Beadsmith Macrame board.... new toy review!!!

Ok, you might think  "I would never use this - I don't make jewellery..."
BUT if you want to do any type of weaving work I highly recommend this item.
Its made from a really sturdy memory foam with notches all round the edges.
It might seem a very basic tool, but its perfect for the job it does!!!

I tried to do the pearl bead weaving I have on my board on a small bead loom, it was incredibly difficult and nowhere near as neat as it has turned out on the macrame board.

I also made this bracelet from lace and fabric scraps on my beadloom - it would have been sooooo much easier on this board, believe me!!!

Bead weaving is really easy and could be used with some awesome items in your mixed media work, nice fibres, beads, buttons, lace, fabric scraps spring to mind for me...and they don't have to be uniform!!

I wanted to make a thick choker necklace with my pearls and was quite disappointed with how it turned out, so when my macrame board came I took it apart and have remade it - quick and easy!!

To bead weave you start with an extra downward thread (lazy thread) to the amount of beads you are using - I have used 5 beads wide, so have 6 lazy threads.
To make the beading easier I put my bobbin from my original bead loom under the threads near the bottom so that the beads had room to move under my lazy threads. You could use anything really, even a marker pen - just something to lift them from the board.

I attached my beading thread to the outer lazy thread and passed my needle underneath all of the lazy threads. I then threaded my 5 beads on, and spaced them in between the lazy threads.

I took my beading thread around the outer lazy thread, then passed the needle back through the beads over the top of the lazy threads.

Then repeat the whole weaving process.

I love the board because of the notches, you can take all your excess threads and secure them on the sides, and even keep your thread secure if you need to leave your work.

Because it is memory form you can safely stick pins in to it, or your needles.  

I got mine from the Jewellery Maker shopping channel but I'm sure you will be able to pick them up in beading shops too.

My beading is nice and straight because I have used beads all the same size but can you imagine the texture you can create with random items and threads - paper beads, shells, bakers twine....
Hope this is helpful to you all,
Let your imagination run riot!!!

Hugs'n'snogs,

Julie xx

edited to add... This is not difficult at all - incredibly easy, and incredibly quick if you use large beads like I did :D

The first of my blog hop creations :D

This is my take on Lis Lamertsens challenge :D








and my dominoes inspired by Lesleley Collins (Leigh) - I used utee on mine though so I could stamp in to them :D
















I'm a bit obsessed with the dominoes, which I bought in the cutest little case (which is begging to be altered!!!) from the charity shop :D

This then inspired me to visit the local carboot sale and I came back with a large wooden box ( which I think I will keep all my TH stuff together in :D), a tri-fold ornate picture frame and a little wooden hand held mirror ( that Alice might take a peek in soon ;) )


Inspiration comes from the strangest places sometimes - mine was from the Heart Foundation shop LOL

Hugs'n' altered snogs,
J xx

Rebekahs Birthday blog hop

Hiya everyone and thank you for visiting me on this special occasion, I feel totally honoured that I was asked by Rebekah to contribute:D

(Happy Birthday hun by the way :D)If you have visited me already you will know that my style is vintage/grunge.
This has evolved a whole lot more since my visit to the trade show at the NEC, and meeting Tim/Suze/Claudine :D
I was totally entranced by their amazing demos and had to think how I could combine them with my scrapping on my return.
I have to say I'm a few £'s lighter and I have a whole new addiction but OMG its so worth it LOL

When I started scrapping I loved bold modern designs, but now I am definitely a vintage girl. What I will say is that with a bit of ink, distressing and messing most things can look pretty vintage and grungey - sometimes without me meaning them to be LOL, in the end I had to accept that's my niche :D

The first technique I want to share with you was by Suze and she did it in her melting pot - mine hasn't arrived yet and it has taken me a long time to decide it was something I needed.
But now I can't wait to try beeswax and more :D

Right so I'm going to explain how to make embellies from UTEE (ultra thick embossing enamel - which is just coarsley cut embossing powder) on a heat proof craft mat with rubber stamps.







Start off by getting together your stamps and any perfect pearls you want to add to the melted utee, I also added a couple of buttons as an experiment :D

Ink your stamps with versamark ink or coloured ink if you prefer so that they release easily from the utee

I coloured my utee as I only have clear with alcohol inks,now this bits really important particularly if you have a melting pot - do not add alcohol inks to melted utee like you would with the dye inks!!!! you can however colour them when they are powder and leave them to dry so the alcohol evaporates and leaves the ink behind - make sure you mix it well to get the colour through the powder


Take your versamark pad and squidge it on your heat proof non stick mat (squidge is a technical term LOL), and I would advise you also put something heatproof underneath as when I first tried this my cutting mat ended up with a bump in it :o - I just put a melamine chopping board underneath




Sprinkle the dry utee over the versamark ink and start heating, I start at the edges and work inwards as I want the centre to remain hot. when its melted heat it again as you want more powder to stick to the hot utee, add more, powder and melt again.
you can also sprinkle in some perfect pearls if you want

EDITED TO ADD - start with a thin layer and build up as it will just blow away with the heatgun if not on a sticky surface :)


When you have a good puddle in the middle stamp it, leaving the stamp there.






When cool remove the stamp and carefully peel back the utee - this leaves a lovely feathery edge :D You need to be gentle as its very fragile

because your mat is non stick it just wipes off so don't panic when you see the mess :D
I then rubbed in distress stickles and perfect pearls to highlight the image.




To attach to your project I would use a clear adhesive like glossy accents so that you can't see it through the transparent uteeIf your still not convinced about utee or don't own a heat gun ( you know who you are Birthday girl ;-) LOL ) then check out Dyans you tube video here of her demoing at CHA.
It's such a cool product, well not really...... well you know what I mean LMAO :D

I have also used Image transfer using Claudine Hellmuths sticky backed canvas ( you can see her demoing it here) on the blue corner mat using Prima paper - its really easy and you can use scrapbook paper, magazines, wrapping paper or anything photocopied (inkjet won't work).
It does stay a little bit tacky so you can use Claudines Multi medium on top to seal it, this also makes any little pieces of paper you might have missed disappear ;-)

The canvas is lovely and thick and frays nicely, and as you can see is sewable/stitchable ( are they even words??? LOL )

So that's my project, I hope you like it and find it inspiring :D
I used Prima Pastiche papers from Happy Daze, with a selection of prima flowers inked with Ranger distress ink in Fired brick and a prima pebble. I also added vintage lace, a piece of a vintage music score and used my sewing machine.
Edges were distressed and inked with Frayed burlap distress ink




















Now for the really fab bit :D
If you leave me a comment by 31st March you will be in with a chance of winning a set of Basic Grey stamps donated by the Craft Emporium - cool huh :D

AND if you leave me a link to your work inspired by my project you will have a second entry in to the draw - it could be stamping, playing with utee and alcohol inks, image transfer, sewing or just scrapping :D - Good luck everyone :D

The Next blog for you to hop to is the lovely Ania who will posting her project tomorrow morning (Sunday 21st) - now that's one to definitely check out :D

If you've lost your way hop back to Rebekahs place to get back on track :D

Hugs'n'birthday hoppy snogs,
Julie xx

Sneaky peek

oh here's a little clue aso what I will be sharing with you over the weekend :D


Don't forget to join in the hopping :D
There's even a prize up for grabs ......