Welcome Guest Artist: Nealay Patel

Today we welcome innovative designer, prolific author and charming instructor Nealay Patel. Nealay is an artist who crafts in beads and fiber to produce jewelry designs that are striking, colorful and textured. He is a problem-solver who sees his designs as solving a puzzle. His intricate jewelry is always highly textural and full of life, using a mix of metal and fiber and beads and wire. He has authored three books: Jewelry for the New Romantic, Jewelry Designs with Knitted Wire, and his most recent, Jewelry Made with Wire & Fiber. Recently, Nealay has started doing monthly Live Facebook videos featuring a kit that he sells on his Etsy site. Nealay was kind enough to share a project featuring an art bead with us.

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The power of a single pendant

How rare is it to come across an amazing pendant that works with just about anything? I asked a bead artisan and glass expert friend of mine to assemble a special pendant for me with just one word in mind…dagger.

Open to interpretation and inspired by the challenge, Scott Griffin of Griffin Glass sent over this wonderful pendant and I have to say, he deserves a gold star!

It was my turn for the challenge next and I didn’t know exactly what to do with it at first, I have to admit. I knew I loved it simply by itself! So, why clutter up a fabulous pendant with beadwork, right?

I threw out a few chains and cords onto the table and the fiber cord spoke to me the most! The detailed, black and white cord worked perfect to set the backdrop for this star! I added some minor embellishments on either side, a technique that can be found in my latest book, Jewelry Made with Wire & Fiber.

I also had this fabulous wire collar, from Halstead Beads, that worked amazingly with the pendant! I love the bright silver, un-textured collar that contrasts with the very textured pendant.

A perfect combo for the fashion forward! Give it a try!

www.griffinglass.com  • www.halsteadbead.com • www.nealaypatel.etsy.com

Be sure to stop by Nealay's Beads & Bubbles Facebook page and mark your calendars to watch his next video on Wednesday, July 26th for the In Bloom Bracelet shown above https://www.facebook.com/beadsandbubbles/

Beading Kits by Nealay Patel for this project and more are available in his
Etsy shop:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/nealaypatel

And check out his new book Jewelry Made with Wire & Fiber for some great ideas that you can incorporate into your own designs, intersperse with art beads and jazz up your style!

UPDATE! Nealay has agreed to give away a copy of the digital version of his new book (retail value $21.99) to one lucky random winner for answering the following question:

Tell me...

what type of project would you love to see on a future installment of Beads & Bubbles?

Winner will be chosen at random from all entries
(one per person please!) and announced on July 14th!

Fun, Frugal, Fiber Finds: Using Thrifted Scarves in Jewelry Designs

I just love when I get the opportunity to wander through a thrift store! I have certain areas I love to check out! (And of course the jewelry section is on that list.) Got to love finding old jewelry that has great components just needing a new design idea. For me there is something really satisfying about re-purposing  things! That said, my post today is about using old scarves as a great way to add fibers into your jewelry designs.

I was really inspired one day at a thrift store when I saw bags of randomly combined scarves in various materials, including silk (not the kind you wear to keep warm in winter but more the type women wear as accessories). The price tag was amazing at only $3 per bag.  Right there in the thrift store I thought; " how awesome these amazing colors and textures would be in jewelry designs!" I took them home, gave them a wash, and began to play around.

So here is what I do. I take the scarves that I want to use in my design and cut strips. For the purpose of braiding, I cut three strips.  I love to mix and match different colors. Color combinations are endless!  Strips I cut vary in width but are usually around one inch wide. If it is a thicker material, you may want to cut thinner strips, unless you are going for a thicker end result.  Playing around with this you will get a feel for what you prefer!  As for length, go as long as you like, you are only limited by the length of the scarves you are using. I just roughly cut the scarves as I think rough edges add to the charm.

I tie the three pieces together at the top. I often like to leave some extra fiber out because I will sometimes use it in my design.  Once tied I begin basic braiding.  I happened to find one of these macramé boards at my local thrift store - still brand new as you can see (I have not even bothered taking the plastic off). This works great to hold what I am braiding - by pinning it at the top of the board. You don't need one of these but they do come in handy if you have one.

Ideas are limitless when it comes to mixing things up a bit for this project.  I will add other materials with the scarves like leather and other fibres for different looks.  There is no right or wrong, I encourage you to just have fun trying different things out!

Sometimes I tie my fibers right to my jewelry components and braid straight from them. As I show here in the bracelet I made.  The braid is made up of two pieces of leather cord and one piece of teal scarf.

So if you have some scarves lying around that you don't wear anymore, you can add them to your jewelry designs.  If you don't have any, hit up a thrift store! There is no reason to be limited to scarves either.  Get creative and try other materials too!! 

I like to finish my ends with wrapped wire (various thicknesses), and I often leave some extra fiber because I like the look!  You could also use end caps.

Lorelei Eurto has a great tutorial on finishing fiber ends!

By the way, this is my first official post as part of the ABS team! I'm so excited to be here! In an effort to share my excitement, I would like to give away one of my ceramic rose bracelet toppers. Leave a comment telling me if you do or don't use fibers in your work. Let me know if you have a favourite type of fiber.  I also love hand dyed silk cording as one of my favourite fibers! Winner will be chosen at random sometime Saturday evening.

Terri Del Signore from artisticaos
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Square Knot Bracelet Tutorial

Knotting techniques and using fibre in jewellery are all the rage at the moment and you may well have used some sari silk, cord or ribbon in your jewellery. It can add a relaxed vibe; a softness and bountiful colour possibilities! It also allows a piece of jewellery to be made entirely without the use of metal, which could be important if designing for someone who has an intolerance (although I have used a copper clasp, you could easily replace this with clasp of a different material, or even a knotted closure). I have long taught knotting classes at my local bead shop, and fellow ABS editor Erin Siegel along with Lorelei Eurto have an exciting book coming out soon - Bohemian Inspired Jewelry, for which I personally can't wait! These ladies are both so talented and I am looking forward to seeing their beautiful fibre led designs.

One of the oldest knotting techniques is macrame, originally used by sailors I believe. I thought I'd offer up a tutorial using the classic macrame knot, the square knot.

**If you are not sure about a lark's head knot, check out my blog tomorrow**

{I accidentally jumped from step 5 to step 7.  There isn't a missing step, I just left the number 6 out by mistake! Oops.}

***Can you see the cord coming over itself on the LH side, where I have drawn with green pen? This means the following half-knot must start with a LH loop. Similarly, if this bit of cord was on the R, I would begin the next knot with a RH loop. I find it useful to check this if I have to put my work down whilst knotting.***

I finish off the silk cord by tying a bow, and then double knotting it. 


Have a look at some other bracelets using the same technique.

Beading by Malin de Koning
Malin has used cord to knot and shows how beads of different shapes and sizes can be combined using square knots. Check out her blog for many more square knotted pieces.

Erin Siegel
This photograph really whets my appetite for Bohemian Inspired Jewelry - just look at those beautiful colours and contrasting textures! Erin shows how even a thicker ribbon can be used for knotting.

Rebecca is a Scottish jewellery designer and singer, currently living in Manchester, England. You can read more about beads and singing at her blog, songbeads.blogspot.com and see more of her jewellery at songbead.etsy.com.

Flora, Fauna & Fiber: July Monthly Challenge Inspiration

"It is good to be alone in a garden at dawn or dark so that all its shy presences may haunt you and possess you in a reverie of suspended thought." ~James Douglas, Down Shoe Lane

This month we visit the garden at Vaucresson as painted by Edward Vuillard. Influences of impressionism are prevalent and the palette is a riot of color. I can practically feel the heat on my neck and hear the buzzing of the bees, can't you?

To kick start your creativity, here are some great components I found on Etsy that fit the July challenge painting. Don't forget to enter your creation in the Flickr group, and if you post on your blog about it be sure to include the exact link to the blog post to be included in our end of the month blog tour.

Let's start off with the obvious inspiration: flora.

I discovered these really lovely lampwork glass blooms from Catalina Glass. I want to pluck them all and put them in a vase, they are so lovely!

This bronze beauty is by the lovely Miss LeAnn of Summers Studio Etc. I love the abstract floral so much, and the bronze would look great with any color you placed with it.

Sweet floral bead caps with a painterly palette from Donna Millard (and do check out her amazing glass beads while you are at it!).

This garden looks like it is positvely buzzing with life. Here is the fauna that I imagine is there.

I can just hear the buzz of this busy worker bee soaking up the pollen on this pendant from ClayDesignsbyGlee. Such great glaze!

A stunning hand cast dragonfly pendant from WildRavenStudio using an ancient glassworking technique called pate de verre (translated from the French as "paste of glass"). One-of-a-kind!

Flitting over the flowers is a hummingbird from Beth Hemilla of Hint. Her charms always make my creations more special.

To finish it off here is some fiber that coordinates beautifully with the palette.

Beautiful hand dyed cords in Tequila Sunrise by JamnGlass.

There is a garden in this feather light fabric ribbon yarn from CoolClimates.

A great assortment of leather in shades of Forest and Lime Green from ThePeddler.

And I know that these are hair pins, but wouldn't a profusion of handmade blooms look gorgeous? Check out these Dark Ivory Shimmer Organza flower hair pins, and all the other magnificent colors, available from Nomsa.

Now that you have seen my virtual shopping tour, what are you waiting for?
Go out and make your garden bloom for the July Monthly Challenge!

Erin Prais-Hintz writes about all things that inspire her at Treasures Found::Inspiration Is Everywhere. Her jewelry designs are one-of-a-kind made one-at-a-time. She collects quotes and dust and invites you to send her your favorite (quote - not dust!) to enjoytheday@tesoritrovati.com.