I was browsing for Peranakan beadwork (I wrote about it first here), beadwork done by immigrant Chinese in Indonesia and Singapore, and Malaysia, I believe. A series of clicks led me to the Borneo International Beads Conference held October 9-10 in Malaysia. Experts will speak on heirloom beads of the area, Nyonya beadwork (the name of the beadwork done by the Peranakan), antique and pre-historic beads, organic materials used as beads by indigenous Malaysians, and more. The post-conference tours include to an archaeological site and local beadworking communities. Sign me up!!
Tags: education
These instructions are now available for sale from Buy The Kit on their pattern page. Select my name from the designers, and this instruction set is on the second page. The primary instructions are for the cream and green rope second from the left, but I also diagrammed the variations for the other three, and those below:
And using peanut beads instead of drops (and a WAY brighter palette):
And the original variation, from the necklace I made for Beading for a Cure (same as the cream and green in the top picture, but using Japanese drop beads instead of Czech):
This is a lovely flexible rope, with lots of design possibilities. Give it a try!
Tags: Buy the Kit
This is where I’m going to leave the embroidery. Now, on to hair!
Tags: embroidery, square stitch
I just listened to a 10 minute podcast from NPR’s All Things Considered entitled “When Did We Become Mentally Modern?” The argument is that it’s not when we began walking upright, but when we began to think in symbols. And beads have a starring role as an example. Click below to listen, or read the story on the NPR website.
When Did We Become Mentally Modern
In east central Minnesota, about one hour from the Twin Cities, is the Franconia Sculpture Park. “The outdoor, rotating collection of over 75 contemporary sculptures reflects the creative talents of local, national and international artists.” It’s a working sculpture park, with artists in evidence, working on sculptures in all sorts of media. There are regular music concerts and programs in the sculpture park. It was a fun visit, the day after a heavy rain, so mud was underfoot and water was on the sculptures. Click on any picture for a larger image.
Tags: gallery
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