Bead Craft – Easy Methods To Get Excellent Ideas
Sunday, December 11th, 2011Regardless of which of the huge number of beading ideas I am pursuing, I consider patterning as the single most vital aspect of the hobby. A good pattern can cover a huge number of other bead craft design sins, and skilled crafters will spend lots of time fiddling with their patterns to get them just right.
In this article, I’ll take a brief look at two sources of inspiration for your beadwork that you might not have thought of. Think this a research in cross discipline thinking, and it is my hope that when you read these words, your mind will immediately begin turning on the subject, and a whole boatload of OTHER ideas will fall into your lap. Even if that does not happen though, this is still a ward against the bead craft equivalent of “writer’s block.” So here goes:
Poetry
Any poem that is not free verse has a rhyme and meter to it. Haiku’s structure is like 5-7-5. Iambic pentameter has its own rhythm, and so forth. There’re a huge number of rhythms to pick from, and sourece of inspiration is as close as your nearest volume of poetry.
Take the haiku example. You can build a pattern around the haiku rhythm, 5-7-5. An arrangement of 5 beads. A different arrangement of 7, and then back to 5. Repeat this around your necklace (or bracelet, or whatever) and you will have created a “haiku bead craft necklace.”
Or if your favorite poem is consists of funky rhythm like
a-b-b-a
b-c-c-b
c-d-d-c
(repeat) You could arrange a bead craft pattern around that (every letter represents a different element) to striking effect. And, your bead craft project could have a remarkable story surrounding it!
Sheet Music
One more brilliant source for inspiration to enrich your bead craft projects is sheet music. Assign one bead element to each note and place according to whatever song you select.
As you please, either ignore sharps and flats or add completely new beadwork elements for them. Begin with something simple. Design a “Mary had a little lamb” necklace, playing with the components until you’re happy with the outcome. Again, an off beat way of looking at the area of patterning that can enrich the execution of your beadwork in unexpected ways!
*Note: You will perhaps only want to focus on one line of the sheet music in your bead craft project, lest you create anything much too large to be usable! Also note that pattern and medium can, and often will, influence each other! What may work well with semi-precious stones might not be as viable with a wood/metal mix, so there is definitely a bit of experimentation involved! The key thing, no matter where your inspiration comes from, or what form it finally takes, is to stick with it! Persistence and experimentation will must win the day!
Get more great bead craft ideas on our website: http://www.beadcraftideas.com/