3/25/2014

SHERBET COLORED LENTIL BRACELET +

It's been awhile (2011!) since I've stitched this lentil pattern, so when I heard it was going to be offered again (thx Sue!) at Bead Street, I jumped at it. Why not?  I love seeing Bead Street owner and beading guru extraordinaire Eileen, love her store, and all my beading friends... It's an awesome place to be on a Saturday afternoon!  So, I was ready to make something in a mixture of orange, pink, turquoise, and metallics, so this bracelet worked into my plan perfectly.  I started with a base using 8.0 seed beads, and from there used a mixture of 8.0 and 11.0 seed beads, lentils, 3mm rounds, drops and orange shell rounds for my "sherbet" lentil bracelet!  I stitched through the bracelet twice to get my desired fullness - I love this color combination.  Dang, but I could not get a picture to show the "true" colors no matter what lighting I used, so unfortunately, these shots do not show the absolute yumminess of this bracelet.  Have to see it to appreciate it, but you get the idea.  See what you think...





PLUS, I do love to alternate the types of projects I'm working on, so here's my previous project.  A pattern I found on Fusion Beads website,  using two-hole lentils with beading wire instead of fireline.  Fun change and very versatile. 

3/21/2014

MORE BEADED PUFF BEADS

Here's the fun necklace made with three of the beaded puff beads from my last post (designed by SashaSi).  I beaded two in more of a navy color to intersperse with the sky blue bead.  It's an airy light necklace with an easy drape, and mixed with the sky blue earrings, a fun set.  The beads are fun to make - and, depending on your preference in stringing material - mine is FireLine at the moment - these beads will lay flat or puff up.  I tend to bead tight anyway, and with the FLine, they really puff!  Fun for a casual or middle of the road look... 






3/17/2014

BEADED BEAD AND VERSATILE BRACELET DESIGN

My last post included the copperish/turquoise bracelet called Crystal Windows with peyote and RAW. I reworked it slightly and used larger beads (8.0) and AB crystals instead of the montees. Really a different look -- plus a bit more flash on the wrist.  These deep red AB bicones really show up in the picture, but they are much more subtle in person.  But, the contrast is lovely.
 
 
 
Here are the bracelets side by side -- a nice difference using small/larger seed beads.


 
 
These are my newest project - lovely beaded puff beads by SashaSi.  A fun class at Bead Street taught by Sandy Taylor.  I'll have a necklace to post in the near future using a few, different colored beads.  Beaded beads are so versatile and each one definitely has it's own look.  This pattern uses two-hole super duos.  And, love the new FP beads at Bead Street.  They just added the needed subtle glow to the drop.
 

 




 


3/14/2014

2-HOLE TRIANGLE AND LENTIL BRACELETS

Here are a couple new pieces I learned at  Bead Street recently, using the two-hole triangles, which are the newest addition to my bead stash.  There are many new patterns being tested right now, and several are still in the testing phase as I mentioned in my last blog - those I won't be able to post for awhile.  But, these two patterns are out of the testing phase.  They use these awesome CzechMate beads, wich are so fun to work with!  The first design is "Cupids Crown", taught by Sue, adapted from a pattern designed by Nicole Starman and it uses 2 different colors of 2-hole  triangles, along with lentils, FP and 11.0 sb.  The class was to make a bracelet, but I thought it would be fun as a necklace... so I intermingled and reversed the colors in the crowns , using the same FP on each as the constant.  As with all these designs, the color combinations are only limited by the colors of the two-hole beads available.



Next, a design by Adele Kimpell perfectly named "Crystal Windows", taught by Sandy Taylor.  This pattern uses 11.0 seed beads, and is embellished with small crystal montees.  It's peyote stitch with RAW and picots for the centerpieces.  I'm trying the same pattern with 8.0 seed beads, and it's looking great so far.  Haven't decided what I'll put in the middle of the RAW--it'll be something other than the montees.

 



3/04/2014

COLORFUL EARRING DESIGNS!

I've been participating in some "test" classes at Bead Street, and unfortunately due to the newness of the patterns and copyright issues,  I am unable to post the pretties.  But, suffice it to say... they are wonderful patterns using all things 2-hole, including lentels, super duos and the new triangles.  I hope to post them at some point in the future.  But, in the meantime, I'm playing with earrings for Spring.   




I LOVE THESE little bird nest  earrings!

 
I used a couple of the new 2-hole triangles, lentils and daggers in this pair. 

 
Lucite flower petals stacked in blue, green and turquoise w/3mm crystals
                                                                                                                               Mixed metals in silver and bronze

 
                  Some chain, some tiny drops, throw in a couple Tagua nut rounds, lucite flowers and Tagua nut rondelles and what ya got?  SPRING!  Ha ha.  If only it was that easy...