Winter blues … and silver • 01.30.10
With most of the nation facing severe cold weather this season, the southeastern US is no except
ion. We’ve had to endure ice and snow and cold temperatures that are very unusual indeed. What better way to shake off the winter blues than creating a few flowers.
I decided on two flowers using an off-white floss spun with silver and embellished with silver wire and beads, and added a light blue flower with some silver accents. I thought it made a nice winter bouquet. Here’s a photo of the finished piece.
I know I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. Ganutell flowers offer unlimited opportunities to be creative and expressive. This is just one more example.
I’ve had lots of requests for some basic instruction in this art form, as well as the bead and wire flowers, and I’m currently working on a new e-book. Be sure to register for my newsletter, as I’ll be emailing an announcement when it’s available.
In the meantime, stay warm, and bead something pretty!
Inspired by wire …… • 10.25.09
An exciting aspect of Ganutell as a craft is the endless opportunities to be creative. There are many colors and types of floss and wires, and the number of beads and embellishments available can be overwhelming. Then there are the different shapes of petals we can create, and the many ways they can be assembled.
I admit it …. more than any other craft, I find myself thinking ‘out of the box’ most often with Ganutell.
A while ago, while rummaging through my stash of copper wire, enjoying the lovely shine and beautiful colors, I was inspired to try a Ganutell flower made just from wire. No floss and prepared thread for this one, just some beads and wire. I chose the color because purple’s my favorite, and found that 28 gauge wire works best for the petals, with the usual 24 gauge for the stem. It took a short while to become accustomed to wrapping the wire, but frankly my experience in doing French beaded flowers was a great help with this. I added beads for some extra bling and to allow for a little larger petal size, then chose gold colored wire for the leaves to make the final piece extra special.
This one proved to be a winner, and sold immediately.
Which reminds me …. crafters often ask how they can sell their work, so I thought I’d share my experiences in shows, retail sales and online selling, in some upcoming posts. I hope you’ll visit often!
Ganutell Rocks !!! • 10.17.09
Forgive my play on words. Actually, Ganutell DOES rock, but the reference is to a cute little mount I’ve been using for Ganutell flowers.
While I love the traditional look of Ganutell florals, I also like to find ways to display my work that are more casual or contemporary. Here’s a quick and easy way to mount a flower to a river rock. You can find bags of these in most craft stores.
Choose a rock shape that appeals to you, but be certain it has a flat bottom so it will balance well. Take the l
ower inch or so of your flower stem and make a spiral, then bend it at a 90 degree angle, giving your flower a ‘seat’. Glue this spiral to your rock, using a strong glass or mosaic glue, as the surface of the rock is smooth. E600 glue works well for me. While the glue is curing, you’ll need to hold the flower in place. I sometimes place the rock/flower in a small glass and balance clothespins that are attached to the flower to hold it, or use the wonderful ‘third hand’ clips.
When the glue has cured, and your flower is well adhered to the rock, use some moss to cover the base of the flower. Most floral departments in craft stores have a nice assortment of mosses. Any simple white glue will work for this, and it will dry quickly and clear.
This is a great inexpensive little hostess gift, or teacher gift, or whatever you need it to be. I hope you’ll try this mount, and let me know how it works for you!
Ganutell news! • 10.10.09
Life gets in the way, right?
I had to take a brief hiatus from blog posting and focus on work and life issues … not nearly as much fun, but there it is. Happens to all of us, right?
The good news is that being away from it has given me an opportunity to review and regroup — to think about what direction I want to take next. I love to learn new arts and crafts. Can’t help it; when I see something pretty I often want to learn how to make it. I’ve done most crafts at one time or another, and enjoy just about all of them.
Thing is, I keep returning to bead and wire flowers, specifically Ganutell. These delicate little flowers are fun to make, offering lots of opportunities to be creative. They’re unique, and people love them, and I think I’m quite obsessed with making them.
So there’s my new focus. I’m looking forward to sharing lots of information on how to make these lovely flowers, resources to purchase the hard-to-find tools and supplies, and interesting ways to embellish them. I’ll even give you some new ideas on how to use your work in projects.
I’m looking forward to sharing Ganutell with you, so visit often!
A seed bead primer – part 2 • 08.08.09
In A seed bead primer – part 1, we reviewed sizes and shapes of seed beads. Equally important is the color and finish on your beads, and the number of choices is amazing. Each of them will impart a different texture and interest to your beaded flower.
In each shape and size of seed bead, you will find every color in
a few examples, clockwise from top: square, matte, bugle, hex, satin
the spectrum, including many shades of each color. When viewing beads of the same color in a container, you will be seeing an intensified version of the color. Remember, though, that when creating your project, the color of the bead may change slightly. For instance, if you are using a transparent color, the color of your thread will alter the color of your bead. Your bead color will also be affected by the colors of beads placed nearby. Do some experimenting with this — you’ll see some surprising changes. These changes, though slight, are an important consideration as you plan your project.
Finishes – where do we begin? We start with opaque and transparent. These are the most popular when creating beaded flowers, but I encourage you to try some of the other finishes for a really beautiful piece! Then we find frosted and matte, a finish created by etching the glass. There’s a finish with a lovely satiny sheen. Special finishes include iris, iridescent and Aurora Borealis (AB) … this one is similar to the look of oil on water. There’s also galvanized and metallic finishes. Some beads are lined with silver or gilt, giving them a glorious shine.
Different colors and finishes give your work depth and interest, but beware. The color in almost all beads can fade to some extent, particularly if they have extensive exposure to the sun, and finishes are affected by use. Metallic finishes can chip, and the lining in beads can rub off with wear. How distressing it is to create a lovely piece, only to have the colors fade or chip off! It’s a good idea to do a little research on the beads you’re about to select – talk with other beaders, with bead store owners, or get on the internet and search out the information you need. Then you can make your decision as to which color and finish will work best for your project.
In the end, whatever you choose, seed beads can be made into spectacular jewelry and decorative pieces. Now let’s go make a beaded flower!
A seed bead primer – part 1 • 08.01.09
The popularity of seed beads is astounding. They are used to create more than beaded flowers – bead artists use them in loomwork, jewelry, weaving …. the list is endless.
Seed beads are simply tiny glass beads. The name ‘seed beads’ is fairly generic, and is often used to describe several shapes of beads made by extruding glass into a tube which is then cut into beads. The quality of the beads is partly determined by uniformity in size and shape, though, so it’s important to know what you’re looking for.
The size of these beads is indicated by a number, the higher the number, the smaller the bead. Sizes range from 1.5 mm (size 15/0) to as large as 5.5 mm (size 3/0). Be aware that the actual size of the bead can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, so again you need to be familiar with the offerings you’ll find. For beaded flowers, size 11/0 works best, although slightly smaller or larger sizes can add interest. The shape of seed beads will vary, too, as will colors and finishes.
Sound confusing? Sure it does …. so here’s some information to help you.
The most popular beads are either Czech or Japanese. Seed beads made in the Czech Republic are a little less uniform in size, although this usually will not detract from the appearance of your work. Indeed, some bead artists prefer these imperfections as they add a lovely texture.
Most beaders feel Japanese seed beads are of a higher quality than the Czech beads, and are more uniform in size and color. Seed beads with a more cylindrical shape, well suited for patterns and loom work, are called Delicas or Treasures, among other names. The more rounded beads are great for free-form stitches or circular stitches such as right angle weave. Beads from Japanese manufacturers also have larger holes, making them easier to work with if you make several passes through them.
Various shapes, but still considered seed beads, are:
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Bugle beads – long thin tubes, sizes vary from 3mm to as large as 25mm or more
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Triangle beads – triangle shapes in the most common sizes of seed beads, these give your work lovely texture
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Cube beads – this cube shape also offers wonderful texture, and are available in slightly larger sizes than other shapes
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Hex beads – hexagonal in shape, these beads add lots of interest as their surfaces reflect light beautifully
In A seed bead primer – part 2, we’ll talk about colors and finishes of seed beads. For now, let’s go make a pretty beaded flower!
Beaded Flowers – what do they mean???? • 07.07.09
All flowers have traditional meanings, and beaded flowers are no different. The next time you want to create a beaded flower gift, or you receive one, you might want to consider the meaning behind that beautiful blossom!
A bouquet of withered flowers means rejected love, but with beaded flowers this can’t happen — they’re everlasting!
Ganutell rose
Roses are likely the most popular of all flowers. A red rose means love and respect, also courage and a job well done. The yellow rose represents joy and friendship, but can mean jealousy, too. Put a red and yellow rose together, and the meaning is congratulations. Enhance your arrangement with baby’s breath — it means happiness.
French beaded carnation
Carnations are very popular as a beaded flower — a white one stands for pure love, sweet love and innocence, while the yellow carnation means disdain and rejection. We all know the four-leaf clover is a symbol of good luck. Did you know there’s a five-leaf clover? It symbolizes bad luck.
The forget-me-not appropriately means faithful love and memories, and the gardenia says “I love you in secret”. At the holidays, mistletoe is the symbol of affection and love, no surprise there! The poinsettia means “be of good cheer”.
A red tulip is a declaration of love, and the variegated tulip stands for beautiful eyes. A violet is the symbol of modesty and simplicity, while wisteria means youth and poetry.
So the next time you want to choose a beaded flower to create as a gift, consider it’s meaning. Then bead something pretty that has a message as well!
Arranging your beaded flowers • 06.26.09
You’ve made French beaded flowers, learned how to mount them in containers, and now you want to arrange them in the container. Here are some simple guidelines to achieving a composition that’s pleasing to the eye, and that will best display the flowers and foliage you worked so hard to create.
When arranging your beaded flowers in a container, the details of the arrangement are a matter of personal taste and preference, so don’t be afraid to be creative and follow your own unique style. Here are some simple guidelines to achieving an arrangement that’s pleasing to the eye while best displaying the flowers you worked so hard to create.
Inspiration for an arrangement is everywhere. Look in books and magazines, and on the internet. Look at florist shops and flower shows. Look at home decor and decorating books. They all have photos containing floral arrangements to inspire your creativity.
Once you have a design in mind, select an appropriate container. When making your selection, keep in mind that your flowers are the feature of your arrangement, not the vessel. It should be of a harmonizing color, and any design on the container itself must be very simple so as not to overwhelm your arrangement. The size of your container generally should be about 1/3 the height of your finished arrangement and about 1/2 the total width. If your flowers are light in feeling, or just a few stems, the container can be larger, like the one in this photo.
If your arrangement is to be viewed from all directions, such as one being placed in the center of a table, a round vase will work best. If the arrangement will show only the front of the composition, square or rectangular vases would be more appropriate.
Modeling clay, sand or even glass beads can be used to stabilize the vase and hold the beaded flowers in place. Stone, marbles or stone chips are also good materials for this.
Position your largest flowers first, as the focal point of your arrangement. If your design style is symmetrical, the largest, most colorful flower should be placed near the middle and just above the top edge of the container. If asymmetrical, the dominant flower will be off center and near the outer edge. Your foliage and filler flowers are then added to fill the empty spaces and complete the design.
Some additional hints –
- Use lighter colors on the outside of your arrangement.
- Facing flowers and foliage in different directions will give depth to your arrangement.
- If you are using only one kind of main flower, give your arrangement variety by showing the flower in various stages of growth, such as buds and partially opened flowers. When creating these flowers, you can use fewer petals or compress the petals inward, giving the look of a flower still in the stages of opening.
Check your arrangement often as you place your flowers. The end result, after all, must be visually pleasing, and you will be the best judge of how your want your arrangement to appear.
Now it’s finished, place your new beaded flower bouquet in a prominent place and show it with pride!
Containing your beaded flowers • 06.19.09
You’ve made your french beaded flowers, and now you want to display them well. If you wish to create an arrangement in a container, there are many ways you can accomplish this. Remember, you are working with beaded flowers, which are quite heavy due to all those lovely little beads, and you want to be certain you have plenty of weight in your container so your arrangement won’t tip over!
An often-used material is modeling clay, particularly if your container is made from pottery or opaque glass. This clay comes in blocks, and doesn’t harden. Heat a small chunk of the clay in your microwave for 10-second intervals to soften it to a workable state, then press it into the container. Placing your stems into the clay, it will hold your flowers upright. There is a good bit of weight to the clay, so it will also anchor the container and prevent tipping. Now cover the surface with some pretty dried moss.
A lovely way to anchor your container, especially a clear glass container, is to partially fill it with glass marbles or stones. These can be purchased inexpensively and will also hold your flowers upright while anchoring your vessel. Just be sure not to tip it over and have all those marbles rolling onto the floor!
If you’re feeling particularly brave, try the ‘fake water’ preparations. These seem to be a type of resin, with two formulas that need to be mixed together prior to use. I love the look of this, but 
have to admit I find them difficult to work with. The mixture is thick and very sticky, and somehow I manage to get it all over myself and my work surface. But the end result is wonderful, and to me it’s worth the mess.
Some tips for using these …
- Follow the package directions carefully, mixing slowly to avoid bubbles.
- After mixing, pour into a plastic bag and snip a corner of the bag, creating a hole from which to pour the mixture down the center of the vase opening – try to avoid getting the ‘water’ on the sides of your vessel.
- Before pouring, place some glass marbles inside the vase and pour the mixture over these. This allows you to fill several vases with a single package of the rather pricey mixture.
- Allow to cure the required length of time before moving the vase or components within. (Don’t ask me how I know this!)
You’ll think of other ways to contain your beaded flowers; I’ve given you only a few here. However you decide to mount them, though, you are certain to enjoy your arrangement for years to come!
