Beaded Beads, What Else?

I put several new pieces in my Etsy shop this week, and now I'm going to tell you about them.  First is a beaded bead pendant that I made years ago.  Every bead larger than a size 8/0 seed bead is gemstone.  They include red rubies, white Australian opals and purple Russian charoite.  It took me a while to get it listed because I had originally wire wrapped it in three tiers, and I didn't like the overall composition.  I was reluctant to cut the sterling silver wire, but I finally did, and I like it much better now with just a single charoite hanging from the bottom. I tried remaking this bead with more standard sizes of glass beads, and my attempts were unsuccessful.  Alas, this is the only one quite like it.  One of a kind, OOAK, as they say.  I hope it goes to a good home.

I made two new pairs of DNA earrings.  The first pair are simply colored in silver and clear AB crystals.  Last time I ordered seed beads from Naturally Jennifer's Beads, she included a little baggie of the bugles, and I knew immediately that I would use them in some beaded DNA.  This pair has an 8-rung rainbow of bugle beads running down the middle of the double helix of silver seed beads.

The second pair is more simply colored, designed to be worn with any outfit.  They're just silver and clear AB crystals.

Here is a set of little orange pendants made with the technique I explain in the Rivoli Sunflower pattern, but a mini version.  The big orange faceted beads are cubic zirconia.  So, yah, they're super sparkly.  Yum.

Lastly, here's a necklace using a Time Machine beaded bead in the center and Double Rose Window beaded beads on the sides.  This necklace has real red rubies, antique German glass, and a variety of lampwork bead, handmade by various artists. It's plump and juicy for when you're feeling, you know, plump and juicy.

Want more? Click on the photos to go to the listings. Thanks for looking.

Using tiling theory to generate angle weaves with beads

I am very excited to announce that our paper "Using tiling theory to generate angle weaves with beads (pdf)," coauthored with Blake Mellor, has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Mathematics and the Arts.  The acceptance was conditional on our making changes recommended by the reviewers.  The final, reviewed and edited version was published by the Journal, volume 6, issue 4, 2012.

Looking back at my notes, I started the first draft of this paper in July of 2009, and I started beading the designs in it in 2008.  It has been a long process writing this paper, drawing the illustrations, beading the samples, and taking photos, but I hope the ideas in it will inspire you the way they have inspired me. 

If you are still looking for the link to the draft paper, try the first one up at the top :) The third link will direct you to the edited version that was published. Thank you for looking, and thank you for your comments.

Chiral Octahedral Symmetry Beaded Bead

I've been hoarding this beaded bead pendant for a while because it is featured in Figure 25 in my 2007 paper, "Three-dimensional finite point groups and the symmetry of beaded beads. (pdf)" It's the only one quite like it. I made it by weaving seed beads and crystals together with a needle and thread, and it has some large stone bead in the core, probably agate.

It's a rather unusual beaded bead because it has no reflection symmetry. Notice how there are pinwheel designs that cover the surface. You don't usually see pinwheel designs of beaded beads. Unusual as it is, this is the perfect gift for the mathematician in your life. You tell her that I said that it's a beaded pendant that exhibits chiral octahedral symmetry. The symmetry group O is the subgroup of rotation symmetries of the full symmetry group of the cube (or octahedron). This and other chiral groups have no reflection symmetry.

It's the only one quite like it. Some art is more unique than other art. This is VERY unique, uniquer than most ;) Plus it's lime and purple, so what's not to love?

I also listed this pair of Picnic Earrings.  The earrings and pendant were never intended to be a set, but I really like the way the colors work together, coordinated but not too matchy matchy.

The photos will take you to the listings.  Thanks for looking.