Bead embroidery is typically done in layers. In the case of a cuff, more often those layers consist of the beadwork stitched on leather, an inner core of brass, and an under layer of suede. These are then glued together and finished with decorative edge stitching. This process gives body to the cuff while also hiding and protecting the back of the beadwork. But what do you do when you have a finished cuff? How do you get from a plain but finished cuff to one embellished with bead embroidery.
You could do the beadwork separately and then glue it to the cuff. Carmen Falb, designer and owner of BeMyne, took a different approach using the same yellow cuff I'm using for this demonstration. Carmen is a friend and a gifted beadwork designer, she is also my go to person when it comes to glues. Since an early age, I've been glue challenged and either can't get it to stick or I get it everywhere including all over me. I'm working to overcome my glue phobia but it still gives me fits, probably due to a lack of patience. Carmen stitched her beadwork to a foundation of Lacy's Stiff Stuff (a beading foundation). She then attached it to the cuff using an epoxy glue. Her cuff is an excellent example of why glue has been used to great effect in jewelry making for decades.
Given my glue handicap, I've been working on a series of projects that use a standard lace edged bezel as the foundation for not only the cabochon, but also the first row of beadwork.The only limitation is the size and shape of your cabochon in comparison to the size bezels that are available. You'll find a wide variety on Etsy, the ones I used in this project are from TheCraftyStore. I also use the bezels from Nunn Design for my smaller cabochons. The first step is a scary one, you have to punch holes in both the bezel AND your cuff. You need two holes to prevent the bezel from moving. Mark carefully and center the bezel on the cuff. Eurotool's power punch is my preferred punch for this type of project. You can find it at most jewelry tool retailers. StampingBlanks.com carries this tool and a 1/16 die that allows you to use the smaller rivets on the market. You can use a wide variety of rivets, including making your own from wire. In this project I used snap rivets from TandyLeather. The type of rivet is not important, just make sure it's neatly done on the back and that it is a flush as possible inside the bezel.
Using fireline, anchor your thread to one of the spokes the add two beads and carry the thread to the next spoke and repeat. With this first step, I typically use size 11 beads but it depends on the depth and diameter of your bezel. You'll need to experiment. Continue around the bezel, adding two beads on each spoke, making sure that the beads stay on the outside of the bezel. Pass through the first set of beads added. At this point you'll pick up one or two beads and pass through the next two beads. You want to close the gaps between the beads while maintaing an even count. When you reach the beginning, go through all the beads again and tie off. Place your cabochon in the bezel and gently push the bezel spokes onto the cabochon being careful not to damage it or the beads. At this point the bezel secures the cabochon the beading is merely decorative and you can add as much or as little beading as you like. In this example, I did several rows of peyote to completely cover the metal bezel and to frame the cabochon nicely.
This cuff is large at 2 inches and the cabochon is equally large at 45mm. Because of this, it doesn't set flush on the cuff necessitating at least one row of fringe to hide the gap between the bezel and the cuff. Again, the options are endless in how much and what types of fringe to add. Large drops, daggers, and crystal are just a few of the choices available to you. Finish by anchoring your thread in the beadwork. For my example, I used a cabochon from Golem Studios. There are two layers of fringe, large glass drops on the first layer from Pam's Bead Garden. Lucite flowers from The Hole Bead Shoppe and Swarovski crystal bicones were used on the second layer. When I finished the beadwork, I felt the cuff was somewhat out of balance and needed some additional embellishment. Filigrees from Ezel Findings were added to each side along with screw in bezels from Nunn Design to which I added Prisme Fantasy paints and resin. The resulting cuff is an amazing transformation from it's humble beginnings.
I was fortunate to purchase a couple of cuffs from Christina Neit of Good Quill Hunting. My intention was to embellish them using the same method I've discussed here. However, the beauty of the leather she used really demands a different treatment, something simplier that allows the edge treatment to take center stage. Christina has a tutorial on her website that shows you had to recreate these cuffs. For now, I enjoy wearing them, but I like having the option to combine a bit of my artistry with Christina's, whose beadwork I greatly admire. The possibilities are endless with this technique and I've enjoyed experimenting with different bezels and different shapes. And when I have a bezel without the lace edge, well that hole punch comes in handy and I created my own. This technique is fabulous when working with domed bottle caps. It allows me to protect the back, add a bit of weight and gives a more solid surface for attaching the bottle cap to foundation. Here are just a few of the pieces I've created using bezels.
Until next time,
You could do the beadwork separately and then glue it to the cuff. Carmen Falb, designer and owner of BeMyne, took a different approach using the same yellow cuff I'm using for this demonstration. Carmen is a friend and a gifted beadwork designer, she is also my go to person when it comes to glues. Since an early age, I've been glue challenged and either can't get it to stick or I get it everywhere including all over me. I'm working to overcome my glue phobia but it still gives me fits, probably due to a lack of patience. Carmen stitched her beadwork to a foundation of Lacy's Stiff Stuff (a beading foundation). She then attached it to the cuff using an epoxy glue. Her cuff is an excellent example of why glue has been used to great effect in jewelry making for decades.
Given my glue handicap, I've been working on a series of projects that use a standard lace edged bezel as the foundation for not only the cabochon, but also the first row of beadwork.The only limitation is the size and shape of your cabochon in comparison to the size bezels that are available. You'll find a wide variety on Etsy, the ones I used in this project are from TheCraftyStore. I also use the bezels from Nunn Design for my smaller cabochons. The first step is a scary one, you have to punch holes in both the bezel AND your cuff. You need two holes to prevent the bezel from moving. Mark carefully and center the bezel on the cuff. Eurotool's power punch is my preferred punch for this type of project. You can find it at most jewelry tool retailers. StampingBlanks.com carries this tool and a 1/16 die that allows you to use the smaller rivets on the market. You can use a wide variety of rivets, including making your own from wire. In this project I used snap rivets from TandyLeather. The type of rivet is not important, just make sure it's neatly done on the back and that it is a flush as possible inside the bezel. 
Using fireline, anchor your thread to one of the spokes the add two beads and carry the thread to the next spoke and repeat. With this first step, I typically use size 11 beads but it depends on the depth and diameter of your bezel. You'll need to experiment. Continue around the bezel, adding two beads on each spoke, making sure that the beads stay on the outside of the bezel. Pass through the first set of beads added. At this point you'll pick up one or two beads and pass through the next two beads. You want to close the gaps between the beads while maintaing an even count. When you reach the beginning, go through all the beads again and tie off. Place your cabochon in the bezel and gently push the bezel spokes onto the cabochon being careful not to damage it or the beads. At this point the bezel secures the cabochon the beading is merely decorative and you can add as much or as little beading as you like. In this example, I did several rows of peyote to completely cover the metal bezel and to frame the cabochon nicely.
I was fortunate to purchase a couple of cuffs from Christina Neit of Good Quill Hunting. My intention was to embellish them using the same method I've discussed here. However, the beauty of the leather she used really demands a different treatment, something simplier that allows the edge treatment to take center stage. Christina has a tutorial on her website that shows you had to recreate these cuffs. For now, I enjoy wearing them, but I like having the option to combine a bit of my artistry with Christina's, whose beadwork I greatly admire. The possibilities are endless with this technique and I've enjoyed experimenting with different bezels and different shapes. And when I have a bezel without the lace edge, well that hole punch comes in handy and I created my own. This technique is fabulous when working with domed bottle caps. It allows me to protect the back, add a bit of weight and gives a more solid surface for attaching the bottle cap to foundation. Here are just a few of the pieces I've created using bezels.
