The Beading Butterfly

Pyramids and Stars

I was playing around at the Bead-a-Lot yesterday and figured out how to make a pyramid shape WITHOUT having to do components and then connect them together. Yay! Those of you in the know understand how much I HATE components. ;)

These triangles are destined to be earrings, but I think I see a charm bracelet in my future... okay, so I know that means components, but it's not the same thing. :)

Also, my friend Aryd'ell brought this bracelet with her, which she made from my Shooting Stars pattern but then embellished the heck out of. I love it! I think I'm gonna have to write up a second tutorial for this one as a collaboration. :)

Happy beading!

Labels: bracelet, creative ideas, crystals, earrings, peyote, seed beads, selling, triangle, triangle netting

Limeade on the Rocks with a Twist

I came home from the retreat on Sunday evening and planned on posting photos that night or yesterday, but it just didn't happen. This bracelet is from Jamie Cloud Eakin's "Bugle Bead Bonanza" and is called Limeade on the Rocks with a Twist.

Lime green bugle beads with over 100 Swarovski crystals:

A silver toggle clasp:

So much bling it practically glows in the dark!

The second one didn't want to be named. It is destined for a charity auction later this month. I asked a friend for name suggestions and Teal Me an Orange was christened:

I didn't get much else actually finished at the retreat (I had to come home a day early, boo hoo!), but I did come home with a butterfly bail almost complete for a new piece I am working on called Lunar Eclipse. I also have several other ideas that came to me when I was trying to sleep. Thank goodness for that drawing app on my phone since I was on the top bunk with nary a pen or paper in sight.

Happy beading!

Labels: bracelet, bugle beads, creative ideas, crystals, seed beads, swarovski

Christmas in July

OK, I realize it's no longer July. But Christmas in August just didn't sound as good. ;)

I mentioned on Facebook a little while ago that I was having trouble keeping a secret. Well, this weekend, I was at a friend's house in Tennessee for a small retreat and the cat got out of the bag. So, I am announcing to the world that the December 2010/January 2011 Beadwork will feature a design by me!

Interweave's description of the December issue is "Classics Revisited. A nod to classic costume jewelry designs with a modern twist. Jewelry that would make Miriam Haskell proud." The color palettes include gold and blue, so what better piece to be featured than my Coronet Bracelet and Earrings in Blue Zircon:

The texture in these pieces is just yummy!

Variations are endless:

Since designing Coronet, I have taken the original idea and expanded on it several times, creating Shooting Stars, Teardrop Crown (a collaboration with my friend Mary Jo), Curves & Cages Necklace, Beaded Bead Caps (on Principessa as well as in Faerietale Earrings). I have other new ideas in the works as well!

Labels: bracelet, crystals, earrings, patterns, ring, triangle netting, tutorials

All Mine!

I just realized that I neglected to post a thank you to Jennifer VanBenschoten of VanBeads for the bracelet and earrings I won in her blog drawing a little while back. I got them in the mail and they are gorgeous! Thank you very much!

I don't know how to turn the pictures into links to her site, so go here to show her some love. :)

Labels: bracelet, contest, earrings

The Apples and the Tree

I am so proud of my kids! They have been beading recently and doing a wonderful job. They spent most of this past Saturday beading and Johnathan told me "I understand now why you sometimes just want to sit and bead all day."

Faith started a spiral rope necklace a long time ago... last Christmas, I think. Recently, I did some redecorating and got a big table in the living room that I use almost exclusively for beading. So, she dug her beads out, too, and finished the necklace. I think her favorite part is that the angel glows in the dark LOL.

This bracelet was also started a long time ago. Johnathan lost interest after doing some of the base and just a few of the top rows, so he asked me to finish it for him. Well, I never did. It sat in my UFO box for a long time. So, when Faith got her beads out, he asked me to get this project out for him as well. This time, he was able to focus and get it finished lickety-split!

After he finished the ladder stitch bracelet, he wanted to try herringbone. I personally think that twisted tubular herringbone is the easiest variation, since there is no step up, but he didn't want to start with that. So, I taught him straight tubular herringbone and he designed this bracelet for his Mimi all by himself. He even put the clasp on. He wouldn't let me do it, just explain how.

I've been working on a new piece that I am calling Infusion. It is mostly gold, with some deep turquoise added. I made these beaded beads first and then set to making the necklace.

The large bead was intended to be the pendant with fringe on the bottom. Well, I got the whole piece done except for the fringe and just lost inspiration. It wasn't coming together. Part of the reason is that the beaded beads are made with 15/o gold seed beads while I used 11/o gold beads for the rope. The 11/o beads are permanent finish, though, while the 15/o are not... so their colors are not the same. The fringe just did not look right. So, frustrated and tired, I gave up and the next day, I just put a rivoli pendant I had made a while back on the necklace. It's still not exactly right as far as colors go, but it works, so I will probably make another rivoli pendant in better colors and then take pictures. The fringe on the beaded bead will still happen, I hope, just on another piece with less gold so that the color difference won't be a problem.

In the meantime, I made some cute earrings to match the clasp on Principessa:

I was in a beading frenzy lately, making 4 new necklaces and finishing a 5th, several bracelets, earrings, etc. I think that my Muse has gone on a mini-vacation, though, so I feel less like beading right now. This is a good thing, because I have several patterns to write and get ready for sale. Most involve the triangle netting technique I have been obsessed with lately and I even have a couple more ideas. So, off to the writing desk with me!

Labels: bracelet, creative ideas, earrings, necklace, netting, seed beads, spiral stitch, triangle netting

Blue Lagoon

This piece is the second in my new necklace series. The first was Tropical Sunset, and the pieces are both spiral herringbone necklaces with a custom donut bail, using my triangle netting technique:

The matching bracelet is a spiral herringbone:

The matching earrings are Coronet style:

The pendant is a gorgeous two-tone dichroic donut:

I plan to make one or two more variations on this style and then write up the pattern.

Labels: bracelet, creative ideas, earrings, necklace, spiral herringbone, triangle netting

Tropical Sunset

I was asked a few months ago by the terrific marketing department at Beads Direct if I would be interested in testing out some of their products. Of course, I jumped at the chance! When I got the beads I had selected, they were absolutely beautiful. I had chosen several different Toho matte galvanized beads, including light dusty rose, pewter, and nickle plated denim blue. I paired them with some gorgeous copper satin matte Delicas (#340) in a set that reminds me of the beach and the ocean during sunset.

Click on any of the photos to enlarge.

Please note: I have received the above seed beads free of charge from Beads Direct. This is my honest review of the product and I have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received.

Labels: Beads Direct, bracelet, creative ideas, earrings, necklace, netting, seed beads, spiral herringbone

Tropical Sunset Teaser 2

Here's another teaser of my new Tropical Sunset set. My Internet is not working properly this morning, so I'll have to upload the rest of the photos later today or this evening. Oh, and Gypsy, no drops... they are 8/o seed beads. They are matte black AB, though. :)

Labels: bracelet, earrings, necklace, netting, spiral herringbone

Picture heavy (click any pic for larger view)

I can't believe it's been so long since I have posted here! So sorry!

I went to a week long bead retreat in Robbinsville NC last month. 24 women, 6 classes, and lots of UFOs (unfinished objects). No Internet access and barely any cell service. Heaven!

I taught two classes, my Shooting Stars Bracelet and my Butterfly Bail. Aryd'ell has posted about the bails she made and here is a photo of the bail Mary Jo made:

I did lots of trading that week. Here are a pair of earrings I made for somebody as a trade for some matte khaki drop beads that I used in my Daydream Garden Bracelet (see later this post):

While we were there, we went to a bead store and saw a bracelet that was made using a Carole Ohl pattern. I didn't want to use seed beads for my base, so I modified it using bugle beads. I ended up making four bracelets, but only ended up coming home with one of them because other people at the retreat traded me for the other three:

Susan taught a tubular netting technique and Sherry made this drool-worthy bangle with red coral crystals and matte gold seed beads:

Ellen went home with these Blue Jean Queen Coronet Earrings:

The base of this bracelet is the African Circle (or Pondo) Stitch, which Carol taught us. I thought it needed embellishing, so I added the drops and the rondelles. I call it Daydream Garden:

There was a pattern in the last issue of Beadwork called Tuscan Tiles Bracelet. It's absolutely gorgeous and I would love to make one... however, it is made with 21 separate components that then all have to be stitched together and tails woven off, etc. I not only didn't have the patience to make 21 individual components, I also didn't have enough materials. So, my earring version came to be:

I love how dimensional these earrings are:

I had used Hana Ami weave before (triangle flowers, I think is the translation) to make a heart. This is the flat version that Carol taught (although hers was straight on the sides, not like mine is):

I realize now that I should have sewn through all of the inner copper Delica circles to close them up. I might go back and do that, which will reinforce the kind of floppy sides. Then again, I might also just tear it apart for the crystals. I mean, where am I gonna wear such a thing??

Detail:

I had somebody ask me if Coronet could be made with ovals instead of bicone or round crystals, so I gave it a go. The answer is YES! Here is the Fall variation:

We did a secret swap. Everyone who wanted to participate made or bought something and brought it to the retreat, already wrapped. As we put our gifts in, we gave them numbers. When we all had our pieces submitted, we drew numbers. I made this netted bangle with matte khaki 8/o and drop beads along with matte green 8/o beads and bronze seeds:

It was too funny when I walked up to Sherry (who had drawn my gift) to tell her something about it and she started laughing... because I had drawn HER gift:

All in all, a wondrous time was had by all and I brought home lots and lots of goodies! Now, back to beading!!

Labels: bracelet, crystals, goodies, necklace, netting, patterns, seed beads, triangle weave

Triptych

When Artbeads contacted me about participating in the Spring Blogging for Beaders, I chose gorgeous blue zircon Swarovski settings to create my Coronet set. At the same time, I received lots of 3mm Swarovski pearls in four different colors. I had a design in mind and while it didn't turn out exactly as planned, I like the final results even better than the original idea!

I used the pearls, along with Delica beads in both 15/o and 11/o sizes, to make three netted rope bracelets with identical copper box clasps. The bracelets can be worn individually or together, but they can also be linked together to make a choker (with two bracelets) or a longer necklace (with all three bracelets). The bracelets are slightly graduated in length, so that when they are all worn together, they fit the wrist comfortably.

*Please note: I have received the above items (the 3mm pearls) free of charge from Artbeads. This is my honest review of the product and I have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received.

Labels: Artbeads, bracelet, necklace, netting, pearls, swarovski