- 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Duracoat Gold" (4202)
- 11/0 Miyuki Delica beads "Duracoat Gold" (DB1832)
- 11/0 Miyuki Delica beads "Opaque Black" (DB10)
- 11/0 Miyuki Delica beads "Opaque Red" (DB723)
As you can see, I decided to go with the version with gold beads around the edge. Read my previous post about my sample earrings HERE.
People have been asking me how to keep these leaf earrings from losing their shape over time. I brush clear nail polish on the backs of them and it makes a huge difference. After the first coat dries, I gently shape them if necessary before brushing on another coat. I've noticed that the longer I wait to coat them, the more coats they will need. The nail polish is the most effective if you brush it on just after making the earrings while the stitching is still firm.
Watch Jill Wiseman's YouTube video tutorial HERE to learn how to make Russian Leaf earrings similar to these and download her free PDF HERE.
You can buy Delica beads at Red Panda, Aura Crystals, Supply Emporium and Baubles & Beads.
NO MORE THREAD HEAVEN
I found out yesterday that they are no longer making Thread Heaven. I've depended on Thread Heaven for conditioning my beading thread for almost as long as I've been beading. I do have a small stash of it but I will eventually need to come up with an alternative. You may still be able to find it here and there until shops sell out of it. Red Panda still has a pretty good supply HERE.
Have any of you used the new Thread Magic? If so, does it work as well as Thread Heaven? It's more expensive but it looks like there might be more of the product in the container than comes in Thread Heaven but it's hard to tell from the pictures.
- 8/0 seed beads "Matte Black" (no info available)
- 11/0 Miyuki Delica beads "Opaque Black" (DB10)
- 11/0 Miyuki Delica beads "Opaque Red" (DB723)
I blogged previously about a sample of these earrings HERE. I've now completed a pair of them for my sister-in-law.
You can buy Delica beads at Red Panda, Aura Crystals, Supply Emporium and Baubles & Beads.
- 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Opaque Black" (401)
- 11/0 Miyuki Delica beads "Opaque Black" (DB10)
- 11/0 Miyuki Delica beads "Dyed Opaque Red" (DB791)
- 11/0 Miyuki Delica beads "Opaque Pear" (DB1131)
Earlier this month, I blogged HERE about sample earring above. While I loved the fringe part of the earring, I wasn't keen on the solid black top section. So, I changed the top part to make it more interesting and added a bit of a "V" at the top of the fringe to give it a nicer shape. I'm very happy with this version and I plan to make the same design in different colors.
You can buy Delica beads at Red Panda, Aura Crystals, Supply Emporium and Baubles & Beads.
PEYOTE FAN EARRINGS
- 15/0 seed beads Toho "Matte Cabernet" (703)
- 11/0 seed beads Toho "Matte Cabernet" (703)
- 8/0 seed beads Toho "Matte Cabernet" (703)
- 8/0 seed beads Toho "Metallic Dusty Cedar" (YPS0014)
- 4mm metal beads "Antique Copper" (Hobby Lobby)
It has been ages since I last made a pair of these earrings and I wanted to try these beads that I bought some time ago with this pattern in mind. I recently got the 8/0 "Metallic Dusty Cedar" beads from Supply Emporium and I think they make a nice accent.
You can download my free "Peyote Fan Earrings" pattern from THIS post. You can buy the "Metallic Dusty Cedar" seed beads HERE at Supply Emporium. Aura Crystals has all three sizes of the "Matte Cabernet" beads HERE, HERE and HERE.
The content of this post has been moved to my tangle blog HERE.
BRIDGES BRACELET
- 11/0 seed beads Toho "Antique Bronze" (223)
- Silky beads "Alabaster Senegal"
- 3mm fire polished beads "Opaque Gold and Smoky Topaz Luster"
- SuperDuo beads "Matte Chalk Bronze" (see note below)
- 12mm Czech flower button "Golden Pink Picasso"
Claire from Supply Emporium sent me some of these cute Czech flower buttons so that I could try making a button and loop clasp like she uses on a lot of her bracelets. It worked quite well except that I made my bracelet slightly too short. When I use magnetic clasps on my bracelets, I have some leeway because I can add extra jump rings if they come out a little snug. With a button and loop fastening, you have to guess right on the length or make the bracelet over again. If I were to add another motif it would come out too long. So, my plan is to add another little section of four seed beads and a fire polished bead on the end near the button.
NOTE: I have only seen these SuperDuos in one Etsy shop and they no longer have them in stock.
You can buy Claire's "Bridges Bracelet" pattern HERE. You'll find the Czech flower buttons HERE.
The content of this post has been moved to my new tangle blog HERE.
- 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Duracoat Gold" (4202)
- 11/0 Miyuki Delica beads "Duracoat Gold" (DB1832)
- 11/0 Miyuki Delica beads "Opaque Black" (DB10)
- 11/0 Miyuki Delica beads "Opaque Red" (DB723)
My sister-in-law also asked me to make some Russian Leaf earrings for her in red and black. I made the sample on the left first. I like the wide black stripe along the outer edge but the black became nearly invisible when I put the earring on. I decided to make another sample with gold beads around the outer edge and I think they help define the shape of the earring.
Watch Jill Wiseman's YouTube video tutorial HERE to learn how to make Russian Leaf earrings similar to these and download her free PDF HERE. You can buy Delica beads at Baubles & Beads, Red Panda, Aura Crystals and Supply Emporium on Etsy.
BRIDGES BRACELET
- 11/0 seed beads Toho "Metallic Hematite" (81)
- 8/0 seed beads Toho "Metallic Hematite" (81)
- Silky beads "Alabaster Lila Vega"
- 3mm fire polished beads "Stone Amethyst Luster"
- SuperDuo beads "Polychrome Orchid Aqua"
Today's bracelet is another colorway made with Claire's new "Bridges Bracelet" pattern which you can buy HERE at Supply Emporium. Claire has the 11/0 seed beads HERE, the Silky beads HERE and the Superduos HERE.
I had a little trouble making this bracelet even though I had no issues with the one that I blogged about yesterday. I had a hard time getting my needle through some of the 3mm fire polished beads by about the third time passing through them. Next time I make this bracelet I will use Fireline instead of Nymo D thread.
BRIDGES BRACELET
- 11/0 seed beads Toho "Metallic Bronze Antique Gold" (225)
- 8/0 seed beads Toho "Metallic Bronze Antique Gold" (225)
- Silky beads "Turquoise Amber Picasso" (Supply Emporium)
- 3mm fire polished beads "Turquoise Amber Picasso" (Supply Emporium)
- SuperDuo beads "Blue Green Stone aka Chalk Lumi Green aka Chalk Lazure Blue" (Supply Emporium)
My friend, Claire, has finally finished the lovely bracelet pattern that I told you about in THIS post. The pattern is for sale in her Etsy shop HERE. She also has a bead pack that you can buy that contains all of the beads and supplies needed to make the bracelet in the photo on the pattern. The pattern is sold separately and is not included in the bead pack. The pattern is super easy to make and it includes instructions for adding a button clasp. I didn't have a suitable button so I put a magnetic clasp on mine.
I showed you the sample above in my previous post about Claire's pattern. I used most of the same beads to make today's bracelet but I changed the seed beads and only used SuperDuos in one color instead of two. Since Claire's pattern works best with Toho seed beads, I decided to use one of my favorite Toho metallic colors which is Metallic Bronze Antique Gold. Supply Emporium has these 11/0 seed beads HERE and in 8/0 HERE. I had used Miyuki dark bronze beads in the sample and it came out a little warped because the seed beads were too small.
- 8/0 seed beads "Matte Black" (no info available)
- 11/0 Miyuki Delica beads "Opaque Black" (DB10)
- 11/0 Miyuki Delica beads "Dyed Opaque Red" (DB791)
- 11/0 Miyuki Delica beads "Opaque Pear" (DB1131)
Back in August, I showed you some fringe earring samples HERE that I had made at my sister-in-law's request. She also saw another pair of fringe earrings that she liked on Etsy. As with the other ones, she wanted me to come up with a shorter version. This one came out quite well even though I used Delica beads instead of Czech seed beads like were used to make the original earrings. I was also able to shorten the fringe but still retain the character of the design. I still need to make samples of some Peyote Triangle Earrings and some Russian Leaf earrings for Jan's approval. She wants all of the earrings to be mainly in red and black.
