A Review of Nicole's Layered Flatwork Kit

I am not one for tutorials.  Never have been.  I like to learn the hard way, figure things out for myself.  It is MY failure, or MY success.  This tendency for stubbornness can probably be attributed to my Scottish ancestry!


So imagine my surprise when a package arrived from my good friend Nicole Campanella, and in the package was one of her Layered Flatwork Brooch Kits!  


My surprise quickly turned to curiosity and then to delight as I opened my little parcel and was confronted with these delicious goodies:

I decided on the spot that perhaps I could bend my 'Never-Try-A-Tutorial' rule a little.  But just this once.  


Nicole's kit contained everything I needed to get started immediately...a dichro cabochon, seed beads in various complementary tones, Nicole's BeadBacking (which is far nicer than Lacy's Stiff Stuff...and comes in a range of colours too), leather, a needle, thread, brooch back, and even a piece of beeswax to condition my thread!  The only basics that I had to supply were some glue, scissors, and a craft knife (for cutting two small holes in the leather)...oh, and a couple of hours of my time!


I had never used dichro before.  In fact, I had never even SEEN dichro in person before.  I was blown away by the colour, the sparkle, the beauty of it...I was like Gollum in 'Lord of the Rings'...my preciousssssss....

Isn't it pretty!  I *heart* it very much.


Once I had stopped fondling my pretty dichro cabochon, I set to work on my gorgeous brooch kit.


Nicole's instructions were clear and easy to follow, and each step of the process was accompanied by a clear photo or two.  Everything in the kit was clearly labelled so I knew exactly what I would be using with each step.  Honestly, it couldn't have been ANY easier.  Nicole held my hand all the way.


And I know you want to see the end result.  Ready?  Here it is - a beautiful, elegant, top quality brooch.  I love it to pieces!

My photos don't do justice to the beautiful colours and sparkle of the brooch.  This colourway isn't called 'Golden Sunrise' for nothing!


The best thing about this kit?  Aside from the end result which is a stunning, wearable work of art, for me it was the years of experience and knowledge that Nicole shares so freely.  We're talking Beading Royalty here, people.  This lady knows her stuff...and she even knows what you think you know, but you don't really know.  You know?


The chance to learn from a master should never be under-estimated.  I thought I knew a sufficient amount about bead embroidery and the like.  But having completed Nicole's kit, I can now take my work to the next level and incorporate her wonderful, unique Layered Flatwork techniques into my own creations.


But don't just take my word for it...read what the amazingly talented Triz also had to say about Nicole's kit.

Nicole's links:

Nicole's Etsy store

Nicole's blog

Nicole's Artfire store

Nicole's website

Thanks for looking, and be well!

Disclosure:  The above kit has been provided to me for review free of charge by Nicole Campanella.  This review represents my honest opinion, and I have not received compensation from Nicole Campanella as my endorsement pertains to the kit received and reviewed.

Nicole's Necklace

Anyone who has the pleasure of knowing Nicole Campanella is aware that she is one of the loveliest, most generous and most genuine people around.  Not to mentioned talented!  She is a constant source of inspiration for me, and I feel blessed to call her a very close friend.

Nicole's birthday was on April 27 and to help her celebrate, I made her this sweet little necklace:

I wanted to send Nicole a little piece of sunshine to help brighten her day :-)

If you haven't already, pop on over and say 'hi' to Nicole!

Nicole's Birthday Giveaway

There are giveaways...and then there are GIVEAWAYS.


My good friend, the beautiful and talented Nicole Campanella, is having a GIVEAWAY to celebrate her birthday next month.  How nice is that!  Most people are happy to just sit back and receive things on their birthday...but not Nicole, she is giving something away on her birthday.


It's not often that you have the chance to win a piece of beaded art.  Check out this beauty:

Isn't it beeeeautiful!  I cannot even comprehend how Nicole begins to create something so amazing.  And I cannot even begin to comprehend how she can bear to part with it!


So you'll want to be a part of this giveaway.  Pop on over to Nicole's blog for your chance to win!

An award or two

Sunshine is something that we are never short of here in glorious Western Australia. Having said that, I don't think you can ever get enough! Nothing lifts the spirits and gives us a feeling of wellbeing more than a good dose of vitamin D, I say ;-)

So I was delighted to receive the Sunshine Award from two of favourite blogging friends, Sharon of Mana Moon Studios and Nicole Campanella of Beadwright. Thank you ladies! You are both so special, thanks for adding a dash of sunshine to my life!

Here are the rules:

The rules for accepting the Sunshine Award are:

- Put the logo on your blog or within your post.

- Pass the award onto six bloggers

(it was initially 12 bloggers, but I'm going to follow Nicole's lead and split the difference!)

- Link the nominees within your post.

- Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

- Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

Here are some of my beading friends to whom I would love to send a little sunshine ;)

Andrea of Andrea's Beads & Fancywork

Anna of Il Mondo di Redanny

Joanna of Joanna's Blog

Margie of Marlier Designs

Nikoletta of Piky73

Karyn of Releases by Rufydoof

Speaking of awards, I was also fortunate to win the Czarina challenge on the Beading Forum with my 'Alexandra' necklace. Here's my pretty new badge:

I will have some more beadwork to show soon. And a pair of wire wrapped earrings! I've had fun playing with boiled egg as a patina on copper wire. A little bit smelly, a little bit hmmm...but interesting nonetheless.

In the meantime, have a great day and be well!

The Evolution of a Collar

Since I have made a pact with the lovely Sharon of Mana Moon Studios to catch and finish some UFO's (that is, Unfinished Objects...not alien spaceships), I thought I would post some photos as proof I am keeping my word ;-)

Here is how this collar has evolved over the last six months. Yes, you read correctly. It has been a work-in-progress for THAT long!

*hangs head in shame*

It all starts with inspiration, and a sketch. Not necessarily in that order. And not always with a sketch. In this case, I sketched first THEN looked for inspiration. Weird? Perhaps, but that's just how I roll.

My initial sketch

The end result is, quite often, absolutely nothing like my original idea. This piece is no different, as you will see. I wasn't sure if I wanted to bead hummingbirds or butterflies. After finding this gorgeous pic of a ruby-throated hummingbird, my mind was made up.

Inspiration (photo courtesy of http://www.gypsywind.com/)

I beaded one hummingbird and then, as so often happens when I begin beading, I decided to change my initial idea of three hummingbirds encircling the neck. Instead, my vision changed to a solitary hummingbird nestled amongst a garden of brightly hued blossoms.

The completed hummingbird

Well, I beaded flower after flower, and NOTHING worked. You can't even begin to imagine the amount of unpicking I had to endure.

*insert image of me ripping my hair out by the roots*

Most of my floral pieces are dimensional. However, dimensional flowers would engulf and overpower my 'flat' hummingbird. And flat flowers just wouldn't work. Or should I say, I couldn't make them work.

My 'work station'...a trusty 'ol Stable Table with a folded baby's swaddle cloth as a 'bead mat' to prevent beads rolling around. Yeah no expense spared, I went all out ;-)

So I gave up on the flower idea and decided I would create a simple background upon which my solitary hummingbird would take centre stage. As the background would also be 'flat', I wanted to create patterns which would create the illusion of movement and provide visual interest, without overpowering my hummingbird. Swirls were the solution.

Am I sick of blue beads yet...?

I tried many different colours and finishes of seed beads before I settled on the gorgeous transparent sky-blue beads sent to me by the very generous Nicole Campanella. It was rather fateful that these delicious seedies made their way into my life when they did...I think they compliment my hummingbird rather well.

So this is where I'm at. Swirls and swirls of blue beads.

I'm unsure how the finished collar will look, what fabric/backing will suit the collar, what style of clasp I will use, what kind of fringe (if any) will be required to compliment the piece, etc, etc. So many questions, so few answers. Trial and error is a large part of my beadwork. I rarely bead a piece from start to finish with a completed vision in my mind. I make things up as I go along. I like to live on the edge ;-) Heh.

Stay tuned for more progress photos!

Happy, happy new year

As usual I'm fashionably late...this time it is in wishing you all the happiest of new years.

May 2009 be your best year yet in every possible way! :)

My new year started in the most delightfully unexpected way. I received an email from the ultra-lovely Nicole Campanella of BeadWright with the news that I was the winner of her monthly contest for free beads! Winning some free beads is as simple as leaving a comment on Nicole's blog...if your name is drawn out of the hat at the end of the month, you can expect to receive a little package from Nicole in your mailbox. You can also win free beads by visiting Nicole's website and answering a question. How easy is that!

My little package arrived in the mail this morning, all the way from the US. Here are the contents:



Aren't I lucky! *smug*

There are two hanks of Czech seed beads in the most luscious shade of sky-blue. I have already pulled them out of their packet and run my fingers over them too many times to count today...their quality is obvious! I will be saving these beauties for a special project. My package also contained a kit with 14 assorted sizes and colours of Nicole's Bead Backing. The quality and texture of this felt is really fantastic, not to mention the glorious colours! You can get your hands on either of these beady products (and many more) at Nicole's Etsy store or Art Fire store.

I am thrilled to be the recipient of these wonderful and unexpected gifts. It was like opening a little package of happiness, and I don't think I've stopped smiling since :)

Nicole's generosity is something to be admired...and something that we should all aspire to :)

Spread the Love

I don't believe there is anything more flattering than receving recognition from someone whose work and ethics you greatly admire.

So you can imagine my absolute delight to receive The Spreader of Love Award from the lovely and extraordinarly talented Nicole Campanella of Beadwright. What an honour!

Please pay a visit to Nicole's blog where you can view her beautiful creations, read articles about copyright and ethics, and even go into a monthly draw to win beads simply by leaving a comment! Her Etsy store is well worth a visit...you might be lucky enough to snap up one of her gorgeous creations, or you can purchase a fantastic range of beading supplies. Nicole has some great sales when you're certain to grab a bargain, so be sure to pop back often!

Here are the rules to spread the love!

(1) Post a copy of the award on your blog post.

(2) Mention who gave you the award.

(3) Pass the award on to 6 others.

(4) Leave a message on their blog letting them know the honor has been bestowed upon them.

There are so many blogs I love, so this was no easy decision! Here are my picks:

1. My latest blog friend, the beautiful spirit who is Sharon and her loving husband, Damein, of Mana Moon Studios;

2. The ever resourceful Bianca (who has an answer to every conceivable beady question and is always so kind to offer her sage advice freely) of Bianca Velder Creations;

3. The very talented Morwyn and her wicked wit of Another Country BeadWorks;

4. The undisputed queen of freeform brick stitch, Vampi of Beading Bipolar;

5. The wonderful and ever-so-lovely Julie (who I know has only just received one of these awards, but she is just so nice that she deserves another!) of Meanderings by Julz;

6. And last but certainly not least, this being a love award 'n all, I naturally have to give one to be beloved husband, Anthony (whom has only just created his own blog about his second love, aerobatics, after my persistant nagging about the joys of blogging! Love you, baby xxx) Saville Aerobatics.

Thanks for letting me spread the love, Nicole ;)