BEAD PROJECTS PAST AND PRESENT

The beginning.....

  One of the first beading projects I worked on. I think  it was in the 90's and I can't recall where I got the kit. it was a pin...











Then I tried loom work....still have a bracelet
on the loom...maybe I should dig it out and 
finish it....

FINISHED !!

A friend showed a couple of us how to make a peyote bracelet with graduating sizes of beads....I started on this one for myself, then made a bracelet for my sister for Christmas. I still have to finish mine...I did her bracelet in metallics....copper, gold, bronze, silver....I have to find a picture of it...loved the colors I used for hers....these I'm not too crazy about.







 Then while on a vacation in Las Vegas I took a class at The Bead Shack....and made my first bead weaving project...right angle weave. I was hooked.

FINISHED !!

FINISHED !!

 After that I worked on this peyote bracelet from Bead and Button Magazine. I haven't done the flowers that will embellish it...I did add an extra row of picot edge on it and added the art deco button closure...and may not add the embellishments.





Next trip to Vegas was with my sister and we headed back to The Bead Shack....and took more classes....got sister JD hooked...

FINISHED !!!

  

Of course I fell in love with this Undulating
Nbebele bracelet...and they tried to talk me out of making it...well....you know what happens when they tell you that.....once I got past the first set of undulations I knew why they didn't want me to do this one....but I finished it....YEAH !!!

FINISHED !!

       Next the necklace with the netting....




 Then the black cat amulet...which I have to finish up...circular peyote....needs straps and 
fringe...

FINISHED !!!

Then I made this bracelet with cubes and crystals. Right angle weave...

Tila curve bracelet with firepolish beads...need to add clasp.

.

Wanted to learn some tubular netting...

A friend and I took a class at a bead shop
in Fargo....still have to add the clasp...by now
you see a trend developing?????? I get about so far and then have trouble committing to a clasp???

And yet another needing a clasp....from Diane Fitzgerald's book "Favorite Beading Projects"
This is a great book...lots of neat ideas.




My sister and I attended a Bead show in Hopkins, Minnesota....first actual bead show for either of us...OVERWHEMING.....but lots of fun. They have another one in March, but also there is going to be a bead show at the Mall of America that they will be having classes...we may have to sign up for that. We got some really neat patterns from Beadreamers  www.beadreamers.net   I started this one called peanut gator using the peanut beads and round seed beads. On the left is the completed pattern, the section on the right is partially embellished. It was a base of right angle weave peanuts, then used the 11 rounds to embellish and then the final establishment adds more peanut beads...I kind of like the effect of the picot on the right part and can see embellishments of pearls down the center.... so may make another one and try that on it.

Another bracelet pattern by Beadreamers....I tried to use czech tiles instead of tila beads and it didn't lay right...so I un beaded it and redid it with tila beads...much happier. It still has a row of establishment to be done down the middle.

I have 2 more patterns from Beadreamers to try. She has very good instructions.

The next project here was started in Las Vegas at the Bead Shack....I wanted to learn how to do russian leaves....I have since found much better instructions...I need LOTS of visual pictures ....
I really wasn't sure about the color choices when I started....and still am not happy with them...so I am going to re stich a different base for the flower. And I plan on doing a different embellishment on the green base.

And here are some of the focal beads I have purchased that I just fell in love with....
I love Kerri Fuhr's lampwork beads....I have been gathering an assortment of beads to use with these.

And here are more of Kerri's Beads....

I also have a couple of other focal beads
and some lampwork flower beads from a 
bead artist in Germany that I need to look 
at and start planning what to do with them. 





.....so the journey continues....along the beading path........ 

 This is a bracelet I made for my mom in December 1012. It was a peyote pattern from the December 2012 Bead and Button Magazine....