Netted Pearls in Bronze

This is the third set of netted pearls I have done for Nurse M, the wife of the surgeon who worked on my ankle. The original set was done in a netting of gold seed beads with bronze accent beads. The second set was netted in opaque black seed beeds.

The bangle bracelet, pendant and earrings in this faux pearl set were netted in silver-lined bronze seed beads with clear gold seed bead accents. The earwires are 14ktgp.

Variation On A Theme

The bracelet on the left is the original. The faux pearls are lined up diagonally.

I was wearing the original and someone wanted one "just like it". To keep my pledge of making only OOAK (one of a kind) pieces, I designed hers with the faux pearls in a zigzag. Even tho it doesn't show, the toggle clasps are different, too. Hers has a spiral of faux pearls across the top of the toggle clasp, while mine was plain. The stitch used in creating the bracelet is N'debele.

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.

My Diamond Bracelet

Since my budget will never stretch wide enough to include a diamond bracelet, I beaded one instead. Using copper, hematite and matte black delica accent beads I peyote stitched pearlescent white delicas into open diamond shapes that are connected with strips of square stitching. The center diamond is slightly larger than the ones on either side of it.

The toggle is a 2-drop peyote tube that locks into a 3-D beaded loop.

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.

Phases

I have been working on this piece in fits and starts for several months now. The necklace is 29 inches long and uses opaque seed beads ranging from size 13 to size 6. (For non-beaders, the larger the sizing number, the smaller the bead.)

The toggle is a two-drop peyote beaded bead. The center beaded tube is covered with an outer layer of two drop peyote. Both layers have black seed beads brick stitched on the ends. The stitches used in the body of the necklace include one and two-drop peyote, ruffled peyote, spiral peyote, celini spiral, right angle weave, netting and ndebele.
Several of the segments are embellished for dimension and texture and fun.
Accuflex beading wire runs thru the clear tubing that is inside the necklace for support.
I need to pick one of the segments to replicate for a bracelet. Any suggestions?
The loop can be worn at the back of the neck or asymetrically in the front as a focal point as our wooden sistren below is wearing it. Here it is in it's entirety!

Equadorian Leaf Bracelet

This bracelet is from a design that is an adaptation of a Saraguro beading pattern. The August 2002 issue of Bead and Button magazine featured an elaborate beadwoven necklace that inspired Kelly Lightner to create the pattern for this bracelet.

The clasp is made from two acrylic buttons that I fastened back-to-back. The black accents on the buttons go well with the black seed beads. I am trying to figure out now if I have enough beads to make a matching anklet.

Hematite and Seed Beads

Feel free to critique the photography as well as the beadwork. I am still learning both.



The centerpiece of this bracelet is a hematite-coloured piece of aquarium glass. It is encased in a netting of pearlized seed beads and hematite beads. The band of the bracelet is a base of 3mm hematite cylinder beads stitched in right angle weave, then embellished with the pearlized seed beads. The clasp is a silver base metal toggle clasp.

This is a gift to a friend. She is very high on my prayer list just now. Life has been giving her some rough punches lately. But she is a survivor and will bounce back to higher heights.

Silver and Gold?

Not really silver and not really gold, either. Just two bracelets that were created with silver-lined gold and silver-lined clear glass seed beads. I remember being told that it wasn't "proper" to mix gold and silver jewelry. As usual, I don't put much stock in that kind of advice. My "style" has never been fashionable, but it has always been mine!

The lobster claw on the looped bracelet is a reddish gold base metal.

This one has a center piece of gold spiral stitch along a core of the clear beads with a beaded toggle clasp.

For Dwyla

No, I am not back in Jamaica just yet. Still on vacation in America.

I am trying one of Blogger.com's new services, scheduled posting. It allows you to create a blog post, set a future date and have it automatically post on that date.

The lariat/belt and bracelet set was made for one of my sisters, Dwyla. We picked out the beads and gemstone chips to match a specific shade of blue on one of her dresses. Since she ocassionally visits here, I didn't want to post a picture of it until after I gave it to her.

The last time we were together, she asked me to make a belt for her. Little does she know she is getting a belt that can also be worn as a lariat necklace and she is getting the bracelet as brawta. (A little something extra)

The digital camera did not pick up the goldish glitters in the brown gemstones chips. The piece has much more sparkle than the camera could capture.

Netted Druks

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A toggle designed by Geneva Beck was the inspiration for this bracelet. I found the instructions for the toggle clasp in the June 2007 issue of Bead and Button magazine. I wondered how it would look if I just continued beading the same netting stitch in the toggle instructions until it was long enough to make a bracelet. The bracelet is made with black seed beads and 4MM druks in varigated browns and greens. The clasp is made from recycled refrigerator magnets beaded into end caps.

Yes, I know there are magnetic clasps available to buy, but I don't live near a LBS (local bead store) and the beading muse insisted that this piece not wait. So, I found some old refrigerator magnets and used a tubular brick stitch to enclose them.

This will show you what the same netted stitch looks like as a toggle clasp. Geneva's design was originally done with seed beads and crystals. So far, I've tried it with faux pearls and now with druks.

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.

Gold N'debele Bracelet

We have a function to attend on Sunday and I made this bracelet to wear. It is beaded with the N'debele stitch using gold seed beads and faux pearls. The tab ends are done in brick stitch for stability. The toggle is peyote stitched and attached to the brick stitch end tab.

OK, so this last shot was an attempt at being artistic. The N'debele stitch is supple and I wanted to show the bracelet's flexibility. Did it work for you?

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.

O Ring Pendants

These pendants were made on rubber O rings purchased from an automotive parts store. The white seed beads were brick stitched around the inside and outside of the O rings. I like that these pieces had an unconventional start.

Blue Mood From A Beading Muse - Pt 4

Isn't it great how the blue phase is ending at about the same time as my stash of blue beads?

A three-bead wide ladder stitch of silver-lined clear size 6s creates the band for this bracelet. The looped embellished edge gives dimension to the piece while protecting the edge threads forming the base. The toggle clasp is made from two acrylic buttons and the closure loop is created from seed beads and the size 6 base beads.

The patterns in this one didn't scan well. There are spirals, stripes and bands of blue and crystal seed beads peyote stitched around a metal ring.

Blue Mood - Pt 1
Blue Mood - Pt 2
Blue Mood - Pt 3

Blue Mood From A Beading Muse - Pt 3

More blue from the Muse. My mood isn't blue, I feel wonderful! By the time this particular phase is over, I probably won't have a blue bead left.

Thank you, Jah, for the gift of beadweaving. It soothes me, inspires me, and helps me to see the beauty in tiny things. It requires patience, focus, and diligence; all areas I am working on.

Branch fringe creates and decorates this bracelet. The beaded and fringed toggle clasp blends into the design.

This spiral stitch bracelet has the Muse's blue as the core, with clear beads forming the spiral. The toggle clasp was made using 3 bicone beads connected with a beaded ridge between each one.

Blue Mood Part 1
Blue Mood Part 2

Blue Mood Part 4

Blue Mood From A Beading Muse - Pt 2

Another blue piece. This is a peyote band embellished with picot edging and a ruffled loop down the center of the band. The toggle clasp is a clear acrylic button.

(Click the image for a larger view.)

This view shows the 3-D effect of the looped embellishment along the band.

Blue Mood Part 1
Blue Mood Part 3
Blue Mood Part 4

Blue Mood From A Beading Muse - Pt 1

Often the "Beading Muse" will take control to direct not only the style, pattern and design of the current piece, but the color as well. I do not own a single article of clothing in this shade of blue. But, as you will see over the next few days, the Muse has definitely taken me into a Blue Mood.

The band is Ndebele beadwork, with a focal piece of glass stone encased in netting. The front is open and the back is completely covered by the net. The toggle clasp is a peyote tube with bicone beads at each end.

The picture below shows the bracelet with the toggle closed. Wierd angle, I know, but you can at least see a different view of it.

Blue Mood Part 2

Blue Mood Part 3
Blue Mood Part 4

For My Beloved

I am frequently asked if I create beadwork for men. Here are photos of a bracelet I beaded for my kingman (husband). The band is stitched in N'debele, the end tabs are brick stitch and the clasp is magnetic.