KUMIHIMO
Kumihimo Class: Bead Runway™ Graduating Design Basics with the Aphrodite Graduating Necklace
By Cindy Grayson
This project was originally built for the Bead Runway layout board and these design techniques represent a portion of Cindy Grayson's class series and theory from book Bead Runway™ Kumihimo Technique Pattern Series. Bringing a Bead Runway, Bead Journal and the Book is highly recommended in order to fully grasp how to plan, visually design, and expand a graduating bead layout of your own! In addition, we will go over important Bead Journal Stats to help you understand the pathway to making your own Kumihimo patterns inspired by your own bead stash. While suggested, these items are not required to complete the project.
Go to shop.BeadRunway.com (Bead Runway™, Bead Journal & Technique Pattern Series Book - on Amazon).
Prerequisite: Familiar with Basic Round Braid Kumihimo Move; or take one of my Intro Classes
•Kumihimo Techniques: Graduating bead pattern layout & design, using unique bead shapes, stringing direction and colors arranged to enhance visual interest, large hole spacers for finishing, braiding around center core support, preventing bead collapse, choose your length beaded extender.
•Kit Includes: Exclusive Show Kumihimo Pattern, Preciosa Czech glass matte ripple beads, graduating Czech glass beads, bronze spacers, bronze magnetic end caps, cording and center core support. While supplies last, Kits Available in Ripple Beads of either deep violet/gold or midnight blue/gold toned. Alternate cone end & toggle clasp closure is also available.
•Supplies Needed: Kumihimo Essentials: Kumihimo disk; Liquid Bead Fix (cord stiffener) or similar ingredient liquid adhesive; GS Hypo Cement (flexible bond adhesive to secure nub end after braiding); 5 Minute Quick Set 2-Part Epoxy; Wonder Clips (x8) - NOT BOBBINS!; counter weight (approx 3.5 oz); 6-8 bead dishes, tape measure and note taking materials. or Get your very own Bead Runway™ BEAD JOURNAL, Hot off the press!<<---highly recommended for your Bead Journal Stats! Find it at Shop.BeadRunway.com
About Cindy Grayson
Cindy Grayson is an Instructor, Designer, Inventor of the Bead Runway™ (Patent Pending) and Author of the “Bead Runway Kumihimo Technique Pattern Series”. Grayson is a graphic designer and marketing professional by trade, but ultimately an artist in all media. Her journey began by questioning; How many times and ways can a bead be strung on a wire? How can all of these stockpiled beads be used effectively? In search of a new challenge in jewelry making, she turned to a deep-dive study of Kumihimo.
The more she studied, the more she realized there was an elevated level of sophistication to the Kumihimo pattern process that involved detailed planning and mathematics. As a creative who appreciates an analytical challenge, she was hooked. Out of necessity, she invented The Bead Runway™, a bead layout board with eight runways to assist in visually planning and designing bead layouts specifically for Kumihimo pattern making. It also helps to count out the various bead types, which is paramount in obtaining a successful design. She created Bead Runway to spread the word of this “REVOLUTION IN CONTEMPORARY BEADED KUMIHIMO VISUAL PATTERN LAYOUT & DESIGN”.
Grayson began making jewelry, teaching and speaking publicly in 2004. It was only natural for her to share her newfound knowledge by teaching. She developed a class series for her students that covers all the basic skills and Kumihimo techniques found necessary to elevate abilities, assisting in moving beyond the restriction of pre-existing patterns. Her classes feature technique-focused projects that offer solutions to common problems in the Kumihimo pattern-making process. Other topics include successful Kumihimo pattern-making guidelines, the importance of keeping a Bead Journal for reference and ways to use the Bead Runway™—especially in making graduating patterns and in using any bead type effectively.
The Bead Runway™ (Patent Pending) is now the star and foundation of her students' studies in the “Bead Runway™ Kumihimo Technique Pattern Series”, an in-depth class series, published in a book, available on Amazon or Bead Runway Shop. By the end of the series, empowered students are more confident, bold in their design choices and capable of creating Kumihimo patterns of their own, inspired directly by favorites from their own private bead stash collections.