunkel. My entry - ‘Thyme is golden’ (see photo) inspired by Scarborough Fair - is in soft green and gold tones and it includes several crystals lovely sparkling sage tones – the last of those beads in my stash. I’ve been watching the play of light on the crystals and I started to wonder – what creates those wonderful sparkles and why is it that some crystals sparkle more than others. What is in a sparkle?

It may surprise you to know that much of the sparkle is produced by lead oxide. When lead oxide is added to molten glass if forms lead crystal. The addition of lead creates a high index of refraction or in the colloquial a high index of sparkle. It also makes the glass clearer, heavier and much less likely to crack when carved or etched. Regulations in Europe specify that to be named “lead crystal” the glass must contain 30% or more lead. Anything below that amount can just be advertised as “crystal.”

Lead oxide is toxic if when introduced into the bloodstream (for example by swallowing it). It can cause memory loss, nausea, depression, fatigue, joint pain, abdominal cramping and vomiting. Most manufacturers, including the famous Swarovksi glass bead makers, argue that simply wearing or touch crystal lead jewelry does not expose you to enough lead to be toxic because the lead is not easily released from the beads.

Lead can be leached from glass and into our bloodstream when it is exposed to highly acidic environments over an extended period of time (for instance, when a lead decanter is used to store alcohol or orange juice for some months). Clearly, we don’t drink from crystal beads but there are a couple of ways in which lead can be leached into our blood stream from products with lead in them. First, if components containing lead are sucked or swallowed, saliva and/or stomach acids could leach the lead out into the body. Second, if we in some way heat jewellery items with lead in them, toxic fumes can be released which we then inhale. As our skin contains acid I found some sites online recommending that to be safe after you have worked with crystals you wash your hands before touch or preparing any food and to totally avoid lead crystal in jewelry for young children (who may accidently ingest the beads).

Given that I am no authority on these issues and that it is difficult to find authoritative advice online I’d welcome your thoughts or knowledge on these issues. If you know of a good source of authoritative information I’d love to hear about it and share it. I think as in most things, exercising caution is probably a wise route.

Useful sites to consider the issues further:

RingsNThings jewelry supplies: http://www.rings-things.com/jewelry-safety.html
Californian Department of Toxic Substances Control: http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/LeadInJewelry.
Waren Wilson: A site that lists recalls of products that contain dangerous levels of lead including items of jewelry: http://www.warren-wilson.edu/~lpp/news.html

Special Blog Followers December offer

2010-11-30T18:07:00.006+11:00

I promised myself that when December arrived I would think about Christmas and the upcoming festive season. So, here's a peak at my first Christmas bling bauble featuring a shimmering diachroic handmade bead and sparkling teal green pyramid bead - will be listing it shortly. More to come over the next week or so.

As a thank you to all my blog followers - new and not so new - I've also created my first Special Blog Followers discount coupon for my Etsy shop.

If you make a purchase from Dax Designs Bead Art and enter this coupon code you'll recieve a festive season thank you discount of 10% on all items througout December.

Enjoy and thanks for following my blog throughout the year.

Special Blog Followers Coupon Code: 1BLOGDECFOLLOW2010

I'll be adding a special coupon code for my destash shop (patterns, etc) later this week.

The Open Drawer: new venue for bead and other artists

2010-11-11T08:56:00.003+11:00

I'm very excited to have some of my work on sale at a new venue in Melbourne for bead and other artists - The Open Drawer Learning Centre, 1158 Toorak Rd, Camberwell 3124 (Mel. Ref 60 C6) Ph: 9889 7227 Email: info@opendrawer.com.au Web: www.opendrawer.com.au
Oening hours Mon, Wed & Fri 9.30-5.30 Thu 9.30-7pm Sat & Sun 10-4 (Closed Tuesdays)

If you live nearby do pop by and support this great venture that aims to support local artists - maybe you'd like to do a review of the shop and share it on my blog???

Peyote, gourd or running-bond stitch: what's in a name?

2010-11-02T12:26:00.010+11:00

History is often tricky to piece together so it shouldn’t be surprising that the history of beadweaving is not straightforward. Nowhere is this clearer than in trying to piece together the history of an off-loom beadweaving stitch that is widely called Peyote stitch. It is a stitch using a needle and thread in which the beads are woven together to create a beadweave that reflects what is called a ‘running bond’ brick pattern (see image). There are different types of peyote stitch - even count flat peyote, odd count flat peyote, even count tubular peyote, odd count tubular peyote and flat round peyote which can be in one-drop, two-drop, three-drop or even a four-drop count.

Some trace the origins of the running bond off-loom beadweaving stitch history to Ancient Egypt (2 & 8) and others to the beadwork of the Plains Indians in the 19th century in the USA (3). The running bond stitch is also used in beadwork in different parts of Africa and it is not clear when its use began in Africa (2). Allen (2000) (8) argued that with the arrival of beads to any country come the arrival of beading techniques and that examples of off-loom techniques can be found in Egypt as early as 500 BC. So, the question who invented the running bond beadweaving stitch looks a tricky one to answer.

It seems that the that naming the off-loom running bond beadweaving technique ‘Peyote’ technique does originate in the USA with the 19th century Plains Indian beadwork and the establishment of the Native American (peyote) Church. The Native American (peyote) Church is based on a mix of Christian and Native American spiritual beliefs and rituals. It is estimated that there are between 250,000 to 400,00 members of the church in the USA today. Key to the spiritual rituals of members of the Native American Church is the use of a Mexican psychoactive cactus called Peyote (see the strange blue object in the picture (right) - that is a peyote plant!). Members of the church believe that Peyote is a gift from god. In the late 19th century Comanche chief Quanah Parker who had experienced the healing power of Peyote whilst in Mexico established the Native American (peyote) Church. The use of peyote for its visionary and curative properties has a long history including its use by priests and shamans of the Aztec culture.

Many of the objects used in the Peyote ceremonies of the Native American (peyote) Church (e.g., handles of fans, rattles and sticks) are decorated with the ‘running bond’ beadweaving stitch - hence, Peyote stitch (see photo of peyote fans in this post). Hence, also the debate over whether or not those of us who are not members of the Native American Church can and should use the term ‘peyote’ to describe beadwork that is not used on objects used in Peyote ceremonies in the Native American (peyote) Church.

However, when the Plains Indians first used running-bond stitch is less clear. The use of seed beads dates to their arrival in the USA in the mid-1880s (8). For instance, examples have been found from the mid -1800s of young Western Apache women’s puberty ceremony T-necklaces made from this stitch so the stitch was being used by Plains Indians to decorate ceremonial objects prior to the establishment of the North American (peyote) Church. Sometimes the running bond stitch is referred to as gourd stitch. This name for the stitch derives from its use in decorating gourd containers that are used ceremonially by the Plains Indians but are objects not specifically used in peyote ceremonies.

What else do you know about 'peyote' stitch? What is the running stitch called in other parts of the world? Why? What do you call it? Why? Perhaps the answers to those questions will be in the next post.

Sources

www.botanical-online.com/alacaloidespeyotehistoriaangles.htm
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peyote_stitch
http://www.beadwrangler.com/samplers/peyote1/peyote_history.htm
http://www.native-languages.org/beadwork.htm
http://www.forttumbleweed.net/nativebeadwork.html
http://fourwindsgallery.com.au/beadwork.html
http://www.kstrom.net/isk/art/beads/art_bead.html
http://www.thebeadsite.com/BBI-JDA.htm
Ceremonial fans image from: http://nac-art.com/Peyote-Fans_DavidMays.htm

Creating productive time for beading: how do you find it?

2010-10-18T17:53:00.003+11:00

I decided to catch up with email reading today – reading emails I hadn’t had time to read last week. Ironically, several of them were about how to find time to do what you like to do! Beading is not everything in my life but finding some more time for seems a challenge. Etsy’s emails for online shop owners are full of advice on how to create time to move through the things that make for a successful online shop, The Beading Gem’s Journal listed 10 tips on finding time to bead and a piece on simplifying your life so you can do what you want to do appeared in my ‘junk’ mail folder. An omen??? Mind you distilling all this time-saving advice took quite some time! Here’s what made most sense to me in my efforts to have a regular, productive and calm space to bead:

Do at least one beady thing today that gives you pleasure
Limit the time you spend on the computer and/or texting, etc. as it is a major way in which time can be lost in current times
‘Edit’ and declutter your workspace so that it is not full of the unnecessary and the impossible - just spend 15 mins on it a day and celebrate what you achieve, knowing you'll do more tomorrow.
Choose to do one beady thing today that you have been putting off for a while
Create beading routines that allow you do to some beading you love every day
Single task your beadwork, rather than multi-task – it’s less stressful
Create a strategy for dealing with UFOs.

What works to make your beading time productive, enjoyable and as often as you’d like? I'd love to know. I'm off to try to put these handy tips into practice - 15 mins for declutter with the computer left off!!!

Colour my world, or should that be tint, shade, illuminate, saturate and add intensity to the hues of my world?

2010-10-12T15:58:00.006+11:00

As some you of will know I have been working hard on completing my entry for the Victorian Bead Society’s (BSV) annual bead challenge. It was indeed a challenge but it is finished. Part of the challenge for me was finding a way to work with a colour palette that I don’t use very often – soft sage greens, aqua, deep blues and tans. That challenge, and writing a few words on discussion about the Colour Wheel at a recent local BSV meeting made me realise how little I knew about the origins of the Colour Wheel.

Little did I know it is but one of many systems for ordering colour in our world. Spirals, triangles and charts have each been used to organise and name the colours in our world (see Sarah Lowengard’s book for a great history of this). The creation of the Colour Wheel is generally attributed to Isaac Newton. In 1706 he developed his theory of colour. He observed the colours created when light passes through a prism and then created a way to represent their relationships to each other. He chose to represent their relationships in a circle in which each section of the circle represented a specific colour found in the prism and the way it was ordered ordered in the prism (their chromatic order). The Newtonian colour order was red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. There are several colour wheels but they generally organise colours into 5 types:

PRIMARY COLORS. Red, yellow and blue. These are the colours all otheer colours are derived from and they cannot be made by mixed other colours.
SECONDARY COLORS. Orange, green and violet :: These are the colours created by mixing two primary colours.
TERTIARY COLORS. Red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet and red-violet :: These colours are created by a mixture of primary and secondary colours.
COMPLEMENTARY COLORS. Colors located opposite each other on a color wheel.
ANALOGOUS COLORS. Colors located close together on a color wheel.

Using the Colour Wheel or other systems of organising colour draws on what is refered to as Colour Theory. Colour Theory provides rules and guidelines for creating different types of visual impact from how colour is combined, mixed and juxtaposed. If you’d like to learn more about colour theory there is a very easy to use free tutorial on the web: in http://www.worqx.com/color/color_basics.htm. You can use it to learn about the language of colour - learn the meaning of hue, saturation, intensity and more. With this knowledge you can play with the colour palette of your beadwork and experiment with colour combinations that are new to you.

Sources:

http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/
Sarah Lowengard (2008). The Creation of Color in Eighteenth-Century Europe. Columbia University Press. http://www.gutenberg-e.org/lowengard/A_Chap03.html.
http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html

Good resources on colour for beaders

Deeb, M. The Beader's Guide to Color, Watson-Guptill Publications, USA.
Classes by Margie Deeb – Colour Wheel Magic. http://www.margiedeeb.com/html/product.php?productid=281&type=19
Wallace, S. The Beaders Colour Mixing Directory, Search Press, UK.
Deeb, M. The Beader's Color Palette: 20 Creative Projects and 220 Inspired Combinations for Beaded and Gemstone Jewelry, Watson-Guptill Publications, USA.

Friday Facebook Fan and Blog Followers offer

2010-10-01T11:54:00.001+10:00

TODAY ONLY - one free pattern of your choice from my destash shop if you are my 50th sale. Just made my 49th destash shop sale. To celebrate the 50th sale I'm offering a free pattern of your choice to the person who makes it 50 today. What a wonderful spring morning it is here where I live.

Organising a beadwork exhibition - finding an organising principle

2010-09-27T18:38:00.007+10:00

I have had a frantic week preparing for the launch of my first beadwork exhibition. The launch was held last night (Sunday 27th Sept). Various dictionaries claim that an exhibition is an organised collection of items for public display. It was hard on Saturday night to imagine I’d ever reach the status of ‘organised’. Jewelry was strewn throughout the house, display boxes were in a state of undress and my printer decided to run out of ink just when I wanted to print the exhibition leaflet. A minor miracle and timely help from my partner and friends got me over the line.

Creating an ‘organised’ collection of beadwork was much harder than I imagined. It meant trying to find an ‘organising’ principle. Should I organise according to purpose (for instance, put all the earrings together, etc.), would organising by shape or colour create an enticing display or should it be organised by grouping items together that are from the same collection? I had advertised that I would have items from three of my collections (the Endangered collection, the Desires collection and the Earthstones collection) on display. What do you think I did - what organising principle do you see in the photos of two of my display frames for the exhibition?

Many exhibitions occur in large institutions such as museums, galleries and exhibition or trade fair venues. My exhibition is in a lovely small organic café called the Healing Web’s Vitality Café, in Geelong, Victoria, Australia (you can catch details on their Facebook page ). Geelong is the second largest city in Victoria and it is about to be larger by 200,000 or so people as it is hosting a major international bicycle event in the next week. My exhibition didn’t attract quite those numbers (the venue only takes about 25 people at any one time) but it was lovely to have friends attend and support its launch. Thanks to everyone who attended and supported my work in this way.

The Art to Enrich exhibition is on until the end of October – pop by and enjoy great food and coffee if you are in Geelong. You can also see the meditative artwork of my exhibition partner Lynda Crowther.

Gold Fire bracelet featured

2010-09-17T11:23:00.000+10:00

I'm busy preparing for my exhibition next week but was very excited to see one of my designs (Gold Fire bracelet) featured on brochure for a Festival of Glass in my local area (Drysdale, Victoria, Australia) in Feb next year - it's the gold bracelet on the left hand side.

If you live in the the area or might be visiting you might want to note the dates for your diary.

Art to Enrich - Glenda's first bead exhibition - any advice?

2010-09-13T15:21:00.005+10:00

Hi all
Just to let those of you living locally know that I have my first beadwork exhibition coming up: ART TO ENRICH.

If you are nearby please do pop by - there will be a range of pieces for sale. It is being held at a fabulous new cafe that is supporting local artists, does terrific organic food and has a lovely atmosphere. I'll be exhibiting with a local Wax artist. All very exciting and yet daunting all at once.

For those of you who have done this all before I'd love to hear any handy hints or words of advice that you have.

Here's the details:

To Fireline or not? What do you think?

2010-09-01T18:46:00.006+10:00

Fireline is on my mind. I have just bought a large spool from a local shop that sells fishing tackle and now I can complete a spiral rope that has been waiting for this purchase. For those of you out there who are not beaders or beginning beaders, Fireline the brand name of a form of fishing line made from a synthetic fibre, called Dyneema that is tough, does not absorb water, is unaffected by ultra-violet light and stretch resistant.

Dyneema began to be produced in the 1990s and is considered to be the strongest fibre in the world - fifteen times stronger than steel fibre of the same weight. The fibre is a synthetic fibre made from polyethylene. It is used in making a wide range of products from aquaculture nets, medical and protective gloves, and bulletproof armour to containers for airfreight and ropes for underwater projects.

Whilst, Fireline’s qualities are clearly great for fishing line they are also great qualities for a beading ‘thread’. Many beaders like to use Fireline in their beadweaving to give it added strength and durability. For instance, the spool I bought today is a 6lb test spool so it won’t break very easily but will pass through my beads several times because it has quite a fine diameter.

Of course, in the way of these things I ran out of Fireline when I was half way through my current spiral rope project. So I am delighted to have my new spool of Fireline and its strength as a fibre will ensure my project is extremely durable. Mind you, I don’t think I could claim it was bulletproof!

The qualities of Dyneema has given it great eco-friendly credentials as it is being used in a wide range of products designed to reduce our eco footprint.

You can readily see Dyneema’s eco-friendly credentials in several of its products:

· HyFlex Dyneema medical and protective gloves can be laundered several times and still ensure cut protection. This reduces the overall number of ‘plastic’ gloves used and it reduces hard waste.

· When Dyneema ropes replace steel ropes in underwater projects they cut out the environmental issues associated with the need to lubricate steel wire when it is in water.

· Dyneema panels in airfreight containers are stronger and lighter than the traditional aluminium ones and therefore help reduce carbon emissions from helping reduce cargo weight and thus reduce fuel use.

However, it seems that fibres such as Dyneema do not biodegrade, they photodegrade and take between between 500 and 600 years to do so. That means beading with Fireline creates a beading item that can stand the test of time, but it also means there is a lot of fishing line in the world that will be here for a long time as well! It seems that Dyneema in the form of fishing line brings significant ecological costs.

So as a beader, to Fireline or not? What do you think?

Sources

Daffodils of hope - new free beading pattern

2010-08-30T18:24:00.003+10:00

Last Friday (27^th August 2010) I noticed that the daffodils planted at the front of our land are in full bloom. They are such a bright and hopeful sign that spring is on the way and it’s exciting to see more of them blooming this year than there were last year. Coincidentally, last Friday was also Daffodil Day in Australia. Daffodil Day is a major cancer awareness and fundraising day run by the Cancer Council of Australia. They describe it as a “day for all of us to give hope for a brighter, cancer-free future for ourselves, and for those we love”. As a person who has had relations and friends die from cancer it seemed timely to honor their memory and the spirit of Daffodil Day by designing a daffodil bead pattern.

I hope you like it. I’m off to bead it tonight. If you’d like to bead one the pattern is available free to all Fans and Followers. Just link here.

For more information: http://www.daffodilday.com.au/About.htm

Women's rights - free peyote pattern

2010-08-23T16:56:00.003+10:00

I was working with a group of women in a community song writing workshop at the weekend and was reminded of how the message of women's rights is still very pertinent. Some of the women in the group are survivors of domestic violence. In honor of them and of the songwriting group I've chosen my next free pattern offer for Facebook Fans and Blog Followers - the women's rights symbol. Link here to my website to download the free pattern. Love to hear how you use it. Traditionally, for feminist there is a clinched fist in the middle but that was too much of a challenge to do in beadwork. Happy beading to all women.

Chocolate truffles, ‘in’ colours for beaders and southern skies

2010-08-23T11:56:00.009+10:00

I’ve just downloaded a preview of the latest Margie Deeb Colour Report for Bead and
Jewelry Designers. Margie (www.margiedeeb.com/) writes prolifically on colour for beaders and I own her book The Beaders Guide to Colour (published by Watson-Guptill Publications.) Margie publishes regular seasonal colour reports for beaders that appraise them of the latest in colour trends for the upcoming season. I’ve have downloaded her latest report - the Fall/Winter 2010 report. It has some enticing colour combinations in it. I was drawn to those associated with the PANTONE® colour ‘Chocolate Truffle’. PANTONE® has created what is considered to be the definitive international reference for selecting, specifying, matching and controlling ink colours.

PANTONE® describe their 'Chocolate Truffle' as “Elegant.... evocative of delicious treats, is a rich brown with piquant plum undertones, that pairs tastefully with Purple Orchid." PANTONE® 19-1526. It sounds good enough to eat. Maggie suggests using Delica #1574 to emulate their rich brown.

I was just about to head off to my Delica stash to see if I had any when I realized that what might be ‘in’ for beaders in the northern hemisphere isn’t necessarily in for southern hemisphere beaders. We are just beginning to turn from winter to spring and instead of brown autumn leaves there yellow wattles bursting into flower and blue skies sneaking through the grey. So as delicious as chocolate truffles might look and sound should a southern beader be tempted by them?

Searching for advice online I’ve been rather overwhelmed by the wide range of fashion colour reports available to us beaders for inspiration. I’ve listed some key ones below but I haven’t yet found any that answers my question – what should a girl in the southern hemisphere do – be tempted by chocolate truffles or not? What do others think?

By the way those luscious choclate truffles in the picture above are from Chocolate Lushes Etsy shop - stop by for other temptations and/or inspirations.

Sources for colour inspiration and colour trends online
Pantone's website: http://au.pantone.com/pages/pantone/index.aspx

Fashion Trendsetter - has the following colour reports:

Pantone Fashion Colour Report for Fall 2010 - The CIFF Autumn/Winter 2010/2011 Fashion and Colour Trends
APLF Colour and Material Trends Fall/Winter 2010/2011
The Must-Have Colour Trends for Fall 2011
Inspiring Color Hues From Prada!
Lenzing Textile & Color Trends Autumn/Winter 2010/11

For Northern and Southern hemisphere trends - http://www.style-makeover-hq.com/current-fashion-trends.html

Synchrotrons, Ancient Egypt and a turquoise sort of day

2010-08-19T09:08:00.003+10:00

The birds are singing, the sun is shining and I am looking out my window at the first bright blue sky in weeks here on the Bellarine Peninsula (Victoria, Australia) where I live. I think I can feel a walk on the beach (just a few minutes away) beaconing. It all feels very cheering after weeks of much needed rain, grey skies and cold winds. It could be called a ‘turquoise’ day. Apparently, as a gemstone turquoise makes the wearer feel happy and cheerful. Some say this is because it’s tones are produced through the combination of the light bright blue of sunny skies and the beautiful greens of the sea. Mind you ironically, turquoise should be protected from strong sunlight as it’s colour can fade in it. It is also a gemstone that promotes finiancial well-being. According to gemstone,org the ancient Persian scholar Al-Qazwini wrote: 'The hand that wears a turquoise and seals with it will never see poverty.' Maybe that is why some women in Ancient Egypt used to bake their own in the local bread oven! To explain:

Not content with managing the household it appears women in Ancient Egypt were also keeping the budget in the black with some home-based manufacturing. That is the conclusion an Australian team has drawn by using synchrotrons to analyse the synthetic turquoise that was popular during the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten around 1300BC.

Amongst my gemstone stash are some lovely pieces of turquoise that I haven’t looked at in ages – so after this blog post I am off to choose one to use in my beading later today. I have been working hard on creating beaded beads for the last few weeks and feel an itch to do some beading with cabachons. I think that Mother Nature is calling me to honor the day by beading with turquoise today and I don’t feel quite up to baking any!

I hope you have a turquoise sort of day.

Sources

Cooper, Dan: Synchrotron probes Egyptian beads, May 2010, http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2010/05/18/2902688.htm
http://www.gemstone.org/gem-by-gem/english/turquoise.html

Beading Needle Survey update - 25 in so far

2010-08-05T18:36:00.003+10:00

Thanks to everyone who has filled out a survey so far - helpful comments and a clear winner emerging to date ... the suggestion about KRDesigns about a list of suppliers I'll take on board - where to buy the best needles at the best prices.... Let others who bead know about the survey - the more, the more likely we are to have a good guide to the best value, best quality needle.

Four broken beading needles: it's time for a beading needle quality survey

2010-08-04T18:33:00.004+10:00

Last night I managed to break four beading needles whilst making a pair of peyote earrings. The needles are part of a batch of a pack of 25 needles that seem to just snap at will. I have decided never to buy that brand again! Once I believed that a beading needle is a beading needle. Now, I am learning that where needles are made (I have used needles made in the UK, USA, Japan, India, and China) is linked to how much use I get from them. I have also learnt that not all brands from a specific country are necessarily of the same quality. So, putting on my hat as a researcher I've decided it's time for a Beading Needle Quality Survey of the beading communities I am part of. If you are a beader I hope you'll join in during the month of August.

The survey takes a few minutes only to complete (unless you decide to write an essay on beading needles - which of course I'd love to read). It asks you to assess the quality of needle strength and durability, needle eyes for threading and fraying, needle sharpness and value for money.

Click here to take survey (Please note this will take you to Monkey Survey - an online survey site where I have placed the survey - it's free of charge!)

I'll post results of the survey on the blog in early September.

Escher, mandalas, recycling and the move to eco-friendly jewelry packaging

2010-07-23T01:30:00.005+10:00

I have been researching the best way forward to create more stylish and eco-friendly packaging for my designs. It’s been a longish project with not a little frustration attached to it I’ve found very little in the way of custom-made eco-friendly packaging for jewelry that can be ordered in small quantities.

Today I think I’ve found a solution. Trying to work with the 3 R’s of recycle, reuse, reduce I’m considering moving to a form of packaging I will make myself from eco-felt - an envelope shaped pouch. Eco-felt is made from recycled plastic bottles (the first R) but looks just like wool felt, it will be designed to be re-used by people to keep jewelry and other small items in it (the second R) and it should be light but protective for posting items reducing it’s carbon foot print in the air and reducing the need to use the tissue paper I now use for packing and protecting (the third R). I already recycle bubble wrap as a protective layer and am looking to recycle envelopes more.

I’ve just ordered some sample eco-felt to work on my prototype packet and will post some pictures once I have had a go.

I’d welcome feedback and critique on the direction I am going from those more knowledgeable than I about such matters.

In the meantime, in celebration of a possible solution to my packaging saga I’m offering a free bookmark (or bracelet) pattern for Facebook fans and Blog Followers based on the recycling symbol - just let me know if you'd like it. If you’d like to learn about the history of the symbol you can read about it in detail here:

www.dyer-consequences.com/recycling_symbol.html -

To entice you to do that here’s a tidbit from it: Looking back, he (the designer) feels that his designs were influenced not only by M. C. Escher's art and the Möbius strip, but also by the wool symbol, reminiscent of spinning fibers, and the concept of the mandala as a symbol of the universe in the Buddhist and Hindu traditions.

Free HIV/AIDS Awareness Bead pattern

2010-07-19T14:21:00.001+10:00

Several folks have emailed wanting a copy of the Free HIV/AIDS Awareness Bead pattern which is great.

To help people more readily access a copy I have set up a PDF download link on my website:

http://www.daxdesigns.com.au/Freepatterns.html

Please feel free to share this link with others in your beading community. I'll be adding other patterns over time.

Talking with beadwork (Ubuhlalu): messages of hope, love, and solidarity

2010-07-18T14:49:00.000+10:00

I’m delighted to have just been given two beaded dolls from South Africa. They are Zulu AIDS ‘Orphan Dolls’ about 4 inches tall with wonderful disk head dress (see photo). These dolls are most often handmade by Zulu beaders who are grandmothers and who are taking care of children orphaned by the AIDS pandemic. The women make the dolls as a source of income to help them care for a generation of children orphaned by AIDS. Often these children will not be related to the grandmothers.

The dolls also carry a message to the world. They are sent to remind us that there are millions of children orphaned by the AIDS pandemic and to express a hope for the future free from the AIDS pandemic and its effects on everyone. A powerful message sent through beadwork.

The use of beads to send messages has a long history in many cultures. In traditional Zulu culture bead colour and the beadwork patterns carry meaning. Zulu beadwork (Ubuhlalu) is designed and created solely by women, but both men and women wear it in the form of bracelets, headbands, necklaces and clothing adornment.
Traditionally, each colour and pattern in a piece of beadwork expressed a different meaning so that a Zulu woman could weave a “message” into her beadwork gifts to man using a combination of colour and pattern. Generally, her beadwork messages were about courtship, marriage, sexual intentions, hopes and relationships. For this reason, beadwork was not made for or given to blood relatives.

In contemporary times, beadwork in South Africa has also carried messages of protest and political solidarity. For instance when Nelson Mandela appeared for his trial he appeared in Tembu dress with a wide beadwork collar. The photo of his appearance was not published until the 1990s when ANC was unbanned.

Among the Zulu beadwork is women’s business. Zulu women learnt their beading techniques and symbolism from their mothers and/or older sisters and Zulu men and boys had to rely on the women in their family to translate the meanings of beadwork gifts that they received. Now, beadwork enables many women to become wage earners and their beadwork (for example, AIDS orphan dolls) is critical to the finances of their families and communities.

Whilst not all contemporary Zulu beading carries messages of love, sex and courtship the tradition of Zulu women using their beadwork to talk about issues important in their lives is clearly apparent in my AIDS orphan dolls. It is also apparent in two other pieces of contemporary Zulu beading I own - two beaded AIDS awareness red ribbons. These ribbons carry the message of solidarity of people living with HIV/AIDS.

What messages are in the beadwork you own?

If you'd like to bead your own HIV/AIDS awareness ribbon I have designed a free pattern as a Friday Followers and Facebook Fans offer in peyote and square stitch - just email me or let me know in a comment and I can email it to you.

Sources
• The History of Zulu Beadwork | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_6449401_history-zulu-beadwork.html#ixzz0u0EC4sZL
• http://ezinearticles.com/?The-History-and-Symbolism-of-Zulu-Beadwork&id=1024960
• http://www.eshowe.com/article/articlestatic/65/1/13/
• Carey, M. 2001, Gender in African Beadwork, in Sciama, L. and Eicher, J. (Eds), Beads and Bead Makers: Gender, Material Culture and Meaing, BERG, Oxford. (pp. 83 – 91),

New competition - jewelry that has non-bead components

2010-07-16T17:31:00.000+10:00

BeadStyle magazine has a new challenge for beaders - make a piece of jewelry with non-bead components or findings. Send a JPEG of your piece to editor@beadstylemag.com by September 6, 2010. Finalists are published in the January issue and we can vote for our favorite. What would you make?

And again a Treasury

2010-07-01T19:53:00.001+10:00

Summer Night Sunset - the Eye of the Lemur by Dax Designs Bead Art bracelet is featured. Wonderful company it's in.

Etsy Treasury time again

2010-07-01T19:29:00.000+10:00

Dax is in two new Treasuries curated by Etsy shop owners. Here they are:

Hyperallergenic - featuring some of my DaxDestash surgical steel earstuds.
Cuffs, cuffs, cuffs, cuffs, cuffs - featuring Dax Bead Art Eye of the Snow Leopard cuff bracelet

Shop banners - what attracts you? What keeps you looking further?

2010-06-27T11:24:00.000+10:00

I have just started a new thread in the Etsy shop critique forums titled the best and worst about this banner. A fun and constructive way to get some feedback about my shop banner and for others to do the same about theirs. Please join in if you have an Etsy shop and would like some friendly critique of your shop banner. It's also a great way to see other Etsy shops.

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6558342

When history was made for a country, a beader and a black pearl that was not black

2010-06-26T17:29:00.000+10:00

Thursday 24^th June 2010 history was made. It was the day that Australia gained its first female Prime Minister - Julia Gillard. It was also the day I became the proud owner of a beautiful Cellini necklace strung with black pearls, carnelian and smoky quartz beads. Mind you my black pearls, like many black pearls are not really black at all. Mine are a wonderful soft grey-green with the deepest pearl lustre. Confusingly, black pearls come in many colours ranging from black, champagne grey, peacock green, eggplant, bronze, cream, pink and gold. They are called black pearls because the pearls are created by the black-lipped oyster found in French Polynesian waters (the 'Pinctada Margaritifera' oyster). So, it’s not surprising that my first meeting with a black pearl was in Tahiti. (More of that shortly!)

My wonderful necklace will remind me not only of a historic day for Australia but of the delightful colleagues who gave it to me at my farewell morning tea at the University at which I have worked for the past 15 years. Ironically, and unknown to my colleagues it also has historical significance in my life as a beader. I met my first black pearl in Tahiti some 15 years ago. That holiday is memorable not only for being a wonderful holiday with my partner and seeing my first beautiful black Tahitian pearls but because on that holiday I created my very first peyote stitched amulet bag. I used fairly poor quality seed beads and the peyote weaving is very uneven but my love of peyote stitch was born on that holiday under palm trees overlooking a wonderful coral reef lagoon. What a place to fall in love with peyote stitch? My wonderful new necklace of black pearls that are not black is already full of history. How fitting for a farewell gift.

Some links to follow if you’d like to know more about black pearls.

A great history of the black pearls with a picture of very famous black pearl known as the Drexel Pearl - http://www.internetstones.com/drexel-pearl-natural-symmetrical-drop-shaped-black-pearl-polynesian-origin.html
Smithstonian Allure of Pearls exhibition - http://www.mnh.si.edu/exhibits/Pearls/text_only.htm
Famous pearls - http://www.touchofpearls.com/famouspearls.html
Cellini - http://www.celliniworkshop.com.au/

Celebrating bead weaving across time and styles

2010-06-16T20:39:00.000+10:00

At the weekend I went with two beading buddies to a delightful exhibition of beadweaving and bead embroidery at an art Gallery in country Victoria. If you have a chance do pop by. My only niggle was the lack of consistent signage that told us the story of each piece - who made, when and how. My favourite piece was a vintage bead embroidery bracelet made from the tiniest beads you have ever seen - probably size 24/0. I would have loved to know about it's maker and it's history.

Brilliant Beads at the Art Gallery of Ballarat (Victoria, Australia) is presented by the Ballarat Branch of the Embroiderers Guild of Victoria as part of its 50th Anniversary.

Dates: Thursday, 6 May 2010 - Sunday, 4 July 2010
Venue: Timkin Community Gallery
Admission: Free.

More information: http://www.artgalleryofballarat.com.au/exhibitions/brilliant-beads.aspx

Etsy Treasuries galore

2010-06-05T01:17:00.001+10:00

Thanks to fellow Etsyians who have featured my pieces in their treasuries over the past week. Here are the wonderful collections they have put together to showcase the work of folks on Etsy.

Lovely surprise - Dax Designs Bead Art featured on Indie Spotting

2010-06-04T14:41:00.000+10:00

Had a lovely surprise today - Dax Designs Bead Art is featured on Indie Spotting - pop by if you have a chance.

http://www.indiespotting.com/shop-showcase/meet-dax-designs-bead-art/

Dots, dyes and durability in Delica beads: getting organised to avoid disappointment

2010-05-25T11:18:00.000+10:00

After yet another foray onto Miyuki’s website to check the durability of the finish of some Delicas I want to use in my latest project I’ve finally decided it’s time to get better oragnised on this front. I’m off buy some sticky coloured dots that I can use to mark the containers of the Delicas in my stash that have less durable finishes because after a couple of disasters with Delica finishes ‘wearing off’ I seem to spend as much time on Miyuki’s website checking out the durability of finishes as I do beading.

My first durability disaster hit with the first Delica project I ever did (see photo) back in the late 1990s. It was an amulet purse I designed inspired by a piece of gold threaded Thai silk I had seen on holiday in Thailand. The silk was worn by a Thai classical dancer wear during a delightful dance performance I had seen. I was so delighted with the finished piece that I wore it daily and within a week or two the bright tumeric coloured Delica beads began to loose their colour. So, I learnt the hard way to avoid dyed Delica beads.

Other hard lessons followed as I learnt through experience that several seed bead finishes are not durable. The lack of durability of several seed bead finishes is not a secret – for instance, Miyuki’s website allows you to check durability by bead number and many bead sellers keep a chart of bead finish durability. However, my disappointments with durability arose because not all sellers do this and not all bead labelling includes information about finishes. Unfortunately, this means that impulse bead buying when this information is lacking can bring diasters in their wake. I have quite a stash of beads bought this way that I now need to be very wary of using.

There are several ways to avoid the durability disappointments I've had.

Be particularly alert to beads that have a very vibrant or unusual color especially if they tones of purple and pink.
Learn the language of seed bead finishes so you can make a judgement before you buy.

Ceylon (clear beads that have been lustred that have a shiny pearly finish ) – may sometimes fade in sunlight
Dyed (often very bright colours) – friction and skin acids bring them back to white beads
Galvinized (metallic finishes) – can rub off with friction from wear or other beads and with chemical reactions to skin oils and acids
Inside colour or painted linings – can rub off the inside over time
Plated (metallic finishes) – relatively permanent but can rub off with friction
Silver lined (very sparkly) – these can go black overtime

Test beads before you work with them by either spraying window cleaner on them or sitting them on a dampened paper towel for a while – the colour on dyed beads is vulnerable to this test.

Create your own durability labelling system for your bead stash. My hope is to have a simple dot system for those that I already own that I can remember easily:

Ceylon – yellow to remind me that they might fade in the sun
Dyed – white to remind me they fade back to white
Galvinized – green cos it starts with G too
Painted linings – pink cos it starts with P too
Plated – silver because silver is often plated
Silver lined – black to remind me that they turn black

Mind you I may need to rethink my system after I visit my local newsagency. I suspect their line of colored dots is rather limited.

If you really want to use non-durable finishes – or like me – have a stash of them bought in ignorance you can apparently produce a more durable finish if coat them with clear acrylic spray paint before using them or dip the finished work into clear acrylic floor wax. I haven’t tried either of these methods but I’d be curious to know if anyone else has and what you think works best. What other tricks and tips do you have to avoid the disappointments non-durable seed bead finishes can bring?

Sources

Delica durability charts

http://www.miyuki-beads.co.jp/english/seed/07_db01.html
http://www.beadedimages.com/delicainfo.htm (Great summary chart)

Creativity, gemstones and you

2010-05-20T16:22:00.000+10:00

I have just listed a Red Tiger Iron gemstone cabochon in my Etsy Destash shop (see photo and link to daxdestash.etsy.com for more information). In reading about this gemstone I met its folklore as a stone that could aid creativity. Ah, I thought, a perfect stone for beaders. Whoever works with this cabochon could produce a wonderfully creative design. Mind you it is not the only gemstone believed to enhance our creativity. For instance:

Amber builds creative confidence
Carnelian gives us creative energy
Citrine generates positive new thoughts and ideas
Dioptase energises creative insights
Garnet sparks us to act on our creativity
Iolite unlocks our creativity
Jade stimulates spontaneity in our creativity
Rhodochroisite encourages playful creativity

Beliefs about the magical properties of gemstones have a long and varied history. Over time in different cultures gemstones have been attributed with many magical and healing properties. In researching this history for her novel A Rumour of Gems, author Ellen Steiber found that just about any gemstone was capable of anything. The magical and/or healing properties a particular gemstone is believed to have can shift from culture to culture and time to time. For instance, it was claimed in times past that if you put your hand in boiling water after a topaz had been thrown into it the water would not harm you. So, it is with that caution in mind you might turn to my creative gemstone list when you need a boost to your creativity. Mind you, I still believe that my Red Tiger Iron gemstone cabachon will stimulate who ever uses it to create a wonderful design. What stimulates you to be creative? Do gemstones have a place in that for you?

Sources

Etsy Treasuries featuring Dax Designs Bead Art - the latest news

2010-05-14T23:28:00.000+10:00

Two treasuries this week with Dax Designs work featured. Thanks to the curators for including my work. 'Glorious Sunrise' featured Giraffes at Sunset cuff bracelet and 'Yes or No?' featured my latest hairstick - Abstract Artz. I love learning about the work of other Etsians through these treasuries.

The 6th Photo Game

2010-05-09T17:53:00.000+10:00

Cindy Caraway of Artful Living on the Bluff has invited her readers to play along in the 6th Photo Game with her. The fun begins when you search through your earliest blog posts and find the sixth photo that you ever uploaded to share with your readers. The next task is to critique your own photo, and explain what you would do differently, then pass on the challenge to ten bloggers.

I was invited to join the game by Inspirational Beading to join the challenge. My 6th photo was my photo of a bracelet I am very fond of called Kimberly Lizard - here it is. It is much better than many of the photos i was taking at this time but I can see that it would have benefited by some tinkering to make it brighter and sharper. I've had a go to see what happens if I try to do. I have used my Image Preview program to sharpen and brighten the image and then increased the contrast slightly. The original photo needed to be more in focus but I think overall the tinkering has worked to produce a better photo - what do you think? What else would you do?

I’m passing on the 6th Photo Challenge to:

Beaded extravagence - http://beadedextravagance.blogspot.com/
Beading fantasy - http://beading-fantasy.blogspot.com/
Bead bugs boutique - http://beadbugsboutique.blogspot.com/
Beadwork by Amanda - http://beadworkbyamanda.blogspot.com/
Beadazzled of Oregon - http://dini-beadazzledoforegon.blogspot.com/
Enchanted beads - http://ileanasmagicaltime.blogspot.com/
Good Quill Hunting - http://goodquillhunting.wordpress.com/
Peter Sewell - http://petersewell.co.uk/
Smadar's Treasure - http://smadarstreasure.blogspot.com/
Time2cre8 - http://time2cre8.blogspot.com/

Etsy Artisans supporting each other - Aunt Jane and her feature of Dax Designs Bead Art

2010-05-09T17:04:00.001+10:00

Since opening an online shop on Etsy I have had lots of support from other artisans with Etsy shops. Support behind the scenes has included helpful tips and advice on setting up my shop and managing life on Etsy. More public support in has included being featured by other artisans in their Etsy Treasuries. Etsy Treasuries are are themed handpicked selections of Etsy items for sale that are published online as part of Etsy's website. My work has also been featured on the blogs of other Etsians. It's very exciting when this happens as the interest and affirmation of other artisans is wonderful to have as part my day. Aunt Jane is the latest Etsian to do this. She has just featured my work on her blog - http://auntjanecan.blogspot.com/

If you have a chance do pop by her blog and have a read. You can also see her wonderful work on her Etsy website. http://www.etsy.com/shop/auntjanecan. She sells Original Fantasy Art on sculptures, paintings, jewelry, greeting cards and prints. I just love the shapes and colours on her greeting cards - one is featured here. Could be great inspiration for beading designs. Support artisans, supporting other Etsians by popping by her shop.

Dax's Friday Followers earrings offer and FREE shipping

2010-05-07T10:56:00.000+10:00

Friday Fans and Followers special offers are a way to say thanks to my blog Followers and Facebook Fans. This Friday I'm in a mood to create some earrings with a difference so I've decided Dax's Friday Facebook Fans and Followers special offer will be earrings - I am offering a two for one special on my Etsy shop earrings for this weekend (7th - 9th May). It's for Dax's Facebook fans and blog followers only. Just send me a message in the message to Seller with the code - EARFFandF in it once you have made your earring purchases and I'll refund the price of one pair of earrings.

Also to celebrate reaching 200 shop hearts on Etsy I've introduced FREE shipping on all items.

If you are in the mood for browsing pop by and see what's new in Dax's Etsy shop.

Butterflies, Rainbows and Bead Challenges

2010-05-07T10:52:00.000+10:00

It's the monthly Etsy Beadweaver's Challenge time again. It's part of our team membership requirements that we participate in the challenges. This month I've created a bracelet - The Butterfly Rainbows - for the Etsy Beadweaver's "Colour Embedded in the World of Insects" Challenge! Please visit the EBW blog http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com between May 9th and 15th, choose your favorite challenge piece and vote for it.

Eye of the Tiger and Eye of the Zebra in favourites on Etsy treasuries

2010-05-04T12:54:00.000+10:00

Just catching up with posting on two treasuries two of my recent cuffs in my 'Wild Side' series. I've offered patterns for each of them on my Etsy destash site (daxdestash.etsy.com) as well as listed the beaded cuffs for sale in my Etsy shop. Working on finishing my next in the series - Eye of the Snow Leopard. Just waiting on the right grey Delica beads to arrive from my latest bead order. Hope you enjoy the Wild Side of my current work.

The changing traditions of the needle case – so much change and yet so little has changed

2010-04-30T12:35:00.000+10:00

How important to you is a needle case and how do you keep it handy?

Apparently in times past (e.g. Ancient Egypt and 1^st – 5^th centuries in Northern Europe) a needle case was considered important enough to keep close at hand that it was buried with a person’s remains so that they had it with them in their afterlife. Depending on when and where you were buried your needle case might be made of bone, bronze, leather or tin although it’s basic shape was much the same – a long tube closed at one end with a removable stopper or cap at the other. In Ancient Egypt it is likely your needle case would be made from hollowed bird bones capped with cloth and a reed stopper. Interestingly, the North American Inuit also traditionally used hollowed bird bones for storing their needles. As the European tradition of burying needle cases with a person’s remains to keep them handy for the afterlife changed so did traditions of keeping needles handy during life. Needle cases in European societies were worn variously suspended on cords or ribbon from the neck, around the waist, on the wrist and from the shoulder and in different times and places they have been kept handy by being attached to belts, brooches and chatelaines. With changing fashions for keeping your needle case handy also came changing fashions in needle case decoration. I am not sure if the idea behind decorating the needle case was to make a fashion statement when you wore it or to make it easy to find when you needed it. Either way, you can see wonderful examples online of highly decorative antique and vintage needle cases made from intricately carved ivory, precious and semi-precious metals and elaborate embroidery and beading (I have provided links below to some delightful examples).

Amongst these changing fashions the basic shape of the needle case has changed little. It remains a long hollow tube with one end closed and a removable cap at the other. What my latest beaded needle case designs show (pictured above) that what also remains is the 16^th century Venetian tradition of painting the tube and then decorating it with seed beads. I hope I have honoured the tradition and that these designs mean you will want to keep your needle case handy.

Sources

Midwives, Scissoroos and Sandpaper - tips for choosing and using beading thread cutters

2010-04-20T15:15:00.000+10:00

At present I seem to have more blunt instruments for cutting thread than I do sharp ones. My current count of blunt instruments is two pairs of thread nippers, one pair of traditional embroidery scissors, one pair of nail scissors and one daisy wheel cutter. It’s clearly time to either get them sharpened or buy a new thread cutter. I’ve also decided its time to buy my first thread burner. Faced with decisions about what to buy I’ve been doing some research about the pros and cons of different thread cutters and reflecting on my own experiences with them.

As in all things, different thread cutters do different jobs. Here’s what I have found works for me.

General cutting of beading threads (So-No, Silamide, Nylon, etc)

Embroidery scissors
Thread nippers

Cutting Fireline and other fishing line threads

Craft scissors or special thread nippers as it blunts good scissors very quickly.

Getting into tight spots to cleanly cut thread

Embroidery scissors - the point needs to be very fine and sharp
Thread nippers - they seem to work well for me to do this job
Havel's Snip-Ez cutter. This is a new tool I am just about to try – our local Lyncraft shop stocks them.
Battery powered thread burner or zapper. This is another new tool for me but it apparently cuts the thread and melts the end into the bead so that it is like having a knot to secure the thread and it creates a very neat finish. I’ve been told it’s great to use on small stray bits of thread that poke through your beadwork.

Beading on planes

A daisy wheel thread cutter. It’s hard to make close cuts to the thread using a daisy wheel cutter so I tend to finish off the cuts once I am back on the ground. You can use your favourite close cut thread tool or a thread burner to do this.

Keeping the cutting tools happy for clean thread cuts

sharpen or replace cutters when they are blunt (see below on hints for sharpening yourself)
cut your thread on an angle so it’s easier to thread
use cheap scissors for Fireline (or similar) to avoid blunting your favourite more expensive cutters or keep a special pair of thread nippers
throw out your daisy wheel thread cutter once it goes blunt – the blade can’t be accessed to sharpen or replace it.

Sharpening your cutters

eHow has a great post on how to sharpen your cutters - http://www.ehow.com/how_4540603_instructions-sharpening-scissors.html. Two of their tips are remarkably low tech, cheap and easy to follow - I am off to try them after this post.

cut through fine grit sandpaper several times until they sharpen
wipe the blades with Isopropyl alcohol and then cut through aluminium foil several times until they are sharp.

A little bit of scissor trivia

My favourite find in researching thread cutters to buy was the Australian made Scissoroo embroidery scissors that have a kangaroo rather than the more traditional stork on the handle (see image above). Apparently the stork on embroidery scissors was first found on a set of clamps used by midwives in Europe in the 1800s to clamp the umbilical cord after birth. The stork beaks formed the clam (see the photo which I found on a Medical Antiques site - http://www.phisick.com/)

Many midwives did needlework in their spare time and kept their medical tools, including the stork clamp, close at hand in their sewing basket. For some reason the stork design and decorations from these clamps were then placed on embroidery scissors.

For some fantastic images of scissors in times past and a short history of the scissor visit the links below.

Sources

http://thenonist.com/index.php/thenonist/permalink/from_the_history_of_scissors/
http://www.creweljewels.com/Stork-Scissors-s/81.htm

Dax's Designs in two new treasuries on Etsy over the weekend

2010-04-20T11:15:00.000+10:00

Bead Geometry, Oval is a treasury featuring my Vintage Violets necklace.

Be Careful, It's Hot features my Hot Chilli Ziangle necklace.

Thanks to the curators for including these pieces in their treasuries.

Dax Designs Bead Art Friday fan and follower free offer

2010-04-16T17:53:00.000+10:00

To thank all my Dax Beadart Facebook fans and bead blog followers I am offering them a fun free beading crossword today - if you would like a copy just post a comment in this post with your email address or do the same on my fan facebook page in the crossword post and I'll email the crossword to you in a PDF document. I have had fun creating it and hope you might have fun doing it.

Love to hear who is the first person to complete. Just let me know when you'd like the solution emailed.

Learning what not to do as beadweaver: the lessons never stop

2010-04-12T18:36:00.000+10:00

Today I added two new ‘nevers’ to my beadweaver’s ‘top tips’:

Never reuse transparent beads if you have previously woven them on black thread.
Never combine new and reused beads in a project when you are beading at night.

These two ‘don’ts’ emerged from my beading my latest cuff design - ‘Giraffes at Sunset’. I love the design but I am just about to unpick about 5 cms of it because there is a noticeable colour difference between the new and ‘recycled’ transparent bright orange Delica beads (DB 744) I’m using in it. The recycled DB744s are much darker than the new DB 744s. I didn’t notice the difference when I was using them on Saturday night but in Sunday’s bright daylight it shouted at me. I can’t be certain what caused the older beads to darken but I have my suspicions. I had originally woven the recycled DB744s on black Silamide thread and I suspect that a deposit from the black thread left inside the beads has darkened them. Washing the beads may remove it but I’ll need to undo Saturday night’s weaving to test that out. Has anyone else had this experience?

I have been gathering my ‘what not to do’ beading lessons into a booklet of tips for successful beadweaving. In honor of my latest ‘what not to do’ lesson I’ve put my booklet in my Etsy Destash shop so others can learn from my mistakes. It contains 45 tips grown from my own experiences of what not to do. I hope they’ll make for happier and easy beading for all.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=44608990

Mosaic from the Etsy Beadweavers Challenge April2010

2010-04-09T13:54:00.001+10:00

Mosaic April2010
Originally uploaded by goodquillhunting

This is the fantastic mosiac of work for this months Etsy Beadweaver's Challenge - Light as a Breeze. A great array of talent inspired by the theme of the month. Pop by and have a look, even vote for your favourite.

Oops forgot to leave the link to the voting - here it is - etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/

When is ‘vintage’, vintage? Some efforts to define ‘vintage’ jewellery and beads

2010-04-05T23:46:00.000+10:00

In April, my ‘destashing’ will emphasize all things vintage, so if you love vintage keep an eye out. Today's first listing is a collection of charming little glass and silver beads (also see photo) and, having decided to list them, I began to muse on what the term ‘vintage’ meant when applied to jewellery and beads. When could it be proper and ethical to describe something as ‘vintage’? An easy question to ask, but a hard one to answer, because the word ‘vintage’ is used in several - sometimes conflicting - ways.

Broadly, the ‘vintage’ of something refers to the era in which it was made or in which it first appeared or began. For example, the vintage of a wine is the year in which it was bottled. However, ‘vintage’ also refers to something that is no longer in fashion or contemporary – it is ‘aged’ or ‘oldish’ in some way. For example, a vintage car is one that is over 50 years old.

In the world of jewellery, ‘vintage’ is used in both ways – sometimes to refer to the era in which a piece is made, sometimes to refer to a piece that is ‘aged’, ‘oldish’ or even just previously owned. Thus, ‘vintage jewellery’ could describe jewellery that is made in 2010 but was previously owned. Its vintage (or era) is 21^st century. However, for some jewellery purists, ‘vintage’ should refer only to ‘aged’ or ‘oldish’ jewellery; and while for some of these purists, ‘oldish’ means at least 15 years old, for others it means at least 25 years old.

Amongst this confusion, there is one clear spot. Once a piece of jewellery is 100 years old it can rightfully be called ‘antique’ jewellery of a particular vintage- for example, ‘Antique Georgian jewellery’.

Etsy’s guide for sellers blog offers some clarity:

‘Vintage: This aesthetic conjures concepts, forms and colors of days gone by, or the idea that “old is the new new." You can find a range of colors, from sepia to the most vivid hues and psychedelic or bizarre patterns.’

So ‘vintage’ can be an era and/or a description of something previously owned and/or oldish. There are some widely agreed eras (or vintage periods) for British jewellery that can help you name when an item was made:

Georgian jewellery (1714-1837)
Early Victorian (‘romantic’) jewellery (1837-1855)
Mid-Victorian (‘grand’) jewellery (1856-1880)
Late Victorian (‘aesthetic’) jewellery (1885-1900)
Arts and Crafts jewellery (1894-1923)
Art Nouveau jewellery (1895-1915)
Edwardian jewellery (1901-1915)
Art Deco jewellery (1915-1935)
Retro jewellery (1945-1960)

But what is ‘oldish’ and, therefore, vintage? Should it be more than 15 years old? More than 25 years? What do you think? When is a vintage, vintage?

Sources

wiki.answers.com/.../What_does_vintage_mean_when_referring_to_jewellery
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vintage_jewellery
http://www.georgianjewellery.com/reference/antique_jewellery
http://www.fashion-era.com/jewellery.htm
www.fashion-era.com
www.costumes.org

Gossamer Dew entry into the Etsy Beadweavers April Challenge

2010-04-02T13:19:00.001+11:00

gossamerdew10
Originally uploaded by Dax Designs

I have created this necklace and earring set as my entry into the Etsy Beadweavers April Challenge. The challenge is to bead something that evokes the theme - Light as a Breeze.

In making this set I was inspired by the light breezes on early spring mornings that gently move the dew drops on silvern gossamer spider webs creating beautiful gold and silver drops that shimmer in the early morning light. I have used silvern and gold pearls, shimmering faceted beads and sparkling grey seed beads to try to capture the sheen and colours of these 'gossamer dew' moments created by light eary spring breezes.

You can see the other entries in this month's Etsy Beadweavers Challenge by searching EBWC. To vote for your favorite piece please go to www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/. The voting begins on April 9 and ends April 15. You can browse the pieces on the EBW blog.

A positive turn to shades of grey - is it possible?

2010-03-29T13:39:00.000+11:00

I am about to continue beading for a possible submission to this month's Etsy Beadweaver's challenge (see the work in progress). It is a very grey wet autumn morning here in Drysdale (South East Australia). The rain is very welcome after a dry summer but I have never loved grey – whether it’s in the sky or in a paint tin. I find it depressing. I think it was the shades of bluish-grey in my winter secondary school uniform that began my dislike of grey and my associations of it with things depressing. Grey winter skies meant the grey school uniform that meant grey school days of full of boring lessons that never seemed to end. I am not the only person in the world to find grey depressing. Star Trek: The Next Generation writers penned an episode in their second series called Shades of Grey in a sharp thorn growing on a vine plant on an alien planet pricks Commander William Riker and infects him with a deadly virus. The image of Riker in the very grey swamp reminds me how depressing grey can be. (Link below to the image of Commander Riker.)

http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100117224452/memoryalpha/en/images/c/c5/Riker_alien_swamp.jpg

A short aside – apparently, Shades of Gray is what is known as clip show. The majority of the episode is made up of clips from previous episodes. It was made when writers where on strike and to create an episode that didn’t need the writers the producers created a story in which Riker remembered past events.

Similarly, in Shades of Grey 1: The Road to High Saffron, the first novel in the Shades of Grey series by Jasper Fforde the colour grey goes to depressingly new depths. The novel is based 500 years into the future and is set in a society where a person’s ability to see colour is linked to their social status. Fforde calls the society a Colortocracy. In the Colortocracy, the Greys, who are people without the ability to see any natural colour, hold the lowest positioning the social order. Imagine only seeing grey in your world. How would that be?

Grey has also had a negative socio-political history. Martin Bormann, when he was executive secretary for Hitler was called the grey eminence because he controlled access to the Führer and gained great power from this, and in the USA, members of the neo-facist The National Renaissance Party which was active from 1949 to 1979 were known as the grey shirts. On a lighter political note the former British Prime Minister John Major's puppet on the UK TV show Spitting Image was entirely grey to mark how boring and non-descript Major was as PM.

Whatever began my negative relationship with grey, it has been an enduringly negative one. So, I as you might imagine I was rather surprised to find myself beading more parabola curves with shades of grey yesterday and positively enjoying it. Admittedly, the top layer of the parabola is a very sparkly grey and the faceted glass beads are a shimmering greeny-grey auroa borealis. I choose these shades of grey in an effort to capture the very subtle and beautiful colours of gossamer webs glinting in the sunlight as they gently move in an early spring breeze (see photo). I know it’s autumn in Australia but given the current Etsy Beadweaver’s monthly beading challenge is all about spring and a light spring breeze I am thinking spring.

So, it seems shades of grey that sparkle and shimmer could be a turning point in my relationship with grey. In honor of this moment I have been searching for some positive words that might help me rethink grey in my life – it’s been a struggle but see what you think. The first group are fairly common:

Charcoal
Slate
Dove gray
Powder grey
Oyster
Pearl
Platinum
Silver
Silvern

This next group of names for grey are new to me and hold possibilities for being positive towards grey and naming the colour dew sparkling on a gossamer web.

Taupe - dark grayish-brown (derived from the Latin name for the European Mole, Talpa europaea).
Xanadu - greenish-grey (derived from the colour of the leaves of the Australian Xanadu cultivar of Philodendron which was named after the ancient city of Xanadu, IMongolia, China). First recorded use in 2001 by an Australian paint company).
Isabelline - pale grey-yellow, pale fawn, pale cream-brown or parchment. First recorded use in English was in 1601 according to A Dictionary of Color (1930).
Griege –crystal grey and beige color slightly darker than the popular crystal silver shade, yet lighter than the black diamond crystal bead in the Swarovski range.

Love to hear what grey means in your life.

Now, to some final bits of trivia on the colour Grey which caught my attention. Apparently, the first recorded use of grey as a colour name in the English language was in AD 700, The Gray Lady is the nickname for The New York Times, in gay slang, a grey queen is a gay person who works for the financial services and ‘Greys’ is a term used by environmentalists (the greens) to describe people who use environmentally destructive technologies and use materials such as granite and concrete in city landscapes.

Sources

http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/colorselection/p/gray.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Shades_of_gray
www.thefreedictionary.com/

A touch of Zebra on Etsy

2010-03-27T15:22:00.000+11:00

Last week I curated my first treasury in a while that I titled "A touch of Zebra". Look at the great Zebra touches I found on Etsy - what fun. The Peach Zebra button brooch in the middle is one of my creations. Drop by my Etsy shop to see in more detail.

Parabolas and other curvy shapes for beaders

2010-03-24T12:47:00.000+11:00

I love the curvy parabolic shapes that form my latest bracelet (see photo) – they seem pleasing and fascinating all at once. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=43294070

I also love the word - parabola - what a wonderful word to roll around the tongue. It comes from the world of mathematics. Apparently, parabolas are sections of cones. As with many things mathematical parabolas appear in daily life in lots of places. For instance, when you shine a torch on a wall you see a parabolic curve of light appear, they occur in supporting arches and in their suspension ropes of bridges (e.g. the Golden Gate bridge in San Fransciso) and even in Smiley faces. (see photos).

The bounce of a ball creates parabolic shapes and there is even a poem that features the parabola - The Parabolic Balad by the Russian poet, Andrei Voznesensky. His poem begins:

‘My life, like a rocket, makes a parabola
flying in darkness, -- no rainbow for traveler’
(See famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/andrei.../poems/22223 for the complete poem).

Apparently, apart from winning the USSR State Prize for poetry Voznesenshy has a minor planet (3723) Voznesenskij, named after him.

Mathematics is full of wonderful language to describe a huge variety of curves in our daily life. A great way to expand your curvy language is to visit the online National Curve Bank: A Collection of Famous Plane Curves created in Mathematic by Gusavo Gordillo.

http://curvebank.calstatela.edu/famouscurves/famous.htm#Index

Here is a peak at just some of the delectable language of curves that I found in the National Curve Bank that could help you name your beaded curves or inspire you to create curves galore in your beading. Watch this space for more curvy delights in my own beading.

Astroid
Pear-shaped Quartic
Bicorn
Folium of Descartes
Plateau Curves
Cardiod
Freeth's Nephroid
Pursuit Curve
Cartesian Oval
Quadratrix of Hippias
Catenary
Hyperbola
Rhodonea Curves
Cayley's Sextic
Hyperbolic Spiral
Right Strophoid
Cissoid of Diocles
Hypotrochoid
Sinusoidal Spirals
Cochleoid
Involute of a Circle
Spiral of Archimedes
Conchoid
Kampyle of Eudoxus
Spiric Sections
Conchoid of de Sluze
Kappa Curve
Straight Line
Cycloid
Lamé Curves
Talbot's Curve
Devil's Curve
Lemniscate of Bernoulli
Tractrix
Double Folium
Limacon of Pascal
Tricuspoid
Dürer's Shell Curves
Lissajous Curves
Trident of Newton
Eight Curve
Lituus
Trifolium
Epicycloid
Nephroid
Tschirnhaus' Cubic

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrey_Voznesensky

Micro beads in action - inspirations for beaders

2010-03-21T11:38:00.000+11:00

In my recent post on tiny size 18/0 seed beads (micro or grain of sand beads) I asked beaders who were using these tiny delights if they would like to share their creations here. I haven't yet heard from anyone who is using the tiny Size 18/0 in their beadwork but feast your eyes on some lovely pieces Etsy Beadweavers have created using Size 15/0 seeds beads.

Evening Star brooch by Illeana of Enchanted Beads - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21922792
Lady Slipper by Savoy Studio - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=33633342
Elfin Evening Star Necklace by NJDesigns - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=43112389

Sweet Serenade by Silver Dragon - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10348073

If you are tempted to try for yourself a source that was recommended for tiny beads was http://www.empyreanbeads.com/

Interview with Glenda on the Etsy Beadweaver's Blog

2010-03-20T11:23:00.000+11:00

Great to be back home from hospital after my hip surgery and sat with some beads in front of me. Thanks to all who sent good wishes via various cyberspace means. It was a lovely surprise to find an interview with me featured on Etsy BeadWeavers blog. Pop by if you have a chance. It's a great site to see the work of lots of wonderful beadweavers.

When is being size 18, being tiny? The vintage micro bead and a visit to Prague

2010-03-19T16:04:00.000+11:00

On my first day home from hospital I had a phone call from a local beader searching for tiny Size 18/0 seed beads. These tiny beads are amongst the smallest beads made and are often called micro or grain of sand beads. I do have some in my stash that date back to a visit I had to the Czech Republic in January 2006.
Four years on and as a result of that phone call I have listed some in my Destash shop.

http://www.etsy.c/view_listing.php?listing_id=43032726

Size 18/0 seed beads were primarily made in the late 1800s in Venice and are quite hard to source in current times. Imagine my delight in finding them in the Czech republic. The Czech Republic has long been associated with the glass bead industry so you can imagine my delight in learning that I was to visit Central Prague (‘the old town’) as part of my 'daytime' job. The only downside was that the visit would be in mid-January when daytime temperatures rose to just above zero degrees most days. For a girl who loves the Australian summer it was quite a shock. On my arrival I quickly found Central Prague has dozens of jewellers selling items made of Czech crystal, Bohemian glass, as well as amber, garnets and other precious materials. However, when I visited in January 2006 Central Prague had only one serious bead shop (starBEADS - www.starbeads.cz). Braving the bitter winds and temperatures well below zero I set out to explore starBEADS' delights. It was a tiny shop in a tiny little arcade. It sold Czech glass beads and Swarovski crystal beads; various made-up necklaces (see photo) earrings, and bracelets; and some kits. As a sead bead weaver I found little to excite me sufficiently enough to make up for the freezing temperatures I had endured to get there. But, as in most things perservence pays, and not long afterwards I stumbled upon a small market stall where I bought the tiniest beads I had ever seen - Size 18/0 vintage Czech glass seed beads. At the same time the stall owner sold me some very fine beading needles and XXX Nymo beading thread to use with them. As I didn't speak the local language and the stall owner spoke only a little English it was hard to find out much about their origins. All I can say is that I bought them in Prague four years ago. Like the weather in Prague in that January, these beads are not for the fainthearted beader. However, it's great to learn that there are beader's out there keen to find a place for them in their creations. If you use Size 18/0 in your work I'd love to feature some examples in my next blog post, so please do let me know.

A blog award for Dax Designs

2010-03-08T17:51:00.000+11:00

The Sunshine Blog Award is given out to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspire others in the blog world. The rules for accepting the award are:

1. Put the logo on your blog or within your post.
2. Pass the award on to 12 bloggers.
3. Link to the nominees within your post.
4. Let them know they received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

Dax Designs is honored to be listed among some of the very best blogs on the web. My first nominee for the Sunshine Award is:

Art Bead Scene - http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com

I'd love some suggestions for other nominees - what blogs inspire you?

7 Colors of the Rainbow - Yellow treasury

2010-03-06T08:49:00.000+11:00

Thanks to LevyMarina from the Etsy Beadweavers Team for including my Magnolia Borealis earrings in her latest treasury of handpicked items on Etsy.

Talented spirals and a new Etsy listing

2010-03-05T18:34:00.001+11:00

In celebration of my first spiral necklace on Etsy I am showcasing spirals and the talents of the beadweaving teams on Etsy. Pop by their shops and look at the wonderful spirals they have on offer, be inspired to make your own. Here's a taster of what is available. My last post on spiral stitches has a wonderful set of links to free tutorials for making these delightful beadart works.

Ileana of Enchanted Beads: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20700622 (Cellini)
Patrica C. Vener - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10348073 (Twisted rope)
Elaine - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=41181466 (Dutch spiral)
Marcie - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=38053523
Marilyn of Starwaves - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39069496
Lorraine of TrinityDJ - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30216689
Nancy of NedBeads - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=29614902
Mortira of Sages Cupboard - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=38006195 (Dutch spiral)
Caryn of Joyfully jewels - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=29541938 (Double core spiral)
Norma Jean - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=38331452 (Cubic right angle weave spiral)
Ruthie of Roseworks Jewelry - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25593523 (Quadruple Helix spiral)
Karen of KRDesigns11 - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=42168228
Glenda of Dax Designs - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=42084128
Marsha of HauteIceBeads - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=42052875 (Double spiral)

Spirals and beaded spiral ropes: Double, Triple, Dutch, Russian, Cellini and more

2010-03-05T12:03:00.000+11:00

Spirals are on my mind. I am in the midst of beading my second Cellini spiral necklace. The first remains unfinished because in typical fashion I have run out of one of the burgundy beads (see photo) I was using to create it. Despite that minor set back I have found it very satisfying beading the changing shapes and colours of the Cellini spiral. And, I’m beginning to see the pleasing shape of spirals all around me. Snails, shells, fern fronds, roses and willy willies (small spiralling winds a little like a mini hurricane) to name just a few. Mind you, there’s not much pleasure having snails or willy willies in the garden. Spirals are also found in the traditional art of several Indigenous Australian artists, in the spiritual dances of the Whirling Dervishes, in ancient European symbols of the goddess and in the psychiatry of Carl Jung for whom the spiral was a symbol of our soul. In Ancient Celtic lore the spiral was a symbol of holistic growth, release, union with cosmic energies such as time and the planets and of awareness of oneself as part of a greater whole. So, over time and in different places the spiral has been a powerful symbol of positive life forces and spirituality.

Given that I’ve decided to try creating some different types of spirals in my beadwork. There’s lots to choose from – spiral rope chain (see photo), spiral square stitch, double spiral rope and Russian spiral to name a few. I’ve sourced some free tutorials for each of these and listed them below for those of you new to spiral beading and it’s pleasures.

If you know of others I’d love to share them on the blog.

If you’d like to feast your eyes on stunning spirals in nature and beyond pop by this website – it’s inspirational

http://spiral.gallery.sytes.org/

Spiral rope chain – great, free tutorial

Spiral square stitch

http://www.beading-arts.com/2009/08/spiral-square-stitch.html

Double spiral rope chain

http://beadweaverdreams.homestead.com/dspic.html

Triple spiral Beading

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z9usIeDxDA

Dutch spiral

www.beadalon.com/dutch.asp -

Dutch spiral variation – free tutorial

http://beadingbanshee.com/free/dutch-variation.html

Cellini spiral

http://www.tarnhelm.com/NeedForBeads/Cellini.htm

Russian spiral

Video http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-spiral-rope-beaded-bracelet-152726/

African Helix

http://beadwork.about.com/library/weekly/aa101998.htm

Serpentine and Stichtite - some rare Tasmanians and a Destash Wand

2010-02-22T18:29:00.000+11:00

During a brief holiday in July 2005, I went to Dundas, about 65kms drive north-east inland from Strahan in North-West Tasmania. The unassuming little town of Dundas has a claim to international fame - it is the only place in Australia and one of only three places in the world, where you can find the minerals Serpentine and Stichtite in combination.

Serpentine is the name given to a group of predominantly green minerals that occur as masses of tiny intergrown crystals of magnesium hydroxysilicate. Several varieties of serpentine are found across the globe (including China, the UK and the USA), but the two major varieties are Bowenite and Williamsite. Bowenite is the commoner of the two and is usually a translucent apple green with irregular little spots; Williamsite is rarer and softer and is an oily transparent green with black inclusions. In Australia, Bowenite has been found at Hanging Rock (NSW) and at Beaconsfield in Tasmania.

Opinion varies as to how Serpentine gained its name. One view is that it is because the stone’s mottled patterning resembles snakeskin, another is that it was regarded in times past as a cure for snake bite … as well as for rheumatism, dropsy and any build-up of fluids in the body. Serpentine is a relatively soft stone. It measures 2.5 on the Mohs hardness scale - about the same as Alabaster (diamond measures 10 and Lapis Lazuli 5). It can be carved, engraved or polished and jewellers - especially in ancient Egypt and Persia - have made decorative items and seals from Serpentine, while builders have supported buildings with Serpentine columns. Serpentine appears under various guises. Carved Bowenite is sometimes passed-off as jade under the names ‘new jade’ or ‘Hunan jade’; combinations of Serpentine and Marble are often called simply Serpentine and are used for ornaments, for example Connemara Marble (from Connaught, Ireland) and Verd-antique (from Italy and Greece).

The combination of Serpentine and Stichtite is extremely rare. Stichtite is a rose-red to purple stone with darker flecks and is the product of decomposing chrome-containing Serpentine. Stichtite is even softer than Serpentine, measuring 1.5 to 2.5 on the Mohs scale. It’s found in Algeria, South Africa … and in Tasmania – at Serpentine Hill, which is off Macquarie Harbour on the north-west coast and at Dundas. A café and a service station in Dundas display and sell small pieces of jewellery carved from this unique gemstone; and one inhabitant of the town is digging-up pieces of it in her back yard!

The combination of green Serpentine and pink Stichtite is very attractive. I’ve used some of the Serpentine-Stichtite pieces that I bought in Dundas but have just listed a gemstone wand in my Destash store to share with other to design.

Sources

Hall, C. (1994) Gemstones. London: Dorling Kindersley.
Perry, N. & Perry, R. (1997) A fossicker’s guide to gemstones in Australia. Melbourne: Reed Books Australia.
Schumann, W. (1977) Gemstones of the world. New York: Sterling Publishing Co.
Walters, R. J. L. (1996) The power of gemstones. London (?): Carlton Books Ltd.

Beaded bracelets, bling and beyond: is all that sparkles fair?

2010-02-16T11:53:00.000+11:00

When a customer at a local market first saw this bracelet she said ‘what great bling’. I thought, well it might be great 'bling' but it's almost impossible to photograph - it's so shiny and sparkly that the camera seems to just give up. Then I thought again - I wonder what she meant. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard the word but I have never been quite sure what it means. Wikipedia came to the rescue describing bling as:

‘fashy or elaborate jewelry and ornamented accessories that are carried, worn or installed, such as cell phones or tooth caps. The concept is often associated with rappers.’.

Well I know we are all looking for new ideas as beaders and beadweavers so maybe tooth caps could be the next thing for Etsy. The origins of the word are apparently ideophonic. Back to Wikipedia to explain:

‘In linguistics terms, bling is an ideophone intended to evoke the "sound" of light hitting silver, platinum, or diamonds. It is not onomatopoeia, because the act of jewelry shining does not make a sound. ….The origins of the term are disputed and claimed by various artists.’

However, I've learnt that the origins of the word are not the only controversy that surrounds because of the widespread use of diamonds in bling jewelry. Diamond mining has been linked to major conflict, wars and worker exploitation and diamonds mined in war zones where profits benefit warloads and the diamond industry are known as ‘blood diamonds’. The term was popularised in the 2006 film - ''Blood Diamond'' starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly and Djimon Hounsou.

As always, it seems the everyday is political. A simple term like ‘bling’ seems so harmless yet it is important to think about how our everyday links to those beyond us. There are some terrific programs attempting to bring equity and fairness into the mining of diamonds and other precious minerals used in bling jewelry, such as gold and silvet. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) called Diamonds for Development (D4D) is one such program.

BLING is less well-known film than ‘Blood Diamond’ but is linked to the D4D program. It looks at the complex relationship between “blood” diamonds, conflict, the influence of Hip-Hop music and culture, and community development. It is produced by VH1 Rock Docs, Article 19 Films and UNDP with Hip-Hop artists from the US and Sierra Leone. If anyone has seen it I’d love to know what you felt about it. You can see a trailor of it at: http://www.undp.org/bling/

So, when you next think bling, think fairness and equity for those who produce the sparkle that blings.

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bling-bling
http://www.lr.undp.org/governances7.htm

Shapes galore - a lovely dramatic treasury on Etsy

2010-02-09T18:53:00.000+11:00

What a lovely surprise to be in this Etsy treasury Nice Shape by echanted hue. I love geometric shapes and this treasury just shows their beauty of to great effect. It's my Hot Chilli Ziangle that made it into this great company.

A rainbow treasury, a rainbow meaning and beading awareness ribbons

2010-02-08T18:44:00.000+11:00

I found a piece of my jewelry (Harlequin earrings- http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39399367) featured today in an Etsy treasury called My Rainbow by Levy Marina of the Etsy Beadweaver's Team (see photo - link here http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=85952). Given it is a rainbow treasury it is not surprisingly a lovely colourful treasury. Then, when I was at the bank at lunchtime I heard an older man reciting the colours of the rainbow I think using a mnemonic he learnt at school. The mnemonic is Roy G. Biv and is in order from longest to shortest wavelength of colors in the rainbow:
* Red
* Orange
* Yellow
* Green
* Blue
* Indigo
* Violet

I learnt the same mnemonic but certainly don’t remember it as readily as he did. I wondered if he was aware of the meaning of the rainbow for the Lesbian, Bi-sexual, Gay and Transgender (GLBT) community. For many years now the rainbow flag and a rainbow ribbon have been a symbol of symbol of gay pride and when worn by those outside of the community it is a symbol of support for the GLBT community and their fight for equal rights. Remembering this, I felt particularly good to be in a rainbow treasury. The many colors of the rainbow flag represents the diversity of the people’s of the world. It dates from 1978 when Gilbert Baker displayed a flag that represented being gay and proud of it. Since that time a rainbow of ‘cause’ ribbons has burgeoned. The following list is from London’s Trinity College website and it shows just how much colour and causes are linked in current times. A number of beadweavers bead cause ribbons so if you are in interested in a beaded ribbon – rainbow or otherwise just be in touch with one of the Etsy Beadweaver’s Team members.

FROM TRINITY’S WEBSITE
Burgundy Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of brain aneurysm, Cesarean section (worn upside down), headaches, hemangioma, vascular malformation, hospice care, multiple myeloma, William's syndrome, Thrombophilia, Antiphospholid Antibody Syndrome, and adults with disabilities

Purple Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of pancreatic cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid cancer, domestic violence, ADD, alzheimer's, religious tolerance, animal abuse, the victims of 9/11 including the police and firefighters, Crohn's disease and colitis, cystic fibrosis, lupus, leimyosarcoma, and fibromyalgia

Lavender Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol for general cancer awareness. It can also be a symbol for epilepsy, and rett syndrome

Periwinkle Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of eating disorders and pulmonary hypertension

Blue Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of drunk driving, child abuse, Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), the victims of hurricane Katrina, dystonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), alopecia, Education, Epstein-Barr Virus, Save the Music, colon cancer (alternative ribbon color: brown), colorectal cancer (alternative ribbon color: brown), and anti-tobacco - particularly anti-second hand smoke (in Canada; alternative ribbon color: brown), I Love Clean Air/ILCA Campaign (Japan)

Dark Blue Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of arthritis, child abuse prevention, victim's rights, free speech, water quality, and water safety

Light Blue Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of childhood cancer (alternative color: pink), prostate cancer, Trisomy 18, and scleroderma

Teal Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol for ovarian, cervical, and uterine cancers as well as sexual assault, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and tsunami victims

Green Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of childhood depression, missing children, open records for adoptees, environmental concerns, kidney cancer, tissue/organ donation, homeopathy, and worker and driving safety

Orange Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of leukemia, hunger, cultural diversity, humane treatment of animals, and self-injury awareness
We also now have a CafePress.com store offering orange ribbon clothing and orange ribbon items for the home and office.

White Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of innocence, victims of terrorism, violence against women, peace, right to life, bone cancer, adoptees, and retinal blastoma

Pearl Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol for emphysema, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and multiple sclerosis

Black Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of mourning, melanoma, and gang prevention

Brown Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is an anti-tobacco symbol as well as a symbol of colon cancer (alternative ribbon color: blue), colorectal cancer (alternative ribbon color: blue)

Grey Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of diabetes, asthma, and brain cancer

Silver Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol for children with disabilities, Parkinson's disease, and mental illnesses such as severe depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and anxiety disorders.

Gold Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol for childhood cancer

Jigsaw Puzzle Ribbon:
Meaning: This style of ribbon is a symbol for autism

Lace Ribbon:
Meaning: This style of ribbon is a symbol for osteoporosis

Pink and Blue Ribbon:
Meaning: This style of ribbon is a symbol for miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant death due to SIDS or other causes

Source
http://www.trinitylondon.com/awareness-ribbon-meanings.asp

Must look at the Mustard Beauty treasury

2010-02-07T16:30:00.000+11:00

A my pair of earrings (Magnolia Borealis) are featured in a really delightful treasury today on Etsy. The treasury is called Mustard Beauty. If you have a chance pop by and look at the wonderful items dmtgun3 has chosen for this treasury.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=85824

Stashing and destashing: an Etsy phenomena and a blog giveaway

2010-02-04T17:57:00.000+11:00

In March 2008 in one of the Etsy forums spookylane said:

I see the word "destash" on Etsy every now and again. I tried looking for the explanation of this on Wiki, but couldn't find anything. Will someone enlighten me as to the meaning of the word "destash" please?

Well I went searching too and found two years later destash is yet to have an official definition anywhere but that it is everywhere on Etsy. It is so ubiquitous on Etsy that that I have just opened my very own destash shop (daxdestash.etsy.com).

If you think about what ‘stash’ means it’s pretty easy to see why ‘de’ stashing has become a well-used word on Etsy. According to various dictionaries to stash something is to put it away in a secret or safe place for future use. For nearly ten years according to this definition I have been building a bead stash that is now rather out of control. I have containers of all shapes and sizes full of things I have safely put away to use in future beading projects. The trouble is that once something is safely put away it’s very easy to forget you have it. It becomes it’s own secret that is only revealed in a major foray into the beading stash containers. Every foray into the bead containers creates a great urge to tidy and sort the stash so that the clutter it creates is reduced, more space is created for the next contribution to it and so that I can remember what is in it. The urge to reduce clutter, tidy and sort can mean that very little beading ever gets done as managing the stash becomes it’s own job. Hence, the attraction of ‘de’ stashing.

In English ‘de’ is a prefix that can be used at the beginning of a word to modify or change it’s meaning. De- is a prefix to that can mean to remove or reverse something – so to ‘de’ stash means to remove clutter and reverse the secrets stored in the stash by selling them or giving them away. In destashing lies the promise of a clutter free, secret free life with my beads and beady things. The tagline for one of the other destash shops on etsy is ‘releasing goods back into the wild’ http://www.etsy.com/shop/DeStash gives you a good sense of just how out of control a crafter’s stash can get. So, here I am full of hope, destashing to reduce clutter and create more storage for my current work and projects in that tidying no longer dominates what I do with my beads. Wish me luck!

In the spirit of destashing I am have a blog giveaway for the most entertaining comment about destashing made by a Dax Designs blog follower posted on my blog by 11^th Feb 2010. The giveaway will be a pair of very beautiful pink kunzite gemstone beads (see photo). Looking forward to hearing from folks.

Harequins and Harlequins

2010-01-29T10:51:00.000+11:00

It's been ages since I curated an Etsy treasury - my latest one is called Harequin: Happy Harlequins on Etsy. It's full of fun and colour and wonderful work by folks on Etsy. If you have time do pop by and have a look. It will be online for a couple of days.

Historically, the story of the Harlequin character has a rather mixed set of meanings across Europe. The Harlequin has represented evil, sorrow and happiness. The meaning I have drawn on in building this treasury draw on the image of the Harlequin in a typical colourful diamond shaped patterned costume who represents the many sides and richness of life. I think these Etsy artists evoke this meaning well. See what you think.

For those of you wondering what the word Harequin means: it's not some medieval spelling of Harlequin or another character altogether. It is in fact a typo. In my haste to secure an Etsy treasury I mistyped Harlequin and there is no way to correct it!!!!!

Earrings, gender and a little history

2010-01-26T17:49:00.000+11:00

Prompted by a comment by a friend at lunch recently and some recent sales of earrings at the local market my goal this week is to have 20 pairs of earrings listed for sale in my online Etsy shop. I’ve begun listing and I’m hopeful. I've featured my Sassy Seahorse earrings in my Etsy mini. In the process of choosing which earrings to list on Etsy I’ve been wondering how earrings came to be. Earrings have been found in ancient cultures in the Middle East and Western Asia. It appears that hoop and pendant earrings may have originated in the Middle East around 2500 BC and pierced earrings can be found in ancient Egypt around 1500 BC. The gold earrings in this picture are from Brooklyn Museum collection of ancient hoop earrings. The oldest earrings discovered to date were found in the graves of the Iraqi royal family from this era. It seems that men, particularly soldiers, wore these early earrings.

In ancient Indian cultures men can also be found wearing wonderfully elaborate earrings. In the western world by the 20^th Century earrings were no longer seen as the province of men although they did become permissible for women soldiers in the USA to wear. A report in the New Times in 15 Sept 1983 headed, ‘Army Women Prevail On Earrings on Duty', reported that:

"The Army has decided that women in uniform may wear earrings as long as they are not gaudy and ''fit snugly against the ear.''

Since 2500 BC earrings have come in and out of fashion and have been worn by both men and women over that time. For instance, in the 1920s sailors who had survived a shipwreck typically wore a gold hoop to symbolise their adventures at sea.

It’s odd with such a gendered history that earrings in the 21^st century are so strongly associated with women. What a fun world it might be if more men took up earrings again. It’s hard to imagine the armies of the world expecting them to wear them as part of their uniform but given the huge range of shapes, colours, materials and sizes that earrings are made from perhaps men should be encouraged to reconsider adding earrings to their wardrobe. They can be fun, fab, dramatic, colourful, weird and wonderful just like their history.

Sources

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Allison_Ryan
http://www.anniesherman.com/earringshistory.html
http://www.kameronkay.com/The-History-Of-Earrings/

And then it was four treasuries!

2010-01-26T16:01:00.000+11:00

Hard to believe that on one day I found my work in four treasuries - thanks to Enchanted beads for including my Lilypond Gold bracelet in her Irresistible! treasury and making it my fourth treasury for the day.

Three Etsy treasuries today

2010-01-22T13:01:00.000+11:00

Etsy treasuries are a themed selection of items for sale on Etsy that are handpicked by people who sell on Etsy. For this reason it feels very affirming to be in an Etsy treasury curated by someone else. Today I have pieces in three treasuries - a really lovely way to start the day.
Treasury 1
I Really Love Orange - featured Ziangle (2) - Hot Chilli curated by Little Stone Designs who is a member of the Etsy Beadweaver's Team. Pop by and see her shop.
Treasury 2
A Dusting of Love: A Few o f my Favourites from Downunder - featured Sunset Sea Choker curated by HaffinAgain who is a member of the Etsy Downunder Street Team (DUST).
Treasury 3
Geometrika: A Few of My Favourites from LevyMarina - featured Mulberry Zinger bracelet.

Treasuries only last a few days but if you have time do pop by and look at the wonderful work other Etsy sellers do.

UFOs, hatpins and the politics of women’s rights

2010-01-12T18:39:00.000+11:00

If you look hard enough there is very little in life that is not political. However, I was more than a little surprised to learn that my decision to turn some of my UFOs (last blog post) into beaded hatpins has led be to the politics of women’s rights.

Researching creative ways to wear hatpins in the 21st century I found that the early feminists in the 1800s wore hatpins as a symbol of freedom and their demands for equality. Just as the second wave feminists in the 1960s burnt their bra as a symbol of freedom and defiance, so the early feminists ‘burnt’ their bonnet strings and wore hatpins instead to secure their hats and bonnets. Those early feminists also used hatpins as defensive weapons against police violence during demonstrations for women’s right to vote in many countries. For instance, in 1912 73 year-old Emma Miller, a Brisbane (Australia) suffragette, used a hatpin to unhorse the then Queensland Police Commissioner. The feminist symbolic meanings of the hatpin led an English judge in 1908 to order a group of suffragettes to remove their hatpins and hats in his court. Similarly, the use of the hatpin by women as a defensive weapon led the USA the government of Arkansas legislated to restrict the length of hatpins that women could wear in public. If women wore hatpins longer than 9 inches in public they needed a permit.

The New York Times weighed into the debate about women’s hatpins and on Nov 1 1912 in an article titled – Hatpins and Suffrage wrote this:

The evil influence of the warlike women of Great Britain has extended to its antipodean colonies. Dispatches from Sydney, New South Wales, say that sixty militant women of that city have gone to jail rather than pay the moderate fines imposed upon them for wearing murderous weapons in their hats.

Whilst, the idea that women could use hatpins as a deadly weapon may have underpin this legislation and the UK judge’s decision it is clear that for many women, the hatpin was seen as an important defensive weapon against male violence and rape. The cockney song below that I found on the Glitz Queen website is a great example of how the lowly hatpin was seen as an important protection for women walking the streets of London at night and part of the politics of relations between men and women at the time:

My Granny was a very shrewd old lady,
The smartest woman that I ever met.
She used to say, "Now listen to me, Sadie,
There's one thing that you never must forget."

Never go walking out without your hat pin.
The law won't let you carry more than that.
For if you go walking out without your hat pin,

You may lose your head as well as lose your hat."

My Granny said men never could be trusted.
No matter how refined they might appear.
She said that many maidens' hearts got busted
Because men never had but one idea.

I've heard that Grandpa really was a mess,
So Grandma knew whereof she spoke, I guess.

Never go walking out without your hat pin.
Not even to some very classy joints.
For when a fellow sees you've got a hat pin
He's very much more apt to get the point.

My Mama, too, set quite a bad example.
She never heeded Grandmama's advice.
She found that if you give a man a sample,
The sample somehow never does suffice.

In fact, it's rumored I might not have been
If Mum had not gone out without her pin.

Never go walking out without your hat pin.
It's about the best protection you have got.
For if you go walking out without your hat pin,

You may come home without your you-know-what!

So, now I look at the beaded hatpins I intend to make in quite a different way. Not only am I finishing some UFO’s but I am creating a political symbol that celebrates women’s struggles to vote and to be free from violence. What a great source of inspiration for getting on with those UFOs and creating some hatpins that the early feminists would love to wear. I know that means I'll need to create lots of purple and green hatpins (more on why in my next blog).

So with the early feminists in mind here are 9 ways to be creative in current times with a hatpin.

Wear them
1. Be traditional, wear a hatpin in a hat to hold it in place, personalise and/or decorate it.
2. Use shorter hatpins in your lapel as a brooch – wear several for a contemporary statement.
3. Use a hatpin to secure and/or decorate a scarf.
4. Secure a shawl with a hatpin.

Celebrate their symbolism
5. Display hatpins in a special hatpin holder.
6. Use hatpins in a pot plant as a decorative twist
7. Create a hatpin bouquet - collect several and display them in a lovely vase.
8. Pop hatpins at the side of your mirror just to enjoy them and remember their history.
9. Make a women’s rights display with hatpins centre stage.

I'd love to hear about any other ideas you have.

Sources

http://www.americanhatpinsociety.com/tour/history.html
http://www.glitzqueen.com/hatpins.html
http://www.tellmewhereonearth.com/Web%20Pages/Hatpins/Hatpins_Page_1.htm
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9F00E6DF1E3AE633A25752C0A9679D946396D6CF

From UFO to FFO - dealing with UFO’s hovering in your beading stash

2010-01-07T16:50:00.000+11:00

My New’s Year’s beading resolution is finish all those disconcerting and guilt rendering Un-Finished Objects (UFOs) hovering in the ‘I must do that zone’ around my home. At current count there are about ten UFO’s hovering in that zone in my home. Several of these UFOs just need a few more beads of a specific colour to turn them into a Fabulous Finished Objects (FFOs) and a good shopping list that I remember to take to the beadshop is all that is needed. But, it’s the serious long time UFOs that are in danger of becoming eternal UFOs. I really don’t know how to finish them and/ or I feel uninspired about doing what is needed to finish them. That’s how I felt about a little beaded button brooch I created from weaving around a ceramic handmade button. It became a UFO a couple of months ago after a fatal drop from a height smashed several beads. The thought of painstakingly repairing it was not nearly as exciting as starting a new project. However, I took some advice from a Facebook beading friend who said to always do one UFO before you start your next new project. With my 2010 beading resolution still fresh I decided to just do it. Do one UFO before starting my new project. 20 minutes later only 9 UFOs now live in my bead stash. (See the finished brooch in the photo) Some beaders suggest dedicating a few minutes a day to UFOs, others suggest a few hours week. I guess it depends on how many UFOs are hovering in the bead stash and why. However, it was in the world of quilting I found a wealth of inspiration for morphing UFOs into FFOs. Quilters have a whole website devoted to UFOs (the UFOphanage -http://www.needlepointers.com/displaypage.aspx?URL=http://www.ufo-rphanage.com/intro.shtml). This is a great site for anyone with UFOs – beading or otherwise in their life. Ideas included trading UFOs with others and having a UFO retreat. However, amongst all the handy hints it offers there is one clear UFO message – there is no substitute for just doing it – deciding now’s the time to turn a UFO into a FFO.

How do you keep your UFO under control?

Gold Dust treasury features Dax's Gold Fire bracelet

2009-12-31T12:09:00.000+11:00

Pop by if you get a moment and have a look at the fabulous golden items featured in Art Nomadax's Gold Dust for NYE - Golden Treasures from a Sunburnt Country treasury. It's lovely to have my Gold Fire bracelet featured amongst the talented Australian DUST Etsy team's work.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=81244

You might also enjoy the fabulous clothing and accessories of its curator Art Nomadax. http://www.artnomadax. etsy.com

Two treasuries for Xmas and websites that save time for Etsy shopowners

2009-12-28T09:14:00.000+11:00

Woke up on the day after Xmas to find two different Etsy treasuries featuring my work. Pepper Minty: a bit of holiday spice! was a treasury curated by a fellow Etsy Beadweaver - HauteIceBeadwork. She featured my Hot Chilli Ziangle necklace (see photo) . The second treasury was A Southern Spectrum: some vibrant colours to brighten... curated by artnomadix from the Down Under Street Team (DUST) included my Tangerine Fizz necklace (http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=102175)

When I say I woke up to find these two treasuries with my work in them, I didn't just stumble across the information at the bottom of my bed. I found out about the treasuries on craftopolis.com (see photo of what it looks like). Craftopolis is a great time saving device for Etsy shopowners. It's one of the free access websites that tells Etsy sellers if they are in a treasury or not at the click of a button. This website also lets you know when treasuries are opening up, how many hearts your shop has, whether or not your items are in an Etsy gift guide. All great time-saving devices. In fact, there are several free time-saving websites for Etsy shopowners on the web. Here are the ones I know of and use:

TREASURIES. Craftopolis - http://www.craftopolis.com - this is the quickest way to check if you are in a treasury or not and when treasuries are opening up.
SHOP AND ITEM HEARTS AND VIEWS. Craftcult heartomatic - http://www.craftcult.com/heartomatic.php - this is the quickest way to check your shop and item hearts and item views. It has a great feature that allows you to reset the item views so you know how many new views you have had since a particular date. I find the heartomatic much quicker than a similar function offered on craftopolis.
FEATURED ON ETSY - Craftcult - http://www.craftcult.com/etsyfeatured.php?userid= allows you to seet if you have been featured on the Etsy Front Page or in The Storque, and if any of your items are currently in a Gift Guide.
CHARTS TO TRACK YOUR PROGRESS ON ETSY - Craftcult - http://www.craftcult.com also a series of easily created charts so you can track your progress on Etsy in a variety of ways. It can help you learn the gender of your viewers, whether or not they are buyers or sellers and you can see where you peak viewing times have been.
STATSY - LOTS OF FEATURES - Statsy - http://statsy.org/locator.php. Here you can look for your biggest fan, see if you have been featured on Etsy's front page, track Etsy views in a variety of ways and locate where an item will appear in an Etsy search using your keywords.

Whilst none of these devices directly bring sales they do save time for Etsy sellers who want to understand their visibility on Etsy and who are trying to learn more about their customers and potential customers. More time for making and promoting means more potential sales. If you know of other helpful sites for Etsy sellers I'd love to hear about them.

Beading rarity and the price of a beader’s labour

2009-12-21T16:53:00.001+11:00

Some tiny hanks of antique metal beads that a member of my partner’s music group showed me last week have inspired this post. I knew the moment that I saw the tiny bead hanks emerge from their old cigar tin home that I was looking at antique French cut beads.

Most of the tiny size 18/0 beads were still on their original threads in their tiny 2-inch hanks. It was such a pleasure to watch the unmistakable sparkle that their single ground faceted side produced. These beads, often referred to as Charlottes, were first used in France in the 1840s for making beaded purses.

They were also widely used at the turn of the 19^th century in Peranakan beading. Peranakan beading is a form of bead embroidery that was used by women of the Chinese community (Peranakan) in the Malaccan Straits to create beaded items for their wedding chambers. These items included wall hangings, pillow covers, slippers, vases and spectacle cases. Peranakan beadwork is highly coloured and uses the most wonderfully intricate floral motifs and Chinese symbols to create works of art. It was the job of a betrothed woman to produce the beaded items for the wedding chamber as part of her dowry. The detail and scale of this beadwork meant that many hundreds of hours of unpaid labour went into adorning the wedding chamber. Peranakan beading declined after World War II, so pieces from the early 1900s are very collectible and very expensive.

It was in Singapore that I first saw an original early 1900s piece of Peranakan beadwork up close. It was a breathtakingly beautiful wall hanging for above the wedding bead. The hundreds of unpaid hours that had gone into its making was very evident. It was the same day that I first saw a stash of the beautiful vintage Charlotte hanks that had been used to create the original beadwork. I had just finished taking a beading class with Robert Sng (see photo of Robert at work) a Singaporean beader working to keep the art of Peranakan beadwork alive by making and selling Peranakan beaded slippers and giving classes. At the end of my second class with him he opened a drawer in his shop to show me some beautiful antique Peranakan beadwork and his stash of tiny hanks of antique Charlotte beads that he had bought in France. The beadwork was stunning and the tiny hanks of beads a thing of beauty. They were so dainty and sparkly. Robert uses the antique Charlottes to bead his most beautiful and intricate slipper designs. Each pair of slippers take him over 80 hours to complete and he sells them for around 800.00 Singapore dollars. Whilst that’s more than the Peranakan women received for their beading labours $10.00 per hour is barely a living wage in Singapore. Robert says that he does it as a labour of love to keep the art alive it but it seems sad and unfair that such little value is placed on his skilled beadwork. He is such a delightful and passionate advocate for this traditional bead art. Mind you, recent conversations amongst the Etsy Beadweavers Team suggest that he is not alone in that. Many contemporary beadwork artists in the US and beyond struggle to earn more than $10.00 an hour for their stunning work. Things of beauty do have intrinsic value but those who make them do need to eat, pay mortgages and generally survive. The tiny hanks of Charlotte beads used by the French beaded purse makers and the Peranakan beaders were so common from the 1840s and through to the turn of the 19^th century that they sold for just a few cents. Now you can buy them online for between US 20.00 and US 30.00 per hank. I wonder if in another 100 years the labour of beadweavers will increase similarly, or will we still be struggling to earn a living?

If you are ever in Singapore you can see Robert’s work in his shop - Little Shophouse, 43 Bussorah St, Singapore. Phone: 6295 2328). The art of Peranakan beadwork, like the hanks of antique French beads I saw in Robert’s shop is now becoming quite rare and today Robert is one of the few remaining practitioners of the art. It’s a great privilege to see the work and meet the delightfully friendly man behind it.

Summer down under treasury

2009-12-18T11:25:00.000+11:00

I haven't had work featured in an Etsy treasury for a while so it was a lovely surprise to find my Tangerine Dreams cuff bracelet in this treasury celebrating the talents of the Down Under Street Team (DUST) artists.

daxdesigns bead art

A beader’s turn to Greige and testing your colour comfort zones

Being and becoming a dotty beader: techniques to inspire

A musical treasury, the Great Bead Tidy and musings on the music of beading

Sizing bangles for beadweavers: hints and how to from the world of bangles

Sizing up some beading software for sizing beads

Rainbows, mnemonics and beading: an aid to memory, and ode to hope

Beadwork in the Antique Pattern library - fascinating and free pattern downloads

Rachel the Rock Wallaby and the Endangered collection of beadwork

Puzzling beads and Nelson Mandela

Xhosa beadwork: symbols of defiance and living cultures

New beginners beading classes in Geelong

Festival of Glass presentations from Wathaurong Glass

Procrastination and handy beady facts: they may not change the world but they can save time

Signs and beading - a new collection in the making

A bead for auction: raising funds for Indigenous education

Meet Vida Goldstein, the Fab Femme collection and a new beaded bead

Foreign travel, beaded beads and broadening the memory: some brief reflections

Singapore sparkles for beaders

Bead crochet apps for the iphone: it counts for you

Getting serious - insurance for beaders who sell their work or teach classes

Festival of Glass: A fantastic success

Count down to the Festival of Glass 20th Feb 2011

Your favourite Fireline cutting tools

Beading Apps by iPhone – do you, would you, what would you wish for?

Odd count peyote turns: Which way do you do it?

Update on the Festival of Glass

Festival of Glass - celebrate all things glass

Highly commended for Sukathai Gold

Etsy Beadweavers Challenge Piece now listed

Is the sparkle of crystals a health hazard: its beauty and its dangers

Special Blog Followers December offer

The Open Drawer: new venue for bead and other artists

Peyote, gourd or running-bond stitch: what's in a name?

Creating productive time for beading: how do you find it?

Colour my world, or should that be tint, shade, illuminate, saturate and add intensity to the hues of my world?

Friday Facebook Fan and Blog Followers offer

Organising a beadwork exhibition - finding an organising principle

Gold Fire bracelet featured

I'm busy preparing for my exhibition next week but was very excited to see one of my designs (Gold Fire bracelet) featured on brochure for a Festival of Glass in my local area (Drysdale, Victoria, Australia) in Feb next year - it's the gold bracelet on the left hand side.

If you live in the the area or might be visiting you might want to note the dates for your diary.

Art to Enrich - Glenda's first bead exhibition - any advice?

To Fireline or not? What do you think?

Daffodils of hope - new free beading pattern

Women's rights - free peyote pattern

Chocolate truffles, ‘in’ colours for beaders and southern skies

Synchrotrons, Ancient Egypt and a turquoise sort of day

Beading Needle Survey update - 25 in so far

Four broken beading needles: it's time for a beading needle quality survey

Escher, mandalas, recycling and the move to eco-friendly jewelry packaging

Free HIV/AIDS Awareness Bead pattern

Talking with beadwork (Ubuhlalu): messages of hope, love, and solidarity

New competition - jewelry that has non-bead components

And again a Treasury

Etsy Treasury time again

Shop banners - what attracts you? What keeps you looking further?

When history was made for a country, a beader and a black pearl that was not black

Celebrating bead weaving across time and styles

Brilliant Beads at the Art Gallery of Ballarat (Victoria, Australia) is presented by the Ballarat Branch of the Embroiderers Guild of Victoria as part of its 50th Anniversary.

Dates: Thursday, 6 May 2010 - Sunday, 4 July 2010

Venue: Timkin Community Gallery

Etsy Treasuries galore

Lovely surprise - Dax Designs Bead Art featured on Indie Spotting

Dots, dyes and durability in Delica beads: getting organised to avoid disappointment

Creativity, gemstones and you

Etsy Treasuries featuring Dax Designs Bead Art - the latest news

The 6th Photo Game

Etsy Artisans supporting each other - Aunt Jane and her feature of Dax Designs Bead Art

Dax's Friday Followers earrings offer and FREE shipping

Butterflies, Rainbows and Bead Challenges

Eye of the Tiger and Eye of the Zebra in favourites on Etsy treasuries

The changing traditions of the needle case – so much change and yet so little has changed

Midwives, Scissoroos and Sandpaper - tips for choosing and using beading thread cutters

Dax's Designs in two new treasuries on Etsy over the weekend

Dax Designs Bead Art Friday fan and follower free offer

Learning what not to do as beadweaver: the lessons never stop

Mosaic from the Etsy Beadweavers Challenge April2010

When is ‘vintage’, vintage? Some efforts to define ‘vintage’ jewellery and beads

Gossamer Dew entry into the Etsy Beadweavers April Challenge

A positive turn to shades of grey - is it possible?