Free Beading Pattern: Esther Silky Bracelet

ESTHER SILKY BRACELET

• 11/0 seed beads Toho "Antique Bronze" (223)
• 8/0 seed beads Toho "Antique Bronze" (223)
• 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Hybrid Opaque Turquoise Blue Picasso" (4514)
• Silky beads "Opaque Green Turquoise Picasso"

I named this pattern in honor of my Mom who passed away many years ago. It would have been fun to make bracelets and earrings for her. The design is based on Teejay's adaptation of Deborah Roberti's "Bobble Bangle" which you can buy, HERE. Teejay's version uses SuperDuo beads instead of the 4mm beads that Deb's pattern calls for and I found a way to make the pattern work with Silky beads. As you'll see in the photo below, you can substitute 2mm pearls for the 8/0 accent beads for a different look.

TIP: Just a reminder that whenever you're working with Silky beads it's important to check to make sure that all of the holes are clear before you start using them. I'm pretty good about doing that but I somehow missed one the other day and had to take apart and re-make a bracelet because a Silky bead that I missed checking had only one hole. The other hole wasn't just plugged, there was no sign of a hole at all. 

• 11/0 seed beads "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 8/0 seed beads "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• Silky beads "Pastel Burgundy"
• 2mm pearls "Ivory"

Click HERE to download the free pattern

If you like this pattern, please consider making a voluntary donation through PayPal using the DONATE button on the right.

NOTE: I don't mind if you sell the projects that you make with our patterns, but please mention that you got the pattern from Linda's Crafty Inspirations. Please contact me for information about teaching this or any of our patterns in a class.

 

Sad news in the beading community

Although I didn't know beadwork designer Justyna Szlezak personally, I'm a huge fan of her "Dragonfly Bracelet" pattern. Sadly, Justyna passed away on August 10, 2015. You can read more about it on her blog, HERE. Her patterns are no longer available in her Eridhan Creations Etsy shop, but how about if we do as Laurie Brennan has done on our group Pinterest board and post some photos on Pinterest of bracelets that we've made with Justyna's patterns as a tribute to her.

Here are a couple of my Dragonfly bracelets:

Teejay made this one for me:

Bracelet of the Day: Bobble Bangle - Mauve & Pewter

BOBBLE BANGLE

• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Duracoat Galvanized Pewter" (D4222)
• 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Duracoat Galvanized Pewter" (D4222)
• 5mm rondelles "Mauve and Silver" (from China)

Teejay sent me these pretty rondelles a while back and I thought they'd work great with Deb Roberti's "Bobble Bangles" pattern. One of the nice things about that pattern is that it seems to adjust itself to fit whatever large beads you're using, within reason of course. When I started making this bracelet, I assumed that these rondelles were 4mm (3x4mm). It wasn't until I later tried making a pair of Nunzia's "Easy Earrings" to go with it that I realized that they're a bit larger than 4mm. They actually measure 4x5mm so they are too big for the earring pattern and the sample earring warped badly. That's OK though because I've got plenty of store bought pewter and silver earrings that I can wear with this bracelet.

I have no actual color information for the rondelles. I only know that they're Chinese. The main color is a sort of frosted translucent pale mauve and they're highlighted with bits of silver for sparkle.

At first I thought I would use shiny metallic Toho "Antique Silver" (#711) seed beads but they were so shiny that they detracted from the delicate mauve color of the rondelles. I think that the duller pewter seed beads are perfect. They accent the rondelles but still give the appearance of metallic silver. I think that the bracelet looks more "vintage" with the pewter beads.

You can buy Deborah Roberti's pattern at Around the Beading Table, HERE.

ADwade's SuperDuo Earrings - Suede Blue

ADWADE'S SUPERDUO EARRINGS

• 15/0 seed beads Toho "Antique Bronze" (223)
• 11/0 seed beads Toho "Antique Bronze" (223)
• 8/0 seed beads Toho "Antique Bronze" (223)
• SuperDuo beads "Metallic Suede Blue"
• 3mm druks "Metallic Suede Blue"

Here is one more pair of these beautiful earrings in bright blue. Because I used Toho seed beads this time, I had to do something slightly different to keep the earrings from warping. Normally you would exit from the bicone in the circled area in the photo below and then add those three seed beads going across and down through the SuperDuo bead.

Toho 11/0 seed beads are larger than Miyuki's so the beads were too crowded doing it that way. Instead, I exited from the 15/0 seed bead just before the 3mm druk in the circled area in the photo below. I skipped over the druk and went right down through the lower hole of the SuperDuo. Just that one little change made all the difference and the earrings came out nice and flat.

Read more about the origin of this earring design in my previous post, HERE.

I'm currently working on a new bracelet pattern with Silky beads so my posts might be a little sparse until the pattern is finished and ready to post here for download. I think you'll really like it so please be patient.
 

Bracelet of the Day: Lattice Gates Variation - Seafoam & Clay

LATTICE GATES BRACELET VARIATION

• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 11/0 seed beads Toho "Hybrid Oxidized Bronze Clay" (Y864)
• Silky beads "Sea Foam Green" (table cut)
• SuperDuo beads "Matte Ultra Green Luster"

I blogged about my adaptation of Norma Jean Dell's "Lattice Gates Bracelet" pattern twice before HERE and HERE. This time I used very subtle but dreamy colors. I thought this pattern would be a good way to use some of the amazing hybrid seed beads that I bought recently. They have a slightly metallic look and I wanted to use them in a pattern where I could use some metallic bronze seed beads as well.

I found the "Oxidized Bronze Clay" 11/0 seed beads at Simply Beads, HERE, and I haven't seen them for sale anywhere else.  Simply Beads has the best selection of hybrid seed beads that I've seen anywhere but be aware that a lot of colors are often out of stock.

The seed beads go very well with the "Sea Foam Green" Silky beads that I bought from GC Supplies Texas on Etsy HERE. These are the light sea foam Silkies. Marcia also has dark sea foam Silkies HERE. Those are also a pretty color but would be too dark to go with the colors in this bracelet.

 
You can buy Norma Jean Dell's original bracelet tutorial HERE.

ADwade's SuperDuo Earrings

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)  
• 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)  
• SuperDuo beads "Opaque Light Blue Picasso"
• 3mm fire polished beads "Smoky Topaz Luster"

Anka's "Caffe Latte" earrings are very popular on Pinterest and I really like the design. So, I looked to see where they came from to see if there was a pattern available. There doesn't appear to be a pattern for sale, only ready-to-wear earrings sold on SAShE.sk which is a Slovak site similar to Etsy. You can see the original earrings HERE. This is probably Anka's own design but if it's not please let me know if there is a pattern for these earrings. 

In any case, I was able to figure out how to make them but I chose to leave off the extra bit at the bottom of the earrings. I've made quite a few sample earrings in various colors and I love them all. The original earrings have fire polished beads in them but bicones and druks also work just as well.

Here are some other color combinations that I've tried:

• 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)
• SuperDuo beads "Pastel Burgundy"
• 3mm druks "Mirror Rose"

I did have a little trouble with the silver seed beads causing the earring to be slightly warped. I'll probably stick with Miyuki seed beads with this pattern.

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Light Bronze" (457L)
• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Light Bronze" (457L)
• 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Light Bronze" (457L)
• SuperDuo beads "Opaque Rose Gold Topaz Luster"
• 3mm bicones "Light Topaz AB"

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• SuperDuo beads "Purple Iris Matte"
• 3mm druks "Metallic Suede Pink"

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• SuperDuo beads "Metallic Suede Teal"
• 3mm fire polished beads "Viridian Celsian"

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• SuperDuo beads "Chalk Vega"
• 3mm fire polished beads "Bronze Illusion"

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Light Bronze" (457L)
• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Light Bronze" (457L)
• 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Light Bronze" (457L)
• SuperDuo beads "Opaque Ivory White"
• 3mm fire bicones "Light Topaz AB - #207" (from China)

• 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
• SuperDuo beads "Chalk Copper Picasso"
• 3mm fire polished beads "Bronze Olivine"

The two sample earrings above were my first attempts and I tried some different things with them. The one on the right has the alternating SuperDuo colors as in Anka's original but I wasn't happy with that look for some reason. I also tried a couple of different ways of attaching the wire at the top and some of my other samples have another kind of loop.

The pair at the top of my post goes very well with a "SuperDuo Flower Chain" bracelet that I made a while back. You can download the free bracelet pattern from THIS post.

Bracelet of the Day: Crystal Tile Bracelet - Capri Gold

CRYSTAL TILE BRACELET

• 11/0 seed beads Toho "Transparent Montana Gold Luster" (204)
• 8/0 seed beads Toho "Transparent Montana Gold Luster" (204)
• 4mm fire polished beads "Matte Apollo Gold"
• 4mm Czech Preciosa bicones "Capri Gold"

A few days ago I received some beautiful Czech "Capri Gold" bicones from Aura Crystals. It seems like I've been buying beads in that color (or Apollo Gold) quite a lot lately in nearly every type of beads. This color is also sometimes called "Apollo Gold". I have this color in bicones, fire polished beads, druks, SuperDuo beads, round crystals and probably a few others that I can't think of off hand. I really love the matte fire polished beads in this color and Deb Roberti's "Crystal Tile Bracelet" was the perfect pattern to use because it combines 4mm fire polished beads and 4mm bicones. I used the matte beads for the flowers and accented the corners of the "tiles" with sparkly bicones. Of course I needed to make some earrings to go with my bracelet and another one of Deb's patterns was ideal because it has a flower design similar to the bracelet and it has bicones on the edges.

You can buy the bracelet pattern HERE at Around the Beading Table.

BAROQUE EARRINGS

• 11/0 seed beads Toho "Transparent Montana Gold Luster" (204)
• 8/0 seed beads Toho "Transparent Montana Gold Luster" (204)
• 4mm fire polished beads "Matte Apollo Gold"
• 4mm Czech Preciosa bicones "Capri Gold"

The earring pattern is available HERE as part of a bracelet and earrings set.