Free bead pattern: Mini GemDuo Star Earrings

Mini GemDuo Star Earrings

(©2021 Deborah Roberti)

Matubo now has a “mini” version of the GemDuo bead called the Mini GemDuo. It measures 6x4mm, a little bigger than a SuperDuo bead. Bead up some lovely earrings using Mini GemDuos and some size 11/0 Miyuki seed beads.

I got my Matubo Mini GemDuo beads from RedPandaBeads.com here:
https://www.redpandabeads.com/Mini_GemDuo_Beads_s/6017.htm

MATERIALS
• About two yards of 6 lb. FireLine
• About 150 size 11/0 Miyuki rocaille seed beads (Toho brand seed beads will be a bit too fat)
• 10 Color1 size 6x4mm Matubo Mini GemDuo beads
• 30 Color2 size 6x4mm Matubo Mini GemDuo beads
• two small (2-4mm) closed (soldered) jump rings or two Beadsmith Cymbal Elements
• a pair of earring findings

Step 1: Thread your needle with about a yard of FireLine.

Leaving about a 6-inch tail that you can weave in and cut at any time, string five Color1 Mini GemDuo beads.

Tie the beads together with a tight double knot, forming a star of five of Mini GemDuo beads:

NOTE: Mini GemDuo beads have a tapered front side and a flat back side. Make sure the front side is facing in the same direction when you add each Mini GemDuo bead.

Step 2: Go back around through this star of five Mini GemDuo beads, grab your tail thread and tie another tight knot:

Step 3: Go back through the inside hole of the two Mini GemDuo beads highlighted in RED:

Step 4: Go around and through the outside hole of the Color1 Mini GemDuo bead that you exited at the end of the last step (highlighted in RED):

Step 5: String two Color2 Mini GemDuo beads and go up through the outside hole of the Color1 Mini GemDuo bead highlighted in RED:

Step 6: String two Color2 Mini GemDuo beads and go up through the outside hole of the Color1 Mini GemDuo bead highlighted in RED:

Step 7: String two Color2 Mini GemDuo beads and go across through the outside hole of the Color1 Mini GemDuo bead highlighted in RED:

Step 8: String two Color2 Mini GemDuo beads and go down through the outside hole of the Color1 Mini GemDuo bead highlighted in RED:

Step 9: String two Color2 Mini GemDuo beads and go down through the outside hole of the Color1 Mini GemDuo bead highlighted in RED. Continue across through the inside hole of the two Color2 Mini GemDuo beads highlighted in RED:

Step 10: Go back around through the outside holes of the Color1 Mini GemDuo beads and the inside holes of the Color2 Mini GemDuo beads highlighted in RED:

Step 11: Go up through the outside hole of the Color1 Mini GemDuo bead and the inside hole of the Color2 Mini GemDuo bead highlighted in RED. Go around and down through the outside hole of the same Color2 Mini GemDuo bead that you just exited:

Step 12: String a Color2 Mini GemDuo bead and go through the outside hole of the Color2 Mini GemDuo bead highlighted in RED:

Step 13: String three seed beads. Go up through the outside hole of the Color2 Mini GemDuo bead highlighted in RED:

NOTE: As you add the three seed beads in Step 13 and in the steps that follow, push the middle seed bead into the hollow of the “v” formed by the Mini GemDuo beads.

Step 14: String a Color2 Mini GemDuo bead and go up through the outside hole of the Color2 Mini GemDuo bead highlighted in RED:

Step 15: String three seed beads. Go up through the outside hole of the Color2 Mini GemDuo bead highlighted in RED:

Step 16: String a Color2 Mini GemDuo bead and go up through the outside hole of the Color2 Mini GemDuo bead highlighted in RED:

Step 17: String three seed beads. Go across through the outside hole of the Color2 Mini GemDuo bead highlighted in RED:

Step 18: String a Color2 Mini GemDuo bead and go across through the outside hole of the Color2 Mini GemDuo bead highlighted in RED:

Step 19: String three seed beads. Go down through the outside hole of the Color2 Mini GemDuo bead highlighted in RED:

Step 20: String a Color2 Mini GemDuo bead and go down through the outside hole of the Color2 Mini GemDuo bead highlighted in RED:

Step 21: String three seed beads. Go down through the three Color2 Mini GemDuo beads highlighted in RED:

Step 22: Go back around through the beads highlighted in RED. Don’t pull so tightly that the motif buckles. Try to keep the motif flat:

Step 23: Go across through the three seed beads highlighted in RED:

Step 24: String three seed beads and go up through the outside hole of the Mini GemDuo bead highlighted in RED:

Step 25: String three seed beads and go up through the three seed beads highlighted in RED:

Step 26: String three seed beads and go up through the outside hole of the Mini GemDuo bead highlighted in RED.

String three more seed beads and go up through the three seed beads highlighted in RED:

Step 27: String three seed beads and go across through the outside hole of the Mini GemDuo bead highlighted in RED.

String three more seed beads and go down through the three seed beads highlighted in RED:

Step 28: String three seed beads and go down through the outside hole of the Mini GemDuo bead highlighted in RED.

String three more seed beads and go down through the three seed beads highlighted in RED:

Step 29: String three seed beads and go down through the outside hole of the Mini GemDuo bead highlighted in RED.

String three more seed beads and go across through the six seed beads highlighted in RED:

Next you will add seed beads around the tip of each Mini GemDuo bead.

Step 30: String three seed beads. Go around the tip of the Mini GemDuo bead and up through the nine seed beads highlighted in RED:

Step 31: String three seed beads. Go around the tip of the Mini GemDuo bead and up through the nine seed beads highlighted in RED:

Step 32: String three seed beads. Go around the tip of the Mini GemDuo bead and down through the nine seed beads highlighted in RED:

Step 33: String three seed beads. Go around the tip of the Mini GemDuo bead and down through the nine seed beads highlighted in RED:

Step 34: String three seed beads. Go around the tip of the Mini GemDuo bead and across through the ten seed beads highlighted in RED:

Step 35: Skip the next seed bead at the tip of the Mini GemDuo bead and go across through the next eleven seed beads highlighted in RED, pulling tight so that the skipped seed bead pops out to create a point:

NOTE: If you prefer a more rounded tip instead of a pointed tip, instead of skipping the seed bead, go through it in this step an all subsequent steps.

Step 36: Skip the next seed bead at the tip of the Mini GemDuo bead and go up through the next eleven seed beads highlighted in RED, pulling tight so that the skipped seed bead pops out to create a point:

Step 37: Skip the next seed bead at the tip of the Mini GemDuo bead and go down through the next eleven seed beads highlighted in RED, pulling tight so that the skipped seed bead pops out to create a point:

Step 38: Skip the next seed bead at the tip of the Mini GemDuo bead and go down through the next eleven seed beads highlighted in RED, pulling tight to create a point:

Step 39: Skip the next seed bead at the tip of the Mini GemDuo bead and go across through the next eleven seed beads highlighted in RED, pulling tight to create a point:

Step 40: Go back around through the seed beads highlighted in RED to exit from the top seed bead:

I have included two different ways to connect your earring motif to your earring finding. Pick the one you like best.

Closed Jump Ring

Step 41: To add a closed jump ring, string three seed beads. Go through your jump ring and then back down through the last seed bead that you just strung. String two more seed beads and go back across through the seed bead at the top of the star (highlighted in RED):

Step 42: Go back around through the beads highlighted in RED and your jump ring:

Weave back around through the outer edge of beads along the earring motif again, knot and cut your thread.

Cymbal Element

Many of the Beadsmith Cymbal™ elements work great instead of jump rings.

Step 41: String two seed beads. Go through a Cymbal element. String two more seed beads. Go around and back across through the top seed bead on the motif (highlighted in RED):

Step 42: Go back around through the beads highlighted in RED and the Cymbal element:

Weave back around through the outer edge of beads along the earring motif again, knot and cut your thread. 

New free Tila bead pattern: Tila Stackers!

As the name suggests, Tila Stackers are created using “stacks” of Miyuki Tila beads of any size and color combination. For my step-by-step text instructions and illustrations, I used Tila bead stacks of Quarter and Half Tila beads but as you can see, the other stackers use different stacker variations and the Tila beads used are listed in the Materials List. You will have fun coming up with stacks of your own. The Tila size and color combinations are infinite.

My free Tila Stackers pattern is available on my website here:
https://www.aroundthebeadingtable.com/Tutorials/TilaStackers.html
or just click any of the pictures shown. A link to a downloadable PDF is available at the top of the page and links to exact beads used can be found at the end of the Step text.

Free bead pattern: WibeDuo Star Earrings!

 

Create some pretty star earrings using size 11/0 seed beads, 3mm fire-polished beads and Czech WibeDuo beads—8mm star-shaped beads with two parallel holes, a “pillowed” front side and a flat back side.

My free WibeDuo Star Earrings pattern is available on my website here:
https://www.aroundthebeadingtable.com/Tutorials/WibeDuoStarEarrings.html
A link to a downloadable PDF is available at the top of the page and links to exact beads used can be found at the end of the Step text.

I beaded up three colorways but this one that uses Metallic Crystal Marine Ice WibeDuo beads one is my favorite:

For the second version, I used some Crystal AB WibeDuo beads. They really catch the light and reflect whatever colors used in the fire-polished and seed beads: 

For the last colorway, I used Backlit Petroleum WibeDuo which, like most of the “backlit” coated beads, are really beautiful but hard to photograph and capture their true beauty:

Again, links to the exact beads I used can be found at the end of the Step text, as well as a downloadable PDF of the design here:
https://www.aroundthebeadingtable.com/Tutorials/WibeDuoStarEarrings.html

For more color combinations, visit the RedPandaBeads.com Gallery of Color Suggestions:
https://www.redpandabeads.com/WibeDuo_Star_Earrings_s/5778.htm

Free bead pattern: WibeDuo Tile Bracelet & Earrings!

 

WibeDuo beads have been around for a while but I finally got a chance to play with them. Produced by the manufacturers of ZoliDuo beads, WibeDuos are 8mm star-shaped beads with two parallel holes, a “pillowed” front side and a flat back side.

My free WibeDuo Tile Bracelet & Earrings patterns is available on my website here:
https://www.aroundthebeadingtable.com/Tutorials/WibeDuoTile.html
A link to a downloadable PDF is available at the top of the page and links to exact beads used can be found at the end of the step text.

Along with WibeDuo beads, the design calls for 3mm fire-polished beads and Miyuki rocaille (round) seed beads. Other seed bead brands may work but I tend to use Miyuki because they are so consistent in size.

I beaded up three colorways for the WibeDuo Tile Bracelet & Earrings design but used Aztec Gold WibeDuo beads for all three because that is all I have for now. The first colorway is my favorite. I used Miyuki #4514 Picasso Matte Seafoam Green size 11/0 seed beads and 3mm Milky Peridot fire-polished beads.

 

 

The second colorway uses my go-to gold seed beads, Miyuki #4204 Duracoat Champagne Rocailles, and 3mm Siam Ruby Marbled Gold fire-polished beads. You can’t really see the gold marbling in the photos but it is very pretty.

 

For the last colorway, I used Miyuki #454 Iris Purple size 11/0 seed beads and 3mm Iris Purple fire-polished beads. You just can’t beat the color combo of gold and purple.

Again, links to the exact beads I used can be found at the end of the Step text, as well as a downloadable PDF of the design here:
https://www.aroundthebeadingtable.com/Tutorials/WibeDuoTile.html

Byzantium Bands Redux

 

I gave my Byzantium Bands design a facelift! 

The pattern now includes instructions for two designs! The original crystal version, which is a great beginner beading project, uses size 11/0 Miyuki rocaille seed beads, 3mm fire-polished beads, 4mm bicone crystals and 4mm round beads (glass pearl or druk). The second version is an elaboration of this simple band where you will add SuperDuo beads to give the band some width and wow. Both designs are fully illustrated with detailed step-by-step instructions. 

Just click on a picture to get to my website for pattern and bead details. Exact beads used are listed on the bottom of the pattern page.

These bands (below) use Swarovski Red Magma bicone crystals and my favorite SuperDuo beads—White Apricot:

 

These bands use a mix of Swarovski Topaz and Crystal Satin Olivine bicone crystals. Both the SuperDuo beads and the fire-polished beads have the Halo Sandalwood coating, which is quite lovely: 

This set is my favorite. I used Swarovski Montana bicone crystals, some Iris Blue fire-polished beads, Opaque White Picasso round beads, Chalk Travertin Dark SuperDuo beads and my favorite Miyuki #457 rocaille seed beads: