Thursday, December 31, 2015

Bracelet of the Day: Duo Kheops - Jet Picasso


DUO KHEOPS BRACELET
  • 11/0 seed beads Toho "Higher Metallic Matte Blue Haze" (512F)
  • 8/0 seed beads Toho "Higher Metallic Matte Blue Haze" (512F)
  • Kheops® Par Puca® beads "Jet"
  • SuperDuo beads "Jet Picasso"

While I was trying out a bunch of different colors with this pattern, I wasn't sure if this combo would actually look nice. It's kind of funky but I think I like it. There aren't really any metallic beads in this one but the seed beads have a somewhat metallic look. I like how the seed bead color is similar to the "Picasso" speckles in the SuperDuos. The seed beads are called "Blue Haze", but they're really more of a slightly bluish sage green.

 
I needed to make some matching earrings for this one because of the unusual color scheme. I don't have any store bought earrings that will go with it. So, I made a pair of my "SuperDuo Flower Chain Earrings". You can download my free earring pattern HERE. Last night I made a pair of "Bethany Earrings" to match this bracelet and I will post them when I have a chance to take photos.

 
The bracelet pattern is from Marina Beads on Etsy and you can buy it HERE.



 

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Bracelet of the Day: Saturn Bracelet - Turquoise & Chocolate


SATURN BRACELET
  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Metallic Chocolate" (461)
  • 11/0 seed beads Toho "Higher Metallic Matte Blue Haze" (512F)
  • 8/0 seed beads Toho "Higher Metallic Matte Blue Haze" (512F)
  • 4mm fire polished beads "Turquoise Copper Picasso"

I made this bracelet for Teejay for Christmas. I showed you some samples of this design back in November, HERE, and this was one of my favorite color combinations. The "Saturn Bracelet" pattern is by Michelle Skobel and you can buy it HERE (Unfortunately, this pattern is no longer available).



 

Monday, December 28, 2015

Sandra Silky Bracelet Set



  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • Silky beads "Jade Picasso"
  • SuperDuo beads "Crystal Gold Luster"

I made this same bracelet for myself a while back and blogged about it before HERE. I made the same bracelet as part of a set as a Christmas present this time. The bracelet pattern is my Silky bead version of Norma Jean Dell's "Lattice Gates Bracelet" design which calls for CzechMates or Tila beads. I call my version "Sandra Silky". Norma Jean told me that she makes her version pretty much the same way so you should be able to adapt her pattern if you'd like to make it with Silky beads.

I made the earrings with my free "Silky Deco Chain Earrings" pattern, which you can download HERE.


  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • Silky beads "Jade Picasso"

While I had my pattern handy, I tried another color combination so that I could see if I liked the design with silver seed beads and I do. Here's my sample:


  • 11/0 seed beads Toho "Antique Silver - Nickel" (711)
  • 8/0 seed beads Toho "Antique Silver - Nickel" (711)
  • Silky beads "Opaque Lilac"
  • SuperDuo beads "Opaque Violet White Luster"

 

Sunday, December 27, 2015

Bracelet of the Day: Duo Kheops - Ivory & Gold



DUO KHEOPS BRACELET
  • 11/0 seed beads Toho "Metallic Olivine Bronze Iris" (513)
  • 8/0 seed beads Toho "Metallic Olivine Bronze Iris" (513)
  • Kheops® Par Puca® beads "Full Dorado"
  • SuperDuo beads "Pastel Light Cream (25110)"

I used the same beads in this bracelet as the blue one that I blogged about a few days ago, HERE. I just used ivory SuperDuos with a pearl finish instead of blue SuperDuos. I think this will go nicely with a lot of outfits because of the neutral colors.

I probably should make some earrings to go with this bracelet when I have a chance and I have an idea for the perfect earrings. I will make my variation of Beth Clark's "Beth Duo Earrings" with the same pearl ivory SuperDuos and put some Crystal Amber Gold Full SuperDuos in the center. I will post the set once I've made the earrings. By the way, Beth is now offering all of her beading patterns for free with an optional donation on her blog, HERE.

You can buy this bracelet pattern from Marina Beads on Etsy HERE



 

Saturday, December 26, 2015

Bracelet of the Day: Nevada Bracelet - Lila Vega


NEVADA BRACELET
  • 11/0 seed beads Toho "Permanent Finish Galvanized Starlight" (557PF)
  • 8/0 seed beads Toho "Permanent Finish Galvanized Starlight" (557PF)
  • CzechMates beads "Opaque Amethyst Luster"
  • SuperDuo beads "Chalk Vega"

This set was a Christmas present for my sister-in-law. She saw a photo of Aviva's bracelet on my Pinterest board and mentioned that she loved the design as well as the bead colors that were used. The pattern is from Vivatutorial on Etsy and you can buy it HERE. The diagrams are very clear and easy to follow. I managed to get all of the same color beads that Aviva used her example photo but I didn't have any matching lavender 8/0 seed beads to use in the center of each motif. So, I just used more of the gold metallic beads instead.

This cuff bracelet with six motifs fits a size 6 3/4" wrist and is about 7 1/4 inches long with the clasp and jump rings. I made the pattern as directed except for the clasp loops. I also added some extra reinforcement where the motifs are connected. No matter how many times I circled around those connecting seed beads, it didn't seem very secure to me. So, I also made a couple of circles around through the two CzechMates and the two connecting seed beads and that snugged everything up nicely. The thread shows a little more because of that extra stitching but there are lots of spots where thread shows with this design so I didn't worry about it.

 
I wanted to make some matching earrings but I only had one CzechMate tile bead left after making the bracelet. I came up with these "Juanita Earrings" by adapting some earrings that I saw in a photo online somewhere. I used the same SuperDuos that are in the bracelet and the druks are the same color as the CzechMates.



JUANITA EARRINGS
  • 11/0 seed beads Toho "Permanent Finish Galvanized Starlight" (557PF)
  • 8/0 seed beads Toho "Permanent Finish Galvanized Starlight" (557PF)
  • 4mm druks "Opaque Amethyst Luster"
  • SuperDuo beads "Chalk Vega"

The magnet clasp that I used is a special kind and it was ideal for this cuff bracelet because it is flatter than the usual ball shaped magnet clasps that I usually use. Jane Tyson from LJBeadwork on Etsy sent me a few of her Magsafe magnet clasps to try. They're her own invention and they're made in such a way that the magnets can't come apart while you're wearing your bracelet. One side inserts into the other and it locks in place. They're not quite as easy to fasten as regular magnetic clasps but they're much more secure and definitely easier to fasten on yourself than other kinds of clasps. The Magsafe clasps come in a combo pack of silver and gold clasps. Below are some close-up views of the clasps.



 

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Bracelet of the Day: Duo Kheops - Baby Blue Star Dust & Gold



DUO KHEOPS BRACELET
  • 11/0 seed beads Toho "Metallic Olivine Bronze Iris aka Galvanized Carnival" (513)
  • 8/0 seed beads Toho "Metallic Olivine Bronze Iris aka Galvanized Carnival" (513)
  • Kheops® Par Puca® beads "Full Dorado"
  • SuperDuo beads "Opaque Baby Blue Star Dust"

When I bought these "Full Dorado" Kheops beads, I had no idea if I'd be able to find seed beads that would go well with them. It turns out that "Full Dorado" is pretty much the same color as "Crystal Amber Gold Full" which I blogged about before, HERE. If you recall, I was having trouble finding seed beads that would go with those gold SuperDuos. I've since found a pretty good match thanks to Charlene from Charlene's Beads. She has them listed on her site as "Metallic Olivine Bronze Iris" (513), but I think that the official name for that color is "Galvanized Carnival" or at least that's what most other bead sites call it. Because it's an "iris" color, it's a blend of several metallic colors. When I use them, I try to avoid the pinkish and copper ones and only choose the gold ones.

Because this gold color, which looks a lot like brass to me, is quite a bit brighter than the bronze beads that I normally use, I like to pair it with brighter colors, such as this pretty blue. I need to look for more bright colored SuperDuos and other beads because I love how this bracelet looks with the gold beads.

You can buy this pattern from Marina Beads on Etsy, HERE










Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Duo Kheops Bracelet samples

I love the two "Duo Kheops" bracelets that I posted back in October HERE. They're cute, quirky and fun to wear. Now that I've got a few more Kheops colors to work with, I've come up with some more combinations for possible bracelets to make. I actually made four more samples that I did make into bracelets. I will be posting those one at a time over the next several days. Tomorrow I will be posting one that I think you'll really like.

I bought this pattern from Marina Beads on Etsy, HERE. I changed the connections between the motifs by adding 8/0 seed beads so that I could use jump rings instead of seed beads to connect them.


  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • Kheops® Par Puca® beads "Opaque Rose Gold Ceramic Mix"
  • SuperDuo beads "Polychrome Copper Rose"


  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • Kheops® Par Puca® beads "Jet"
  • SuperDuo beads "Polychrome Pink Olive"


  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Metallic Chocolate" (461)
  • 8/0 seed beads "Metallic Chocolate" (no info available)
  • Kheops® Par Puca® beads "Jet Copper"
  • SuperDuo beads "Chalk Blue Picasso Luster"


  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Metallic Chocolate" (461)
  • 8/0 seed beads "Metallic Chocolate" (no info available)
  • Kheops® Par Puca® beads "Jet Copper"
  • SuperDuo beads "Steel Blue"


  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • Kheops® Par Puca® beads "Opaque Violet Gold Luster"
  • SuperDuo beads "Bronze"
 

Monday, December 21, 2015

Playing with my Beads...Anya Earring samples

I found this pattern at Iceni Bead Design on Etsy. I have to admit that I haven't actually purchased the pattern but you can buy it HERE.

When I made my sample earrings, I decided to leave off the Silky bead at the top and added a "Sidonia" loop for the earring hook. I tried both opaque and transparent Silky beads and I think I prefer how they look with the transparent ones. Having said that, I also like how they look when the Silky beads and SuperDuos are the same color. I don't care much for the sample with the opaque "Pastel Burgundy" Silkies. They stand out too much or something. The transparent Silkies almost look like sparkling jewels.

The two ivory earrings below aren't quite the same. One of them has SuperDuo beads with a luster finish and the other earring has plain opaque beads. After I made the sample earring with the luster SuperDuos, I decided to try SuperDuos with the same opaque finish as the Silkies and I like that one better. I found one more matching combination of Silky beads and SuperDuos in my stash in mint green. That one might be my favorite of the bunch. It almost looks like it's made of ceramic and I love the combination of pale mint green and pewter.


  • 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • Silky beads "Pastel Burgundy"
  • SuperDuo beads "Crystal Gold Luster"

SAMPLE 1 (left):
  • 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Light Bronze" (457L)
  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Light Bronze" (457L)
  • Silky beads "Opaque Ivory"
  • SuperDuo beads "Opaque Ivory"

SAMPLE 2 (right):

  • 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Light Bronze" (457L)
  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Light Bronze" (457L)
  • Silky beads "Opaque Ivory"
  • SuperDuo beads "Opaque Ivory White Luster"

 
  • 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Duracoat Galvanized Pewter" (D4222)
  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Duracoat Galvanized Pewter" (D4222)
  • Silky beads "Chalk Light Green"
  • SuperDuo beads "Chalk Green Luster Light"



  • 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • Silky beads "Alexandrite Terracotta Red"
  • SuperDuo beads "Crystal Gold Luster"

 


 

Saturday, December 19, 2015

A few more Camille Bracelet Variation samples

You can read my previous posts about my adaptation of Puca's "Camille Bracelet" design HERE, HERE and HERE. I'm gradually accumulating a nice assortment of Kheops colors as you can see in my samples below. They don't come in many colors that appeal to me so I've been buying them here and there as I find ones that I like. I've bought most of my Kheops from Red Panda but I've also bought them from Artbeads and Aria Design Studio.

Here are five new color combinations to inspire you to play with some Kheops beads:


  • 15/0 seed beads Toho "Antique Silver-Nickel" (711)
  • 11/0 seed beads Toho "Antique Silver-Nickel" (711)
  • 8/0 seed beads Toho "Antique Silver-Nickel" (711)
  • Kheops® Par Puca® beads "Opaque Blue Luster"
  • Silky beads "Alabaster Blue Luster"
  • 4mm bicones "Denim Blue" (Walmart - Cousins brand)


  • 15/0 seed beads Toho "Bright Bronze" (221)
  • 11/0 seed beads Toho "Bright Bronze" (221)
  • 8/0 seed beads Toho "Bright Bronze" (221)
  • Kheops® Par Puca® beads "Jet"
  • Silky beads "Jet"
  • 4mm bicones "Fruit Jade" (China) *

* I found these on eBay and I don't know if they're still available.


  • 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • Kheops® Par Puca® beads "Opaque Violet Gold Luster"
  • Silky beads "Alabaster Vega Luster"
  • 4mm bicones "Crystal Purple Haze" (Swarovski)


  • 15/0 seed beads Toho "Light Tanzanite Gold Luster" (325)
  • 11/0 seed beads Toho "Light Tanzanite Gold Luster" (325)
  • 8/0 seed beads Toho "Light Tanzanite Gold Luster" (325)
  • Kheops® Par Puca® beads "Full Dorado"
  • Silky beads "Purple Velvet Matte"
  • 4mm bicones "Purple AB - #C12AB" (Beads One - not available online)


  • 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Czech Coating - Black Bronze" (CZ55030)
  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Metallic Chocolate" (461)
  • 8/0 seed beads "Metallic Chocolate" (no info available)
  • Kheops® Par Puca® beads "Opaque Rose Luster"
  • Silky beads "Jet Bronze Full"
  • 4mm bicones "Crystal Capri Gold" (Czech)

You can buy Puca's original bracelet pattern HERE on Etsy (this pattern is no longer available).

I've got several beading projects ready to blog about but I can't post about them until after Christmas because they are things that I made for gifts. So, unless I find some free time in the next few days to do some beading, take photos and type some articles, I might not won't post again until after Christmas. 


Merry Christmas everyone!