| Monthly Newsletter - Issue 81 April 2017 |
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Time flies. No spring flowers at my house yet. We still have alot of snow with more on the horizon - like 2 to 3 feet starting Friday. Yikes. While we have dug the snow away from most windows we still have some sliding glass doors that are buried from bottom to top.Truthfully, I am getting a little tired of it although the skiing is fantastic. My sweet husband encourages me to get out in the morning to get some fresh air & exercise before digging into my work (and his).
In the April "Kit of the Month" I am introducing some of the Black Pottery Pendants that I had made for me while I was in Oaxaca, Mexico in Feb/March. They are really, really beautiful. I hope you will enjoy them.
You'll see one of my April kits in the photo where I have used my
Kumihimo Elongated Swirl pattern in a 4-color combination. I have also created a gorgeous 3-color combination. The Pendant is a Black Pottery Trapezoid. Read more below.
Some of you may have seen the sneak peek on Facebook and Pinterest. FUN!
As always, thank you so much for your business. Some of you have been purchasing kits from me for almost 8 years now. I appreciate my return customers/friends and welcome my new customers too. I enjoy your phone calls, emails and I love the pictures you send. All of you are what makes this endeavor one that I keep pursuing.
Happy Braiding,
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What is Black Pottery?
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My kits this month are designed with Black Pottery pendants and I am really
 excited to share my Black Pottery Pendant treasures with you. Last month when I was in Oaxaca, Mexico I had a few days to do some scouting before our groups arrived. One such adventure led me to the Dona Rosa Black Pottery studio where I met a young man who I worked with to make pendants to go along with my Kumihimo braids. We decided on the pendant shapes and then I specified the patterns, textures and hole sizes. We agreed on a pick-up date and then I left, with my fingers crossed, hoping our English/Spanish communication meant the same thing to both of us. Low and behold, when I returned 2 weeks later, my pendants were ready and much more beautiful than I ever imagined. The next question was how I was going to get all these pendants home. They get heavy when you are talking hundreds!
So, what is so special about Black Pottery? In Mexico it is known as Barro Negro Pottery
which literally translates to"black mud" pottery. This black clay ceramic pottery is made in the area of San Bartolo De Coyotepec, and the special properties of this region's clay cannot be found anywhere else. The polished, almost glass-like surface, the intricate carving, fine details, and rich color make black clay pottery a treasure. Each piece is produced and cut by hand and baked in a fire of thick black smoke to produce the unique color. Meticulous care and patience are put into each black clay piece, as they take significant time to complete.
They are
truly
special
pieces! I hope you will enjoy these
creations!
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Kumihimo Elongated 4-Color Swirl Necklace with Trapezoid Pendant
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This Kumihimo Beaded Necklace with the Black Pottery Trapezoid Pendant is a beauty.
The beaded design is an elongated swirl in 4 colors including: Black, Red, Dk Grey and Frosted Lt Grey. This combination of colors is quite stunning and the swirls seem to "pop". The Black Pottery Trapezoid Pendant, from Oaxaca, Mexico is quite special. The pendants were made just for me with my specifications. See article about Black Pottery.
This kit teaches you a great option for attaching a pendant and utilizes the adjustable closure. The beaded lengths, on each side, measure about 8" and the braided tails on either end are 6" each. The necklace can be worn as short as 16" or as long as 28" (depending on beads and braider). Enjoy!
You will need:
- Scissors
- Tape Measure
You should know:
- Kumihimo Round Braid (Kongoh Gumi)
- How to drop beads (see
Kumihimo Tip #14 if you need a refresher). It's easy.
- This kit requires meticulous bead loading and braiding.
Kit includes:
- 1 spool C-Lon Bead Cord
- Black Pottery Trapezoid Pendant from Oaxaca, Mexico
- 8 colors 8/0 Toho or Miyuki Seed Beads
- 1 Porcelain Pony Accent Bead
- Barrel Bead for Adjustable Closure
- Wide Eye Needle
- Instructions
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Kumihimo Elongated 3-Color Swirl Necklace with Trapezoid Pendant
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The Kumihimo Beaded Necklace with the Black Pottery Trapezoid Pendant is a beauty. The beaded design is an elongated swirl in 3 colors including: Hematite, Dk Bronze and Muscat. It has sparkle and pizazz. The Black Pottery Trapezoid Pendant, from Oaxaca, Mexico is quite special. The pendants were made just for me with my specifications. See article about Black Pottery.This kit teaches you a great option for attaching a pendant and utilizes the adjustable closure. The beaded lengths measure about 8" on each side and the braided tails on either end are 6" each. The necklace can be worn as short as 16" or as long as 28" (depending on beads and braider). Enjoy!
You will need:
- Scissors
- Tape Measure
You should know:
- Kumihimo Round Braid (Kongoh Gumi)
- How to drop beads (see
Kumihimo Tip #14 if you need a refresher). It's easy.
- This kit requires meticulous bead loading and braiding.
Kit includes:
- 1 spool C-Lon Bead Cord
- Black Pottery Trapezoid Pendant from Oaxaca, Mexico
- 8 colors 8/0 Toho or Miyuki Seed Beads
- 1 Porcelain Pony Accent Bead
- Barrel Bead for Adjustable Closure
- Wide Eye Needle
- Instructions
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Kumihimo Elongated 7-Color Swirl Necklace with Heart Pendant
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Does this one look familiar?
This kit is a variation of the February Kit of the Month that sold out within hours.
The beaded design is an elongated swirl 7 colors including: Periwinkle, Chartreuse, Turquoise, Orange, Red, Black and White. Perfect for the Spring weather that some of you are already enjoying. I love this necklace with the Black Pottery Heart Pendant, from Oaxaca, Mexico.
This kit teaches you a great option for attaching a pendant and utilizes the adjustable closure. The beaded lengths measure about 8" on each side and the braided tails on either end are 6" each. The necklace can be worn as short as 16" or as long as 28" (depending on beads and braider). Enjoy!
You will need:
- Scissors
- Tape Measure
You should know:
- Kumihimo Round Braid (Kongoh Gumi)
- How to drop beads (see
Kumihimo Tip #14 if you need a refresher). It's easy.
- This kit requires meticulous bead loading and braiding.
Kit includes:
- 1 spool C-Lon Bead Cord
- Black Pottery Heart Pendant from Oaxaca, Mexico
- 7 colors 8/0 Toho or Miyuki Seed Beads
- 2 Porcelain Pony Accent Beads
- Barrel Bead for Adjustable Closure
- Wide Eye Needle
- Instructions
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Getting Ready for Teaching at CNCH Conference
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 This month I have been very busy getting my classes ready for the CNCH conference to take place at Asilomar.
Listen to this description, "Celebrated as Monterey Peninsula's Refuge by the Sea - Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds is a breathtakingly gorgeous 107 acres of ecologically diverse beachfront land, situated within the quaint and scenic town of Pacific Grove". Wow! I can't wait.
I will be teaching a 2 1/2 day Kumihimo Workshop, May 5, 6 and 7. I have the same group each day. I am really looking forward to sharing my love for Kumihino and it is my desire to turn a bunch of new designers into the Kumihimo fold! I will put a travel notice on my website when the time gets closer.
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Kumihimo Beaded Reversing Swirl Necklace with Adjustable Closure
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This is last months Kit of the Month
without the Focal Motif.
Alot of you requested that I make this necklace kit available, so here it is! This is fun design with crisp colors & a reversing swirl beaded pattern.
The adjustable closure allows you to wear the necklace longer or shorter. The finished length of the beaded portion is right around 16.5" to17" and the braided tails, on either end, are about 6". You can wear the necklace as short as 17" or as long as 29" (lots of flexibility). You might also want to try this same pattern, later, with different colors!
You will need:
- Scissors
- Tape Measure
You should know:
- Kumihimo Round Braid (Kongoh Gumi)
- How to drop beads (see
Kumihimo Tip #14 if you need a refresher). It's easy.
- This kit requires meticulous bead loading and braiding.
Kit includes:
- 1 spool C-Lon Bead Cord
- 8 colors 8/0 Toho or Miyuki Seed Beads
- Barrel Bead for Adjustable Closure
- Wide Eye Needle
- Instructions
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What a Braid Monthly Newsletter Archives
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Please enjoy my archived
What a Braid Newsletters! They are made available for your personal enjoyment. You will find alot of great information, tips, trick and ideas. Please do not copy and re-use my content. I have been writing these newsletters every month going 8 years now! As I have time, I will add some the older newsletters to the list. Enjoy!
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Reminder !
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Copyrighted patterns are not to be copied, shared electronically, given to friends or members of the guild or used for teaching purposes
without express consent of the author. What a Knit or What a Braid patterns are for your personal use. Feel free to sell your creations but remember to give proper credit to the D
esigner.
If you decide you want to write a tutorial,
it is not appropriate to "borrow" parts of a copyrighted pattern. Thank you.
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Facebook, Pinterest & Instagram
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What a Braid has gone Social
and this is where I introduce some of the mid-month "special" kits.
So make sure you:
Follow me on Pinterest!
Like me on Facebook!
And you can also Follow Me on Instagram!
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Please share this newsletter with your Kumihimo friends!
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