Beaded bead

I've a lady that has mastered the beaded bead, I say mastered because I have tried time and time again and my beads look nothing like her beads. Her name is Kerrie Slade.

12 piece of jewellery

Had a wake up call yesterday about the number of items of jewellery that I have to make. I know that 12 isn't what is required but I have to make more jewellery.
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Bigger

There is a God "Not that I doubted" It wasn't about the number of beads or the neatness but the space that you leave. Wonder if I could do it again.
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Not again

I believed in the saying "if at first you don't succeed try, try again" but I think in this case I'm a sucker for punishment. I'm still battling with this whole beaded bead idea, I kept on trying to make it bigger but I guess it wasn't meant to be. I'm afraid I'm loosing hope. :-(
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Try again

I tried working out how may beads am I meant to pick up at a time and the drawing was the plan for the next bead. I say next bead because I tried making another one and as you can see it not looking tapered.
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Bead drawing

I must say that I'm not happy with the way that these beads are coming out. This drawing is meant to remind me and show you what is it that I'm trying to make. I really am stuck and have tried my best to make it look like the drawing.
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Not as planned

Well I've finished beading what was meant to be a big bead.
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Big bead

This is what I'm working on, my big bead. A lot of planning and and counting of the beads is involved and I didn't think that it would take me this long. I'm not focusing on the colours at the moment because I haven't figured everything out yet.
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Rainbow bead

I've finished beading this bead and I think it looks away better then the silver one.

Rainbow colour

I'm so sorry for the fuzzy pictures I plan to replace them once my hands are steady.

As I have mentioned and noticed in my last blog posts, colour plays a big role in a jewellery piece. Even though I am making contemporary beaded jewellery that is inspired by traditional beadwork and its colours, I think have moved away from the traditional colours. When I say traditional colours I mean opaque colours, nothing that glitters or shines in a metallic way. If you take a look at traditional beadwork you will see that they used primary opaque colours and their complements.

Marlene ( third year lecture) made a suggestion that I should try making something with these opaque colours and I strongly agree hence the beaded frame above. I feel that in other to be sure of my next move or the next colour scheme, I had to try out all the other beads and colours so as to know what works an what doesn't. The Frame above is beaded so as to be 3D, I'm hoping to create my own beaded bead and have these small elements that make up a big piece of jewellery.

Storm is over

I think that the title “STORM IS OVER” best suits this piece because it has caused me hell. I is done or finished but I cannot say that I am happy with it or that I’m proud to be its creator. There is just something about it that does not put my mind as ease. The colours have no meaning and they are not as bright as some of my beaded jewellery is.

I keep wanting to fix it or try to make it smaller or colourful, just something.

Shining Light Design

This is my Shining Light design, designed from the cultural bead that I have been busy making. It is two bangles that are joint together with one bead, symbolising the bond that can not be broken. This bead can move freely around these two bangles, allowing them to be on their own.

Bead with evil spirit

As much as this bead designed round a muthi bottle that is meant to drive or send evil spirits away, I think that it is evil. I've lost count of how many beading needle I have broken and how many times I've pocked myself in the mouth as I tried to pull the needle throw the beads, while beading this. It not easy to bead around because its very hard to have a ferm grip on it. The string also contributes to the needle breaking like that all the. Maybe I must re bead it in another string.

Muthi bead drawing

This is not the greatest of drawings but with time my draws skills will improve to the max. This is the drawing of my muthi bead.

Muthi bottles

This married is wearing a beaded necklace made in the umzansi style at Muden. In this case the small bottles are used for mecinal and decorative use.( Morris J 1994: Speaking with beads)

I know that I've gone on and on about a muthi bottle but haven't shown how is has been used and who would use it. This one has a beaded cover that support its weight and to make it blend in with the rest of the beadwork.

Beading a bead

I finished sholdering the ends or the covers of my bead and I must say that im happy with what I see. All that is left for me to do is go home and bead around it.

Spiritual Bold

As we have to enter the Shining light competition that has the theme Enduring Bonds this year, I chose the cultural bond. In the Zulu culture one of the people that are noticed by the things that they wear, is a sangoma. A sangoma wears red and white beads, that is how you can tell him or her apart from everyone. I decided to make a bead that would be used to put a small muthi bottle in it, this bottle would help drive the evil spirits away. It is not yet finished but still a work in progress.