Bead-a-rama

I have always avoided beading. Just never really felt it was something I was interested in. I have knit with beads, crocheted with beads, even strung a bead or two for some project or other, but never fell in love with it. I could not for the life of me see the fascination with sitting and stringing together a bead at a time. Then I found crocheted tubes. This was an entirely new discovery for me. I made my first bracelet and I was, uh, hooked!

I began to see possibilities. I began to envision designs never before seen by human eyes. Well, okay, maybe not that great, but my head was seriously spinning. I designed two more necklaces using beaded crochet tubes and then I had a design pop into my head. This was not something to be accomplished with beaded crochet, it had to be done differently. But how? (I won't tell what it is yet because I am still working on it.)

So I began to look at beadwork online and on YouTube. I needed to be able to increase and decrease repeatedly. I found this was possible with peyote beading. So I researched and researched, feeling as if I could do the stitch in my head. I bought some delicas and borrowed a couple of library books. Namely "Seed Bead Stitching" by Beth Stone and "Beading Basics" by Stephanie Burnham. These two books have given me the tools and knowledge to go forth with trying peyote. I am currently working on my first project, a red and black "sampler" bracelet from "Seed Bead Stitching." If you are looking for great reference and a way to get started beading, these are the two books you will need.

I also have found a desire to try loom beading. This is a fascinating artform dating back to ancient Native American tribes. These two books have also been my inspiration. "Beading her Image" is especially wonderful, as it showcases the faces of women around the world, expressions and looks unique to each one. It is a celebration of the female face. What could be better than that?

These finds and a newfound passion of mine have given rise to this week's handmade finds. Featured are beautiful beadworks by talented (and assumably much more experienced) artisans. From peyote to brick stitch and loomwork, here are the finds for this week:

JewelrybyJane29

Shiny and Blue Beadweave Bracelet

Perfect example of Peyote stitch using delica beads.

TheBeadedLily

Hands Against Time Beadwoven Cuff

This beautiful and intricately designed cuff shows the possibilities of form and development of imagination.

GreenDragon9

Beaded Celtic Cross

Woven with beautiful delicas and with a firm command of color, this Celtic Cross proves that beadwork is not just jewelry, but also a form of art.

SavoyStudio

Turk's Cap Lily

Three dimensional forms are not only beatiful, but take on a whole new life when accompanied by beads.

CelticBeadcrafts

Serenity Bookmark

The flexibility in beadweaving means it is applicable to so many uses.

Beadweavingforyou

Purple Flower Earrings

And even though beadweaving can be an intricately large showcase of design and colorwork, even the most delicate items can show surprising detail.

These are the finds this week. If you're looking for the best beadwork you can find, you'll want to check out Artfire, Etsy, and Zibbet. You won't find talent like this in your local market. And if you're looking to showcase your own artwork, there is no better place than these three venues. Right now, Zibbet has an awesome deal. Their premium accounts are at $9. This is a lifetime monthly charge if you take advantage of it now. You can also get your account charge reduced by referring sellers to take advantage of Zibbet. So if you refer 9 premium members, you get a free account. I took advantage of the $7 monthly charge. There are only 498 accounts left at this price, then the price goes up. They go quickly, so now is the time to jump! Take a look at Zibbet and try it out.