I don't often make prototypes. I play. I experiment. I make forever WIPs (not on purpose!) to look at so I can wonder what the heck I actually did there and how I'm supposed to repeat or refine it.
I never write anything down. I don't make sketches. Not smart, I know, but that's not going to change now (wait, I once did, for my wire crochet Christmas balls, but I don't know where that note went which doesn't matter as I haven't made any of them in years).
I don't sit down and actively try to work something out. Measure and count. I don't have an analytical mind. Things come to me or they don't.
This time, I made one, a prototype, kind of.
I didn't want to show it to you yet because I wanted to get it right first, but that may take a while.
The 3D heart wasn't the difficult part, but the blood or tear drop (depending on your language) and the ends of the outer petals which curve up.
Here I used just size 11 and 15 seed beads to make the petals curve, but I didn't like them smaller and like this the heart was too small for my taste.
Right, therefore the size 8 that inspired the stash tackler post.
I didn't have enough white beads in the size 8 to try out if that would look more like what I was thinking of, though.
Postage has definitely become too high for ordering just one tube of beads. Now minimum for postage free shipping has gone up quite a bit as well. As if it wasn't difficult enough for me to put a bead order together!
Not that I wouldn't understand the bead stores, mind you, they have to deal with business realities and their finances just as we all do more and more, as I do as a matter of fact.
I have enough stash, so I can't really justify another bead order just yet.
I don't have any other bead colors in all three sizes, either. Similar maybe, but not the same.
There will be a bead order sometime, though, and the design is absolutely staying on my list, but as I said, it may take a while, so all you get to see for now is this rather tiny protoype, sorry.
And another picture in my hand to give you a better idea of its size.
Awww…, I love this little prototype. It’s so dainty and cute. And absolutely identifiable as a bleeding heart for those of us who are into such things.
ReplyDeleteSo where do you order beads from? I’m trying to wrap my brain around ordering from Albania. So far I’ve scoped out only AliExpress.
Thank you, Michelle! I will probably have to try with mismatched beads to get that out of my system until I can order.
DeleteI order from a German shop, I gave you the link, but will message you again. International postage is 9 € there which is not too bad. I have only ordered from AliExpress once, I'm trying to avoid out of Europe shipping these days.
I would be the same way. Even when I follow a pattern, I never get the same results twice. Your bleeding heart is so pretty. I hope you can soon locate more beads though I definitely understand not wanting to add to your stash! That’s me and yarn!
ReplyDeletehttps://marshainthemiddle.com/
That really makes earrings difficult sometimes!
DeleteThank you very much, Marsha. No bead store in town, so I really have to wait a bit longer if I find the patience 😉 Soooo .... big yarn stash, ey? I'd love to see a picture of that sometime! (My own yarn stash was given away years ago, it was a big parcel!)
I think this smaller sized heart is quite pretty! I hear you on the bead situation. It's frustrating to realize that despite having approximately 39 million different kinds of beads, I somehow don't have the bead that I need! For my typical stringing projects, I can say "well I guess this is going to be a further spur to creativity" and wing it, but bead weaving is pretty unforgiving about having the right kinds/sizes/colors of beads for a creation to come together as you'd imagined it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sally!
DeleteI don't have an extensive bead stash as you do because I hardly have any bigger beads, but I have "a few" seed and cylinder beads and it drives me crazy if exactly what I need is missing or is wrong in size or color. I try to think of all eventualities when I put together a bead order, but I invariably forget something - same as with grocery orders. Or I have a new idea just after I got a bead order.
Stringing is something I've never done, I don't have the talent for bead combinations to look good in stringing.
Love the idea of just playing! It's looks absolutely amazing!
ReplyDelete-Soma
Thank you very much, Soma! I saw your sketch book in your last post (which I loved) and thought about all the (bad, no doubt) sketches I could already have, but I guess we each have to find the way that works for us!
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