Beaded Wire Macrame Toggle Bars Revisited

I have all sort of beads and components in my stash that could be used as clasps if they had a bar to go with then and a while back I adapted the wire macrame techniques I used for these earrings to create some alternatives to the usual plain wire option.

This technique utilises simple macrame knots interspersed with small beads that can be adapted to match the component and give your clasps some individuality.

Here I use a half knot (spiral) with little etched beads to create this bar and added a jump ring to the centre by which it can be attached to a piece of jewellery. 

This works fine but I really wanted to see if I could include the connection loop within the bar itself so this time I formed a loop in the centre of the core wire and instead of knotting from end to end as with the earrings I attached the wire through the loop and knotted from the centre out, wrapping the wire end over each other to finish.

This method takes a little bit longer but does create a slightly cleaner looking bar although personally I'd be happy to use either version.

For this one I used a square macrame knot again but this time gently curved the bar when I finished knotting to add a little something extra... 

I think it makes a lovely focal closure for this beautiful ceramic element from Karen Totten.

For this ceramic link component by Marla James I used a spiral knot and teamed it with some lovely rustic faceted Czech glass beads to create an unusual clasp.

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And finally, some simple seed beads add a little interest to a plain sheet bronze clasp - an idea that would translate easily to washers or large jump rings.

So it's really quite easy to add a little extra interest to your jewellery designs with a few beads and a length of wire and if you don't have any suitable components in your stash don't worry - there are plenty out there to suit all tastes.

Outwest Art Glass

Classic Bead

Tree Wings Studio

Suburban Girl Beads

Mary Harding Jewelry

Starry Road Studio

Design Retrospective

Over the past few weeks I've been having a clear out of my photographic files. I love that the digital age makes it so easy to take and store photographs but that ease also means I tend to hang on to too much for too long so a cull was necessary. Needless to say this has taken longer than planned because the photographs are in themselves a distraction and much time was spent reminiscing.

Obviously I have many, many photographs of the jewellery I've designed and whilst going through these I realised that they charted a clear path in the development of my relationship with Art beads and hand made design elements.

I've not been making jewellery that long in the scheme of things - just seven years or so and I originally took it up as an antidote to s stressful job and something to do on winter evenings. My first bead purchases were commercial hobby store and online bead shop buys which and the resulting jewellery utilised very basic techniques.

Always one to search out something more with whatever I'm doing I spent hours trawling the Internet and before very long I had discovered the wonders of lampwork beads... I was completely Smitten and my art bead stash was born.  Sterling silver accents and finding also made their first appearance at this point as I felt the art beads deserved some better and silver had yet to go through the roof in price!

Lampwork implosion beads by Sally Carver

Lampwork beads by Kaz Baildon

Lampwork beads by Julie Fountain

Again these techniques involved with these pieces were fairly  basic stringing and wiring and I really wanted my designs to have more of me in them. I started playing with wire to add another dimension and a new love affair began that still continues...
 

Lampwork beads by Kaz Baildon and Sally Carver

Further down the line leather leather began to work it's way into my designs. I loved the casual, colourful, boho feel you could get with  this very versatile medium and it very much suited my own personal taste in jewellery.

Lampwork beads by Julie Cannon

Lampwork beads by Lori Lochner

Whilst developing these techniques for myself I also attended workshops in silversmithing and metal clay and that saw me combining my own metal pieces with my beloved beads.

Lampwork beads by Pinocean

Lampwork bead by Sally Carver

Later a further workshop added enameling into the mix....

One of the last elements I added to my design repertoire was ceramic beads and little did I know at the time that I would end up making these myself and love them above all others. I continued to mix and match with other mediums to develop what I hope is my own style.

Ceramic elements by Karen Totten and Diana Ptaszynski

When I started making jewellery I had no idea than I would ever make jewellery components to sell to other people or that that aspect would takeoff and become the bigger part of my business. This inevitably means that these days I make a lot less jewellery but when I do you can still see these earlier design elements and techniques making an appearance and forming the foundation of my design ethic. 

Ceramic cabachon by Lesley Watt - Polymer clay mixed media technique by Jenny Davies-Reazor

Polymer clay roses by Leah Curtis

Pendant by Lesley Watt

Lampwork bead by Julie Cannon

Etched copper focal by Lesley Watt - Polymer clay mixed media technique by Jenny Davies-Reazor

So what do you see when you see when you look back on your old designs is there an identifiable trend or have you taken yourself of in a completely new or surprising direction...That's the beauty of jewellery design...so many things to try! Happy designing.

Note: Apologies for beads that have not been credited but I no longer have the details for some of them and my memory is not what it was..

Bear Revisited...

Preparing for a shop update this week has me in a bit of a frenzy, so much so I forgot it was my turn to post here! I hope you don't mind a little reprise of a previous post about the topic of Bear. It is somewhat timely as I am featuring bears in my update on April 22 (Earth Day).

Shop update frenzy in the studio!

Stringing beads...

Some of my new Bear-inspired beads...

Bear focals by me (Starry Road Studio).

Bear inspired Drum Beads, by me (Starry Road Studio).

And now for the post I previously published on the topic of Bear...

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Bear is one of the most represented animals in human cultures throughout time, all over the world. There are many meanings and interpretations. I am most drawn to american indian depictions, stories, and songs.

Vintage Ursa Major star map print

Bear is one of my totem animals, and holds the north coordinate on my medicine wheel. Bear represents (for me), a time of healing and meditation, of embracing the dark days of Winter as a precious time to hibernate and reflect inward, in preparation for the renewal of Spring. The long Winter nights - the dreaming time - are a strong component of Bear presence, along with the stars we gaze upon, hinting at a deeper universe.

Ursa Major by Speakerine / Florent Bodart

Bears Star, by ArtGalla

Stargazey Bear by Jo Wright of Bear Print Design

Bear has been represented in human art for thousands of years. And this includes beads and jewelry. I am focusing primarily on art here, along with a few samples of beads that have been inspired by Bear.

Hopi Kachina Mask: Hon / White Bear Kachina

Spirit Bear Mask by Brad Starr

Haida Sea Bear Mask, Metropolitan Museum of Art 

Tlingit Totem Pole; photo by Tim Bean

Ancient Haisla Bear totem; photo by Pete Ryan

Hopi Kachina: Hon, White Bear

Zuni Bear Fetish by Bernard Homer

Zuni Bear fetish in my collection by Bernard Homer

Star Gazer Bear - Zuni Fetish by Jimmy Yawakia

Bear charms by Kylie Parry

Little Brown Bear by Rebekah Payne / Tree Wings Studio

Black Bear charm by BeaKaz 

Ceramic Bear by Claire Lockwood

Aurora Bear by Naos Glass

Polymer Bear pendant and jewelry by Luann Udell.

Bear Totem by me (Karen Totten / Starry Road Studio)

Here is an anisnaabe song: Spirt Bear Song. Not too much to see in this video as the camera is positioned behind the drumming circle. But the song comes through nicely. :) I invite you to find a quiet moment and allow your heart to join in the drumbeat, and let the song sink in.

I hope you enjoyed this brief tour of Bear. How does Bear figure in your own life and work?
I'd love to hear!

Karen Totten | Starry Road Studio