Hair Comb: Autumn Fall Colors 2011

This morning I began on a smaller project that I've been having in my mind for a while, ever since I saw the fall colors for this autumn; pink, turquoise and light yellow.
I decided on going a little crazy and use ALL the colors in different shades and make a hair comb using wire and crochet.

For beads I used some 11/0 seed beads in the different colors, some pearls and some Czech glass roundel beads, 28gauge black coated copper wire, 24gauge black coated wire and of course a silver-plated comb which is about 4x5cm (40x50mm - I don't know it in inches, sorry).

For this design, I first made the pieces I wanted to crochet and then I wired them around the holes in the comb in the order I wanted them. Then I began building some little "towers" or whatever we can call them lol.
What I wanted mainly with these towers is that I wanted to be able to twist the crochet ropes around them to bunch 'em up in a nice way.
Also also used some transparent crafting glue here and there, just to make sure the design will forever remain (unless you drive over it with a truck of course :D ).

Personally, I don't really use accessories to decorate my hair and I'm not sure I'm gonna use this either. It was just a fun project which gives some variation to the bead-weaving I'm normally doing. But yeh, if I get any personal requests in the future about more hair combs I won't hesitate.

Bead Embroidery: Polymer Clay Cab. Day 2

Yarr!
Been spending this longer weekend together with my bf so I haven't really been able (or wanted) to blog anything for these couple of days :3

♥I also took the freedom of changing some colors and images on my blog just for the fun, and since the season is changing... And yeh, I were a little bored of the old one LOL.

My last post were about an almost finished project were I used bead embroidery (featuring a handmade polymer clay cabochon) - awesome technique by the way!

So yeh, I finished it now and I'm pretty happy about it.
For the chain I wanted to attach the pendant in I decided on making a spiral rope. I just did this spiral rope like I did with the opera length necklace I did in gunmetal with some triangle beads (Thorn); I first strung on the focal beads until I got the desired length I wanted for the necklace. I used a nylon coated wire were I put the 8/0 focal beads on tho, just to give it some more strength. Then I used nymo and a size 12 beading needle, making sure I would be able to get both my needle and my thread through the 8/0's.

For the "bail" I used simple peyote stitch, and then I embellished it a little with some 11/0 galvanized silver seed beads, and again those gorgeous moonstone chips.

Stretchy Montee Rings

I looked this morning at the bead channels I'm subscribed to on YouTube and noticed that Off the Beaded Path had put out a new video featuring a ring, embellished with some montees. I wanted to try this one out since I have stacked up on a couple of montees since this spring.
After I made my first ring, I felt that I just HAD to make a second one. The ring is really pretty, and it goes really, really fast to create and are a perfect gift, now when the holidays are slowly beginning to sneak up.
To go directly to the video, click here.

The supplies you need are a couple of montees; mainly size 3.2mm, but for my second one I used a 6.2mm. You'll also need 10 4mm pearls and about 10 11/0's and a few 8/0's. And some beading thread and a stretching cord. I found my Stretch Magic laying around in a box, lol.

The best thing I find about this ring is that it uses the stretch cord; means it will fit most sizes of fingers, and is therefore a really great gift if you don't know what size the person you're giving the ring to has.

Necklace: Thorn

I spent about the last 3-4 days working on a necklace with an opera length since I've been wanting to do one for a while, using beadweaving. I made one before, but using wire and chain, so I thought I would get a little bit of variation making this one.

I used simple spiral stitch to make it, which I haven't used for quite some time, since I made a bracelet. To be honest the spiral stitch isn't really one of my favorite stitches to work with. Why? Cause you always have to keep the thread tight as you work your way through it, specially if you're like me and using nymo. I know that FireLine should keep it a bit more tense.

I actually made this spiral a bit more different then the ordinary tho. Instead of threading on the core beads at the same time as the outer beads I decided to string them on at the start, to also get the desired length as I wanted, and then I worked out the spiral.
I used 11/0 and 15/0 seed beads, and I also added some size 11/0 Thoho triangle beads to give it, should I say, A LOT of contrast?! Actually I like it that way, and it looks really nice in gunmetal, and the surface of the beads are so shiny it reflects the light in all directions.

The fun thing I find about the opera length of necklaces is that you can wrap it around your wrist and change it into a bracelet. The one I made be wrapped five times around the wrist, and it looks really cool only on there :)