 |
| PEYOTE FAN EARRINGS |
- 15/0 seed beads Toho "Permanent Finish Galvanized Starlight" (557PF)
- 11/0 seed beads Toho "Permanent Finish Galvanized Starlight" (557PF)
- 8/0 seed beads Toho "Permanent Finish Galvanized Starlight" (557PF)
- 8/0 seed beads Toho "Inside-Color Rainbow Light Topaz/Sea Foam Lined" (952)
- 4mm bicones "Sea Foam AB" (Walmart - no longer available)
I had a heck of a time getting a nice photo of these earrings because I'm not used to taking photos of such bright beads. I tried a lot of different backgrounds but naturally the pictures came out the best on my "usual" background paper.
I thought I'd try this new metallic seed bead color and see how I like them. The color isn't new, it's just not a color that I've used before. I most likely won't wear this color myself but I could use them to make gifts. One issue that I ran into was that I don't have many other kinds of beads in colors that are bright and colorful enough to go well with this bright gold. It's so bright that it makes everything else look dull and drab in comparison. These sea foam seed beads and bicones seem to go quite well with the gold though. Unfortunately, I don't know where to find the sea foam bicones any longer. I used to buy them at Walmart and I've never seen them anywhere else. They're Chinese and sold by Cousins. I just did a quick search online and Swarovski's "Pacific Opal" would probably be a good color match. The main difference is that the Chinese ones have metallic gold highlights on them.
I wasn't sure what color thread to use to make these earrings. I made my first test sample with regular black Nymo D thread but it looked too dark between the beads. It's also not a good idea to use such thick thread to make this pattern. The obvious choice seemed to be some gold KO brand thread. It did give the earrings a nice clean look because the thread is nearly the same color as the beads. However, I found that it shows too much when the light shines through the gaps between the larger beads. That really bugged me so next I tried using smoke color 4-pound FireLine and it worked perfectly. Because it's so fine it's nearly invisible between the beads. It really doesn't show much between the beads like the gold thread does because the dark gray color blends with whatever is showing through the gaps in the background behind the earrings. As a bonus, I was able to add all of the rows of beads without taking any shortcuts. I could easily get my size 12 Tulip needle through the 15/0 beads as many times as I needed to. Also, unlike 6-pound FireLine which tends to tangle into horrible knots every few minutes, 4-pound FireLine is a dream to work with. Don't ask me why, but it almost never tangles.
You can download my free "Peyote Fan Earrings" pattern from THIS post.
Beautiful earrings! I love the colors. I wish one of the manufacturers would come up with a silver seed bead this bright that is also inexpensive. Also, thank you for the pattern. I have had the same issues with Fireline and only use the 4lb because I can't find Wildfire in that size. As far as the thread color goes, it is barely noticeable. Another option would be brown thread for the gold beads. After watching this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtZa4u0c2r4
ReplyDeleteI tried the thread dyeing project and it did work! You can buy dyed Fireline at 3 times the regular price, but like I said, I prefer Wildfire and am not willing to pay $30 for a spool of Fireline. I left a post of my experience under the Youtube video of what NOT to do if you take this on. I started with red and did it on the stove. I have since purchased an electric portable burner to do the other six colors outside. When comparing the Dyed Wildfire and Dyed Fireline side by side, the Fireline had a shinier finish. You can't really see this in the crystal or the smoke colors. Also, a beading friend recently bought multiple spools of Fireline at a bead store and she said it breaks really easy. I don't know if she got a bad batch or, as she thinks, got ahold of some that sat on the shelf so long that was weakened by age.
Thanks, jen jen. There actually is a seed bead color that's a very bright silver. It's called "Full Labrador". If you go to Red Panda and do a search for "full labrador", it will bring them up. Two of the sizes are currently out of stock though.
DeleteAfter watching that video, I've pretty much decided that I'd rather spend my time actually beading than coloring my thread or my beads but thanks for the link.