Bees Heart Honey Necklace Tutorial

It’s the first day of September, which means that no matter how many more sunny days we may have to look forward to, it’s officially time to say goodbye to summer. With help from the Monochrome Bead Box from Blueberry Cove Beads, I decided to create a pretty necklace with a hint of summer colors, inspired by bees and honey.

This asymmetrical design is super easy to stitch, and you can create it with just about anything that you’ve got in your stash. You’ll need two focal beads of similar shape and size to get the effect – otherwise you can mix and match any seed beads and round beads that you’ve got on hand. I’m using a pair of faux lava rock hearts from the Monochrome Box in black and white; accents of yellow and topaz bring out the summery honey bee vibe. Have fun experimenting with different palettes of your own!

Materials:

About 4 yards of Fireline or your favorite beading thread
2 x 18-25 mm focal beads
2 8mm rose beads
11 6mm druks
22 5mm howlite beads
44 size 8 seed beads (yellow)
26 size 8 seed beads (black)
4 grams size 11 seed beads
Button clasp of your choice

Bees Heart Honey Necklace:

1. Attach a stop bead to a 2 yard (1.8 m) length of thread, leaving a 10 inch (25 cm) tail. String on one 11/o, one 8/o, one 5mm, one 8/o, and repeat. Add one 11/o, one 8/o, one 11/o and one druk. Slide all of the beads down to the stop bead.

2. Pick up 7 size 11/o seed beads, and pass back up through the druk again. Pull snug to form a loop of seed beads around the druk. Repeat to add a second loop.

3. String on one 11/o, and one 8/o, followed by the same pattern from step 1. Repeat until you have 4 looped druks.

4. String on one 11/o, one 8/o, one focal bead, one 8/o, one 11/o, and one rose bead. Add two loops of seven seed beads around the rose.

5. Repeat the pattern from steps 1-3 until you have added 3 druks. Add one 11/o, one 8/o, one 11/o and the second rose bead. Add seed bead loops to the rose.

6. String on one 11/o, one 8/o, and the second focal bead. Add one 8/o bead, then repeat the pattern again until you’ve added 4 more looped druks.

8. Pass back through the first 2 seed beads from the set of 10. Continue through the 8/o, 11/o, and druk and pull snug. Weave around the loops in the druk and retrace the thread path to secure the button. Weave any remaining thread into the beadwork, tying 2 half-hitch knots, and trim.

9. Remove the stop bead from the start of the necklace. Pick up enough seed beads to form a loop around your button. Pass back through the first seed bead again, and through the following beads to the nearest druk. Retrace the thread path to add strength to the loop, then weave in any remaining thread and trim.

Happy beading!

Mortira

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Copyright 2016 Inspirational Beading

Bead Color Ideas: Green Duo

While working on the often-earthy Greek and Roman projects for Ancient Worlds Modern Beads, I ended up accumulating more shades of green seed beads than I would normally ever use. Since then most of them have been untouched in my stash, waiting for another Geb-inspired design or something that would require a lot of green. For this week’s color ideas, I thought it would be both inspiring and useful to try out some accent beads against a two-tone green palette and see if anything sticks.

I had a lot of choices for the seed bead duo, but I immediately went for a hank of transparent rainbow mint that I haven’t even cut into yet. It was meant for the Atlantis lariat project, but proved to be much too shimmery for the rest of the palette. I paired it with some metallic June bug and then picked out a few ideal accent beads, starting with a strand of metallic blue drops. The finishes on all three beads play together very nicely, and would make a great collar, or some wing-inspired bead embroidery. I call this trio Lady Dragonfly.

Next I tried out some flat rounds that have been in my stash for ages. I picked them up with a particular project in mind, but when it went sideways I never found another use for them. Once again the shimmery finish works really well with the seed beads, but this time in a coppery hue. This Scarab Beetle trio is exactly the sort of palette I’d been hoping for, and would be great in a medallion or an embellished cuff.

Finally, I had to go with something a little more spring-inspired. It took a while to find the packet of pink freshwater pearls, as they were hiding behind some olive ones, but it was worth the effort. I love the way the soft pink complements the mint green, while the June bug adds depth. Curious Caterpillar would be great in something spiraled or fringed, but I would love to use it in a full-sized collar.

What are you favorite colors to pair with green?

Mortira

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Geek Jewels: Donna Noble

The first design in my new challenge series was a quick project that I couldn’t wait to start. When I decided to start a new series inspired by my favorite nerdy themes, the very first inspiration that came to mind was my favorite Doctor Who companion, Donna Noble.

Donna was one of the toughest and funniest of all the ladies to travel with the Doctor. She was my favorite right from the start, and continued to be awesome right until the sad, irreversible end. Donna was incredibly stylish, and often rocked lovely gray and purple ensembles to compliment her ginger locks. It was this palette that I wanted to use for my inspiration, which would prove to be the biggest challenge. An overall design was easy to envision – most of her best outfits included a big pendant or opera length necklace.

I started by pulling out every single gray and purple bead that I had in my stash, just to see what my options were. While I was sorting, I spotted a recycled bottle glass pendant that I thought might come in handy. Sure enough, it was a perfect fit to outline a pretty gray shell butterfly. All I needed to do was add some chain.

I stitched up a quick St. Petersburge chain with white-lined black and purple-lined Rosaline, then suspended the bottle pendant from the chain, and the butterfly from the pendant. The double loop on the butterfly helps to keep the chains in place, and everything looks as sharp as the best temp in Chiswick.

So the first design in the new series is complete, and I’m pretty happy with the result. I have lots of other character inspired designs in mind, and I’m working on a list of some even more obvious inspirations that my fellow geeks should enjoy.

Are you a Whovian? Who’s your favorite companion?

Mortira

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Copyright 2015 Inspirational Beading

Work in Progress: Earthy Cuff

So much for getting things back on track – this week I’m still a bit cramped for time. Normally, I would pick up my handy bead tray and take it to my photography area for a nice crisp photo of the week’s project. Today I didn’t have quite have the energy. With school back in session this week, I’m not quite used to the early morning rush. Today I’m sharing a rare glimpse of my actual workspace, paint stains and all.

Right now I’m putting together a secret something using a few new favorites: Czech dragonfly coins, Miyuki drops, and some 8/o Dyna-Mites. I had almost forgotten how truly lovely it can be to weave flat beadwork with just large seed beads, and I’m having a great time with this project.

What are you making this week?

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Work in Progress: Dragonfly Bracelet

This week I’m experimenting with some different treatments for lovely 22 mm Czech dragonfly coins. I’ve got a selection of beads that I want to use, including Rullas and Miyuki drops. Luckily, I just happened to have some in nearly identical colors.

I haven’t decided yet whether I’m going to use both my green and blue coins, or stick to just green. I’m definitely kicking myself for not purchasing more of the blue! With the right back up colors, both coins could look great in an alternating pattern, or with just one as a focal. Maybe asymmetrical. I’m going to have to play a bit and see what happens.

I’ve also got a bunch of Java glass laid out in my workspace, drying after their water baths. I’ve got two more secret bracelet experiments coming up, which will revive and old favorite design. Eventually, I’ll also get around to stringing the last three embroidery pendants we made, so I can show you how they turned out.

What are you making this week?

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Bead Color Ideas: Picasso Dragonflies

Although every season has its good and bad sides, spring is one time of year where the division is greatest. There are beautiful, fragrant flowers, and allergy triggering pollen. There are wonderful bees and butterflies flitting about, as well as a steady march of spiders, hungry caterpillars, and the year’s first mosquitoes. Its interesting how much we can love some bugs, but not others. Naturally, some of the insects we like most are also the most beautiful - like dragonflies.

Recently I splurged on a strand of gorgeous Czech dragonfly coins, and it was definitely money well spent. The simple design and Picasso finish brings to mind all of the things we love about nature. Although I have some secret designs planned for them already, I still wanted to experiment a bit with color and see how well these beads can play with others.

I started slow with a simple palette of brown and green, going for a near match of the colors in the coins. Transparent lime green and dark topaz look gorgeous together, and provide a simple backdrop for the subtle changes in the Picasso finish. This Pond Water palette would look great in a flat stitch with a random pattern, perhaps as a cuff with a coin focal.

Next I wanted to incorporate some clear water, so I started with transparent aqua blue. This color is incredibly intense, and could overpower the super soft green of the coins, so I added some soothing medium topaz to complement the dragonflies. Reflecting Pool would work well as a rope and pendant, especially with a repeating pattern to represent waves of cool water.

For the final palette, I started with another complement, but in a whole new direction. Instead of a light-filled green, I grabbed some transparent dark emerald. The deep green really brings out all of the colors in the coins, and the addition of dark blue iris adds a shimmer just the a dragonfly’s wings. Evening Thunder definitely calls out for something bold and fringe-covered.

Do you have a favorite spring insect? How does it inspire your designs?

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Bead Color Ideas: Polka Dots

Many shapes and patterns are always appealing wherever they go. Some are comfortable and familiar, while others inspire energy and vim. Spirals, rainbows, and concentric circles are just a few examples of the motifs that draw us in time and again.

Polka dots are also a favorite pattern - they’re cheerful and carefree in any palette. Sometimes they can remind us of a favorite fabric, or of natural pleasures like lady bug wings. This month, I did a little color experiment with spotted glass eye rondelles from Happy Mango Beads. With a soft lavender gray as a base color, the overlapping yellow, green and red dots really stand out. These Java glass beads are both youthful and organic, with a little tribal flair.

The first trio has all the elements of an early spring day - a bright blue sky and new eggs in a Birds Nest. I started with a little contrast by adding some turquoise blue Czech white hearts. The light-filled color works perfectly with the bright polka dots. Then I added a little more light in a neutral color with transparent dark topaz seed beads, adding to the earthy effect of the accents.

Moving down to the ground for a Ladybug Picnic, I started with some spring green seed beads in opaque cactus. This lively shade looks fantastic with the dark yellow spots, as well as complimenting the pale green ones. The palette is finished with a double dose of color in gorgeous red lined sapphire.

The final trio brings to mind new baby chicks with a focus on sunny yellow. Opaque dark yellow 8/o seed beads provide a vibrant backdrop for the polka dots, while lustered orange adds a little warmth. Despite the intense colors, Cheep Cheep is comforting, while also bringing to mind lots of tasty Easter treats.

Do you have a favorite bead finish or pattern? What do you like most about it?

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Inspired Beader: Silverspot Metalworks

Even for those beaders that are fond of beaded beads, when we think of bead weaving, it tends to be pieces or components that stand alone. Given the versatility of seed beads, it’s no surprise that they can go almost anywhere in jewelry design. Jessee J. Smith, the artist behind Silverspot Metalworks, incorporates beautiful loom woven beadwork with handmade silver bezels with gorgeous results.

Inspirational Beading: How did you first get into jewelry design?

Jessee: I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t interested in jewelry, but I think the ancient Egyptians had a lot to do with it. From the time I was about six years old, I remember going to the library with my mom and making a beeline for the mythology section, and I was fascinated by mummies and ancient Egyptian life. Naturally, books on Egypt included lots of pictures of incredible jewelry, including beaded broad collars and mummy shrouds.

I also became interested in Native American art when I visited the Alabama-Coushatta reservation with my grandfather, where I saw a boy my own age (around 7 years old) performing a modern, powwow-style fancy dance. I was captivated by his lavish regalia, especially his blue and white feather bustles, and my first thought was “I want to make an outfit like that!” As soon as we got home from Texas, I checked out a copy of W. Ben Hunt’s The Complete How-To Book of Indiancraft,which included a very detailed overview of how to make a fully beaded Lakota-style vest in lane stitch. The vest was a bit much to tackle, but it wasn’t long before I got some beads and started making small jewelry projects.

Inspirational Beading: Do you remember your first design? Where is it today?

Jessee: The very first beaded project I remember that involved more than simple stringing was a bracelet I made for my mom out of plastic pony beads in several shades of blue. I must have been about eight at the time. I was trying to come up with a more innovative way of putting the beads together than just stringing them, so I played around with thread and two needles until I made what I now know is a bead ladder. My mom seemed delighted with it (she’s a good mom!), and for all I know, she may still have it. I’m not sure if that really counts as a “design,” but it was the first beaded thing that I remember being proud of.

The first true beadwork design that I came up with on my own was a loom-woven bracelet (my first loom-woven project) that was a variation on a Greek key pattern in black, silver, and iridescent, transparent blue and green. I made a lot of bad newbie choices (like using regular poly/cotton sewing thread and those cheap painted silver beads that lose their coating over time), but that project was enough to get me hooked. I think I still have it stashed in a box somewhere.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have a favorite kind of bead or jewelry component?

Jessee: I love (and hoard like a dragon) very tiny seed beads, size 16/o and under, many of which were made before the twentieth century. I have a good collection of 20/o seed beads, but the only finished design I’ve made with them is the Burmese Python earrings that were featured in 500 Earrings.The tiny size of the beads allows for very high resolution in loom-woven or off-loom designs, and the old glass colors are beautiful and subtle. They do have their limitations: you can only weave them with the finest thread (I used Monocord 000) and size 16 needles, and even then, you must do a lot of culling. That, and blue microbeads are very hard to find, so your color choices are limited.

Inspirational Beading: Where do you find the most inspiration?

Jessee: A lot of my work, in both beads and other media, stems from what is known in NeoConfucian Chinese philosophy as “Li.” Li can be thought of as the underlying force that brings order and structure to nature, and it is expressed in such things as the shapes of clouds, the branching of trees, and fractal patterns. The expressions of Li that hold the most fascination for me are the spot and stripe patterns found on living things. Everyone is familiar with the beautiful spots of the big cats, but fewer people take note of the equally spectacular patterns on mollusks, reptiles, insects, or even plants. My husband is an entomologist and we work together on many research projects, so naturally a lot of inspiration comes from the endless variety of insects.

Inspirational Beading: What was the inspiration behind your favorite design?

Jessee: It would be hard to choose a single favorite beadwork design, but one of the projects that I was most satisfied with was a loom-woven panel that I made for a friend of mine based on his photograph of a ghost tiger beetle (Cicindela lepida). This little beetle (about 8 – 10 mm long) lives only on areas of white sand, emerging in the late afternoon to hunt for ants and other small prey. Its head, underside, and legs are deep copper, while the wing covers are a delicate ivory. My friend’s photo was so detailed that you could actually see the folded wings where they overlapped beneath the slightly translucent wing covers, and the sparkle from the individual grains of sand the beetle was standing on.

Capturing the effect of translucency was a challenge, and I think I used about 12 shades and finishes of white, ivory, and pale tan in the beaded panel. The sand was fun, too—I used quite a few colors there, including a transparent glass bead with tan lining for the sparkly grains. Alas, I didn’t get a photo of the panel before I gifted it to my friend! He has it hanging in his study in Edmonton, Alberta, so I’ll have to get him to take one for me.

Inspirational Beading: Is there a material or subject that you would love to work with, but haven’t tried yet?

Jessee: I work with many different media, so there’s always something new I want to try. In terms of beadwork, I tend to stick primarily to seed beads, but I would like to try new things with them. I would particularly like to try making some sculptural pieces, perhaps using welded steel frames that would allow me to make airy structures with light shining through the beaded panels. (The danger there is that they could end up just looking like fancy lampshades.) I’m also interested in the sort of 3D project that involves covering an existing object with beadwork; on a visit to Mexico City, I was lucky enough to see a VW Beetle completely covered in beadwork by Huichol artists, and it was one of the most mind-blowing things I’ve ever seen. I would love to do something that impactful someday.

Inspirational Beading: What is your favorite color to work with?

Jessee: That’s almost like choosing a favorite song—too hard to pick just one! I love all shades of green because of its connotation of life and growing things and nature, and I also like the challenge of finding good, earthy colors ranging through ivory to tan and light brown (I have a lot of use for those colors in my nature-derived designs). However, the color that makes me most cheerful is bright, bright orange. I have a few designs based on orange insects (like the Bella Moth), and for some, I even use neon orange fly-tying thread to bump up the color. My favorite color of seed beads are some bright orange transparent 14/o that I “mattified” with glass etching solution. They’re just delicious!

Inspirational Beading: Who do you hope to inspire with your work?

Jessee: I would hope that anyone could find something to relate to in my designs, but the kind of person I would really expect it to resonate with is someone who has an interest in the natural world, and who finds satisfaction in the tiny details of the world around us. I also strive to make my jewelry as well-wrought as possible, with a very solid feel, so I think that the physical connection between the wearer and the jewelry will appeal to people who enjoy craft for its own sake, and the simple pleasure of a well-made object.

You can see more of Jessee’s jewelry designs in her Etsy shop, and get the latest updates from Silverspot Metalworks on Facebook.

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How to Make Butterfly Jewelry and Beading Tutorials

We all know that nature is one of the best places to look for jewelry inspiration, and within that broad range of ideas, there are worlds of possibilities. Insects are always a favorite, particularly butterflies. They are beautiful, delicate, brightly colored, and intricately patterned. Nothing beats butterflies when you’re looking for spring and summer jewelry ideas.

These tutorials and projects draw from the many aspects of butterflies that we love - the shape of the wings and the wonderful color palettes among them.

Butterfly Specimen Pendants
by Crafts Unleased

This project offers lots of options for embellishing store-bought butterflies,

or making your own.





Crochet Butterfly Pattern
by Todolwen

I can easily see this pretty butterfly as a pendant or brooch. 

Imagine it in teal blue!






Butterfly Bangle and Earrings Tutorial
by Wire Workers Guild

These wire wrapped butterflies are curly and cute, 

with lots of room for embellishment.






Turquoise Butterfly Necklace Project
by Handmade Fashion Jewellery

I love the way the natural patterns of turquoise work in this piece.






Zipper Butterfly Tutorial 

 by Ronda Palazzari

This is a great project for funky pendants or brooches, 

or even a bold cuff.





First Butterflies of Spring Earrings
from Beadaholique.com

Swarovski Elements butterfly crystals are great for a quick fix 

when you want something pretty and delicate.





Butterfly Wing Polymer Clay Cane Tutorial
by Deb Hart

Nothing captures natural patterns quite like polymer clay canes.





Double Strand Butterfly Crystal Bracelet Project
from FireMountainGems.com

This bracelet uses jewelry components in a unique way to capture the beautiful shape 

of butterflies, with sparkly crystal wings.





Butterfly Dream Charm Bracelet Tutorial
by BeadsOnline

This bracelet is a full of cheerful color, but could also be done in muted colors 

for a very vintage look.





Butterfly Bead Earrings Tutorial
by Art Platter

This wire wrapped earring project calls for acrylic butterflies, 

but your favorite crystals or stones would fill in nicely!





Papillion Necklace Project
from Artbeads.com

This design celebrates butterfly wings with bold colors contrasts,

and accents with lots of movement.





Upcycled Pop Can Butterfly Earrings Project
by Natasha Hoover

All you need is a colorful can and a butterfly craft punch to make these

one of a kind earrings.





Butterfly Bottle Cap Necklace Project
from Beadaholique.com

Bezel and bottle cap pendants are perfect for beaders who like to 

add their own flair to everything they make. This project shows you the basics!





Flight of Fancy Charm Bracelet Project
from AuntiesBeads.com

This bracelet spices up plain metal butterflies and bugs with 

gorgeous, colorful beads.

Do you have a favorite butterfly or insect for jewelry inspiration?

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Bead Inspired: Bugs

You can’t have beautiful spring flowers without bugs. Any organic gardener will tell you that helpful insects are essential for a gorgeous, blooming flower bed. There are pest patrollers like lady bugs, soil tenders like worms, and of course the lovely pollinators - bees and butterflies.

With both flowers and bugs in mind, I set out to find some beautiful lampwork beads for spring. I didn’t have to look far to find some really pretty designs with vibrant spring colors and curvy shapes.

For the Bugs by mortira featuring kokin

This set features a gorgeous floral lampwork pendant by Susan Sheehan.
I love the cute black and yellow dot design, which reminds me of little bugs.

Spring Flowers by mortira featuring tom binns

Purple and butterflies always go together. This collage was inspired by
a lovely orange and purple flower bead by Glass Elephant.

Do you have a favorite insect? How does it inspire your beadwork?

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