Friday, May 29, 2015

Free Beading Pattern: Elinor Bracelet


It's finally here! Teejay has outdone herself with this Art Nouveau style bracelet and I think you'll have fun making it. The pattern calls for two colors of 8/0 seed beads. One is the main color and the other is an accent color. It looks just as nice if you use all main color seed beads.


  • 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Duracoat Galvanized Mink Bronze" (D4213)
  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Duracoat Galvanized Mink Bronze" (D4213)
  • 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Duracoat Galvanized Mink Bronze" (D4213)
  • 8/0 seed beads Toho "Permanent Finish Matte Galvanized Peach Coral" (552PFF)
  • SuperDuo beads "Opaque Rose Gold Topaz Luster"
  • 4mm druks "Opal Rose"

I took photos of the pink one from two angles so that you can see the two motif configurations. After making this bracelet, I decided to make the purple bracelet below slightly different. I wanted the SuperDuo ends of the motifs to be in the very center of my bracelet. To do this, I had to attach my clasp to the other ends of the first and last motifs. Although the pattern doesn't explain how to this, it's very easy to switch them around. Just continue on with the bracelet from the SuperDuo end of the first motif and attach the clasp to the end with the "chains" of seed beads. You'll do steps 1-13 then skip to step 29 and continue from there as directed. Bear in mind that if you're making a different size bracelet, you might not need to switch the motifs around like I did. I wear a 6-inch bracelet which works out to have a druk in the very center and I needed a total of five druks.




  • 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • 8/0 seed beads Toho "Matte Cassiopeia" (708)  
  • SuperDuo beads "Metallic Suede Pink"
  • 4mm druks "Bronze"

Click HERE to download the free pattern

If you like this pattern, please consider making a voluntary donation through PayPal using the DONATE button on the right.

NOTE: I don't mind if you sell the projects that you make with our patterns, but please mention that you got the pattern from Linda's Crafty Inspirations. Please contact me for information about teaching this or any of our patterns in a class.




Monday, May 25, 2015

Teejay's "Elinor Bracelet" - Metallic Blue


We're still working on the pattern for "Elinor" and Teejay just sent me a photo of a bracelet that she made using metallic blue SuperDuo beads. The colors are scrumptious, aren't they?

Here are the beads that she used to make her bracelet:


  • 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Olivine" (458)
  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Olivine" (458)
  • 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Olivine" (458)
  • 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Hybrid Transparent Light Smoky Topaz Picasso" (4505)
  • SuperDuo beads " Metallic Iris Blue"
  • 4mm druks "Opaque Green Luster"

Teejay also came up with a really clever idea. See that cute little dangle thing near the clasp? That's actually a "safety chain". The motif on the end of the chain is too big to go through the jump ring on the other end of the bracelet. Here's a view showing how it works:



 

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Elinor Earrings preview


Can you spot the new earrings in the photo? The "Elinor" pattern does make very pretty earrings. I took a photo of them next to those other earring samples so that you can see how small and dainty they are. What do you think of them? I love them! You can get the bead information from Wednesday's post HERE.

Friday, May 22, 2015

Beading News - "Summer Daze" video tutorial


Aleshia from Beadifulnights has a new video tutorial called "Summer Daze". You can watch the video HERE.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Another Elinor sample and earring samples


I will be posting Teejay's "Elinor Bracelet" pattern here soon and in the meantime I've been making a few samples in various colors. Here is one color combination that I really like a lot. The color of the metallic seed beads is kind of unusual but I'd really like to make myself a bracelet like this. Because of the pinkish-copper metallic color, I know that none of my store bought earrings will go well with it. So, last night I made samples of three different earring patterns using some of the same beads that are in the bracelet to see which earrings would go best with the bracelet. I'm pretty sure that I know which earrings I will end up making but I thought you might like to see the three that I have to choose from.

UPDATE: I thought I should mention that the "Mink Bronze" seed beads sometimes go by the name "Dark Mauve". Look for color number 4213 and you'll know it's the right color.

ELINOR BRACELET

  • 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Duracoat Galvanized Mink Bronze" (D4213)
  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Duracoat Galvanized Mink Bronze" (D4213)
  • 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Duracoat Galvanized Mink Bronze" (D4213)
  • 8/0 seed beads Toho "Permanent Finish Matte Galvanized Peach Coral" (552PFF)
  • SuperDuo beads "Opaque Rose Gold Topaz Luster"
  • 4mm druks "Opal Rose" (Nirvana Beads)
DUO FAN EARRING

  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Duracoat Galvanized Mink Bronze" (D4213)
  • 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Duracoat Galvanized Mink Bronze" (D4213)
  • SuperDuo beads "Opaque Rose Gold Topaz Luster"

You can buy the "Duo Fan Earrings" pattern HERE.

CORUNDUM EARRING

  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Duracoat Galvanized Mink Bronze" (D4213)
  • 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Duracoat Galvanized Mink Bronze" (D4213)
  • 8/0 seed beads Toho "Permanent Finish Matte Galvanized Peach Coral" (552PFF)
  • SuperDuo beads "Opaque Rose Gold Topaz Luster"

Watch Kelly Dale's free "Corundum Earrings" YouTube video HERE, or buy the pattern from her Etsy shop HERE.
EARRING NUMBER ONE

  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Duracoat Galvanized Mink Bronze" (D4213)
  • 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Duracoat Galvanized Mink Bronze" (D4213)
  • SuperDuo beads "Opaque Rose Gold Topaz Luster"

You can watch Nunzia's free YouTube video tutorial for "Earrings Number One" HERE.

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Elinor Bracelet Preview

ELINOR BRACELET SAMPLE
Teejay is still working on the instructions but I was able to make a small sample to show you using what she has completed so far. I know that you're going to love this bracelet. Below is the one that Teejay gave me for my birthday last month and I blogged about it HERE. You'll find the bead color information in that post. Teejay sent me another draft of the pattern this morning and I'm hoping to give it a run-through today.

Here's a list of the beads that I used in the sample at the top of this post:

  • 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Opaque Lila Gold Luster" (55048) *
  • SuperDuo beads "Opaque Gold and Smoky Topaz Luster"
  • 4mm druks "Opaque Gold and Smoky Topaz Luster"

* The only place that I've seen this "hybrid" color for sale is Haute Hobby on Etsy HERE. The shop is in Italy but their prices are reasonable and they have a flat $7.04 shipping rate to the US. It did take a few weeks for my shipment to get here but they were worth the wait. I also bought this color in size 11/0.

Friday, May 15, 2015

Beading News - Free Dancing Fairies Bracelet Video Tutorial

DANCING FAIRIES BRACELET

The video has been up for a week but there may be some of you who haven't seen it yet. This is Zina Kagchelland's latest video tutorial on her HoneyBeads1 YouTube channel. You can watch the video HERE or on the Potomac Bead Company channel HERE. Zina says that she will have a PDF version of the pattern for sale in her Etsy shop soon. Visit her Etsy shop HERE.

There are the beads that you'll need to make this bracelet:

  • 11/0 seed beads
  • 8/0 seed beads
  • SuperDuo beads
  • 4mm fire polished beads


Thursday, May 14, 2015

Beading News - Eddy Earrings and Pendant pattern



 I thought it would be fun to blog about any new beading patterns that I hear about even if I haven't tried them yet. I do try to keep up with most of the designers that I'm aware of. Anyway, Deborah Roberti has just released a new pattern called "Eddy Earrings and Pendant" and you can buy it HERE at Around the Beading Table.


The pattern calls for:
  • 11/0 seed beads
  • SuperDuo beads
  • Any kind of 3mm or 4mm beads
  • Any kind of 6-9mm drop beads


This pattern is meant to compliment the "Eddy Band" bracelet pattern which you can find HERE.
EDDY BAND

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

YouTube Beading Tutorial - Dream Empress Bracelet


I saw this on Pinterest recently and just had to give it a try. I have to say that it was a bit of a challenge because the video is in Russian and it's very hard to see what she's doing. I had to watch it through several times just to be sure how many beads she picked up in each step. 

Once I had worked out how to make the basic motif, I ended up tweaking the procedure a little. For one thing, it makes a difference which brand of seed beads you're using. With Toho beads you need to use fewer beads around the motif than you do with Miyuki seed beads. Using the right number of beads for the brand of seed beads also results in neater motifs. I also noticed that she makes the right side of the motif differently than the left side so I adjusted it so that both sides are mirror images of each other. I think that makes the motifs look more evenly shaped.  Adjusting the method for making the left side of the motif also fixed a little problem where the ends of the two SuperDuos don't form a nice point using her method. As you can see in some of my samples below, her way causes a gap near the rondelle in the center on that side. It's not a problem on the other side of the motif because you start with those two SuperDuos and add the third one between them.

The tutorial calls for 3mm rondelles but I found that 3mm druks work just as well and that allows for more color options to go with the SuperDuos. I don't think that fire polished beads will work though because the holes go the long way through them. The holes in the 3mm beads go up and down rather than lengthwise in this design.

Click HERE to watch the video. 



  • 11/0 seed beads Toho "Bronze" (223)
  • 8/0 seed beads Toho "Bronze" (223)
  • SuperDuo beads "Baby Blue Stardust"
  • 3mm druks "Jet" OR 3mm rondelles "Black" 
OR
  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • SuperDuo beads "Baby Blue Stardust"
  • 3mm druks "Jet" OR 3mm rondelles "Black"



  • 11/0 seed beads Toho "Metallic Bronze Antique Gold" (225)
  • 8/0 seed beads Toho "Metallic Bronze Antique Gold" (225)
  • SuperDuo beads "Opaque Ivory" or "Chalk Copper Picasso"
  • 3mm druks "Jet"


  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • SuperDuo beads "Polychrome Copper Rose"
  • 3mm rondelles "Amethyst AB"

I was going to make a single bracelet like the above sample but I've decided that I'd rather use a contrasting color for the 3mm beads in the center of the motif. I think I might also decrease the length of the "chain" between the motifs.

After making several little samples to get the pattern just right, I tried making a double bracelet by connecting two bracelets where the clasp is attached. I like how it turned out but I think it really needs to have three bracelets like you see in her photo above. Mine looks off balance somehow with just two. It came out a little too big for me anyway so I might try adding a third bracelet when I re-make it. I'm thinking that if I remove one or two "links" from each length of "chain", it should fit me just right.



  • 11/0 seed beads Toho "Bronze" (223)
  • 8/0 seed beads Toho "Bronze" (223)
  • SuperDuo beads "Green Iris Matte"
  • 3mm druks "Metallic Suede Light Green"
 

Monday, May 11, 2015

Arula Earrings Variation with Drop Beads

I know that I haven't been posting much lately but it's been one thing after another this spring keeping me from doing much beading. Now I've been under the weather for several days and not feeling like doing much of anything. I took these earring photos a while back and thought I might as well post them today since I don't have anything new to blog about. I did post the earring with the pearls before in my post about the earring drop HERE. I've also blogged about the free Arula Earrings pattern before, HERE and HERE. All three of these earrings were made using my variation of the pattern which uses druks instead of Rulla beads. You can see the original free tutorial HERE.


  • 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457)
  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457)
  • 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457)
  • 3mm druks "Ivory Pearl Coat"
  • 7x5mm drop bead "Transparent Champagne Luster"


  • 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457)
  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457)
  • 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457)
  • 3mm druks "Bronze"
  • 3mm druks "Bronze Antique" (Nirvana Beads)
  • 7x5mm drop bead "Transparent Green Luster"


  • 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457)
  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457)
  • 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457)
  • 3mm druks "Amethyst Luster"
  • 7x5mm drop bead "Amethyst"




Friday, May 8, 2015

Free Beading Pattern: Mary Ann Bracelet

  • 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • Silky beads "Garden Fire Picasso"
  • SuperDuo beads "Opaque Grey Travertin"

This free bracelet pattern is another wonderful creation by Teejay. If you recall, she sent me one of these bracelets for my birthday and I blogged about it HERE and HERE.

Click HERE to download the free pattern

If you like this pattern, please consider making a voluntary donation through PayPal using the DONATE button on the right.


NOTE: I don't mind if you sell the projects that you make with our patterns, but please mention that you got the pattern from Linda's Crafty Inspirations. Please contact me for information about teaching this or any of our patterns in a class.




  • 15/0 seed beads "Metallic Hematite" (no info available)
  • 11/0 seed beads Toho "Metallic Hematite" (81/c)
  • 8/0 seed beads "Metallic Hematite" (no info available)
  • Silky beads "Oil Rubbed Light Sapphire"
  • SuperDuo beads "Polychrome Orchid Aqua"



  • 15/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • 11/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • 8/0 seed beads Miyuki "Dark Bronze" (457D)
  • Silky beads "Opaque Lilac"
  • SuperDuo beads "Metallic Suede Pink"