Black and White Obsession

Black and white. It must be the colorless Midwest pseudo-winter we've had....but black and white seed beads are my current obsession. That and big, statement necklaces that cover the throat and upper chest  in bling!

SO, just how many black and white seed beads do I need? My favorite online bead suppliers (Bello Modo and Charlenes Beads) probably think I'm nuts. But their great "no minimum order" policies make it easy to go online and find the exact next size bead I want!!

 How many are out there? Lots - more than I have already purchased, but I have some cool ones.

I'll admit, the differences are subtle. But when focused on creating a round peyote-stitched medallion that looks good, lays flat and stays round, the beads make a huge difference.

Here are the current pieces piling up, waiting to be joined together into a black and white statement bib necklace. Here is the first one. see on Pinterest

For the detailed minded, note that the medallions are all a little bit different, except for 3 black on white starbursts and 3 spirals that are almost the same. Hence the spiral rope and the spiral sterling wire hook. Yay! It's a theme!

I should also  note that the whites are not all the same - some are WHITE shiny opaque and some are WHITE OPAL GILT LINED - which lends a slight goldish glint to the whole piece.

It' was my first time making spiral rope (so easy, so versatile - genius! Thank you whoever first figured this out!). BUT they don't tell you exactly  HOW to attach the spiral rope - which is woven with a single continuous thread - to a large piece or to a clasp. So I made up my own way....

and clasp

Strong. Reinforced. and Scaled appropriately. Guess I'd better write THAT out so I don't forget what I did.

Black and White

Like most everyone, I love color. And normally my beadwork reflects my color personality....my bead stash certainly does! I buy seed beads primary because the colors attract me - only rarely for a specific pattern. As a result, my library of seed bead sizes and colors is dominated by jewel tones, AB finishes, charlottes, greens, blues and bronzes. Sure, there is the occasional matte finish or opaque red or transparent yellow, but you will look long and hard to find many pastel beads, or lavender or orange.

But, I do have various black and white beads....so when I decided to experiment with my published peyote bracelet pattern by working a stripe into the design, I chose black and white beads.

Actually the first striped version was an attempt at an all-black bracelet for a friend and golly! It was very hard to see where I was. See what I mean???

The striped weave is mostly size 15/0 hex and 15/0 rounds. It looks great, sparkles nicely. Can you believe it wasn't what my friend had in mind, so she sent it back? But took so long to make I cannot bear to sell it and it now lives in my private collection.

So this time I used black and white beads...and I love the way it turned out! And it WAS a lot easier to see the pattern.

 Since the stripe pattern is so angular, I opted not to use my usual beaded toggle, but added a slide tube clasp, attaching with the same 15/0s used in the bracelet.

Now I think it's time to do more experimenting with black and white beads. Just ordered more from my favorite bead suppliers -- Bello Modo (free shipping!) and Charlenes Beads (hard to find colors, half kilo and kilo packages).

Bead Stash Blues

In response to a post on Beading Daily which asked readers how they store their personal bead stashes....I took another look at my studio. Messy, again. But still my "happy place"....when I am home long enough to be in there.

Beading Daily was asking about stash storage - which would take me all day to share, and is likely similar to many others who have bead additions. But since I frequently take my beadwork on the road when we travel I thought I'd post how I manage to include quite a few of my beloved seed beads.

I prefer my seed beads in clear tubes for easy viewing. (Somehow, it looks like more beads, although a 2" filled ziplock baggie actually holds about the same amount.) I have a great wooden box that is about 4 inches deep, measuring roughly 10" x 12", which is divided into 9 spaces. Each space will hold nearly two dozen upright bead tubes, sorted by color group, with room for a scissors, wire snipper, needle box and thread. This box sits on the floor between my feet, where I can get at them when we drive all day. (My hubbie loves road trips....not a flier....and he's retired. This is my sanity.)

When packing for a trip, I get inspired and see many potential bead combinations that I might need so now I just take lots. By no means is this all of my seed beads, but they can't all come....I'm seriously in love with seed beads, but not completely bonkers.

Of course, along in the back seat is a tool bag with my favorite pliers, a few findings, crimps and spools of wire....just in case.

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

Dr. Seuss was right - you can't have JUST ONE fish. Today we say good bye to Alpha Beta, who has been adopted and is on his way to Etna, New York.

bye bye Alpha Beta

Here are the next two fishies to join my beaded aquarium:

Little Nemo - just because Clown Fish are so adorable and my granddaughter Anastasia loves anything orange -

Little Nemo

He not shy and loves the camera.

Little Nemo mugs for camera

And this little Green-lipped Frillery, who sports little diamond shapes on his sides and back.

Green-lipped Frillery

Green-lipped Frillery

Meanwhile it was 103º today in Pleasant Hill - not too pleasant, but at least the driveway isn't icy like last January! I'm going fishing, with my beads in my basement.

What I did on my summer vacation...

We escaped the Kansas City summer heat for a couple weeks by DRIVING to San Diego, going thru Kansas, Colorado and Nevada on the way out and through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri on the way home. It was nearly 100º most days - except for our stay in San Diego, which was heavenly at 75º and breezy. I shop for beads when I can and spent half a day in Gallup, NM, buying beads and tools.

In the air-conditioned car, we listened to "The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo" on cd and watched our enormous and diverse American landscape speed by. And as always, my beading tray was on my lap every day.

Alpha Beta Fish

Here's what I completed this trip....

Alpha Beta

I always bring a huge (like 2 of those plastic storage boxes full) stash of seed beads when we travel. You never know what color scheme will inspire me, so I come prepared.

Zebra Fish

But I didn't bring any dagger beads - those longish little paddle beads with the hole at one end - so I was shopping for them everywhere.

Zebra Fish Tail

Daggers make great fringe and fins and tails for fishies.

Carl Carp

This black and yellow guy was the first one - see, no daggers on him at all.

Carl Carp

I think he's a carp or goldfish, like the kind who live in Japanese garden pools.

Neo Neon

I soon found a bead shop in western Kansas and started buying dagger beads, chippies and potential fish eyes.

Neo Neon 

Some of these guys had to wait till we got home to get their eyes.

Scary blond with eye makeup!

And this guy has movable eyes - they can look in any direction.

Blondie

Actually with those black eye lashes and pink fins, I'm pretty sure this blondie is a girl.

For the record, the fish idea is NOT mine. But my fish do not look like those from the Bead and Button Mag. article in 2001 by Georgia McMillan. The idea came from her - I try not to forget a good idea - and I have several much cruder fish I made that year who live with my Christmas tree decorations.

I hope to come up with a great way to wear a fish as a pendant or pin. They are so 3 dimensional it seems wrong to pin them flat....maybe a mobile with several, although that may price it too high for "afishianados" who visit Eclectics Gallery, where these will be for sale.

We are back home in Missouri, and it's going to be 95º plus all week. Our first day back was the hottest day of the summer and I spent it helping Laura (lovely daughter) and Aaron (super son-in-law) move across town. Schlepping boxes is a crazy job in this heat and humidity, but hey - she's my daughter. Try to Keep cool.