Bling, Bling, Bling!

I find the most daunting part about beading is to decide the colour palette for my beadwork. I always believe less is more so my palette is usually monochromatic. The chance to experiment with more colours came when Helena (of manek-manek.com) recommended me a specially coated Swarovski crystal rivoli. This dazzling 27mm Peacock rivoli was specially coated (not by Swarovski) with peacock eyes design. With such a charismatic piece, I decided to go all out to complement with “peacock” coloured beads (6 colours in total).

I used Peyote Stitch to create a bezel for the rivoli, alternating with 4 different colours of seed beads. As for the fringes, the technique was taught by Rachel Nelson when I took her class in US. I completed the necklace with a herringbone chain, stitched with Size 15 Metallic Gold Hex (for the sparkle) seed beads. I didn’t want the chain to over-shadow the centrepiece, so having a slim chain is more appropriate. However, stitching an entire chain with Size 15 beads sure took me a long time!

The completed necklace may look glam but it is appropriate for both smart casual and formal wear. If you pair it with a plain white shirt & jeans, it would brighten up your outfit instantly. For a formal look, you can wear it with a little black dress and the accessory just speaks for itself.

New Project Kit - Pearly Intricate Links

There are many ways to create circular rings using Peyote Stitch. Our new Pearly Intricate Links bracelet is my latest addition to my Links fanaticism. While it looks very similar to my previous Intricate Links, the formulation for these circular rings is different. Here is a rundown on the differences.

Pearly Links take lesser time to create and the formulae of beads is less confusing than the Original Links. You can embellish the edges of Pearly Links luxuriously with Swarovski Crystal Pearls or 3mm beads. For an economical alternative, Size 8 seed beads work as well. This new formulation also enables you to create oval rings but yields a different effect from its predecessor.

On the other hand, the structure of Pearly Links’ rings are flatter than the original links’ because they have not been expanded as much.

The photo shown above is the main project inside the manual where the rings are built in gradual sizes, using Toho Gilded Turquoise seed beads and Swarovski Crystal Pearls. Other design variations will also be discussed.

The full project kits will be on sale at Beads Cage from 2 Dec onwards. You may purchase the pdf file of the manual at our new online Etsy shop (from 2 Dec onwards).

Full Kits include:
1. Manual
2. 30gm of Size 11 seed beads
3. 412 units of 3mm Swarovski Crystal Pearls
4. 2 units of #12 Beading needles.


Choices of Materials:
1. Toho Gilded Turquoise with Bronze ($76)
2. Toho Hybrid Jet Black with Mystic Black ($68) as shown above
3. Supra Gold with Bordeaux ($76)

New Project - Green Agate

This was a long overdue cuff which I completed recently. It was meant for my last Embroidered Cuff class but I didn't complete the finishings then.

The focal centerpiece is a Green Agate cabochon, very nicely carved with patterns on it. To be honest, when I first bought the cabochon, I wasn't exactly thrilled with the look of it and kept it in the cupboard for a long while. I found some leftover Aventurine cabochons and thought they complement each other nicely, hence the creation of this cuff.

I like the way it turned out so I am keeping it for myself!