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Saturday, August 2, 2014

CHOOSEY CHICK LOOSES CHICKLET

Let me start out by mentioning that my chicklet is orange. When I got it it made me laugh because orange is a color I think I hate yet if given a choice of colored objects, i always choose orange.
Of course, I misplaced the chicklet. I searched everywhere and couldn't find it. I panicked and posted about it on Linda’s new site"Bead Peeps" and to my surprise I got an email from Toltec  Jewels that Sue Kennedy  had heard of my plight and offered to replace the bead. Of course, by then I had found the bead again.(It was with a collection of orange beads I had put together to go with my orange chuckle 0t But how kind Sue was to offer to replace the bead.
Next I came up with a grandiose scheme, I would make a butterfly and use the bead under to attach a flower to it. After three attempts to producee a butterfly, I managed to come up with oner,f,rom a  Katherina Kostinsky  design: Catopsilla Solstitia,which I mangled,, but which still made a spectacular butterfly. Three more attempts to get the freeform flower done and I managed to produce a posie.  It consisted of a left-over butterfly wing and a green stem with leaves that I stiffened with wire. After producing this orange confection, I found there was no  place for my little chicklet to go on it. 
So with only a few days left I had to come up with a new idea, which was not easy. I ended up redoing a bracelet I had made before, with elastic stringing material and some sort of white  jasper bead with a what looks like black writing with splashes of orange on them, and half the bracelet done as a flat spiral, in orange, of course. Unlike the butterfly, the bracelet is very wearable.


14 colors of bead for the butterfly
















I managed to provide myself with a lot of drama. I had a purpose to direct my beadwork. I learned a lot, new skills like: sort of reading a peyote chart graphic, and I tried things that my skill level wasn’t quite up to before.  In many ways I enjoyed this challenge more that the bead soup blog hop, where my desires  in no ways matched my skills. Now I've become a bit more competent, more able to get the beads to do what I want them to do. I am planning to try another butterfly, using more uniform beads and I will wear my little bracelet with pride. 





Some time in the future I'm going to be like all the big girls and have a  contest on my blog, I've got a great prize, OH, No its a book, isn't it?!

18 comments:

Tammy Adams said...

You are much braver than I, to take up such a complex seed bead pattern for this challenge.Even if you didn't end up using it with your chicklet, it was clearly a good experience for you. I adore the bracelet. It's a fun color scheme.

AntiquityTravelers said...

what a fun design! it does look like you got the same chicklet that I did and wonderful to see how everyone is designing with their beads

TanyaMcGuire said...

So much for the best laid plans, but what a beautiful butterfly and such a fun bracelet. And you learned new skills. wonderful

Ann Schroeder said...

It's always fun to see process and know we are not alone in how things sometimes to work out as planned. I find your butterfly and flower quite impressive. I like that you regrouped for this challenge and made a lovely bracelet. Have fun wearing it!

Kari Asbury said...

Love that you shared your process, learned a few things and your final design is wonderful! Great job :)

Shai Williams said...

I enjoyed going on your design process with you. I am always impressed by people that can work with those tiny beads. The finished bracelet is fun and one that is easy to wear. Great job.

Here Bead Dragons said...

I admire you for the many butterfly attempts.
The chicklet looks great on the bracelet. And your pictures are wonderful.
~cryssT

Kepi said...

I love your chicklet bracelet, the colors just pop and really enhance the chicklet, great job!

Jael said...

We have so many ideas, don't we? Good job!

Anonymous said...

What a great bracelet. I love how you wove the seed beads around the larger beads. I've never seen that before. Seed beaders amaze me!

Linda A. said...

OH WOW! What a creative use of your chicklet, even if it had flown away for a while. =) You did a great job, even if it wasn't your first choice and you had the opportunity to make another piece! Hooray! =)

Linda A.
http://cherryOnTopDesign.co
http://fromTheBeadBoard.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

The concept was a great idea and to attempt it WOW. I like how the white of the beads and the orange of the seed beads compliment the chicklet!

Unknown said...

Great bracelet! I loved reading about your process.

Unknown said...

Very special♥ bracelet. I admire you because of finishing the 'process of making' that ♥♥♥butterfly! It ended really beautiful as I see in the picture...

Sharyl said...

Thanks for sharing the story of your process in making your bracelet. I think we all learn from one another when we share about how we begin a project, redirect, and come up with something different but wonderful too! I really like your bracelet design. The white beads you chose to go with your orange chicklet are just ideal!

Empty nester at last said...

Beautiful piece. I love how the white and black with a splash of orange really made your bead pop and then the orange beading around it. And like you, I like to use the challenges to "challenge" my self to try different techniques. Excellent job!

Toltec Jewels for Jewel School Friends said...

My friend Lesley Rogalski (yep, name dropping here -- she is THE Beads Bauable & Jewels seed beader & former editor of Beadwork & has great books on stitches) would go WILD for your bracelet -- the black & white with a pop of color is her favorite style! And no wonder -- it looks absolutely fabulous, Sheila! Very cool, modern artistic design. You did a wonderful job! And your butterfly is gorgeous too! So inspiring. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us & joining in! And bravo & thanks for your blog title too -- I laughed out loud! You rock!
Happy Hopping, xxoo Rita

kmorgan said...

Very pretty bracelet! Your seed bead work is fantastic! You definitely challenged yourself & came out successful. :)