Epic. That's the best word to describe today's Free Tip Friday Episode. As promised, here are the twelve sections from Alley Mori's 12-Wrap Bracelet, Mountain Mama, featuring Drea's Monthly Mix, Mountain Glow. Alley used one tube of the mix and other beads from Beadshop.com.
The finished bracelet is about 82" long and each section is proximately 7" in length. Check out the entire broadcast embedded at the end of this post.
Thanks Alley for such am amazing work of art!
The finished bracelet featuring Drea's Monthly Mix.
Section 1: Button closure a lá Trails End.
Section 2: Mountain Motif using 8/0 from the mix.
Section 3: 6mm Melons and 6/0 and 8/0 from the mix.
Section 4: 11/0s and 1/2 Tilas from the mix.
Section 5: Super Duos used in the flower motif. 6/0 & 8/0's for the section in between.
Section 6: S-D Macramé Style with 6/0 and 11/0s.
Section 7: Goddess Bracelet Style with 6/0 & 8/0s.
Section 8: Poetry with 6/0s and Melon Beads.
Section 9: Sleek Stackers with 1/2 Tilas, Tilas and 11/0s.
Section 10: Spiral Macramé with 6mm fire polish.
Section 11: Macramé Flat knot and 5mm rondelles.
Section 12: Ovals with 6mm and 5mm Firepolish with the Macramé flat knot.
We all love a good Monthly Mix, don't we? Well, we especially love Alley Mori's mix! Created while she was visiting the Beadshop offices in February 2019, Alley's Kaleidoscope Mix was inspired by a gorgeous Stev'nn Hall piece of art that has been making the rounds in our private FB Group as an inspirational photo.
Alley put Kaleidoscope to work in this latest wrap bracelet masterpiece...adding O Beads, SuperDuos and CzechMates Tiles to round out the mix, this wrap is just heavenly. See more photos and her ingredients list below! We've added some "or" options to the list, since Alley used a button from her own stash and also because some of these items are very popular and are often sold out! Check out these substitutions on Kate's FTF, which we'll embed below after the Live Broadcast airs.
**FYI, Alley paired her Leathers and Micro C-Lons as follows:
Metallic Maroon with Eggplant
Metallic Purple with Grape or Amethyst
Metallic Teal with Teal
Check out how Alley does her "splice" here...this joining of the leather at the middle of a wrap enables her to use lark's head knots at both ends...isn't that clever? Kate shows this more in-depth on the FTF episode linked above and embedded below. Check out these photos from Alley and Kate's broadcast to take a closer look at how this comes together! Note how Alley's splice can be covered by a variety of large-holed beads...in her sample she uses the Dragonfly Pebble Bead, on Kate's it's the Bali Dancer Slider...but you could also use Czech Rollers, Transitions, Evolve, River Shannon, a variety of Sliders...you do you! You can also see, above, how Alley attaches all three of her laddered sections of her Alley Bracelet (AKA Kate's Favorite on Steroids) by tying one strand in a lark's head knot through the button shank and then attaching the other two leathers to that knot itself rather than to the shank, chichis so smart!
These slim wrap bracelets could not be easier...
Three ingredients. Three tools. Three minutes. Okay just kidding on the three minutes part, but seriously, they take no time at all!!
Hey Everybody!
June Mix + Summer Feelings = The NEW Sea Treasures Wrap Bracelet.
What a fun Free Tip Friday today... as you will hear in the video, I was just in the mood to make a fun and quick summertime accessory. I hope you like making it, and please share your design take on it!
Buttons and beads make a perfect match when married together in your beading designs, and Beadshop is constantly adding to its collection of both. Sometimes the inspiration for a jewelry design develops around a button. This may be why Beadshop's newest arrivals of full moon buttons have been very popular with beaders lately.
Red Luna
Measuring 18mm in diameter, the Red Luna button is made of glass and comes from the Czech Republic. On the back is a 1.5mm metal shank.
Amber Luna
Enhanced with the color of amber, the Amber Luna Czech glass button has an Aurora Borealis coating, and like many of the beautiful buttons in this collection, the coating on each bead may vary due to the unique nature of each button.
Total Eclipse Project by Brittany Ketcham-Roney ~ Sample by Karen Marshall
Clearly, the moon button clasp on Karen Marshall's Total Eclipse bracelet influenced the design of this wrap bracelet. The laddering technique was used for this, and it is a free project available on Beadshop. You can download the free pdf instructions and quickly collect all the ingredients you need to make one for yourself on the Beadshop's Total Eclipse project page. Here are some other free projects that incorporate unique buttons in the finished piece: In Across Cultures, Toes in the Sand, Design by Janice Parsons ~ Sample by Grace Noland - A gold-tone sand dollar button became part of the toggle.
Toes in the Sand
Garden Path, Project and Sample by Janice Parsons - This button has a beautiful dragonfly on it.
Garden Path
Whether making a necklace or bracelet using simple crochet techniques, like those in Grey Gardens, using a button as a clasp adds even more character to this beaded jewelry piece, designed by Emily Miller. An interesting square-shaped button, called Off Beat, was added to this piece.
Grey Gardens
There seems to be no end to the possibilities of buttons teamed up with beads.
The square knot is one of the most common macrame knots. Even if you have never attempted macrame before, more than likely you are familiar with this knot because it is often used for other purposes than making macrame jewelry. However, if you haven't mastered the square knot, it might be time to give it a try because it will open up so many jewelry making opportunities for you.
Beadshop has simplified how-to instructions for How to Macrame, and it focuses on the basic square knot. Once you have acquired this macrame technique, you are ready to use it on some beautiful beaded jewelry designs. Here are just a few of the free projects on Beadshop.com that incorporate the square knot.
Make some amazing Poetry jewelry pieces, which are primarily made up of macrame square knots, but also include beads, charms, and a button toggle. You can choose an eclectic approach, where the beads used are a mix of your favorites, or go with the classic take on this design, where only pearls are used in the finished piece. Poetry in Spiced Chocolate (pictured above) is an example of eclectic, and Poetry in Blush (pictured below) is classic, with loads of lovely pearl beads.
As with any new technique, mastering the square knot may take some practice before you are ready to take on a large jewelry project. However, once you get the basics down, you will find it useful and fairly easy to do.
Garden Fairy Project by Brittany Ketcham-Roney ~ Sample by Jen Tello
In the Garden is one of the most popular designs from beadshop's assortment of free projects. In the projects area of the web site, the In the Garden section boasts 18 different variations on this jewelry piece, three of which are fairly recent additions. So, if this wrap-style bracelet is an old favorite of yours, make sure you haven't missed three new ones: Garden Fairy (shown above), Tiger Lily, and Honey Dew (both pictured below).
Project by Brittany Ketcham-Roney ~ Sample by Grace Noland
Project by Brittany Ketcham-Roney ~ Sample by Grace Noland
Along with new projects to add to the In the Garden design, a new handout also provides updated information and extra tips to go along with the already existing video. (For those new to In the Garden, it is strongly suggested you watch the video as you review the handout, as they work together). Each version of In the Garden posted in the projects area of the web site includes a link to this free pdf handout, which you can download and save to your digital device or print. Here are just a few of the extra tips covered in this updated version of the In the Garden handout:
While the video shows how to secure your project to a design tray, there is also a Skill Builder Handout that covers this important consideration as well.
Longer wrap bracelets is a current trend, which wasn't the case when the video was published in 2013; therefore, the handout suggests using a longer piece of leather when starting out.
Make sure you don't miss out on adding more beautiful wrap bracelets to your collection by taking a look at this popular design that has been given a few fresh new looks.
Every member of the beadshop crew is addicted to beads, and as you can imagine, if you were to also work at beadshop, with so many beautiful beading ingredients to pick from, you might start creating a long list of favorites. Each staff member has specific tastes and is eager to share personal picks at the beadshop Staff Picks page.
Bodom beads (Ghana circa 1850) are on Kate's favorite picks page. Her love of metal shows through on her list with the addition of lots of metal findings and components alongside beautiful Shadows Antique Brassand other crystal and bead selections.
The webmaster at beadshop, Karen, loves simple and fast projects so she can enjoy her jewelry right away, and the Prairie Leather Wrap is one of her go-to projects, which means using lots of cute sliding components such as I Heart You Sliders.
Let It Be
Grace is often behind the camera at beadshop, taking photos for the web shop and also filming the Facebook Live Shows that have become so popular. As a very visual person, Grace loves color. Some of the bead strands on her favorite picks page are these Let It Beebeads, which are made with thermo-sensitive liquid crystal that continually changes color based on the temperature around it.
3mm Picasso Green Turquoise Czech Fire Polish Glass Beads
If you have been dreaming about making a Prairie Braceletor two or three, now is the time to load up on the metal slider components that make these jewelry pieces so much fun and so easy to make. The sliders are on sale! Plus, there are new finishes available, including gold, antique copper, and antique brass.
Metal Sliders
5mm leather is used for the Prairie Bracelet project, and these sliders slip easily onto the leather and can be arranged any way you choose. Our sliders come in a variety of shapes - such as feathers, hearts, stars, round, and square - and are free of lead, nickel, and cadmium. They are also hypoallergenic, which is so important for anyone with sensitive skin.
The Prairie Bracelet continues to be one of the most popular beadshop projects. You can find a helpful list of ingredients, which links directly to the products you need, fourteen different sample projects, and a free project instructions download on the beadshop's Prairie Bracelet page.
Simple Stitches in Time will be the theme of some upcoming Facebook Live shows airing February 15th and the 22nd, 2017 on beadshop's Facebook page. If you want to get a little bit of a head start so you can follow along with Kate and Janice during these shows, head over to the Simple Stitches in Time page on the the shop's web site. Pick you our favorite design and order supplies before the show. You can also watch a helpful stitches video now that is already uploaded on YouTube, and download the free project handout.
Kindness Project by Nicole Anderson ~ Sample by Janice Parsons
Beauty Project by Nicole Anderson ~ Sample by Kate Richbourg
The Beauty wrap design is an excellent blend of neutrals so you can wear this with anything. It is finished off with a 16mm plated pewter button with a bird in a tree design.
Grace Project by Nicole Anderson ~ Sample by Janice Parsons
For purple fans, there is Grace. Like the other two designs, stitches are mixed and matched, Herringbone Stitch to Spiral Knot.
Once you watch the video and review the ingredients lists provided, you may not be able settle for just making one of these.
Hi Gang!
Thanks for watching our Facebook Live broadcast this week. It was great to share Looming and Laddering with SuperDuos with so many viewers. Thanks so much for your questions, comments, link shares and likes! It really means a lot.
L to R Acanthus (version 1), Smoke Signals and Hide and Seek.
For the lovely Laddering Projects from Janice, we created two landing pages on our website. Find all the info you need for both projects. Hide and Seek here, and Smoke Signals here.
I hope you enjoyed this journey into designing with this very versatile two-holed glass bead. If you missed our LIVE broadcast, find it on our video tab on the beadshop.com Facebook page.
Thanks again for watching and see you all next Wednesday at 10:30 AM Pacific time!
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