I made two more beaded bails for a couple of pendants.
The black onyx pendant is a beautiful teardrop shape with a gold engraving of Mandarin ducks. I used a hexagon-shaped bail this time for a change.
I placed 2mm round fire polished crystals at the front and back hexagon parts as there is a hole from the original six-bead ring.
This crystal is a small phantom quartz, so the bail has to be smaller. I made two 3-row triangles and connected one side with flat peyote. Just a simple piece.
Today I'm making beaded bails for four beautiful stones so they can be used as pendants. This is a nice alternative to the ready made metal bails available out there.
This is the first stone done. This is a beautiful teardrop shaped rutilated quartz, around 32mm x 22mm.
The bail is basically made up of two small triangles, just around four rows. Then I connected the two triangles on one side with peyote stitch, around five rows. This will allow any thickness of chain or rope to go through the bail.
Then I closed it by adding size 15 seed beads on the point of one triangle, through the hole in the stone, and the same number of beads through the point of the other triangle. I run the thread through the same way another time and this closes the bail.
Two rutilated quartz pendants with beaded triangular bails.
Still in flashback mode.
The next project I did back in June was Carolyn Cave's Rivoli Twist bracelet from the August 2010 issue of Bead and Button Magazine.
After doing crossweave I wanted something different and had just gotten my new stash from Fusionbeads.com so I was excited to get started. I didn't get rivolis though so I decided to just make the bracelet version, so it's a Rivoli Twist without the rivoli. :)
The first twist in a series of seven. The curve is formed by the change in the size of the beads used. 6mm Swarovski bicones became the "intersection" of the twists. Clever design by Carolyn Cave.
At this point I thought of making a beaded toggle clasp instead, as I didn't have an elaborate one.
The finished bracelet. I had to adjust the toggle clasp a few times as the bracelet ended up being a bit too long and would slide right off my wrist. It worked out nicely when it was done.
I looved the 2mm Swarovski round crystals. They aren't available locally so I had to get them from Fusionbeads as well.
Starting on a new project. I made a twisted herringbone rope a few weeks ago and now I'm going to make a focal bead for it.
I chose Gill Stone's Galaxy Bead from Bead and Button February 2011.
In the article it said that Gill Stone was killed in a motorcycle accident while she and her husband were in Germany. So tragic.
Finished three parts of the bead, five more to go. I chose size 8 round seed beads for the center instead of the 4mm bicones called for in the pattern because somehow I couldn't get 4mm crystals to fit. I think it looks okay.
This is the herringbone necklace. I used size 10 clear hex beads with AB finish, so I'm matching the Galaxy Bead by using white rainbow finish Delicas and the same color beads I used as accents.
Next project - tricky faceted emeralds. The back part is more domed than the front, and is also faceted. Not sure then if you can call them cabochons.
Started out with Delica cylinders in gunmetal color with black size 15s. The client requested black.
Not content yet, I added another layer of edge beads, I chose metallic dark purple 15s for this.
Then I made a loop and placed a 2mm Czech fire polished round for a bit of contrast.
Then decided to add 15s in another layer around the bezel but not at the edge as I didn't want the visible surface are of the emerald to get smaller. The 15s are in a color similar to the Czech round.
I think it looks much better now. The client wanted it simple and elegant so I hope the extra touch of the 15s tied in with the Czech rounds to give it visual unity.
And here are the three rings I've been asked to make.
Resting on my beeswax bar :)
Last ring for this batch is this a moonstone bezel. I used rainbow blue Delica cylinders and various 15s and 13s.
I put size 15 silver-lined gold seed beads along the edge of the ring band for a bit of embellishment.
Made this Breast Cancer Awareness ribbon from a pattern by Elizabeth Pullan. It uses a combination of peyote for the body and decreasing brick stitch for the ribbon ends.
I'm using a salmon-colored Delica instead as I don't have baby pink.
It's supposed to be an angel, but I didn't put the angel part yet and I'm thinking if I need to. I think it's fine as it is. I'll just attach it to a brooch finding.
Working on a new project. The stone is a phantom quartz, a cabochon around 24mm x 16mm. Quite tricky for me to bezel as it is elongated.
It's quite lovely, there are flecks of green within the crystal itself so I decided to use a green Delica with silver lined brown size 15s to cinch it. Of course there's still the usual 13 Czech charlottes.
I bezeled it in such a way that the stone itself is clear and you can see right through it. It's interesting how the stone refracts images around it in such a way that even though the back is bezeled quite tighter, it isn't showing in front.
Here is the back.
Finally finished Laura McCabe's Pearl Orbit bracelet and it actually looks like the one in the magazine picture. :)
The connectors were kinda tricky but once I got the hang of it I came to appreciate and make sense of it.
I just wish I had more gold-toned cylinder beads. The transparent topaz seems to be too much here. Or not. Maybe it's just right as it provides some other color to pop out.
The finished bracelet. Fits nicely too.
I got a request today to make a quick cabochon bezel ring. So I set aside the Pearl Orbit project for the meantime to work on the ring.
The stone is oval, around 8mm x 12mm. It's such a stunning stone. It has these little light refractions similar to Tiger's Eye, but it crisscrosses in two directions and only at a certain angle to light. It's pretty special.
The cabochon belongs to my client. She said it's just lying around and she was reluctant to have it set in silver and wanted something different.
I started working on the bezel itself a couple of hours ago, and I used size 11 Delica cylinders. I used size 15 rocailles for the reducers and size 13 Charlottes for the embellishment. I didn't want to overdo the embellishment because I didn't want to distract too much from the beauty of the cabochon and wanted to make it my focus.
I was thinking of making a flat herringbone for the band but decided that peyote flows more smoothly and therefore will be sturdier because everything fits together nicely. Will continue the band tomorrow.
The picture can't capture the beauty of the stone well enough.
Continuing with Laura McCabe's Pearl Orbit bracelet.
Continued embellishing today. I could imagine that it might be cuter if I used size 15 Charlottes. Although I guess it still looks nice using size 13s.
Finished embellishing three rings, two more to go. The sixth ring will be the toggle ring. Can't wait to finish this!
Embellishing with size 13 Czech Charlottes
Finished one ring
Kinda looks like eyes!
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| The one on the left has tighter tension. The one on the right is a bit looser and I think it looks better. |
I bought this kit from Fusionbeads.com last March and this is my very first project. I was so excited because after practicing with the only locally available Chinese seed beads, working with Miyuki delica cylinder beads was simply delightful!
It was also my first time to use Fireline and it was also a pleasant surprise and I've loved it ever since. I found that I couldn't cut it with regular scissors. That's how strong it is. I had to use a cutter blade a few times just to cut it off.
It was the perfect beginner project as it used even-count Peyote stitch. The fringe was also quite easy, but I just had to have enough patience for it! :)
Here is the finished bracelet. I love the clasp as it's multi-strand and magnetic, which isn't locally available.
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| First version of the ring. The individual components are only joined by a single bead. |
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| Crystals rearranged. I think it does look better. |
