Russian Spiral and some Sculptural Peyote

I was browsing around some beading blogs again and had took a few looks back at some that I've already seen, and I peaked over at Operation Tackle That Bead Stash again and noticed that she arrange a monthly challenge that really got me into the mood for applying. Never signed up for something like that before and thought, hey, why not give it a try :P

And those amazing beading fares that I've been reading about and only seen on pictures doesn't seem to be that popular in Belgium. Yeh, moments like that you really wish you lived in the states or in UK ^^;

I've been stacking up on a bunch of blue beads in different shades since the new year, but I haven't really used them for anything until now.
I tend to buy my beads depending on how pretty they look, LOL x)
Well, some girls can't get enough of shiny stuff, specially if it means that you can do something with 'em and touch 'em, hah. I guess I learned what a "beadaholic" is now.

Speaking of which, if you already haven't, you should take a look at Beadaholique's Webshop, they have a lot of nice supplies. I normally buy some of my stuff from there, specially when it comes to tools and Swarovski crystals. I don't buy from their original store cause I get extra taxes since they're located in U.S and I'm in Europe. So I use their store at Amazon.co.uk since they have a store there as well :)

For my latest piece, this lil' necklace; I used 11/0 seed beads and 9/0 seed beads. I used the russian spiral stitch to make the chain and sculptural peyote stitch to make the pendant. And then I added some embellishments here and there.

Two Rings a Week: Mizu

I had a look at Operation Tackle That Bead Stash! blog and saw this tutorial on these cute rings and decided that I should try it out. You can go directly to the tutorial by clicking here.

I used 11/0 seed beads in turquoise and galvanized silver, and 3 6mm glass beads. And as you can see, I made two variations of it.  I used a black nymo thread for the right one, and a crystal FireLine for the left one.
Had some minor problems with the fitting, and getting the right size for 'em tho. I still don't have a ring mandrel. I just ordered one tho! \o/ So I'm sitting and waiting for it to arrive at the post office :)

Latest project

I got really in love with the circular brick stitch and I wanted to try out something with a few 6mm fire polished alexandrite glass beads that I purchased a while ago. Then I added together some purple and amethyst colored seed beads and some bugle beads in a matching color that I had laying around.

I got really attached to the result and decided that I'm gonna make a necklace with a few of these pieces. Just still pondering what sort of chain I will combine with them :)

Missed the buss...

Well, what do you do when you're bound to buses, trains or whatever? I go shopping until the next one leaves :P

I have to change bus two times every day, and sometimes the traffic gets rather busy, and my first bus gets stuck in a traffic line, which normally results to the point that I miss my second. My second buss only goes one time each hour, and at that point I get really, really bored.

I tend to pop over to the only store that have some sort of jewelry making stuff. They are rather expensive so I don't go there that often, only for some supplies that I really want to look at and feel in person before I buy them, rather then looking at a photo. A picture doesn't really tell everything a bout a product, specially not about beads, and when you get your order you can either be thrilled or just disappointed.

Well, yesterday I ended up in a traffic line and got stuck. And I went to just that store and picked up some pretties. A few 8mm, 6mm and 4mm glass pearls, and I also bought some embroidery crystals on 7mm.

Two Rings a Week: Summer

So I decided to do something with peyote stitch. And I decided on a little more simple ring, a thumb ring in fact, since I decided to make it a little bit higher.

With this ring, I also wanted to try to play with some color gradients, and noticed the blue-green-yellow colors that I had in my beading boxes.

I also added an edge with galvanized silver beads for some contrast. I only used 11/0 seed beads to make this.

Two Rings a Week: RAW square

Took my time to chill out a little bit this weekend after a rather stressy and annoying week. But I still got time to finish up two rings that I made using Right Angle Weave (RAW).

I actually found this neat ring pattern on a blog, in french. At that moment I kinda muttered and cursed to myself for not being able to study french when I went to school, even tho I wanted to - wasn't enough students that were interested in it = no class *mutters*




 Anyhow, this woman has some other really neat patterns on her blog, all in french, but the diagrams are really easy to understand. If you wanna check out her blog, click HERE.



So I made two different rings with this pattern simply cause I wanted to see if I understood it. And also cause I wanted some more color variation. Bah, my stack with 8/0's aren't that huge...

Anyhow. I used 11/0 and 8/0 seed beads and also a couple of 4mm glass pearls and beads. And the other half of the ring on both pieces are made with uneven peyote stitch.

Two Rings a Week: Ashes

Alright, so I decided to get myself busy with having to goal of making at least two rings a week just for fun and also to try out some different techniques.

I made this one using circular brick stitch and herringbone stitch.

I've been having these 3 8mm round Swarovski crystals laying around, and didn't know what I could use it for until I actually saw a few beading embellishments with just this technique around the internet while I was browsing through websites. So I decided to try it out by making a ring of it. 

I also did some smaller fringing just to get some more texture to it. I found that I looked a little too flat at the beginning.

11/0 and 15/0 seed beads are what I used to make this lil' thing. Also the gold beads are galvanized.
I bought once just gold plated and silver plated beads, I quickly noticed how the color began falling off the during the time I was beading and keeping my bead work tightly in my hands.

Cell Phone Charms

So I've bought these little cell phone charm keepers since a while ago, thinking, hey, maybe I should actually try making my own charms for my phone since I've never really liked the ones they have for sell at the store (MOSTLY!).

Anyhow. I've fallen in love with these beaded beads and I kinda came up with the silly idea of attaching one in one of them cellphone charm keepers I had. And violá!



I didn't know I was the only one that was going to actually like 'em. But when some of my colleges in the course I'm taking saw it they began asking a bunch of stuff and saying how cute it was etc :P
And I suddenly got a request if I could make one for her in grey and white, so ofc I agreed!

Beaded Beads

Sat up last night and a gave it another hours earlier this noon and did some beaded beads out of 4mm glass pearls and some galvanized11/0 silver seed beads and a nylon thread.

I haven't really tried the "cross technique" before (crossing the thread or needles at one bead), and I kinda wanted to try it at some point after seeing it around a few times.

My problem was tho that I don't really have a store close by, that sells materials for jewelry making, but the closest one is in another city; I live in a smaller town with barely any stores at all. And I didn't make an order on Amazon (where I mainly get my supplies from) for only some nylon thread :P

Anyway, I find this method rather fun, and there should be some simple tutorials out there if anyone is interested; Da inet is BIG x)

The Crow & the Butterfly

I've always been a bit of a fan of the St. Petersburg chain, and felt that I wanted to try making a choker like necklace with a fringe.

I made a pattern like way on the fringing. I kinda wanted them to increase the closer they ended up to the middle of the necklace. I used a mix of 11/0 seed beads, and a few 15/0 seed beads at the end of each fringe.
Towards the center I added a 4mm glass pearl just before the turn the the fringe, to add some more contrast in the whole piece.

I decided to add a chain for the bolt clasp, so it would be adjustable, depending on the neck size etc.

It took me about an hour to make the St. Petersburg chain, then about another 2 hours for the fringe.

Cubic Zircon

I took my time a few days ago to actually try out the nylon cowered wire that I bought last time. I've seen a few projects around here and there going on about wire and crimp tubes and I  kinda wanted to try it out a while ago.

So I decided to put something smaller together with some of the leftovers I had, and with some of the stuff that I bought a while ago and didn't have a clue what to make with.

I put together two different pair of earrings, both featuring two different kinds of Cubic Zircon beads.






For the pink pair, in each unit I used 20 11/0 seed beads, 2 4mm swarovski bicones, 2 4mm round swarovski beads, and the center bead is a Cubic Zircon which is about 6mm long.

On the second pair I wanted to add the other Cubic Zircon beads (6x9mm) that I've had for quite a while now. I decided to add one of citrine gemstone beads (about 9-10mm in height) to get some contrast in the piece.
I do tend to mix color contrasts in my pieces, since I want something eye catching, depending on what it is, and these are rather small, and I wanted them still to be noticeable.
I also used two 4mm glass beads and 10 11/0 seed beads.
I did also add a small chainmail piece at the top of the earrings, that I made in silver-plated copper wire, and each jump-ring is 4mm.

Right Angle Weave

A ring with the same technique, with a 6mm and 2 4mm swarovski bicone beads.

Made these two bracelets with the right angle weave. 28 pieces of 4mm swarovski bicone beads and I used 11/0 seed beads for the complete bracelets.

Stringing and Square

So, I manged to finish up the bracelet I've been working on yesterday evening. I were just too tired to post it. And I was kinda waiting for the daylight to come, since I think you get the best light on a photo when using the natural daylight as a light source.
I haven't gotten my fingers out of my ass to make a lightbox yet :P

I got the inspiration for this piece from this photo, and I chose to use the colors from it.

I did this piece with a variation of square stitch and stringing. The toggle clasps is made by using peyote stitch. The bracelet sits nicely around the wrist and frames it.

Preview on my latest project

Some radioactive colors, but hey... They tend to appear once in a while. Anyway, this is a little preview on my current project and I kinda wanted to share it :P

11/0 seed beads in four different colors. I'll also add later, when it's done what gave me the inspiration for it...

We have to start somewhere

What to do with those leftovers?!

Okey, so I was going through some of my stuff and noticed some gemstone leftovers that I just didn't know what to use them for. Then after I did some of my daily surfing I got this idea of maybe beading it, and actually make something more with it than just using it for wire.

 I ended up making a little brooch ouch of it.
I actually have no idea of what kind of gemstone it is (but if anyone have a clue please tell me :) ), well I bought it in a bead gemstone mix where there were some gemstones I really didn't recognize.

I also managed to figure out what to do with those moonstone chip beads that had been laying around for a while. I'd got this idea after surfing around on DeviantArt a few times and noticed how a lot of jewelry makers had made trees with crafts wire and added the chipped gemstone beads as leaves. This one is made with 20 and 24 gauge silver-plated copper wire, and is about 50mm (5cm, 2") on height, tho the circle should be around 40mm (4cm, 1,6") in diameter.

I also added a 4mm jump ring so it can be used as either a pendant or a cellphone charm.