Another pair of "Fiesta Twin Earrings"

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• Twin beads "Crystal Gold Luster"
• 4mm druks "Bronze"

This morning I decided that these might be nice in all bronze beads so I made myself a pair. I sometimes need a pair of all "metal" earrings when I'm wearing a bracelet that I don't have matching earrings for. These will go with pretty much any bracelet that has "Dark Bronze" seed beads in it. For some reason I had a little more trouble than usual getting through some tight spots at the end while weaving in the threads. I suspect that the bronze druks have slightly smaller holes than colored druks because of the thicker metallic coating on them.

Don't confuse the "Bronze" druks and SuperDuo beads with the color called "Dark Bronze" in those two types of beads even though the matching seed beads are called that called "Dark Bronze". The druks and SuperDuos in "Dark Bronze" are actually copper.

The free earring tutorial can be found HERE.

UPDATE 4/13/17: It's been brought to my attention that this free tutorial is no longer available on the new version of the About.com site. However, I was able to find several archived links to the original pattern page using the WayBackMachine site (https://web.archive.org). Click HERE to access the tutorial.
 

Fiesta Twin Earrings

I made two pairs of these for myself in the colors that I posted yesterday and I love them both. I thought you might like to see the final earrings as well as a photo of what they look like when I'm wearing one of them. The photo isn't great because I don't have very good light where there is a mirror but at least you can get an idea of the size of the earrings. HERE is the link to the free pattern.

UPDATE 4/13/17: It's been brought to my attention that this free tutorial is no longer available on the new version of the About.com site. However, I was able to find several archived links to the original pattern page using the WayBackMachine site (https://web.archive.org). Click HERE to access the tutorial.

By the way, I did get the birthday bracelet made last night BUT it came out a little too small. I'll have to make another one today and extend the length with jump rings because adding another motif would make it too long. The size of the first one is perfect for someone else who will get it for Christmas. I saw no reason to spend the time taking the whole thing apart when it turned out so well.

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• Twin beads "Khaki Pearl"
• 4mm druks "Green Luster"

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• SuperDuo beads "Metallic Suede Pink"
• 4mm druks "Bronze Illusion"

Playing with my beads...Fiesta Twin Earrings

I really should be working on a bracelet for a birthday present but I ran across this earring pattern last night and wanted to give it a try. The first thing that I needed to do was edit the tutorial so that it was easier to tell what kinds of beads I was supposed to pick up. The designer of the pattern just gave them letter names and I didn't want to have to memorize which letters corresponded with which bead type. So, I renamed them with more descriptive code names, such as "B" for bicone, "SB15" for 15/0 seed beads, and so on. That made the tutorial so much easier to follow.

The full name of this free pattern, by  Chris Franchetti Michaels, is actually "Fiesta Twin Beads and Crystal Earrings" and you can find it HERE.

UPDATE 4/13/17: It's been brought to my attention that this free tutorial is no longer available on the new version of the About.com site. However, I was able to find several archived links to the original pattern page using the WayBackMachine site (https://web.archive.org). Click HERE to access the tutorial.

For my first sample, I made them as directed using Twin beads and Chinese bicones, but they came out horribly wonky. I don't think this pattern is very well suited to bicones unless yours are very regular in shape. I don't think that will ever be the case with Chinese bicones though. My earring came out a mess but it allowed me see that the design was worth trying with something different. The first thing that came to mind was to switch out the bicones for 4mm druks and they were just the thing. They give the earring a much nicer, rounder shape. Here is my first sample:

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• Twin beads "Khaki Pearl"
• 4mm bicones "Black" (Chinese)

For my second sample, which I made with druks, I used the same Twin beads that I used in the first sample. I really like how this one turned out. The beads fit together nicely and the earring lays nice and flat.

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• Twin beads "Khaki Pearl"
• 4mm druks "Green Luster"

Once I knew that druks would work, I decided to try using regular SuperDuo beads instead of Twin beads because I only have Twin beads in a few colors. While they do work, they are a little bigger than Twins so the stitching is a bit crowded. The earring isn't quite as flat as my other sample but it's still very nice. 

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• SuperDuo beads "Metallic Suede Pink"
• 4mm druks "Bronze Illusion"

It's a little hard to see this in the photos, but I changed the loops at the top of the earrings. I still picked up seven 15/0 seed beads as directed but, when I came back around in a later step, I added two more 15/0's on the sides to give it a nicer shape. The earrings come out about 1 1/2 inches long and about 1 inch wide at the widest point. They're a bit long and dangly but I think they're quite pretty.


UPDATE: I just finished making myself a pair of each color and the regular SuperDuos worked perfectly. This time my earrings came out flat. I guess it was just a matter of more careful stitching and pulling everything snug.

Bracelet of the Day: Bow Tie Bracelet - Gold & Smoky Topaz Luster

• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (11-457D)
• 3mm druks "Gold & Smoky Topaz Luster"
• 4mm fire polished beads "Opaque Smoky Topaz Gold Luster"
• 4mm bicones "Silver Champagne AB" (from China)

This is another version of Deb Roberti's free "Bow Tie Bracelet" pattern, which you can download HERE.

Bracelet of the Day: Bow Tie Bracelet - Pink Coral Moon Dust

BOW TIE BRACELET

• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Metallic Chocolate" (11-461)
• 3mm druks "Dark Brown"
• 4mm fire polished beads "Pink Coral Moon Dust"
• 4mm bicones "Rose Topaz AB" (Chinavoski)

This was one of the few patterns by Deborah Roberti that I didn't already have. When I got the email from her the other day that said it was now a free download, I thought I'd go ahead and give it a try. You can download the free pattern HERE at Around the Beading Table. The only thing that I changed was how the clasp is attached. I LOVE this bracelet and I'm wearing it today. It goes perfectly with the top I'm wearing. The colors are soft and muted and the beads have just the right amount of sparkle.

I found two pretty color combinations that I really like and I'll post the second bracelet tomorrow. This one is my favorite of the two. I love these fire polished beads. They're not quite pink and not quite purple. The only place I've seen this color is on Red Panda, HERE, but the color on the website isn't how they really look.

Here's what they look like online:

They really look more like this:

 
They're more "smoky" than what you see in the photo though and sort of matte but with sparkly highlights. It's the "Moon Dust" that gives them their pretty sparkle.

The "Dark Brown" druks are really a dark copper color that goes quite well with the "Chocolate" seed beads. I got the bicones at a local shop from their Chinavoski bin. They're a light rosy amethyst AB color.

 

Video Tutorial - Nunzia's Easy Earrings

I went a little nuts on Saturday making sample earrings in 13 different colors. The U-verse repair guy was here most of the afternoon and I didn't want to work on anything that required a lot of concentration. These earrings are super quick and easy to make and I'd made the pattern many times before and was familiar with it. I timed myself making an earring and it took just over 10 minutes. For all of these samples, I made just the top motif from Nunzia Scalpore's free YouTube tutorial, which you can watch HERE. I love them all but I'm partial to the ones with the solid color rondelles.

I make a small change when I make them with 4mm rondelles. Near the beginning of the tutorial, when Nunzia adds six seed beads around each rondelle, I pick up seven instead. Six isn't quite enough to go all the way around the edge and leaves gaps in some spots. Because I use one extra bead for each arch, I go through the three center seed beads instead of just two in a later step.

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Antique Silver-Nickel" (464A)
• 4mm rondelles "Cristal Rainbow - #C32" (Beads One)

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Antique Silver-Nickel" (464A)
• 4mm rondelles "Lilac Matte AB - #C69 AB" (Beads One - not available online)

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Duracoat Galvanized Pewter" (D4222)
• 4mm rondelles "Opaque Emerald" (Chinavoski)

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Yellow Olive Gold Luster" (307)
• 4mm rondelles "Celery AB" (Chinavoski)

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 4mm rondelles "Matte Green AB - #C66 AB" (Beads One - not available online)

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 4mm rondelles "Amethyst AB" (Chinavoski)

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 4mm rondelles "Aqua Opaque - #C84" (Beads One - not available online)

These rondelles remind me of those "ice blue" mint hard candies.

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 4mm rondelles "Aqua Gold AB - #B26 AB" (Beads One)

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 4mm rondelles "Opaque Blue-Gray" (Chinavoski)

I thought these were opaque until I looked at them under a light. They're actually translucent with a sort of opal glow in the center.

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 4mm rondelles "Opaque Aqua" (Chinavoski)

I think that this one is my favorite. I hope I've got an outfit that will go with this color.

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 4mm rondelles "Vitral Purple - #C47" (Beads One)

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 4mm rondelles "Montana Blue" (Chinavoski)

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 4mm rondelles "Mauve" (Chinavoski)

These rondelles are also translucent with an opal glow when held up to the light.
 

Playing with my beads...More "Noah" Earrings

I made three more samples last night and I love all three of them. I don't have any bicones that match the lilac rondelles so I used some smaller rondelles in the same color instead. I don't like the shape quite as well as bicones but I think they look fine.

The free earring pattern is from Elfenatelier and you can download it HERE.

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Antique Silver-Nickel" (464A)
• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Antique Silver-Nickel" (464A)
• 6mm rondelles "Silver" (Teejay sent me these)
• 4mm bicones "Amethyst AB - #C12 AB" (Beads One)
• SuperDuo beads "Violet White Luster"

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 6mm rondelles "Lilac Matte AB - #C69 AB" (Beads One - not available online)
• 4mm rondelles "Lilac Matte AB - #C69 AB" (Beads One - not available online)
• SuperDuo beads "Crystal Gold Luster"

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Metallic Chocolate" (no info available)
• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Metallic Chocolate" (461)
• 6mm rondelles "Aqua Gold AB - #B26" (Beads One)
• 4mm bicones "Seafoam AB" (from Walmart)
• SuperDuo beads "Chocolate Bronze"

 

Noah & Tanya Earrings

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 6mm rondelles "Crimson AB" (no info available)
• 4mm bicones "Siam - #C44" (Beads One)

I made a final pair of the red "Noah Earrings" yesterday and also made a new sample in dark blue. I really like the blue ones so I might make myself a pair of those as well. The rondelles that I used are the same ones that I used the other day in a different sample. It turns out that they're not black as I thought. They're really a very dark blue. I'm pretty sure that the "Montana" bicones are Czech. I know they're not Chinese. They're smaller than Chinese bicones but they're not perfectly shaped like Swarovski bicones. I think I got them from Beadaholique.

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 6mm rondelles "Midnight Blue" (no info available)
• 4mm bicones "Montana"

After I made those earrings, I went ahead and tried the free "Tanya Earrings" pattern, which is also from Elfenatelier. You can get that pattern HERE (UPDATE: The "Tanya" pattern is longer available on the Elfenatelier site but it is posted on her Pinterest page HERE). HERE is the link to the free "Noah Earrings" pattern. Just for fun, I used the same color combinations for each of the "Tanya" samples as I used for the "Noah" earrings and photographed them together. The "Tanya" earrings are very quick and easy to make. For the "Tanya Earrings", I recommend using Nymo D thread for more stability than you'd get with FireLine or Nymo B. As you can see, I changed the loop at the top of my earrings so that I could attach the wires with jump rings.

• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 6mm rondelles "Brown/Topaz AB - #C29AB" (Beads One)
• 4mm bicones "Smoked Topaz AB - #C29AB" (Beads One)
• SuperDuo beads "Yellow Dark Travertin"

• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 6mm rondelles "Crimson AB" (no info available)
• 4mm bicones "Siam - #C44" (Beads One)

• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 6mm rondelles "Midnight Blue" (no info available)
• 4mm bicones "Montana"

Disappointment - "Halo" Fire Polished Beads

I won't mention where I got them from, because it's not their fault, but I just received an order of quite a few colors of the new "Halo" finish fire polished beads. I was really looking forward to them because they look so pretty in the photos I've seen. The bad news is that nearly every bead is defective. It must have something to do with the way that they apply the gold finish because almost every bead has a little gold "nub" sticking out of at least one of the holes. That means that the beads aren't usable until I remove those sharp little nubs. For the price I paid, I expected to be able to just pick up the beads and use them without having to perform any extra steps to prepare the beads before using them. It's going to take me hours to file off the nubs on every single bead so that I won't have to remember to do this later. As you can imagine, trying to hold onto a tiny 3mm fire polish bead is no picnic. I can sort of manage it by inserting a needlepoint needle into one end while filing the other end. The only reason this works is because the needle is too fat to go all the way through the bead and out the other side. My other concern is that the sharp edges will cut my beading thread and eventually cause my beadwork to fall apart when the thread breaks.

Has anyone else had this experience with these beads? I bought them in six colors in 3mm and 4mm. Every batch has these sharp nubs so it can't be a fluke. Needless to say, I won't buy them again and I just wish that someone had warned me about this problem before I spent so much money on them. I was considering ordering some of the SuperDuo beads with the same Halo finish on them but I don't think I'll take a chance on them, especially since SuperDuos already have a tendency to have plugged holes.

You might not see the nubs in the photo at the top of this post, so here are a couple of close-ups of a few of the 4mm fire polished beads I just got:

 

Playing with my beads..."Noah" Earrings

I tried another earring pattern a couple days ago and with a couple of tweaks they turned out quite nice. The pattern is a free one from Elfenatelier and you can download it HERE.

If you make the earrings according to the pattern, they have a tendency to cup toward the back. I figured out a way to prevent that. After you make the pattern as directed, flip the earring over and add the same netting to the back as you made on the front. I'm talking about the first netting that you add around the rondelles with three 15/0 seed beads in each section. This time though, you don't add the center seed bead. You go through the existing bead from the other side so the netting on both sides shares the same center bead on the edge. This extra step makes a huge difference in the feel of the earring. It's a lot more solid and it stays flat.

I also changed the loop at the top of my earrings. If you look closely at the amber earring in the photo above, I picked up three 15/0 seed beads on each side of the base of the loop. I've since decided that four is better than three. The extra beads make it easier to pop out the 11/0 seed beads where they connect just below the top section of the loop.

By the way, they also have another free earring pattern that calls for the same kinds of beads. However, the link to the pattern from their main page takes you to the wrong tutorial. I managed to track down the correct link and you can download the "Tanya" HERE. I might give that pattern a try this afternoon.

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 6mm rondelles "Brown/Topaz AB - #C29AB" (Beads One)
• 4mm bicones "Smoked Topaz AB - #C29AB" (Beads One)
• SuperDuo beads "Yellow Dark Travertin"

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Antique Silver-Nickel" (464A)
• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Antique Silver-Nickel" (464A)
• 6mm rondelles "Jet"
• 4mm bicones "Purple AB" (I got these from China)
• SuperDuo beads "Metallic Suede Dark Purple"

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 6mm rondelles "Crimson AB" (no info available)
• 4mm bicones "Siam - #C44" (Beads One)