Beading Instructions : Gemstones

Wildly Peyote Zebra Bail by Jayashree Paramesh

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 07:00:00 GMT

A small, flat peyote strip doesn't have to be uninteresting -- there are so many different ways that a strip of peyote stitch can be used! Try this free beading project for an easy peyote stitch bail for use with a crystal pendant or a gemstone donut. String it on your favorite ribbon for a fast and easy peyote stitch necklace!

This free beading project is perfect for some of those large gemstone pendants you have in your stash that might need a little extra color or texture.

Materials:

2 grams size 11 cylinder beads, opaque black (A)
2 grams size 11 cylinder beads, opaque white (B)
2 drop beads, 3mm, opaque brown (C)
1 black agate pendant, at least 30mm
Fireline beading thread, 6 lb. test
Glue (Pasco Fix recommended)

Tools

Size 10 beading needle
Scissors or thread cutter

Step-by-step Instructions:

Step 1: On a comfortable length of thread, string 1 B, 10 A, 1 B. Pick up 1 B and start working in peyote stitch, following the graph (Figure 1). Make sure all the beads along the edges are B.

Step 2: Decrease on either side of the peyote strip, ending when you have just one bead in the center. Pick up 1 C and pass through the single bead again. Weave your thread into the peyote stitch, knot, and trim close to the beadwork. Repeat on the other side of the bail.

Optional: To make a tube as shown at the top of the bail, mark Rows 19 and 37. Pass through the edge bead of Row 19 and zip up the beadwork.

Step 3: Lift the ends of bail and place a drop of glue on the stone and press down. Do the same to the other side. Let dry.

Jayashree Paramesh learned bead embroidery at the Parsons School of Design in New York City. Her beaded jewelry designs have appeared in Beadwork magazine. For her teaching schedule and more information about her, check out her website, Nchantme.com.


Figure 1		Figure 2
Wildly Peyote Bail - Zebra Print		Wildly Peyote Bail - Leopard Print

Free Beading Project: Easy Wire Wrapped Cuff Bracelet

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 07:00:00 GMT

I've really been getting into working with easy wire wrapping projects lately, and these two blank metal cuff bracelets from this month's A Grain of Sand Bead Hoard Curiosities Club just spoke to me as soon as I saw them. They wanted me to wrap them with wire and beads to make a couple of fun and easy beaded cuff bracelets!

You can find similar wire cuff bracelet components from Metalliferous or Designer's Findings.

Materials:

Brass or copper wire bracelet blank
Clasp (optional, depending on the type of wire bracelet blank you're using)
25-50 4mm beads (number of beads required may vary, depending on size of beads and size of cuff)
5 feet of 24 gauge copper wire

Tools:

Wire cutters/flush cutters
Flat nose or chain nose pliers

Step-by-step Instructions:

		If you are using a clasp, attach each piece of the clasp to either end of the cuff bracelet. Use the chain nose or flat nose pliers to gently close the loop around the clasp.

		Using the 24 gauge wire, make several wraps around one side of the cuff bracelet. String on one bead and push it down so that it sits on the outside of the cuff bracelet. Wrap the wire around the cuff bracelet, holding the bead in place with your fingers as you wrap. Pull snugly (but not so tight that the wire snaps) to secure the bead in place.

		Continue adding beads, one at a time, with wire wraps across the outside of the bracelet.

		When you get to the other end of the bracelet, make several wraps with the remaining copper wire. Trim the wire close to the bracelet. You can use the chain nose pliers to gently smash the end of the wire down so that it doesn't rub up against your wrist.

		Change up the look of your bracelets by using different beads! Some suggestions: Larger seed beads (like 6/0 seed beads) Different shapes of Czech fire polished beads Czech druk beads Small freshwater pearls Small gemstone beads

These beaded cuff bangles work up fast, and are so comfortable to wear, you'll find yourself making loads of them for last-minute gifts! Enjoy! (And make sure you check out the A Grain of Sand website to find out more about the Bead Hoard Curiosities Club!)

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

The Great Jewelry Making Makeover!

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 07:00:00 GMT

I really do have the best friends in the world. A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine sent me a huge box, full of antique jewelry that had belonged to her late stepfather's first wife.

Before I go into detail about the jewelry, I want to tell you a little bit about her stepfather. Joe was what you might call "eccentric". Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., he was well-educated and traveled the world while in the Army during the 1930s and 1940s. By the time I met him, Joe was in his 60s, and his little quirks had become downright peculiar and hilarious. A hater of vegetables of any sort, he would suspiciously eye the spoons with which my friend and I cooked dinner to make sure that none of them had become "contaminated" by the eggplant or the peas. At restaurants, he made sure to wedge several bread plates between his dish and any dishes containing vegetables. On the days when the municipal garbage collectors came around, Joe could be found sitting in the garage, singing their praises as they emptied bins and cans into their trucks. One Christmas, he even went so far as to tell us to refrain from putting up a live Christmas tree, since he believed that its green branches would suck all the oxygen out of the house, thereby asphyxiating all of them as they slept. And I'm sure my friend and I will never forget the time that we left a box of vanilla-flavored dog treats on the dining room table, only to come back later and find that Joe had eaten this entire box of delicious "vanilla sugar cookies" without actually reading the label on the package.

But Joe was deeply in love with his first wife, Dorothy. He kept many of her things, and they were handed down to my friend when Joe passed away in 2011. So when my friend asked me if I would like part of the collection of antique jewelry, I was thrilled and honored to be the recipient of part of this collection!

As I tore through the many boxes she sent, it felt like I had struck gold at an estate sale. I picked up piece after piece of ethnic, silver, and antique jewelry, and couldn't take my eyes off the colors and shapes that danced in front of me.

My friend had suggested that I re-purpose much of this antique jewelry into other projects, but after looking at it, I knew that with my jewelry making skills, I could most likely repair almost all of it and restore some of it.

The easiest way to start was with a couple of pairs of earrings.These beaded earrings were hung from antique screw back earring findings, but I've always found those to be incredibly uncomfortable. It only took a few minutes to remove them and hang them on new pair of fish hook ear wires.

The first pair of beaded earrings was made with Mummy Beads, also known as Egyptian faience. Ceramic beads of this type have been found in some of the oldest ancient Egyptian tombs, and some faience beads are still made today with a combination of ceramic and glass bead making techniques. Despite the size of the earrings, and the number of beads that they were made with, the faience is actually as light as a feather, and the earrings are comfortable to wear all day.

I instantly recognized the second pair of earrings as vintage Mexican silver. These earrings, with their carved green gemstone cabochons, are now affectionately known as my "Little Green Man" earrings.

What's next for my jewelry making skills? There are several pieces of beaded jewelry in here that could use a little tender, loving care. There are more earrings that I want to try to recreate using crystal pearls and glass beads into necklace and bracelet components; strands of vintage Japanese glass pearls that need to be restrung; a necklace made of brightly colored shells that can be turned into a new beading project; and a bracelet made with large, chunky, faceted carnelian beads that needs some repairs.

Watch this blog for my weekly updates on what I'm doing next to take these vintage and antique pieces of jewelry and use my jewelry making skills to transform them!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

How to Bezel a Cabochon with Peyote Stitch for Bead Embroidery

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 06:00:00 GMT

I have trust issues with the cabochons I use in my bead embroidery. The first time I tried to use cabochons in my bead embroidery, I just glued them to the bead embroidery backing and started stitching around them. To my surprise and dismay, those cabochons started to peel right off the bead embroidery backing after just a couple of days and the whole piece was pretty much ruined.

After that, I learned how to stitch a peyote bezel around my cabochons to hold them securely in place, and I've been thrilled with the results ever since. If you stitch your bezel correctly, there's no way that cabochon is going to pop out of your bead embroidery.

Ready to try a peyote stitch bezel for your bead embroidered cabochons? Here's a tutorial with helpful tips and hints:

Materials

Cabochon: This can be any size, any material. For beginners, it's best to start with a smaller (less than 30mm) piece in a regular shape like oval or round. Don't try working with square cabochons until you understand the basics of stitching a peyote bezel around a round or oval cabochon!
Bead embroidery backing: Your preferred material is fine. Some people prefer Lacy's Stiff Stuff, Nicole's Bead Backing or a piece of fusible webbing that has been ironed on to a piece of fabric. For beginners, a stiffer bead backing like Lacy's or Nicole's is best.
Cylinder beads in size 11: Approximately 5 grams in a color to match or contrast with your cabochon and bead embroidery backing.
Seed beads in size 15: Less than 1 gram in color to match or contrast with your cylinder beads for securing your peyote stitch bezel.
Beading thread: Nymo D or Fireline 6 lb. test are preferred for these kinds of peyote stitch bezels.

Tools:

Size 12 beading needle
Scissors or thread cutter
Chain nose pliers (optional but useful for pulling needle through a tight spot)

Step by Step Instructions:

		Step 1: Affix your cabochon to your bead embroidery backing using either glue or double-stick tape. Tie a small knot on one end of a comfortable length of beading thread (no longer than five feet). Thread your needle and bring it up through the bead backing so that you exit next to your cabochon. Try to come up directly alongside the cabochon -- make sure your needle isn't angled from under the cabochon on the back side of the bead embroidery medium. Pick up 2 cylinder beads and push them down the thread so that they line up against the edge of your cabochon.

		Step 2: Pass your needle down through the bead embroidery medium right at the edge of the second cylinder bead added. It's always better to be closer to the bead than further away. If you stitch too far away from your cylinder beads, your bezel won't fit properly.

		Step 3: Pass your needle back up through the bead embroidery medium between the two cylinder beads you just added. Again, stitching closer to the beads is better than stitching further away, and try to make sure that you needle is moving straight and not at an angle.

		Step 4: Stitch through the second cylinder bead and pull your thread snugly.

		Step 5: Continue to add beads in pairs around your cabochon. Don't worry if your line isn't perfectly straight -- once you start working in peyote stitch, it will straighten out nicely. We'll be working in even-count peyote stitch, so make sure that you add your beads in pairs. Leaving every other bead "loose" and not stitched down to your bead embroidery medium will make for a better-fitting peyote stitch bezel. A common problem is reaching the end of your round and only having enough space for one more bead. In these cases, I prefer to stitch in an extra bead, usually a very "skinny" cylinder bead that I've culled from the rest of my cylinder beads. (Don't throw away those imperfect beads! They're quite useful!) It's important to have an even number of beads in your first round so that you can work even-count peyote stitch for an even and secure bezel around your cabochon.

		Step 6: Pass through the first bead added. Pick up a cylinder bead, skip the next bead in the round, and pass through the next bead, pulling snugly.

		Step 7: Continue to work in even-count peyote stitch all the way around your cabochon. Make the step-up at the end of each round. Work as many rounds are necessary so that the bezel comes up over the edge of your cabochon. You don't need to have it extend too far over the edge -- just one bead's width over the edge is sufficient for a secure peyote stitch bezel.

		Step 8: Work one round of even-count peyote stitch using the size 15 seed beads. Pull snugly on your stitching to secure the bezel around your cabochon. Weave your thread down through the bezel and into the bead embroidery backing. You've finished your cabochon and are ready to start working backstitch around it or add any embellishments that you'd like!

Bead embroidery using cabochons can be big and elaborate like the work of Sherry Serafini and Heidi Kummli, or it can be as simple as stitching a simple bezel around a beautiful cabochon and stringing it on a necklace! You can add bezeled cabochons to cuff bracelets or glue them onto ring findings for spectacular gemstone cabochons rings.

Now it's your turn to show us your best bead embroidery using cabochons! Take a picture of your best peyote-bezeled cabochon and post it in the Reader Photo Gallery.

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Bead Along with Beading Daily: Getting Started with Beaded Netting

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:48:00 GMT

So by now, I hope that you have all figured out what colors and materials you are going to use for making Linda Richmond's Net Full of Gems necklace for our first Bead Along! I've decided to use some white Howlite chips and some gunmetal lined Delica beads, and my findings are some really gorgeous new Glinter silver beads from Elephant Eye Beads.

The necklace is made with beaded netting. I was surprised at how many people emailed me to say that they had never tried beaded netting and that they were going to use this project to learn how to do netting! The Net Full of Gems necklace is a perfect first project for learning how to do beaded netting because the large gemstone chips are easy to see as your "pass through" beads. These are the beads that you will stitch through to create each unit of beaded netting.

Counting out each round of gemstone chips will help you keep track of where you are in the netted tube.

Our first step this week will be to start the netted centerpiece of the necklace that uses the gemstone chips. When picking up your first round of beads, it might help you to pick out the twelve gemstone chips you need for the initial set of beads. Set them aside so that you don't drive yourself crazy trying to count chips as you string them onto your needle and thread! In future rounds, it can also be helpful to count out and set aside six chips for each round. This way, if you have a hard time figuring out where to make the "step up" at the end of each round (just like in tubular even count peyote stitch), you'll know exactly where to go after you've added the last chip in the round.

You can give the netted tube more shape by keeping your tension tight while you stitch the beaded netting, and by using a heavier weight of beading thread.

Tension is also important for this project. Don't expect the netted tube to be perfectly stiff and hold its shape exactly. The finished netted necklace will have a slight drape to it, making it more comfortable to wear. As you are working the netting, keeping your tension tight will give this part of the necklace some body. You can also use a heavier weight of beading thread to give more shape to the netted tube. I'd recommend using either a 6 lb. or 10 lb. test Fireline or Wildfire beading thread. Nylon beading threads are okay to use for this project, but you should use a doubled thread to prevent the gemstone chips from wearing and possibly breaking the beading thread.

I've set up a thread in the Forums where we can chat with each other about this project and share our pictures as we progress. If anyone has any questions, feel free to leave me a message in that thread or here on the blog!

Do you have a suggestion for a project for our next Bead Along? Post it here and let us know! (Maybe we can vote on it on the Beading Daily Facebook page?)

Bead Happy,

Jennifer

Bead Along with Beading Daily!

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:39:00 GMT

I had so much fun participating in the Mirrix Weave-A-Long a couple of weeks ago that I've decided to have a Bead Along here on Beading Daily! What is a Bead-A-Long? A group of beaders get together (online, of course) to make the same project and share our experiences and ideas. And when we're done, we'll have a show-stopping necklace to show for it!

For our first Beading Daily Bead Along, we'll be making Linda Richmond's Net Full of Gems!

During this Bead Along, we'll be making Linda Richmond's Net Full of Gems, one of my favorite beading projects. I first saw this necklace in Beadwork Creates: Necklaces. I was preparing for my first-ever gallery show, and I needed to take a break from sitting in front of the torch for five hours a day, and I wanted something spectacular to wear to the opening! While I was looking for gemstone chips to use in the necklace, I realized that I had a few strands of these small freshwater pearls and a big tube of cylinder beads that matched them perfectly. For a little bit of contrast, I threw in some size 15^o silver metallic seed beads to bring out the 1960s vintage silver clasp and I was thrilled with the results!

This was the result from my first version of Linda Richmond's Net Full of Gems, using freshwater pearls instead of gemstone chips.

So here's how it will work: all you need to do is download your free copy of Linda Richmond's Net Full of Gems beading project. Get your supplies and materials together, and on Monday, August 29, we'll start beading!

Here's the official schedule:

August 29 through September 5: Get your supplies and start making the netted part of the necklace using the gemstone chips.

September 5 through September 9: Create the plain netting on either end of the necklace.

Weekend of September 10-11: Add clasps and finishing.

September 12: Show off your finished piece in the Beading Daily forums!

As we work, we can post pictures and questions over in the forums. Anyone is welcome to join! This project is easy enough for a beginner but also provides a nice creative stretch for more advanced beaders. Make the project as it's pictured in the instructions, or change it up to fit your personal tastes. Instead of gemstone chips or freshwater pearls, why not tiny Czech druk beads or fire-polished glass? Or maybe, if you're into maximum sparkle, why not make this piece with Swarovski crystal rounds or bicones?

This time around, I'll be using white Howlite chips and color lined gunmetal Delicas.

I've already chosen the materials I'm going to use this time around! Since I've got an entire drawer full of gemstone chips leftover from when I owned a bead shop, I went ahead and chose two strands of my favorite white Howlite and some color-lined gunmetal Delicas to accent them. It should be a dramatic piece when it's finished!

Do you have a suggestion for a future Bead Along? Tell us on the blog or in the forums so we can choose a new project for our next Bead Along!

Bead Happy,

Jennifer