|
 Beaded Flowers Introduction
by Rosemary Kurtz
Bead flowers can be used in every way you use silk or fresh flowers. The only difference is that it will be many, many years before bead flowers deteriorate. Therefore, they make ideal inserts in bridal bouquets, bridal headdresses, hair barrettes, pins, napkin rings, corsages, “potted” plants, 3D pictures and wall hangings.
![3[1]web](../assets/images/3_1_web.jpg "3[1]web") A few notable people who owned and treasured examples of this fine art were Marie Antoinette, Madame Pompadour, Napoleon’s Josephine, Princess Grace, Princess Caroline, Patricia Nixon and William Randolph Hearst.
Created by Rosemary Kurtz
Bead flowers can be made out of many kinds and styles of beads, and the beads can have a wide variety of finishes. Some types of bead used are seed beads, gauge 10 or 11, and used on wire of 24 or 26 gauge. Some beaders create very tiny flowers made with gauge 15 seed beads. The edges of the beads used can be squared-off or rounded, depending on the artist’s taste. Japanese seed beads are of very high quality and are very uniform. Toho or Miyuki beads are often used in jewelry projects. One-, two- or three-cut beads add sparkle, and trumpet beads and rhinestone centers can be used as an accent. Beads can be matte or pearly, color-lined or unlined, opaque or transparent, and the list goes on. Beads can be bought on hanks or loose in bags and tubes.
As strange as it may seem, weather can have an effect on the availability of beads. Because of weather conditions in many parts of the world, certain colors of beads can be made only at certain times of the year.
History of Bead Flowers
 The art of making flowers out of beads is many centuries old. Although there is very little documentation on the development of this art, research has shown that the first primitive bead flowers may have been made as early as the 1300’s in Germany, when steel needles and wire were developed.
Created by Caren Cohen
In the ensuing years as the craft spread across Europe, different methods were developed: the Victorian method, which is also known as the English or Russian method; and the French method. The main difference is that in the Victorian method, which is similar to modern bead jewelry-making techniques, the thread or wire passes through each bead twice or more, and the wire passes from row to row on the sides of the piece; in the French method, the wire passes through each bead only once, and passes from row to row in the center or on the bottom of the individual piece.
Beaded Immortelle photo supplied by Diann Terrill
One of the reasons that flowers are associated with churches has to do with beads. In the thirteenth century a form of prayer using a string of beads was instituted by St. Dominic. The string, called a rosary, consisted at that time of 15 units of beads. Each unit contained 10 small beads, preceded by one larger one. A prayer was recited at every bead. The word “bede” is Middle English for “prayer.” Because of the length of the original rosary, it became customary to pay someone, usually a resident of an almshouse, to recite the prayers. These people were referred to as bede women or men, and it was they who made the first bead flowers. The craft was handed down through the centuries and came to be associated with the church and its decorations.
 Close-up of immortelle
The French of a few centuries ago used bead flowers as funeral wreaths. These wreaths were called “immortelles,” and ranged from 3 feet to 4 feet in height. They often featured flowers made out of black or other dark-colored beads, to express the grief of the mourners. The immortelles would be left at the grave of the deceased. Wires strung with beads might have been coiled or braided as well before wrapping onto the piece. The whole surface of the Immortelle would be wrapped over with wire strung with thousands and thousands of beads.
Once an immortelle disintegrated due to exposure to the weather, leaving only a pile of beads, the beads would often be recycled into other projects.
 A few examples of immortelles remain today. Occasionally you will see one on eBay. You can easily find images of surviving immortelles on Google.
|
Rosemary Kurtz (formerly Rosemary Topol) lives in Lynbrook, New York and has been a bead-flower artist since the late 1960’s. Rosemary was an integral part of the Beaded Flower Wreath projects for the 9/11 Memorials and the Crystal Bead Flower Project for Swarovski Crystals. She holds 16 blue ribbons for local, national and international competitions, including the Cincinnati Flower Show, and her work appears in libraries and art shows around Long Island. She was also featured in the 2004 edition of the book 500 Beaded Objects from Lark Books. You can visit Rosemary’s website at 
