More Pyramids

I have made three new color variations of my Concave Pyramid Earrings. Blue:

Purple:
and Sand:
This last variation is also the colorway I am using in a necklace called Sands of Egypt. It will feature some pyramids, of course! :)

Concave Pyramids

I finished the first pair of earrings. They turned out really cute. I wish I could get a good photo of them, but being pyramidal (yes, that really is a word!) makes it difficult. I'm working on a second pair with a slightly different color pattern.

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!

Lunar Eclipse

I finished a new necklace this week. The main component is the gorgeous stone donut hanging from a butterfly bail.

The rope is a filled net with twisted herringbone on the ends:

The bail is removable, so I can wear the rope alone:

The round jet crystals sparkle lots more than you can see in this photo:

I hope to have the tutorial for this necklace available soon. My To-Do List keeps getting longer and longer, but the kids go back to school the day after tomorrow, so hopefully, I'll have more time to check things off! :)

New Teaching Gig

This past weekend, I went to Forest City, NC to meet Kelly, from Off The Beaded Path. She and I talked (and drooled over beads) for a couple of hours and she asked me to teach two classes at her shop over the next couple of months.

On September 25, I will be teaching Vertigo Earrings, a quick project with maximum bling!

On October 23, I will be teaching Nuthin' but Net, a netted rope bracelet, using crystals and seed beads to make an easy and beautiful bracelet. This is the class sample, called Buried Treasure:

Here is another variation, using a single color of 4mm round crystals and dark silver seed beads. The ends are finished with twisted herringbone, which is not part of this intro class, but may be included in an advanced class as an alternative way to finish a necklace.

Here are some variations, using different sizes, shapes, and materials:

This is the advanced class variation photo (the outer necklace is made with my Diamondback pattern, which will be available soon):

Happy beading!

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!

Faerietale Earrings Tutorial

I finished the second colorway and the pattern for my Faerietale Earrings. Both pairs of earrings (or custom colors) are available in my ArtFire shop and the pattern is available both there and in my Etsy shop.

FREE Twisted Herringbone Bangle Tutorial

Finally finished! The FREE tutorial for a seamless twisted herringbone bangle is finally posted on my website here. As a thank you to me, please post a link to my website on your blog, Facebook page, Twitter account, etc.

Happy beading!

Curves & Cages Necklace Tutorial Available

I spent two days straight (about 24 hours total of work) writing the tutorial for my latest necklace series (Tropical Sunset, Blue Lagoon, Sedona, and Jungle Fever). I finally finished it and it is now available on my website and in my Etsy shop. Happy beading!

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!

Blue Lagoon Teaser

I am working on another necklace similar to Tropical Sunset. Here's a sneak peek at some of what I have done so far.

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.

Tropical Sunset Teaser

This is the clasp to the necklace I just finished last night. I'll post pictures of the rest of it (and the matching earrings - gasp!) later today. :)

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!!