Thursday, April 15, 2010

A Salute to the Sensational Seedies

Truth is I am not qualified to provide any information about seed beading, but I so admire the talents and creativity of this special breed of Jewelry Artists that I decided to learn a little bit about the techniques and supplies used in the creation of some of the most incredible pieces of jewelry art that I have ever laid eyes on.

Seed beads are those “itty bitty beads” ranging in size from less than a millimeter to several millimeters. The sizes are expressed as the number of beads that fit into a standard unit, 15/0 (fifteen/aught), 11/0, 8/0, etc. which means the higher the number, the smaller the bead. They are the most commonly used beads in jewelry and the decoration of garments. Primarily made of glass and produced in the Czech Republic or Japan modern seed beads are available in a several shapes such as Bugle, Charlotte, Cylinder, Delica, and a much broader assortment of colors and finishes from opaque to transparent. Some beads are lined either with a metallic material or different color, while others are treated with a coating to produce a lustrous surface, providing more visual interest and variety.

The techniques of seed beading are as diverse as the varieties of beads available to execute them. Peyote, Brick, Right Angle Weave RAW, Ndebele, Herringbone, are the foundation of bead weaving with variations to create tubes, ruffles and sculptural dimension. Supplement these basics with Netting, Daisy Chain, Picot, Crochet, Embroidery, Bead Lace, Bead Looming, Beaded Beads and the possibilities are staggering.

I am always astounded by the magnificent creations the “Sensational Seedies” of the SATeam exhibit and awestruck by the talents and creativity of this group. I can only imagine the amount of time that goes into the designing, bead selection, preparation and fabrication of even what may seem to be the simplest of seed bead creations…my mind is boggled by what it takes to produce a more complex, prize worthy work of art.


Kudos to our gifted seedies.

































The SATeam blog features artisan handmade creations by the etsy starving artists jewelry team. SATeam members create handcrafted jewelry and beads. More information about our team and its current Etsy shop owner members can be found at SATEAM.etsy.com

10 comments:

Cat said...

I just don't get how they do it ....

Anonymous said...

Me neither, Cat. I guess I am not patient enough. Those examples look spectacular.

Unknown said...

I am constantly in awe of seed-beaders - you guys are amazing!!

Nicole said...

These are incredible - the artists who make them must have so much patience! Well done, all of you!

Unknown said...

After I tried my hand at a *teeny tiny* bit of beading, I had a much healthier respect for the patience these very elaborate pieces require. Great article!

tjrjewellery said...

Lots of detail (and lots of itty bitty beads) in those pieces of jewellery! Beautiful examples!

Carole said...

Impressive work, everyone. I do a bit of seed-beading,so I have a good idea of the patience you must have.

mcstoneworks said...

Beautiful pieces. I can only imagine the time and effort required to make these works of art.

Cindy said...

Ooo what a lovely article and a beautiful collection of seedie pieces! In my case, I'm not sure if I have patience or just stubbornness... Thanks for including me in this collection!

ERIN SIMONETTI said...

This is a great article! So much to learn as well as so much to see! I love being in the company of so many talented seed beaders, here and on the SJA Forum!