Best of the ABS: Autumn Wreath Tutorial

I created this wreath with wire, Vintaj components and art beads as a house-warming gift for a dear friend.  You could create a similar one to welcome your guests during your fall celebrations or as a special gift.  Another variation would be to stamp the family name of the recipient on the name plate instead of 'welcome' for a more personalized touch. 

Supplies:

4.5" 18 gauge brass color wire

11 3" lengths of 24 gauge brass color wire

5 polymer clay disk beads

1 arte metal name plate

3 brass maple leaves

2 brass slender leaves

2 brass woodland leaf pendants

2 brass fern charms

2 brass filigree leaf charms

1 brass trailing leaf

3 arte metal keys

5 6mm flat copper spacers

5 3" copper headpins

2 1" copper headpins

8" silk ribbon

Acrylic Paint Dabber

Renaissance wax

Steel wool

Tools: bench block, letter stamps, ball peen hammer, rivet hammer, Phillips head screw driver, brass texture plates, round and flat nose pliers, wire cutters.

Directions:
1.  Create the wreath by wrapping the wire into a large loop, approximately 5 1/2" wide.  Wrap the wire in into a large loop 9 times around.  Create a wrapped loop at the top of the wreath and wrap the ends of the wire around several times for a secure finish.

2.  Texture the leaves with the hammers, texture plates and screw driver. (Watch this video for several techniques.) Highlight the textures with the steel wool. 

3. Stamp "welcome" into the arte metal name plate with the letter stamps. Use the ball peen hammer to texture the blank. Use the acrylic dabber to add paint, rub off the excess with a paper towel. After the paint has dried rub a light coat of wax to protect the color. Paint two of the large leaves in the same way.

4. Place the leaf pendant on the bench block and strike the center with the round end of the ball peen hammer to shape the leaf in the concave form. Repeat with the other leaf and the two filigree leaves.

5. Attach the welcome name plate to the wreath by wrapping it the 24 gauge wire.

6. Attach the leaves to the wreath by wrapping them with the 24 gauge wire, securing them to the wreath. I found that wrapping the wire criss-cross over itself helps the leaves stay in place on the wreath. Layer some of the leaves together for an interesting texture. There is no right or wrong way to the attach the elements, whatever holds them most secure when wrapping the wire around the wreath will work. 

7. String a key and a filigree wreath onto a 1" headpin and from a loop. Attach to the wreath.

8. String a flat spacer and polymer clay disk bead unto a 3" headpin.  Attach the headpin to the wreath by wrapping it around the wire several times. 

9. Add the ribbon to the top loop on the wreath, tie a simple knot at the top of the ribbon.

Resources: Disk Beads, Humblebeads.  All brass and wire from Vintaj - retail at Bello Modo.  Silk Cord, Angela Brittain. Copper findings, Rings & Things.

Beaded Harvest Napkin Rings - Free Project

Create a special set of beaded napkin rings that would make a wonderful hostess gift or for a Thanksgiving celebration. You could change the color combination to fit your decor or season. 

This project was first published on my blog, but as turkey day approaches I thought it was worth another look!

Supplies:

4 copper disks from Humblebeads

4 silver 5mm flat spacers

4 copper 14mm coin pearls

Nickel seed beads

Bronze bugle beads

4 gunmetal headpins

4 gunmetal headpins with balls

10" green wire mesh ribbon

Bracelet memory wire

Instructions:

1. Cut 1 loop of memory wire, cut at 1/4" after the loop overlaps.

2. Use round nose pliers to create a loop on one end. Use flat nose pliers to close the loop completely.

3. Randomly string bugle beads and nickel seed beads to cover the memory wire, leaving a 1/4" at the end. Use the round nose pliers to create another loop to close the wire.

4. String the flat spacer and disk bead on the ball headpin. Trim wire to 1/4" and create a loop with the round nose pliers. Attach to one of the memory wire loops.

5. String a nickel seed bead and pearl on a headpin. Trim the wire and create a loop, attach to the other memory wire loop.

6. Cut 2 1/2" of wire mesh ribbon, tie around the headpin loop of the disk bead. Twist the ends of the wire mesh to form a point. Pull the middle of the ribbon to open in the shape of a leaf.

Repeat to create 3 more napkin rings.

They look like a little pumpkin patch don't they? They almost make me want to go buy a set of cloth napkins. (I just happen to have one that I used as a back drop for something!) Ah, I will probably give this set as a hostess gift, I don't throw many fancy soirees.

Show Me Sunday

 

 Where I live, the change of season has brought a bounty of fallen leaves, a sure sign of Autumn.  Sunday afternoons spent raking and jumping in piles of crunchy, colorful piles of leaves is common.  Today's handmade components remind me of days like today.

 

Leaf Pendants in polymer clay by Humblebeads

Porcelain Leaf Link by Suburban Girl Beads  

Copper Maple Leaf Pendant by Kristi Bowman Designs

 

Show Me More Harvest Beads! 

 

For November, we want to showcase beads, pendants, and components that remind us of the autumn harvest.  Let's see a cornucopia of fall colors, autumnal fruits and veggies and leaves, and a buffet of yummy visual treats to celebrate the change of season. Post your links in the comments here and I will select some of your ideas you leave on this post to highlight in another Show Me Sunday post. 

 

Here is what some of our beady friends have to show off this week: 

 

  A Bead A Day
Do you ever challenge yourself to see a pendant as a bracelet? Lisa shares her latest project using a large metal pendant as a bracelet focal.  

 

About.com Jewelry Making
Tammy interviews luxury jewelry designer Rebekah Lea.  

Art Bead Scene
Erin Siegel takes us on a blog hop full of creative and gorgeous earring designs 

 

Beading Arts
Cyndi is soooo excited to let you know that Chapter three of her new book is completed and ready for download. The name? "Bridging the Gap." Are you curious...?  

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi continues to explored the endless ways to incorporate t-shirt yarn into her projects! 

 

Resin Crafts!
An unusual copper bezel is the inspiration for this "Coronation" themed resin beauty.  

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Andrew has been hard at work creating four new Premium Mixes!

 

Melanie Brooks is the ceramic beadmaker behind Earthenwood Studio, who blogs from her Metro Detroit, Michigan home.

Free Project - Gypsy Ways Necklace

Gypsy Ways

Erin Siegel

 This necklace is colorful and fun featuring a bohemian-inspired pendant by Heather Powers, ceramic beads by Elaine Ray and enameled charms by C-Koop. It's quick and easy to make. Perfect for all those free spirits on your gift list!

Materials

25 turquoise 6mm Greek ceramic heishi beads

6 red aventurine 4mm rounds

5 purple 6mm ceramic rounds

4 tangerine 10mm enameled metal tags

1 paisley 33x20mm polymer clay pendant

6 antique copper 3” balled headpins

4 antique copper 7mm jump rings

1 copper 15x17mm Greek ceramic saucer

24” of crimson Greek leather cord

6” of copper 22 gauge wire

Tools

Round nose pliers

Pair of chain nose pliers

Wire cutters

Scissors

Finished size: 18”

1: Use the copper wire to string the pendant; form a double wrapped loop bail. Set aside. Use 1 headpin to string 1 red aventurine; form a double-wrapped loop. Repeat 5 times. Set aside. Attach 1 jump ring to 1 enameled tag. Repeat 3 times. Set aside.

2: Fold 3” of the leather cord back onto itself. Use the folded end to form an overhand knot, creating a ¾” loop to fit over the Greek saucer bead. Tighten knot and trim tail.

3: Use the leather cord to string 1 red aventurine dangle, 1 ceramic round, 1 enameled tag, and 5 Greek heishi beads. Repeat 4 times, except in the second set, string the pendant in place of an enameled tag. String the last dangle.

4: Use the leather to form an overhand knot 17” from the previous knot. String the Greek ceramic saucer; form an overhand knot. Tighten knot and trim ¼”.

Resources:

Paisley pendant: Humble Beads. Ceramic rounds: Elaine Ray (Ornamentea.com). Enameled metal tags: C-Koop Beads. Greek beads and leather: Mykonos Beads.

I would pair my necklace with a long gypsy skirt or a flowy cardigan, jeans and boots like this for a modern bohemian look!

Modern Gypsy by erinsjewelry featuring platform ankle booties


Erin Siegel is a jewelry designer, beading instructor and co-author of the jewelry book, Bohemian-Inspired Jewelry: 50 Designs Using Leather, Ribbon and Cords. To find out more, visit her blog: Erin Siegel Jewelry. 

November 2012 Challenge Color Palette

Surprise! This month's challenge artwork, M.C. Esher's Three Worlds, is a black and white affair. There's not a hue to be found, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to talk about black and white and gray.

Would it surprise you to know that in the world of color theory, black and white and gray aren't considered colors at all? Color is made up of three parts: hue, value, and saturation. Hue is color distilled down to its purest form, value deals with how light or dark a hue is, and saturation deals with how dull or vivid a color is.

In order to be a color, a hue needs to be present. Since there is none with black or white or gray, those aren't technically colors. They don't have a place on the color wheel the way red and blue and yellow does.

It's hard, though, to think of black and white as not being colors when we see them every day. Instead, think of them as neutrals. Neutrals mix with basic hues to create a wider range of colors, which is how we get dark and light and duller shades.

Neutrals are also used to help explain the other two parts of color - value and saturation. This month's color palette is a type of value scale, a gradient showing white at the top, black at the bottom, and the shades of grays in between. Value scales help artists determine how light or dark a color is by comparing it to a simple black and white value scale (like above), or by creating an entirely new one for a particular color. This shows how color reacts to black and white.

The same can be done with grays and color. Where black and white affect the value, grays affect the saturation of a color. Ever wonder how a color turns dull? Chances are, gray is added to it to mute the intensity.

For our purposes this month, we're sticking to the neutrals. As you collect supplies, aim for lots of different shades of gray, with touches of white and black. I see more of the darker grays, but lighter shades are present, too, if you like those better. And if you're curious about metals, stick with bright or oxidized silver tones to match Three Worlds.

Have you started to plan your piece yet? Are you finding it a good challenge to work without color this month?

Etsy Inspiration for Three Worlds

I have always loved the puzzle nature of M.C. Escher's incredible inspirations, especially the ones that show all the ascending and descending staircases and the tessellations. I would stare at those for hours absolutely mesmerized by the intricate worlds that he created. He was Op Art before there was such a term! The illustration Three Worlds is so perfect for the somber season that we are headed into with the myriad of leaves floating on the glassy surface of this nearly frozen pond and the tiny world that lies beneath. I found some Etsy items that really spoke to me of this illustration. 

 What image grabs you most when you see Escher's Three Worlds? 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'Otherworldly: Etsy Inspiration for the November Art Bead Scene Challenge' by TesoriTrovati

M. C. Escher's illustration "Three Worlds" shows us the sky reflected in the smooth glass-like surface of the water where there leaves are floating and the murky depths below. Join us at the end of the month for a blog tour at www.artbeadsce

Frosted Branches House Bead humblebeads $14.00	Leaf Print Brown Stoneware H... suburbangirlbe... $10.00	Glass Lampwork Focal Bead Tr... SilverRiverGla... $15.00	4 Artisan Black Glass Headpi... NadinArtGlass $10.00
Turning Leaves- handmade cer... SlateStudiosSu... $24.00	OOAK Fish and Spiral Patter... spinningstarst... $3.50	Pikalda : Handmade lampwork ... veradacraft $45.00	Oxidised Sterling Silver Oak... daisychainextr... $12.00
Leaves Antiqued Solid Brass ... myCorabella $12.00	Pewter Tree - Handmade Lampw... elasia $14.00	sultry autumn luster glass l... edooley $30.00	Handmade FISH Cabochon LisaPetersArt $7.00
Handmade Copper Paisley Leaf... KristiBowmanDe... $12.00	No Hole Fish Pendant and bea... MartiC51 $11.95	Laurel Green Fold Formed Lea... missficklemedi... $24.00	forest finery - i speak for ... TesoriTrovati $18.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

 

November Monthly Challenge Sponsors and Prizes

Our wonderful sponsors for the November Monthly Challenge. 

We will have 2 lucky winners this month.

Skye Jewels

Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp of Skye Jewels designs creates wonderful wood ephemera charms, pendants and jewelry. All are hand tinted. Marie will drill holes in the wood tiles to your specifications. This provides many options when creating your own designs. 

Marie is donating the items show above plus a few new items worth $50.

 Visit Marie on her website, blog, etsy shop #1, etsy #2, and Facebook.

: : :

Lorelei Eurto

Lorelei Eurto of Lorelei Eurto is a jewelry designer and author. Her newest endeavor and soon to be full time job, is making jewelry components to be used in jewelry designs. Look for more fantabulous things to come from Lorelei!

Lorelei is donating 2 of her Tin Snippets worth $50.

Visit Lorelei on their website, blog, Shopify and Facebook.
: : :

Submit photos of your wonderful creations using one or more Art Beads.

Three Worlds by M.C. Escher has with many different elements that can be used for inspiration: trees, leaves, water, fish, reflections, dimension, and black &white.

We can't wait to see where your creativity takes you with the art for this months challenge! 

Please remember to put NOV ABS in the title or tag of your submission(s).  

Provide us with the artist of the Art Beads used and we always love to know all the materials you used. 
Art Beads MUST be used in your entry.