Working A Brick Stitch Base Row (Ladder Stitch) Using Only Long Magatamas

The Brick Stitch base row using only Long Magatama beads is worked exactly like any other brick stitch base row; but since the Long Magatamas are directional it's a challenge to get them facing in the correct forward and upright position.

Because of the nature of Brick Stitch, the needle alternately enters from either the top or the bottom of a bead as you work through the base row. For the base row only, you have to pick up the 1st and all odd numbered beads from the bottom. The 2nd and all even numbered LM beads are picked up from the top of the bead.

1. When working a brick stitch base row using only Long Magatama (LM) beads, pick up the 1st Long Magatama (LM) bead from the bottom, and the 2nd LM bead from the top. Pull them down together to about six inches from the tail end of the thread.  Next, pass your needle back UP through the bottom of the 1st bead and then DOWN through the top of the 2nd bead. Make sure the beads are facing towards you as you hold the beadwork in your non-working hand. (see previous post for bead direction).

These beads like to twist around so you may have to manipulate them until they are facing you. Your thread should be coming out of the bottom of the 2nd bead and the "horse hooves" should be pointing towards you. If they are twisted, loosen the thread a little and turn them around. The holes in these beads are quite large so you may want to tie a knot at this point, or pass through the two beads a second time. I use doubled One-G thread but you may want to try a size D thread instead.

2. Next, pick up the 3rd LM bead from the bottom. Pass your needle DOWN through the 2nd LM bead and then back UP through the 3rd bead again. The new LM bead magically turns right side up as you tighten the thread.

3. Pick up the 4th LM bead from the TOP side by passing the needle DOWN through the top of the bead (as shown in my previous post). Next, pass your needle UP through the 3rd LM and then back DOWN through the 4th bead again.

4. Pick up the 5th Long Magatama bead from the BOTTOM side. Then pass your needle DOWN through the 4th bead and back UP through the 5th bead again.  Continue making your base row until you reach the desired length.

Hint:  How to keep track of where you are.

If your thread is exiting the the bottom of the bead you just added, pick up the next bead from the bottom. If your thread is exiting the top of the bead you just added, pick up the next bead from the top.

Enjoy! Barb

P.S.  For more Long Magatama fun please visit Judith Bertoglio-Giffin's bead crochet site at Bead Line Studios. She's taken it one step further by bead crocheting these beautiful beads into her own designs. :) 

http://beadline.blogspot.com/2011/02/whats-on-your-hook.html

Dragon Bangle Bracelet From Beadwork Magazine (Feb/Mar 2011)

I rarely make anyone else's design but Dragon Bangle really caught my eye!

I love how the 'scales' look. They remind me of the 'Horny Toads (aka Horned Toad Lizard') that I used to play with as a kid in Arizona. They are full of spikes and 'spit blood'. In our young minds they weren't lizards - they were ancient dinosaurs or medieval dragons.   So when I saw the awesome spikey Dragon Bangle by Nancy Jones in the February/March issue of Beadwork magazine it really jumped off the page.  Link: http://www.interweavestore.com/Beading-Jewelry/Magazines/Super-Beadwork-February-March-2011.html

About the same time Cindy of Cindy's Crafts http://www.beadlady.biz/ mentioned that someone she knew was having a bit of a problem getting the scales right, so I dug out my beads and Beadwork magazine and sat down to play a little.

The bangle uses the new Miyuki Magatama Long  4 x 7 drop beads for the scales. Their unique design gives a super 3D affect to the dragon scales which I absolutely love. Kudos to Nancy Jones for creating this awesome medieval looking design.

So far, I've only done about an inch of this great little design. I got side tracked and haven't been able to get back to it. I might leave it just the way it is because it makes the coolest medieval looking ring!

All inquiries about the Dragon Bangle should be directed to Nancy Jones through Beadwork Magazine (link above).

Long Magatamas Are Directional Beads.

Working Nancy's design was the first time I'd ever used the long magatamas and I quickly realized that the they are directional. They definately have a 'top side' and a 'bottom side'. If you string the bead the wrong way it doesn't sit right and the mis-strung bead will slant upwards instead of flowing downwards with the other beads. 

While I was working with these beautiful beads I noticed how much they reminded me of horse's hooves. As you can see in the picture below, the non-hole end of the bead slants downward just like a horse's hoof.

Take a close look at the picture below. You can see that the bead on the left slants downward on the non-hole end and the bead on the right slants upward on the non-hole end. So make sure that you pick up your beads from the correct side.  Just for reference, I labled them top side (bead on the left) and bottom side (bead on the right). It helped me keep the beads going in the right direction.

When working brick stitch (except for the base or ladder stitch row) the needle enters from the top of the bead, passes under the next 'thread bridge' on the beadwork and then passes back up through the bottom of the bead. I laid out my beads with the topside facing up (horse hoof facing me) so they would be ready to pick up with my needle. See the picture below.

Here's another view:

See how the beads look like little horse's hooves, or little shoes. Sooo cute!

I got my beads from Cindy, http://www.beadlady.biz/beads.html 
The color that I used in this sample is one of my favorites: LMA-2144. I also have black and matte black AB which I can't wait to play with.

Here's a picture of picking up an LM bead from the BOTTOM. Notice that the 'horse hoof' end is slanting downward on the left.

Hope this helps someone get a Long Magatama brick stitch base row started. 

Enjoy!

I Love Beading Flowers

Several years ago I fell in love with making beaded flowers using various beadweaving techniques. In fact, I loved them so much that I wrote a book titled, Dimensional Flowers Leaves & Vines, which unfortunately, is now out of print. Most of my flowers are just made up and may or may not resemble real flowers so I just call them fantasy flowers.


One of my favorites is a little flower I call a "Mock Poppy" because it remindes me of the beautiful little poppys that grew wild where I lived as a child. This little flower is an easy way to learn how to work tubular peyote increases. The larger flower is five sided and the smaller flower is three sided.

It was fun experimenting and making different shapes as I created various flowers for the book. It's fascinating how just changing the number of increases changes the shape of the flower. The Mock Poppy has 5 increase sections and works outward to a pentagon shape. The smaller flower has 3 increase sections and takes on a triangular shape. Another flower, "Garbriel's Trumpet" starts with fewer beads and only increases in two places. As you work it gradually takes on an oval shape.

I've always experimented with my beading. I never really thought of giving it a name until I took a right angle weave class from David Chatt. I believe it was he who called this experimenting, 'The What If Game".  As you are beading just play the "what if" game. Ask youself, "What would happen if I did this.. or if I did that. What if I changed the size or number of the beads? What if I added an increase here, or made a decrease there? What if I changed techniques right in the middle of this piece? What if I gradually added larger or smaller beads? What if I ...what if I... " You'll find as you play the 'what if' game you'll enjoy creating and learn so much about beading.



I encourage you to experiment yourself and create your own beautiful flowers. Beaders have told me they are afraid to experiment because something may go wrong. I always ask them, "What's the worst thing can go wrong." Then I tell them, "The worst thing that can happen is you cut it apart and start over. You still have all the beads and all you're out is a few inches of thread and a little time. But you've gained a lot of experience and had a lot of fun." Some of my best designs have come from 'mistakes and all of them have come from experimeting and playing "The What If Game". Won't you come play with me? .


Enjoy!

Lazy Barb

I've still not done any beading on the swarovski crystal. Sigh.. She sits there all alone waiting for me to return from my 'vacation' from beading. LOL

Actually, I've tested a couple patterns for a lady I know, but I've not worked on the crystal. for a long time It's just kind of on the back burner for now. I can see the tray every time I come into my studio (fancy name for 2nd bedroom) but I have to be inspried to work on it. So far inspiration has gone on vacation. It happens to everyone and I'm not fighting it this time. LOL I'm just going to enjoy my time off and wait for inspiration to hit again. I know it will - eventually. Actually, I have tons of ideas, but I can't decide which design to do. Arrg.. I hate it when I'm undecided.

I've got some great ideas for some other things I'm designing, but I just haven't had time to really sit down and execute them. Well, that's not exactly true.. While I'm waiting for my inspiration to come back on the crystal I've been learning to tat. Can you believe it? So far I'm doing ok with needle tatting, It comes pretty naturally because I've had some kind of needle and thread in my hand ever since I was a little girl .

I'm also learning how to do shuttle tatting. But that's a horse of a different color. Whew! That 'flip' almost got to me, but I finally 'got it'. LOL Holding a shuttle is such a strange feeling but I'll get used to it..or not. LOL

The good thing about tatting is that you can add beads to it too. That's way cool!

Those Beautiful Swarovski Triangles Saga

I've resisted working with the Swarovski triangles because 'everyone's doing it'. And I don't usually follow the pack. But this time.. I when I saw the beautiful colors on Cindy's Crafts http://www.beadlady.biz/ I just couldn't resist! They are simply gorgeous!

My final choice was the 23 mm Sahara triangle. Ahhh... Visions of far away places. I was thrilled when I opened my mail box and there it was! Its mesmerizing beauty held me captive for several minutes as I turned it every which way under my ott-lite. It's vibrant colors danced and changed each time I moved it reminding me of the magic of a kalidascope. I was hooked!

I studied the various colors dancing from deep within the crystal and ran to my stash. I found just the right green, but the half-filled tube wouldn't be nearly enough to bezel the crystal. Yikes! I dashed off an emergency email to Cindy, who, through her magic, found the right beads. Yes, it had been five years since I'd bought the beads and yes, the new dye lot was a bit different, but I liked it better.

Now I was off to bezel. Yippy.. Happy dog dance going on in my studio ( fancy word for extra bedroom)!! Neighbors heard strange sounds and startled birds abandoned their nests and raced out of the trees. I worked feverishly - Well, I did! - I stayed up all night working on the piece. Finished! Wahoo! Hmm.. somehow the crystal looks darker and seems to have lost some of its luster.. It seemed sad, depressed. What happened?

I walked away and let it sit for a couple days. Maybe it would get happier if I left it alone for a while. Hmm. Still not a happy crystal..It was beautiful, but not happy. Not the mood I was going for. So, scissors in trembling hands I did it - I cut the bezel off in a couple quick snips. It slid from the crystal and laid there in a sad, rejected heap! What had I done! OMG! I killed it! But the crystal was happy! It sparkled again. It danced in my hands under the ott-lite. Wahoo! She had been revived.

I learned a valuable lesson in this experiment. Like a mirror, the crystal reflects the beads in the bezel. And it affects the brightness of the colors, thus reflecting the crystal's 'mood'.

Don't feel bad for those green beads. They will have a special place in this piece.

Oh, did I mention that Sahara has triplet sisters? Three Sahara squares waiting for their debut.

To be continued.........

Winter Willow Tree

I'm having problems with my browser so I hope this works.

Several people have expressed interest in seeing the white tree that I beaded several years ago titled, "Willow Winter" so I decided to put a picture of it up here on the blog.

The tree trunk and main branches are worked in peyote stitch over an armature I fashioned out of wire. I used a variety of seed beads including size 11s, 15s, and delicas along with various other beads for embellishment. The willow branches are worked in a simple leafy vine technique and then hung off of the larger branches.

The island was created using moss stitch worked on white velvet with mostly white-lined, crystal clear seed beads and embellished with various other beads.