Bracelet of the Day: Nouveau SuperDuo Chain

Nouveau SuperDuo Chain Bracelet

• 15/0 seed beads - Miyuki "Antique Silver Nickel" (15-464A)
• 11/0 seed beads - Miyuki "Antique Silver Nickel" (11-464A)
• 8/0 seed beads - Miyuki "Antique Silver Nickel" (8-464A) (2)
• SuperDuo beads - "Matte Amethyst"
• 3mm round dyed jasper beads - "Amethyst" (Beads One)
• 2 4mm silver jump rings
• Silver lobster claw clasp 

I thought I'd start a new feature on this blog where I will post about the beaded bracelets I wear each day. I do actually wear one every single day and have done so ever since I got started beading back in the fall of 2012. I might also post my "Earrings of the Day" if I happen to wear some handmade earrings. Today I'm wearing $2.00 earrings from Walmart that go very well with this bracelet. They're also a sort of Nouveau style. 

I made this bracelet by adapting a necklace pattern by Cynthia Newcomer Daniel at Jewelry Tales on Etsy HERE. I simply omitted the connectors between the motifs and added some loops on the ends for my clasp. I added an 8/0 seed bead on each end for attaching the jump rings. The pattern calls for 11/0 seed beads between the motifs but I've found that 3mm druks or pearls also work quite well. They do change the scale and shape of the bracelet a bit though. Because of that, I had to add an extra 15/0 seed bead to both of the inside "lines" of each motif. The motifs have a slightly different look this way but I think this gives them even more of a "Nouveau" look. 

One thing that I learned, by making this pattern a few times, is that seed beads of the motifs come out looking a lot smoother if you weave back around the outside strands at least once more at the end. You can also do this as each motif is created. Just create a motif and weave back around the outside of it once or twice until the edges smooth out. Don't use a tight tension though or you might cause them to pucker. Using FireLine also helps to keep them smooth looking but Nymo "B" thread works nearly as well. You do need to use fine thread for this pattern because you will go through some of the tiny 15/0 seed beads several times. 

For a 6-inch bracelet, I needed to make 12 motifs so that I ended up with the motifs on the ends going in the right (opposite) direction. I thought it would look odd if they both faced the same way. The length of the clasp loops and the clasp can be changed if you need to make the bracelet a little longer or shorter. You could also insert more jump rings to adjust the length. 

I've made this bracelet in several different color combinations which you will see in upcoming "Bracelet of the Day" posts when I wear them. 

Here's another view of the bracelet:

Update: Here is a photo of the earrings that I'm wearing today with this bracelet: