Treasure Chest Jewels

The name for this set came from the tubes of "bead soup" used to make it. The ingredients of the bead soup mix included size 6-15 seed beads, E beads and bugle beads. If you click on the image to open it in another window, you will be able to see the colours better.

Eight N'debele beaded beads and one right angle weave-covered wooden bead make up the necklace. The nine beaded beads are on a gold toned neckwire I bought at Michael's in Dadeland Station the last time I was in Florida. I am waiting for a client for this set before adding the earring wires. The bracelet is done in N'debele stitch with brick stitch end tabs.

The focal bead on the necklace is a match to the beaded bead used as a toggle on the bracelet. I took a wooden bead as the base, coloured it with a permanent marker, glazed it with a golden polish, and then with seed beads and bugle beads created a right angle weave cage around it.

I've had to resort to scanned images because the digital camera has stopped speaking to me once again! If we resume a dialogue, I'll try to post better pictures.

Bumpy Knobby

Opaque black and silver-lined clear seed beads in sizes 6-10 were used to make this bracelet. The toggle clasp is an embellished beaded bead with a seed bead loop.

Same Stitch, Different Beads

These bracelets show the impact of using different types and sizes of beads with the same stitch.
Angled brick stitch was used for both pieces. The smaller one was beaded with delica beads in a matte finish. The clasp is two snaps that are hidden in the design when worn. The larger one was beaded with size 8 seed beads in an opaque finish. The toggle clasp is a beaded bead.

I got a commission for a choker to match the seed bead bracelet. But since it is for a man, I will need to design a more masculine clasp.

Thank you, Jah, for giving me the gift of beading. I pray for the wearers of my jewelry, even tho I don't always know in advance who they may be. If it is a custom order, I raise their name in prayers as I bead their piece. I want the love and soul joy I feel while beading to be felt when my creations are worn.

Netted Cuff

On my monitor the red beads in the top photo look pinkish. Nuttin nuh guh so!(That's not how it really is.) The colours used are white, red, yellow and green.

The stitch is netting and the toggles are beaded beads.

Fingo Chain

This set includes a peyote-stitched ring, a Zulu square tube pendant and a Fingo Chain bracelet, all made with faux pearls and silver-lined gold seed beads.

Using faux pearls gives the set a more European look, even tho I used two African beading stitches and one Native America beading stitch. Because the bracelet is stitched on both sides it is a substantial and lush piece. That allowed me to balance the weight of the bracelet band with a larger than usual toggle and loop.
The toggle is a beaded bead I made from two of the Parts of a Piece to Come set. (If you link over, look at the two beads in the upper right hand corner.) The square bead was placed over the round bead and then stitched together with a faux pearl between them to create dimension.

I learned the Fingo chain stitch from Diane Fitzgerald's book, Zulu Inspired Beadwork. The Fingo chain stitch was adapted from a Fingo belt beaded by the Mfengu peoples (a Zulu subgroup) of South Africa.

African Square Netting Stitch

This African square netting stitch bracelet has been finished for several weeks, but I just never got around to posting a picture of it before now. I wasn’t satisfied with how the photos looked. I tried several fabrics as background, but it seemed they were more of a distraction than an enhancement to the photo.

The design is from the book Zulu Inspired Beadwork by Diane Fitzgerald. The project in her book was a “Relaxation Mantle”, but I added two beaded beads and loops as a clasp. The beads are opaque black and matte white seed beads.


Here's a shot of the beaded bead toggles on mudcloth.

Stained Glass

The bracelet really does resemble stained glass when held up to the light, but that kind of shot is still beyond my limited photographic skills.

The pendant is constructed over a wooden bead. The peyote stitch holds the beads tightly against the surface. I have been asked more that once how I was able to glue all the beads so neatly in place. Aaarrrgggh! Stitched, not glued. [(Anything like shaken, not stirred?) Please share a thought if you get that reference at all.]

The bracelet uses the N'debele stitch to create ribs of black opaque seed beads with transparent seed beads between the ribs. By altering the number of transparent beads between the ribs I was able to gently curve the bracelet. The clasp is a peyote stitched toggle.

Pearl Beaded Bead on Memory Wire

This bracelet is the second piece I have completed, using one of the faux pearl beaded beads I made last month. I finally realized I wouldn't be using all of them in one item as I initially had imagined.

The picture is a bit dark, but I hope you can see the details of the focal bead. Using memory wire means no clasp is required. The ends of the memory wire are covered with faux pearls.

If you want to see a larger image, just click on the picture.

Beaded Bead Bracelet

This is one of my favorite bracelets. It is one piece that always gets noticed.

The beaded beads are created with glass seed beads in a two-drop peyote stitch over wooden beads. More than one person has asked me how I glued all those tiny beads in such a neat pattern. NOT GLUED! BEADED! Individually stitched onto the wooden support using peyote decreases to follow the curves.

The band of the bracelet is tubular two-drop peyote over an armature wire. The toggle is also two-drop peyote and slips into a brick stitched loop.

Pearls on Branch Fringe

Remember the beaded beads I made from silver-lined gold seed beads and faux pearls? While making them, I wasn't sure how they would ultimately be used.

Since the previous post was titled, "Parts of a Piece to Come", I must have thought I would be using all of the beads in one final piece. That just didn't happen.

This necklace is the first completed item using one of the beads. Thank you, Sistren Camile, for agreeing to be the model. It is strung on memory wire, a thin wire that retains it's shape, so no clasp is required. I finished the memory wire ends with a faux pearl.

The picture below shows the back view. The memory wire overlap keeps the necklace comfortably secure without using a clasp.




Still waiting for inspiration on how to use the other beaded beads. Stay tuned!