chiatanyadesigns.com.au

 

Here’s a sneak preview of my beading project for the June issue of Australian Beading magazine (due out mid-June).  Kelly (the magazine editor) has given me permission to talk about my projects that will appear in the magazine – thanks Kelly for allowing me to share some of my designs on my blog.

I think the name of my project will be slightly different in the magazine, and they’ll have taken their own photo – which will be better than mine, but you can at least see how the necklace looks.

It is made using square stitch (for those of you who aren’t beaders, that is a traditional off-loom beadweaving technique, using beading needles and thread). I’ve used size 9 and size 11 seed beads (Delicas) in this necklace.

I don’t like to be drab at any time, and especially in winter. So I designed this necklace to be a colour pick-me-up for the cooler months.

This desire for vibrant colour in winter goes back partly to the time I lived in Tokyo (1985-1987), and saw how dark and drab (to my eyes) the fashions were there in winter. I made it my mission back then to wear as many bright colours every day as I could. I got lots of stares, but that happens to all gaijin in Japan anyway, so I just considered myself a sort-of side show while I lived there. It was fun!