New Class: NIRVANA Pendant Saturday February 23

Before | After NIRVANA Pendant

Many times I will create a component in particular closures for my bead embroidered collars.  In this case, a Swarovski 27mm Rivoli Button in Crystal AB was used.  The pendant was just stunning however, for over a year the project was not complete due to the closure overwhelming the piece.
So, on one of our monthly Meet & Beads Najat and I were looking at the beaded collar and we both agreed it was just not working.  So, setting my beading ego aside, I took the scissors and cut it from the collar.  The NIRVANA pendant was born from that moment on and liberated.  It was such a life affirming powerful piece she just had to be showcased and stand alone.
It is a large fancy stone that shimmers and reflects the colors of the various beads encasing the Rivoli in circular peyote employing Delicas.  Layers and layers are added for embellishing and showcasing the piece employing beads as small as size 15, exquisitely shaped Magatamas and lastly 5mm Czech Bicones that actually elevate the piece so that the pointy part of the Rivoli does not poke.

Interchangeable applications cuff, pin or pendant

The pendant can then easily be converted into a brooch, a bracelet, a component, a necklace with some leather, suede, hand dyed silk ribbon or off loom weaving, it is very beautiful on the wrist.
Each kit is a NIRVANA of it's own, not one kit is alike and is a limited kit series at this time.  There are six kits to choose from.

Date:  February 23, 2013
Time: 9:30am- 2:00pm
Technique:  Circular Peyote -Bezeling / Embellishing
Level:  Intermediate (should be comfortable with flat even count Peyote)
Venue:  LB o J'zazz Beading Zone
            Jabriya Block 9
            Street 6 House 13 (Side Basement Entrance)

The kits will be available at the Shaab Al Bahry shop from Tuesday morning onward for pre-registration whereby, a deposit is required once you reserve your kit.  For more information on class materials, fees and other details you can go to  http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=960aae156d11fbb85189284e3&id=caa1a71f48

LB o J'zazz 

Shaab Al Bahry

Mohammad Darwish Al Aradi Street

Mujama Al Shaab adjacent to Executive Flex and nearby Costa Del Sol

(Store 4) Telephone:  2261-0686

The Full Moon Al-Bader On Its Way

The Al-Bader Earrings

Have you ever come a cross a beautiful coin or semi-precious stone that every angle you view takes you breath away? Or that crystal stone with a pointy back or that piece that has no hole and you just can not figure out how to capture, frame or use it?  Well, if you are anything like me, then you may have felt it almost 'sinful' to cover the other captivating side of some of those treasures.  Today, i must admit that with some of my own private collection of Gary Wilson Stones, this holds true.

Treasure Stones

Luckily years ago I took a class with the exceptional Beading Artist Laura McCabe, a beading master in her own right, and a flamboyantly, creative being with the open-back bezel.  And as this is a time for new beginnings and growth in our present month of Ramadhan where the Moon guides our lunar calendar to mark progression of time and moments, the opportune time is here to pass this lovely skill on to eager fellow beaders with the introduction of "Al-Bader (in Arabic البدر; meaning: Full Moon) Earrings class this upcoming week.

Bader-Full Moon

Date:                 August 4, Saturday
Time:                11:00am- 3:30pm
Technique:       Open-Back Bezel
Level:                Intermediate
Prerequisite:     Peyote stitch; patience and love to learn ;)
Venue:              LB o J'zazz Beading Zone
                         Jabriya Block 9 Street 6 House 13 (Side Basement Entrance)

If you are interested to learn more about this class, please email us at: info@lbojzazz.com or call us at +(965) 2261-0686 or please click on to Full Moon Al Bader Earring Class Info and Fees.  Pre-registration for this class is required and this can be done at our LB o J'zazz shop in:

           Shaab Al-Bahri
           Block 8
           Mohammed Darwish Al-Aradi Street
           Al-Shaab Complex, Shop 4
           Kuwait

This class is created and lead by Bettina Al-Bakhit and will be supported and assisted by Lubna Saif Abbas.  The atmosphere is casual and comfortable and is a place you can just be.

Note: As this class is several hours long and it is Ramadhan, a dedicated private area is dedicated for those who wish to eat/drink, just bring along your own snacks and drinks. 

Bead Embroidery By Request: Vintage Au Provence Earrings Class

Bead Embroidery simply put is quite addictive.  As you can see from my own work, it represents a lot of the creations that are in the LB o J'zazz archives and collections.  Taking a beautifully crafted cabochon or semi precious stone cab adhering it to a surface and creating layers of details and color shifts through bezeling with Circular Peyote creates a rich tapestry of painting like approach with beads on the foundation material that acts as the canvas. 
These earrings began as an idea for a birthday gift over a year ago for my creative and business partner and BBF Bettina. It took me a while to complete them with our hectic work schedule but she did receive the pair before departing with her daughter Sara to Ireland.  I wanted to make sure that she had something with her  from me that was handmade as a sort of talisman.  Plus, the selfish part of me wanted her to remember me each time she wore them or saw them in her jewelry stash.
Taking the two main components and assembling the units into a symbiotic fusion will be a new approach.  The grand finale will be the fringing technique perfected, championed and mastered by our wonderful teacher Sherry Serafini that inspired me and  will take the project to yet another level.  There will be no less than four kits available to choose from.

Date:   Saturday October 1, 2011
Time:  9:30AM- 1:30 PM
Venue:  LB o J'zazz Beading Zone
Jabriya Block 9 Street 6 House 13 (Side Basement Entrance)
Technique:  Bead Embroidery / Bezeling / Circular Peyote / Fringing
Level:  Advanced Beginners

Hanan Al Shaye's Version

For more information on tools required, material list and class fees you can send us an email at info@lbojzazz.com or call us at the shop at 2261-0686.  You can pre-register to gaurantee your kit selection by visiting the shop by Thursday afternoon at the latest.  This class fills up very quickly and we do have a limited number of kits. 

Solar Flare.. expected this Saturday August 13

A lovely gem of a necklace| Photo by Bettina Al-Bakhit

In tandem with the astonishing activity happening on our Sun planet, I thought there is no better time to introduce this 'astronomical' class to our wonderful students and to Kuwait then now. 

Albight it may look simple, creating an Open-back Bezel in this class will require previous experience in beading, patience and love.  An advanced class, this encapsulating technique mainly requires precision in details and appreciation of working with high quality Japanese cylindrical and tiny round seed beads.  With that receipe,  I assure you the outcome can only be termed as priceless.

The pendent of all pendents, this bezeled focal piece spur life| Photo by Bettina Al-Bakhit

All the credit for learning this advanced beading technique goes to my teacher and Master Beader extraordinaire Laura McCabe about 5 years ago.  During a marathon of workshops in mid-2000's, i came across a photo that made my eyes tickle.  And even though the class was 'Advanced', I was not about to let that deter me from learning how to create such exquisite, "living", and detailed pieces.  This Saturday, I share the core of what I learned with you.

I will show you how to cradle and center this Rivoli pendent with seed beads, embellish with sparkling vivid crystals, suspend off strun Soft Flex heaving wire with more crystals andaccented by Tierra Cast's fine findings and beads, and lastly the proper, clean way to close your piece.  Solar Flare Necklace class is rich with techniques and will opening doors to endless possibilities for you to create high quality jewelry of your own.

You will be learning 5 major techniques in this class.

Technique/s:                      Open-Back Bezel; Circular Peyote; Tubular Herringbone/Ndebele; Embellishing;   Stringing
Class Level:                       Advanced
Prerequisite Required:       Peyote; Herringbone/Ndebele
Time:                                 12:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Venue:                               Jabriyah, Block 9, Street 6, House 13 (Side entrance to Basement)

As usual we will be offering several colorways to select from. 

To register, kindly visit Mr. Chaminda at our LB o J'zazz shop in Shaab Al-Bahry.  And if there are any questions, please email us at info@lbojzazz.com or call 2261-0686.

Foundation Materials For Bead Embroidery

Some of you took our class called "The How Ya Doin?"  Ring that was a major introduction to bead embroidery, cabochon bezeling and embellishing.  The two main components that were necessary to create a polished and high level of finishing were:  Lacy's Stiff Stuff TM and Ultrasuede TM. We will provide an overview of the amazing qualities of Lacy's in addition to how Ultrasuede is an essential part of finishing and embellishing in the bead embroidery technique.

Lacy's Stiff Stuff TM comes in A4 size and has several qualities that make it a joy to work with.  It comes in white, however you can dye it with fabric dye to match the palette you are working with, so that the white does not come through the bead embroidery.  Doing that allows you to actually create a canvas that acts as a color filler in the background.  You can also use markers to fill an area for the same effect.  One sheet of Lacy's can go a long way, and all the leftovers and scraps can be used for smaller projects.  You can also draw a pattern or designs directly onto Lacy's after it has been dyed.  

What's great about this foundation medium is that it is stiff enough whereby, you do not require embroidery hoops and if you have to pull out beads after applying them, the material retains it's integrity and shape.  It also cuts very well and creates a smooth edge for finishing.
When adhering focal stones or cabochons it is very strong and retains it's shape particularly during the bezeling process when employing the backstitch.  Once the piece is completed on the foundation material of Lacy's it can even be glued to a brass base.  

The piece is then finished with UltrasuedeTM  whereby, the piece is cut out and creates a soft and plush backing and is sandwiched with a special back stitch technique employing beads. Ultrasuede is available in four colors:  Black, Tobacco, Silver Gray and Turquoise.  It too goes a long way and can be used for several projects. 




This is the end result, all of our class participants had approached this elaborate technique for the first time .  By using materials that work with you and are of the best quality allows you to invest time in pieces that will last and retain a high level of craftsmanship and artistry.  Both Lacy's Stiff Stuff, Ultrasuede and lots of beautiful artisanal glass cabochons are exclusively available for you at our LB o J'zazz shop in Shaab El Bahry. 

This is a Gary Wilson Semiprecious Stone: Lacy Jasper that was set on the foundation material and then bezeled one bead at a time in circular Peyote Stitch with vintage and Contemporary Seed  Beadsand Delicas.  Piece by Lubna Saif Abbas.Copyright Image 2010

Bezeled Island Jasper Completed

Here is the piece that was bezeled in peyote stitch upon completion.  This project triggered a flurry of off- loom weaving branching out into at least four new projects underway. The idea was to keep the focus on the actual properties of the color ways and shape of the stone.

  
The clasp is the bronze finishing hammertone clasp by Tierracast.  It created an interesting contrast to the piece. Japanese seed beeds were used in the strap in the Spiral Stitch Technique It is now in a private collection.