Beads and Bread: ocean

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Fish are Friends Blog Hop

Woohoo! Glad you're here! Bet you will leave with a smile on your face! Why? Cause there is just no way anyone can see these cutie pies and not grin from ear to ear. The fabulous Karen Williams is the author of this challenge. She is an extremely talented designer, and wrote the tutorial for the star of the show...the fish!
So, before we get started, I have a little, teensy weensy confession.....I am a tiny, little bit right angle weave challenged. Whew! Ok, so now we've got that out of the way....what? Yes, the fish is created in right angle weave, so?!
So, I really, really had to concentrate to make his little adorable self, but it's all good. And, just like when I first started understanding right angle weave by trying out Nancy Dale's Trellis necklace. It still wasn't my favorite stitch, but at least she got me to finally understand how to make something with it!
Karen's fish helped me get to the next level. Her tutorial has some awesome tips on increasing and decreasing, and this sweet little guy has so many design possibilities, it's just crazy! This is really one of those tutorials that helps you wrap your mind around how a stitch works, and starts the creative process flowing.
I made two of them, but I will most assuredly have a school of them before long, they are that addictive.

I played around with my poly clay, intending to make a dogtag style piece that could hang on a necklace with the fish. Matthew 4:19 is where Jesus tells the disciples to go out and become fishers of men. I didn't create what I had in my head, but that's ok, at least it helped me to know what I didn't want. :)

This is my first baby. I love his little kissy lips, and bright happy colors!

My hubs told me I had his side fins back too far, so I kept that in mind for my next one.

I have a couple of mistakes in this one, but the color scheme is much more...me. I love contrasting matte and AB beads in a pattern.

This is one of the few beads that I actually have the same color in all the sizes. I used 13 one cut charlottes on the petal part of the side fins, and size 8's for the end bead on the dorsal fin and the tail. The charlottes created the cutest little eyebrows that I just adore!

His tail and dorsal fins remind me of Rainbow Fish. Did you ever read that book to your kids?

His body was supposed to have been fatter, but I couldn't get my bead to fit.

I'm for sure going to be making some friends for my two babies to play with!

Huge thanks to Karen for the tutorial, and the opportunity to understand RAW a bit better! Please check out the other participants of the challenge. Blessings, Shirley

Our wonderful hostess- Karen Williams-Baublicious

Francie Broadie - FAB Custom Jewelry