Studio Musings

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Alisa Lehman - Freeform Peyote Adventurer

Several of the Adventurers on our Freeform Peyote Challenge don't currently have their own blogs, so I'm hosting them here as guest posts.  Here's Alisa Lehman talking about her wonderful piece that seems right at home Under the Sea:


Alisa Lehman's first freeform peyote bracelet
Alisa Lehman's first freeform peyote bracelet

This is my first try at freeform peyote -
 
detail of Alisa Lehman's first freeform peyote bracelet
detail of Alisa Lehman's first freeform peyote bracelet
I started by laying out some beads – I already had some left over beads in blues and greens from another project so I started with those.  There were a few colors of size 8 and some larger assorted beads.  I added some size 6s that I had hanging around, some bugles, some drops and some 15s.
 
I started the process by using a tutorial I found by Beki Haley that suggested making the first length of beads the length of your bracelet and starting with just one size.  I did that and just kept building out and adding bridges.  

For quite a while It went through an ugly duckling stage.  I liked a few bits, but some of the edges were rippling and some of the beads did not play nicely together.  Then I started embellishing the top and it started coming together.  When I finished, I felt like it needed a little something more and I found the starfish in my stash.  It seemed to work well with the blue/green ocean colors so I popped it on right on top of some of the top level embellishments (in hindsight, it would have probably been better to have added it early on and embellished around it.  I felt I need to balance the starfish color, so I added the 3 round gold beads on each side.
 
I used a glass button I had for a clasp.
 
I really enjoyed to process and I have already laid out my beads for my next bracelet (see photo at left).  

If that goes well, I would like to try a necklace.

Return to the full list of Freeform Adventurers.
 

19 comments:

  1. Wow... great first piece...I love the colors and the added starfish, and the addition of the gold pearls to balance it out. It would be interesting to see how it would look if the starfish was added earlier, but it really stands out nicely this way. Love it! Leanne

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  2. this is wonderful! always so much going on under water and this really gives that feeling. your first attempt is absolutely gorgeous!

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  3. It's a great piece. I love the different types of beads and I would not have believed it was a first attempt.

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  4. Beautiful, Alisa! I'm glad you persevered thru a long ugly duckling stage because it turned out fabulous! I love the starfish and it definitely has a fun under the sea vibe :) Happy to see your beads for your next project, and I can't wait to see it.

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  5. I love this bracelet!! It totally takes me on an undersea adventure. Very whimsical and fun and the drop beads look like bubbles. ~FUN~

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  6. It's hard to believe this is your first freeform - it's really wonderful! Can't wait to see what comes next...

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  7. What a great job. I love your colours and the starfish is a lovely addition

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  8. I love it!! I love it even more that the ocean theme seems to have come upon you as you wove, rather than being your starting point - how exciting to 'find' it along the way!! Beautiful work!!

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  9. Love your colors and the beachy feel to the piece. Super work!!

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  10. Well I have no hesitation in saying the colors in your bracelet are favorites of mine. I love how it evolved and those drop beads are stunning little drops of light.

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  11. What a beautiful work of art! There is just something wistful and inspiring about the sea and your bracelet evokes that so well!

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  12. What a great start you have had to freeform! Such a beautiful bracelet! The colors are awesome, and I really like the drops along the edge. Way to go!

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  13. Lovely colors and interesting details, well done!

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  14. Awesome work. the colours are lovely, and the texture great. The addition of the 2 groups of 3 gold beads, really brings the eye to this pieve of wearable art. Beautiful

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  15. Hi Alisa,
    You bracelet is gorgeous I love the colors you used and putting the starfish right on top of the beaded beads is perfect, cause it looks like it is moving along like a real one in nature would do. I like the beads you have set out for the next one.
    Therese

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  16. Love the colors, very pretty. The starfish sitting on top looks great and using the gold beads to balance the starfish works perfectly!

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  17. Love it! The starfish is a great addition!

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