The Kumi Keeps Coming ! :)

Since I joined a couple of kumihimo groups on Facebook, I have pretty much become obsessed with the whole thing again.  I mentioned that before so sorry I'm being repetitive but it needed to be said.  I can't seem to get enough of it lately.  This past week I worked with beads and without.  I have been experimenting again with beads which I've shown below.  So many shapes, sizes, colors from many manufactures it can be a bit overwhelming.  Lately, I've been working with Czech seed beads which is a first for me and discovered how much I truly enjoy them.  So far I've tried 5 different sizes and lots of colors.  :)  I need more.  lol !

Another fact I found from being in these groups is that there are soooooo many blogs about Kumihimo it's incredible !  So much information out there and it's mostly free !  So I've come to the conclusion that I will only post about what I'VE discovered, learned and/or how much fun I'm having doing Kumi.  I have never "invented" a new braid nor have I even tried.  I rather enjoy using what's already out there.  Is that a cop-out ?  Some may think so but I am not a designer by any means and that's perfectly fine with me.  I enjoy just making the braids - with or without beads.  It's fun, it's colorful and keeps my old hands from locking up !  lol !  There are plenty of others out there that can design for me.  :)  In fact, I recently bought 2 Kumihimo tutorials using beads that look interesting IF I can figure out the pattern.  The designer did not write it up like I am use to seeing - seeing being the key word.  I am a visual learner.  We shall see.  :)

This past week I managed to make one fiber flat braid, 4 beaded bracelets, 1 experimental strand and 1 beaded wrap bracelet !  Whew !  lol !  I was on a roll and having a blast !  lol !  I love playing with new things.  lol !  The photo's are below with a bit of explaination where needed.

                       Neon colors in a simple round braid pattern.  LOVE it !  :)  The cord shows thru but that's something I personally don't mind unless it looks sloppy.

                         More neon colors, different size beads.  Unfinished. Again, the cord showing thru a bit so am figuring it's the type/shape of bead being used.  The cord on this bracelet to be are all matching colors to the beads - NEON !  :)  Found HERE  

 
            MORE Czech seed beads I LOVE LOVE LOVE !  I'm getting more.  These are a larger bead so the thread does show.  I used the Omega #2 as usual so next time I will use a thicker cord.   

I love how this bracelet turned out !  It's ICY !  I am a winter person.  Will be in my Etsy shop soon.  I will also custom make a bracelet for you in this style.  Contact me thru my Etsy shop.  ;)

This is one of the test pieces I did.  Done with supposedly medium size shell chips and chunks !  lol !  It's HEAVY and towards the end of the braid, it loosened up ALOT.  Very noticeable.  You will notice also that on the beaded ends, there are red seed beads.  I was testing something else which would of worked had one end not gotten so loose.  Oh well..............................another time, another piece.  :)

This piece is also a bead test.  These beads are very large but again they are Czech seed beads, matte transparent so the cord really shows thru.  Not happy with this one at all.  Maybe a heavier cord would work ?  Not sure.

Last piece, the wrap bracelet.  I love the colors on this one.  It will fit up to a size 8 which is what I wear but depending on how many wraps you do around your wrist it can go higher for a smaller wrist or lower for a larger wrist.  I'll custom make one for you as this will be listed in my Etsy shop.  The clasp is a regular lobster claw clasp.  Can also be worn as a single strand necklace.  

  
So there you have it.  These are just a few of the pieces I've done in the last 10 days.  lol !  There are more but will keep for another time.  :)  Thanks so much for coming by !  I hope you come back again soon.  Please, leave me a comment below and tell me what you think.  :)   Please note:  Your message will not show up unless I "ok" it. 

The Project

The time has come to do the big reveal.  This is something that has been in the works for months.  It takes months to do this sort of thing simply due to having to make all the beads/headpins for it.  Since I don't torch daily nor do I make these flowers at every session hence months.  ;) 

My big ball of bell flower beads and/or headpins.  I'm not sure what this would be called.  I looked up topiary and it is sort of like that so I think that's what I might call it.  Course it could just be called the ball of flowers too.  lol !  Either way, I rather like how it turned out and am very happy I can add it to a table or a shelf somewhere in my home on display.  

I had so very many of these bell flowers that I simply had to do something with them.  They're so much fun to make that they kept piling up.  I have them for sale in my Etsy shop but the listings I have are for made to order so I just didn't need all these flowers to just sit.  They needed to be used.  Plus I will continue to make them so more "projects" will come.  

The only real problem I had during the whole process of putting this together was the little pot holding the whole thing.  It was nothing but Styrofoam and from the weight of the flowers it started rockin' and rollin' pretty fast.  lol !  The solution - remove Styrofoam and add cement.  Worked like a charm.  Not sure how heavy the whole thing is but it's HEAVY.  And very steady now.  :)  Something I didn't do was keep track of how many flowers I used.  I sure wish I would of but alas, no count.  I did measure around the circumference of the ball and it's 19" across.  The flowers cover every inch of that ball including around the trunk.  

I used 3 sizes of the bell flowers - 12, 14 and 20 mm but most of them are the 14 and 20mm size.  I also added a few other flower types I made plus a little butterfly critter at the top. 

The photo's below:  First one on left shows the entire thing.  Second one is a top view and the last one shows a close up of one side.  Make sure to click on each photo to see a larger and closer pic.  :)         

 

If you would like to see more photo's of my bell flower beads/headpins, check out my Etsy shop for a nice selection.  Just click on any of the photo's listed. 

 

Thanks so much for coming by !  I hope you come back again very soon !  :) 

Ebay, Etsy, Facebook, Pinterest, This Blog, Etc, Etc....................

...........where else can one sell stuff ?  There are lots of places but I gotta set a limit.  Geesh, I really don't want to be sitting at this computer day in and day out listing stuff all over the place as it's been lately.  Still, I have soooooooooo many handmade lampwork glass beads, mine and other bead artist beads that have been sitting for a very long time and need to find new homes.  So I've been listing or advertising wherever I can.  :)  I forgot how much work it is and how much time must be put into it.  Whew.  Thanks goodness for coffee breaks.  lol !  

So, I've stepped back into selling some beads on Ebay again.  It's been MANY years I've dabbled in selling over there.  I have so many of other peoples beads though and that's where I'm listing them.  Along with 80,000 other listings.  I remember when there were probably less than half of that number and maybe even less than that.  

I bought all these other beads before I started making my own lampwork beads and while I was still making jewelry all the time.  I did use a bunch but have a bunch more.  These days, I only make jewelry now and then and I have to be in the mood or just forget about it.  So all these gorgeous beads need to find new homes. 

Check out what I have listed on Ebay now.  Click on this Beads On Ebay to go to one of my listings then click on my other listings to see what's up for grabs.  I'll be listing more until I have no more to list.  lol !  My Etsy shop here  All My Beads  still carries only my beads and soon, other goodies I've made and are just sitting.  lol ! 

Here's a link with photo's straight to my Etsy shop.  I have no other beads to show yet as I haven't been able to torch yet BUT the day I will be able to is just around the corner !  The pollen count has come down to double digits now !  Yay !  Hopefully it'll stay that way and go down even more soon ! 



Thanks very much for coming by.  I hope you come back again soon.