Prismatic RAW Pendant with Etched Seed Beads

I'm absolutely obsessed with the new etched seed beads.  I can't stop looking at them, which is good, because it makes me want to bead things. Like my previous post, this piece is stitched with prismatic right angle weave and square stitch.  I also added picots so I could see the etched beads "end up" which, as you can see, is where most of their color is. When you hold this in the sunlight, those little ends shimmer with orange fire.

When I weave beads, I typically think about how I would explain what I'm doing, so that I can eventually write up a tutorial.  Unfortunately, that kind of thinking can really hold me back creatively because I don't want to try things that are too hard to document. The frustrating part is that I haven't beaded anything I like very much lately, at least not any new designs.  So, in the last pendant and this one, I've been slowly letting go of the idea of documenting my process. Instead, I'm just enjoying making and watching the design emerge in my hands. It's liberating, and even exhilarating, but it also makes a piece like this difficult to reproduce exactly. 

Thanks for looking.

Atomic Beaded Pendant

It's been a long time since I beaded a new design I like.  I hope you like it too. The technique here is primarily prismatic right angle weave (PRAW) with square stitch.

The mat beads are the new etched  beads that have been recently released on Planet Bead, and I absolutely love them! I want them all! You can't tell from the photos, but they shimmer and twinkle and throw off tiny flashes of aqua and purple. I'm having fantasies of selling off three quarters of my bead collection and stocking up on etched seed beads in every color. But in the mean time, I was able to squeeze a few new tubes into my bead box.  

Thanks for looking.

New Tutorial - Solaris Bracelets Made with Beaded Honeycomb Weave

This tutorial on honeycomb weave explains how to make bracelets with beads and thread. Honeycomb weave is a flat angle weave that creates a dense but flexible fabric of seed beads with large holes. The wide, lacy bracelet has circular embellishments (the suns) that run down the center of its length, and matching beaded buttons for the clasp. The tutorial explains how to make both versions of the bracelet, with one button or two.

Honeycomb weave is like right angle weave (RAW), but it is denser and is made with other angles. If you like RAW and want a new challenge, you’ll love this. However, you don’t need to know RAW to follow this tutorial. All you need is seed beads, a few bicones and the desire to try something new. No fancy bead shapes required! This is my fourth tutorial with honeycomb weave.  The others are the Daisy Chain Cable, the Delta Queen Necklace, and the Honeycomb Bracelet.

This tutorial is suitable for intermediate bead weavers with enough design possibilities to entertain advanced beaders. Included is a sheet of honeycomb graph paper so you can make up your own designs.

The tutorial is 22 pages, including over 125 illustrations and photographs. The tutorial is a PDF file that gives complete step-by-step instructions for how to make the bracelets. At the end of this tutorial, I show you a few step photos for a large pendant that uses the same techniques. Click on the photos to go to the listing.  Thanks for looking!

More Trefoil Triangle Earrings Beaded with Herringbone Stitch

Last time, I showed you my new tutorial for Trefoil Triangle Earrings. After making a handful of Trefoil Triangles, I wanted to add some crystals for a touch of sparkle. So I came up with this variation, which I included at the end of the pattern.

The tutorial is 12 colorful pages, with over 65 illustrations and photographs.

Thanks for looking!

New Tutorial - Trefoil Triangle Earrings Beaded Celtic Knots

This tutorial explains how to make Trefoil Triangles in three designs, in two sizes, and in mirror images. You only need a few pinches of each bead color, making this a good choice to use up your leftover seed beads from other projects. No fancy shapes required!

These earring are quick and easy to make. This pattern is suitable for advanced beginning bead weavers. If you have tried bead weaving once or twice before, you are probably ready to try this. The technique is herringbone and square stitch. The main projects are shown in the first photo, and the second photo shows you a variation with tiny bicone crystals that is explained at the end of the tutorial.

The tutorial is 12 colorful pages, with over 65 illustrations and photographs.

Tutorial Celtic Knot Earrings and Beaded Rick Rack

I just released my newest tutorial on beaded rick rack and Celtic knotwork designs.  This tutorial starts with a beginner’s lesson on beaded rick rack in several sizes. Then you learn to make beaded squares, leading to the main pattern: the Celtic Knot Earrings shown here. The beaded rick rack technique works remarkably well with lots of different bead sizes. 

This pattern ends with 7 colorful pages of dozens of beading projects and illustrated designs to inspire you to make beautiful beaded rick rack and knotted jewelry.  In 2004, Blake Mellor and I published a paper together called, “On the Topology of Celtic Knotwork Design,” and I used what I learned from writing that paper to design some of the beadwork in this tutorial. 

This pattern is suitable for beginning bead weavers with enough design possibilities to entertain advanced bead weavers as well.

Because rick rack is a common textile trim, I'm considering this to be part 7 in my series, The Beaded Lace Adventure, where I aspire to write a series of tutorials designed around making a large collar necklace out of beaded lace. I am carefully documenting my process in this series, and I invite you to make a lace collar or cuff bracelet with me.

As always, thanks for looking!

Tutorial Beaded Lace Hearts Part 6 of the Beaded Lace Adventure

Using nothing more than seed beads and thread, beaded lace hearts are designed to look like Irish crochet and tatting lace hearts and leaves. Use square stitch to make hearts in two different sizes. Although the shape varies with the size and shape of the seed beads you use, this pattern explains how to adjust the counts so you can make beautifully shaped hearts with your particular seed beads. The big heart is 1 1/4 inches (32 mm) tall. The small heart is 1 inch (25 mm) tall.

The tutorial is 12 pages, including 37 illustrations and photographs. The tutorial is a PDF file that gives step-by-step instructions explaining how to make beaded hearts in two sizes. I give detailed instructions for weaving the hearts, plus the last 5 pages include photos and several design possibilities for bracelets, earrings, and necklaces with these hearts, some of which use other beaded motifs from the Beaded Lace Adventure. While many design inspirations are included, this tutorial does not explain how to finish a specific piece of jewelry.

This is part 6 in my series, The Beaded Lace Adventure, where I aspire to write a series of tutorials designed around making large collar necklaces out of beaded lace. I am carefully documenting my process in this series, and I invite you to make a lace collar or cuff bracelet with me. For example, this section is the front of the third collar I am currently working on.

Part 1 of the Beaded Lace Adventure is “Athena’s Acanthus Bracelet”

Part 2 is “Beaded Lace Flowers”

Part 3 is "Beaded Lace Swags"

Part 4 is "Beaded Lace Medallions"

Part 5 is "Eucalyptus Leaves Bracelets and Clovers"

Beaded Lace Adventure Necklace No. 2

Last time I reported on the Beaded Lace Adventure, I showed some beaded motifs from my latest tutorial, Eucalyptus Leaves.  Today, I have the complete collar to share with you that uses a bunch of those motifs. 

Eucalyptus Leaves is a two-for-one pattern that shows how to make a bracelet as well as the Eucalyptus Clover, which was the basis for this collar.  The top edge of this collar is composed of nine eucalyptus clovers in bronze, silver, black and matte gray seed beads.

I also used nine beaded lace flowers with 3 petals and eight pieces of beaded lace swags on the bottom edge. Swarovski pearls in cream connect the various motifs.

I have to admit, I'm thrilled with the drape of this piece.  It fits perfectly at that place where the base of the neck meets the top of the collarbone.  Considering how heavy it is, this collar is remarkably comfortable.  I used gold filled chain, lobster clasps, and jumprings to make the clasp adjustable for a perfect fit.  Actually, it didn't really want to lie flat for the photos where I laid it flat on the table because it's not designed to be flat. But since it's lace, it will stretch and compress to fit.  That's what all of those holes are good for!

This Beaded Lace Adventure Necklace No.2 is for sale in my Etsy shop.  Thanks for looking.  Happy holidays.