CRAW Bangle

This has got to be the longest time it has taken me to finish a bracelet. And not because it's too difficult. I've just been so busy lately.

But I love cubic right angle weave and this bangle is my own design. I guess the reason why it's taking longer than usual too is because I'm adjusting as I go along.

I'm now using my new Tulip size 13 beading needle and I love it! It's quite tricky to thread though, as the eye is quite small. It's also shorter than the average size 12 beading needle. And it's so sharp! I pricked myself a few times as I wasn't used to the length. It takes getting used to.

But it feels really lovely, it doesn't bend yet it's very flexible. Another marvel from Japan. They make so many cool things there.

This is the bangle so far. I placed a bezeled 14mm Swarovski rivoli as focal bead. I have a few gaps in between the Craw bands where I'll put 4mm bicones in the same color as the rivoli. Then I'll put a continuous CRAW band for the final layer.

Floral Inspiration Bracelet

This next bracelet was from a design by Callie Mitchell featured in Bead and Button Magazine. The inspiration for this bracelet is the mimosa flower, which looks like a fireworks burst.

Its main base is a double St. Petersburg stitch, which uses size 15s as the main bead and 11s at the ends before another 15 to bring the thread back into the stitch.

The center spine uses 11s as well.

The spine is then embellished with 4mm bicones between two 15s, alternating along the 11s along the length of the spine. In my bracelet I used 23 bicones.

The end of the toggle is then composed of the "mimosa" feature, with dainty bead strands mimicking the thin needle-like petals of the mimosa.

The finished bracelet. The other end of the toggle is a 6mm x 11mm Swarovski crystal top-drilled teardrop crystal that should fit tightly into the hole made by the "mimosa" part of the toggle.

Bugle Bracelet Number 3

Decided to do another bugle bracelet and I definitely love how quickly this stitch works up.

I made a bangle this time and even without a tube or wire at the center I think it's firm enough.

I alternated a metallic brown rocaille with pink at the center, and used silver lined size 15s in between.

The bugle beads I used are a caramel color with a rainbow sheen.

Here's the finished bangle. I really love this pattern.

Finally!!!

Finally finished the green herringbone bracelet a couple of days ago. Been so busy with the office but I'm happy I was able to make some time for beading again.

Here it is.

Bugle Bracelet #2

Made a green version of the bugle bracelet. This particular stitch is definitely one of my favorites now. But I have to say that the bugle beads have to be 6mm. Or, alternatively, if longer bugle beads are used, more seed beads should be added to the round as well. This compensates for that.

I used bead caps again at the ends. To reinforce the bead caps and prevent them from moving out of place, I sewed through the flutings of the bead caps and through the beads underneath to fix them in place.

Not sure if you can see here how I fixed the bead caps. I also don't have a crimping plier (not locally available and I don't use it too often) so when I flattened out my crimp bead, I filed the corners just to get rid of the sharp edges.

Bugle Bracelet 2

Making a second Bugle Bracelet with different colors. It really works up quite quickly.

In contrast, the Cellini spiral takes long to make. The one I started took so long to finish and when I closed it up into a bracelet I discovered that it was too short. My bad, I got too impatient and didn't really measure. It would have been pretty though if I did it properly. Oh well.

The second Bugle Bracelet on the top is made from 6mm blue twisted bugle beads and size 11 Japanese round seed beads. This time with green and gold beads.

Bugle Bracelet

Been busy the past few weeks and I haven't been able to make anything. Started again last night and finished this Bugle Bracelet today.

It's from a pattern from Bead and Button Magazine October 2011 called "Russian Wraparound" by Carolyn Cave.

I decided to use two colors for the round size 11 seed beads instead of three.

I'm using 6mm twisted bugle beads.

The bracelet is done in a Russian spiral and is fairly easy to understand once you get the pattern. It also works up quite quickly and it's very pretty. It's now one of my favorite spiral stitches.

Here is the finished bracelet. I placed bead caps at the ends, and I ran flexible wire through the middle of the bracelet so I can crimp the ends. Then I used jump rings to attach the clasp, which in this case is a toggle.

Tube bracelet finished

Been down with the flu for the past few days. Felt better today so I decided to finish this tube bracelet as it seems to be taking me so long already.

So I added "tube parts" to the rest of the components so that each component in the "spine" now had a "tube part."

It now kinda looks like a solid tube this way.

At this point I was already improvising and wasn't referring to the pattern anymore.

The next thing I did was to close up one end.

To close this end I added thread so that I came out of the green bead and made another component to join with the other one on the opposite side.

This is the loop end of the beaded toggle clasp.

This is how it looks from the side.

Now before I can close the other end I have to fill the tube with the cherry quartz beads strung on flexible wire. I pulled it tight on the end that was already closed.

When I did this, the bracelet itself had to be clasped. If it was strung while the bracelet was straight and then closed up on the other end, you wouldn't be able to bend the bracelet around your wrist.

Here I saw that I lacked a cherry quartz bead at the end so I added one more.

I closed up the other end by using crimp beads, snipping off the wire and slipping it back through the last cherry bead on both ends. I made sure that everything was nice and snug. The bracelet still has to be clasped when closing the other end and crimping both ends.

The finished bracelet.

I actually added one more loop to the loop side of the clasp so that it could be worn looser. I made this for an 8-year old but the second loop will ensure that she can wear it even when she's a bit older.

Tube Bracelet part 3

Finished the "tube parts" and simulated the beads strung up in the middle.

It looks okay laid out straight. But when in a circle (which is how it will be worn anyway) I think it might be better to fill out the rest of the "tube parts." The cherry quartz beads will still be given enough peek-a-boo exposure.

I used flexible wire to string the cherry quartz beads to give the bracelet more structural support at the core.