Inspiration comes to us through many avenues, and on a good day it shows up when you didn't even know you were looking.  So it was a couple of months back when Tariq Muttalib, owner and designer of PoeticEra macrame jewelry, came in for a class.

Those of us who like working with cords and mixed media have been happy to see macrame returning to fashion.  If you are also a fan of this art form you'll enjoy perusing poeticera.com, which features Tariq's jewelry, his blog and includes a learning center.

The About page describes his jewelry as incorporating "glass, gemstones, semi-precious and precious stones in custom macrame jewelry, and prides itself on the creative features and original designs of attractive color combinations, detailed weaving, and complex knot-work."

Click on any of the photos or links to go to his site, or just enjoy some images here.  And, as always, be inspired by the creative possibilities with macrame!

Do you have a tool for this and a tool for that, and do you sometimes think you've collected more tools than you need?  

We all have to decide for ourselves which tools we do, and do not need.  One tool I decided I do need has become a favorite:  the Thread Zap.  Here's a little info to help you decide if this would make a good addition to your own collection.

Thread Zaps are simple enough:  a wire element at the tip heats up and melts nylon (or other meltable) cords and threads.  This keeps the melted end of the cord from fraying.  It also creates a small ball at the end that makes it harder for the cord to wiggle out of place.  

You can even finish some pieces by melting the ends without having to make bulky knots, depending on the cords and project, such as some macrame designs.

These images show the melted ends of Chinese knotting cord.  And here's a tip some of us learned the hard way: when using the Thread Zap on light colored cords, be sure to first clean the heating element of any previous debris.  Sometimes you just need to let it get hot to burn straggling bits, and when cool gently rub the tip to clean.  You can see a little carbon residue on this lighter cord.

I always use the Thread Zap for trimming threads in bead weaving.  It works with any nylon thread such as Nymo, Fireline or KO. Note:  I don't consider this a substitute for making sure the threads are securely knotted and tight within the piece.  This is simply a way to trim the ends close to the work and avoids leaving that teeny tiny bit of thread that's too short to cut with scissors, but seems to loom large in front of your face every time you look at it.

Thread Zaps have been around for a while and updated a few times.  The newest version, the Ultra Thread Zap, is pretty nifty.  It has a retractable tip that only heats when you push the button forward and hold it.  It also comes with an extra tip that is stored in the battery compartment.

Feel free to ask for a demonstration next time you're in the shop.  Happy Zapping!

Is your relationship with off-loom weaving stymied because you don't know the language?  Have you often thought "If only I had a translator?"    This starter class is for you.  Today's lesson clarifies two phrases:  pass through and pass back through.

Writing instructions for bead weaving patterns is complicated, as anyone who has done this knows.  Bead weaving doesn't have as many standard terms as, say, in knitting.  There's isn't always a "top" or "bottom" to a piece, and depending on how someone holds their work the direction they're going may be very different from what the instructor intended.  So understanding a few standard phrases can be just the ticket to get you from "huh?" to "got it!"

Let's start with Pass Through or Pass Through Again.  It's simple enough, really.  It means you'll bring your needle through the bead or beads again in the same direction as before.  This diagram shows how the thread has looped around these beads to go through them a second time in the same direction.  It's a phrase that always seems to make perfect sense until you see another, similar phrase, that gets you confused.

Pass Back Through is that above mentioned "confusor" phrase.  (I know -- confusor is not a real word -- I just made it up.)  Pass Back Through means you'll bring the needle back through the beads you just exited, in the opposite direction.  This usually means you'll skip one or more beads to act as anchors holding everything in place.  So the instructions will probably say something like "skipping the last three beads, pass back through the beads just strung."

Now you're ready to practice your new language skills.  Go find a bead weaving pattern and give it a whirl -- you might surprise yourself and have something to show for it!

Maybe it's because the temperature outside is, you know, really really cold, that I'm thinking spring.  As in Springtime, warmer weather, sunshine, flowers, and summer jewelry.

Whatever the reason, I've had thoughts of simple bracelets and necklaces floating around my head made with cords and braids and beads.  The basic braid is easily manipulated to create designs from fancy to funky.

Here are some tips to get your own ideas floating around your head, starting with your choice of cord.

Keep in mind that you'll want at least one cord thin enough to string some beads onto, then pretty much anything will do.  Cords that we like working with include waxed linen, Chinese knotting cord and waxed cotton cord.  

Waxed linen is a little tacky and can be mushed back together when it frays.  Chinese knotting cord is not as stiff and has a nice drape, though this can make it harder to string beads onto.  But because it's nylon the ends can be melted, which is a nice feature.  Waxed cotton is not tacky like waxed linen, comes in several thicknesses and colors and is soft to work with.

I like to start with the button.  Your basic braid requires three strands, so I use one long cord folded in half, and another cord that is tied with the other two to secure the button.

Start your braid -- it's up to your how much braiding you want between beads, whether you want to be very uniform or more free-form in your spacing.

Decide whether you want beads to be centered in your braid, or peeking out along the sides.

For centered beads, string a bead onto a cord as it is placed in the center position, then make a couple (or however many you want) braids around it.

Tie the cords close to the last bead or when you've reached the length you want, then tie two of the cords to create a loop that just fits over the button.  Snip the extra cord and apply a dab of glue.

For something that highlights the cord and uses beads as adornments along the sides, add smaller beads (these are size 6/0 seed beads) on the outside edge, with several braids in between.

Many of these designs can be worn as either a necklace of a multi-wrap bracelet.  Experiment with variations -- try making something with a very loose braid and see how it changes the look.  Or try replacing one cord with two thinner cords.

Yes, it WILL get warmer, and you'll want to be ready with jewelry to show off when you no longer need to bundle up head to toe!

I was invited to a bead retreat a couple of weekends ago -- and yes, it is as delightful as it sounds.  Spending a weekend with about 20 other women, all accomplished and talented beaders, is inspiring to say the least.  It also gave me the chance to work on a couple of projects that I just hadn't gotten to.

The January, 2013 issue of BeadWork magazine had a design for a bangle bracelet made with peanut beads that intrigued me.  (Yea, I know that's over one year ago.  So I'm not Johnny-on-the-spot, OK?)  I've also been meaning to try cubic right angle weave, because everyone around me seems to be loving this stitch and I hadn't yet tried it.

Let's start with the peanut bead bangle.  Essentially this is flat right angle weave that gets stitched into a tube.  Since I don't like to wear bracelets, I stitched the tube but skipped the part that turns it into a bangle.  I do things like that a lot.

I let the peanut tube sit around while I started work on a cubic right angle weave rope.  As the rope progressed, I had a sudden light bulb moment:  String the tube on the rope, and the bangle becomes a necklace!

I finished the ends of the peanuts tube with a little peyote stitch ruffle, made a toggle and loop for the rope, and inspiration meets function.

When have you taken a pattern and, with just a little change, created a new design?  I'd love to hear about (and see pictures) of your creative experiments (or sometimes accidents).