Africana Twist.

I started this necklace for the Bead Buddies June Colour Challenge, which was Orange, Brown, Black & Cream.

I used 4mm Cats Eye Beads in Orange and Cream, 4mm Glass Beads in black, and an AB coated brown seed beads to make the twist. It is the same pattern as the Twisted Bracelet from a previous blog.

I was planning to make the clasp a button and a loop, as I often do, but here comes the mistake. I sewed a button onto each end !

Now, rather than cut it off and repair it, I took it as a challenge to adapt it in some way and make it different. So I made a double loop from seed beads which attaches the buttons together. Then I made a matching dangly to thread on between the buttons.

So now you can wear this necklace in two different ways. As a simple rope with the button fastening at the back, or as something a little more detailed with the dangles at the front. :)

Just about to start a matching bracelet, will try and not make the same mistake this time :)

Abstract Wall Hangings.

A little experiment fresh from the kiln.

It does need a little tweaking, as most experiments do, but quite pleased with the outcome.

So, a selection of glass rods, chosen in complimenting colours and arranged (or should I say balanced) in the kiln and left to slump down.

The beauty about these is that you can hang it in whichever way you prefer, so if you like things square you can have it straight on, and if you prefer it diagonally you just hang it from a corner.

This is the same piece, just photographed from a different angle, as you can see it looks quite different.

They measure approx 15" x 12"

What can I make?

Picture the scene.....

Sitting in front of the TV, trying to complete a beaded necklace and you run out of black beads !

Well, unlike other people, I am lucky enough to have a "shop" at the bottom of my garden, but could I be bothered to walk 13 steps down the path, turn all the alarms off, unlock the doors and get a new pack of beads? NO...

Instead, I grumbled and mumbled and sat back on the sofa in a sulk.

Then, not being one to sit for long doing nothing, I picked up the box of beads I stash indoors, and tried to work out what I could make without trailing out to the shed.

I had some clear seed beads and some sparkly acrylic faceted beads. So I made a twisted bracelet. It is a stitch I have used many a time, but this time because the beads were slightly bigger so the design was stretched out a bit.

I added a gorgeous acrylic sparkly heart button, as this was all I had in the house that matched - but a good match I think :)

Anyway, if you want to have a go, try this....

• Take a length of thread and string on 12 seed beads, tie in a circle with a double knot.



• Thread on 3 seed beads and a 4mm bead, and sew into the 5th bead in the circle.



• Thread on 3 seed beads and a second colour 4mm bead and sew into the 10th bead in the circle.



• Thread on 3 seed beads and a third colour 4mm bead and sew into the first bead before the first 4mm bead.



• That is basically it, thread on three seed beads and a 4mm bead each time, alternating the 4mm colours, and sew into the bead before the next 4mm bead. Round and round in a circle.
  
  

I still have not collected those black beads from The Shed, every time I go in I forget !

A few new glass pendants

Had a little play, I fancied trying different shapes for pendants.

So using some bits of glass left over from a stained glass project which were already in quite pretty shapes, I just simply added some Dichroic bits for sparkle and these were born.

This one was a triangle of glass with some millefiori chips covering the whole surface. My Mum claimed this one :)

And lastly, I played about with some old cuts off from headpins, formed them into letters and sandwiched between two layers of glass. The wire caused bubbles inbetween the glass as it melted which I think makes quite an interesting effect. It makes the whole "name" pendant, look abstract and not immediately noticeable as a name. I quite like it :)

It says "Julie" just in case if is totally abstract :)

Julie is my sister, and this is, strangely, for her.

Quirky Grapes.

Another one of my Quirky designs. A bunch of Grapes !

Why Grapes? Well as a lover of Red Wine, I felt I should honour the humble grape - red ones of course :)

Made with Delica beads, the actual Grapes section is very flat and smooth to the touch and measures around 3" long.

I added a St Petersburgh Chain in green & purple, to look like a vine. Finished with a peyote tube as a toggle clasp, so no metal parts.

I love doing these Quirkies, I have another few ideas in mind, so watch this space :)

Frilled Garter Bracelet.

You know when you pick something up and wonder what you can do with it?

Well, that happened with a Crystal Clear open square I had. I pondered and turned it, and wondered and scribbled ideas, but nothing seemed to fit.

So I decided not to be too adventurous, to try and keep it simple and classy.

I got some sz 8 Seed beads in the most gorgeous matte mixed grey colours, and using the square as a centre piece, added a Peyote stitch band to each side. I made a Peyote tube with crystals on the end as a clasp, and a loop to fasten.

But I still wasn't sure, it need something else, so I added a delicate frill in crystal seed beads, each loop overlapping the previous.

It ended up looking quite 'garter' like, hence the name :)

I have another one of those squares, so I might try one in a different colour, and write it up as a tutorial if anyone might be interested :)

Bookmark Swap

Over on the Bead Buddies Forum we had a bookmark swap.

We got paired up with another Buddy, and we had to make each other a hand-made bookmark, especially for them.

My swap partner was Sandie from Jewels Of The Dales.

For her bookmark I decided to try and make some Foxgloves, as she helps out with the Foxglove Covert Nature Reserve.

I made them from Delicas with a 24k Gold Delica inside as stamen.



I was quite chuffed with how they turned out, and Sandie seemed to like them too :)

......and I got the most magnificent bookmarks from her - two of them, which is great, as one I shall use, and the other I am going to dangle out of a book on my bookcase and admire it lots :)

The first one was a silver hook with the cutest Lampwork Sheep bead, teamed up with two real wool balls, gathered from the fields around Sandies home in the Yorkshire Dales.

The second was this amazing beaded treasure, I must apologise for the photos, they do not show just how gorgeous it really is, but I love it. This is the one I will dangle out of my book and admire.