It's not easy being green...

I bought the jet rivolis with the plan to bead them alongside kelly green seed beads. Mission accomplished! This was also my rationale for not buying green rivolis :)



This sweet little necklace consists of three jet rivolis, bezeled in kelly green and spring green Delicas, size 15 Japanese seed beads, and accented by black 3mm Swarovski crystals.




The necklace is done n herringbone stitch with the same beads as bezels. I've heard this called seed stitch. Perhaps with a greater difference in bead sizes, it would be more apparent. Mental note, try this with different sizes.



I added a few green glass rounds, and a beaded toggle clasp. Methinks I need to make the toggle bar a bit bigger, but other than that, I'm quite pleased with it.

Hexagonal Sophisticate

This necklace was inspired by the Contest at My Lovely Beads. My blue is a little too dark, but the pink is spot on, in my opinion. I don't think I would enter the piece, but it gave me an opportunity to make something...different. I can see the possibility of working with angular donuts in the future. Also, if anyone knows what is meant by "more than 50% seed beads" please enlighten me. 50% by weight? Length of finished piece? Costs asociated with? I am really clueless. I had my share of problems with this one. Those dastardly pink Delicas really tested my patience. They cut the thread at least 3 times per donut.

I in my head, this necklace was a show stopper with lots of hexagons and artistic expression, but instead I got something simple, potentially wearable, and just a little bit sophisticated. It's like the clothing line inspired by the fashion show.

I used a 16mm Swarovski Rivoli, pale lavender Swarovski 3mm bicones, pink satin and silver-lined dark blue Delicas, silver lined clear Japanese 15/0s, silver chain, silver jump rings, and a silver barrel clasp.

Weekends...

So, my weekend was more hectic that necessary...meaning, not as much beading as I would have liked to happen happened. I had fully intended to finish the project I'm working on and move on to something new and exciting. Yep, that was the plan...

Consequentially, I have new nothing to show you on a Monday :(

I will have something (hopefully) sophisticated later this week and possibly something ugly...we all have those projects, there is no sense in denying them...

All I can say is one project uses these beads. Those satin pale pink Delicas at the bottom right are the bane of my existance. I have never had the displeasure of working with beads that enjoyed breaking my thread as much as these did. They were almost worse than bugles. At least when working with bugles, you expect your thread to break a few times, and do things to prevent the occurence. Also, the crystal vitrail rivolis are much less purple/clear in real life, and a whole bunch more pink...ewwww...

Also, I want to review some new beads

These are Thunder Polish Crystals. These are a fairly new line of Chinese crystals They dont have quite the sparkle of a Swarovski, but they are cheap, and they come in friggin adorable tiny bottles. (Not the only reason I bought them...not...at...all...) My local bead shop stocks them in 4mm bicones. The color selection is nice, I would say approximately 25-30 colors, with AB and non-AB finishes. The cut is definitely less angular(? Rounder? Not as pointy?) as a Swarovski, so they really don't have that extra POW. However, I like them, thus far(meaning I haven't sworn at them yet). They make doing those projects that require seven billion crystals affordable, and still nice looking. Did I also mention that the bottles are super cute?

The latest

I've been pretty busy lately, being home from our latest road adventure has left me unlimited time to sit and create!

With no more ado, I give you stuff!

First up, a bracelet. This came from a project in the latest Bead and Button. I substituted freshwater pearls for the crystals, and changed up the clasp.

I am super proud of the clasp.

This was the first project in a long time that I sat and worked on start to finish.

This next one, I am calling the tube sock twist...

It started out prettily enough, with japanese seed beads in sizes 11 and 8, and black bugles. (The beads aren't really blurry, they're quite nice in real life.) They were worked up in a russian spiral, alternating 8s and bugles as the "big bead"

I initially intended to add a drop to the center, but the necklace decided otherwise. I hate when they start givig advice. I may add a few purple Swarovskis to the clear netting just for a focal.

Then it got...interesting. Trying to figure out how to end it all, I started some herringbone stitching then some peyote stitching in a few different sizes. I ended up with a beaded tube sock cuff and a magnetic clasp.

Last one for today is my newest obsession.

Laura McCabe's "Crown Jewels". I purchased the pattern from Bead Pattern Central and set to work on making one of my own. Well, I had to go to the bead store first, I had to pick up Rivolis.

The pattern is pretty easy, set the Rivolis in peyote then connect. The bear is in the connecting. I am actually working on making another, using 15mm Paua Shell cabs, except, during the final embellishment, a flinging flanging cab popped out of its setting. I almost got it back in, and its neighbor popped out. My beads are now grounded to the craft room until they can learn to behave themselves