Time for Some Serious Bling
Even a teacher needs lessons herself at times, so I took a class with Sabine Lippert this past weekend. In case you don’t know, Sabine is the author of the Beaded Fantasies
If you’ve been following my work, you know that I am a fan of “bling”. And although I tend to wear a bit more subdued variety of bling, this particular project, called “Blossom Bezel” called out to me.
(Well, maybe I am not so subdued, after thinking a moment — after all, I do wear “Harlequin’s Romance” quite a bit…)
At any rate, the blossom is quite substantial — it almost covers the palm of my hand. The center rivoli is 18mm, which perhaps gives you a better idea of scale.
Lessons Learned
For one, there is a lot more than meets the eye, as far as construction goes.
Lesson two, 8mm chatons and rivolis are quite useful. I always thought that a rivoli had to be at least 12mm in order to successfully be nestled into a beaded bezel, but I was wrong!
And speaking of chatons — I never realized they could be so useful, or so much fun to work with. I guess partly because 8mm is about the largest size, and as you see above — I didn’t know that 8mm was a viable size indeed.
Let’s see…I also got a refresher in cubic right angle weave. I’ll have to practice a bit more before I do a tutorial on it, though, so I can make sure that I’m teaching in a way that is easily understood. Well, relatively easy at any rate — cubic RAW is a little trickier than regular RAW.
And, Sabine reminded me of a right angle weave technique I knew about (because I do it on my earrings), but which I had never really applied to my non-earring RAW projects to get them to beautifully straight. It was one of those “duh” moments where I smacked the side of my head (well, figuratively at any rate).
(I had a moment of pride when Sabine looked at my first row of RAW and remarked, “That’s what right angle weave is supposed to look like”. Yay!)
What Will I Pass Along?
First, I won’t be doing a tutorial of any kind on Sabine’s “Blossom Bezel” — it would not be fair to her, as she worked hard to make the design and then to teach the class.
I will do a video on the RAW technique — it’s not something she came up with (and even said so in the class), so that is OK to show you. And like I said before, I already do it in my earrings.
I will come up with a bling project of my own, using rivolis (and maybe even chatons). I’ll be starting some design ideas this week, so look for a class, probably in the new year.
That’s it for now — catch up with you later!
Bead Embroidery Bracelet — “Harlequin’s Romance”
"Harlequin's Romance" - Bead Embroidery Bracelet/Cuff
Here’s my first “over the top” bead embroidery bracelet/cuff. While I don’t normally make jewelry that I can’t wear (i.e. really fancy items), after my class with Sherry Serafini I just had to try.
(BTW, if you ever get a chance to take a class with Sherry, do it — she’s a great teacher and very, very nice.)
Bracelet Ingredients
So what went into this bracelet/cuff? It started out with five rivolis, in a color called “Summer Blush” (which is an aftermarket color). I got them already in a sew-on setting, so I didn’t have to go through any gyrations to get them on the bracelet.
I knew I needed some seed beads from sizes 6 through 15, but what colors? I must admit I am color-challenged when it comes to hues I don’t often use (like the orange/peach of the rivolis). Out came the color wheel and I soon had a pallet to work with.
As I worked, other ideas for embellishment popped in my mind. Swarovski pearls and bicones were kind of a given, but then I thought about sequins — now that is something that I never use, so I went digging and found some.
I used the new embroidery backing I had found, plus a heavier Ultrasuede than I normally use. And I almost made a huge goof when it came to the Ultrasuede. I cut out my piece and was getting ready to glue it on to the embroidery foundation when I decided to flip it over and see if I liked the other side better (to face out). Good thing I did, because it was stamped with a lot number!
"Harlequin's Romance" -- Another View
Lessons Learned With “Harlequin’s Romance”
I learned a lot when making this bracelet/cuff (I’m not sure where the division lies, but this is almost 1.75 inches wide). Some of the lessons include:
Be careful about when you decide to cut the ends! I cut mine too soon, and so the cuff (I’ve decided it’s a cuff now) ended up a wee bit short. Easy fix, seeing as I had a tube clasp readily available, but I was really hoping for a hook and eye.
When you run out of a certain color of beads, don’t panic! Pick another color and carry on.
When using heavier Ultrasuede, make sure to cut it close to the foundation. I tend to cut my Ultrasuede a little larger than the embroidery foundation, and with a lighter-weight Ultrasuede, this works well — it pulls down over the foundation and makes it look nice. With the heavier Ultrasuede, that didn’t work as well, so I had to come up with an alternate plan once I had my edging in place.
The best laid plans go astray when doing freeform bead embroidery. I had to make decisions along the way when my piece was moving in a design direction I hadn’t planned. I just decided to go with it, rather than sweating it. (And with freeform, who’s to know anyway?)
Will There be a Tutorial?
I don’t think I will do a tutorial on “Harlequin’s Romance”, but working it gave me some great ideas for a different bracelet/cuff. I have a plan in the works for a piece of jewelry that can be tailored or full of bling, depending on a few key components. This one will be narrower (maybe 1 inch wide), but with an option for wider (or even narrower).
So that’s the story of this project! But stay tuned, as there is more to come. 🙂
The Wonderful World of Beaded Jewelry
Welcome, everyone, to the wonderful world of beaded jewelry! I’m Gail Nettles, your hostess, and I’m here to teach you how to make beaded jewelry. In these pages you’ll find both video and ebook tutorials, along with some eye candy. And I hope a little dose of fun! 🙂
Beaded Jewelry, Then and Now
Beaded jewelry has been a part of my life for years. And when I think about it, it goes all the way back to when I was a child, with macrame, stringing and just being fascinated with the colors, textures and shapes.
For many years I abandoned beaded jewelry, except pearls, in my corporate “dress for success” phase. After a few years of that, I realized I needed some fun and color back in my life (can you tell I am inspired by color?).
(You can read more about my beading life on the About Me page.)
“Slink Stones” – Right Angle Weave
I’ve come to realize that no matter what beading style you prefer, it’s all about what you like to create. Hopefully, it’s a fun and rewarding part of your life, too.
So onward to the beading information!
Beaded Jewelry 101, 202, 303 and More – Tutorials!
I love looking at photos of other people’s jewelry, don’t you? I get inspired by designs, wondering, “how did they do that?” and then trying my hand at the design. More often than not I fail, but I usually still create something I can proudly wear.
Well, I will have photos for you to enjoy. And I’m also creating tutorials for those of you who like a design and want to know just how to make it. Some are free, some cost a tiny sum — but I think you’ll find them worthwhile. And I also have some free video tutorials of some of the basics of beaded jewelry.
Beaders of all levels are welcome in my “Projects” tutorials! I’ll have beginner, intermediate, advanced and try-this-at-the-risk-of-your-sanity projects. :) Most are in the intermediate range, though.
And let’s not forget about my free “Basics” tutorials!
Every so often I do stray into another area, like Viking Knit jewelry, because I adore Viking Knit chains as necklaces for pendants. Not to mention having beads included in the styles!
Beaded bracelet with silver, crystals and lampwork.
What Kinds of Jewelry?
Oh boy, if there is a beading style that I haven’t tried, I don’t know what it is! In these pages I’ll cover beadweaving (primarily seed beads), stringing, bead embroidery, wire jewelry, chain maille and more.
In other words — a lot of different jewelry styles and techniques.
So kick back, get comfortable, and enjoy the wonderful world of beaded jewelry!
