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Bead Craft - Easy Methods To Find Excellent Ideas
Regardless of which of the multitude of beading ideas I'm pursuing, I consider patterning as the single most vital aspect of the hobby. A good pattern can cover a huge number of other bead craft design sins, and good crafters will spend a lot of time fiddling with their patterns to get them just right.
In this article, I am going to take a brief look at 2 sources of inspiration for your bead craft ideas that you may not have thought of. Consider this an experiment in cross discipline thinking, and it is my hope that when you read these words, your mind will immediately begin turning on the subject, and a whole boatload of OTHER ideas will fall into your lap. Even if that does not happen though, this is still a ward against the bead craft equivalent of "writer's block." So here goes:
Poetry
Any poem that's not free verse has a rhyme and meter to it. Haiku's structure is 5-7-5. Iambic pentameter has its own rhythm, and so on. There're a huge number of rhythms to choose from, and inspiration is as close as your nearest volume of poetry.
Take the haiku example. You can construct a pattern around the haiku rhythm, 5-7-5. An arrangement of five beads. A different arrangement of seven, and then back to five. Repeat this around your necklace (or bracelet, or whatever) and you will have designed a "haiku bead craft necklace."
Or if your favorite poem has a funky rhythm like
a-b-b-a
b-c-c-b
c-d-d-c
(repeat)
You could arrange a bead craft pattern around that (each letter represents a different component) to striking effect. And, your bead craft project will have an interesting story around it!
Sheet Music
An additional outstanding source for inspiration to enrich your bead craft projects is sheet music. Assign one bead component to each note and place based on whatever song you choose.
As you please, either ignore sharps and flats or add entirely new bead craft ideas elements for them. Start with something simple. Design a "Mary had a little lamb" necklace, playing with the components until you are happy with the results. Again, an off beat way of looking at the subject of patterning that can enrich the execution of your bead craft ideas in unexpected methods!
*Note: You will perhaps just prefer to focus on one line of the sheet music in your bead craft project, lest you make anything much too big to be usable! Also note that pattern and medium can, and generally will, influence each other! What may work well with semi-precious stones may not be as viable with a wood/metal mix, so there's definitely a bit of experimentation involved! The major thing, no matter where your inspiration comes from, or what form it ultimately takes, is to stick with it! Persistence and experimentation will must win the day!
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