SILVER MOON EARRINGS
- 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (11-457D)
- 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (8-458)
- 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Olivine" (8-4501)
- 4mm bicones "Amethyst Brown" (Chinavoski - no info available)
- 3mm druks "Jet Copper Picasso" (no longer available)
For more information about this free pattern, click HERE.
SILVER MOON EARRINGS
- 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Light Bronze" (11-457L)
- 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Light Bronze" (8-457L)
- 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Hybrid Transparent Light Topaz Picasso" (8-4501)
- 4mm bicones "Light Smoked Topaz - #C29 AB" (Beads One)
- 3mm druks "Opaque Rose & Topaz Luster"
For more information about this free pattern, click HERE.
SILVER MOON EARRINGS
- 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (11-457D)
- 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (8-457D)
- 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Hybrid Opaque Turquoise Blue Picasso" (4514)
- 4mm bicones "#C51" (Beads One)
- 3mm druks "Turquoise Picasso"
For more information about this free pattern, click HERE.
SILVER MOON EARRINGS
- 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Metallic Chocolate" (11-461)
- 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Duracoat Galvanized Mink Bronze" (D4213)
- 4mm bicones "Champagne Silver AB" (from China)
- 3mm druks "Opaque Gold and Smoky Topaz Luster"
The seed beads are actually a very light copper color but when combined with the slightly purple druks, the effect is a soft mauve. For more information about this free pattern, click HERE.
UPDATE: Just to prove my point about the earrings looking mauve even though there are no purple beads in them, take a look at the listing for the "Duracoat Galvanized Mink Bronze" seed beads that I used on the Aura Crystals site HERE. They call them "Dark Mauve" but the color number is the same: "4213". To me, they don't look mauve at all by themselves but the druks and crystals somehow give them the look of mauve. Maybe not so much in the photos but definitely in real life.
SILVER MOON EARRINGS
- 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Light Bronze" (11-457L)
- 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Light Bronze" (8-457L)
- 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Hybrid Opaque Red Picasso" (8-4513)
- 4mm bicones "Emerald"
- 3mm druks "Red Picasso"
It wasn't my intention to make Christmas earrings but these would be very pretty for the holidays. They're red and green but somewhat muted tones of the traditional Christmas colors.
Read Monday's post, HERE, for more information about this pattern and where to get it.
SILVER MOON EARRINGS
- 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Duracoat Galvanized Pewter" (D4222)
- 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Duracoat Galvanized Pewter" (D4222)
- 8/0 seed beads "Sage Green Luster" (8-431M) *
- 4mm bicones "Vitral Green - #C50" (Beads One)
- 3mm druks "Green Marble Luster Picasso"
* I don't know the brand and couldn't find any info about them online. There was no color name on the tube so the name I've given them is my own interpretation.
For more information about Jaycee's free "Silver Moon Earrings" pattern, and where to download it, read my previous post HERE.
Here are a few more tips for this pattern:
1. As I make each of the petals, I right away weave back around through them one more time before adding the next petal.
2. After I've added the loop for the earring wire, I weave around the entire perimeter of the earring to give it more stability. I go through the seed beads on the outer edge of each petal and go through each bicone to the next petal and so on. Once I've gone all the way around, and back through the loop for good measure, I weave in my working thread and cut it off.
3. I use the tail thread to circle around the inner ring of 8/0 seed beads two or three times before cutting the thread.
4. I recommend using Nymo D thread for these earrings. It gives them a little more body than finer thread would. You will also need to use a size 12 needle because there are some tight spots to go through.
This was actually one of the very first earring patterns that I ever made but I hadn't posted about it before because I didn't have any good photos of them. You see, I made them for a gift so I couldn't get a better photo until I had a chance to make another pair. They're the black ones below. The pattern is from Jaycee Patterns. (site is no longer available) I see this pattern pinned on Pinterest all the time but I don't think I've ever seen any other photos of them other than the one on the pattern. Since the pattern is free, I hope that this post will inspire everyone to try it out and post some photos of their earrings on Pinterest. It's easy, quick and fun to make. The earring in the photo on the left is one of my very early samples made as directed by the pattern.
I have to admit that it was a challenge to come up with color combinations that I liked because of the design and the kinds of beads that are used. I had to find a combination of 8/0 seed beads, 3mm druks and 4mm bicones that all went well together. I've always liked the black ones but I think that the yellow Picasso earrings might be my new favorites.
When I made them this time around, I decided to tweak the loops at the top a little. I kept having trouble getting the the loops to come out nice and even when they were longer so I cropped them down and added an 8/0 seed bead for a jump ring to go through for attaching the wire. They still look almost the same as the original pattern but the jump ring allows the earrings to move more freely when you're wearing them.
Here's another little tip for this pattern:
After you make your earrings, press them flat under something heavy for a few hours or overnight. Make sure that you protect them first by covering them with a soft cloth or paper towel. Flattening gives them a nice crisp appearance. They're fine as they are but I think you'll see a slight difference after pressing them.
Click HERE to download the free pattern from Charlene's bead shop site.
After making the three pairs of earrings I'm posting today, I came up with eight more color combinations that I will post over the next week or so plus a fun little surprise at the end. Oh, and while I'm thinking of it, I've found that some 3mm druks are a bit bigger than others and sometimes the larger ones can cause the earrings to warp slightly. If you find that happening, the solution is to add six seed beads to each "petal" instead of just five. Doing so doesn't affect any other part of the pattern but it results in nice, flat earrings.
- 11/0 seed beads Toho "Hybrid Antiqued Metallic Black" (TY-11-Y0503) *
- 8/0 seed beads Toho "Hybrid Antiqued Metallic Black" (TBRD8-Y503)
- 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (8-457D)
- 4mm bicones "#C47" (Beads One)
- 3mm druks "Bronze"
* This color also goes by the name "Hybrid Jet Bronze Picasso" (11-Y506). Although the color numbers are different, they're identical. I know this because I have some of each.
- 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (11-457D)
- 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (8-457D)
- 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Hybrid Opaque Yellow Picasso" (8-4512)
- 4mm bicones "Colorado AB - #C26 AB" (Beads One)
- 3mm druks "Dark Travertin"
- 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Antique Silver-Nickel" (11-464A)
- 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Antique Silver-Nickel" (8-464A)
- 8/0 seed beads Toho "Silver-Lined Milky Nutmeg" (8-2114)
- 4mm bicones "Amethyst AB - #C12 AB" (Beads One)
- 3mm druks "Metallic Amethyst Matte Luster"
I might not be posting quite as often for a while once I've posted all of these earrings. It's the time of year for making Christmas goodies so most of the projects that I'll be making will be for gifts. Since I won't want to spoil the surprise, I won't post about them until after the holidays.
