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!

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!

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.

Faerietale Earrings (Raspberry Sorbet version)

Here is my latest project: Faerietale Earrings. This pair is called Raspberry Sorbet. I'm working on the tutorial now. It's another variation of my latest favorite technique, my triangle netting, so it shouldn't take long to write the tutorial up. :)

I actually have another pair made, in gold and purple velvet, but haven't named them or taken photos yet. I'll do that later today, when I get back from the gem show in Franklin. I'm hoping to find more of these great curved square donuts so that I can have kits available once I get the tutorial for this necklace finished:

As always, 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!

Sedona Necklace

This necklace is the 3rd in my current necklace series.

The rope is spiral herringbone, one of my absolute favorite stitches. The bail is my own triangle netting technique.

The pendant is a freeform oval donut.

One more, I think, and I can start writing the pattern for this project. :)

Principessa Necklace Finished

I finally finished this necklace tonight. It has been lacking a clasp for quite some time and I finally figured out what to do with it. The bead caps are my own triangle netting design and set off the clasp perfectly, if I do say so myself. ;)

The beaded rope is made with 4mm pearls and faceted round crystals, gold plated charlottes, gold hex beads, Delicas, and 14/o seed beads.

Sedona Color Palette

I just finished picking out the colors for my next necklace set, Sedona. Here's a teaser:

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.

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.