So the Sea Mistress cuff has been a big hit. This is especially excellent as it’s a piece that really captures a lot of thinking done by the collective hive-mind. Jean and Dustin and Gabriella and I (with enlightening talks with Debi and Chris from Beads of Colour) have been mulling these shapes and starts for months, trying to predict where we could go with the basic ideas. This one is still in progress- I’m thinking about where I want to add more layers, and in what tones. An unobtrusive glossy black underlayer must go on for certain, like a little French crinoline, and I am deciding about the finish at the connection.
Today I’m doing some sketching for the handmade fine silver clasps for the Sea Mistress and Mermaid cuff kits. The finished piece is so lightweight that honestly a simple snap is enough to keep it closed, but I like the idea of being able to put silver on it as well, and so am designing a sort of finned Ball End event that can be fixed in place in your piece, or used in a removable fashion (my favorite). The kits also come with a snap closure.
The kits are actually about half-gone- if you were thinking of getting one, perhaps that is good information to have. People have chosen evenly from each colourway; some people have surprised me and bought both. How lovely that you all love this as much as we do. Please get one soon (or let me know to hold one for you) if you think you want one. The pattern will be for sale in the Shop for a long time, no worries about that , it’s just the bead kits with handmade clasps that are limited to 50. I’m supposed to be laying out a book, not making Finned clasps, you see.
Jean Power is landing soon in Philadelphia; I hope they have a suitable delegation to greet her. I should have hired a band or something!
Visit the Beadmobile blog and keep up on the progress of our new book, Geometrics!
February 22nd, 2012 at 5:46 pm
Oh Kate, this is beautiful. I ordered one in the other colorway before this was completed. Now I would love to have one in this version as well. Is it possible for you to hold one for me please? Can’t wait to see what your creative brain cooks up for a clasp.
February 22nd, 2012 at 6:19 pm
Of course!! Or I can simply switch you to the Sea Mistress?
February 23rd, 2012 at 1:30 pm
No, please don’t switch me!
I would love to do both but I won’t have the money until the end of Feb and they all could be gone by then. So if you put one aside for me until then, I can pay you by PayPal. I have already paid for the first kit. Should I email you about this? You were saying how backed up your email is.
February 23rd, 2012 at 3:47 pm
I’m caught up on my email!
Yay! I’ll save you one.
xxx
kate
February 24th, 2012 at 6:03 am
nice …….
February 24th, 2012 at 11:00 am
Thanks a million Kate for saving me a kit. I love both colorways and don’t think I really could decide between the two. I will email you when I have the necessary funds and you can send a Paypal invoice to me.
Tucson is looking so beautiful. I loved the spring while I lived there. I remember riding my bike and smelling the orange blossoms as I went through the neighborhood.
February 25th, 2012 at 7:41 am
I’m sure you’ve been asked this already…..so please forgive me! Is this a stepped-out project in the book? Or an extra project? Also, are the book kits similar in colors to the tri-winged ring kit? Thank you!
Jodie
February 25th, 2012 at 8:07 am
Hi, Jodie! The Mermaid and Sea Mistress are variations of ideas- they are not stepped out in the book but there are lots of photographs of them. In my mind, once you learn the ideas of the wings and the horns (neither of which are complicated- they just involve herringbone increases in peyote) you can make any shape you like.
The kits are for people who want the project stepped out, want something to get going on, want the luscious beads, you know. I try to make sure that my kit price doesn’t exceed the retail price of the beads and the clasp, so it’s an easy way for people who like to bead to support the work in progress.
If you want to make the kit pieces (or ones like them) from the book, I’m sure you will be able to do it. If you can’t, we failed, frankly. Also, if you have a Tri-Wing kit, and you’ve mastered that idea, you can certainly make either of these pieces. They are natural extensions of the maneuver.
The book kits are a palette of beautiful beads, ones that we used in projects in the book. They may contain some of the same colours that were sent out with the Tri-Wing, but probably not all. The book kits will be very nice, because they will contain a sensible sampling of every type of bead that we used, so that whatever project a person wants to get started on, they are sure to have something that will work. Again, we try not to exceed the normal retail cost of the materials when we price a kit.
If you are beading on a budget, which many of us are (me included!) you will be fine with just the book- beads are everywhere.
Our goal is to ship the book in May- we had a bit of a setback with Dustin going into the hospital, but we think we can meet the schedule. Some people are eager to get going with the ideas…