Inside Beadwork Magazine : Glass Beads

6 MORE bead shapes! Meet the new Bricks, Rullas, Pyramids, BeadStuds, Rizos, and Long Drops

Melinda Barta — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 02:50:00 GMT

I loved Jean Campbell's post last week on the difference between Superduo and Twin beads so much that I thought I'd follow up this week with a few more of the new shaped beads. If you missed Jean's in-depth look at two-hole seed beads, see her post here.

Here are the 6 newest shapes to come across my desk:

	Bricks These thick, rectangular, Czech pressed-glass beads are essentially smaller versions of the flat, 2-hole CzechMate Tiles-think of ½ of a CzechMate, with less rounded corners. They measure 6x3x3mm, with two 1mm-large holes that are about 2mm apart. The strands I've received are quite consistent in size and don't require much, if any, culling. I love working flat herringbone stitch with these beads. The beads won't angle to resemble classic herringbone, but a herringbone thread path quickly joins them. I also love working flat peyote stitch with these beads.
	Rullas Rullas are very similar to bricks because they also have 2 holes and are similar in size. However, their cylindrical profile is what sets the two apart. Rullas are 5mm wide and 3mm tall, with the two 1mm-large holes about 1.5mm apart. As with the bricks, I've found they are best suited for herringbone and peyote stitches, but this shouldn't deter you from playing around with them in other stitches. They tend to flop around a bit with flat right-angle weave, so plan on adding a few nets of embellishment beads to keep them in place.
	BeadStuds What do you get when you sit a pyramid on top of a flat, two-hole CzechMate Tile? A BeadStud! These fun beads are 12mm square at the base and about 9mm tall. The point of the pyramid is only on one side, so be mindful of this if your design will allow the beads to flip around. Pyramids I'm sure you've seen the many new bead spikes on the market. Give a spike 4 sides and what do you have? A pyramid! Measuring in at 7x11mm, their bases are wide and stable, making them perfect atop a bead-embroidery foundation. The 1mm-large hole sits about 3mm above the base of the bead, so plan to bead around the base of the pyramid to hide any thread left exposed. I would expect these beads to become available in more sizes, if they aren't already.
	Rizos These new embellishment beads, designed by Beadwork Designer of the Year Sabine Lippert, are elongated drop beads shaped like a grain of rice with one hole at one end. They measure 6mm long and are 3mm wide on one side and 2mm wide on the other side. I've found them to be very consistent in size. They are produced in the Czech Republic. I love the way the team at Beads by Blanche describes how this bead was born, read the charming love story here.
	Long drops Miyuki also has a new longer drop bead. Simply called "long drops," these beads are 5mm long and 3mm wide. They are more bulbous at the end than Rizos. I've found the top width of these beads (at the base of the hole) to be a bit inconsistent, so some culling is needed.
	Want to see these beads in action? Stay tuned for more information on my newest video workshop Beading with Shaped Beads: Tilas, Superduos, Peanuts, and More. In this DVD I discuss today's most popular shaped beads, including those shown above, and how to use them successfully in beadweaving projects. Download the workshop starting April 8th or purchase the DVD April 30th at interweavestore.com. Follow along as I explain and demonstrate the techniques that work best with each bead shape, plus watch me share tips for hiding threads, maintaining proper tension, and more. Discover which similar beads are interchangeable and which aren't.

Please share your experiences with the new shaped beads here. The possibilities are endless.

Have fun!
Melinda

Editor, Beadwork magazine

Beadlepoint, Beadlepoint, Beadlepoint

Melinda Barta — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 03:30:00 GMT

Does this blog's title make you think, "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice"? Wondering what this has to do with beads? Well, for starters, Beadwork Senior Editor Jean Campbell and Editorial Director Danielle Fox brought me a few Beadlepoint Stitchable Phone Cases from the Tucson bead shows. Secondly, the technique that the cases require gets me thinking about old times (hence the reference to the 1980s movie).

Many of you might already know that I started at Interweave working for one of our sister publications, PieceWork magazine. In short, PieceWork exposes readers to the rich history behind needlecrafts, plus features many contemporary projects inspired by historical items.

Though I love many of the needlepoint pieces we've featured in PieceWork, I've never really spent much time needlepointing. As a child, I cross-stitched dozens of tree ornaments and presents for my grandparents, but needlepoint was never part of the mix. One of my grandmas had several stitched-plastic-canvas tissue-box covers (you know the kind I'm talking about), so looking back I'm surprised she didn't teach me.

So now that needlepoint's on my mind, what could be better than combining it with beads? The Beadlepoint cases, from The BeadSmith, inspired me to give the combination a try.

Here are a few tips I came across while working the first few rows of my design:

--Don't start your thread with a knot at the end, as you might pull it up through the holes in the back of the case. Instead, pass the needle up through the case from the back leaving a short tail, string 1 bead, pass back down through the case in an adjacent hole that's diagonal to the one just exited, and then knot the tail and working threads.

--To avoid gaps in the design and achieve the diagonal look that's signature of needlepoint, always stitch in the same direction, diagonally from one hole to the next. All of the bead holes will point the same direction.

--Chevron patterns are so popular right now, so I gave one a go here. However, the case comes with 2 cute designs: one with hearts and one with an owl. When working your own design on a lighter-colored case, I assume you could color it in using washable markers.

--I used permanent galvanized seed beads, thinking they might hold up better than unfinished glass beads in case the phone is dropped. The beads are from the "carnival multi perm. galvanized" mix from Beyond Beadery.

--You may have to occasionally flip the case over in order to find the correct hole to pass back up through. The holes on the back of the case are smaller than the holes on the front.

--A bead needs to sit over each crosshair of the grid, which takes a little time getting used to, so be patient with your first few rows. Also, these crosshairs can be hard to see, so be sure to have good lighting.

--If you need to travel from one side of the case to the next, pass under the threads on the back to avoid long thread loops. Also do this when trying off threads.

--The package says to use size 15° seed beads, but here I used size 11°s.

--When the beads fall out of line of the pattern, simply push them into shape. The following rows will hold them in place.

Now I have to confess that this case won't even fit my phone, but it's never too early to get started on a holiday gift!

Have fun,
Melinda

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Melinda Barta

Editor, Beadwork

Amazing "New" Beading Tool!

Melinda Barta — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 10:32:00 GMT

Though not technically a "beading tool," my photocopier has quickly become my new best friend. Who would have ever thought that this dusty old thing would be able to save me hours of design time and up to weeks of beading?

When working up the initial sketches for my Happy-Go-Lucky Links necklace for my new book, Mastering Peyote Stitch, I knew I wanted the necklace to be long. So long that I wouldn't need a clasp. However, because each oval link can take over 30 minutes to make, I wanted to be sure I was happy with the design before committing to beading that many ovals. Plus, I was grateful to have a friend help me with the beading, and by nailing down the design in advance, I was able to ask (ok, beg) for just the right number of ovals.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4	For my first step, I beaded 1 oval and photocopied it many times.
	After cutting out the ovals, I began to play around with the design, taping them in different arrangements-Did I want a symmetrical design? How did asymmetrical look? How long should it be? Because I knew I wanted the center links to incorporate the lampwork beads from Zbeads, I left larger spaces between some of the ovals.
	Once I was happy with my layout, my friend and I were ready to bead! And here's the result!
	My photocopier also came to the rescue when beading this necklace I call Seeds & Stones. (It was featured in Beadwork's Challenge department several years ago.) After beading just one of the scalloped segments, I photocopied several more and was able to determine their exact connection points, and how many scallops were needed.

I've heard of other beaders who design in this same manner using Photoshop, or other photo-editing software, but I'm more of a cut-and-paste type of gal.

Give it a try and let us know your results!
Have fun,
Melinda
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Melinda Barta
Editor, Beadwork

Beading the Odds: Beads of Courage (Part II)

mzier — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 03:00:00 GMT

In yesterday's post, I spoke of Beads of Courage, a remarkable program in many hospitals that enables children battling serious illness to use beads to track and celebrate their medical journeys. When I was learning about Beads of Courage, I had the privilege of speaking with Joellyn Boggess whose daughter, Erin, is a participant in Beads at a Distance, a Beads of Courage program for children fighting illnesses outside of hospitals.

Nine-year-old Erin now is in third grade but began her health journey several years ago. She first was diagnosed with a form of autism and since then has been diagnosed with several rare illnesses in addition, including Asperger's syndrome, complex partial epilepsy, 22Q11.2 duplication, and eosinophilic esophagitis. Joellyn learned of Beads of Courage when Erin attended a Birthday party during which the Beads of Courage Director of Communications and Development, Ashley Ethridge, was teaching partygoers how to string beads. The strands were being sent to a children's hospital in Hawaii. Joellyn spoke with Ashley about what Erin had been going through, and Ashley thought Erin would qualify for the Beads at a Distance program. Joellyn submitted a list of the procedures Erin had been through thus far, and within a short time, a package of corresponding beads arrived at their house.

"I remember that first package of beads so clearly," says Joellyn. "I didn't think I'd be emotional when I saw the beads, but as we strung them one by one, for the first time ever, we had a complete, visual record of Erin's journey. It was incredible." She has witnessed changes in Erin as a direct result of the beads. "Erin doesn't dread the needle pokes quite as much because she knows she'll be getting a black bead each time. It's such a great idea because she is rewarded for her bravery." And, Joellyn and her husband are rewarded for their strength, too. Every time she looks at the strand, Joellyn is reminded of her unrelenting determination to figure out what was going on with Erin at the beginning and to find ways to make Erin feel better. "I get as much encouragement from the beads as Erin does. You can hold the beads in your hands, rub your fingers on them, draw strength from them. I did that the last time Erin went in for an MRI. I sat in the waiting room, looking at her beads, and thinking, 'See? We've made it through all of these things. We can make it through this one, too.'"

Erin's appointments required numerous trips from her Kentucky home to clinics elsewhere, mostly in Tennessee, but even as far as the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. To cut down on the travel, the family recently moved to Nashville to be closer to Erin's doctors. (They're in an apartment at the moment, on the lookout for roomier quarters.) Erin receives a fish bead for every medical trip taken. She has many fish beads. She also has many bumpy beads, which represent medication and diet changes. And, Erin has several Courage Beads - one-of-a-kind beads that are awarded in instances of extra bravery. Joellyn was holding Erin's beads as she spoke with me and told the story of one particular Courage Bead on Erin's strand: "Erin had just been diagnosed with benign tumors on her brain, and this Courage Bead arrived in the mail not long after. It's a big, yellow smiley-face bead with goofy eyes on the front, but when you feel the back, there are little bumps. It was the perfect bead to represent her tumors."

Joellyn asked that I relay her gratefulness for the program and for the many lampwork bead artists who create and donate the unique glass beads on Erin's strand. "It's an amazing thought that, right now, someone somewhere out there is sitting in front of a fire, making a special bead to give to a courageous child. I can't begin to express how appreciative I am for those people."

The Beads of Courage programs rely entirely on donations, fundraisers and income from an online store, where 100% of the profits go toward the programs. There are several ways to give support. Beadmakers can donate glass beads, polymer clay beads and others - all of which are used either in the programs themselves, or to create pieces sold at fundraisers. Beaders can donate finished pieces for auction, or can organize a String of Strength session, in which each person donates $15 to Beads of Courage and then uses kits provided to make two bracelets - one to keep as a reminder of the program, and one to be given to a child within the program. Beaders and non-beaders alike can participate in the fundraisers taking place year round: races, auctions, festivals and more.

For information, visit the Beads of Courage website. While there, be sure to check out their very first book: The Ladybug Star and the Jester's Hat, which includes the designs from the first Beads of Courage Bead Challenge.

On a personal note, I'd like to thank Ashley Ethridge and Joellyn and Erin Boggess for their assistance. Joellyn and Erin, your courage inspires me. Joellyn, may you soon have a big, sunny kitchen in Nashville. You are most deserving.

Cheers!
Mallory

Beading the Odds: Beads of Courage (Part I)

mzier — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 03:00:00 GMT

Jean Baruch is a medical professional with a heart for children. During her early years as a nurse, Jean discovered some gaps in the specialized care aimed at children battling serious illness. She returned to school at the University of Arizona's College of Nursing in pursuit of a PhD and a dream: What if she could find a way to meet those needs? Happily for hundreds of children and their families, Jean created Beads of Courage.

Jean's PhD endeavor provided the time and resources necessary for her quest. She began by reviewing respected child care literature and identifying areas for improvement. Her research showed that children combating serious illness feel better when they can acknowledge the circumstances they're in and can display what they've been strong enough to endure. At that time, there wasn't a platform in most children's hospitals for this type of expression. So, Jean developed the Beads of Courage program. Labeling her technique as "resilience-based intervention," Jean's goal was to provide these children with a way to showcase their achievements, and then, in turn, draw strength from that.

Her solution was one that all beaders would applaud: Give each child a starter strand with beads spelling his/her name; then, for each treatment milestone conquered, add a representative bead to the strand (one yellow bead for each night spent in the hospital, one green bead for each chemotherapy treatment, and so on). Jean approached the Arizona Society of Glass Beadmakers and the International Society of Glass Beadmakers with her idea. Both groups readily donated special, handmade glass beads for the project. (And both organizations remain an integral part of the Beads of Courage program to this day.)

Jean piloted the Beads of Courage program at the Phoenix Children's Hospital in 2003, and her theories proved accurate. The children responded positively (and immediately) in very measurable ways. The academic foundation underlying the Beads of Courage program caused it to be taken seriously by Jean's medical peers from the get-go; but, an even more appreciative fan group was the children and families participating. Since its inception, Beads of Courage has grown immensely. More than 140 children's hospitals around the world have a Beads of Courage program, reaching 30,000 children. And, Beads of Courage has expanded its offerings, with programs aimed at parents, siblings, friends of children battling serious illnesses, and children fighting their illnesses from home.

Why beads? Jean actually devotes an entire page of the Beads of Courage website to answering this question. Yes, beads are tactile and fun for kids to handle, but Jean notes that beads also have carried great meaning for many societies over time, symbolizing strength, status, value, and healing. The Beads of Courage program provides children with a map of their progress - something to be proud of and to be encouraged by, to help relieve the tedium, anxiety and frustration accompanying the battle against a serious sickness.

Beads of Courage is a fitting name. Many of the children participating have strands upon strands of beads, representing months and years of treatment. I was privileged to speak with Joellyn Boggess whose daughter, Erin, is a participant in the Beads at a Distance program, for children fighting illnesses outside of hospitals.

Check back tomorrow for Part II of this post and to meet Joellyn and her daughter, Erin. In the meantime, spend a moment visiting the colorful and inspirational Beads of Courage website. You'll be so glad you did.

Cheers!
Mallory