The Original Arula Earrings

After I blogged about my version of the "Arula Earrings" HERE yesterday, I realized that I could try the original version because now I do have some Rulla beads. I didn't have any back when I came up with my version. Below are the original "Arula Earrings" from the Mézesmama Gyöngyei blog:

Original Arula Earrings from the Mézesmama Gyöngyei blog

It took me a few minutes to figure out what I was supposed to do by looking very closely at the photos of the original tutorial which you can see HERE. She doesn't show every step and the text is in Hungarian. I could see that she used 15/0 seed beads on the inner ring of Rullas and seed beads. I used 11/0 seed beads on my variation because they happen to work better with the way my earrings are made.

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised at how lovely they turn out made the original way. It's a very clever use of Rulla beads and I'm happy to have another use for them. I bought them in quite a few colors only to realize later that I don't know of very many patterns for them that I like all that well. Where my version of the earrings comes out quite flat and somewhat soft, the Rulla version is very sturdy and slightly thick and compact. I tried to take some photos of them from the side, so you can see the thickness, but it was difficult to get them from that angle:

 
They are thickest in the center where there is the ring of Rulla beads. The seed beads are added to the front and back in two layers so that they go through both holes of the Rullas. The beads taper to a single thickness along the outside edge of the earrings where the druks are added. Like I said, they're very cleverly designed. After I made two samples using 3mm druks on the edge, I thought I'd see if 3mm fire polished beads would work and they do. My last sample below has fire polished beads. I suppose that 3mm bicones might also work.

As you can see, I did change the top loop once again and left off the dangle at the bottom. I don't have any drop beads that go well with the Rullas that I have and I really like them without the drop bead anyway.

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• Rulla beads "Aquamarine Travertin Dark"
• 3mm druks "Forest Greens" *

* I suspect that the "real" color name for the druks is "Aquamarine Dark Travertin" because they match the Rulla beads perfectly.
 

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• Rulla beads "Chalk Lazure Blue"
• 3mm druks "Jet Copper Picasso" aka "Matte Siam Ruby Bronze Picasso"

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• Rulla beads "Senegal Brown Violet"
• 3mm fire polished beads "Transparent Gold Topaz Luster"