Bracelets Galore!

Tags

beads, beadweaving, beadwork, bracelet, jewelry, needle weaving

I have been needle weaving bracelets galore! I find this a relaxing and meditative activity not in part because every design I do is improvised and therefore completely unique. I invent them as I do them, which means sometimes I have to undo something that really isn’t working or drastically change the concept as I’m working on the bracelet.

“Blues Weave”

“Golden Tangerine”

“Blue on Blue”

This makes it so much fun for me. I never know what’s going to happen or what the piece will look like until it is “finished”. You can be certain that every bracelet is one of a kind.

“Seashore”, “Beaded Bead in Silver” and “Brown Ombre”

You can see in the photo above the ‘Beaded Bead” where I created a tube in circulat peyote stitch and then made a slightly larger and shorter one as a “bead” that was slid onto it. With some added beads onto the silver, smaller tube to prevent the large “bead” from sliding off, I then finished the piece with a beaded chain and loop closure. This was a design that created itself in a way as I had no idea of what it would look like until I had finished it. What a fun process!

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Blue Cuff

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bead embroidery, beads, beadwork, bracelet, cuff

A new cuff! Rich sky-blue with a centre glass cabochon in a peyote stitch setting. Suede-like lining and snap closures make this a very comfortable cuff.

Blue Cuff

Sand Coloured Cuff

Tags

bead embroidery, beads, beadwork, bracelet, colour, cuff

I called this piece “Sand Coloured” because the hues reminded me of a very close-up photo of beach sand, how it is so full of soft multi colours and water worn shapes. The main focus of the piece is the stone rectangles, perpendicular to the opened cuff, with backstitched beads and bugles flowing around the stones. The outside edge of the cuff itself has soft waves, spiral edged with more beads.

“Sand Colours” Cuff Closed

The cuff is backed with soft faux suede and closes with two snaps. The snaps keep it in place so nicely, not too tight but not wiggly. This is so comfortable to wear that I forget it is on – until I see it!

“Sand Colours” Cuff

Luscious Red-Pink Cuff

Tags

beads, beadwork, belly dance, bracelet, burlesque, Hand Flower, hearts, jewellery, jewelry, Slave Bracelet

I really like this cuff that I made a while ago. I meant to sell it but I’ve worn it so many times that I think it’s mine now. Not to worry, I’ll make more – it’s fun to make and different enough that I think it will be as popular with others as it is with me! I will have to make a few sizes (S, M, L) as it doesn’t stretch or hang, but must fit nicely around the wrist.

Red Pink Cuff – On Wrist

The cuff was beaded on a sturdy base and lined with faux suede. My favorite round glass stone is the centre point (I think I like these kind of stones so much because they remind me of medieval cabochon jewels). There is a tiny pink Swarovksi heart bead at the tip of the point. A dash of sweetness and romance!

Red Pink Cuff – Flat

Great Art Walk!

Tags

applique, bead embroidery, beads, beadweaving, beadwork, bracelet, burlesque, costume, fascinator, jewellery, jewelry

Every year my cities’ arts council puts on an Art Walk. This works by pairing local merchants with artists for a few weeks in the summer. The partners work together to promote each other through displays and buzz. Maps are printed out for locals and tourists so they can take a walking tour downtown and see the awesome displays in the store windows.

This year I was lucky to have a great merchant to work with. Here is a collage of the great display she did of my work! Thanks Charlene. 🙂

Art Walk 2013 Display

Of course the art works are for sale. This is great way to promote local arts and craftspeople. Thank you Arts Council too.

White Bridal Cuff

Tags

bead embroidery, beads, beadwork, bracelet, costume, jewellery, jewelry, peyote stitch, wedding

I took five white stones in an assortment of opaque, clear, and milky and attached them to a strong backing with my favorite peyote stitch, then decorated the rest of the fabric. The backing is faux suede. It closes with pearls and beaded loops. I like it!

White Bridal Cuff

Three New Bracelets

Tags

beadweaving, beadwork, bracelet, jewellery, jewelry, peyote stitch

Just three new bracelets that will be up on Etsy for sale very soon. The middle one is cool because it has a beaded bead (peyote stitched tube) threaded onto a beaded chain (herringbone stitch). The bottom bracelet is in ombre colours from black through brown, to copper, then gold. Very pretty under the light and against darker skin.

Enjoy!

Three New Bracelets

Don’t forget to click for a larger view. 🙂

Watermelon

Tags

beads, beadweaving, beadwork, bracelet, jewellery, jewelry

It’s still summer enough for a cool, refreshing watermelon…bracelet!

I would love to get real watermelon seeds to use as drops off a bracelet like this. I heard you can make watermelon seeds into beads just by piercing them when they are still wet and stringing them when they have dried. I will have to try this!

 

“Watermelon” Bracelet

 

More Hand Flowers

Tags

beadweaving, beadwork, bracelet, Hand Flower, jewellery, jewelry, Slave Bracelet

“Blue Dusk” Hand Flower

Two more hand flowers – more or less similar to the last two, as I was liking those colour schemes. The one above was actually the first hand flower piece I made. I made the bracelet part and had the disc (which was a test piece for the round bits I was experimenting with) laying beside it. Put them together and – here I am now, making one every day… The disc part is very tight and solid and the band is wider than most of the others I have made.

The hand flower below is another soft blue and pink piece and on this one the effect is less like a flower and more lacy than the first one I made in these colours. It is very delicate and I like it quite a bit.

 

“Light Blues II” Hand Flower

 

Hand Flowers – Also Known as “Slave Bracelets”

Tags

beadweaving, beadwork, bracelet, Hand Flower, jewellery, jewelry, Slave Bracelet

My newest bead adventure is Hand Flowers, which are bracelets with a decorative attachment to finger ring(s) or loops.

Making the beaded circles put a lot of one-off beaded shapes on the table as I was experimenting with getting the right look. A beaded bracelet laying beside a few round beaded bits made me think perhaps I could attach them together and not have my experiments go to waste.

But who wants flapping bits on a bracelet? Dangling bits, maybe, but flapping is not nice at all. Then it struck me – anchor them to a finger!

 

“Blue Dusk” Hand Flower

“Light Blues” Hand Flower

These are fun to make and quite comfortable. I will have to check how they fit on different sized hands. I would also like to try making an actual beaded ring instead of a finger loop, but that would have to have a custom fit to make it work, I think.