Flirting with the enemy

January 19, 2010
I've been playing with TOHOs of late which may be construed as defection or at the very least flirting with the enemy. TOHOs are beautiful beads with such a lovely feel to them. 11/0 rounds stack up beautifully in St Petersburg stitch.

I still love my Delicas. Nothing beats a Delica when you do tubular peyote stitch. I tried it with beads terms "Japanese" by a supplier ... not sure if they are TOHOs or Matsumos ... but the exercise did not go well and was abandoned. There is a place in the universe for all beads.
 

Exclusive Interview with Cindy Wilson of Black Swamp Beadworks!

May 26, 2009

Buying a specialist product like Miyuki Delicas is perhaps best done online. For me, living literally in the middle of nowhere in regional Western Australia, it is a necessity as I’m the closest thing we have to a bead shop and I don’t stock Miyuki Delicas (yet!).

 

When you shop online, you can browse to your heart’s content and do it during hours that suit you. Selecting a large batch of colours online is fun and can take ages as you are free to chop and change your mind as often...


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Miyuki at the Bead and Button Show 2009

May 25, 2009
Miyuki is going to be one of the exhibitors at the 2009 Bead and Button Show at booth 1036 starting 31 May 2009 and will be launching new colours. I'm so curious ... !
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Inspiration: Sherri Serafini

May 21, 2009

Inspirational bead art websites abound on the Internet. Sherri Serafini's site is one of them. Her work makes your jaw drop. Click on her and prepare to be amazed! http://www.serafinibeadedjewelry.com/


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Great news for November 2009!

May 21, 2009
I was advised by Joanne Ivy, the President of the Bead Society of Victoria and proprietor of the fantastic http://www.cranberry.net.au online shop, that Laura McCabe will be visiting Australia in November 2009 at the time of the Bead Expo. Well worth considering a trip to the east!
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Swarovski rivoli update

May 15, 2009
I managed to encase my second 18mm rivoli yesterday and it worked so well that I want to undo the first one (which has a messy back and the tension isn't quite right). I underestimated those Crystal ABs ... I prefer the stronger, more matte Delicas and assumed they couldn't really be used with the Crystal AB rivolis but they worked very well as the rivoli reflects and picks up the colours making the colour effect of the crystal more intense by using stronger colours instead of silver. Those C...
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Trends: the peyote bezeled Swarovski Rivoli

May 10, 2009

I'm currently obsessed with setting Swarovski Rivolis in peyote stitch Delica bezels. I am happy to report that (1) I actually got it right this weekend (see below for details on how to do this without attending a class) and (2) this astonishing technique is still a hot trend in the USA. Laura McCabe and her peers have used this technique extensively in their work in the past but it is going to be taught at the Bead and Button show starting at the end of this month. it looks like the latest B...


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Beading Challenge

May 8, 2009
Don't you just love the flower on my banner? Anybody know what it is?

Here's the challenge ... I'm challenging Delica enthusiasts out there to bead this flower using Delicas predominantly. It can be just the flower all by itself, incorporated into a necklace or bracelet, or whatever. Maybe some really wild looking earrings?

Email me at info@rubytuesday.com.au when you are done and please be sure to shrink your photo. If you like, your brief bio, email and links to your website can get publishe...
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KAREN PAUST & SOME 3D FLOWER PATTERNS

April 30, 2009

I felt somewhat frustrated over the weekend after my dismal failed attempt to make a Delica flower freestyle and without a pattern. In hindsight I realise my attempt was somewhat ambitious as the skill level required for that sort of endeavour is high. I decided to abandon my beads for a while and do some research instead.

My wanderings led me to an astonishingly brilliant bead artist by the name of Karen Paust and I discovered some of the most spectacular beaded flowers I have ever seen. See...


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wishwarebeads.com.au - Bunbury, WA

April 26, 2009
During my wanderings on the Internet, I discovered another local Australian supplier of Miyuki Delicas based in Bunbury, Western Australia. I have not purchased anything from them but please see http://wishwarebeads.com.au for your interest. Delicas retail at AU$4,50 a 5g pack. Besides the Delicas, WishWare Beads sells an interesting array of other beading supplies including beading kits, magazines and books, Nymo, online beading classes and much, much more. A bead kit for a cute little redba...
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