Cultured Kulcha

A base of faux pearls stitched in right angle weave sports an embellishment of ites, green and gold (red, green and yellow) seed beads. The gold-toned clasp is connected to the bracelet with rings of clear seed beads. I like the feminine look and feel of this piece.


While finishing Nurse M's fifth netted pearl set, I swore I wouldn't do another one for at least a year. But about half way thru it, I begin to visualize it being done in different colours, rather than all the sides of the net being the same colour. This is the manifestation of that vision.

Seven Stitches

Like many beaded pieces, I started this with one direction in mind and ended up following the beading muse to a totally different and unintended destination.

A one-, two- and three-drop peyote seed bead and bugle bead bracelet was what I started. Fifteen or so rows into it, I realized that since I was using bugle beads, which are notorious for cutting threads, I should have doubled the thread. Instead of undoing it, I rolled it into a tube and it became the bail around the one tortoise shell ring that was left after this piece was finished.

The tube alone lacked something, so I kept beading. One thing led to another and it became a pendant using ladder, brick, and flat N’debele stitches. I wanted the chain to be made of the same beads, but I didn’t want it to be boring. The center piece of the chain is tubular N’debele that transitions to a spiral rope stitch. The transition point is covered with tubes of one- and two-drop peyote.

A magnetic clasp is hidden in a tube of ladder-stitched bugle beads with N’debele spears on each side.

This and Therapy

All of my energies (physical, emotional, creative and spiritual) have been channeled into my therapy sessions and my beadwork. If the truth be told, the beadwork is getting me thru the therapy. Learning to regain my balance and walk again without fear of falling is hard at my age. The therapy hurts and I am expected to inflict this pain on myself on the days I don't go to the clinic. I can't imagine facing this without Jah and prayer!

When I do all the rehab exercises I have been given, it wipes me out! There has been nothing left over for blogging, no reading beyond the local newspaper, no phone chats, no texting, no e-mails and I haven't even responded to those of you who have been kind enough to visit and share your thoughts. I've been given three blog awards that I haven't accepted yet and I don't know if I will ever catch up.

OK, OK, the pity party for one is over. This is what I've beaded during my blogging absence.
I finished the N'debele bracelet that was on my bead board. Gold and bronze seed beads with brown stars were used. The toggle clasp is a peyote tube.

This embellished N'debele bracelet doesn't photogragh well. It truly sparkles! I used size 6 silver-lined clear beads for the base with transparent peacock blue bead insets. The embellishing seed beads are opaque royal blue, transparent peacock blue and transparent light olive green.

This N'debele bracelet has four rows of seed bead embellishments with gold glass bead inserts. The toggle clasp is a beaded bead.

This is another one that has more sparkle than I can capture with the camera! It is tubular N'debele of silver-lined clear beads with blue insets and embellishments. The magnetic clasp is hidden inside a right angle weave tube.

These are a few rings I beaded. I need to find a better way to photograph rings. The picture doesn't really show the details well.

This set is for the wife of the doctor who performed my orthopedic surgery. She saw several of my beaded pieces during one of my check-up visits. The doctor called me later that afternoon and placed an order. The faux pearls are captured in a net of gold and bronze seed beads. She will wear the pendant on a gold chain.

Layered Right Angle Weave

The focal piece of the bracelet is three layers of right angle weave. The band is two layers.

The magnetic clasp is covered in a seed bead tube. This prevents the clasp from attaching itself to metal objects like filing cabinets and shopping carts.

Crystal Rondels

Ites, green and gold (red, green and yellow) crystal rondels are the design focal point for this set. The necklace, constructed of seed beads between bugle beads, is long enough to go over my head without a clasp. The pendant is made of the same beads and rondels.
The bracelet has two magnetic clasps, enclosed in beaded tubes.
The bangle was created with embellished tubular N'debele and tubular peyote stitches. For dimension and texture I used different sizes of black seed beads and bugle beads. The bangle holds it's shape because it is beaded around a large metal ring.

For Leslie

I recently met Leslie in Negril. She was vacationing from America with her fiancee. This was his first trip to Jamaica, while it was Leslie's tenth visit! She hopes he learns to love Jamaica as much as she does.

Leslie is an artistic soul. She loves flowers and she loves to laugh! Out loud! With enthusiasm! Her blog, Flowers of Life, can be seen by linking here.

She selected the semi-precious stones, oval peridots, and I chose the size 6 silver-lined clear and size 10 silver-lined green seed beads. The tab ends are brick stitched ending in a magnetic clasp. The band of the bracelet is embellished N'debele.

This shows the bracelet closed so you can see how the magnetic clasp is hidden inside the seed bead tube. It helps prevent the magnetic clasp from attaching itself to metal items like shopping carts, metal desks and stair railings.


One day when I hit the Lotto jackpot, I am going to commission Leslie to paint one of her beautiful murals on my back verandah!

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.

More Aquarium Glass

This set was beaded for a lovely lady who is one of my technology clients. I hope she enjoys wearing it as much as I enjoyed creating it for her.

The focal beads are aquarium glass stones set into a delica bead net. The net is open on the front and back, so you can see straight thru both pieces. The pendant bail and the bracelet band are peyote stitched in gold and pearlescent white delicas. The magnetic clasp ends are hidden in a peyote stitched tube of delicas.

The tiny, uniform size of the delica beads give this aquarium glass set a formal, yet dainty look. The other set I made using aquarium glass has a more substantial, informal look caused by the larger, irregularly shaped seed beads.

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.