Portland Project Pictures -- At Last!

Dateline: Emerald Hills, 5/9/08

I don't know why I find taking and uploading pictures to be such a chore. It really isn't that hard! (But no, I still have no intention of putting my yarn stash up on Ravelry!) Anyway, here, at last, are the long-promised pictures of the beading projects I started in my classes at the Bead Expo in Portland.

Spiny Knotted Bracelet, designed by Stephanie Sersich
This is the only project I was able to finish during class. In fact, it's still the only project from Portland I've finished so far. It uses waxed linen to hold the beads and perle cotton to knot around them in a macrame-like technique. Stephanie handmakes glass beads, and some of the beads in my bracelet were made by her. The bead I'm using as the clasp (on top) was made by her friend and collaborator Michele Goldstein. I'm very happy with the way this came out and I plan to make more. (In fact, I impulsively bought what is probably a lifetime supply of waxed linen on EBay.)

Calypso, designed by Beth Kraft
This necklace involves beading around aluminum rings and stitching them together. The completed project will be 14 beaded rings, with unbeaded rings in between. Beth likes bright colors, as I do.

Wound Around, designed by Beth Kraft
For this Masai-inspired bracelet, beads are wound around a plastic tube and stuck to the tube with double-sided tape. I didn't find this technique as much fun as the other projects. I'm not very good at sticking the beads without ugly gaps. I hope I get back to this some day, though, because the completed bracelet can be very pretty.

Braided Ndebele Cuff, designed by Elizabeth Townes
This is the only "conventional" bead weaving project among the classes I took. The tubular ndebele (also called herringbone) stitch is used to make three strips, which are then braided together to make a bracelet. I'm enjoying working on this one. The copper is an unusual color choice for me, but I like it. (For all of these classes I bought kits made up by the teachers.)


Linga's Links, designed by Linda Best Shaen
This bracelet is made by making several separate pieces, then linking them with jump rings. There are three basic designs for the pieces, and I made one of each in class. I need to get back to this one and finish it. I don't look forward to the linking part, because working with jump rings and other wire techniques is not what I do best.