Just one pic...

So what happened to the photos I promised for today? For various reasons I didn't get around to edit them all -- and it's really hard to pick out just a few for the post (got totally mesmerised by the patterns the sun made in the water and ended up with lots of pics). So today I'll only show you the one above.


And a few mixed notes:

• I'm really rubbish at commenting/replying on your comments, especially now, but I always read them and I appreciate them so much. The "thanks for commenting" text by the comment box isn't just empty words.

• I finally did get my books this week. Got them on Monday. That means I'll hopefully do a review of one of them, a jewellery making book by Mary Hettmansperger, on my other blog next week. If you want to see a review in english on this blog, just let me know you're interested and I'll publish one.

• I'm never satisfied: got new books and what do I do? Order another one! (Let's just say I'm celebrating the tax return.)

• It'll almost midsummer's eve and that means next week will be the last week I blog on Manekis Pärlblogg before my summer break. After that I just hope to be able to focus on other things like (bead) embroidery and metalwork (read: patina and colorising experiments). Yay!

• I've been rubbish at replying on my e-mail messages too. I'm trying to catch up today. If you've contacted me via e-mail and don't recieve a reply by tomorrow -- contact me again because the message might have disappeared (on the way or in my inbox).

For those of you missing jewellery and/or bead related content: I've got another post that'll be published later today too with a couple more of my patina experiments. Later during the week I might also show my twin bead swatches/samplers.

Summer's eve -- part 2

And here's part 2 of the summer evening photos. This time I didn't have Jisse with me. Instead, his brother Julle came and followed me on the road. Unfortunately, this was the best pic I got of him: the close-ups where blurred as he refused to sit still (he really didn't like that I focused more on the camera than him...).

This was the view he and I saw from that spot:

And then -- to totally spoil the mood -- a pic that should've been in the first part instead:

(I did take a few flower pics too, but I'm saving them for a special summer flower post. And, by the way, don't miss tomorrow's post with the seaside photos.)

Summer's eve -- part 1

I've got some new photos for you. Last night the weather was so lovely I just had to go outdoors not just once, but three times to snap a few pics. I was supposed to go to bed early to get up for work in time, but I just had to get some photos when the mist started to gather. (I had the camera nearby as I needed to upload pics from my camera as my sis and I had decided to go down to the sea after work today -- but those pics will have to wait to tomorrow, our day off.)

The pics have been divided into two posts. This post is about the first series of pics I took around 8 or 9 (that some pics look so dark hours before the sunset is because of the bright sun: hard to get photos of the landscape without the shimmering water burning out). The next post are photos I took later. But first a photo of my assistant that came with me, the very sweet Jisse.

The view is the same old, really so I don't have much to say about the individual photos.

June bead soup palette

Just a quick post (as I've not only been working, but also managed to hurt my knee and got a three day tummy ache so I'm not in the best of mood). Wanted to show this week's colour palette that I've done for my other blog. It's actually two palettes since I couldn't choose which green to use. In retrospect I regret the opaque olive though as it didn't looks a good together with the pink in the photos (either the olive beads should've been lustered or the pink beads should've been without the luster finish). So for this post, I put the second palette (with the mottled and lustered green beads) before the first.

As you can see I don't use a template: different font sizes every time... Should make notes of the sizes really so it's more uniform. I also should add the blog URL, I think. To watermark/tag the pics. But I forget... (On the same note, I really feel the first palette photo needs to be remade. It doesn't at all bring out the lovely colours of the beads...)

I've had an idea about my summer blogging break (from my other blog, not this one), that I'd make weekly palettes. Simple ones with two or three colours max. Instead of not blogging at all. But maybe I need more of a full break? I felt that way the other day and wanted to give up the idea. But... Can't decide... There's some time left before midsummer's eve and my traditional blog break start, though, so there's time to change my mind again. What do you think? My palettes aren't that special, but it's always fun to do even if the photo editing takes some time. Is it better to do palettes than to do no blogging at all through July and perhaps even August? Would you like to see more palettes, even if they are simple? Is it worth the effort?

Bead and jewellery making book reviews

I'm sitting here -- after a short working day (2 hours) -- and waiting for my book order to arrive. It feels like ages ago that I ordered them (last week)... No books in the mail today, but perhaps tomorrow?

Anyway, since I'm thinking about nothing but books -- the ones I bought and the ones I want to buy -- I got the idea to make a short list of beading and jewellery making books I've reviewed on my other blog. Mostly books in english, but also swedish, danish, dutch, french, japanese books can be found in my collection -- eventhough I don't even speak all those languages!

List of reviewed bead and jewellery making books 2008-2011

Books listed by name of author. Click on the title of each book to go directly to the review post in question. Of cause all reviews are written in Swedish; if you want, you can translate them using Google Translate.

• Atkins, Robin: Beaded Treasures. Finger Woven Bracelets, Necklaces, Tassels & Straps. (2006, Tiger Press)
• Barta, Melinda: Custom Cool Jewelry. Create 200+ Personalized Pendants, Charms and Clasps. (2008, Interweave)
• Belle Armoire Jewelry (Stampington)
• Davis, Jane: Bead Embroidery: The Complete Guide. Bring New Dimension to Classic Needlework. (2005, Krause Publications)
• Eriksson, Mariana & Birgitta Videgård: Smycka dig. (1997, LTs förlag)
• Frey, Kathy: Elegant Wire Jewelry. Contemporary Designs & Creative Techniques. (2007, Lark Books)
• Goodhue, Horace: Indian Bead-Weaving Patterns. Chain-Weaving Designs, Bead Loom Weaving and Bead Embroidery -- An Illustrated "How-To" Guide. Revised and Expanded Edition (1989, Bead-Craft)
• de Graaf, Leane: Kralenfantasie/Perlenphantasie/Beadfantasy/Féerie de Perles (2005, Leane Creatief) [review of whole series of booklets]
• Greer, John Michael & Clare Vaughn: Pagan Prayer Beads. Magic and Meditation with Pragan Rosaries. (2007, Red Wheel/Weiser Books)
• Haab, Sherri: Designer Style Jewelry. Techniques and Projects for Elegant Designs From Classic to Retro. (2004, Watson-Guptill)
• Hettmansperger, Mary: Fabulous Woven Jewelry. Plaiting, Coiling, Knotting, Looping & Twining with Fiber & Metal. (2006, Lark Books)
• Hewitt, Jema: Tiaras and Bridal Jewellery. (Rainbow Disks, CD book)
• Hooghe, Christine & Sylvie: Crystal Beaded Jewellery (2004, Search Press)
• Hørmann, Karen & Anette Ib: Smykker af strandsten. Forlaget (2004, Hørmann & Ib)
• Hørmann, Karen & Anette Ib: Sølvperler. (2001, Forlaget Hørmann & Ib)
• Japanese bead books
• Jones, Linda: Making Colourful Wire & Beaded Jewellery. 35 fabulous designs. (2004, Cico Books)
• King, Kenneth D.: Designs for Bead Embroidery. 150 Patterns and Complete Techniques. (2006, Search Press)
• Krona och krans. Smycka till fest och bröllop. (2005, Tidskriften Hemslöjden/Svenska Hemslöjdsföreningarnas Riksförbund)
• Kummli, Heidi & Sherry Serafini: The Art of Bead Embroidery. Technique, Design, & Inspiration. (2007, Kalmbach Publishing)
• Lawergren, S.: Handvirkat (1964, Aktiebolaget E. Holmqvists Eftr)
• Lenart Kazmer, Susan: Making Connections. A Handbook of Cold Joins for Jewelers and Mixed-Media Artists. (2008, Disegno Productions)
• MacDuffee, Melody: Boutique Bead & Jewelry. (2008, Lark Books)
• McGrath, Jinks: The Jeweller's Directory of Decorative Finishes. From Enameling and Engraving to Inlay and Granulation. (2005, A &C Black; American edition: k p books)
• Miller, Sharilyn: Contemporary Copper Jewelry. Step-by-step, techniques and projects. (2009, Interweave Press)
• Millodot, Suzen: Celtic Knots for Beaded Jewellery (2006, Search Press)
• Rhodes-Moen, Jeanne: Silver Threads. Making Wire Filigree Jewelry. (2006, Kalmbach Books)
• Rohn, Valérie: Pampilles ambiance déco (2006, LTA Décoration)
• Root, Gineke: Van Kraal tot Sieraad (2004, Cantecleer)
• Ryan, M. T.: Glamorous Beaded Jewelry (2006, Creative Homeowner)
• Thomas, Susan C.: Link It! Colorful Chain Mail Jewelry with Rubber O-Rings. (2008, Lark Books)
• Tourtillott, Suzanne (ed.): Making Beautiful Beads: metal, glass, fiber, polymer clay. (2002, Lark Books)
• Vintaj Jewelry Technique Book. (2010, Vintaj Natural Brass Co.)
• Wallace, Sandra: The Beader's Colour Mixing Directory. 200 colour schemes for beautiful beadwork. (2007, Search Press)
• Winell-Garvén, Iréne & Margareta Nyde: Med pärlor och tråd. Trädning och broderi, vävning och makramé, stickning och virkning. (1974, ICA-förlaget)
• Withers, Sara & Stephanie Burnham: Pärlteknik -- så skapar du egna smycken. (2005, Prisma) [Swedish edition of The Encyclopedia of Beading Techniques]
• Yoko: Beads Jewellery for Happy Wedding [english subtitle] (2005, Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha)

~ * ~

I also read magazines, though with a few exceptions I have found that I prefer books, but Belle Armoire Jewelry is so far the only mag I've gone as far as reviewing. Partially because that's one of the few mags I had several recent issues of; reviewing a mag based on one issue feels somewhat unjuste and reviewing a mag based on what it was like two or three years ago when I subscribed or regularly bought copies is even more unfair and gives a dated and perhaps even wrong view of what the mag is like today (and tomorrow).

I haven't reviewed any books in a while now. Since the books only are ones found at the local library -- not that many of interest -- or bought when my budget allowed such luxuries, the number of reviews I can make are very limited. The first couple of years I simply reviewed books from my bookshelf, but now I've already reviewed most of those. Well, at least I'll hopefully sometime during this week get one book that'll be perfect to review on the blog. After that I'm not sure how many more book purchases my budget will allow (seeing how I want to buy supplies too, not just books).


PS! Would you be interested to read my future reviews here, in english, too? Just let me know if you do and I'll include them here as well.

Gesso patina

Still busy with the harvest, but don't want to abandon the blog totally. So here's a pic of a brass stamping I was playing around with recently.

Originally, I just wanted to give it a white wash using gesso. Gesso is a product I just recently discovered. I'd heard about it before, but just seen it as something for painters, not for me. But then I began to see it in mixed media works and on metals coloured using coloured pencils. So I got a jar -- and I love it: the versatility, the creamy white colour, the matte finish, the toughness, everything.

The stamping with its clumsy gesso patina had been laying on my worktable for months as I wasn't pleased with the result. So the other day, when I felt like torching something, I gave it a bit of a heat patina on top of the gesso, perhaps inspired by Victoria Altepeter's patina examples.

Not sure if it's a good idea to torch acrylic-based gesso... Don't encourage others to apply an open flame on anything plasic based, but that's what I did. Carefully and with (sort of) good ventilation, but still nothing to encourage. Probably better to get the heat patina first or go for a fumed/buried/immersed patina on top of the gesso instead.

Next time I might dilute the gesso -- as mentioned here -- to make it easier to apply and, most importantly, to wipe off.


PS! If you want some gesso inspiration, check out my pinboard Crackle and patina finishes on Pinterest.

Bead blog recap weeks 19-22

I've forgotten to do my usual biweekly summaries of my other blog, Manekis Pärlblogg, for weeks so this time it'll be a long, long post. Contests, bead cruises, silk ribbon earrings, colours and margaritomancy are just a few of the themes from the last four weeks.