Alley's Tribal Necklace

Since Stones and Tribal are being featured together this weekend we wanted to show off one more of Alley Mori's creations. Based off Janice's Trail's End bracelets, Alley made another "convertible," this can be worn as a necklace or as a wrap bracelet. As usual, Alley's eye for color, design, technique, and her sheer ingenuity are on display. With leather wall knots, Tribal beads galore, and an ingenious use of a Vintage Find, Alley has hit another home run!  Scroll down for the full list of ingredients and techniques used, and please enjoy!

Ingredients List

1 Pkg Distressed Gray 2.0mm Indian Leather 

1 Vintage Finds Wanderlust- Golden Serpentine 
1 Spool Light Copper Regular C-Lon 

1 Pkg Tide’s Out- Pumpkin 

3 Pkgs Keep Away- Red and Yellow 

1 Tube West African Mix- Earth 

1 Strand Popcorn Padres- Natural 

1 Tube 6-1233 Matte Opaque Mustard 6/0 Miyuki Seed Beads

1 Tube 6-1255 Matte Metallic Bronze 6/0 Miyuki Seed Beads

1 Tube 6-1236 Matte Terracotta 6/0 Miyuki Seed Beads

1 Strand Tribal Heishi- Brass 

1 Pkg Rattle 'n Shake- Brass 

1 Pkg Pony- Brass 

1 Pkg Pony Express- Brass 

1 Large-hole Serpentine bead from a beadshop.com Trunk Show, any large holed bead will do!

Techniques Used

How to Macrame

Learning the Wall Knot

Alley's closure consists of a loop of leather to secure around her Wanderlust stone. That leather loop is wall-knotted ends with a large-holed Pony Bead, then knotted around the macrame loop created in the strung bead section. The tails of the leather are decorated with Rattle 'n Shake and beads from the West African Mix. For the strung section, Alley starts at the Wanderlust with several strands of C-Lon going through the holes of the Wanderlust and knotted behind. Note the single Pony Express bead embellishment at the center...how pretty! Her strands are strung with her selection of Tribal beads and 6/0s. See how she tapers her strands at the end, combining two strands into one, before ending them in a macrame loop attached to her leather knot. Before attaching here, a large-holed Pony bead and her large-holed Serpentine bead are strung over her macrame loop to hide the end of it. 

Alley Mori's Maya Mix Necklace

This weekend, as we feature Stones and Tribal together, seemed like the perfect time to showcase Alley's beautiful necklace, based off Janice's Trail's End bracelet design. This piece is truly a work of art, and also a two-for! It can be worn as a necklace or wrapped around your wrist as a bracelet. As usual, Alley's eye for color, design, technique, and her sheer ingenuity are on display. Supplementing our February 2019 Monthly Mix, Maya, are a selection of beautiful semiprecious stones and tribal beads, including heishi, shadows, and more of the Natural Padres found in the mix. Scroll down for the full list of ingredients and techniques used, and please enjoy!

Ingredients List

1 Pkg Sable 1.5mm Indian Leather

1 Spool Gold Fine C-Lon
1 Vintage Finds Pinwheel- Blue Serpentine
1 Strand Popcorn Padres- Natural

1 Strand Matte African Turquoise- 6mm
1 Strand Matte African Turquoise- Large Hole
1 Strand Tribal Heishi- Brass 
1 Strand Shadows- Antique Brass (Bright Brass also works!)
1 Large-hole Serpentine bead (Alley bought hers from one of our Trunk Shows, but any large hole bead will work, it hides the end of the macramé loop) 

1 Tube Maya, February 2018 Monthly Mix, or purchase separately once sold out:

• 8-4481 Duracoat Opaque Eucalyptus
• 8-409- Opaque Chocolate 8/0
• 8-1233 Matte Opaque Mustard
• 8-4202- Duracoat Galvanized Gold 8/0
• 8/0 Metal Seed Beads - Gilding Matte Gold Plate
• 6-135S- Silver Lined Dark Topaz 6/0
• Popcorn Padres Natural

Techniques Used

How to Macrame

Learning the Wall Knot

Alley's closure consists of a loop of leather to secure around her Pinwheel stone. That leather loop is wall-knotted and strung with Padre beads and ended with a large-holed Matte African Turquoise bead and knotted. The tails of the leather are decorated with Padres, 6/0s, and Shadows. For the strung section, Alley starts at the Pinwheel with several strands of Fine C-Lon going through the holes of the Pinwheel and knotted behind. Note the single Shadow bead embellishment at the center...how pretty! Her strands are strung with the Maya mix, 6mm African Turquoise, Shadows, and Heishi. See how she tapers her strands at the end, combining two strands into one, before ending them in a macrame loop attached to her leather knot. Before attaching here, a large-holed Matte African Turquoise and her large-holed Serpentine bead are strung over her macrame loop to hide the end of it. 

Kate’s Seven Tips to Kick-start Creativity

Spring is just around the corner…with the promise of new beginnings, Spring always makes me want to sit at the bead table and CREATE! Scrolling though my posts on our FB Group, The Bead Table, I found this post I wrote a while back, and thought it was a good time to share again.

Being naturally creative people, our brains come up with so many ideas! Our hands are happy when busy and our minds at ease when occupied with making a project.

It’s getting into the “project flow” that can pose a challenge. And you know what? That’s okay! It happens to me all the time. My mind can run a million miles an hour and it can be exhausting.

It’s like being a kid in a candy store (or in a bead store), it’s hard to know where to look or create first. Here are some things I do to get myself in the “bead flow.”

-Kate

Kate’s Seven Tips to Kick-start Creativity 

1. Make components. Like in the necklace pictured, or wire wrap beads, or make clasps, spirals, or headpins. The box of components that you make will make future projects fly by.

2. Print your projects. Take a screen shot or even a photo of the computer screen with your camera phone and print it out and bag it together with your beads in a big baggie. If you steal from this project stash later, who cares! You can always buy more and add it back in. Just leave a note about what you took.

3. Sort your stash. Organized beads are happy beads. Organize however works for you. You are setting up your own shop, so make it the way you like!

4. Give yourself permission to cut up old projects that no longer resonate. Cut up with wild abandon and return your beads to your stash. Or give ‘em away... it really clears your creative space, plus you have more beads to work with!

5. Practice. Grab a spool of wire or needle and thread and knock out process samples. Wire wrap 20 loops one after the other or just start Peyote stitch over and over so the technique flows seamlessly. No end game in mind: just build your skill.

6. Start your art journal. It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece, but having a repository for ideas can calm the creative mind and help you to not forget those great flashes of inspiration.

7. Do something else. If the creative bug hasn’t bitten and you are flailing, move on. Read a book, take a walk, have a nap. The beads will be there when you are ready.

Remember, in the words of Maya Angelou, “You can’t use up creativity, the more you use, the more you have.”