Beading Arts

For the last several years, I have been exploring how my favorite beadweaving stitches can be integrated with bead embroidery. The first step was to use some off-loom stitches as embellishments. From there I moved on to using peyote, square, and right angle weave to attach embroidered components together. So what was next? Well, it seems so obvious now in hindsight: transform beadweaving stitches into  embroidery stitches!   But of course! So I spent several months figuring out how to create bead embroidery motifs from all my favorite stitches, motifs which could surround and enhance my cabochons and accent beads, and many of which can also be used in a free-form style. Then I spent the next year figuring out how to mix and match them for even more design possibilities.  The result was my e-book, Bored By Back Stitch , and today I want to share an excerpt with you, featuring the St Petersburg Chain used as an embroidery motif  :-)  1. St Petersburg chain is

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Can you tell which stone this is? There was a question asked online the other day which got me to thinking.  Sometimes when we buy stones at a show, they may be mislabeled.  Sometimes this is on purpose, in order to command a higher price.  Sometimes it's through ignorance.  I can tell you right now that I have bought beads at shows that I know are mislabeled, but they were cheap and pretty, so didn't really care.  Maybe I should have cared, and shouldn't have bought, but there you have it. So, how well do you know your stones?  Specifically, your pink stones.  There's a great deal of difference in the prices of these, so it would be worthwhile to learn the difference in the way they look: Pink Quartz Rhyolite Rhodonite Lepidolite Rhodochrosite

I like to spend at least some time in the summer learning something new.  I have not done flat chenille stitch before, although I have occasionally thought about it and have admired the cloth-like pattern it creates. It turns out, it's not hard!  But it is tricky, and the tension is important.  Once you get started, there are four rows that you keep repeating.  If you have a problem with your tension, like I did here, you might want to think about planning on pulling out the first few rows when you're finished.  But honestly, I think in the next sample I make, now that I understand how the rows work and can feel the rhythm of the stitch, I don't think these slack areas will even happen. You can find the instructions for flat chenille stitch in the August/September 2017 issue of Beadwork Magazine , in an article by Diana Balogh.  You can also find instructions for the stitch, but not Diana's project, online at Interweave .

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If you have some beads left over from another project, like these wooden beads in fun Summer 2017 colors, here's a quick and fun project that you can do to get more mileage from your purchase!  You can see the first project, a long statement pendant necklace , that I did using these beads at the link. Materials + Tools 6mm wood rounds - pink 8mm wood rounds - pink 8mm wood rounds - orange 3mm antique brass plate rounds Crochet hook #4 C-Lon, orchid Hypo-tube cement Scissors Measuring tape Button 1. Leaving the C-Lon fiber on the spool, thread on your beads, starting and ending with the smaller ones.  I used the 3mm metal rounds to break up clusters of the larger beads.  To make a bracelet that would wrap three times around my wrist, I strung on about 17 inches of beads. 2. Start your bracelet with a 10 inch fiber tail and a couple of chain stitches.  Push one bead at a time from the string up towards your hook.  Do your next stitch on the other side of t

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  One of the trends shown all over the runways for this Spring/Summer season is the single earring.  Most of the runway models were sporting extra-large dangly and multi-colored earrings, but my suspicion is that extra-large may only be for show.  Your earrings don't need to be seen from across the room.  But by all means, interpret this trend as you choose. I have often worn mismatched earrings, either with of without a size difference from one ear to the other.  I have four holes in each ear, one of which is at the top, so I've got enough real estate to play around with!  I like earrings that are long and thin or short and wide, but not long and wide, so here is my interpretation of the trend .  I would wear it with a simple stud earring on the other ear.  Materials and Tools Ear wire 2 jump rings or split rings Piece of computer circuit board Hammer charm Coping saw Sand paper or fine tooth file Chain nose pliers Split ring pliers (if needed) 1. Cut out

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Last week, we looked at one of the season's hottest trends with the best of the season's colors - a statement pendant necklace.  We went through the steps of putting the basic necklace together , and today we're going to look at an easy way to fancy-up the pendant itself.  You'll find the complete materials and tools list in last week's post (link above). 8. Cut 16" (or more, depending upon how many wraps you'd like) of the pink 20 gauge wire.  I found it convenient to wrap it around the bail post in the back, that is, the part that sticks into the drilled hole of the agate slice.  From there I wrapped it several times around the slice, moving towards the bottom, and then finally brought the wire straight up the back to wrap it a few more times around the bail.  Clip off the excess wire.  Don't worry that your wrapping around the agate may be loose. 9. On the front (and the back too, for that matter), grab the wires carefully in a few plac