Bead&Button show 2018

Hello world!

If anybody wonders what the heck happen with "revive my old blog" - I've got one word for you: influensa. Nasty stuff.

Today I'd like to share the two classes I will be teaching at B&B show this year. If anyone of my readers would like to come, I would be more than happy to meet you in person! Especially all my old buddies from the Etsy Beadweavers team; finally, after all these years to see the faces behind all that fun communication we had.

So, there are two projects: one soutache pendant and one bracelet with GemDuos.

First is Veronique: 

 

I will teach how to work with soutache to make the jewelry nice and even, share some "secret" stitches of mine that I have not seen other artists to use. The class is 6 hours, so if everything goes well you will have a ready piece of jewelry. Otherwise, I will be around for the entire week and we can meet to finish it up.

You can register for the class here: http://www.beadandbuttonshow.com/store/class/b180470

I've found some alternative materials for the cabs and a new soutache manufacturer, which helped to reduce the class price (224 USD from 417). 

Cabs are acrylic, but they are GORGEOUS and you will not believe those are not Swarovski. Well, if you will not touch them, to be honest. But the pendant is much lighter because of that, and color selection is way better. 

Date: Sun. June 3
Time: 9:00am-4:00pm (1 hr break) (6 hours)
Anybody who can hold a needle is warmly welcome!

The second class is the Honeycomb bracelet with GemDuos:

 

That is an easy bracelet to make, as a matter of fact. You will find class registration here: http://www.beadandbuttonshow.com/store/class/b180474

I've found a wholesale supplier and could reduce fee even for this class. It is now offered at 114 USD. 3 hours, and you will have a ready project. 

Date: Sun. June 3
Time: 6:00pm-9:00pm (3 hours)

The class is suited for beginners.

My favorite color combo is the one in the middle of the picture above. What is yours?

For more amazing classes at this year's show, please join B&B Show's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BeadandButtonShow/

And here are some classes that I will be teaching in Sweden and Master Beads at Bergamo Creativa, Italy this year:

Two new tutorials in progress, need to take better pictures for cover pages:

Hope to see you this year!

Hugs,

Olga

 

Vikings, anyone?

Raise your hand if you like vikings? Both culture, and the movie? Well, I do.

This is one of the perks of living in Sweden: either you want it or not, you are immersed into Norse culture and folklore. For instance, we have old viking graves close to my in law's farm. One day, I will show the pictures.

The story of this necklace dates a couple of years ago. An old good colleague of mine wanted to give a necklace to his wife to celebrate 20 years of their happy marriage. His wife is very interested in ancient petroglyphs (rock carvings). I do not have any pictures of my own and do not want to infringe any copyrights, but to get an idea you could type the Swedish word for it, "hällristningar" into your internet browser and have a look for yourself.

The custom order was to embroider a replica of petroglyphs and incorporate her birth constellation into it, which is Leo. So, I did that.

One of the most common motifs in the Swedish petroglyphs are boats and the Sun. I went for it and made an embroidery on a piece of salmon skin (what can be more viking than salmon?).

The Swarovski chatons represent the Leo, the crossed circle is the Sun, and the jeweler's metal mesh under the boat represents the Baltic sea (with some blood in it; blame HBO and Ragnar Lothbrok for that. By the way, their Swedish "accent" was ridiculous and Uppsala is NOT BUILT ON THE ROCK!! I know because I live in Uppsala. But I still like the series!).

 

And to add even more viking flair, I incorporated a viking knit rope of sterling silver. It killed my fingers just a bit, despite of the wire being dead soft, but I went for a 22 Ga one, so it was quite tough to weave with. And I had to invent beadwoven end caps to finish off the ropes. My beading (viking) BFF Anna Lindell has taught me the art of viking knit a couple of years ago. 

As far as I heard, my colleague's wife was glad to get it, and my colleague seemed to be happy, so I call it "mission accomplished".

That is today's story!
By the way, I got Neil Gaiman's "Norse Mythology" in a Christmas present from my viking husband. Highly recommended!!

Have a nice day, folks!
Olga

Re-building from scratch

I have started beading almost exactly 10 years ago. Nine years ago I have opened my Etsy shop. Shortly after that I became a membership moderator of Etsy Beadweavers team and did that task for a bit more than a year. Blogged a lot. Won Fashion Colorworks contest once and became a finalist the year after that. And took home countless Swedish beading contests. Life was good.

Entered international beading teacher community and taught in bead fairs in Germany and Italy. Participated in Battle of Beadsmith for two years and both years lost to the contest winners in one of the earlier rounds.

My tutorials on Etsy were selling like butter and I did my best to stay atop of the game.
Taught beadweaving in Sweden. Really, a lot.

Had five personal exhibitions in art galleries.

And then cancer.

No contests for three years. No teaching. No new tutorials.
New beadweavers in Sweden do not recognize my name anymore. From thousands of views in my blog I am now down to a dozen.

Before the "Big C" I had some mild depressive episodes and anxiety issues. After getting diagnosed I became a mental wreck and all underlying mental issues bloomed up like a meadow in the spring.

Cudos to the Swedish medical care, though: the surgery was radical, my stage was early, and I was proclaimed cancer-free after the three years since my surgery.

Mental bit, though, is still a daily struggle, but I have an excellent doctor.

So, why do I write all this?
I am trying to re-build my beading life again, starting by reviving this blog.

Enough ranting, here come some pictures.
It took me three years to finish this piece.

I got those gorgeous ceramic cabs from a family company in Bulgaria, Skenderovy art. I met this lovely couple and their sweet daughter during my last fair in Hamburg, just a month before I got diagnosed. But the necklace has now been finished. It has no name. I like it and consider keeping for myself.

Let the pictures speak for themselves.

Nave a nice day, folks, and stay tuned - there will be more posts to come and more beadweaving and embroidery to see!

Big Hug,
Olga

Something new-ish

I have not been participating in any contests for a while. But this year, I entered a couple of small ones here in Sweden. Thought I'd share some of the pieces with the world.

This is a kit challenge, Purple Brain ;)

Got me a 3rd place.

 

It went better for my Game of Thrones contest entrance, Cercei. That Lannister bi... um, sorry, evil lady got me the first place.

 

Brass stampings and tons of Swarovski in Lannister colors. And while embroidering, I was singing the Rains of Castamere, the Lannister song. Yep, I am a nerd and a big Game of Thrones fan. And I  

love Lena Headey!  

And Swarovski. I looooove Swarovski!

 

Cercei is notoriously difficult to take pictures of! It took me a while to embroider open spaces with 2.5 mm red siam Swarovski beads and bullion wire, but it is barely visible on the picture (look between the cab and the stamping). But it sparkles like crazy, so I am satisfied.

Finally, one more 1st prize in contest themed Heroes. I picked Marie Curie: two Nobel prizes, East European girl who moved abroad to study, you know the story. I made steampunk goggles. Swarovski Ultra Green rivoli for Radium and a blood drop for her dedication and sacrifice to science.

Enough for now. Have a nice day, folks!

Happy New Year!

Rest does miracles.

The necklace is now finished. It has no name, and I am not sure if I should continue naming my designs.

I finished the overall shape.

But it still felt kind of dull and needed something to make it more alive. So, I added contrasting color, shapes and sparkles: Swarovski fire opal bicones.

What do you think? Better now?

 

Finally, I took my time and gave this necklace a proper photo-session.

A couple of close-ups of those gorgeous Russian fluorite stones:

 

And here are some close-ups of different elements and some of those Japanese-Czech hybrid seed beads. I am in love with them. 

The clasp is made by a very talented Russian artist Anna Chernykh: https://annabronze.com/.

So, to sum it up.

Happy New Year, everyone!
Stay warm :)

Between Christmas and New Year

Well, Christmas is over but the New Year is not here just yet.

Sweden is a wonderful country, you know. I am enjoying a well-deserved vacation (35 days/year in my case) in combination with a paid sick leave to recuperate from nervous break-down caused by stress. Starting from next Wednesday I will be working 50% until the end of January. But until then - sofa, Netflix, beading & cuddling with family.

Sweden is not just a great country with excellent social benefits and low crime; it has its downsides as well. Take weather. Oh boy... Uppsala (my city) is more or less on the same latitude as Juneau in the U.S., which is not really that far up north by Swedish standards. That also means that it is DARK in winter. Just took this picture outside my house in the middle of a Scandi-suburbia, and it is noon. No filters.

My poor rhododendrons... Oah well, they'll feel much better when winter is over. So will I ;)

What's on today's beading mat? Long story. Trying to fix an old UFO, a fluorite necklace I made for Fashion Colorworks contest in 2011. Here is the original:

I was very miserable at that time; barely functioning. As you can see, I did not even care to take a decent picture. The rope is unfinished. The tip ends abruptly and too close to the lowest cab... So, the poor contest piece ended up in the bottom of an UFO-pile. However, I felt that it deserved some TLC.
And with newly gained energy (due to my well-deserved rest), I decided to give it another try. Here are some progress pictures. First, I thought it would need more volume, a different rope and adding length to balance the center piece. Working on it.

I do not want to alter the embroidered part at all, I still like the texture.

It has not been properly assembled yet: the details are held together with a couple of "dirty" stitches. Please do not mind threads sticking out.

 

Freeform-peyote-ing some leafy thingies with Chalk White Opaque Vitrail Matted - these are Miyuki glass beads coated in the Czech Republic, color code 0300/28171. Not bad, eh?  

I bought quite many of those Miyuki seeds with Czech coating, but did not use them that much. I think they look good just bin this type of projects.

These Toho beads were bough in 2010 in Prague form OKTAbeads.  OMG, 8 years ago???? are you kidding me??? Was I sleeping or something? By the way, I like guys from OKTA, they have a nice selection of cool Japanese-Czech hybrids.

Actually, in this post I will refer to several products that I like using. It is not a commercial, I am not being paid to say that. I just honestly like them.

And these small beauties are from my dear friend Isabella Lam's shop in Haifa. I had an enormous pleasure to meet Izzie, Miriam Shimon, and Izzie's husband Avi during my Israel visit three years ago. People, Izzie & Avi have a BEAD SHOP. Their own!! We spent half-a-day there, chatting and drinking coffee, looking at the beads. Oh my...

The other box is from a Swedish shop (Pärltorget) that went out of business two years ago. So pity, they were great! :(

And now just to brag about the "equipment" that I am working with. Fist, scissors. I adore Italian Futura-brand. Have one set for threads and one set for embroidery. The ones below are the embroidery scissors, they are GREAT for cutting out some tricky curves.

And this is my thread of choice: FMG's Nymo D. Do not know why, but this is the only Nymo that I am OK working with: only from FMG, only in these large spools. Otherwise, I am a SoNo girl. Or Fireline; I use miles of Fireline! But for this project, I wanted to have a soft thread.

And the Thread Heaven conditioner. Have you heard that it is being taken out of production? :(

Ok, this is enough for this time. The plan for today is to start working on the other side of the necklace. 

I have no idea when the next post is going to be. Will try to do it at my own pace: no commitments, no pressure, no anxiety.

PEACE & LOVE from the North! ;)