meh-crame

Happy Chinese New Year

2012-01-23T13:37:00.000-08:00

The ladies on the biser.info web site called my dragon charismatic!

Chinese New Year Bracelet

2012-01-11T10:13:00.000-08:00

I am making a bracelet for the Chinese New Year - it's a dragon of course. Check back in a week for the picture of the completed project - I hope!

Depression Diamonds

2011-12-11T07:44:00.000-08:00

This necklace is my own present for myself on my birthday. It is called Depression Dimonds because the state I live in is in a depression, so I, like many other of its inhabitants, cannot afford diamonds, only quartz.

"That" Is Nothing!

2011-11-14T12:08:00.000-08:00

""That" is nothing " is the title of the paper I am supposed to be reading, but Goggle does not want to open the file for me, saying I have no permission, so i am beading instead. I broke three needles already, but this moukaite cabochon is worth it. Don't you think?

The Depths of My Despair

2011-11-06T12:51:00.000-08:00

Two unfinished projects. The first one with azurite and lapis lasuli is bead embroidery. The second one is Melanie Potter's design. Both are extremely tedious and are driving me to despair, oh, wait, I think it's the fact that I can't find a job...

Frost on the Marigolds

2011-10-30T07:50:00.000-07:00

I made a new kumihimo braid. It is called Mitake Gumi. It was first made in the 12th century for the Mitake shrine. Has anyone made it with beads before? I took a picture of the first half this morning as soon as I finished it - I was so thrilled! There is frost on the marigolds - winter is just around the corner.

Pot in a Vest

2011-10-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

I made a vest for the pot that my son made. This way the pot will not get cold. It is 45 degrees outside - Brr!

Studio Showcase - a Great Place to Be

2011-10-14T17:45:00.000-07:00

Spent two nights at studio showcase selling my work. Going back tomorrow for the final day of the show.

Baby, come home!

2011-10-06T13:59:00.000-07:00

My necklace "Under the Sea" is featured as part of my success story on Fire Mountain Gems web site.

http://www.firemountaingems.com/jewelryartists/jewelryartists_bio.asp?docid=FEDORIKIHINAT&doccat=jewelry%20artist&sact=search

I can't wait to get my necklace back. I miss it, particularly the cute seahorse.

A grain of sand

2011-09-29T15:28:00.000-07:00

I found a great web site for vintage rhinestones: A grain of sand.It is a bead supply source for Unique Vintage and Contemporary Beads and Finding. Visit www.agrainofsand.com.

Macrame with Wire Wins 3rd Place in Bead Society Challenge

2011-09-24T12:21:00.000-07:00

I bought some 26 ga wire at Michael's and went to work. This is totally freeform, totally flight of fantasy with crazy twists and turns.

Fall Colors

2011-09-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

There is some chill in the air in the morning. The leaves are beginning to turn, and the mums are in full bloom. I made a kumi necklace with the pendant that my mom bought for me at a gem show in Russia. I do not know what kind of stone it is, so if you know the name, please tell me.

Macrame and Chain

2011-09-08T10:53:00.000-07:00

Now that I do not have a job, I am beading like crazy. This newest masterpiece combines brass chain, which I got in Philadelphia at Beadworks and green turquoise. I hope they are not flooded now with all this rain. I am participating in Studio Showcase in October. Please, check it out http://www.studioshowcaseart.com/

A Day with Tatiana

2011-09-05T16:25:00.000-07:00

I was so lucky today to spend a day with Tatiana Van Iten, who is my favorite beader and a great person. I am so happy to have had a chance to see her latest masterpieces and enjoy a lovely conversation about beading. The lesson I have learned: There is still so much to learn about beading.

Bead Therapy

2011-08-30T13:13:00.000-07:00

I found out on Monday that I no longer have a job. I did not cry or get drunk, even though I am very upset. I sat down on the couch and started making a lariat. The lariat is based on the colors of hand dyed yarn, which was left over from knitting a scarf for my daughter. I am using left over beads from several projects. The colors are very soothing, and I am not spending any extra money, which is wise in my condition. I will get off the couch and start looking for a job soon, but for now I need to gather my thoughts.

Cliequot Bracelet: Macrame and Soutache

2011-08-17T13:25:00.000-07:00

From July 31, 2011 bracelet Cliequot

The champagne bracelet is finished. I bought the ceramic focal bead and the silver components in Reims, France, the capital of Champagne. I used a lot of silver and matte white beads to imitate the bubbles rising the the champagne glass. Soutache was in my stash for a number of years. I bought it in L.A. before it became popular with beaders.

From Chaos to Cliequot

2011-07-30T23:00:00.000-07:00

From July 31, 2011 bracelet Cliquot

The first half of the Cliequot bracelet is finished. You can see more photos in my Picassa album.

July 31, 2011 bracelet Cliequot

Veuve Cliequot and Micro Macrame?

2011-07-25T07:33:00.000-07:00

From Drop Box

What do micro-macrame and champaigne have in common? Lots of bubbles. My next project is combining seed beads, soutache (also a French invention) and Superlon thread to create a bracelet made with components purchased in Reims, France.

From Drop Box

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Jx8wE0IVdow0gt-6BXn_KJDq13aVAbzyUMUQ7h5OrfM?feat=directlink

Window shopping in Avinion, France during the festival

2011-07-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

The streets were crowded. The amateaur actors were advertising their shows, and the street vendors were selling their garb.

Window shopping in Cannes

2011-07-14T23:11:00.000-07:00

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/QF07MbxN9IV3y0THqs7cJ9-vh1IoiwNxlDm7lXrW-EU?feat=directlink

From Jul 10, 2011France

Window shopping is fun. I get a lot of ideas for my jewelry this way.Chain and Swarovski's is something I want to try combining when I get back home.

From Jul 10, 2011France

101 earrings

2011-06-29T06:26:00.000-07:00

I am making earrings for the Studio Showcase which happens in October. Please, see the website
http://www.studioshowcaseart.com/

The biggest challenge is to make the second earring the same as the first one, since my imagination never rests and demands new endeavors. Among my other achievements this month - I climbed Mount Christophel on Curacao.

Jun 26, 2011Curacao

FireMountain Gems and Beads Seed Bead, Glass or Acrylic Jewelry-Making Contest

2011-06-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

My necklace Under the Sea is a finalist in the Seed Bead, Glass or Acrylic Jewelry-Making Contest organized by Fire Mountain Gems and Beads.

Macrame with Guitar Wire

2011-06-01T06:04:00.000-07:00

Here is my first experiment using guitar wire for macrame. I have used guitar wire In place of beading wire to great effect, but now I have discovered that the thinnest wire may be used for wire wrapping.

Cabernet Bracelet

2011-05-15T08:15:00.000-07:00

I finished this eudialite bracelet and wore it to work on Friday. To my horror after lunch, I discovered that four garnet beads from the fringe are missing. I retraced my path to the bathroom and found one bead on the bathroom floor. Sadly I thought, the rest must be in the toilet. I returned to my office feeling defeated, because I did not even take a picture of the bracelet before wearing it. There were no garnet beads left - I used the whole sting that I got at Mineralia in Cancun. A few minutes later my able assistant found the beads on the floor of my office. What joy! The bracelet is fixed now. I am definitely beading her a present this weekend.

2011-04-17T17:14:00.000-07:00

Bead embroidery is so versatile! You can add any bead you want anywhere you want. This is my first attempt, but I am clearly enjoying it! Fire Mountain still has not decided who won the seed bead contest.

Cabernet

2011-03-14T18:24:00.001-07:00

I am working on a big project, which is my first embroidery. I have not heard from Fire Mountain. the deadline was March 7th, so I am hoping I will get a letter soon, so that I can stop hoping...

Russian Team Blog

2011-03-05T08:10:00.000-08:00

http://etsyrussianteam.blogspot.com/2011/02/macrame-by-tatyana-tfedorik.html

Click on the link to see the article about me on etsy.

2011-02-02T14:41:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the weather - an ice storm, we had two snow days, and I finished the sea horse.

Be Mine

2011-01-27T17:27:00.001-08:00

It is snowing again, but I am dreaming about Spring and Valenitine's day. A big chocolate cake and tender tulips. Here is my new listing on Etsy. This is real snow and real earrings!

Rhodonite and Phinift

2011-01-06T09:58:00.000-08:00

I made this necklace for my mom for Christmas. She wanted me to use a pendant she's had for many years which is Russian enamel called phinift.

Happy New Year

2011-01-02T17:47:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! I am wearing my favorite necklace - star fish in purple.

Happy B-Day to me and my new necklace!

2010-12-22T10:31:00.000-08:00

Best wishes to everyone this holiday season!

Christmas Gift Exchange on Etsy Russian Team Page

2010-12-19T17:53:00.000-08:00

I got a nice photograph in the gift exchange - snow white tulips. My package with earrings still has not arrived in Moscow even though I mailed it November 30th. Hope it gets there before New Year's.

2010-12-12T11:44:00.000-08:00

Finally... The full view of Grandma's Button. It is snowing outside, so the colors are not very warm.

Big Fat Snowflakes

2010-12-06T16:54:00.001-08:00

This is real. No editing whatsoever. I am holding the display next to a rose bush in our yard. We had some fluffy snow this weekend. Love it!

Grandma's Button

2010-11-30T13:39:00.000-08:00

I just posted my new necklace on biser.info
http://biser.info/node/188827#comments

Let's take a vote. Is this steampunk or not?
it is made out of leftovers from a real steampunk necklace - Nerves of Steele.

Nerves of Steele

2010-11-28T08:43:00.001-08:00

This year's Indiana bead Society challenge is due December 15th. the theme is steampunk. I've struggled with this style since October, but so far only half the necklace is finished and not for lack of trying. My daughter made a tin rose in her Introduction to Engineering class two years ago. I wanted to incorporate it into jewelry, but discovered it is very difficult because of all the sharp angles. Well, this part is finished now. I need to go bead. Time is running out.

Sushi in Philadelphia

2010-11-19T16:55:00.000-08:00

I went to Beadworks in Phily and had a lot of fun.

Park Tudor Art Party

2010-11-17T01:46:00.000-08:00

The Park Tudor Art Party was a great success! I enjoyed mingling with all the people who came. It was fun! Now I am getting ready for ASHA, my professional conference. After that I will have more time for macrame and beading. Two new projects need to be finished before I can start working on Christmas presents.

Halloween Princess

2010-10-31T12:26:00.000-07:00

So much to do, so little time. My necklace is not finished, so I will not be dressing up as princess. I'll have to go and dig up my cat's nose and tail, which are buried somewhere in the closet.

Steele magnolias - take 2

2010-10-24T17:43:00.000-07:00

Here is the second installment of the ndebele leaf tutorial. To make the wider leaf shown on the left, you need six ndebele rows for each vein of the leaf. The skinny leaf has 5.

Steps 9,10, and 11: Add two beads in peyote stitch. Go back through 1 bead. Go back through one more bead.

Step 12: add two beads.

Steps 13 and 14: Go back, starting a new row. Add two beads.

Steps 15 and 16: Add 1 between two ndebele rows; add two. Turn around and add two more.

Step 17: Add two, go though one closest to the middle.

Step 18: Add two in the middle - ndebele style.

Step 19: Go though one bead, add two.

Steps 20,21, 22: Go through the last but one bead. Turn work, go through the previous bead. Add two beads two times nbebele style. Go through the next bead.

Step 23: Add two in the middle. Add two beads to the next ndebele pair.

Step 24: Add two beads to the last pair but one. Go through the first bead of the last ndebele pair, turn around.

Steps 25 and 26: Do one ndebele stitch. Add two beads, go through the middle beads without adding beads.

Step 27: Add two beads, go through the next bead and add two more ndebele style. Go through the next bead.

Step 28: Go through the last bead and turn around.

Step 29: Add two beads before adding two beads on top of the middle ones.

Step 30: Add two more beads. Go through the next two beads in ndebele stitch adding two on top of the old ones.

Step 31a: Add two last beads in this row. Turn around going through the last bead.

Step 31b: Continue working in ndebele stitch.

Step 32:Go through the middle beads without adding new ones.

Steps 33 and 34: Continue adding in every other row. In the row in which you are going through the new beads the second time, do not add new beads over the central ones. Just go through the middle ones without adding beads. When you have 11 rows of beads in the middle vein of the leaf, stop adding beads.

Step 35: Add two more beads on each side of the middle vein.

Step 36: use round 15s to make a ruffle. Add two size 15s in between every two 11s.

Steele magnolias

2010-10-24T10:51:00.000-07:00

Some people asked me for instructions for the Ndbele leaves I used for my orchid published on biser.info. Putting instructions into blogger turned out more difficult than I thought. I will try to put up the next installment tomorrow, there are 35 steps total.

Step 1: On a “comfortable” length of Fireline 4lb test (Fireline is not comfortable. It can cut your fingers, but somehow, this has become a standard expression) string 9 Delica beads.

Step 2: Go back through the 4th bead from the end.

Step 3: String 1 bead. Go through the 5th bead from the end.

Step 4: String 2 beads. Go through the 6th bead from the end. These two beads will be the middle of the leaf.

Step 5: String 1 bead. Go through the 7th bead from the end.

Step 6: String 1 bead. Go through the 9th bead from the end.

Step 7: Using peyote stitch. Add 1, go through 1, add 1 more and go through 1 more.

Step 8: Go through two middle beads without adding any. Add two more beads peyote style.

Unconditional Love

2010-10-03T16:36:00.000-07:00

The name for this necklace came naturally, since I was thinking about what matters most in my life, and, truly, love is the most important thing. Love is unconditional. It does not depend on whether your husband did the dishes or made the bed, even if he did not buy you flowers, you still love him. You just can't help having these tender feelings toward him, even if you get mad at him every once in a while. The necklace combines honey tones with cherry and orange. The red aventurine is full of radiance. It's up to you to decide which stands for the male and female character.

Creative Baking instead of Creative Beading

2010-09-25T17:52:00.000-07:00

I am making a micro-macrame steam punk necklace, but so far, I've cut up everything I've made. It is hard to create something rough and elegant at the same time, plus Fusionbeads have increased their delivery time to two weeks. It's hard to figure out colors on the computer screen, and even more frustrating to wait for a shipment for two weeks, just to discover that none of the colors is going to work. There are so many shades of grey! So to aleveate the stress, I've been baking.

Beading Arts

2010-09-16T18:06:00.000-07:00

My artist's statement is published today on the beading arts web page. Have a look.

http://www.beading-arts.com/2010/09/fiber-artist-tatyana-fedorikhina.html

Ceramic Creations

2010-08-28T16:59:00.000-07:00

My earring collection is on display at Ceramic Creations on 54th st between Keystone and College. Stop by and have a look.

Neon Love Life

2010-08-14T10:04:00.000-07:00

I finished this necklace late last night. It is a present for a friend who plays drums in a rock band. Instead of using jewelry wire, I used an old guitar string - you can see it in between the beads. The cabochon is bezelled with Superlon and triangular beads size 6 + Toho size 15 black beads. Black beads turned out very difficult to work with because i cannot see them in artificial light - they all blend together. The big black beads are antique Czech beads. This is yet another experiment: this time with busing an electric blue and guitar wire. Both look good, I think.

Pearls

2010-08-08T10:56:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day of my vacation, so I am really sad, since I am anticipating all the horrors I am going to find at work next week. This is the last project of the summer for me. I've been putting it off for months. The instructions were downloaded from jewelrylessons.com sometime in April, and I bought the silver wire from Riogrande in the Spring as well. My husband brought me pearls from China in November of last year, so, I guess, it took me less than a year to finish the project! The necklace looks really neat "in person", but my camera skills are so pathetic that I am worried nobody would recognize the necklace from this picture when I am wearing it. I am quite happy that I've learned some wire techniques, and I hope to continue using them in the future. God only knows what future holds for me...

Medieval necklace

2010-08-02T09:36:00.001-07:00

I went to Medieval Times in Toronto, and this visit made me think about beautiful costumes and jewelry. Here is my take on Medieval fashion. Th design is from Perles & Co.

Sale on my Etsy page

2010-07-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

I am selling off some of my best jewelry on my Etsy page to raise money for a gift for a special person.

Please, have a look at the awesome pieces that I am parting with. All for a good cause.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/tfedorik

Polymer Clay - First Attempt

2010-07-25T06:24:00.000-07:00

Polymer clay is not as easy as it seems. My first pendant looked all right till I started attaching dagger beads to the wires which i embedded it in. It crumbled into three pieces and cannot be glued together, but the blue beads, which are not as fancy as the pendant are O.K. I baked it all in my over using a turkey bag to contain the fumes - it worked, well, sort of, since the pendant turned out to be to weak. I replaced the pendant with a chain maile one and will enter the finished piece into the Art Bead Scene challenge. I have tried a number of different jewelry making methods in the past few months after my fiasco in three competitions in the Spring, but I still love macrame the most, so I will be making a macrame piece soon.

2010-07-16T04:32:00.001-07:00

I've used Frommer's guidebooks for years, and this is the first complaint: Le Parlementaire in Quebec city must be removed from the 2011 edition of Frommer's. We went there yesterday and had a really bad experience.We ordered wine, which is called Parliament wine, and it turned out that it is a cheap wine from Chile! Quebec has a lot of good wineries, but the Parliament (the restaurant is in the Hotel du Parliament) orders wine from Chile!The waitress talked us into trying their complementary pea soup. My son's bowl had a black hair in it. I ordered salmon and "fruit du mer" salad. When they brought it, I cut off a piece of salmon, and, to my horror, noticed a black hair on the shrimp next to it.My hair is not black, so there was no question, it was somebody else's. I lost my appetite at once. I wish I could have taken a picture of the waitress, the head waitress, and the manager, when they all gathered to examine my plate. First they tried to deny the fact that it was a hair, and claimed it was "just shrimp"! Finally, they took the plate away and brought it back in 3 minutes. The piece of salmon i had cut off was camouflaged with some shrimp, but it was without a doubt the same piece! There were only two couples in the restaurant besides us - now I know why. So, we went to a bakery on rue St. Jean and got some really nice pastries to improve our mood. It worked instantly! By the way, there is not a single bead store in Quebec city. There was one before, but it must have closed. There is a clothing store there now.

Cattlea brouch

2010-07-15T04:31:00.000-07:00

The Cattlea brouch is finished! When I was on Maui, I pressed a flower in the book I was reading ("Mindless Eating" - good book, by the way). I stitched the petals in herringbone and peyote stitches to match the shape of the petals. I need to refine some of the shapes, but the overall effect is there.

Simple, but Nice

2010-07-07T05:25:00.001-07:00

I got some carved jade on Maui in the town of Paia, so I made earrings for a friend yesterday. Simple, but nice.

Pink Ruffle

2010-06-24T14:42:00.001-07:00

I finished this necklace on Hawaii and just entered it into the Art Bead Scene's challenge. I must admit, dusty pink is my weakness. This necklace usues C-Lon in a new color called cherise. I had to get it because it is a shade of pink. I had a lot of difficulty working with this nylon though, because the coating was flaking. I think they have not worked out all the kinks in this thread yet. Rhodonite matches the skirt in the painting, which is the inspiration for the June challenge on the artbeadscene's blog.

The Bookbinder's Knot

2010-06-18T22:41:00.000-07:00

I am making a bracelet for my daughter, combining two projects from Bead and Button. I am using Fireline for the first time in my life, and it is not easy! Yesterday I was cutting off the end of the thread and accidentally cut the main thread between two beads. You would think I knew how to use scissors! Fireline does not have as much friction as thread, so the beads started slipping off the ends of the line. Oh my God! I was not happy. Luckily, I remembered the bookbinder's knot. See instructions on Youtube (search for book binding knot by calicocatpress)

I tied both ends using the knot, but Fireline is very hard to tie. I was pulling one end with my teeth and the other end with tweezers ( They do not allow pliers on the plane). Then, I managed to break the needle while trying to tighten up the beadwork around the problem spot. A piece of the needle got lodged in my finger, so I had to use the same tweezers to pull it out. That day the stars were not aligned for beading.

Jewelry Thieves

2010-06-12T10:43:00.000-07:00

I had a very exciting day on June 10th. I was in Kihei, at the White Pebbles bead store, when three local women robbed the store! This is a small, one-room store filled to the brim with semi-precious stones, findings, shells, and jewelry. The store was having a 50% off sale on finished jewelry, which is displayed on shelves along all three walls of the store. The fourth wall is the front window. There were four or five other women in the store, when three heavy set women walked in, and one asked the owner to show her some chain, which is in rolls in the far right hand corner of the store. While he was talking to her, the other two women started shoving jewelry into their handbags. I was in the middle of the back row, when the owner started trying to squeeze past me. I looked up and saw how he tried to stop the woman from putting jewelry in her purse. She was protesting that it is hers! What nerve! He grabbed a couple of pieces from her, and she ran off. All three of them ran behind a hardware store, with the store owner chasing them and yelling "Police!" He came right back and called the police. They arrived quickly and started asking people what they saw. Needless to say, I could not continue browsing the beads! I will have to go back on a quieter day.

Tender Is the Night

2010-06-05T14:24:00.001-07:00

Here is my latest experiment with peyote. I definitely still have a lot to learn. Sewing 15 petals together was the hardest part. The Delicas are light amber and blue slate. The 15s are night sky and light amber - so there is the key to the title. I am hoping the brooch will look nice on my dress on a Hawaiian night.

Tiffany Stone Kumihimo Necklace

2010-05-30T09:08:00.001-07:00

My second kumihimo necklace is almost finished. As always, I am trying to perfect it even though it is pretty good as it is. I think I am going to cover the macrame bail with beads. The only macrame element here is a row of square knots used as the foundation for wrapping the cab. The peyote stitch completes the picture. I have been criticized for not using enough beads, so here is the list of beads used for this necklace: 30 g Delicas # 1224 +# 765 and unidentified Japanese round seed beads in grey color - also 30 g for the kumi braid (The owner of the store does not want to to find them online, so he is not telling me the brand name). Around the cab, I used Miyuki # 15 (F639), Delicas # 1105 - transparent amethyst, and Toho transparent orchid

# 15. Fir the leaves, I used tiny amethyst seed beads # 22 - the needle does not go through them, so I string a bead and then thread the Superlon into the needle - takes a while.

Kumihimo # 2

2010-05-23T08:05:00.001-07:00

This is my second Twist-Counter Twist

Kumihimo braid using the instructions by

Shielah Cleary. This time I used two colors of Delicas for the outside threads and size 11round beads for the inside. The first half is done. The middle is a micro-macrame braid. The bail for the cabochon will go there. I am loading beads for the second half. See picture above.

For all macrame lovers

2010-05-12T14:44:00.000-07:00

I discovered a new blog for macrame lovers.

http://www.macramelovers.com/blog/

Macrame lovers of the world unite!

Meanwhile, I am starting a new kumihimo braid. I will try to use four colors this time.

Kumihimo

2010-05-09T07:35:00.000-07:00

I took a kumuhimo class from Sheilah Cleary on Friday. The technique is amazing. Here is my first timid attempt, but there will be more to come.

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T07:31:00.000-07:00

The Big Reveal

2010-05-05T09:18:00.001-07:00

The beader's muse web site is having "The Big Reveal" tomorrow, May 6th, so I will be able to finally wear my necklace in public, and for those of you residing in exotic countries (e.g. Kelantan, Malasia, Hefa, Israel or Australia), I will post the picture on the blog, facebook, and jewelrylessons.com. In the picture above, you can see a detail of the necklace I made for my daughter from Nov. issue of Beadwork with some modifications. I used real pearls and triangle beads.

Biser.info

2010-05-03T05:32:00.000-07:00

I've become addicted to the biser.info web site. I visit it every morning. They have dozens of new pictures posted every day. There are so many talented beaders! Right now, everyone on the site is making orchids using the diagram posted in the instructions section. I am going to make one as soon as I finish the abstract for the conference presentation which is due May 15. In the picture above is my galaxy bead from Bead and Button February issue. The bead needs to have something firm inside, so I might have to make another one in the spirit of perfectionism.

I haven't bought a lottery ticket in 20 years

2010-04-26T06:30:00.000-07:00

I haven't bought a lottery ticket in 20 years, but waiting for the information on when the big reveal is going to happen on thebeadersmuse.com (http://www.thebeadersmuse.com/journal/2010/4/18/check-out-the-competition-sneak-peaks-and-giveaway-winners.html#comments) is very much like holding your breath before opening the newspaper where the lottery results are published. Except, I've been holding my breath for a week now. There is a bead giveaway announced on the Scarlet Lanson's site from artbeads.com for people who blog about the contest. So this is my final attempt to get a prize. One more picture of the necklace without the muse. I really want to wear my necklace, but I, guess, I shouldn't do this before the "big reveal," because that would mean "revealing it." Thank you to everyone who visited by site and looked at the "sneak peak." I enjoyed looking at all the blogs and was fascinated by the use of copper with wood - something I will try to use in the future.

Bead Dreams Rejected

2010-04-23T15:00:00.001-07:00

I received the rejection letter from Bead and Button yesterday. Just like last year, they do not explain why my entry "It felt so right" was rejected. It must be the the title. It was jinxed. I guess, I am no match for Joan Babcock, who won last year with her micro-macrame beads.

Bead Dreams

2010-04-16T07:28:00.001-07:00

I got an e-mail message yesterday, saying that the results of the Bead Dreams competition will be available on April 23. This is next week! I am so nervous! Last year they mailed me a rejection letter. I hope the result is different this year.
I find it very surprising that my competitive nature took over, and instead of relaxing with a beading tray on my lap, I am stressing out about the contest results. How did this happen?Beading as a hobby, apparently inherited all my inner tribulations and aspirations. That is why this necklace is called "It felt so right... it felt so wrong." It reflects the constant conflict of aspirations.

thebeadersmuse.com

2010-04-13T13:11:00.000-07:00

I spent at least an hour today trying to figure out what is going on with the Use the Muse Contest. I am so worried that my entry got lost in cyberspace. I hope all the technical difficulties get resolved. I enjoyed the contest, and I am having a hard time trying to switch my mind to something else. I am taking a Kumuhimo class in May, and I am planing to make a pendant to go on the rope that I make on something called a marudai. So far I am thinking of either making a beaded flower or a beaded bead or both.

As required for the participation in the Giveaway on http://www.thebeadersmuse.com/, I am posting the link and also thanking the artbeads.com for sponsoring the contest. When is "The Big Reveal?" I can't wait to post pictures of the whole piece.

Use the Muse is completed!

2010-04-11T16:14:00.000-07:00

I finally finished my entry for Use the Muse this morning. Jennifer came at 10:30 and took pictures on the terace. The weather is wonderful. We had lunch on the terace and went for a walk after lunch. What a nice day!

Use the Muse

2010-04-05T07:44:00.000-07:00

When I received the kit for Use the Muse IV, I was baffled by the choice of the muse. It was such a contrast with the pretty bright colored butterfly from the previous contest. I have never used wood in my work, and I have never used black as the main color. I started searching for something to inspire this piece. I love trees, plants, and everything green, so I picked brown, green and yellow macrame cord for the project. I still needed something to make the necklace stand out. I came across a piece of wood which I found on the beach in Florida last winter. It became my starting point in the search for the style of the necklace. The muse is flat and angular. I was trying to make my piece three dimensional and curvy. I added Venetian and Syrian glass beads from la perla del oriente bead shop and a variety of Japanese and Czech seed beads. Last, but not least, I added antique Czech glass beads that belonged to my husband's grandmother. I definitely made this piece my own. I might even be a contestant for the greatest deviation from the kit. I used the seed beads and black bicones from the kit at the edge of the necklace and the tiger's eye beads for the center of the leaf, so I made an honest attempt to use most of the beads from the kit. I discovered that the leather cord is very useful for holding the necklace in place, so I plan to continue using it in the future. Overall, the challenge was a great experience which allowed me to use new materials and explore a new style in micro-macrame.

Visit http://www.thebeadersmuse.com/ for more details. The contest is sponsored by artbeads.com

Use the Muse

2010-04-01T19:01:00.000-07:00

http://jotform.com/form/10801413229 is the address of the submission page. How come I did not receive the submission instructions?

Bead Dreams

2010-03-30T08:06:00.000-07:00

This necklace is the result of months of painstaking knotting. At times the bead and cord choice seemed so right, and at times, it felt so wrong. Finally, the necklace emerged out of trepidation, confusion, and hours of hard work. it is definitely my best work so far. I am going to wear it proudly this Easter because it centers around flowers and it is most appropriate now when the nature is coming back to life and first Spring flowers are appearing. Lavender and french lilac are the colors of femininity and rebirth. Let's be open to new beginnings and new beading techniques, let's keep reinventing ourselves!

My Muse is Wood-Born

2010-03-21T08:16:00.000-07:00

I am treading a dangerous path trying to compete two projects at once.

The danger is that neither will be completed by the deadline.

The Bead Dreams project titled "It felt so right, it felt so wrong..." has priority now, but my mind slips to the "Wood-born" project for Use the Muse IV all the time. I am making a tiny leaf with beads size 15 and 22. I am worried that the color is not bright enough.

But some people might think the whole project is a "questionable bead soup."

Use the Muse IV - full of contradictions

2010-03-15T15:57:00.000-07:00

This entry is about "Use the Muse", but the picture shows my ever growing flower for Bead Dreams. I promise, I will take a picture of the "muse" without the "muse" as soon as the sun comes out over our marshland.
Here is my dilemma: The muse is angular and dark. I am trying to make my entry curvy and bright. Why am I so oppositional? Why can't I just go with the black color? For starters, I am tired of winter with it's formal black attire. I am seeking something Spring-like, so I added turquoise, green, yellow and orange to the color palette. Today, I discovered that inadvertantly, I selected the colors which are in this month's color challenge at the artbeadscene.com . I am afraid I cannot enter my piece because we are not supposed to revieal the "muse".

Indiana Bead Society Class

2010-03-14T09:04:00.001-07:00

I am getting ready to teach the Spring Fling class at the Indiana Bead Society. I bagged all the beads yesterday. Now I have to cut the Superlon and C-Lon thread. You can see in the picture that my peridot thread comes in two different spools. One is Superlon(the fat one), and the other is C-Lon. I've worked with both of them while making the demonstration earrings for the class. They are the same as far as I can tell. More people signed up for the peridot Swarovski rhine stone balls - it's St. Patrick's day. Happy St. Patrick's day, eveyone!

She is back, sort of

2010-03-06T07:42:00.000-08:00

After a long week at work filled with controversy, disappointment, and conflict of interests, I am home with a whole Saturday to myself (my son is at a speech contest).

Even though, my muse might still be sleeping, I am awake and hard at work!

After visiting Joan Babcock's web site, I made a historic decision: If you can't pull it off with just dark and neutral colors, add bright colors. So I added French Lilac thread to my flower and some sparkly triangle beads. It looks a bit too sparkly to may taste, but it is no longer boring.

This is my entry for the Bead Dreams competition. I should have called this entry the big reveal. All the contest participants always hide their entries, because they do not want to admit afterwards that they got a rejection letter. I am not a novice with rejection letters. I threw mine away last year, but this year, I'll put it in my blog. The deadline is April 5th, I've got to get knotting!

My Muse

2010-03-03T07:48:00.001-08:00

My muse comes and goes as she pleases. She does not announce her arrival in a blog or e-mail. She appears like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day, usually when I am working, She says,"You look bored. Take out that green cabochon your husband bought you." By the time I take out my macrame board and cut some thread, she is gone. I only hear her tail swishing in the doorway, Meh! It is cloudy again and getting dark. The cab looks dull, and the coating is flaking of the thread.
Well, maybe I'll add some bright silk to the mix, and she will come back tomorrow. Sometimes, just a piece of wood or a shell found on the beach is enough to attract her. Sometimes, even a gift certificate to the beading store doesn't interest her.
I've learned not to rely on other people to summon her. I've learned to wait and hope.
If you are wondering what I am musing about. Well, I received my USE THE MUSE kit on Monday. So far my reply is "Meh."

Dreaming of Key West

2010-02-27T15:59:00.000-08:00

My husband is in Florida, lucky guy, but I am sitting in my cold apppartment in Indy looking out at the bleak, cloudy landscape. It's 22 degrees and no sun and no fun. I wish I were in Key West. So here is a brand new picture of my sanddollar. Notice the flat knots between pearl shell beads. This is S-Lon size D.

"meh" to everyone who visited this week!

2010-02-21T12:29:00.000-08:00

Last week, I installed a nice toy on my blog. It is called "feedjit," and it feeds you the locations of people who visit the blog and how they found the blog, as well as other stats, such as how many pages were visited or whether the person was a return visitor or a new one.

Thank you to everyone who visited the blog last week. I had visitors from Spain, Belarus, California, Arizona, and Russia. Eighteen visits in all - not too bad for a start. My husband is saying that blogs are not polular any more, but I am enjoying blogging like never before!

The most intersting thing is that I've been to all the places my visitors are coming from. Yes, I've been to Lake Havasu in Arizona! I have relatives in Belarus, and would love to know who visited my site incognito. Please, sign up as followers!

Spring Fling

2010-02-10T06:22:00.000-08:00

While driving through the recently fallen snow, I've been designing earrings for the March Bead Society meeting. The thoughts of warm weather, flowers and fresh new leaves cheered me up.

This is an original design. Copyright by Tatyana Fedorikhina 02/09/10.

Key West: Wash away my yesterday

2010-02-05T08:52:00.000-08:00

I am participating in a competition, and yet again I have the write the story that goes with my entry. This micro-macrame necklace uses S-Lon size D in a light blue color. This is the color of my daughter's room. She picked it five years ago, when we were building the condo. Well, you all know that the color you see on the color swatch and the color that later appears on your wall are two different things. Well, we learned it first hand. The color is called "dreamy space" - quite appropriate for a teenage girl, but what came out was baby blue - oh-oh!
But, despite some disappointments along the way, I still love my daughter's room, too bad, she is no longer living there. She is in college.
Luckily for us, she agreed to go to Florida with us last Christmas, and we had a great time, despite the fact that we hit a cold spell and wore our winter jackets in Key West. When it got warmer, we waded in the shallow water a little bit and found some shells. These shells are the focal point of the necklace. The color is baby blue - or if you look closer, the shades of color of the water at Key West. I found some apatite chips which are exactly the color of the water. The ocean color there is different from Naples or Sunnybelle Island. It is more azure than anywhere else in Florida. So, from baby blue to azure. That's the story of the necklace. Now I just need to finish it. The deadline is February 28th.

Beijing Necklace

2010-02-01T05:25:00.000-08:00

Hurrah!

I finally finished the Beijing necklace made with beads my husband brought from Beijing and the instructions for it will soon be on jewelrylessons.com. Have a look!

Don't dwell on the bad...Look for the positive...

2010-01-25T09:04:00.000-08:00

I am focusing on the positive, which today is micro-macrame. When I work on my creations, I am the one in charge, not the copy machine or a mean co-worker. The only appliances I use are my hands, some thread, give or take a few beads, and imagination. Just yesterday, I was working on a project for the Spring Workshop for the Indiana Bead Society. I was using a copper filigree flower. The way I envisioned the middle of the flower was very different from what actually transpired thanks to the magical imagination! How did it happen? Well, first, it was clear that my plan was not working - the petals were too close together. Then I went and looked through my bead stash. When I came back to the macrame board - it happened - I had a new idea - Magic! Can't wait to go home and finish it up today. That's why I love micro-macrame.

Green Jade from Vietnam

2010-01-19T07:25:00.000-08:00

I did not realize how beautiful Vietnam is till my husband went on a University organized trip there. The islands off the coast are amazing. As I was watching the pictures my husband made, an idea for a necklace came to mind; after all, my husband brought me four pieces of Vietnamese jade which a a vibrant green color, which is similar to the mossy, leafy, grassy color of the islands.
The question now is whether to use Swarovski crystals or try to find some small jade beads to match the cabs. I will definitely use little 14 karat gold beads. Silver will just not do because of the intensity of the green jade. I have some yellowish-greenish silk which will work great. The trick is to find the right color of Superlon. I ordered some C-Lon from marionjewelsandfiber.com, but none of the colors match my vibrant green. I am out on a mission: finding the perfect thread and beads!

Winter Storm

2010-01-07T05:30:00.000-08:00

Well, it's snowing, but they did not close the schools, so all my hopes of staying home and finishing the necklace for my daughter with the perles my husband brought from China fell through. I can only dream about Florida, which was cold this year, but still quite comfortable compared to what I had to go through to get to work today. It will be worse going home. Maybe, they'll close the schools tomorrow. There is always hope.

New Year Resolutions

2010-01-05T05:43:00.000-08:00

The New Year started with a flurry of activities, none related to beading or macrame, so I've got to change this trend. I am going to Beader's Tea today at Bead Angels. I am planning to teach in the Spring Workshop, so I've got to study the market and figure out what people are interested in. I have two new ideas for projects and one old one (just in case). The new projects are a necklace using beads I got in Key West and a brooch using the last Venetian bead I got in Rome this past summer. Got to focus now!

2010-01-03T07:24:00.000-08:00

This is the "New Year." How does it feel? Very cold so far - 14 C. That's cold for Indiana!
The year started with two pleasant events. I got second place in Carpe Beadum :http://goodrivergallery.blogspot.com/2009/12/and-winners-for-carpe-beadum-design.html
I also won Annika's book in a random drawing (I think it is random because my writing is a bit rusty).
Well, as every year, I have grand plans for the next 12 months. Hopefully, the percentage of the resolutions fulfilled and the success achieved will be better than the previous year.
I am working on a micro-macrame tapestry based on Shishkin's painting"Rain in the oak grove."
It's been slow going last year, and I am hoping to work more on it this year. The previous tapestry took 5 years. I don't expect to finish this one sooner. I just hope it doesn't take longer than that. By the time I finished the previous one, we moved to the new house, and it no longer fit (it is rather large). So good luck to me and anyone who is reading my squibs.

The year's end reprise

2009-12-30T17:27:00.000-08:00

Micro-macrame is an art form akin sculpture because it is three-dimensional. It is different from sculpture because I am creating the medium I work with - the fabric of the art: the cords, netting, and the knots, which are formed into a desired shape. All my pieces are three-dimensional. When I took figure drawing at CSUN (Northridge), my instructor told me that I have a good sense of volume - no doubt it has been developed during my macrame work.

It is a misconception that people who cannot paint or draw cling to crafts. I love drawing, but micro-macrame allows me to create wearable art, so I can take my self-expression with me wherever I go. Have a creative year!Meh-crame.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T06:54:00.000-08:00

My tutorial for "Shang Hai" earrings has been uploaded to jewelrylessons.com.
Merry Christmas everyone! Check out the Christmas version of Shang Hai above: coral tubes and aluminum and rubber rings used for chainmaile.

Anticipation

2009-12-10T05:04:00.000-08:00

I am working on three Christmas gifts at once. This is probably not a good work strategy, since I forget the pattern by the time I return to the piece which was on the back burner for a while, but oh, those pangs of creativity... I ran out of ivory colored beads for my mom's necklace. Then, my micro-macrame leaves were acting up... literally! They turned outward at the tips, probably because I used silk instead of nilon and sewed seed beads in the middle. But it is all worth it, because the result will be spectacular, after I redo the necklace for the fifth time. So, I pray for patience and sunny days, so that I have some natural light in the afternoon.
The necklace I am making for my fiend is relatively simple. It's a spiral with changing diameter, but it took me a while to settle on the bead choices, so again some ripping slowed me down. My daughter's necklace si the easierst because it's a pattern from Beadwork. My daughter is very sceptical of my designs, so I showed her a bunch of magazines, and she picked what she wanted. Even though I changed the beads I am using - I've got triangles for the heringbone rope instead of delicas, it is still boring to just follow the pattern, so this one is furthest from completion.
I hope to be able to post a picture of the first completed gift in a couple of days. Which one will it be?

12/25/2009 the necklaces are finished. They fit! All three are experiments with spirals. More experiments to come. Keep checking.

Red Square Earrings Vertical View

2009-12-04T05:09:00.000-08:00

Why Meh-crame?

2009-12-03T05:39:00.000-08:00

Well, you might want to know why I called my site Meh-crame. Meh is a sound a cat makes, when it is content ( oh so I think). I am feeling quite content when I micro-macrame, so I am akin a cat that has found a warm comfy place for a nap, with nobody bothering me, and no nagging thoughts distracting me form my favorite occupation.
Here is a interesting quote from a Cornell psychologist, Dr. Nicholas Nicastro, who found there are different types of meows people can identify, and they have different general meanings. "What I found was there are certain acoustical qualities that correlate with something sounding pleasant or sounding urgent, and I speculate that the cats can use these acoustical changes to manage our impressions of how their meows sound to get what they want out of their human caretakers," said Nicastro. http://www.catsplay.com/thedailycat/2003-10-06/mind_communication/meaning_meow/meaning_meow.html

2009-11-29T10:40:00.001-08:00

This necklace is completed in micro-macrame technique, using Superlon cord and silk, which I found in my late grandmother's sewing box. So the silk is at least 30 years old! I used a variety of seed beads,Delicas, Czech daggers and round glass beads. I also used a colored coral doughnut, two metal rings, some bugles, and some drop beads. The diameter of the flower is 5 1/2 inches.The inspiration for the piece was Van Gogh's Sunflowers which I saw in Holland.It took 3 months to complete the necklace - I have a full time job and a family to feed, so I only bead a little bit at night.

Artist's statement

2009-11-25T04:59:00.000-08:00

I am submitting an entry to a contest, which requires you to write an "artist's statement."

So here goes...

Beading and micro-macrame provide an opportunity for me to explore my creativity. I love the feeling of looking at a completed project and thinking, "Did I make this?" The project comes together subconsciously. All of a sudden I have an idea, and I do not know where it came from. I mean, I know what influences me: the work of other beaders and macrame artists, such as Tatiana Van Iten, Joan Michaels Paque, Fran Stone, flowers that I grow and admire, and the desire to feel like a princes. Yes, it sounds childish, but when I hear complements from friends about my necklaces, I feel special, and that is probably what drives my desire to create yet another piece.

Sometimes, the ideas come to mind when I am reading an article for work, and I start drawing on the article itself. Then, a few months later, when I return to the article, I discover my drawing and think, "Wow, that's a great idea, I should really make this." It's a great feeling, when I have more ideas than I can possibly implement. I hope this feeling never goes away.

I am planning to enter "Use the Muse" contest, which I found online by accident. I was looking for a different contest on Google, and glanced at the title. It is a great name for a contest, I thought. Then I saw the entries, wow! I used one as the wallpaper for my computer at work. I glance at it occasionally and think: There is a different kind of life out there, the enjoyable kind.

Carpe Beadum

2009-11-24T09:28:00.000-08:00

The contest entry is finished and photographed! As always the feeling of excitement (I woke up at 5 a.m.on Sunday to finish it) gives way to thoughts about possible improvements to the design, but I've used almost all the beads, so there will be no second installment. I am already starting to work on the necklace my daughter requested for Christmas. It's the cover project from Beadwork: perles and delicas.
Yours truly,
Tatyana

Hybiscus in the Snow for Carpe Beadum

2009-11-16T05:58:00.000-08:00

This weekend I worked hard to finish my entry for the Carpe Beadum contest from 1 Stop Bead Shop. It is getting closer... That moment when you feel all elated about being able to put it on and admire it in the mirror. I put in on last night. Oh, the anticipation, oh, the tremor in my hands... It is beginning to take shape. I still have two "temari balls" to make and the bottom of the necklace to finish. I am out of smoke topaz Swarovski bicone crystals. I have 6 Siam AM 6 mm left and the same number of Topaz AB 3mm. Isn't that an intersting coincidence!
This whole project is based on coincidences. I found the web site for 1 Stop Bead Shop on my mother's birthday, when I was looking online for hexagonal beads for the spiral I want to make for my mom. The kit for the competition had those beads in it. Thank you, Google!
Then, the kit also had lampwoked beads which are the same size and color as moukite beads that I already had. I've enjoyed working on this project a lot, so it's O.K. if I do not win anything. It was fun. anyway.

Carpe Beadum

2009-11-09T05:28:00.000-08:00

The second half of my Hybiscus in the snow necklace is harder to make than the first, because it is so difficult for me to stick to the pattern I already have on the right hand side. I always get ideas of how to improve the necklace when I work on the second half, and I have to tell myself, "don't you want it to be symmetrical?" - and then I argue with myself, saying, "well, if I have a better way of doing it now, I am obligated to use it." So, it is a tug of war between uniformity and innovation. I still need to work on Diane Fitzgerald's temari balls. The next ball will have gold/bronze and dark bronze Delicas - the beads are delicious like chocolate!
Visit my ETSY page : http://www.etsy.com/shop/tfedorik

Carpe Beadum

2009-10-26T06:21:00.000-07:00

I worked very hard over my Fall Break and had a lot of fun with beads from 1 Stop Bead Shop. I love the Metalic Gold Iris Hexagonal beads from Miyuki! They sparkle like fish scales. The Black Cherry seed beads size #11 really liven up the otherwise brown leaves. I also used dyed jade which I got in Puerto Rico last Christmas and Magnesite and Moukite beads from the mineral show. I still need to work onmy Temari balls. The yellow Delicas look very brownish because I am using brown Superlon, so I am going to try bronze colored ones for the next one. I hope I have enough time to finish the necklace by December 1st!

Carpe Beadum

2009-10-21T06:20:00.000-07:00

I am so excited! I am going to participate in the Carpe Beadum constest organized by 1Stop Bead Shop in Columbus. I have never been to the city. If I get a prize, it would be a great reason to go and visit.
I picked the red and brown kit because it goes with the Fall and Winter seasons. Yellow and brown for the Fall and Red for Christmas. The only problem is that there is very little time. The entry is due Dec ember 1st, and I've conceived a large project, including micro-macrame, peyote, and heringbone stitch. I am using magnesite and moucite, so wish me luck, trying to incorporate all the details and colors. If I can finish it on time, it will be really something!
Happy beading!