Once again, our talented artists have created a group of original projects based on our monthly theme. With spring finally on the way, we’ve decided to celebrate the season by focusing on the theme of “Sprout”. We hope you enjoy viewing these projects as much as we’ve enjoyed creating them. Feel free to start your exploration here: our featured artist, Lynn Kvigne, has created a wonderful sprouting lentil project. Lynn’s description and a full view of her inspired piece can be found below.
Thanks for stopping by!
Alexa Westerfield - a.k.a. Swelldesigner
Now that's it's time for spring, ideas are "sprouting" all over the place. Alexa creates this eye-catching notebook to keep them in order.
Art Bead Scene
Some good karma is sprouting up at the Art Bead Scene with Heather's Lotus Flower Bracelet
Cindy Gimbrone aka The Lampwork Diva
The Brooklyn National Anthem sprouts every year when Cindy's in Spring mode. See what it inspired this year!
Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Melanie giggles and remembers a furry friend, brings back an old mold, and sprouts up a beaded LOLhammy ceramic ornament
Helen Bradley and Michelle Zimmerman at http design
It's spring and we're sprouting all sorts of wonderful art at http design. Michelle is toting her art to the market and Helen revisits a fun art school assignment for her inspiration.
Humblebeads
Humblebeads celebrates spring with a Berry Good bracelet inspired by some juicy disk beads.
Jennifer Heynen of Jangles
Jennifer has come up with a cute little necklace to remind you of spring.
Katie's Beading Blog
Create some spring flair of your own with this easy bead embroidery idea from Katie's book, Hip to Bead.
Kriss Cramer - Spring Is In The Air
Not much of a horticulturist? Me neither! But I love flowers and I enjoy growing these ones with some paper, paint, and rhinestones.
Linda and Tea at Make It Mine magazine
Tea decided to join the fun this month. Check out her quilt blocks and Linda's purse.
Melissa J. Lee - Strands of Beads
What do Korean playing cards have to do with a sprouting spring? Check out Melissa's blog to find out.
Michelle McGee - S-P-R-O-U-T
Michelle just can't stop creating in green! A little wooden birdhouse becomes a beautiful palace!
Savvy Crafter
Candie shares some happy spring memories with a cheerful felty flower idea!
Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Jean tells a touching, poignant tale of some beads who help one another, and after a small amount of sturm and drang they get it together and help each other! In fact, they prettify whatever YOU choose! Go see! It's fun!
Spring is Sprouting for Joolz by Lisa
Even without a green thumb, Lisa managed to "grow" a garden of sorts this month.
Sprouting Up with Beading Help Web
Lynn Kvigne's used wire and a lentil bead to create a "sprouting" pendant for wire workers who want a bit of a challenge!
The Goddess ROCKS!
Inspired by a river rock shaped like an ancient goddess statue, Hali paints, melts crayons and adds glitter to create a sparkley celebration of Spring.
The Impatient Blogger
How does your garden grow? With metal mesh, Czech glass beads and vintage French images all in a row! Margot just returned from Paris where she discovered a treasure trove of vintage paper. This scanned and sized postcard image fit the theme of sprout perfectly and the necklace was in search of a new home...add some teal metal mesh bows and accents and voila...a design sprouts forth!
Vintage Girl Teams Up With Her Vintage Momma!
What does a gal do when she finds herself far from her crafting supplies? Why, she raids her mom's basement and then puts dear old mama to work! Stop by and you'll see why mom's basement is fertile ground for things that sprout!
Beading Help Web Sprouted Up This Wire Wrap Pendant!
Earlier this month, I "teased" you with just a snippet of my Ornament Thursday project...and now it's time to do an unveil!
My husband looked at this pendant and said "Sprout?" so I devised my best PR spin to convince him. It's made from a) a lentil bead (get it, like a seed?), b) has swirls at the top to represent the tender green shoots emerging from the earth, and c) a tiny little swirl at the bottom to root my sprout into the fertile ground and nourish it for life.
Okay, he rolled his eyes and said "If you say so", but I convinced myself. :-D And the design must be pretty good, because I've already had a commission from someone who spotted it and wanted it in another color.
A high level of materials and tools are listed below...Materials:
16g dead soft wire (3" section, 2 1/2" section)
26g dead soft wire (approximately 24")
10mm lentil shaped bead
Tools:
Sharpie Marker
Round-nose or "wrap and tap" pliers
Chain-nose pliers
Flush cutters
Liver of Sulfur or hard-boiled eggs for oxidizing (optional)
For full step-by-step instructions, including photos, visit the Beading Help Web blog. This is an intermediate project; I'd suggest you have some familiarity with wire wrapping, and if you'd like, try it using copper or craft wire before moving to sterling silver.
Have a blast making your own version of Sprout!!
