Quickie Bracelet

Now that I've finally finished my Little Box (remember, book review on Nov. 6), I've been playing around with the rest of my beads.  I picked up a tutorial for a cute bracelet at my local bead shop, and made it in just a couple of hours.

It's just a row of 8-bead right angle weave made with 15's, long enough to fit your wrist.  Then you embellish it on both sides with size 11 seeds, and it naturally twists into a thin round bracelet.  I used gold seeds for this one, but I want to try lots of other colors, and also make some multi-strand bracelets with this method.  I can also break out my 2mm Swarovski crystals and embellish with those.  Ooooooo...sparkles!

How do like my new "artsy" picture style?  I like it because I found that with more than just the white in the background, the colors in my beadwork show up more as their true colors.  Also, I don't have to do as much editing to my picture afterward to get it to look right.

Hope you're having a great day!

Cat

Daisy Chain Bracelet

I've been taking breaks from beading my little box and making small projects in between.  This one is a bracelet that I saw at one of my local beading stores.

It's just 5 daisy chains, connected at the ends and attached to a slide clasp.  It took just a few days to make it, and it was really fun to work on.  I live both pearls and crystals, so I was delighted to be able to combine them both in one bracelet.  I used rose-colored pearls and crystals, one of my favorite colors.  Though when it comes to crystals, I don't think there are any colors I don't like.

The bracelet I saw in the store was 8 chains wide!  That would be way too overpowering for my small wrist.  In fact, I'm thinking about making another one that is only 3 chains wide.

Cat

Working Hard

I've been putting a lot of beading hours in on my Little Box.  I can't show it to you yet though.  I belong to a group, Operation Tackle That Bead Stash.  We've been challenged with making a project from Julia Pretl's Little Boxes book.  Then on November 6th, those who participated will be showing our projects and doing a review of the book.  So make sure to come back and see!

I can show you how hard I've been working though.

I think it's time for me to get a new needle out, LOL.

Cat

Those Little Beads Will Fool You

The hardest part, for me, of any project is picking the colors.  Even when I know which colors I want to use, like today, it can still be difficult.

I needed five colors for today's project, one of Julia Pretl's Little Bead Boxes.  I'm making the butterfly one, and I was trying to match the colors of a beaded butterfly that I bought at the bead show, so that I could sit the little butterfly on top.  (and there's another whole story there...the butterfly turned out to be not so "little" in comparison to the box)

So, I pulled about 25 tubes of beads from my stash, and started trying to match colors.  One bead would be just the right color, but the finish would be too matte, or the finish would be right but the color would be a little off.  Like the Flame Red that turned into orange when I started stitching with it.  I finally got settled with all my colors and started my box.  And then, right before my eyes, the beads changed color!

The pink and blue beads that looked this in their tubes....

looked like this in my project.  :(   I couldn't even tell the two colors apart.

So, back to the drawing board again, looking for colors with more contrast.  And of course that meant I had to pull apart my carefully stitched little box beginning and re-do it, but I'm much happier now with the two colors I settled on.

See the difference?  Much more contrast!  Now if only I could somehow shrink that huge butterfly, because the box is a lot tinier than I thought it would be and I don't think the butterfly will fit on top.  Keep watching my blog to see how, or if, I solve that puzzle.  I may just put a flower on top.  Or something else.

But then, that's part of the fun of beading.  Your ideas change as the project goes along, and sometimes what you end up with is very different from what you envisioned when you started.

Cat

Tatiana Necklace Finished

I finally finished making my Tatiana necklace!  It is a beautiful pattern designed by Manek-Manek Beads.  I'm so excited to have finished it because it is made almost entirely with tiny size 15/0 seed beads, and it took me many days and nights using my magnifier Ott Lamp to weave them all together.  I broke a bead or two along the way, and I went through 9 (!) size 13 needles, breaking those mostly when I was trying to maneuver them around the crystals.

The entire necklace is done in Right Angle Weave (RAW), including the bezels.  The rope is done in Cubic Right Angle Weave (CRAW).  Through making this necklace, I learned a new love for RAW and all the things it can do.

In my September 2 post, I showed you the beads all set up and ready to go.

Here is a picture of the beginning of the necklace as I was just getting started.


Before I show you the final pictures, I just want to say that this is the first time I have purchased a pattern from Manek-Manek.  She has a wonderful way of writing the instructions so that they are easy to understand and follow.  The diagrams are clear.  She has beautiful designs, and even though some are quite advanced, I have confidence that I will be able to complete any pattern that I purchase from her.  She is also very friendly and easily accessible should you need help at any point in your project.  I shall definitely be buying more of her beautiful designs in the future to make for myself.

Here is the finished necklace:


And here is a close-up of the crystal embellishments that I substituted for size 11/0 seed beads in the column bar parts of the necklace:


I feel like a queen when I wear it out, even if I'm just going to the grocery store.  ;)

Cat