Here is the Before, During and After photos of my Very FIRST entry in an Etsy Beadweavers Team Challenge. The theme for this April 2011 Challenge is "Spring Around the Corner".This is my attempt at designing a one of a kind Bead Crochet Rope masterpiece in homage of SPRING...a season I never fully appreciated until I lived in Fayetteville, North Carolina for four years.
While I perform every technique and manner of beadweaving....for the past seven years I have specialized in bead crochet ropes as an Instructor and Artist This is a very exacting & time consuming pusuit which was right up my alley.
The first step was designing the pattern on bead crochet graphs (I use Judith Bertoglio-Giffin's version)using 19 different colored pencils. It is much like creating a counted cross stitch chart, but with many more limitations. Step two is putting the graph on a magnetic board & using magnetic strips to hold my place as I string the EXACT pattern one tiny seed bead at a time onto the heavy duty polyester thread...my pattern area was 18 inches before repeat so there was no margin for errors in stringing...which I made several times and had to start over and over to perfection. I used size 8/0, 10/0 and 11/0 Japanese and Czech glass seed beads as well as Czech pressed glass mini drops in the construction of the main body of the 40 inch long lariat. The fringe contains an additional 10 colors of pressed glass Czech beads. The 40 inches of seven beads around necessitated approximately 280 inches of strung pattern. After all these beads are strung precisely as designed, the crocheting with the tiny 1.25 steel crochet hook begins. In the case of this particular piece it took three plus weeks from start to finish...i am not real good about tracking my time as for me it is a labor of LOVE not Business.
I am SOOOO enthusiastic about being permitted to participate in this challenge with the Best Beadweaver Artists on Etsy....Please CAST YOUR VOTE for your favorite design in the Etsy Beadweavers Team Challenge of April 2011 at:
http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com
ANYONE can vote...the entries are awe-inspiring. That is how I was drawn into the Team...maybe YOU will be too.
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