The Blues...

This incredible pattern designed by Natalia Savastano, aptly named "Bright Starburst Pendant" and featured in the February 2020 issue of Bead & Button magazine, is just that -- a starburst of incredible color.  I chose varying degrees and shades of blue and turquoise... and oh my gosh, is it gorgeous.  I finished it off with some chain and just a few swarovski pearl dangles to compliment the pendant.  Hope you LOVE it Kriss!!

To compliment the pendant, but not add too much extra bling, I stitched peyote pieces and attached to different sized jump rings, and added more crystals.  Perfect!

CRAW STITCH MASTERED!

I have struggled with the CRAW stitch, but "by George, I think I may have got it" - FINALLY!  It clicked while making these gorgeous earrings, from a  Jacqui Higgins pattern, which was featured on the cover of the February 2018 issue of Bead & Button magazine.  My first pair was stitched pretty darn tight for the first round of CRAW (it's true, I am a tight beader... imagine!) and fitting the beads in on each subsequent pass became a challenge.  So, note to self, this is one pattern to lighten up a tad.  I did feel a good challenge calling me onward, as I knew I could do better with my tension, so I tried again using a multi colored 11.0.  This second pair below was stitched looser, and the subsequent rounds of beads fit together better.  Yeah!  I also didn't have the spiky buttons called for in the first pair so I substituted small drops.  In the second pair I had ordered and received the spiky buttons (Fusion Beads).  They do give a different, more elegant look at the top.  Also, the pear bead choice makes or breaks the overall look.  A very fun pattern indeed.  I love both my color choices for these beauties.  Whadyathink? :)  

PENDANT OF SOME MAGNITUDE !

A beautiful pattern and a gorgeous piece. It's even more gorgeous because of the extreme effort it took me.  I attempted it twice, with beads breaking and the bezzling not going too well each time - scratch those!  Dang, one more time I'm gonna get it this time...third time was the charm, but not without difficulty - a 3mm fire polish bead broke as I was close to done.  Ah me -- oh my!  I was about ready to throw something... but of course refrained.  I retraced and inserted another 3mm so I couldn't see it, and finished the project.  It's a design by Vezsuzsi that made it to the cover of Bead & Button, June 2016 issue.  It truly is magnificent, but may be a tad bit harder than the three bicone difficulty rating the magazine gave it.  At least it was a challenge for me.  I ended with wrapping an 18 gauge wire bail, so as not to overpower the piece and added beautiful czech glass melons and rondelles to finish up.  Quite an eye catcher...