Funky Skunk by Virginia Blakelock...

I love this design by Virginia Blakelock. It's smooth and continuous. I had to make one. I don't like my bead selection, but I do love Virginia's from Bead&Button Magazine. Virginia is one of the owners of Beadcats http://www.beadcats.com.

Timeless Elegance...

One way to describe the type of beadwork Cynthia Rutledge creates.

Below is my version of her Honeycomb Bangle that was published in the Bead&Button magazine (Apr 2011). Yes this is how long it has taken me to get around do making one. I thought I would come across the special 6x9 faceted rondelle beads for it, but never did, so I had to stop procrastinating and set out to search and find them on the internet. First I tried some I already had but they were too big and had to rip it up. This is a project where your seed beads need to be uniform as much as possible to make it perfect. I would like to do another one with the perfect beads. She also has the tutorial for this one at her site http://www.cynthiarutledge.net/kits/b-honeycomb-bangle/index.htm

I must show a few of her fairly recent pieces that I love...

This is her Jacobean Floral Bracelet, and I hope to take this class some day.

and this is her La Dolce Vita Bracelet.

And this amazing Victorian necklace is called her Art to Wear Necklace. You will find more about her bead work from her site http://www.cynthiarutledge.net/.

Margarita Bracelet by Ella Des...

Ella is another bead artist that I admire and whom I purchase tutorials from her, which she has in Italian, Dutch, Spanish, and German, like this one (Margarita Bracelet tutorial). I loved beading these. They were easy and I think they turned out great. In her tutorial she also lists where to find these wonderful Czech Super Duo beads which was very helpful.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/Ellad2
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ellad2/159915594061691

Indian Summer Bracelet...

created by Susan Severs Council, and featured in Beadwork Magazine (Aug/Sep 2014) was fun and easy to make. Here is the piece I just finished...

I love working with these 2-hole seed beads.

Scrumptious Scallops...

This is Carolyn Cave's 'Scrumptious Scallops' Necklace. It was in Bead & Button magazine (June 2014).

I beaded it with blue and black and silver, but don't like the result. Carolyn used off-white to brown beads (see below), which is just beautiful.

I can't find a website for her but you can find her Lady Beadle Designs on Facebook...

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lady-Beadle-Designs/427012680654105

One beautiful piece after another...

Is Helena Tang-Lim's bead work. This is her 'My Rather Large Cocktail Ring' which is sold on her website in kit or as a tutorial download (printable copy). I don't really like the colors I selected to bead this, but I wanted to make it using whatever beads I had at the time. It's a very cool ring, and easy and fast to make. I love how she designed the bands on the side using the Superduo beads.

Her website is at http://www.manek-manek.com/. Manek-Manek means beads in the Malay language. Below is one of her beautiful pieces, there are soooo many.

And below is probably her most exquisite piece, The Phoenix Collar...

Love these Swing-Time Earrings...

designed by Christina Neit and in Beadwork Magazine (Aug/Sep 2014).  I couldn't wait to make them, and then kinda went overboard. But they will make great gifts. Who wouldn't love them? And they are easy to make.

She creates beautiful and original beadwork...http://goodquillhunting.com/

Below is a piece from her website is this gorgeous Aurora Cuff...

I LOVE THIS!!!

Contempory Geometric Beadwork

Finally I've finished some pieces from the first Contemporary Geometric Beadwork (Volume I) book, however, I am patiently waiting the arrival of the next book (Volume II), because I really don't know what the hell I'm doing. For instance this  Rick-Rack Bangle ...

that I just finished, is this it? Do I do anything else to it? do I keep adding rows? Hopefully the next book will help.

I want to make a Fortuneteller Bangle but can't figure out how to start it. Books are great but some people like me need the book and a class.

I have tried to make horns to no avail. I can't understand the instructions for them in Volume I and hope that Volume II will help.

Here are some other fun pieces from the book I finished...

I love the geometric design, and can't wait to learn more and incorporate it into beading projects.

Maggie Meister's Byzantine Collar...

I have been on a roll lately, finishing up beading projects from classes, some ten years ago. This one is an original design by another world famous bead artist Maggie Meister's, and this is her Byzantine Collar beaded by me...

and here is Maggie's original piece...

Laura McCabe's Interlocked Necklace Kit - 2006

Yes, I have had this bead project for a while. I do finally finish them, I just get bored and want to work on something new. This is an original design by Laura McCabe and beaded by me...

En Pointe by Marcia DeCoster...

This is a bracelet and necklace by the world famous Marcia DeCoster entitled "En Point". I love the geometric design of the pieces...

I have helped her by testing her instructions, or creating different color ways. I was happy to bead this one, which came out a little different (I didn't want it to be different, but I had attached the pieces together wrong and then didn't want to undo it, thinking it will be ok).

I love the button and how it matches the beading.

Kathleen Kimball-Baker...

This is a piece I just finished. It was in Beadwork Magazine's Oct/Nov 2004 (just finished in 2014, HA!). The artist is Kathleen Kimball-Baker, and her piece is the Jewel of India Bracelet...

Heather Kingsley-Heath...

Heather is an accomplished bead and textile artist, and I have just seen some of her beautiful beadwork in Marcia DeCoster's latest bead book, "Marcia DeCoster Presents",  

Heather's Little Owl Charms kit is a must-buy, which I just did.

She is author of numerous books. She has a wonderful blog to follow at http://www.heather-beads.blogspot.com/. Her business site is at http://www.heatherworks.co.uk/. The photos below show more of her beadwork...

Miriam Shimon...

This is her shop on Etsy...http://www.etsy.com/shop/miriamshimon

Her tutorials are at her shop also, can't wait to try some of them. I just ordered her magnificent Eye of the Nile Pendant. I'm so glad I took a soutache class at Bead & Button. It's a wonderful medium to add to beadwork.

Here are a couple of my favorites from her shop site...

Her pieces are also included in Marcia DeCoster's latest book, "Marcia DeCoster Presents", 

What do you see when you look at a stick?...

Nan C Meinhardt's Workshop "Art Sticks: I'm Not an Artist. I Can't Draw. I Can Only Draw Stick Figures Workshop". Here is a link if you want to know more about it, or look around at her site... http://www.nancmeinhardt.com/art-sticks.htm

I don't know how many years it's been since I took Nan C Meinhardt's workshop but it's been at least two years, and I've finally finished my piece.

I thought my stick of wood my husband and I found on a walk looked like a rifle for one thing. But I wanted to see more objects on the piece. I also thought it looked like a hummingbird, however, I can't get anyone else to see a hummingbird...

So my plan was to have a hummingbird on one side and a rifle on the other and entitle it "Endangered Species". It also has an alligator on the same side that the hummingbird is on. Can you find it?

By the way, I had brought the biggest stick to the workshop.