Hey bead friends! I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned in at least one of my previous posts that I was working on video demos for the techniques taught in my Intermediate Course on the “Learn” page of my website. And it’s finally time for that video series to start! I will be teaching 7 techniques in this series: Extensions, Continuous Basic Frame, Split Basic Frame, Loop-Backs, Scallops, Ruffles, and Bent Basic Frame (aka Beehive).
You can follow the video series on YouTube, in the Facebook Group, and here on my website from the Video Classes page, with a new video lesson posted every Saturday. If you are subscribed or following me in any of those places, you are more likely to see the videos when they are posted. Some of the techniques will require more than one video to teach the variations. So it will take a few months to get through the whole course.
Most of these techniques have been taught on my website for years as PDFs. So this may not be new information for many of you. But, I am now adding videos, and changing some things. I have consolidated all of the technique PDF lessons into one PDF packet. Split Basic Frame was not taught previously, so it has been added in. I’ve also added more info about some of the other techniques as well. And I’ve officially changed how I teach Beehive. I have always personally referred to it as Bent Basic Frame, but taught it as Beehive because that was the traditional name for the technique. And I decided that if I’m going to spend this much time and effort teaching, I’d much rather teach it in the way that makes the most sense to me, whether it’s traditional or not. So. Here we go!
Eventually this course will be turned into a paperback book with practice flower patterns just like my Beginner Course. But, since so many of my patterns already use these techniques, I’ve decided to go ahead and release the videos for the techniques. I just need to get my Spring book out first, then I’ll get to work on that one… and a couple others…
There will be video instruction for the flowers that will be added to the course later, but those flower video classes will not be free. I made my entire Beginner Course free so more people could try French Beading and have a great resource to get started. But for all future courses, only the techniques will be free.
I won’t make a separate blog post for every video upload in this series, but since the first one is up, I will share a link to that one. The first video teaches Top Wire Extensions.
French Beaded Blue Flax Pattern
I’m trying to published a new design every month this year. I’m not entirely certain I will be successful, but I’m going to try my best. I have lots of patterns that are half finished or half designed that are great candidates for helping me achieve this. Others that I’m planning are just simpler flowers, like this Blue Flax.
My Blue Flax design is made in size 15/0 Japanese seed beads. I tried making it in size 11/0, but the larger size of beads just couldn’t capture how delicate and tiny the flowers are. This pattern is beginner-friendly in terms of the techniques used (twisted fringes, CL, CWL), but the tiny beads might make it a little more challenging.
I added my Blue Flax to a small arrangement of other wildflower samples I’ve made. The yellow ones are Cinquefoil, and the purple ones are Wild Aster. Also, I just love this little elephant vase! Looks like he’s shooting the little flowers out of his nose. And I think the shape of the wild flax makes it further look like a spray. Haha. I’ve posted pictures of my elephant vase before, and ended up with a bunch of messages asking where to get one, so let me get ahead of the emails by adding this link to where you can purchase one. That link is an affiliate link, so if you purchase after using my link I do get a small portion of the sales to help support my website and my desire to teach, but at no extra cost to you. Thank you!
That’s all I’ve got for you guys this month! I’ve got lots of fun stuff planned and I’m really hoping I’ll be able to get it all done to make my blog more fun. I’ve always got plans, but sometimes there just isn’t enough time.
Happy beading!
– Lauren