Braided Bead Rope Tutorial

A couple of months go I made this necklace for a design challenge I was co-hosting and one of my AJE team mates asked me if I would write a tutorial for the braided rope element, so that's what I'm doing for you today. In my design the rope elements are attached to a simple focal bead section by means of decorative links but it is easily adaptable for you own necklace and bracelet designs.

To make the braided elements for a necklace of this style you will need:

Seed beads of your choice
2 decorative rings/connectors
2 bead cones/caps
20 gauge wire
Bead thread
Glue

The seed beads I used were  size 10/0 (2.2mm by 1.5mm) opaque Aztec gold and aged striped picasso mix Czech glass seed beads which came in hank of twelve 12 inch strands - approx. 18 beads per inch from Beads and Babble on Etsy.

Step 1
For each plaited element I used 3 strands from the hank. If you can remove the strands in their entirely and the thread is strong enough you may be able to use them as they are are without restringing but I prefer to restring them onto new thread with a collapsible beading needle...

Step 2
When your have your strands threaded pass one end through your decorative ring or connector.

Step 3
Tie the ends of the thread together taking care not to pull it too tightly - the strands need to be loose enough to braid and for the final rope to be able to drape softly. Add a dab of glue to the knot, leave to dry and trim the thread.

Step 4
Repeat steps 1 - 3 twice more so that you finish up with 3 strands threaded through your rings/connectors and closed into loops. Make sure each loop is separated and not tangled and that the knots are at the opposite end for your rings/connectors.

Step 5
Start braiding by taking each looped strand over the previous one and keeping an even tension that creates a pleasing effect - how tightly you braid will affect the length and drape of the finished
element.

 

Whilst braiding make sure you keep your knots at the end of the loops.

Step 6
when you get to the end of the braid lay each strand on top of each other lining up the knots as closely as possible.

Step 7
Take your wire and create a loop as you would if you were making a wrapped loop.

Step 8
Slip the wire through the beaded strands and gently ease the bead thread into the loop at the point where they are knotted. Leaving some slack when stringing your beads will help here.

Step 9
Using your pliers to hold it, wrap the end on the wire around the loop 3 times to close it and trim the excess from the wrapped end of the wire.

Step 10
Thread the other end of the wire through your bead cone or cap taking care to ensure the knots are enclosed and the strands are hanging correctly.

Step 11
Create another wrapped loop with the wire extending from the bead cone/cap and adjust the cap to fit.

Step 12
Repeat steps 1 - 11 to create your second braided element and then add a clasp of your choice.

And there you are - job done!

Ceramic beads by Blueberri Beads, Bronze connectors by THEA Elements

As an alternative to the decorative rings/connectors you can also use this technique with bead cones/caps at both ends of the braid.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and I look forward to seeing it in some of your designs.

Lesley

The Gossiping Goddess

I am inspired!

Is there a type of bead or shape that inspires you?  I have found as of late that one of my favorites in artbead designs is curves and circles.  More specifically ammonites. 

There is something primitave and calming about them for me.  Here are some of my favorites that I worked with.

And here is what I would love to work with!

What shapes inspire you?

Kristen

Taking this show on the road...

Regular readers of this blog may remember that in September, I drove to Washington state for a week-long metal retreat which I co-hosted with the very awesome and talented Melissa Muir. It was my first time making a long trip to do work elsewhere, and I was very challenged by the process of trying to figure out what I should take with me.

I think I took more than I really needed.

Don't judge. And in my defense, my best friend Kimmy brought a few things.

But even the packing was a good learning experience. I thought I'd share with you my favorite travel accessory and my least-favorite, to give you some idea of what worked and what didn't work.


This AWP tool tote is one of my favorite non-tool purchases of the last year. It is extremely sturdy with a thick woven canvas stitched around a metal frame. The bottom and lower part of the sides is fitted with a rubberized coating that protects it from moisture, so you don't have to worry so much about where you set it down - just wipe it off! And as you can see, the price is right and it holds a TON of stuff.


That plastic organizer is included, and it fits snugly in the bottom of the tote.


I used it for small items and sharp items. There was plenty of room in the large open compartment for my punches and cutters, and I used the narrower areas on the left for my needle files, chasing tools, center punches and a pin vise.

Also included are two zippered bags that clip to the tote with a long lanyard.


I used one for all my saw blades and the other for my burnishers, ring clamp, and stone setting tools.

There are two tiers of pockets around the outside of the tote. The lower tier is gusseted, so they open a little wider than the upper tier, which are stitched closer to the sidewall of the tote. The pockets held literally all of my pliers, my favorite stubby hammer, Sharpies and more... with room left over.


In the main section, I was able to fit a bench block, all my sanding and finishing materials, some work towels and last minute odds and ends. Since I got back, with my studio packed up for the move, I've rearranged it and the center section now holds a bench block, a sand bag, sanding materials, a saw frame, a bench pin/anvil combo, my magnifiers, and an assortment of hammers wrapped up for travel. I took this with me to the Richard Salley class I took recently, and it had literally everything I needed to do the projects. I am an enthusiastic fan of this tote, especially given its $25 price tag.

Now, here's something that worked a little less well:


Kobalt has a steller reputation for high quality products, and in general I'm a fan. I got this tool box because I wanted something sturdy that could transport my metal bench items, and it certainly had plenty of room.




Here's the problem, though. All that metal bench stuff? It's really (REALLY) heavy. Really heavy. Once I loaded this up (and packed a bunch of shop towels in the drawers to keep things from moving around) it was too heavy for me to lift - and I was really nervous that the plastic handle on the top of the lid would just snap off. I managed to get it on a dolly and muscle it down the stairs and into the car, but it was not in the least bit convenient. I will say that having it next to my worktable created some good organizational space, but overall it wasn't a good fit for travel. To be clear, the problem was that I was loading the toolbox up with more stuff than it was designed to carry, so the problem isn't with Kobalt. That said, I would recommend they consider making this toolbox with a sturdy metal handle (perhaps with a rubberized grip) instead of the plastic.

So while I'll probably repurpose the toolbox for our household tools, I am an enthusiastic fan of the AWP tote. Since I can't afford to own two sets of my most-used tools, I'll be using it a LOT to transport things to and from the new studio when I need to work at home. And, of course, there's always NEXT year's metal retreat!

How about you? Do you have a favorite travel accessory for tools and materials?

Until next time!

Inspired by Tulips; the Exploration of Creating a 3D Shape in Metal

Keirsten Giles has once again written up a fantastic blog post about her studio adventures and explorations. Hopefully you are as inspired as I am by the peek into her journey of creating a tulip shape in metal. Make sure you click on the link about coins and hammer embossing. You will love it. 

-Jen 

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I love metal beads and other three-dimensional metal shapes; unfortunately it is difficult to find such ready-made items in a finish that matches my own metalwork, and I don’t do any casting, or work with metal clay so I can’t easily make my own. I decided to try achieving a 3D shape with simple cuts and curves. My inspiration was tulip blossoms:

Photo by John O’Neill courtesy Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jjron)

I just love this shape.

I used a tulip-shaped vintage brass beadcap for a starting point, picturing it spread flat in my mind (I still thought I might use it so I didn’t want to actually smash it flat).

From Calliope’s Attic on Etsy

(https://www.etsy.com/listing/109318905/medium-tulip-bead-cap-raw-brass?)

I sketched out a couple of large shapes that I thought might work, with four petals.

I eventually bit the bullet and just smashed the beadcap I had, thinking, “Well, I’m going to make a bunch of these from copper, so what do I really need it for?”

I scanned it, and then made several different sizes on the computer and printed them onto card stock to make templates from:

the actual template is included at the bottom of this post for you to save and use

Then using my new templates I cut out several sizes from various gauges of copper sheet—22 gauge for the very large ones, and 24 and 26 gauge for the smaller ones. I etched the 22- and 24-gauge shapes, and embossed the 26-gauge sheets with coins and a hammer . I punched center holes with my Beadsmith hole punch pliers, and then annealed all the textured shapes to make them easier to work with. Just for fun I made holes in the edges of the petals on one pair.

I began by using my doming set to produce slightly cupped shapes on the petals.

Then I domed the center of each shape, first resting the doming punch in the center of the shape and pressing the petals against the ball with my fingers, and then hammering the punch gently into the cap.

Et voila!

I’ve used one of the small embossed pair for earrings, with clear quartz:

I made the largest ones from 22 gauge sheet. These required a little more man-handling—I had to curve the edges of the petals inward a bit with my pliers.

The large ones may be part of necklaces eventually, and maybe I will use a pair of the larger ones for a lariat. I have to say I preferred the three-petal bud to the four-petal. I may rework the four-petaled ones a little bit to give them a rounder shape. All in all, it was fun!

-Keirsten Giles

The Cerebral Dilettante

Lune Artisan Jewelry on Etsy

Lune Artisan Jewelry on Facebook

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If you would like to experiment with your own tulip shapes, Keirsten is very generously sharing her template with you. First, click it to open the image, then right click to save it to your computer. Print it out, and use it. Make sure you share your results!