Flower Headpin Earring Tutorial

I've been making these cute flower headpins for a while now, and while I love to make beads and components, I rarely make jewelry anymore.  I decided I wanted to write a tutorial for something you could make with these!

So of course it took me a while to come up with something, but I really like what I made!  Here is your supply list:

•  pliers
• chainnose pliers
• roundnose pliers
• cutters 

You'll also need the following components:
 

• glass flower headpin
• glass lampwork spacer bead
• czech picasso bead in blue
• copper round
• copper or brass filigree beadcap

First, add the filigree beadcap onto the headpin.  The beadcap is round and this headpin is not, so you'll need to manipulate the beadcap to fit onto the glass part of the headpin.  It's rather simple to do - just use your pliers to gently bend the beadcap onto the glass flower, and then when you've got it going, use your fingers to finish the job! Don't bend too hard with the pliers or you'll mar the beadcap.

Here's what it looks like bent over.  Then the rest is simple - string the beads onto the copper headpin with the lampwork spacer first, then the czech bead, and then the copper round.

Finally, make a wrapped look and add your ear wires and you're done!  I quite like these earrings, they are very summery and nice and solid without being too weighty.

You can find the flower headpins in my etsy store, SueBeads.  I hope you enjoyed this tutorial!

Susan Kennedy

Beadwork Netting - and a Tutorial

It's no secret, netting is one of my favorite beadwork stitches. For someone with super tight tension (like myself), sometimes it's hard to stitch up a supple fabric of beads! Netting is my go to stitch when I need something drapey with delicious texture. Being a quintessentially lazy beader, I also love that it works up FAST! Because you pick up multiple beads each stitch, and the shape of the stitch creates space between each row, whatever you decide to make will take less time than most other stitches.

Left - glass pearl collar, possibly from the 1950's, Russian type netting with a ruffly edge
Right - seed beaded collar, 1920'2-60's, vertical netting worked off of a daisy chain base.

Netting has long been one of the go to methods for creating large articles of self supported beadwork. The Egyptians, Japanese, African, Victorians - you name it, if there was beadwork going on, there was netting in some variation. Every time I encounter a broken piece of netted jewelry in my thrift/fleamarket/antiquing adventures I buy it to decode the old stitches.

Showcase of a few of the ways I use netting reguarly - amulet bags, Mobius strip bracelets, freeform, flat foundation for freeform embellishment, and so much more. Imagination is the only limit!

Netting has become a generic beadwork term for several different but similar looking stitches.

Clockwise from large picture, top left: horizontal netting (3, 5, 7 counts), vertical netting (3, 5, 7 counts), vertical netting with a 3 bead drop as the shared bead, Russian (brick stitch style) netting, "Ogallala Butterfly" otherwise known as netting where the bead count increases in each subsequent row, horizontal netting with a different count turnaround on each edge. 

Horizontal netting is stitched from left to right across the piece of beadwork. Vertical netting is worked up and down across the beadwork. Admittedly most of the time the difference between horizontal and vertical netting is just in the semantics. Either way, a stitch of netting will include a bridge of beads - usually an odd number (3, 5, 7, etc). The center bead in the stitch is called the shared bead - because you will pass through that bead on your next row, hence it is shared between two rows. In most of the above samples, the shared bead is a contrasting color from the rest of the bridge beads. There are endless variations and combinations of horizontal and vertical netting. You might have heard of Russian netting or seen super wide netted collars - this stitch is worked more similarly to brick stitch in that each row loops over the thread from the previous row, rather than passing through a bead. You can stitch regular flat netting, increasing to make ruffles, tubular (ropes and bags), circular, and so much more.

Now, I love doing all kinds of netting - they each have their place in my work. When the two-holed seed beads started coming out a few years ago, guess what the first stitch I played with was? That's right - netting! Without further ado, please share my fanaticism with this Two-Hole Bead Netting tutorial!

2-Hole Bead Netting Bracelet with button and loop closure 

These instructions are for use with the Czech twin beads. Bead count and size may need to be adjusted for different 2-hole beads, such as the Japanese Tilas.

Ingredients:

Twin Beads
Size 11 seed beads
Size 15 seed beads
Drop seed beads, Czech drops or daggers

Materials:
Matching thread, about 2 yards
Needle
Tread conditioner (optional)
String a stop bead (leave an 8” to 10” tail for later use) and your first row of beads – repeat 1 twin, 3 size 11, 1 twin, 3 size 11 until you achieve the desired width. String 1 extra twin, 2 size 15, 1 drop, 2 size 15, and pass the needle through the second empty hole in the last twin bead you strung. Tighten up the previous stitch so there is no slack between the last twin and the stop bead.
For the second row, the 15-drop-15 sequence that you just stitched is both the turn around and step up to the next row. The working thread should be coming out of the second hole of the twin bead now. Simply string an 11, a twin and another 11, and pass the needle through the empty hole of the next twin bead. Repeat until you reach the last twin bead of the previous row. When your needle is coming out of the second hole of the last twin bead, string an 11, a twin, 2 size 15, 1 drop, and 2 size 15. Pass the needle through the second empty hole of the last twin strung – tighten up the stitch. Now you’re ready for the next row again.

Repeat the two previous steps until the bracelet is about 1” shorter than you want the finished product to be – some of the length will be made up in the clasp, and some will be recovered due to the stretchy nature of netting.

Stitch the final row exactly like the first, by omitting the twin beads and picking up 3 size 11 instead.

When the last row is stitched, pass through a few of the previous rows, tying half hitches every few beads. Bring your thread back to the last row in preparation for making the clasp loop. DO NOT CUT THE THREAD.
Button Attachment: remove your stop bead from the tail end of the thread and transfer your needle to it. Work your needle back a few rows and attach a button/flat bead/captured cab/other object you would like to incorporate into the closure. It is best that this object sits a few rows from the end of the strip so that when it is on the arm it lays nice and flat. Stitch through the button hole several times, as much as you feel necessary for it to be secure. Weave in the tail of the thread and trim. This side is done.

Loop Closure: return the needle to the other end of the thread. String enough 11’s to create a loop at the end of the bracelet, just large enough to accommodate the button on the other end – keep in mind that the loop will become tighter with the addition of the second row of beads, so it is better to make it a little bit loose. Once you have enough beads, pass the needle through the last bead of the first row, opposite of where your thread is coming out. Pass the needle back through all of the beads of the last row of the bracelet and exit from the first bead of the loop. Stitch one row of peyote stitch using the 11’s, all the way around the loop. ***At this point, double check the loop for fit with the button. If it’s too tight, remove the needle and backtrack until you can add some beads to your initial loop. Too loose, it can be fixed by adding some 15’s to the interior of the loop until it’s tight enough. *** When the fit has been verified, circle the needle around the last row of the bracelet again, so you’re exiting the first up bead of the loop. Stitch another row of peyote stitch, this time using drops. This is your final row of the loop. When this row is finished, work the thread back into the bracelet and tie it off. Trim the thread, wear the bracelet!

Variations with (left to right) vintage 2-hole dimes, Czech Tiles, Japanese Tilas, vintage 1 hole triangles.

You can use this technique for any two holed bead, including the new shapes that have been all the rage lately. Sometimes you will encounter a need to vary the count or type of bridge beads or turn around beads, in order to accommodate a new shape - give it a whirl!  (Word of caution...the Japanese Tila variation pulls arm hair...(not my favorite!))

Button variations (left to right) crystal AB vintage glass, pink and sapphire vintage glass, artisan fused glass, Green Girl Studios pewter frog.

One of the things I love about this project is getting to use some of the fantastic small buttons that I've been hoarding, but you can also use your preferred type of clasp - it's all up to you!

Please share pictures of your latest netting project, or your version's of this bracelet! We would love to see what you come up with!

Free Tutorial - BiBo Buttons

I know we have talked about many of the new beads that have been introduced just this year.  It has been rather overwhelming in the community trying to decide what to play with.  I have been lucky enough to have gotten my hot little hands on some so I thought, with a little push from my teammates, to show you a couple I absolutely love.  So much so that I have come up with a little tutorial for you.

Button Beads are tiny little 4mm funky beads that have me totally infatuated. They are the brain child of the fabulous Sabine Lippert of Trytobead.  You will see in the bracelet they look to me like little nailheads when woven. 
I have been eyeing up these BiBo beads for quite awhile and I can tell you they do not disappoint at all. I love the shape.  Like a twin or superduo they have two holes but instead of having a fatter middle they are larger on the outside.

When I put the beads on my tray a funny thing happened.  This design just came to life on the first try.  I hope you will enjoy this little tutorial.

Materials needed:
18-20 Button beads
36-40 BiBo beads
Less than 5 grams of 11/0 seed beads
Clasp of your choice

On a comfortable length of fireline pick up 8 seed beads.  Go through all the beads two times and exit the next 2 seed beads.

Pick up a BiBo bead and 1 seed bead.  Go through the next hole of the Bibo bead.

Pick up 1 Button bead, BiBo bead and a seed bead.  Go through the next hole of the BiBo, Button and the starting hole of the first BiBo.

Go through the seed bead and the next hole of the BiBo, pick up 2 seed beads and go through the opposite BiBo.

Go through the seed bead, next hole of the BiBo and through the 2 seed beads in the starting ring.

Weave through to exit the 2 seed beads opposite the starting ring.

Pick up 6 seed beads and go through all the beads again.

Exit the top two seed beads and repeat all the steps for your desired length.  Be sure to add 6 beads at the end of your work for your clasp loop.


Be sure to let me know what you think and if you give it a try.  I would be thrilled to see your colorways.

Faux Roman Glass - a Free Tutorial!

I belong to a group, Beading Back in Time, and we have quarterly challenges.  This quarter, the challenge was Early Civilization (3500 BC - 500 AD).  I decided to make faux roman glass beads and share the tutorial with you.  I'm assuming if you're a lampworker and you're reading this, you know certain things, like safety, applications, etc.  This is a more intermediate tutorial.

The first step is to make a bead in a color you think resembles roman glass.  I chose light aqua and medium blue.  You could also probably use cobalt.  Make your bead as usual, paying attention to the nicely puckered ends.  Once you have your basic bead shape, dip it in baking soda.  I use a pyrex glass bowl for mine.  Then put your bead back in the flame, allowing the baking soda to burn off and create the pitting.  If you want more pitting, put it back in the baking soda for a second time.  Next, shape your bead how you want - I used a brass paddle to shape my beads into a nugget shape - then put them back in the flame quickly so they don't shock, and put them in the kiln.  Run your regular cycle.

Here's what they look like when they're done - they are wet from soaking.  You'll have to soak them, they are really hard to get off the mandrel.  They will feel slimy as well - that's normal.  That's the baking soda.

You will probably ruin some mandrels, as well.  The baking soda really makes the beads stick on the ends; I had to use a locking pliers to get the beads off, even though I soaked them in water for quite a while.

Next, you need to soak them in vinegar for about 20-30 minutes.  This arrests the acid in the baking soda.  I have also read that you can use a very mild, watered down solution of etch-all - I haven't tried this method, so can't speak on it!

These are my beads out of the vinegar.  You will still see a good amount of baking soda on the beads, it's a good idea to take a wet toothbrush and brush the beads to get as much of the baking soda residue off as you can.

For the next step, I tumble etched my beads in my tumbler with the solution of silicone carbide, size 6 glass seed beads, water and a drop of dawn dish detergent - tutorial here.  At first, I ran it for a couple of hours; when I took the beads out, I was not satisfied with the result, so I decided to just run it overnight and see what happened.  I have to say that I am quite pleased with how they look.

When I took them out of the tumbler and rinsed them off, there was a still a little bit of baking soda residue left on them, so I simply took my wet toothbrush and brushed them again.  I'm quite pleased with the look.  I can't, however, attest to whether they hold up over time.  I have heard that baking soda beads continue to degrade - while I don't know this for sure, I thought I would put it out there for you. 

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! If you're not a lampworker and would like some, please contact me and I'll be glad to oblige!

Susan Kennedy

Tutorial - Beaded Spiral Wire Bangle

Today I'm sharing with you another design featuring one of my favourite fusions - macrame and wire work which combine to create this lovely rigid beaded Bangle. You can adapt this to your own style with your choice of beads and can also change the weight of the piece by using a heavier gauge wire

Materials
2mm copper wire
0.60mm copper wire
Focal bead, accent beads and spacers
Copper head pin
10mm heavy gauge closed jump ring
Cutters round nose pliers
Bench vice

Note: This bangle measures 6 1/2 inches (2 1/3 inches diameter). You will need to adjust your wire requirements for the finished size you require and to take into account the size of the beads you use.

Step 1
Cut an 8 ½ inch length of 2mm copper wire. Add the focal beads, centre on the wire and mark the position with a sharpie. Remove the beads and secure one end of the wire in a bench vice.

Step 2

Cut 2 3ft lengths of 0.60mm copper wire. With one length and working from a mark out towards the end of the core work a macrame half square knot spiral pattern until 1 ½ inches of the core wire remains. Use 2 pairs of pliers to pull the wire taught. Instruction for a macrame half square  knot can be found here.

Step 3

Remove from the vice, wrap one of the wire tails around the core 3 times and trim. wrap the second tail it over the first and trim. 

Step 4

Add the central beads for the central section, return the core wire to the vice and repeat steps 2 & 3 on the other side,

Step 5
Add a bead to each end of the core wire and turn a simple loop.

Step 6
Take a 10mm copper jump ring and place it over the close tips of a pair of round noses pliers. Open the pliers to make an oval jump ring.

Step 7
Gently shape the bangle over a mandrel then open the loops one at a time, attach the jump ring and close the loops.

Step 8
Make a beaded dangle and wire wrap to attach to the oval jump ring.

Step 9
Use Liver of sulphur to patinate, polish back to your preferred finish and tumble if desired.

           

And there you have your completed bangle...

Heart  bead by Josephine Wadman Designs

Mini melon beads by Pebble Dreams

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and if you give it a go don't forget to share your makes with us on the AJE Facebook page.