Kites and cubes - The big ones

A week ago, I posted about using tiny 1.8 mm cube beads for a kite shape and announced this post about using the 3 mm cubes.

These bigger beads and I have a bit of a fraught relationship. When I started out crocheting and then knitting with wire, a friend told me that she had big cube and triangle beads which would be just perfect. They were leftovers from her beading days - that should have been a warning, if she didn't know how to use them, how would I? - and she would make me a good price.
In the end, I gave in and literally regretted it for years. The triangle beads were easier to use, but the cubes - there were loads and they were too heavy to use really many of them in pieces of jewelry ... I can't even tell you how often I tried something and ripped it up again. Finally, I used quite a few in my "pineapple slices" aka Christmas ornaments.
 

One experiment from when I also started bead looming was using them for that. Where the tiny cubes worked quite well, though, the big ones just didn't look and feel right at all.
Eventually I cut up the one bracelet I had made and the big tube of beads went back into the tin with all my tiny cubes where I found it again now.
Years ago I had a regular "tackle that stash" day on my blog to motivate myself to use up really old supplies - maybe it was time to tackle this bead tube ...

So this is how these two pairs of earrings were created (and now there are only about a dozen beads left which I call success).
I'm sure you have seen the earrings which have a beaded triangle on top, sometimes a diamond with four sides of the same length, in one or more colors, sometimes with a pattern, and a fringe.
 

My own "Jaws" design

This is the same idea, only with "cube kites".
For the fringes I dug into my stash of tiny crystals - and promptly threw a bunch of them all over the place 😂
It's difficult to catch in a picture, but I quite like the contrast of matte and sparkle.
Which version do you like better?

Kites and cubes - The tiny ones

K was a kite
Which flew out of sight,
Above houses so high,
Quite into the sky.

(From the Nonsense Alphabet
by Edward Lear)

I love tiny cube beads, so when I was able a few years ago to get a surprise assortment at a sale price from one of the bead shops I order from, I jumped right on it.
Then I remembered that as cute as they are, I always struggled a bit what to do with them. I loomed with them (the result is stiffer than with seed or cylinder beads) ...

... I wire knitted with them (so slinky) ...

... I did peyote with them, in the round and folded ...

... and I still had a box full of cube tubes (this wasn't even everything I made).
So when I came upon a quick tutorial for a beaded diamond kite shape, I thought I'd give that a try (this isn't the only tut for it, it was just the first popping up in my recommendation, but it works well) with cubes instead of cylinder beads.
I first made a test piece in Delicas and immediately decided that instead of the original design I wanted to make some variations, ripping up the test piece again.
These are the results so far.

The kite shape made me think of Art Deco patterns and inspired this design. Simple but with a bold color combination.

One theory is that kites have their name from the hovering birds of prey. In German, however, we call the bird "Milan" and the tethered flying object "Drachen" after dragons.
Inspired by the name, I beaded a smaller version of the design and added dragon charms. Readers who have been around for a while know I can't resist a nice dangle and I love these 3D dragons!

I also tried a pair of earrings using just the open V shape in a combination of clear, pearly white, and matte black cubes.
While I liked the color combination, I wasn't completely happy with the overall look and will be playing with that some more.

Delicas as used in the tutorial are very uniform beads, the cubes not so much although I cull the ones that are way too big or crooked. So it was a nice surprise how well it worked after all.

Cubes also stiffen the design a bit which isn't a bad thing for earrings.
These beads come in different sizes, so expect another post with some "big ones" (3 mm instead of 1.8).

Interview with the artist - Christina from Little CLUUs

Today I'd like you to welcome Christina whom I met on deviantART and who will tell us about dragons and "Little CLUUs" ;-)
 

Tiger dragon with marble

Tell us a little about who you are and where you come from.

My name is Christina and I was born and raised in Reno, NV. I've been into arts since I was very small. I got my masters in the violin when I was in high school and performed professionally for many years. And then in my later years of high school and into college I made video games for a living. After I realized I didn't want to sit in front of a computer for my career I started airbrushing and doing custom paint jobs on motorcycles and cars etc. And then after having my son almost 3 years ago I began sculpting and doing chainmaille for work :)

What's your craft and how did you get to do it in the first place?

Currently I'm doing chainmaille and polymer clay sculpting. I got into chainmaille from a friend that did it and thought it was a really unique jewelry that you don't see often. And with sculpting I've dabbled with it since middle school and I have a love of dragons so I started practicing sculpting then and here they are!

Baby Nightfury dragon

What's the story behind your business name?

Well, it was a bit of a secret, but I guess I'll let y'all know ;) My creations are all very special to me because I do spend quite a bit of time on them and I care about every little detail so in a sense they are little pieces of me. So that's why Little (for part of myself I put into the sculptures/jewelry) and then CLUUs, ... My initials are CLW and when you say it phonetically it sounds like 'clue' and if you say the letter 'W' it's a double u, so my initials spelled out are CLUU and together it is little pieces of me :3

I think this is one of the most asked questions – where does your inspiration come from?

My inspiration comes from all over the place! If I'm even out doing errands and I see a pattern or maybe a flower I like, I take those colors or the way something's shaped to make what I do. Or if it's something like the holidays it's always fun to have 'themed' pieces.

Fire gecko

Tell us a fun thing about yourself.

Let's see, a random fun thing lol. I am an owner and lover of exotic birds. I have a few that are pets and I also accept birds that are rescues that need a home.

Do you do other crafts, if yes, what?

Oh yes. I dabble in many things lol. I've been make art dolls lately which has been a ton of fun. I also do some plushies. I still do airbrushing and make art panels with it. I make resin pieces for jewelry of display. I do glass etching and make ornaments. I paint traditionally and I do digital art. I think if there's something out there, I've tried it once lol. I love art :3

Rainbow of butterflies bracelet

Which one of your pieces is your absolute favorite? Which one was the hardest to make and why?

My favorite piece...that's a tough one. I think my all time favorite would have to be my Tropical Rainbow Dragon. I had the concept for that piece in my head for a long time and I knew it would take me forever to make, but once I got going on it I loved it. Over 60 hours later, and that one was finished. And I think that one would also qualify for hardest to make because there is no paintwork involved so the color blending and the gradient was all done scale by scale to give a nice flow to the colors.

Tropical rainbow dragon

Is there someone whom you admire and who inspires you?

I think I would have to give a lot of my inspiration to Peña who makes some very beautiful dragons. And also to nature lol. There is nothing more beautiful than what Mother Nature makes, so it's always nice to just go out in the world and see some amazing things.

If you had free choice of just one supply you can use for your craft, what would you be dreaming of, no matter how expensive?

Ooooo.....well if I had only one item I would have to pick my clay. But if I could have a dream item, it would actually be a limited set of Iwata airbrushes lol.

Wrestling twin baby dragons

Do you sell online, if yes, where can we find you?

Yes I do. You can find creations I make here at my etsy store Little CLUUs.

Or for custom orders you can get ahold of me on etsy or here on DA :3

Famous last words ;-) Is there anything else you want to tell the world out there?

Never give up! Seriously! I get asked all the time how to improve on ANY craft and it's just patience and practice. I'm always here to help, you just need to ask. One of my favorite things as an artist is seeing something I've made and it inspires another to make something of their own!

Thank you for being here, Christina, I'm looking forward to seeing more of your dragons and I'm sure I'm not the only one!

Friday evening

I'm really tired, so let me just show you the latest and I'll be back out like a lightning, ok?

I'm still in love with the combination of color-lined crystal and galvanized seed beads. The optical illusion that makes you think you have a textured 3D piece is stunning, no matter how often I work with it. I'm really happy I stumbled upon this because it's so much fun.

This new slim bracelet is made with galvanized rose gold and yellow-lined crystal beads, such a sunny, yet also earthy combination!

It's available in my Zibbet shop.

Totally different is this necklace which is not listed yet. I'm very tempted to keep it myself, only this light blue is not necessarily my color.

Pure sparkle, I swear. It's definitely droolworthy.

I'm only glad I got my very own "dragon" taking care of the hoard and protecting it! ;-)
Boy, he looks mean in this pic!!

Komodo sun

No, I'm not out to "hunt" the dragons, but the dragons ... wait, let me start at the beginning.

You know that with most of what I do I'm not bound to a certain spot. Somehow I haven't had one of my night sessions in my library armchair for a while, but last night I went up there and got drawn in by my Robin Hood DVD (the old BBC TV series) while rummaging through my storage box. It's amazing what things you can find when you haven't even been looking for them, that strand of andalusite I had been saving, some silver beads I had forgotten about, Tundura sapphires, a small bag of leopard skin jasper and an agate ring.

After a little thinking, humming along with Robin's Merry Men and fiddling I had an idea and this is the result. The way the beads lie next to each other reminded me of a lizard ... a dragon ... Komodo! And when I found the matte black agate I still had fit right into the middle, I was really happy.

Komodo sun pendant

Nothing much has been happening in my life beside that. I read, I work, I play, I get tortured by the cats (Ponder cooking bead soup for me by jumping on my bead mats for example), I get loved by the cats (nothing like a tiny cat like Meffi sleeping on your head, yup, not next to my head), pretty normal everything and probably pretty boring to you. Sorry about that ;-)

Bling bling

This was one crazy week!!

I feel as if all my energy is drained, but still I managed to got a little bit done. Let me show you my latest creations with Swarovski crystals. I will be blinded soon if I keep working with them ;-)

And that's meant in a good way referring to their sparkle.

Do you remember Tomomi, my little dragon (read up on her story here)? Here is a new nest of hers, a little different from the others. The "egg" in it is an antique pinkish faceted glass crystal and all around the edge of the silver colored nest are black Swarovski. The bail is not only coiled, but also twisted.

Next is the Magma ring, crocheted from fine silver wire, adorned with a dome of light siam and black Swarovski. The name was thought up by a Plurk friend and when I read it, I could see it myself, the way the hot red magma shines through the black rocks.

Mabel had her say again as well, this time it was her playful side.

"I am Leo, hear me roar ... and see me sparkle." There are crystals all over him, his face, in his mane, even the nose and his tongue!

I hope to list these pieces in my shops tomorrow as I have to go out to dinner tonight. Yes, it's true, I have to. I'd rather stay home to catch up on some seriously needed chilling.

By the way, for those who don't know yet, there is still a sale going on in all my shops, 20 % until the end of January!

The lady behind the dragon - ColtPixy

You know Tomomi, my dragon. This was the very first picture I got to see of her. Her creator was not totally happy then, but wanted to show me a first glimpse. I was in love right away and as you know I still am.
But as much as I was in love, I was in awe as well.

Meet ColtPixy, the lady behind the dragon.
I had been wandering through her studio before, unfortunately only online although it must be big fun to do it in real life to see her projects and her tools, and to listen to her.

As guild master of the Polymer Clay Smooshers on ArtFire she is doing a great job, holding the pack together (no easy task, I'd say!), blogging, promoting and inspiring.

As an artist - only talking about polymer clay now because there has been so much before - she has made jewelry (I love my bitchy peas necklace which tells my coworkers what mood I'm in ;-)), supplies, but right now her heart belongs to miniatures. Personally I think her heart has definitely shown her the right way because she made some fabulous miniatures!

You want examples? Well, calm down, they are coming right up!



And you know what the best part is? You can get them at ColtPixy's ArtFire studio! What are you waiting for? Run!!!
Stop!! Wait just another moment, I forgot something. If you want to follow ColtPixy's creative journey, head over to her blog and check it out. Ok, now go, go, go! ;-)

My dragon girl has a name!

The month is over, the polls are closed and it's settled.
My dragon's name will be Tomomi from now on and just like most of you I think it suits her well.

Now it's time for the drum roll before I announce the lucky winner of the dragon's nest.
Are you ready? Are you?
Congratulations to Susan from Fantasy Clay! The pendant will go out to you in the next days.

I want to thank everybody who voted and I'm sure this is not the last we will have seen of Tomomi ....

Letting the week pass by in my memory

This wasn't one of my best weeks. Nobody's fault, there are just times that stress me out easier than others.
It was a mixture of a cold coming and going, dry lips (yes, that IS a problem if it starts to keep you from smiling or eating because it hurts), not enough people at work, a "neglected email" list that goes from here to Saturn, five million WIPs at home, items waiting to be photographed, darkness when I came home (bye bye, "summertime") and two more highlights I want to tell you about.

Number 1 - how to lock yourself out

1. Take a camera, a Christmas ornament and your keys and go outside to catch the last light of the day
2. Be sure to not wear a jacket because you only want to be outside for a few minutes
3. Take pictures on various plants and surfaces
4. Go back inside, only to see a plant in front of the downstairs neighbors' door that looks perfect for one more picture
5. Go back outside to throw something into the trash can, taking the ornament and the camera with you
6. Reach into your jeans pocket to notice you forgot the keys beside the plant IN the house
7. See that the door closed
8. Ring the neighbors' bell just to see they are not home
9. Decide to wait for the tall guy (you can insert whatever matches for you) and feel it getting colder
10. - 29. Take silly pictures of yourself until it is too dark for that, afterwards delete them because you look like a creep
30. The tall guy arrives after 45 minutes. You go upstairs and jump into a HOT bubble bath and go to bed afterwards

Number 2 - take the train to Beimerstetten

1. Make an appointment for dinner with a friend
2. Take the train and get your feet trampled by a 4 - 5 year old girl whose grandmother is worn out by the day and won't tell her not to play standing on other people feet (not even after you carefully dare to bring up the topic)
3. Shortly before the train reaches your station, listen to the train conductor telling you you all have to get off at Beimerstetten (2500 inhabitants, I checked in Wikipedia) and from there buses will pick you up - reason: an accident in the next station
4. Call to get picked up by car
5. Get off the train with hundreds of other people who gather in a large crowd in front of a pathetic little station building (sorry, but I doubt that station has ever seen so many people)
6. Come to the fun part - talking with fellow victims, for example the guy who tells you he just made it home from Madagascar without any delay and "now I am standing here in BEIMERSTETTEN". He was surprised that nobody came running out of the house to take the chance and offer coffee and sandwiches ;-)
7. Really enjoy the talk which makes waiting much easier, then see the car pulling up and say you are going to leave now.
8. Listen to an incredulous "you won't go and leave us here now", get into the car and wave while driving by. Ok, I'm not sure if that was taken the way I meant it, but I felt the urge to wave goodbye, just to the people I had talked to.
9. Warm up in the car!!

There were some nice events, though.
You know I still have my giveaway going (have you voted yet and commented yet?) http://catswire.blogspot.com/2009/10/help-me-name-my-dragon.html) and this week two more giveaways started, from my Etsy's SATeam and from my ArtFire guild. Check them out, they are worth it!

As for new items, I must disappoint you. No pictures yet, but I really hope you are looking forward to the ones coming up soon!

Help me name my dragon!

This morning I saw her again.


She wasn't hiding and she had brought me a new nest.


I guess that means she is going to stay and that means she needs a name now. I asked my friends and my coworkers, I played around with a dragon name generator one of my Plurk friends recommended and still I can't decide.


I need your help and you shall not go unrewarded, well, at least not the winner. You will get five names that have come from different sources. There would have been so many more I liked, but five it is now. Pick your favorite. The majority will then decide what name my girl will carry from now on.
I will then randomly draw a winner who will get the latest little dragon nest!


Poll will be open for a month, so the nest will definitely arrive in time for Christmas.

And go! Please don't forget to comment, so I'll know who voted and can draw a winner!

By the way - if you like my dragon girl (and how couldn't you??), you should really go and check out the shop and blog of ColtPixy. She is one talented lady with polymer clay and it's her merit the dragon flew to my house! ;-)

Dragon!

To understand what I am talking about now, you might have to read these posts first in case you didn't already.
A while ago I notice strange things going on in the house and a sighting, even if vague and blurry, gave me confidence I might find out the solution to the secret soon.
If you want to know what I mean, check it out here:
http://catswire.blogspot.com/2009/07/power-of-jasper-and-strange-eggs.html
http://catswire.blogspot.com/2009/07/they-are-here-i-know-it.html
http://catswire.blogspot.com/2009/08/first-traces.html

Today I wanted to take some more pictures. I already had my camera in my hand and just wanted to set up my items on the chest of drawers (that is driving Esme crazy, but that is a different story) in the tall guy's "playing room" when I saw her. She was sitting very quietly behind the alarm clock that is standing there.
There she was, with the sweetest little dragon face, looking at me from her blue eyes. Not moving, but wary obviously.
I knew it! I have a dragon in the house and such a cute one at that!
How good to have a zoom, so I didn't have to disturb her. Very carefully I raised the camera and took a shot. Only one, then she had disappeared.


Of course now I hope I'll be able to take a closer shot of her eventually without scaring her off.
A dragon in the house must mean luck, don't you agree? :-D