New Goodies and A Lovely Suprise

I placed an order last week with Beads Direct during their big summer sale for loads of bits from findings to beads and stringing materials and today they arrived. I had been waiting so much for them to arrive because I couldn't wait to get my new Beadalon Coiling Gizmo. I have made my own jump rings and coils in the past using my trusty nail (see here) but I have wanted an actual tool for a while and decided it was finally time to buy one. So watch out for a future post to see how I get on with it.

Hopefully I will have loads of new pictures coming soon to show you exactly what I've been making with my new box of goodies.

I also got a lovely surprise this week when I went onto the Beads Direct website and saw my Morrocan Bracelet from the Bead Soup Blog Party featured on their website. I had added this to a group page that beads direct have for bracelet designs.

Rosary Bead Tutorial

I make a lot of Rosary Beads and I have been asked to make a tutorial a few times (and I'm long over due a new tutorial) so here it is.

What You Need:
6x    6mm White Glass Pearls
53x  4mm White Glass Pearls
0.8mm Silver Plated Wire
4x 4mm Silver Plated Jump Rings
Fine Silver Plated Chain
Rosary Connector
Cross
Charm

Step 1:

Make a simple loop of either side of all 59 beads. (Click Here to see how to make a simple loop)

Step 2:

Working with the 4mm pearls, open the loop and join to another pearl and close the loop until you have 5 strands of 10 beads and 1 strand of 3 beads.

Step 3:

You need 14 short lengths of chain. I usually count out a certain number of links (5 in this case depending on the size of the beads Im working with).









Step 4:

Using 12 of the pieces of chain, attach a piece to each side of a 6mm pearl by opening the loop and securing it closed again. You have now 2 pieces of chain left.

Step 5:

Attach the final 2 pieces of chain to the rosary connector using jump rings.

Step 6:

Using a jump ring attach the chain connected to one of the 6mm pearls to the bottom of the connector. Attach the strand of 3 4mm pearls to the end of the chain and again another 6mm pearl.

Step 7:

Next join a strand of 10 4mm pearls to the chain of the 6mm pearl and continue around until all of the beads are connected together. Attach this to either side of the connector.

Step 8:

Using a jump ring attach the cross and charm to he chain.














Rosary Beads can make a great gift and can be made using any beads in any colour. I have made them using Swarovski Crystals in birthstone colours and changed the charm around to something suitable. Let me know how you have made yours.

Memory Wire Bracelet

When I was younger I worked a lot with memory wire. Its an inexpensive and quick way to make a stacked bracelet but as I got more experienced and had access to more beads and componants I just sort of stopped using it. But I've always had a supply of it sitting there waiting to be used. And today seemed like a good day to get back to it.

I recently received a pack of beads and charms from The Spellbound Bead Co after Bead Magazine published a picture of my jewellery in their 'Indian Summer' Readers Challenge. The beads are beautiful and it has taken me a while to decide what to use them for (I had too many ideas really). But this bracelet seemed like the perfect use of them. Click here to see my post about the Indian Summer Challenge.

One of the things I love about memory wire is that if you don't like how the beads are looking or sitting you can very easily just take the beads off the wire and bead them on again. I did this about 4 or 5 times while putting this bracelet together. Sometimes the beads just sit wrong on top of each other. There's no waste or major time delays with memory wire. Its exactly why I liked using it years ago that I had forgotten about. I can see myself using it again a lot over the next while.

So I have used a bit of each of the beads sent to me and one of each of the charms. The only thing I have used in this bracelet out of my stash of beads and bits is the memory wire and the pewter daisy spacers. I love the colour combination here and the charms suit the colours and give the bracelet a lovely theme. Its a simple bracelet but I'm loving it.

Designer Challenge in Beads & Beyond Magazine

Beads & Beyond magazine (that I love and get every month!) was asking a while back for applications to take part in a Designer Challenge that they run in every issue. This is normally only open to their regular designers so when I saw that they where opening it to readers I jumped at the chance and applied. I was asked why I wanted to take part and had to submit a few pictures of my work and a few weeks later I received an email telling me that I was successful.

I was sent a package containing different types of beads from Jilly Beads which is a great bead shop based in Morecambe in the UK. They have a huge range of products at great prices and they picked some lovely things to send me for the challenge. I love the beads that I was sent. There was such a variety of different types of beads in the package.

I had to make three different pieces and write up the instructions. I love the pieces I made and cant wait to wear them.

Today I went and picked up my copy of Septembers issue of Beads & Beyond Magazine and I was so happy when I saw he pieces photographed so well. (I'm not a great photographer so its lovely to see my pieces photographed so well). The other three designers Claire Holbrook, Sue Rennie and Claire Wolfe's pieces are stunning and show just how different four people can work with the same package of beads.

So don't forget to pick up Septembers issue of Beads & Beyond Magazine (my pieces are page 66) and see the challenge pieces for yourself.

20,000 Hits Thank You

So my blog has had 20,000 hits already in only 8 months. I've had plenty of feedback from everyone and lovely comments along the way. Hopefully you will all continue to like what I post and follow me along as the blog grows.

Oh Pretty New Beads

I got a lovely package in the post this morning from The Spellbound Bead Co. and Bead Magazine that I wasn't expecting for another little while. This is the prize I was sent for having my piece chosen for the Readers Challenge in issue 48 of Bead Magazine. The theme was Indian Summer so the beads sent to me have the same theme. 

I love them especially the little charms. I can't wait to make something with them. So thank you to Bead Magazine and The Spellbound Bead Co. 

My Bracelets Where In Bead Magazine

Thank you to Bead Magazine for choosing my bracelets as part of the Issue 48's Readers Challenge. The theme was 'Indian Summer' and I chose these bracelets to submit because of the variety of colours reminded me of the summer colours. I love that these bracelets can be stacked up and worn differently everytime.

I have submitted a few pieces before for the Readers Challenge but this is the first time my pieces has been published in the magazine so I'm very happy. See the album of all pieces submitted here.

Oh Look What I Got

I entered into a giveaway run by Toltec Jewels a while back and was told I had won one of the beautiful pieces made by Blu Mudd. I wasn't sure what piece I was getting so it was a lovely surprise to open the pack and see this beautiful piece of work. I haven't done anything with it just yet because it is so nice I need to think of a special piece to incorporate it into.

Thank you to Toltec Jewels and Blu Mudd for this amazing piece of art. Below the picture you will find all of the links you need to contact both Blu Mudd and Toltec Jewels.

Toltec Jewels: Etsy shop, Blog, Facebook
Blu Mudd: Online Shop

A 5 Year Olds Style

My little cousin is 5 now and has been asking me for a while to make her own necklace so I decided to bring her to the bead shop this week and let her pick her own beads. I was really suprised by her sense of style. She knew exactly what she was after and was describing how she was going to make it as she walked around picking out her beads.

Somwhere along the way a bracelet design was being talked about as well so she wanted to make sure she had enough beads to make her set. As soon as she had the beads in her backpack she was wanting to go straight home to make her pieces.

I set her up at the table and gave her my bead mat to stop everything rolling away and was about to start helping her but I wasn't exactly needed. She laid her beads out in the order she wanted to string them and I cut her elastic and away she went. I was only there to tell her when the pieces where long enough I think. When she was done she put them straight on and hasn't taken them off since. She is so proud of herself and so am I. It had never occured to me that she was watching me as closely as she was that she was so capable to make her pieces by herself.

I've now been told about our next trip to the bead shop and what she will be adding to the left over beads she has in her pink box to make her next few pieces. I think I have created a monster. Now I just have to decide what techniques to teach her next.

I Won

I entered my Batman Bracelet into the Funky Laser competition on facebook about a week ago and today I won. So thank you to everyone who voted and to Funky Laser for allowing us all to enter. Please click here to visit their site and see what you could buy. They have a wide range of items and can be customised too. Happy shopping.