Funky Pink Statement

This is a wowser! It is a net tube filled with seed beads and twisted into this design. I admit it was a kit, but I still love it! It is so bold and funky. I just hope it never breaks, because then there will be beads EVERYWHERE!

Monochrome Set

I had a spare tube of beads, sent to me as a replacement for something which I had ordered and which was, unfortunately, out of stock. Initially I was very disappointed, but when I made up the beads into this monochrome necklace and bracelet set I found that it could be worn with loads of different outfits.

..and look! I even found a monochromatic model.

Collar Necklace 2

This necklace was quick and easy to make, but features some unusual beads; two holes lentils and mini daggers. These are combined with 3mm and 4 mm firepolished beads.
The main colours are black and peach, with a touch of purple.

It looks great worn with a soft peachy coloured dress and emphasises the neckline. It is a bit of a faff making sure all those daggers are lying straight though!

Collar Necklace

Here is a collar necklace, called Cleopatra's Collar, it is a pattern from my beading group. It features Superduo beads with tiles and a fringe of fire polished 6mm beads. The clasp is a vintage button

Briolettes on a Necklace

A St Petersburg chain with a fringe of crystal briolettes. The pattern was from a 2010 magazine.

Copper Peach Necklace

I used two tubes of bead mixes for this necklace, could really have done with a few more feature beads but made up for that with bead stacks instead of individual beads. All beads from JBS beads.

Rings on a Necklace

Bead Mix Bracelets

I just love using these bead mixes from JBS Beads, they have fab names too, like Cranberry Crush, Renaissance Rose, Blues and Bronze, Peacock Splendor Here are just three, I've made quite a few now, a couple as gifts for friends, three as commissions and course a few for yours truly.

Art Deco Tila Bead Bracelets

Another type of bead, this time Tila beads, made into a bracelet and earring set made for  a Christmas pressie.

This combines the flat Tila beads and 4mm facets, in mixed blues, I even managed to find a nice box in which to put it. They have an Art Deco feel and this is what the pattern was called. I made a couple of sets, one for my daughter and one for my son's girlfriend. 

Then I made similar one for myself, this time with Tila beads and 4mmround pearl beads. I chose raspberry red and gold and I made the clasp with a loop of seed beads and a couple of round beads. Unfortunately, it's a little tight but I haven't got around to adjusting it, I just slide it on and off without undoing the clasp. The seed beads are a lovely raspberry colour and the Tila beads are also raspberry and gold, the pearls are the closest match I could get.

Bead Weaving

Not sure what it is really called but this technique was a lot of fun. I have used a mix of green beads, which includes shaped beads, vintage beads, cubes, pearls, facets and seed beads. It was actually a project started by Mum and she passed it over to me. I undid it and started again. This photo shows the work in progress. You can see the box of beads that I had to work with...

Here is the finished necklace. The hook and eye clasp came from Mum, it's perfect to take the weight of this necklace

An Introduction to SuperDuos

For many beaders CzechMates SuperDuos were a new thing, but as I'd only just started beading everything was new to me! The local beading group make a project each month and one of them was this SuperDuo necklace.

I selected the colours to match a particular top in my wardrobe. The lava red and bright green really do pick up the colours.

The SuperDuos are spaced out by picots of 11s and there are some triangle beads in the three focal areas to give a 'pinky' kind of look. The clasp is made with a vintage button. Buttons with shanks are excellent for clasps, I pick mine up in charity shops, or by raiding the button box.

Cordoba Jewellry

One of the very first patterns I followed was from a SpellBinder kit. I used my own beads, which is easy if you can raid someone else's stash, since you don't need many of any one bead, about 16 of each ( cubes and facets, anything around 4mm) plus a small pot of 11 seed beads. Of course, my beads came from Mum, but I have since helped a friend out in the same way when she came over to have a first try at beading.
Here it is, my first bracelet in purples and blues with a touch of chartreuse to add highlights and anthracite seed beads.

I was very pleased with the result so I tried it again, this time in a wider, cuff style bracelet, in gold, browns and metallics, this time with a copper seed bead.

For this second one I made a matching necklace, although the colours look different in the photo below, they are actually the same. 

This is such an easy starting point for a new beader. The instructions are step by step and include good diagrams. Both are from Spellbinder.

First Post

Hey! This is my newly created blog to share my beading projects with the world. I started about two years ago when I bought a kit from Oak Tree Crafts to make this, Edwadian Lamplight, necklace.

I made some matching earrings and I was hooked.

My Mum has been beading for many years and she encouraged me to bead, she's given me so much and is always there to help me if I get stuck. In the beginning she gave me lots of threads, beads, findings and helped me find websites where I could buy more. She introduced me to a lovely group of ladies who bead in Malvern, where I live. I raided her magazines in search of patterns and have had tools and bits and pieces, like Thread Heaven and Thread Zap, given me for birthdays and Christmas.

So that,s me and how I started off in my new obsession.