Exploring Spiral Stitch

It's just been too cold to make beads in my basement, so I have been concentrating on making beaded ropes with spiral stitch.  In addition, I've been exploring texture within the spiral stitch rope and using different clasps.  I thought I'd show you some of my experimentation today!

The very first spiral stitch rope I worked on is in the larger photo - I used an awesome cab by Diana Ptaszynski, and the colors I used were perfect!  I then made spiral stitch ropes to go with my own ammonite cab, my own lampwork heart bead, and ceramic pendants by Diana and Lesley Watt. I love how they all turned out. They were all made using only size 11 beads in two colors, with the exception of the one I made with my lampwork heart - I used one single color on that rope, and although it's hard to see, the beads have a really great rainbow effect.

In this photo above, you can see what pattern you get when you use only size 11 seed beads.  This is pretty basic, easy to stitch up, and fun to do.  You can get a lot done in a short period of time!

I decided I wanted some more texture in my spiral ropes, so for the next two pendants (from White Clover Kiln) I used size 11s as the base row, and used a pattern of a 15, a 15, an 8, a 15 and a 15 for the spiral row.  I also used buttons for the closures this time, instead of toggle clasps. The first button was a sort of flower pewter design that matched the pendant, and the second button was an antiqued copper button that matches the color in the pendant perfectly!

 In the photo above, you can see the texture that the different size beads lend to the design.

These two photos are closeups of the pattern of beads and the texture.  You can achieve awesome looks with this pattern - imagine how many combinations of bead colors you could use!

I think right now, this is my favorite pattern for spiral stitch!

Finally, I used a base row of 8s and a spiral row of 4 11s in this example that was my CoM for February from Melissa Meman.  I love the colors I used, and I love the angelite I used to accent Melissa's wonderful copper clay pendant.  However, the stitch of using 8s and 11s is too loose for me; I maybe have a control issue, because I just can't stand the looseness of this pattern.

The spiral row just doesn't lay nicely on the 8s based on the pattern of three size 8 seed beads and four size 11 seed beads.  This pattern was learned from Jill Wiseman's Beaded Ropes book - I think it would be better if I hadn't followed the directions exactly and instead of going through three size 8 beads whenever I was stitching a new row, I should have gone through 4 size 8 beads.  I think that would have made the stitch tighter.  I'll try that if I ever do another rope in this pattern of beads.

Finally, I made some clasps and bead caps the other day, so I thought I'd show you a photo of them!  I was pretty happy with the way they turned out! These are the bead caps - I made them out of the cutout section of the clasps!  I textured them, punched the holes, dapped them, antiqued with liver of sulpher, and then tumbled for a couple of hours. I love the heft and richness!  I will be making more for sale in my etsy store.

I was clasp deficient, so I made some copper clasps.  I punched them out with my pepe disc cutter, punched the middles out, textured, dapped, antiqued and tumbled.  The toggle bars are made from FREE 12 gauge electrical wire I got from Jason from a job we were doing - I formed them, hammered the ends, antiqued and tumbled these as well.  I love how the hammered ends look.  Two sizes will also be available in my etsy shop too!

And finally, my next project - this clasp held an envelope together on a card Jason got me for Valentine's Day!  It's all the more special because we were in Sint Maarten when he gave it to me (Dutch side).

 

And here's the necklace I made with it! I used some of my favorite beads, turquoise teardrops, turquoise tubes and freshwater pearls, separated by silver beads.  I used two figure 8 connectors to connect it to the heart. I'm really pleased with the way it turned out! 

Thanks for stopping by today and seeing what I've been up to since I haven't been making glass beads.  Are you learning anything new?

Susan Kennedy
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Beautiful Beaded Ropes

Not only am I lucky to be a part of this awesome group of artists I am also lucky to have been chosen as a reviewer for Lark Books.  I have to tell you I was extremely excited about this because some amazing artists have come out with awesome books this year and this is the one I want to share with you all today!

 

Jill Wiseman of Tapestry Beads had this book published this year.  I have been following Jill for quite some time and was really looking forward to it's release.  Well it just so happened that it was released just before BeadFest Philly this year and as you all know I was so fortunate to have attended and met Jill in person.  (Yes I did bow you can ask her...LOL)

You can purchase an autographed copy here

 

I love working with art beads so much but the way I like to enhance them is with beading a rope.  I love the way a beaded rope feels and the many opportunities you have to incorporate art beads.  Jill's book has been a gift.  Her instructions are clear and in many cases it just takes this stitches you already know and shows how to embellish them or use them in a whole new way.  Any artist that sends me on my own creative journey is a treasure!  The photos in the book are not only art in themselves they inspire new ways to look at color.  She even has a gallery in the back featuring so many artists I admire.  The part about Jill's book that really gives me that boost is that a beginner can pick this up start with some basic stitches and really see that they indeed can play with these little seeds.

 

Here are just three of the ropes I used from her book so far.

 

 

 

I hope you really consider this for a gift to someone who may want to break into seed beading or someone who has been in need of a creative jolt!

 

Kristen