Monday, February 22, 2016

Tintern Abbey AKA Abbey Rose Pendant

About this time last year, I designed a small pendant with 8mm Chatons and metal round beads.  The pendant turned out pretty wonderful (even if I do say so myself).  I made a couple of versions and wrote up the instructions.  I taught Tintern Abbey locally several times, and beaders really seemed to like it.


I took the instructions to the Bead&Button show to sell.   While there, it caught the eye of one of the editors of Kalmbach Publishing, who encouraged me to submit the piece for publication.  Yes, I have been published before:  I have had several works published in the Your Work section, one piece in the gallery of Amy Katz's "Seed Bead Chic" book and a couple of bead embroidery pieces in

Nicole Campanella's "Flatwork".    In the interim, it was also time to submit for the 2016 Bead&Button show, and I submitted the pendant for a possible class.


To my surprise, it was accepted for both!  The Abbey Rose (the name was changed at the magazine level) was published in the February 2016 Bead&Button Magazine – my first pattern to be published.  Perhaps the magazine editors and show organizers didn’t realize this, but I have the go ahead to teach it at the show.

The class at B&B will be on Friday, June 10 from 5-8pm.  Class will be a great learning experience as we will also discuss how to join pieces to make a larger necklace, how to use different size chatons, and more.  Can you imagine a belt made of these?  It would be stunning (not on my waist).  Or a hat band?  A bracelet!  Great possibilities are out there!

Here are a couple pictures that were completed by others.  Thank you Sharon, Angela and Isabel for letting me use your picture.  Sharon used a different color bead and I think it really accentuates the shape of the design.  Isabel used slightly different sized chatons and made it work.  Angela's is made with 14mm crystals and is a stunning piece.

Made by Isabel Rowen
Made by Angela Bachelor
Made by Sharon Hessoun