The Bead Peeps Swap and Hop 2020 is here!

The beads have arrived!

It’s time of the year again, when the Bead Peeps Swap and Hop takes place. Each year, I have been participating in this fun swap and each year my journey in the wonderful world of beads gets better. There is so much to learn, explore and try in this that I don’t think a lifetime would be enough.
Have met wonderful people who have now become good friends, learnt a lot about different types of beads and explored wonderful techniques creating something from these beads.
This year my partner Trogdora Oresic is from a lovely country Croatia 🇭🇷.  She is a very ardent beader and also the winner of last years Swap . Her beautiful beadwork can be found on her page  https://www.facebook.com/nakitich/
  The beads she has sent are absolutely amazing and I love them. All carefully curated, the variety is mind boggling. Also she has included some exquisite embroidered pieces done by her. Just can’t wait to create something new and unique with all these beauties.

Do drop by to see what I made with these

Ciao for now
Motidana

A Time To Stitch What's Your Bag? Reveal hosted by: Therese Frank and Christine Altmiller

          I have been beading for a while now, but have always wanted push myself to learn more and more. So , I decided to participate in bead work challenges. I think it does bring out the best in you, and you learn so much along the way. It always happens that the next challenge that you take part in , your creation turns out even better that the last one you have made! When I came across this challenge , I had to participate . Not only was the time given was qiute reasonable , but the idea of making a bag is lovely. And the choice of techniques to be used was also easy . So here`s what I made ....

  Indian weddings are always a very glamorous and dressy affairs , full of vibrancy and color. . Here`s my creation for the challenge.

A drawstring bag in a combination of techniques- crochet, bead weaving and a bit of bead stitching. The colors are pretty bright but fun definitely traditional . Spent quite a lot of time deciding on the material I wanted to use for the body of the bag  . Making the band and the medals took a lot of my time , and so I decided to use simple crochet to make the bag . It would be stronger than using fabric for the heavy bead work and yet be light but bulky to go well with it.

It has been fun challenging myself to make this bag and I thank Therese and Christine for hosting this challenge .
   Hope you liked my bag. Do drop in a line about how you found it . I`ll be looking forward to your comments. And don`t forget to view what the other participants created. I`m sure all the creations will be spectacular.!

Therese 

Christine

Jenny

Bobbie

Ana

Amy

Cynthia

Karin S

Maryanne

Liz

Lori

Paula

Jasvanti

Dagi

Kepi

Samantha

Alicia

Motidana  ( you are here )

Becky

 motidana 

 blue bag
crochet purse
beaded purse 




















 

Bead Peeps Swap and Hop REVEAL!!

Finally, the reveal day is here, and my entry for this challenge is done ! It`s been a month of roller coaster ride, and I`m thrilled that I finally was able to finish my piece on time though there were lots of times when I felt I would`nt be able to make it to the reveal day !

 My partner for the hop is Jami Shipp . As you would have seen my previous post , here`s the photo of the beads she sent me . Since the contents were limited , I decided , it would be one piece , added with a few  beads and components, from my own stash.
     Not sure of what her likes were , I decided to take a safer route and sent her goodies which would give her an easier choice of pieces to make . Seed beads in different shades, metal components, Mother-of-Pearl pendant, and blue handmade ceramic beads , a specialty of Rajasthan in India were among the beads I sent .

The beaded component seen in this picture was made a couple of years ago and I added it at the last minute as something handmade had to be included in the goods. I hope Jami has made something out of the goodies I`ve sent and enjoyed every minute like I did in making my piece.

                                                              Here`s what I made 

And now , finally my piece, which I have named `Agni ` meaning burning fire in Hindi , our national language . The shimmer and glitter reminds me of the blazing fires . The pendant turned of to be bigger than I had imagined and so I decided to match it with some vintage components I had from my stash. The molten gold drops look perfect with the focal pendant and I added the copper chain to match with the handmade clasp Jami sent me. The links were added to hold the chain in place and are spaced  to keep the necklace flat . I think , the piece has turned out much better than what I envisioned . 

  Thank you  Linda Anderson, for hosting and organising such a wonderful swap.Looking forward to more such events , and I off now to view all the lovely entries everyone else has made .

motidana 

Partner List    Our Hostess: Linda Anderson from http//:fromTheBeadBoard.blogspot.com
Linda	Anderson	http://fromTheBeadBoard.blogspot.com
Marica	Zammit	http://www.beadlovelies.com
Linda	Anderson	http://fromTheBeadBoard.blogspot.com
Jessica	Hocutt	https://faithfamilyandadventure.wordpress.com
Kristina	Hahn Eleniak	http://www.peacockandlime.wordpress.com
Debbie	Jeffries	http://debrasdivinedesigns.com/blog/
Rosantia	Petkova	http://bairozan.blogspot.com/
Shalini	Austin	http://jewellerybyshalini.co.uk/my-blog/
Catherine	La Vite	http://drygulchbeadsandjewelry.blogspot.com
Annica	Larsson	http://zestyfrog.wordpress.com/
Lori	Schneider	http://beadaddicted.blogspot.com/
Divya	N	http://www.jewelsofsayuri.com
Mowse	Doyle	http://mowsemadethis.blogspot.com
Fay	Wolfenden	http://torchfairy.blogspot.com
Kathy	Lindemer	http://bay-moon-design.blogspot.com/
Claire	Fabian	http://saraccino.blogspot.de/
Janice	Warden Bergeron	http://thejewelryroom.blogspot.ca
Natalie	Davidson	http://www.northshoredays.com
Deb	Fortin	http://www.studiok24.blogspot.ca
Inge	von Roos	http://ingetraud.wordpress.com
Karen	Mitchell	http://overthemoon-design.com
Robin	Reed	http://willowdragon.blogspot.com
Marie	Covert	http://thistledown-and-swaddlings.blogspot.com/
Alicia	Marinache	http://www.allprettythings.ca
Nan	Smith	http://www.wirednan.blogspot.ca
Johana	Nunez	http://artincendi.com
Kelly	Hosford Patterson	http://travelingsideshow.blogspot.com/
Lori	Blanchard	http://alainnjewelry.WordPress.com
Sue	Kennedy	http://suebeads.blogspot.com
Shai	Williams	http://www.shaihasramblings.com
Niky	Sayers	http://silverniknats.blogspot.co.uk
Melissa	Trudinger	http://beadrecipes.wordpress.com
Candida	Castleberry	http://www.spunsugarbeadworks.blogspot.com
Erin	Guest	http://www.renlish.com
Nicole	Rennell	http://nicolerennell.com/blog
Ien	Temaluru	http://ienmaginationsjewelry.wordpress.com
Robin	Showstack	http://heartsdesiresjewelryforyou.blogspot.com/
Sam	Waghorn	http://palemooncreation.blogspot.co.uk
Marianne	Baxter	http://www.simplyseablimejewelry.blogspot.com
Elsie	Deliz-Fonseca	http://ladelizchica.blogspot.com
Shai	Williams	http://shaihasramblings.com
Lee	Koopman	http://stregajewellry.wordpress.com
Jayne	Capps	http://mamasgottodoodle.blogspot.com
Marti	Conrad	http://artisancomponentmarketplace.com/martisbuttonsandbeads/2015/03/20/bead-peeps-blog-hop/
Tina	Bosh	http://bookbug-somanybookssolittletime.blogspot.com/
Eleanor	Thomas	http://woolywireetc.blogspot.com
Jeanne	Steck	http://www.gemsbyjeannemarie.blogspot.com
Gloria	Allen	http://www.wingsandbeads.blogspot.com
Rachel	Mallis	http://www.mintmonarch.com/#!blog/c1jlz
Andrea	Glick	http://zenithjade.blogspot.com/
Stephanie	Stamper	http://skwds.blogspot.com
Chris	Haussler	http://pixybugdesigns.blogspot.com
Betony	Maiden	http://www.beadwenches.blogspot.com/
Kari	Asbury	http://hippiechickjewelrydesign.com/blog/
Jenny	Kyrlach	http://anafiassa.blogspot.com/
Colleen	Foley	http://colleenfoleycreations.blogspot.com
Marybeth	Rich	http://forestofjewels.blogspot.com/
Marcy	Lamberson	http://www.StudioMarcy.blogspot.com
Dyanne	Everett-Cantrell	http://www.deelitefuljewelrycreations.blogspot.com
Ginny	Lones	http://www.Skippingintotheunknown.blogspot.com
Maria Rosa	Sharrow	http://willowstreetshops.blogspot.com
Loretta	Carstensen	http://designsbyloretta.blogspot.com
Dolores	Raml	http://craftydscreations.wordpress.com
Michelle	McCarthy	http://www.fireflydesignstudio.blogspot.com
Louise	McCormick-Glazier	http://jewelrytreasuresbylouise.blogspot.com/
Heather	Richter	http://desertjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com
Tammy	Adams	http://www.paisleylizard.com/blog/
Shirley	Moore	http://beadsandbread.blogspot.com
Seed Beaders
Susanne	Stelljes	http://pearlify.blogspot.de
Sheila	Prosterman	http://catswithbeads.blogspot.com
Pallavi	Asher	http://kalaabhushan.blogspot.in/
Jami	Shipp	http://celebratinglifewithdamamashipp.blogspot.com
Peggy	Kosier	http://www.kosydesigns.blogspot.ca/
Andra	Weber	http://andrasjoyfuljourney.blogspot.com
Catherine	King	http://catherines-musings.blogspot.com
Krafty	Max	http://kraftymax.com
Sierra	Barrett	http://giraffecanhas.wordpress.com
Lois	Sherwood	http://thiznthat5454blog.wordpress.com
Katy	Heider	http://onthepondcreations.blogspot.com
Rebecca	Robertson   (White)	http://morganafeycreations.121hub.com/
Heather	Richter	http://desertjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com
Brandy	Collier	http://bhjewelry.wordpress.com
Stephanie	Haussler	http://www.pixybugdesigns.blogspot.com
Lori	Blanchard	http://alainnjewelry.WordPress.com
Kathleen	Breeding	http://99bobotw.blogspot.com
Becky	Pancake	http://beckypancakebeaddesigns.blogspot.com
Renetha	Stanziano	http://lamplightcrafts.blogspot.com/
Tami	Norris	https://jewelrybytami.wordpress.com/
Ginger	Bishop	http://lilmummylikes.blogspot.com/
Peggy	Johnson	http://charmbarn.blogspot.com

" Caught in the net "- Yet another necklace crafted in Crochet !

 Crochet has been one of my favorite techniques and though I have made a lot of  accessories  using this technique , I have hardly made any jewelry using this technique . One thing I found to my surprise is that I could use a lot of smaller bits of yarn left over from my previous projects . Also since I am well versed with crochet , it does not take me long ( unlike beading ) to complete a project . And above all , what made me happy was that I could create and transform whatever I imagined  into reality very quickly without any trial and error , a normal occurrence with my bead projects .

image courtesy :  http://www.energytrendsinsider.com

    So here`s my latest necklace using crochet , beads , cabs and metal chain . I have given it a boho look as I think it goes well with Indian clothes as well as westerns which is really fine for me. The idea was to depict corals in the beautiful shade of red caught between an old fishing net , covered with algae and worn due to age .

 The center pendant is made with crochet and I have made two layers to give it a thicker look and to attach the faux coral  cabochon  . I have then joined both the layers with red yarn . Since I was already well versed with the crochet caps or half of the bead you could call , from my earlier theme , it took only a couple of hours to finish . Using embroidery yarn , I created the net on the bottom of the pendant. I had a mossy shaded green yarn left over from my embroidery project
   It was only the final assembly that took a day .    The attached corals just would not  remain in place. I tried using yarn ,  but the crochet net was a little limp ,which caused the corals to droop downwards because of the weight of the glass beads . It took time to get the look I wanted as I had to reassemble the necklace once again  . But I think , after all , the necklace has turned out pretty well and I am happy with the result .

Wow ....yet another necklace done ! And it`s getting to be quite addictive .....

what do you say ? do write and let me know how you found it ,

Happy crafting till next time

motidana

Shimmer-n-shine Shisha necklace

 Here`s another necklace using the Shisha mirror as the focal from my Shimmering shisha collection here . The mirrorwork embroidery is slightly different from the previous one and the necklace too has different embellishments.

 Lusturous royal blue medallion is surrounded with faceted crystal and embellished with beads. The vintage brass flowers scattered around are enhancing the peacock feathers that I have added to give it a royal look. The  metal flowers are backed with silk fabric to keep the look distinct yet subtle . An antique finish chain , and a toggle clasp complete the necklace .

  Though the materials I have used do speak for themselves , I have added a fringe of antique chain and iridescent glass beads that shimmer and shine with movement .

       A perfect depiction of the beautiful Peacock ! Don`t you agree?

I have tried my best to capture the shimmering colors in these photos and hence the lusturous silk back ground . 

So what do you think of this one ? Don`t you agree that the Peacock is nature`s most unique inspiration?

(  My previous posts on  Peacock - nature`s most unique design  inspiration !  )
Part 1
part 2
part 3
part 4

Shisha Embroidery -My latest WIP

 Here`s a sneak peek at  latest project that I`m working on . ...... , its shishsa  embroidery again ! I`m loving this project , as I am doing this work after a long time .

Wanted to add some glitz and so I embellished it with topaz colored stones. I`m quite pleased with this effect ., as the motif now appears a little more decorative without appearing garish .

I can`t wait to see how the completed project turns out . Though I have more or less decided on the final piece , I would love to hear suggestions from you .

Till then , signing off ,

motidana

How Precious This Purse !

Well , you guessed it right . This post is all about purses ,  that are precious to me . And I don`t mean  in value  but for the different memories associated with them !

       The First one is by far the oldest I have in my collection , a rare mesh purse that I inherited from my husband`s grandmom and probably a century old . Lying in Mom-in-laws cupboard for many years , my interest in this purse was sparked only a decade ago when I happened to see it in one of the spring cleaning sessions . And my Mom-in-law happily gave it to me , knowing my hobby of collecting old things . I tried to fix the mesh but was scared as it was very fragile and so attached an old silver pendant to cover up the tear. It has lovely enamel on the opening clip and so I refashioned the handle with onyx and silver beads to make it more trendy ( the chain had broken too )

 Recently reading a lovely informative  article on chain maille jewellery by Divya of Jewels of Sayuri made me decide to include this one .

Here`s a link to her article , you`ll find it very interesting too !

  The second on that I have included here is this lovely beaded purse from my mom , which was a bridal purse that she made  for my wedding . I still remember those lovely months between my engagement and wedding when we both spent the most precious times together pouring over the design I wanted , and she ,  patiently stitching bead by bead with the most serene expression on her face .

 For me it is so precious because I can see the blessings and the love she has for me , that has gone into creating it . Incidently , it was her first beaded purse that she made  ,and till today , she continues to make purse after purse , ( maybe more than a hundred , each with a different design ) but none as precious as those made for my sister and me .

  And the third one that is precious to me is the one I brought from Cambodia on my recent trip . Well , it`s not different in a sense , to those usually available in Far East, , in terms of design , but for me it holds a special memory of the lovely time I had visiting this lovely place , a dream that I had nurtured since I was a school kid. And what lovely inspiring memories  I`ve brought back with me !
  Here is a link to the lovely crafts of  Cambodia

Well don`t you agree that these purses are indeed precious for all the love , efforts and feelings associated with them ? Would love to hear about your views ,


writing off for now but will be back soon with more to share ,

motidana.

My latest WIP- Earrings to match my ostrich bead necklace.

Remember my earlier post on Unique Jewelry finds , Ostrich eggshell beads  , from the exhibition hosted by  Kaivalam ? Well as mentioned earlier , I had a necklace and bracelet , but no earrings to match.

here`s the link

So I decided to make a pair of earrings to match and complete the set.

Taking a few beads apart from the peyote stitch bracelet ,I added the faux coral cabs , just as I had added in the necklace , using bead embroidery .



 A jiffy project , it took just  a couple of hours to finish .



Do you think they go well with the necklace? Do drop in a line .

Till then , Happy Beading !

Motidana.

Dreams of Angkor

There is endless beauty around us . Be it in the form of flora , fauna or even rocks and stones , nature sure is beautiful. Admiring nature always fills me with a sense of peace and calm and a feeling of thankfullness at the gift  nature has bestowed around.  And civilizations of  the earlier era had a respect for that beauty , which they merged in their living . The forts , Castles , Caves, Relics that they built , are all an embodiment of beauty captured by the bygone era , leaving  us with sense of awe and wonder !

 Angkor Vat of Cambodia  is one such Wonder of the world that is beyond compare . The beautiful temples, the Elephant terrace , the stone carvings ,  the Steps to Nirvana  and not to forget the green flora fauna and the curling banyan trees all have a story to tell .

(photo courtsey http://go-seek-serve.blogspot.in/2011/08/angkor-wat-sketches-2.html )

   Learning about it in history as a child ,  a vivid image formed in my mind, and this necklace has been inspired by the beauty of Angkor. as I have imagined !

Using cabochons, ( the cracked cabochon a symbol of ruins , seemed perfect for this project )  beads  and gemstones , I have created this necklace  trying to capture the calm and  serene atmosphere surrounding the temples of Angkor.

assembling the components

                           completing the central area , resembling the tank and surrounding monuments

didnt like the placement of the 3 glass beads so ripped them off  to add beads around the circumference to resemble a walking path . Notice the green onyx beads depicting the  Steps to Nirvana.

Focal pendant complete !!!

Added the side to make a necklace . tried free form technique so learnt brick stitch , herringbone stitch and square stitch in the process

       not to miss the banyan tree and leaves  on the temple  , I have added glass leaves next to the green jade Ganesha .

Though I when started this project , I thought it would be a simple one , I got so carried away that I wanted to go on adding to it. And believe me it has been a journey full of self learning . Needles breaking, threads knotting, wrong shade of beads , trying to learn new bead stitches ( for me , a first timer ) it has been a fun filled period.

And I am happy by the outcome . What about you? Do you think it captures the beauty of a bygone era  waiting to be made immemorable ?

 Eagerly awaiting to see whether my mind`s picture  of Angkor vat is true ,  I`m off to Cambodia to see what my mind has only imagined till now. Hope the real thing is even more beautiful and inspiring than my vision. And waiting to gather loads of inspirations for my future  projects !

Motidana.