Two new patterns from my favorite designers

Carole Ohl has a new pattern out—the Vintage Rounds Pendant:

Sandra Halpenny has new bracelet pattern out—the Summer Fun Bracelet:

Beading with gemstones

I have quite a few pretty gemstones left over from my wire-wrapping phase and wondered how they would look in some of my earring patterns. My favorite turned out to be the Crystal Drop Earrings using 6mm tigereye beads (left) and 6mm faceted amethyst beads (right) instead of 6mm bicone crystals:

Here are my Bijoux Earrings using 4mm tigereye beads (left) and 4mm garnet beads (right) instead of 4mm pearls:

Here are my Elizabethan Earrings using 6mm tigereye beads (left) and 6mm faceted amethyst beads (right) instead of 6mm fire-polished beads:

New patterns uploaded

I just uploaded two new patterns: the Bijoux Bracelet, $4:

and matching Bijoux Earrings, $2.75:

New FREE crystal bracelet: the Skinny Bracelet

 

SKINNY BRACELET

(copyright 2010 Deborah Roberti)

Materials (for a 7-inch bracelet, not including clasp):
• 3 yards of 6 lb. FireLine
• Approximately 80 size 11 seed beads: Miyuki Lt. Bronze 11-0457L. Can be purchased online at Charlene's Beads and WhimBeads.com.
• Approximately 100 size 4mm bicone crystals: Swarovski Topaz Satin. Can be purchased online at FireMountainGems.com.
• clasp



Step 1: Thread your needle with 3 yards of Fireline. String four bicone crystals. Leaving about a 14-inch tail for attaching one end of the clasp, tie the beads in a circle with a double knot:


Step 2: Go back around through three of the bicone crystals that you added in the last step:


Step 3: String three bicone crystals. Go around and back up through the bicone crystal that you exited at the end of the last step:


Step 4: Continue back around through two of the bicone crystals that you added in the last step (highlighted in RED):


Step 5: String three bicone crystals. Go around and back down through the bicone crystal that you exited at the end of the last step:


Step 6: Continue back around through two of the bicone crystals that you added in the last step (highlighted in RED):


Step 7: Repeat Step 3 to Step 6 until your bracelet is the length you want it, minus about a half-inch and the length of your clasp:


Step 8: At the end of your bracelet, go back across through the bicone crystal highlighted in RED:

Now you’ll add a row of seed beads in between each bicone crystal along the top of your bracelet.

Step 9: String a seed bead and go across through the bicone crystal highlighted in RED:


Step 10: String another seed bead and go across through the next bicone crystal along the top side of your bracelet (highlighted in RED):


Step 11: Repeat Step 10 until you get to the end:


Step 12: Go around through the two bicone crystals highlighted in RED:

Now you’ll add a row of seed beads in between each bicone crystal along the bottom side.

Step 13: String a seed bead and go across through the bicone crystal highlighted in RED:


Step 14: String another seed bead and go across through the next bicone crystal along the bottom side of your bracelet (highlighted in RED):


Step 15: Repeat Step 14 until you get to the end:


Step 16: Go up through the bicone crystal highlighted in RED:


Step 17: To attach one end of the clasp, string a bicone crystal and three seed beads. Go through your clasp and then back through the last seed bead that you just strung:


Step 18: String two seed beads and a bicone crystal. Go up through the bicone crystal highlighted in RED:


Step 19: Go back around through the bicone crystal, the seed beads, through the clasp, the seed beads and the bicone crystal highlighted in RED:


Step 20: String a seed bead. Go around through the three bicone crystals highlighted in RED:


Step 21: String a seed bead. Go back around through the bicone crystal, the seed beads, through the clasp, the seed beads and the bicone crystal highlighted in RED:

Weave back into the bracelet, knot in several places and cut your thread.

Step 22: To attach the clasp to the other side of the bracelet, thread your needle with the tail from Step 1. Go up through the bicone crystal highlighted in RED:

Repeat Step 17 to Step 21.

New pattern uploaded: Scalloped Pearl Bracelet

I know it has been a while but I have finally uploaded a new pattern: the Scalloped Pearl Bracelet:

It's available at my Web site, AroundtheBeadingTable.com, and at Bead-Patterns.com for $4.00.

I used 4mm glass pearls but any 4mm round beads will also work for this design. I started a bracelet using 4mm bicone crystals instead of the white glass pearls that I used in the photo above (referred to as Color1 in the PDF of the pattern) and it worked quite well but I didn't like the colors I used so I have since taken in apart. Will try, try again.

Blossom Bracelet

I just uploaded a new pattern, the Blossom Bracelet:

It's available at AroundtheBeadingTable.com and at Bead-Patterns.com for $4.00.

You can make matching earrings and/or pendant with the Boleyn Earrings & Pendant pattern.

At Bead-Patterns.com

I'm hoping to finish writing my new Blossom Bracelet pattern today but while I was perusing Bead-Patterns.com, I noticed a couple lovely new patterns up by Carole Ohl, Sandy Halpenny and Sig Wynne-Evans:

Cubicado Bracelet by Carole Ohl:

Flowers Enchanted Necklace by Sandra Halpenny:

Book of Kells Wolf by Sigrid Wynne-Evans:

Thinking about paper

It always amazes me what beauty can be created with the simplest of things. Take paper, for instance. Until Barbara Maccaferri emailed me, I had never heard of quilling. I thought at first, it was a typo and she meant quilting. Then I made a visit to her Web site, PaperRosesQuilling.com, and found that not only is quilling, like beading, an ancient artform, but an amazing one at that, and Barbara’s work is just beautiful.

A little while after I got Barbara’s email, I got one from Janice Bautista who wanted to feature my Hana-Ami tutorial on her Web site, PaperBeads.org. The site now has a wonderful 2-part video on how to make a paper bead flower using the Hana-ami motif:

There’s plenty more videos and you could definitely get lost on this site for hours and hours. The tutorials and videos are very clear and there’s even one on making paper beads from a cat litter bag, proving that you can make art and beauty out of just about anything:

From the Top Drawer

I’m guessing that every beader has a place for that unfinished bracelet, the pendant you may give away later, the necklace that didn’t quite turn out like you wanted but you can’t bring yourself to take apart, the cuff with colors that just didn’t do it for you, the beaded earrings that have no match and a great multitude of beaded beads from that weekend when you obsessed just a bit too much.

For me, this place is the top drawer of a little set of drawers beside my beading table and as a designer, it is often overflowing.

I was looking through it the other day and found a version of my Cleopatra Bracelet that I still love but it was relegated to the top drawer because I used a clasp that I felt was all wrong once I had finished.

I used all silver and gold beads and it feels just like some sort of exotic, silky ribbon but looks like a wide silver and gold herringbone chain. Here are the beads I used in case you want to give it a try. I won’t show you the clasp :)

• about 600 #31 24 Karat Gold Plated Delica beads
• about 200 size 1 (3mm) Toho #711 Nickel Plated Silver bugle beads
• about 150 size 13/0 gold plated charlottes that I used in the 3-bead accented edging in Steps 16, 21 and 26 instead of 3 Delica beads

Lobelia Necklace

I just uploaded a new pattern, the Lobelia Necklace (also available at Bead-patterns.com):

It would also make a nice matching crystal chain bracelet if you only follow steps 1 to 12.

Medallion Madness

Geometric Obsession Bracelets

I just uploaded a new pattern to my Web site: the Geometric Obsession Bracelets (also available at Bead-Patterns.com):

The pattern includes step-by-step directions and illustrations for both bracelets. I named them "Geometric" because they were created using the triangle weave, and "Obsession" because I seem to be somewhat obsessive in using the triangle weave, or so I'm sure you must all think by now.

I'm also thinking that the bottom (second) bracelet would look interesting if you used bicone crystals instead of bugle beads but I haven't tried it yet.

New pattern uploaded: Bistro Earrings & Pendant

I just uploaded a new pattern to my Web site, the Bistro Earrings & Pendant, $3.50 (also available at Bead-Patterns.com):

Also, at Bead-Patterns.com only, my Crystal Earrings II e-book and Crystal Necklaces II e-book are both on sale for $15 each until March 31, 2010.

New free pattern: Printemps Earrings

As promised, a free earring pattern to match the Printemps Bracelet is now up: the Printemps Earrings:

I used 4mm bicone crystals and 4mm fire-polished beads but you really can use any 4mm beads.

New pattern uploaded: Printemps Bracelet

I just uploaded a new pattern to my Web site, the Printemps Bracelet, $4.00 (also available at Bead-Patterns.com):

Free matching earrings coming soon!

Laura McCabe interview

L'hebdo de Laulo (blog) has a new interview with Laura McCabe, available in both French and English.

Laura's next book, Laura McCabe's Embellished Beadweaving: Jewelry Lavished with Fringe, Fronds, Lacework & More, will be out in May 2010.

New Patterns Uploaded

I just uploaded two new patterns:

the Heirloom Bracelet (also available at Bead-Patterns.com), $3.50:

the Heirloom Earrings (also available at Bead-Patterns.com), $3.50: