Turquoise Long Necklace

By now, you would have guessed I simply LOVE turquoise and would work with anything turquoise. This long necklace is another of my creations using Turquoise Picasso seed beads, Turquoise glass rondelles, combined with metal beads and Butterscotch (sounds yummy, and the beads do look fantastic) rondelles. It was stitched in a combination of Herringbone and Spiral Rope techniques.

Due to the natural look of these seed beads, the necklace looks very organic and is a fun accessory to wear with casual outfits.

Hope you like it too!

Green Opal Necklace

This necklace was done with Tubular Netting, and luxuriously embellished with Green Opal glass beads and seed beads. I mixed up the topaz beige and supra gold seed beads in the stitches which in turn give a unique look to the piece. A twist in this project was making a double clasp for the necklace.

Beading Book - 'The Beader's Guide to Color'

I recently borrowed and renewed twice on Margie Deeb's 'The Beader's Guide to Color' from the library. I thought it is an awesome book and would like to share with fellow beaders if you have not come across. Here's an excerpt from Amazon on the book description.

Product Description

Demonstrating how color can be used to create unique and vibrant beadwork designs, this guide will interest beaders at all skill levels. Color is discussed in depth, including the basics of the color wheel, the psychological and symbolic associations of all the colors of the spectrum, plus whites, blacks, grays, metallics, and neutrals. Other essentials covered include blending techniques, how a bead's surface finish affects its color, and how color can be used to create and accentuate pattern, rhythm, and movement within a beadwork design. The more than 20 projects-each of which represents a specific color scheme or palette-include a discussion of the palette, multiple color illustrations, a beadwork pattern, and a listing of the beads required to complete that design.

Margie Deeb has a second book on 'The Beader's Color Palette' and I hope to get a chance to read this book as well. Product description from Amazon.

Product Description

Capture the colors of the world with 220 distinctive palettes

* Priceless source of color inspiration

* Create 20 step-by-step projects

* Gallery of finished jewelry by the author and other artists

Confused by color? Don’t be. Get The Beader’s Color Palette, a priceless resource for beaders seeking inspiration for their jewelry designs. Author Margie Deeb presents 220 palettes inspired by five diverse themes, along with examples of finished jewelry and 20 step-by-step projects that interpret those themes. From the four elements (air, fire, water, and earth), to artists’ palettes (from ancient Egyptian through modern art), from world cultures (including Latin America, India and Tibet, Africa, the Middle East, and the Far East) to environments (rainforests, the Southwest, the Mediterranean), to the natural world (marine life, birds, insects)--these palettes capture the essence of countless human experiences and dreams. Beginners will love the basics section on off-loom stitches, loom weaving, and stringing; more advanced beaders will be inspired to take on the wide world of beautiful color.

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!

A Collaboration

Izel's Sun-Drop Pendant first caught my fancy when it was launched as a class project. I finally got around to order one from the master recently. The green stone (oops, sorry Izel, I forgot the stone's name) was intricately wired around and embellished with Swarovski crystal pearls.

Next, I had to decide which beading stitch to go with the pendant. I didn't want the chain to be too loud as the focus should be on the pendant so I thought of all the stitches I know and finally settled on St Petersburg stitch. I used the TOHO permanent galvanised silver and olive green seed beads to do the beading.

The photograph on the right was taken by the expert, Mr Cliff Lim, at the photography workshop.

A Beautiful Necklace by Wyndi Chin

Wyndi sent me a photo of her latest project this morning. I am in awe of her stunning work! It is very nicely embroidered and beautiful mix of materials. Thank you for sharing, Wyndi!

Bead Embroidery

These two rings were custom-made for a client. The turquoise cabochons in both rings were bead embroidered with mix of seed beads.

New Project - Egyptian Cuff

Gracing our frontpage is a bracelet I finished last week. I showed my husband the completed work and his first reaction was "It looks Egyptian!", hence the name 'Egyptian Cuff'.

The centrepiece is a fused glass cabochon, embroidered with Sizes 8 and 11 seed beads. The finished pendant was then stitched with flat herringbone technique for the bracelet bands. Size 8 seed beads have never been my preference in projects but in this case, I wanted to create a chunky look so the size was preferred.

This project will be offered as a class at a later time. But if you already know bead embroidery and flat herringbone stitches, give it a go, I am sure you will like it as much as I do.

Inspiration from Michael Kors Jewelry Part II

Yesterday, while waiting for my turn at my hair-stylist's salon, I picked up the Style Magazine December 2009 issue to read. On its cover, the model wore a long oval links sterling silver necklace by Paloma Piccaso (for Tiffany Jewellery), that looks almost identical to my oval links chain. I couldn't find the silver sterling silver at Tiffany's site but this is a similar piece of the 'Paloma's Links Toggle necklace'.

My necklace measures 16" long so it sits around my collar bone. I got my 3-year old son to model for me if the necklace is made longer.

For anyone who is interested to make a similar piece in bright silver, I would recommend using the Size 11 TOHO Permanent Finished Galvanised Silver seed beads.

Have fun (and lots of patience) beading this necklace!

Inspiration from Michael Kors Jewelry Part I

Michael Kors, a renowned fashion designer, is no stranger to those who follow the 'Project Runway' series. His classic, chic, yet sensible aesthetic on clothing styles are a favourite among the celebrities.

Last November, I came across an accessory piece from his collection, named 'Chain Link Necklace'. The necklace may look industrial-like but I find the chunky links exude feminity in the wearer. It costs US$700 for the piece.

Anyway, having seen the necklace, I decided to make an exaggerated version of the oval links using tubular peyote stitch. I used the TOHO matte silver for all the rings, except the center one which is in bright silver, for a subtle contrast effect. This project was pretty time-consuming as each ring took 30-40 minutes to complete. Now that I have completed and relooked at the original piece, I probably didn't need to make so many links, perhaps just the center portion and have some big beads/chains at the back.

Although my necklace looks far from Michael Kor's creation, it was a fun experience trying out the project.

Model photo is taken from Michael Kors website.

Coral Leaf Necklace

This is my latest creation of the Coral Leaf Necklace in Greyish Black Hues. The transition from light grey to black makes this necklace unique from my previous works. For the necklace chain, I have stitched it with the flat herringbone technique instead of single right angle weave. Pair it with a black V-shaped top, the necklace will look sensational.

Here are my other Coral Leaf Necklaces.

Netted Crystal Bracelet

This bracelet was demonstrated during the Bead Netting class on 1 Nov. I was experimenting to hide the clasp with the crystals and it worked!

'Rivolis Rings' Bracelet Part II

Pre-Order for 'Rivolis Rings' Materials Kit

Step 1:
Choose ten 10.7mm rivolis from the list of colours available as shown below. I used a mix of Fuschia and Light Rose rivolis for mine. You can order as many or as little rivolis you like, no restrictions on the number.

Step 2:
Choose either Size 15 Galvanised Gold Metallic Seed Beads or Size 15 Galvanised Silver Metallic Seed Beads.

Step 3:
Email your request to info@beadygirl.com by 10 August.

Remarks:
- The Delica seed beads will be matched according to your rivolis choice.
- A simple instructional note will be enclosed with the kit.
- Please note that Beady Girl will not be carrying stocks of these rivolis and if you need more, we will have to make a special order.

My "5-minute" Project - Rivolis Rings Bracelet Pt I

No, I didn't stitch this bracelet in 5 minutes time, but in many, many intervals of 5-minute. Now that I am so tied down with my kids and household chores, having time to bead is a rarity. Nevertheless, I am glad to finish this project in time for August.

The 'Rivolis Rings' bracelet was created in conjunction with our September class on 'Rivolis Chain' bracelet. I wanted to show the flexibiity of the techniques in two different designs. Both involve creating bezeled rivolis and attached to tubular peyote rings. These are just two of the designs and there are many ways you can play around with the two elements.

For the 'Rivolis Rings' bracelet, I have used 10.7mm round rivolis and size 15 seed beads to stitch up the tubular peyote rings. This project calls for the size 15 seed beads as they will make the bracelet more intricate as compared to using the size 11 seed beads. The rings are made in varying sizes to make it look more abstract. I finished the project by applying a layer of DesignaSeal to seal in the silver coating on the metallic seed beads.

If you like to learn how to create this bracelet, a similar course on 'Rivolis Chain' bracelet will be introduced in September. Tips on creating the 'Rivolis Rings' bracelet will be discussed.

If you are already an experienced beader and would like to create the 'Rivolis Rings' bracelet, you may purchase our materials kit (see below) and a simple instructional note will be enclosed. Please note that you have to know how to stitch bezels and circular peyote rings in order to complete the project.

Pre-Order for the Materials Kit
~ 10.7mm Swarovski Crystal Rivolis - 10 units ($25)
~ Size 15 Miyuki Galvanised Metallic Seed Beads - 20gm ($10.80)
~ Size 11 Delica Seed Beads - 5gm ($4.50)

Total Kit Cost : $40.30

If you are interested in the kit, please make a pre-order by 10 August by sending us an email at info@beadygirl.com. The kits will be available after 24 August.

Project - Tiles of Sapphire

The making of this cuff was very much inspired by a bracelet (see picture on right) which I bought from Target 3 years ago. The original bracelet is wire-worked with different green tones of acrylic tiles and enclosed with a toggle clasp. The richness of the green tones is what attracted me to buy it then and till today it remains as one of my favourites amongst my collection.

For the 'Tiles of Sapphire' cuff, I have used glass cabochons as the "tiles" and bead embroidered the whole piece. The uniqueness of this cuff is that the clasp is actually hidden so that when it is clasped, the cuff looks like a complete piece.

The 6 glass cabochons (turquoise, powder blue and blue) have been specially fused by Ms Arden from Creative Escape. The cabochons are then stitched with sapphire blue and metallic silver seed beads. The juxtaposition of the deep blue sapphire seed beads and metallic silver seed beads makes this cuff a truly unique piece.

This project will be introduced as part of our 'The Art of Bead Embroidery' series when class commences again.

Double Coin Bracelet

Gracing our homepage front cover is my latest project, 'Double Coin Bracelet ', which is inspired by one of my student's (Ms Tan Hwee Thiang) necklace piece. Hwee Thiang wore a silver necklace with a lovely knot as the centrepiece which she has bought from England to my class. I was intrigued by the complexity of the knot that makes the simple necklace unique.

For my piece, I have used the Tubular Herringbone stitch to build the rope of the bracelet and twisted it into a Chinese Knot design called 'Double Coin'. The 'Double Coin' design mimics a classic Chinese decorative motif of two antique Chinese coins overlapping. The design was once believed by merchants to prosperity. It is also used to connote longevity. (quoted from Trinity London)

When I first saw Hwee Thiang's necklace, it did not strike me that the knot is the same 'Double Coin' knot. She has graciously sent me the picture of her necklace this evening and I realised both are the same!

In any case, this bracelet is a combination of the East and West jewellery making techniques and I think they work pretty well in this project.

Photo is courtesy of Hwee Thiang

Green with Envy

Remember Angelina Jolie's $2.5 million Lorraine Schwartz Emerald teardrop dangles that she wore at the 2009 Oscar? It was truly a knockout and many "inspired pieces" soon emerge in the market after that.

Last year, I created a pendant using the round and pear shaped rivolis, which has the same design element as this pair of earrings. However, after seeing Angelina's beautiful Emerald earrings, I am very much inspired to create one as well. Here's my version of the Emerald earring (I have made only one unit).

I have used the Swarovski Crystal Emearld Rivoli 10.7mm with a vintage Swarovski Crystal Turmaline Teardrop Rivoli 13mm for the earring. They are both stitched with Tubular Peyote and joined together. Personally, I would have preferred the size of the teardrop to be much larger than the round rivoli and if possible, both to be in the same Emerald colour. (The Turmaline green looks a little Olive.)

The second pair of earrings is made with Siam rivolis and the scale of the stones work better in this project. (10.7mm round with 14x10mm teardrop)

If you are not into earrings, you may change the position of the bail and turn it into a sweet pendant which works beautifully as well.

Where to Buy the Stones?
10.7mm Round Rivoli Stones - Beady Girl Online Beads Shop Colours available in Siam, Topaz and Emerald. (SOLD OUT)

13mm Vintage Turmaline Teardrop Rivoli Stones - Beady Girl Online Beads Shop Each unit costs SGD3.50 and they are in limited quantity as this is a vintage lot.

14x10mm Teardrop Rivoli Stones - Beady Girl Online Beads Shop Beady Girl carries Siam, Golden Shadow, Pacific Opal, Rosewater Opal, Caribbean Blue and Vintage Rose. Each unit costs SGD3.10.

You may also find more selections of the round and teardrop rivolis at Beads Cage, located at #02-24A Centrepoint.

Sterling Silver Pearly Bangle (SOLD OUT)

*Both kits have been sold. If you are interested, please send us an email and we will update you when it becomes available again.

On April 1, we featured the 'Pearly Bangle Design' at our blog. Beady Girl has now come up with another new colour and materials for the same design.

This bangle is stitched with Sterling Silver 3mm metal beads onto the band of Size 11 Supra Gold seed beads. The combination of gold and silver creates a great contrast to the bangle which is very popular amongst the current fine jewellery trend.

Each complete kit costs S$61.50 and comprises of :

- 400 units of Sterling Silver 3mm Beads (S$46)

- Size 11 Supra Gold Seed Beads 15gm (S$12)

- Size 15 24kt Gold-plated Seed Beads 2gm (S$1.20)

- Gold-plated 2-hole clasp 1 unit (S$2.30)

- #12 Beading Needle (complimentary)

- Design Manual (complimentary)

There are only 2 kits available for sale from 15 May 09 onwards. If you wish to pre-order, please kindly email Cynthia at info@beadygirl.com.

Please note that the design manual only details on the design element and no technique is being taught inside. If you are unfamiliar with our 'Bollywood Bangle' project, this beading kit is not suitable for your usage.

Thank you.

Pearly Bangle Design - FREE

Beady Girl has come up with her latest design on her signature 'Bollywood Bangle'. Instead of embellishing it with Swarovski crystals and cross-stitches across the bangle, the bangle is stitched with Swarovski crystal pearls in criss-cross pattern throughout. This pattern is also suitable for the 'Bollywood Cuff'.

To receive a free hard copy of this design, simply make a purchase of Swarovski crystal pearls 3mm for the project at Beads Cage from 4 April onwards. Please note that the manual contains instructions on the design technique only. If you are not familiar with our 'Bollywood Cuff' or 'Bollywood Bangle' projects, this manual is not suitable for your usage. Beady Girl will not entertain any enquiries if you have not attended these classes.

Information on Seed Beads

Delicas are made in Japan, and they look like little cylinders. They have HUGE holes, and they are precision cut with lasers so they are all very close to being exactly the same size. They are very good for off-loom bead weaving, like peyote stitch, brick stitch, etc. They are not so great for bead embroidery. I personally think they are unsuitable for embroidery because their big holes cause them to roll around too much while I'm working, and for me this creates spacing problems. These come in size 8 (biggest) and size 11 (smallest).

The Japanese companies also make regular seed beads, and these are pretty good for embroidery, and they come in a marvelous array of colors! They have big holes, but not as big as the delicas, and they are less perfect. Their size and shape varies with the manufacturer. These come in size 6 (biggest size), size 8, size 11, and size 14 or 15 (smallest, very tiny but still easy to work with due to the hole size).

Czech seed beads are my favorite to use, and generally they are donut shaped. Their holes are smaller than the Japanese beads. They come in many colors too, but you may likely find the Czech purples and pinks to be less vibrant that the Japanese purples and pinks. Czech beads come in a wider array of sizes, the most common that you will encounter are size 6 (biggest), size 8, size 9 3-cut, size 10, size 11, and size 13 (smallest). Czech charlotte or true cut beads have a single facet cut into one side, and have a subtle sparkle; the 3-cut beads have multiple sides and are very sparkly.

In your quest to buy beads, you might also encounter beads made in France, Italy, India and Taiwan. French beads are similar to Czechs but I have found them to be more irregular in shape, and they tend to have smaller holes. You can find some really rich colors in the French beads though -- in particular I love the French opal pinks and blues. I haven't ever bought any Italian beads, but I have it on good authority that they are comparable to Czechs. You will find that beads from India or Taiwan are VERY irregular in shape and size, as well as hole size. However, this does not necessarily make them undesirable for bead embroidery . Using imperfect beads can add visual interest.

I use bugle beads quite a lot in my bead embroidery, and bugle sizes begin at size 1 (shortest) and continue up thru size 30 (longest). I like to use sizes 1, 2 and 3. I prefer Japanese bugles because they have smoother ends. I do use Czech bugles as well though. To protect your thread from being cut, it is wise to sandwich your bugle between 2 seed beads. Some folks use emery boards to smooth bugle ends, but I just discard any bugles with chipped ends.
I use sequins in my bead embroidery sometimes.

There are also various specialty beads that you might encounter, like steel cuts, maco tubes, triangles, cubes, drops or magatamas, twisted hex, etc.

So, my preference for bead embroidery is the Czechs and Japanese seed beads, but I don't reject beads from other places, if I like them. I use mainly Japanese size 11, and Czech size 10 & 11, and I use other sizes too as accents in my work.

Another fun thing to use in bead embroidery and beadwork in general is pressed glass beads. They are available at Glass Bead Garden and at http://www.beadcats.com/catalog/pressed/prestop.htm My needle preference is size 12 Pony needles. I have used the John James brand needles but in my experience, they break easily. I have never had a problem using a size 12 needle even with the tiny Japanese size 14 or 15. If you use a lot of Czech size 13 beads, you might want to keep a few size 13 needles on hand, since occasionally you'll find ones with really small holes. For thread, I prefer nymo size B or silamide size A. I've also used nymo size D, but I stay away from the O and OO weights because I find them to be too flimsy. I don't use a thread conditioner unless I'm using a lot of matte finish beads, and then I use beeswax, and I seal it by zipping my thread quickly across a hot light bulb.

I have done bead embroidery on several surfaces. When making a doll, I prefer to bead on ultrasuede, and I also like to bead on wool felt and even craft felt. When beading a flat panel, I like to bead on canvas paper or on stiffened felt, which can be purchased at Ben Franklin stores. When I use canvas paper, I usually use an iron-on stabilizer, just to make it more substantial.

This article was written by Carol Dellinger, 2004. She shares her thoughts on seed beads for bead embroidery and general beading interest. It is based on her personal experience and should not be viewed as standard procedure. The author has given permission to reprint this article.