Editors' Blog

Wirework projects using wire & beads

2013-05-17T17:18:00Z

Wirework. Many of us beaders only encounter it when making a wrapped loop or opening a jump ring to attach one bead-y thing to another. But as I am learning, wire and beads go together as well as needle and thread. And I am getting that education thanks to our most recent special issue, Wirework Spring 2013. If you haven't seen it yet, you can order Wirework Spring 2013 here, or find it at your local newsstand. When you flip through the pages, watch for these projects that bring together the best of both worlds -- wire and beads!

1. You're probably going to pick up some fun cabochons at the summer bead shows, so why not try this bezeling technique by Bead&Button contributor Irina Miech? It looks like the technique known as Viking knit, but you don't need any special tools -- just your fingers!

2. These are darling, aren't they? In these earrings by Sandra Lupo, a woven wire ribbon twists around a core of coiled pearls. I want to wear these to a summer wedding!

3. I know how beaders love to incorporate odd finds into their beadwork. You know, beads without holes and nuts and bolts and items that can only be described as "found objects." In this bracelet, Kat Wisniewski uses Czech glass donuts in an easy chain mail weave. In fact, if the words "chain mail" are too intimidating, just substitute the words "jump rings" because that's really all there is to it!

4. Lisa Niven Kelly gets kudos for using seed beads in these bangles. This would be a great stash-busting project to use up those lonely beads at the bottom of a few near-empty tubes.

5. And finally, for something really beady, check out this pendant by Laura Bracken. See how the wire is used more or less like thread? That means you can do this -- for real!

This is just a snapshot of Wirework Spring 2013. There's much more inside and much more to come as we begin work on Wirework Fall 2013! I'll be serving as editor of the fall issue, so stay tuned for more bead-y, wire-y, chain mail-y goodness!

Mother's Day gift idea: beaded jewerly

2013-05-10T13:45:00Z

There's still time to make your mom something special for Mother's Day. Or maybe your idea of a perfect Mother's Day is a day of beading to make something for yourself! Either way, this classic pearl jewelry set by Michelle Skobel (above) will give you lots of options. Featuring a necklace, bracelet, earrings, and a ring, you can make the complete set or just the piece you want. Subscribers can download it free right now.

Or stitch up Nichole Starman's Pathway of Petals bracelet (below). It's free for everyone!

Happy Mother's Day!

Rulla bead earrings

2013-05-08T21:05:00Z

I love to make earrings since they are the one thing I rarely ever leave the house without! A couple of weeks ago, Editor Julia Gerlach brought in a tray of 3 x 5 mm Rulla beads. If you've never heard of them, check out the photo below. They are little round posts with two holes, and made by the same manufacturer that makes SuperDuos. Since I enjoy making earrings, I designed these "Regal Rulla earrings," but you could easily combine the components to make a fabulous bracelet, too! Have fun!

Regal Rulla earrings

Materials needed:

28 3 x 5 mm Rulla beads (Czech, blue turquoise Picasso)

1 g 11/0 seed beads (Toho 1700, gilded marble white)

38 13/0 Charlottes (Czech, gold)

16 3 mm fire-polished beads (Czech, luster gold/topaz turquoise)

Pair of earring findings

Fireline 6 lb. test

Beading needles, #11

Small component

[1] On 2 ft. (61 cm) of thread, attach a stop bead (Online Beading Basics), leaving an 8-in. (20 cm) tail, and pick up a repeating pattern of an 11/0 seed bead and a Rulla bead seven times. Sew through all the beads again to form a ring, and continue through the first 11/0.

[2] Pick up three 11/0s, skip the next Rulla bead, and sew through the following 11/0 to form a three-bead loop around the Rulla bead.

Repeat this stitch to complete the round, and then retrace the thread path using a firm tension. This will cause the Rulla beads to stand up on end. Tie a couple of half-hitch knots (Online Basics), but do not end the working thread.

[3] Remove the stop bead, and using the tail, sew through the available hole of the nearest Rulla bead. Pick up a 13/0 Charlotte, and sew through the available hole of the next Rulla bead.

Repeat this stitch to complete the round, and end the tail (Online Basics).

Large component

[1] Repeat steps 1-3 of "Small component," and end the tail but not the working thread.

[2] With the working thread exiting a center bead in a three-bead loop added in step 2, pick up an 11/0, a 3 mm fire-polished bead, and an 11/0. Sew through the center bead in the next three-bead loop.

Repeat this stitch to complete the round, and retrace the thread path using a firm tension. Tie a couple of half-hitch knots, but do not end the working thread.

Assembly

[1] With the working thread from the large component, sew through the beadwork to exit a 3 mm fire-polished bead. Pick up three 11/0s, and sew through a center bead in a three-bead loop on the small component. Pick up three 11/0s, and sew through the 3 mm fire-polished bead in the same direction.

Retrace the thread path through the connection several times, and end the working thread.

[2] With the working thread from the small component, sew through the beadwork to exit an 11/0 between two Rulla beads opposite the connection in the previous step.

[3] Pick up an 11/0, a 3 mm fire-polished bead, an 11/0, five Charlottes, and the loop of an earring finding. Sew back through the last 11/0 and 3 mm fire-polished bead, pick up an 11/0, and sew through the 11/0 in the small component your thread exited at the start of this step. Retrace the thread path several times, and end the thread.

[4] Make a second earring.

More flat spiral rope bracelets from our readers!

2013-04-30T18:32:00Z

Several months ago, while in the throes of a seemingly never-ending winter, I posted instructions for a flat spiral rope bracelet and asked readers to send us photos of their finished pieces. Then, several weeks ago, we shared the photos we received in a follow-up post.

Since then, we've received even more photos from our readers showing jewelry they made using flat spiral rope stitch. And here they are:

Cindi Dami sent in this lovely bracelet. I love the colors she used here.

Joyce Fortenberry adapted the project to work with larger beads -- 6 mm pearls, 4 mm bicone crystals, and 8/0 seed beads. It's beautiful!

Charlotte sent us a photo of her gorgeous bracelet. . . fancy closure. . . and even a matching ring! Way to go, Charlotte!

Joy Lee wrote in to say this is the first beaded bracelet she has ever made and sent this picture. Didn't she do a great job?

Several other people sent emails saying this was the first stitched project they ever completed. Obviously, flat spiral rope is a great technique -- fun for everyone, regardless of whether you are a beginning, intermediate or advanced beader. And that's a good thing.

--Jane

How to make a Bead-It-Forward ornament

2013-04-26T13:20:00Z

In my previous blog, "Presenting...Bead-It-Forward ornaments," I introduced the newest item we've started making with this year's Bead-It-Forward squares. Already the idea is hot -- it's all we can do to keep our paws off of the 200+ completed ornaments (see the sampling at right). These ornaments will be for sale at the Bead&Button Show in June with all proceeds benefiting breast cancer research, but some of our blog friends who can't come have asked how they too can make a Bead-It-Forward ornament. From start to finish (including the beaded edging, by special request!), here's how you can make one for yourself.

Step 1: Design or download a Bead-It-Forward pattern

If you design your own, the finished beadwork should be 1.5 x 1.5 inches. If you'd prefer to download a pattern, we have quite a few available. Follow this link and scroll down to "Bead Square Patterns." Click on each one, or go through them as a slideshow, and download the PDF pattern of your favorites.

Step 2: Stitch two squares

Stitch two different patterns, or stitch the same one twice. These will be the front and back of your ornament

Step 3: Mount your squares

Our favorite material for mounting Bead-It-Forward squares is Lacy's Stiff Stuff, but plenty of people have used felt (the stiffer, the better) and Pellon Peltex #70 with success. Our friend Chris Franchetti Michaels at About.com has written an awesome tutorial on how to mount your squares. For the Bead-It-Forward ornaments, we recommend mounting each square separately on its own piece of Lacy's or felt (rather than mounting them to the front and back of the same piece).

Step 4: Prepare the ornament

Place your mounted squares back to back, and trim the Lacy's or felt if necessary so that the edges are even. You can also trim closer to the beadwork if you want less of a white border. For most of our Bead-It-Forward ornaments, we left a 1/8 inch border on all sides, as in the picture at right. Next, cut 6 inches of ribbon to match your squares. Glue your squares back to back, sandwiching the ribbon in a loop formation, and allow the glue to dry completely. We like using E6000 for the glue, but other brands work too. A few tips:

Tip #1: Don't glue all the way to the edges of the squares, as the glue will be difficult to sew through when you do the edging

Tip #2: You see where the two ends of the ribbon enter the squares, forming a nice V shape? Try not to leave a gap between the sides of the V. This will make edging the piece easier because you won't have to go back and fill in that gap.

Step 5: Edging

There are many different edging techniques that will work for the ornaments, but I'm going to show you the fastest and easiest method we've come across. It's called a brick stitch edging, and it goes like this:

1. Tie a few knots on top of each other at one end of 1 yd. (.9 m) of thread (we like crystal Fireline). Trim the thread behind the knot so there's only a short tail. Thread a needle on the other end (we like #10 needles for this). Separate the squares ever so slightly at the top of the ornament, near the ribbon. Sew through just the front square near the top, going from the wrong side to the right side, so your knot gets lodged between the two squares and out of sight. Tuck in the tail if it's sticking out.

2. Pick up two 8/0 seed beads in a color to match your squares and ribbon. Sew through the front square and on through the back square, again very near the top, leaving about one bead's width between where your thread is exiting on the front.

3. With the thumb of the hand that is holding the ornament, push the beads up to the edge. Sew up through the last bead just added without sewing through the square at all. Pull tight so that the beads are now lined up nicely along the edge of the squares.

Tip: If you're a perfectionist like me, you'll notice that the first bead isn't quite centered on the edge because it's only attached to the front square, whereas the second bead is attached to both squares. There's an easy way to fix this, though it's an extra step: With your thread exiting up out of the second bead, sew down through the first bead. Then sew through the back square and on through the front square, so your thread exits near the place it exited when you first lodged your knot. Now retrace the thread path through the 8/0s so your thread is once again exiting up out of the second bead.

Congratulations! You've just completed the first stitch of the edging! The first stitch is the most difficult, but thankfully you only have to do it once! The remaining stitches are super-easy and all the same.

4. Pick up one 8/0, and sew through the front square and on through the back square, leaving about one bead's width of space between the previous bead and the new bead. Use your thumb to push the new bead to the edge of the squares, and sew up through the new bead without sewing through the squares.

And that's it! Keep working step 4 all around the ornament. When you get to a corner, just pretend it isn't there -- really! Just keep sewing through both squares, very near to the top as before, and your edging will go right around the corner. When you get back to the top of the ornament, work a small (as invisible as possible) straight sewing stitches through both squares across where the ribbon is. This ensures that the ribbon will stay put, even if the glue gives out. It also secures the thread so you can trim it. Finally, burrow your needle between the two squares so the thread can't be seen from either side, and exit near an edge. Trim the thread at the edge.

Presenting...Bead-It-Forward ornaments!

2013-04-18T13:34:00Z

I didn't have anything special in mind when, one night, I glued two Bead-It-Forward squares back-to-back, added a ribbon loop, and worked a beaded edging around the outside. An ornament! I thought I'd make a few to be auctioned off in sets at the Bead&Button Show.

But then the rest of the Bead&Button staff saw these baubles, and we collectively fell in love with them. They are delightful to hold -- the two layers of Lacy's Stiff Stuff sandwiched between two layers of beadwork give the ornaments an irresistible depth you can't help but squeeze between your fingers. And the beaded edging makes it impossible to tell the ornaments are composed of two separate pieces. Plus, each ornament is tagged with the names of the beaders who stitched the squares! Yes, everyone who saw the ornaments latched onto their favorite like a Beanie Baby or beloved trading card. We knew we had something special, and we knew it would change how we looked at the Bead-It-Forward project.

So in addition to some Bead-It-Forward quilts, a smattering of shadowboxes, some greeting cards, and a couple of cigar-turned-jewelry boxes, this year we are making Bead-It-Forward ornaments. Lots of them! Right now, the total number of these darlings is a little nebulous, but we expect somewhere between 150 and 200 ornaments to appear at the Bead&Button Show this June. And rather than asking you to bid on them, we'll be selling them outright for a $5 (each) donation to breast cancer research. For those of you unable to attend the show, we hope to have a few available through an online outlet like Etsy (or similar), but details on that are still to come.

At our first Bead-It-Forward Assembly Night, the ornaments were a hit! More than 30 volunteers oohed and ahhed over the ornaments while helping us work the beaded edgings. In fact, some were so enthusiastic, they asked for more to work on at home! And though we did not allow anyone to purchase the ornaments right then and there ("You have to wait for the Show!"), we likely would have seen most of them snapped up immediately if we had.

So be forewarned: We expect these babies to sell like hotcakes! They make great gifts, and though they'd look lovely on a tree come December, their flower theme and bright, sunny colors makes them perfect for any seasonal display. But what we really love about these ornaments is that we can share the Bead-It-Forward experience with so many more people than we ever could with the quilts alone. We have lots of ornaments, the price is right, and the cause is a good one. So let's hear it for the ornaments!

Photos:

Above: A treasure trove of beaded ornaments wait to have their beaded edgings stitched. Below: Eight finished ornaments, shown front and back; Associate Editor Connie Whittaker teaches volunteers how to work and edging at our first Bead-It-Forward Assembly Night; one volunteer shows off her handiwork.

Look what our readers did!

2013-04-15T13:00:00Z

We love when readers send us pictures of the projects they've made from the pages of the magazine, website, or our blog. I wanted to share these photos with you.

In January, I wrote a blog about using family heirlooms in your jewelry designs. If you read the blog, you know I made a pendant for my mother using one of my grandfather's American Legion buttons. To bring you up-to-date, I was finally able to part with the necklace and gave it to my mom last weekend. It brought tears to her eyes. At first I thought she was appalled at what I'd done to the button, but she's not prone to tears. At all. Ever. So my guess is she liked it!

A few days after I published that blog, several readers sent pictures of jewelry they've created from treasured mementos and gave me permission to share them with the rest of you.

Cynthia Riggs sent in these photos of jewelry she made from items her mother had saved from her childhood. If you have a chance, check out Cynthia's fantastic blog. You have to read the story behind these pieces. Great job, Cynthia!

Linda Currier sent in the following photo of a bracelet she created for a friend who wanted to breathe new life into her grandmother's pearls. Linda restrung them and then created this beautiful bead-embroidered bracelet. Of the bracelet she says, "Now the pearls are not hidden in a jewelry box, but can be displayed and worn in a stunning cuff bracelet. It has truly been a labor of love for me!" Absolutely beautiful work, Linda. This would bring tears to my eyes, but then again, I'm a watering-pot when it comes to sentimentality.

Lori Farabow was inspired by Barbara Briggs' loomwork "Op-art cuff" in the April issue of Bead&Button and so she sent in this photo of her version of the bracelet. Excellent adaptation, and what great colors!

Just a few weeks ago in our blog, we gave instructions for a bracelet using flat spiral rope technique. Many people wrote in -- to some it was a new technique, while others had been doing this stitch for years. A few shared photos of their handiwork.

Ellen van de Weert wrote to us to say she has been using this technique for a while and sent photos of some of her bracelets. These are beautiful examples of this technique using a variety of bead shapes, sizes, and colors.

For Deb Houck, flat spiral rope was a technique she had never tried before. She had a few pearls left over, so she used them to stitch a matching toggle. I love the colors she used. They make me think that someday spring will arrive!

Angela Metten sent in the two photos below of the bracelet she made using this technique. Isn't it beautiful?

Thanks to all of you for sharing your work with us! We love to see what you've done.

--Jane

Bead Soup blog party #7 - revealed

2013-04-13T05:01:00Z

When I signed up for Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party #7, the April reveal date seemed to be ages away. It didn't seem possible that I would have any problems adhering to the schedule. After all, my entire life revolves around deadlines and due dates and I generally do a pretty good job of adhering to them, thank you very much.

In mid-February I got my beads from partner Theresa Buchle. As you can see here, Theresa sent plenty of beads to inspire me — two focals (one large dichroic glass pendant in black, purple, turquoise, rose, and lime plus a 13 mm white, pink, and green cloisonné bead) along with two copper clasps, some square and cube-shaped black agate beads; pink and green pearlized glass beads; Czech "table" beads in two sizes; Czech ovals, rondelles, and etched window beads; and some 6/0 black seed beads.

I got to work pretty quickly and had several little bits of ideas before long. Here is a photo of what I was playing around with.

This is when I started to struggle. The elements I had created definitely weren't going to work together harmoniously and I thought that some of the busier ones would fight with the focal, which already had plenty going on in it with all those colors.

So I arranged and rearranged and finally decided I liked the little oblong melon-shaped beaded beads I had made using the black oval crystals.

After a great deal more playing around, I finally had a necklace. I made 12 beaded beads and strung them with the little green pearls, the black and copper "table" beads, the coppery rondelles, a copper leaf clasp, and some purple fire-polished beads and fuchsia 15/0 seed beads, these last two from my personal stash. Plus I made two more beaded beads for a pair of earrings.

I think these turned out great and I've had them done for a few weeks now. But there are all those other great beads that I hadn't figured out how to use yet, so when I heard that the reveal date for this blog party had been pushed back a week (to 4/13 instead of 4/6) I was relieved - I thought for sure that would give me enough time to make something else with those other beads. Alas, I didn't manage it. So this is what I made.

Please visit Theresa's blog (www.bead-mused.blogspot.com) next to see what she made with the beads I sent her (left). I can't wait to see what she did!

And go here for links to all the other participants in this round of the 7th Bead Soup Blog Party!

Thanks for visiting!

Update to "Old junk or family treasure"

2013-04-12T19:17:00Z

I finally removed all the jewelry from my grandma's vintage jewelry tree. There was a lot of glue and a few surprises. I ended up with a total of four necklaces, three bracelets, eleven pairs of earrings, assorted pendants and pins, and other miscellaneous chains and beads. My favorite is the branch with the red flowers. It has a crystal missing but I think I can replace that.

Now comes the fun part of getting all the glue off. Once that's done I can begin using them in projects. One project I thought of was taking the pearls from one of the broken necklaces and making them into earrings for the relatives in my family. This will be our first Mothers Day without my grandma and being able to wear something that meant so much to her would mean a lot to us.

I will keep you updated with the things I make and if you missed the other blogs about the history of the tree, here are the links http://cs.jewelrymakingmagazines.com/BAJCS/blogs/beadandbutton/archive/2013/03/15/old-junk-or-family-treasure.aspx and http://cs.jewelrymakingmagazines.com/BAJCS/blogs/beadandbutton/archive/2013/03/20/update-to-old-junk-or-family-treasure.aspx.

Three free projects (and a story) from our archives

2013-04-02T20:10:00Z

First the story:

Long before I came to Bead&Button magazine, I was a bead addict. I lived on a diet of beading books, magazines, bead stores, and jewelry I saw other people wearing. I thirsted for bead knowledge, dove head-first into any and every beaded project I could find, and then craved more. On more than one occasion, I purchased an issue of Bead&Button I already had at home because I wanted to drool over it on my lunch hour! As I read, I would try to imagine how the project would go together. I studied the illustrations and drew thread paths in the air with my finger as I followed along in my head.

One day I was sitting on a bench in the park at lunch time, poring over the magazine and mentally completing a complicated necklace pattern. I had set the alarm on my phone to go off in 30 minutes so I would have time to get back to my office a few blocks away. I was so absorbed in what I was doing that when the alarm finally did go off it startled me, and the magazine fell from my lap as I jumped to my feet. Still caught up in my daydream, I dropped to the ground and started feeling around for the imaginary beads I had spilled. When I couldn't locate them, my search became frantic. Two ladies who had been sitting on a nearby bench came over and offered to help me look for whatever I'd lost. My face flushed with embarrassment as I awoke from my reverie. I tried to gather my scattered wits, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I had dropped my beads and kept stealing furtive glances at the grass around our feet. One of the women picked up the magazine and looked at the cover. A knowing smile made its way across her face, and she patted my arm and said, "That's okay, dear. I'm a beader, too." Then she and her friend turned around and walked away while I stared after them as reality slowly sank in.

I still use imaginary beads and draw thread paths in the air when I read through a project for the first time. It makes things so much easier when I actually get out the beads and begin the project for real. Right-angle weave is a great thread path to air-draw, so here are three free projects from our archives to get you started. If you're new to right-angle weave, read through the instructions first and see if you can follow the thread path mentally before you even pick up the needle. Enjoy! --Jane

Now the three free right-angle weave projects:

"Crystal ribbon" designed by Nancy Zellers is one of my favorites.

"Picket fence" designed by Samantha Mitchell is a charming bracelet that goes with anything.

"Mosaic medallions" by Liz Stahl is a great earring project you can stitch up in an evening.

Two new Bead-It-Forward quilts!

2013-03-26T20:47:00Z

Last weekend found me waxing philosophical as I assembled two more quilts for our Bead-It-Forward project. The "Memorial in Blue" quilt features 14 squares, including three from Rhonda Lush of France who stitched the initials of two loved ones lost to breast cancer and one survivor. It was very special handling these squares because of the names attached! At the same time, it reminded me that many of these squares has a name stitched into the beadwork, whether it's visible or not. There's a reason each one of these squares was made, and I suspect that many of those reasons are people. My reason is Erin, a high school friend who died of a very aggressive breast cancer at the age of 29. Her square can be found at the top of the quilt, and though it does not outwardly bear her name, "For Erin" is written on the back and, of course, in the loving stitches of the beadwork.

The "Hope for a Cure" quilt was assembled around a trio of squares from Karen Lynch of Arizona. The word "hope" appears twice more in the quilt, and the word "love" is just visible in the lower left-hand corner. As a writer and editor, I adore words and love to find them worked into these square. Recently, my coworkers found a square with the word "Mom" stitched across it. Though we've all known since elementary school that "mom" read upside down is "wow," there was a new significance to that transformation. "Wow" indeed to every person who has walked the road of cancer. Sometimes it's a "wow" of sadness, and sometimes it's a "wow" of wonder. And hopefully, one day soon, it will be a "wow" at the thought that anyone ever had to endure this disease.

Both of these quilts, along with many other Bead-It-Forward items, will be on sale or up for auction at the Bead&Button Show this June. We'll continue to show our completed projects here and on Facebook, and our Gallery of submitted squares grows daily.

The Bead-It-Forward adventure begins!

2013-03-21T15:03:00Z

OK, the adventure has actually been on for several weeks now! Since about mid-February, boxes and envelopes filled with Bead-It-Forward squares have been pouring into our offices. Editorial Assistant Lora and Associate Editor Jane have been hard at work cataloging and photographing each one, and they currently estimate a total of 1,200 squares! WOW! If you haven't yet found us at www.Facebook.com/BeadAndButton, check it out to see a video we shot of ourselves opening a box of squares from Hawaii. Multiply that excitement by 12, and that's about what it feels like to handle 1,200 squares!

But handling is only the first part of the adventure. Recently, Associate Editor Connie and I began assembling the squares into some of the items that will be auctioned at this year's Bead&Button Show. Here are two quilts I made, titled "Sunflower fantasy" (left) and "Sunflower Four-Square" (right). The quilt bases (plus about 50 more!) were generously created by the Hales Corners Lutheran Church Warm Hugs Quilt Group. Thanks to their help, we can focus on stitching the squares to the finished quilts rather than starting from scratch with fabric and batting. We are so grateful!

And quilts are just the beginning! Check out these two-sided ornaments I made this week. More items (including shadowboxes, picture frames, vases, repurposed cigar boxes, a basket, a tea towel, and greeting cards) are in the works.

Because of the overwhelming response to this year's Bead-It-Forward project, we're asking for your help too! If you live in the Milwaukee area, read my previous blog on our two upcoming "Assembly Days" when you can help us make these beautiful items. (Please don't forget to RSVP!) And stay tuned to this blog -- we'll showcase other items as we create them! You might just get a sneak peek at where your square(s) will land!

Update to "Old junk or family treasure"

2013-03-20T15:23:00Z

Yesterday I started taking my grandma's vintage jewelry tree apart. It wasn't as easy I thought it would be — there was a lot of glue! I think it would have held together for another 40 years! Here are some of the pieces I was able pry off the tree.

I found an earring to match the pendant at left but I've only found one so far. The bracelet in the center is broken but I still may be able to use it somehow. I'm not sure what the necklace is made out of. It looks like fiber optic beads but is very light. There are three sets of earrings but the top two sets have the backs cut off. I guess they're cabochons now. The rest are charms and loose crystals.

I'll have another update soon with more treasures from the tree! If you missed the original blog about the history of the tree, here's a link http://cs.jewelrymakingmagazines.com/BAJCS/blogs/beadandbutton/archive/2013/03/15/old-junk-or-family-treasure.aspx

Winter blues -- free flat spiral bracelet project

2013-03-19T13:54:00Z

It's March 19^th and we are under a winter storm advisory here in southeast Wisconsin. Looking out my office window at gloomy grey skies, bare tree branches, and a snow-covered field, it seems unlikely that spring will arrive tomorrow as scheduled. Yesterday my cousin in Mississippi posted a mouth-watering photo on Facebook of beautiful spring flowers blooming in her yard. Today she posted a picture of egg-sized hail that fell from the sky and smashed her flowers, broke windows, and caused a lot of damage. Yesterday I was a envious, today I'm grateful for just a winter storm advisory.

One of the great things about beading is that, regardless of the weather, becoming absorbed in a new project lifts my spirits and improves my temperament. So if you're suffering from the winter blues like I am, here's a free (and sparkly) bracelet project using flat spiral stitch. Enjoy!

Materials

7½ in. (19.1 cm) bracelet

38 4 mm glass pearls (Czech, blue)

74 3 mm bicone crystals (Swarovski, Cyclamen opal AB 2X)

2-3 g 11/0 seed beads (Miyuki 1457, dyed emerald silver-lined dark sapphire)

clasp

Fireline 6 lb. test

beading needles, #11

1. Attach a stop bead (Online Beading Basics) on 2 yd. (1.8 m) of thread, leaving an 8-in. (20 cm) tail. Pick up two 4 mm pearls, three 11/0 seed beads, a 3 mm bicone crystal, and three 11/0s, and sew back through the two pearls in the same direction. Push the loop of 11/0s with the crystal to the right of the two core pearls.

2. Pick up three 11/0s, a bicone crystal, and three 110s, and sew through the last two core pearls again. Push this new loop to the left of the core pearls.

3. Pick up a pearl, three 11/0s, a bicone crystal, and three 11/0s. Sew through the last core pearl picked up in step 1, and continue through the pearl picked up in this step. Push this new loop of beads to the right so this loop rests on top of the previous right-hand loop.

4. Work as in step 2 to add another loop of beads, and push this new loop to the left so it rests on top of the previous left-hand loop.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you have a band that's the desired bracelet length minus the clasp.

6. With the needle exiting the final pearl in the core, pick up seven to nine 11/0s and half of the clasp, and sew back through the first three 11/0s picked up in this step. Continue through the last two pearls in the core. Sew through the beadwork to retrace the thread path though the clasp loop several times. End the working thread (Online Beading Basics).

7. Remove the stop bead from the tail, and repeat step 6 for this end of the bracelet and the other half of the clasp. End the tail.

If you make this project, I'd love to see it. Send a photo to jcruz@beadandbutton.com so we can share it in a blog or on our Facebook page.

- Jane

Beading patterns for spring

2013-03-18T15:12:00Z

We're set to celebrate the vernal equinox this week, so here are links to a handful of springy beaded projects from our archives that you can make to welcome the season.

Free for everyone: Bunny Party and Wild Hares bracelets by Julie Ann Smith. Too cute!

Tso stitch flower bracelet by by Hsiao-Hsuan Tso

Free for subscribers: Spring blossoms herringbone bracelet

Two-step trinket by Marcia Balonis

From the Kalmbach store: Lily of the valley lariat by Sylvie Sucipto

Diagonal view bracelet by Smadar Grossman

Happy spring, everyone!