Hades Necklace

Today is a necklace that I've had pictured in mind for a while, but I wasn't sure exactly how I was going to create it.

It's a collar - almost tribal-style necklace using silver-plated connectors, 6mm & 8mm turquoise/blue glass beads and 6mm & 8mm magnetic hematite.

It's brought together with gunmetal-plated cable chain and a gunmetal-plated lobster clasp.

Looking at the finished article, I'm thinking I may have enough materials to do away with the chain and make it into a full collar, or at least make the chain shorter. It might be very heavy though.

The 8mm blue glass beads that I used were part of a mystery pack of glass bead strands that I had from the U.S.  They're absolutely beautiful up close, with a kind of texturing underlay, almost like foil.

I'll have a go at the full collar and I'll repost it if it works out.

=:x

Sarah Millsop's Crystal Weave Bracelets

This weekend I've been making these bracelets from Beads Direct's Take A Make Break.

 I pretty much had all the components to make the "Blueberry" version - apart from the catseye, but seeing as working with beads with chatoyance gives me a headache - it worked in my favour.  It took me a while to get the hang of it, but once I did, I kind of got excited about seeing what else I could create.  So I did a "Salsa" and a "Punk Princess" version too.

Which version do you like best?

For the Salsa, I used these multicoloured drawbench beads I bought from one of my trips to Beading Amazing.  Instead of the Chinese crystal rondelles, I used 4mm Chinese crystal bicones instead  - Amethyst with an AB coating.  For the seed bead weave, I used matte rainbow siam Tohos, to match the colours in the drawbench beads.

For the Punk Princess version, I used pink drawbench beads, silver Chinese crystal rondelles and the matte jet Tohos I used for the Blueberry bracelet.  Looking at it now, I think maybe silver would have looked better?

I'll definitely be making more of these, I think I want to make a necklace version next time using gemstones.  So look out for that maybe later in the week!

=:x

If you would like to make these yourself the video can be found here: TAMB - Crystal Weave Bracelet
And you can still get the kits from Beads Direct for £14.99 each.  Choose from the Blueberry Ripple or the Raspberry Ripple.

Dorothy Ring

I've been dipping into my donation bag again and I've been making some really cool rings with the some of the things I've found in there.  This ring used to be a clip-on earring, I believe.

By using the earring like a cabochon, I beaded around it using tubular peyote stitch with ceylon yellow and brown iris coloured seed beads.

The band that I stitched for the ring reminded me of the yellow-brick road - hence the name Dorothy.

I've done quite a few of these as they are fun to do and it's nice watching old jewellery transform into something new.

=:x

Camille Bracelet

I thought today I would share with you a bracelet I made for myself recently from a tutorial from Spoilt Rotten Beads.  As I said last week, I've been looking into how to use two-hole beads in my beadwork.  I came across these new beads from France called Khéops Par Puca and instantly I was filled with a desire to own as many as I could afford and find out all the many ways I could use them.  As they are triangular, I can imagine they'd lend themselves to all sorts of different patterns and shapes.  I thought I'd better get comfortable with using them before I started hashing up my own designs.

The Kheops I used for this were the California Graphite - half gold, half gunmetal.  I also used Czech fire-polished crystals in iris brown, and the Toho seed beads outlining in the same shade.

To finish off I used a gunmetal clasp.

I also made my mom one, using silver Kheops and hematite beads and coloured seed beads.

=:x

Monochrome Floral Ring

I was about to make another bracelet to go with the ones from yesterday and found myself making this ring instead.

It's the same principle as the bracelets and they go really well together.

This time I used a glass flower bead instead of acrylic or clay, so it lays flat against the finger.  I cheated a little as it's not completely white - more of an opal effect - but it came out of a monochrome bead mix, so it still counts!

It's elasticated like the bracelets, so it should fit whichever finger you chose to wear it on.

=:x

Monochrome Floral Bracelets

I seem to have developed an addiction to glass pearls and lucite flower beads lately, so I thought why not combine them?

I'm not usually a fan of polymer clay.  I mean, I appreciate the effort that must go into making things with it, but the end results never seem to go with my style of jewellery making.  That was until I saw these roses over at Jilly Beads.

Arabian Nights Bracelet

Our last bracelet of the week.  I've had these packs of really pretty beads mixes from Jilly Beads just sitting in my collection for ages.  I keep saying to myself - one of these days I'll make a quick bracelet or a pretty necklace - and nothing happened.  Well today is one of those days.

I tried picking up random beads, but the OCD part of my brain didn't like that, so it's in a repeating pattern that still manages to look random.  I hung a beaded dangle from each end to give it an extra feature.

The beads are in lovely jewel tones - Jade greens, emerald greens, ruby reds, sapphire blues and amethyst purples - with the occasional flash of copper and bronze, so I can see it being a really good look for the Autumn.

It's on memory wire, so you can just wrap it around your wrist.

=:x

Wrong Side of the Tracks Bracelets

Today I have not one, but two bracelets to share with you.  I'd never used two-hole beads before and I didn't really know what to do with them.  Then I came across this tutorial from Inspirational Beading using Chevron Chain with Tilas.

I'd bought some beautiful marbled rose tilas which I paired with Ceylon Ivory seed beads.  When I showed it to my mom, she told me it looked very bridal style.  I was actually trying to create an antique lace effect, but whatever.

I beaded the toggle clasp and loop, so it's another metal-free bracelet.

I made another, but this time I used all black beads.  Instead of using two size 6/0 beads on the edges, I used 3 size 8/0s.

I also changed from using beading thread to using elastic instead, so this one is clasp-less too.

I had fun(!) trying to figure out how to connect both ends together without leaving a seam, but I finally managed it!  I'm thinking of making another one of these and attaching it to a ring.

=:x

Candy Cubes Bracelet

Today's bracelet is one I've been meaning to post for a while, but every time I tried to take a photo the lighting was all messed up.  Anyway, I think I've finally got some that I'm actually happy with = Perfectionist.

The design is based on this tutorial from Ruby's Beadwork.  I used brightly coloured acrylic cubes with an AB coating.  They kind of remind me of the Jap sweets you get in Dolly Mixtures - in fact I think I used them in the Dolly Mixture set. I know, I know...more sweet inspired jewellery - I swear I'm not trying to recreate the Sweet Tooth Collection!

It's a basic Daisy stitch, with seed beads lining the cubes.  The ones I used are a mix I got from Jilly Beads called Sugar Sprinkles.  I didn't really like the gaps left between the cubes.  In Ruby's design, she added beaded loops, however I didn't think this would look right on a bracelet, so I added the slightly bigger version of the Sugar Sprinkles seeds, called Sugared Almonds.  I couldn't make this up if I tried - I swear I don't do it on purpose!

I made a toggle clasp from the seeds, so it's another metal-free bracelet.  However, I'm not sure if the electroplating on the seed beads counts - so it might not be completely metal-free.

=:x

Butterfly Catcher Bracelet

I seem to be making a lot of bracelets lately.  In fact every post this week (bar yesterday) is a bracelet, so let's call it Bracelet Week!  I really enjoyed doing the Ogalala Netting for the Passion Necklace.  So it manifested itself into this:

I've been buying a lot of pastel and candy colours recently.  I hardly ever purposely buy a particular shade - unless I'm in the middle of a project and I've run out of beads - but it's like my mind unconsciously knows exactly what colours I'm going to need for each season.  I don't know if I've mentioned, but I'm not exactly fashion-conscious and many of the ideas recycle themselves anyway.  On one of my trips to Beading Amazing, I found these ceylon yellow and green seed beads and thought they'd be perfect for a Spring/Summer project.

I just kept adding more layers, alternating colours, building it up - however I could sense there was something missing.  Then I got the idea of adding these 4mm pink/clear crackle glass beads.  It added another dimension and the finished article kind of reminds me of the Rosy Apples sweets!  Why does nearly all my jewellery seem to be influenced by sweets in some way?

I knew I wanted to make a beaded clasp and have it metal free, but for some reason a toggle clasp didn't look right in my mind and I hate making beaded ball clasps.  So I decided to use something else I got on my trip to Beading Amazing...

Not original (what is?), but it makes it look so cute!

=:x

My First Necklace

As I was going through the jewellery that needed to be re-photographed, I came across the first necklace I made at my therapy class.  This was got me started on this beading obsession.

 

It was just a simple beaded necklace.  I remember they didn't have anything purple in their selection so I chose these small bugle beads.

As you can see, a lot of the colour has worn off by now.  These days I rarely wear it as a necklace, instead I wrap it around several times and wear it as a bracelet.

 It's got me thinking about maybe making some more in different colours.
=:x

Work In Progress - Beaded Chain Necklace

I've been making real progress in moving away from my anxiety and depression.  It still fogs up my mind, but I've been going out and I've even found a bead shop (Beading Amazing) near to where I live, which gives me an excuse to get out.  I'm using beads that I bought from there in my latest project.

I love learning new stitches, and recently I learned how to do CRAW (Cubic Right-Angle Weave) and I'm currently making this beaded chain necklace.  Once I get the length I want, I'm going to tie a ribbon to either end.  It's slow going, but here's what I have so far.

The idea is totally not my own - it came from Sage's Cupboard and her tutorial for Right-Angle Weave on Inspirational Beading - although I didn't end up using that tutorial as I actually found the CRAW easier, once I'd got the hang of it. Plus it seemed cumbersome to bead the length you needed and then zip it up, when you could just stitch the whole thing in one go!

I used Preciosa Czech seed beads in the Honey Butter colour mix as I wanted a gold chain look, with a twist.  They're size 11/0s, which I really don't recommend using if it's your first time doing CRAW.  I'm just stubborn!  I had to make a rough piece using fire-polished crystals first so I could get the hang of how the stitch worked.  I find I can do it without thinking now.  I also have the Pebblestone mix, which I think would look pretty in this stitch too.  So I might try that once I finish this one.

I highly recommend watching this YouTube video if you're interested in learning this stitch.  This was the only tutorial I came across which clearly explained what to do after you've got that little ball of beads in your fingers and you can't figure out which is the top or the bottom or where the hell you're supposed to make the next stitch:



I'll let you know when it's finished!

=:x