Posted by Toni Lyn on April 10th 2007 to
Projects Margot Potter, also known as “The Impatient Beader,” is one of the hippest craftsters to have hit the indie scene. When I say HIP, I am not referring to the bones below the “waste” dear friends… I mean hip as in super crafty, wacky, beautiful and hilarious at the same time which sums up to downright delightful!!
“Why?” you so innocently ask? Well normally, craft artisans of Margot’s caliber generally expect you to take them and their work very seriously and usually with good reason, namely their work is beautiful and they labor at it. Their websites tend to be polished and their bio’s are nice stories about why they do what they do the way they do it. That’s not to stereotype (ok, maybe it is), but just to say that Margot and her site are a refreshing bit of humor, beauty and transparency. One simply cannot keep a straight face when reading her daily rambles at the impatient blogger, not to mention the absolutely must watch “hair slideshow” on her site.
WAY TO GO MARGOT!!
TL
Project below designed by Margot Potter for Beadalon.
Instructions below taken from Beadalon’s website.
DRAGONFLY GARDEN SCULPTURAL NECKLACE
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JD20-NATUR/12
JD20GREXX/12
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201E-003
201E-002
202E-001
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JA-BOARD34
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20-Gauge Colourcraft Wire Natural
20-Gauge Colourcraft Wire Forest Green
5 Twisted Leaf A/B Beads (hole drilled across the top of bead)
20-Diamond Shape Rose Quartz Beads
33-6mm Swarovski Bicone Crystal Beads Jonquil
26-6mm Swarovski Bicone Crystal Beads Lt. Colorado Topaz
21-6mm Czech Glass Peridot Green A/B Finish Rondelles
1-8mm Czech Glass Faceted Metallic Bronze Round
Round Nose Pliers
Chain Nose Pliers
Flush Cutters
Safety Goggles
Bead Board
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You will need to be adept at working with wire wrapping, coiling, clasp making and working with wire and glass beads. This is all about patience!
This is a fantasy creation using beads and wire to make a sculptural design that mirrors vines, flowers and dragonflies. I had to play around with the wire and beads for a while to get a feel for the possibilities and restrictions of the materials. The end result is a necklace that needs to be stored and worn with a certain amount of care. Use these techniques and ideas to make other designs.
1. You will begin by assembling your beads, tools and wire. I recommend working on this project when you have distraction free time as you will likely break some beads in the process and may need to practice the basic techniques before you begin. Lay out the beads for the back half of the necklace on a bead board to ensure that you maintain the pattern. Please wear safety goggles!
2. Cut off a 2.5′ strand of 20-gauge Natural Colourcraft wire, this will function as the spine or core of your design. Now cut off two 2′ strands of the green Colourcraft 20-gauge wire. You will begin by wrapping from the left hand side of your natural wire approximately 4″ down from the center…the final design will be asymmetrical. Using your hands and your pliers tightly coil the green Colourcraft wire around the core wire working down and adjusting the coil by pushing up on it with your round or chain nose pliers. When you have gone approximately 7/8″ you will attach your first leaf. Thread the green wire through the top of your leaf and tighten it while wrapping the green wire around your core wire once and continue coiling for several rotations. Now adjust your leaf bead to the right side and tighten it by twisting it around one time. It should be elevated and to the right now. When the design is completed you will adjust the wrapped core wire to make it look more naturally vine like (see Photo)
3. Continue coiling down your core wire another approx. 7/8″ and now you will add your first flower. You will begin by creating the center of the flower by threading a Jonquil Swarovski bicone bead with green Colourcraft wire. Wrap the green wire around the core tightly and adjust the crystal so that it is facing upwards with the bicone being vertical in relation to the core wire. Now thread a rose quartz bead from bottom to top wrapping the green wire behind the bead and around your core wire tightening the bead and adjusting it to point upwards like a petal. Add four more petals to the flower working clockwise wrapping the wire around the core wire and adjusting with pliers or hands as you go. Once you have completed your first flower you will continue down the vine adding a leaf pointing to the left and another flower and ending by wrapping the green wire around from the last flower approx. 7/8″. Leave the excess core wire and the green wire for use in creating the clasp later.
4. Now thread on your beads for the back of the necklace working from the right hand onto the core wire. The pattern here is 3 jonquil crystals, one Czech rondelle, three topaz crystals, one Czech rondelle totaling 21 jonquil, 18 topaz and 12 rondelles.
5. Next you will be constructing the right hand wrapped section of your design. Repeat the aforementioned wrapping and leaf/flower techniques in a pattern of leaf left, flower, leaf right, flower and final leaf right.
6. Now you will make your dragonfly. Cut off approximately 4-5″ of 20-gauge colourcraft wire. Bend it in half. Thread the faceted bronze bead down to the center of the wire and twist the wire once leaving the bead horizontal to create the head of your dragonfly. Now you have two wires to work with.
7. Thread 4 jonquil crystals and one topaz crystal on to one of your wires. Fold this into a loop with the crystals to the top creating a wing on the left hand side. Take your time here so as not to break the beads. Use your hands or pliers to form the wing shape. Now wrap the bottom of the wire around wire at the bottom of the head once tightening the wing and adjusting it upwards. Repeat this process for the right hand wing.
8. Now make the second set of wings in the same way, as the first but the bead pattern will be three topaz crystals.
9. You will have two wires now. One should be wrapped and tucked behind the dragonfly and around the second wire. Cut off excess wire from this strand with flush cutters and tuck the tail into the wrapped wire.
10. Thread the remaining wire with 9 Czech rondelles leaving approximately ½-7/8″ of wire which you will finish off in a flat spiral using your hands or your round or flat nose pliers. You will do this by making a small loop at the end of the wire and turning the wire on itself using your fingers to keep the spiral flat and taut.
11. Attach your completed Dragonfly to the left hand bottom side of the necklace with a 2″ length of 20-gauge Colourcraft wire natural by threading this wire through some of the multiple strands at the back of your dragonfly and wrapping the bug onto the core wire securely. Cut off and tuck under and excess wire.
12. Next you will create your clasp. Fold the core wire on the left hand side over on itself approximately 1″ from the dragonfly. Using 20-gauge green Colourcraft wire and working on the folded natural Colourcraft approximately ½” down from the top coil the green wire up to the bottom of the dragonfly as you did in the top half of the necklace finishing off and cutting and tucking any excess green wire. Now use your round nose pliers to make a hook with the folded natural colourcraft.
13. On the opposite or right hand side of your design you will make a loop or eye to finish the clasp. Cut the exposed core wire to approximately 7/8″ and fold it over on itself. Use another length of 20-gauge green Colourcraft to wrap around your folded core wire working from the bottom up to the final leaf. Use round nose pliers to make the double natural exposed wire at the bottom into an eye.
14. The final process is making the bottom half of your necklace into a vine. Use your hands to make the coiled green wire resemble vines by bending it carefully section by section being careful that you don’t stress your leaf wires too much. Adjust the dragonfly to conceal the clasp underneath.
Variations on a Theme
Once you have mastered these techniques the possibilities are really endless. Make segmented designs with the vine effect working all the way around the necklace in four sections, use various beads to create different kinds of flowers, add a butterfly or bee to the piece. Make vines on candlesticks, vases, frames etc. This is a fairly complicated process, but with practice is definitely worth the effort. Happy Beading!
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TL 
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