Hello all

A rosary discussion in the beads section got me thinking - I quite often see non-Hindus wearing T-shirts with Ganesh on, non-Christians wearing crucifixes and even rosaries (which aren't actually jewllery!), and so on. Mostly I guess people wear them becuase they look pretty or exotic or whatever.

But how do people feel when they see people who are clearly non-believers wearing a treasured religious symbol? Does it trivialise something people hold dear? Is it a new Orientalism? Or are we living in a secular age wiith the democratisation of symbols?

I guess what I'm asking is: how do you feel about people using/abusing religious artefacts and images?

for instance, though I left the church a very long time ago I was still a little perturbed to see people making rosaries when they were just for fashion, with no understanding of the deeper meaning or how they were even used. But then, I am an atheist now, so am I being hypocritical? Is it just some remnants of my old dogma? Maybe I should be grateful people are taking an interest...

Any thoughts?

Hello all

I'm currently trying to make a tiny shrine - not a pocket one, one that will fit on a necklace so it can be take around anywhere, for a friend who is leaving.

I have a tiny little box charm - courtesy of sacred kitsch studios - that measures 1inch tall, 3/4inch wide, and 1/2 inch deep, with a front opening door -->

I'd like to find a tiny litle buddha or goddess (like Shiva, or something) statue to put in there, but time pressure is on and I'm really struggling to find anything that tiny. Does anyone know where I can get figures that small?

Also, any general shrine advice would be greatly appreciated, as this is my first go (yes, plunging in at the deep-end I know)

thanks craftsters!

Hello

This is my beaded art doll - I bought the face, and made the body pattern and beading patterns up as I went along, but I think it turned out ok

front view

back view


some close-ups...









and a side view:


This is my first go, so any comments/criticism very gratefully received, even if it's 'that's rubbish!'

thanks for looking

[and ta da!]

Named after a certain Mr Batty that I go to college with, I give you Ed the beaded bat



He's made of size 8/os, wire, nymo and drops, completely 3D and a bit under 2 inches. Shown here with a 2p for comparison

A selection of 'making of' pictures (I've posted a tute in the Beads section):











and ta da!






Thank you for looking

3D Beaded Bat – with pics and tutorial

I had a bad bout of insomnia last night, so what to do? Figure out how to bead a bat, that’s what.

This is the end product:

http://img226.imageshack.us/img226/4338/finishedbatfrontuh4.jpg

I used:
Size 8 seed beads BROWN (main color)
3 black magatama drops, for eyes and nose
Two brown drops (part of the ears)
Nymo D thread + beeswax
Beading needle

Wings:
28 guage wire
Unknown guage, but quite thick and sturdy, wire
Assortment of small black beads.

I think the wings look a bit not-quite-right – I’m working on a pattern in seed beads, but I’m quite busy at the moment, so it may take a while.

I think he’s pretty cute though

On to the Tute:

Step 1
Start by threading three brown beads on to your thread (about a meters worth), sliding them to the end (leave a 6inch tail), and tying them together securely in a circle (picture a). Go through the next bead.


Step 2
Add 2 bead in each gap – 6 altogether. So, you exit one bead from the first round, then thread on 2 new beads, and then you go through the next bead from the first round. See picture b.



Step 3
Add a new bead between each bead threaded on in step 2 – 6 in total
(each row like this is called a round, by the way)

Step 4
Add two new beads between each bead added in the last round. (picture c)



Step 5
For the next two round, add one new bead between each bead from the last round.

You’ve built the base, hooray!


Sides:
Now you’ve got the hang of rounds (adding the next row by adding beads in between the last row’s beads), the sequence for the sides is:

1 per gap (tension quite tight here)
1
1
Alternate between 2 and 1 bead per gap
1
1
(by now you should see it looks like a little basket – picture d)


1
1
1

You get a nice tall basket by here (pictures e and f)


1 every other gap, sewing through the other gap, pulling it.
2
(see diagram below at this point to explain the last two rows)

You are creating the neck, picture g


in a minute you will start flaring out for the head :
1
2
1 between every bead from the last round
1

1 every other, three times. Then, one in every gap, to build the muzzle at one end. This row adds 9 beads in total
Picture i -
2 beads between the first 3 gaps (the ones made by ‘skipping’ gaps (sewing through them)in the last round
(diagram explains)

at this point, don’t make your tension too tight

Step up through the two beads that started the row.

Next row, add beads in the gaps as follows: 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1 black drop, 1, 1, 2. Step up. (picture j)


Next row: 2, 2, 1, 1, skip, skip, 1, 1, 2

Next: 1, 1, 1, black drop, 2*, 1 black drop, 1, 1, step up
* skip the black nose bead, pinching the nose and making it pointy



Next: 2, 1 (you go through the first eye here), 2 (between the eyes), 1, 2, 1. Step up
Adjust the drops so that the black eye bit faces out.

Next: 1 every gap
Next: skip, 1, skip, 1, skip, 1.

Go back through the 3 beads you just added, pulling them together in a circle. Go round a couple of times to close up the top of the head. (picture  L)


Finishing off:

To make the ears –
With the eyes and nose towards you, exit the back right bead in the top triangle of the head. This should be above the gap between 2 beads.
Go through the 2 beads, from back to front. These will form the base of the ears.


Directly on top of the 2 beads, sew a brown bead, a brown drop and a brown bead in a loop: http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/5817/diagram5tr4.jpg

It should look like this:
http://img226.imageshack.us/img226/6656/step13ax9.jpg

Do the same thing on the other side. You’ve add the the ears!

The body is now finished – weave in the thread, then secure with a surgeon’s knot. Don’t cut the thread though if you’ve still got quite a bit left, because you’ll use it to sew on the wings.




Wing Instructions:

I tried a couple of things, the neatest seemed to be wire-wrapping. Eventually I’d like to do them in beads, in brick stitch, but I’ve got a lot on my plate, so don’t hold your breath.

Wire-wrapped wings:

Take your thick wire and bend it into bat-wing shapes. Twist it to secure, then cut the wire (pictured)
http://img226.imageshack.us/img226/1900/wingsstep1tt5.jpg

Take your thin wire (28 guage – don’t be lazy like me, and just use beadalon, it’ more trouble than it’s worth.). tie/wrap it on to the thick wire shape, and start to wrap a sort of random criss-cross of wire along the frame of the wings. Tie the wire if you need to to secure it along the wire.

Once you have a criss-crossing, you can keep doing the same thing, but with a few beads on too. I used a variety of black beads, spaced out along the wire. Add as many or few as you wish. I reckon if you did this neatly, the bat wings would make a neat pendant in themselves.

http://img226.imageshack.us/img226/3579/wingsstep2zr6.jpg



Using the thread still in the body, sew the wings on at an appropriate height – I did it at the neck, that way the shape helps to hold them.

And the finished effect:

http://img226.imageshack.us/img226/4338/finishedbatfrontuh4.jpg




Hope you like! Comments/criticism very welcome

[Any comments/criticisms gratefully accepted!]

My most recent project has been making this beaded trinket pot. I made it in matsuno size 8s, and it was quite hard to get right - I'm still not quite happy with the tension and stuff.
I do like the stripes though!

Lid on:




Lid off:



It was made with instructions from a Bead and Button magazine - I think you can buy it on their website actually. But now I've got the basics, I reckon I could do other shapes as well, by using the same principles.



Any comments/criticisms gratefully accepted!

hello

this is my first project post - various beaded things I've made over the last 6 months or so

http://oxford.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2016818&l=99677&id=36811850


constructive criticism welcomed!

xxx