Beaded Beads

Confession: I am addicted to this right angle weave (RAW) beaded bead. The pattern ("Amphora") is from "Beaded Opulence" by Marcia DeCoster, and I have stitched it 3 times already, and have pulled beads to stitch it 2 more times!

Amphora Beaded Bead on Tubular Herringbone Rope, stitched by Sweet Freedom Designs

For this particular colorway, I used 3 different colors of Swarovskis, including one of my favorites: Cyclamen Opal. I also used gold-fumed lilac seed beads. I stitched a tubular herringbone rope to support the bead.

I have played around with different bead choices (colors AND sizes) for this bead, and keep telling myself I am going to make one without Swarovskis, for a more casual look, but I just can't seem to keep that promise! The Swarovski bicones make this bead so opulent!

Here's another colorway I've stitched (but still using the gold-fumed lilac Tohos - I love this seed bead color!):

 Amphora Beaded Bead, stitched by Sweet Freedom Designs

Thanks to Marcia for putting this collection of RAW patterns together - it's a fantastic book, full of inspiring ideas!

Peacock Peyote

I stitched this 3-drop peacock feather peyote bracelet in July, 2013. I love peacocks!

Peacock feather 3-drop peyote bracelet

The pattern is from Bead and Button - it was an online extra, and the download included a zebra-striped bracelet, too (which I also stitched). I chose flashy silver and blue vitrail 3mm firepolish beads for the picot edging, which couldn't have been more perfect!

I was almost finished, and actually stitching the button onto the bracelet, when a friend came to visit at the bead shop. She fell in love with the bracelet, and insisted on having it, and I couldn't refuse! She let me take a couple of quick pics before she wore it home.

If you share my peacock love, I have a (growing) peacock-themed board on Pinterest - take a look!

A Little Christmas Present for Myself

A couple of months ago, as part of the Patterns for Tigger fundraiser on Facebook, Carol Dean Sharpe created a set of peyote pattern graphs from a picture I'd taken of Tigger. (Thanks again, CD!)

I loved the patterns, and all the colorways, so I set out to stitch them - since I couldn't pick a favorite, naturally, I stitched them all!

As I looked at them, I decided that rather than wear them as bracelets, I wanted to display them, so I took them to a local framer. They frame lots of needlepoint, but had never done beadwork, and once I told him each was made from glass beads, he was a bit leery about mounting them to the mat, so he sent me home with the matting. I tacked each one to the mat, then took them back to the frame shop to complete the process:

Framed set of 4 peyote stitch Tiggers

And now they are hanging on the wall in my shop, and they are gorgeous!

Here are the "bracelets" before I matted them:

colorful bracelets stitched from CD's peyote graphs

This is the picture of Tigger that the pattern was created from:

Tigger, 8/17/14

All 4 peyote graphs are available as in a bundled tutorial in my Etsy shop.

Thanks again to Carol Dean for her contribution to this, and for creating the Patterns for Tigger group on Facebook. Thanks to all who participated, Tigger is alive and thriving. He still has diarrhea and periodic abdominal pain and distress, and most likely will be diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease. He's on a special diet, and is growing - he's a very active, happy 6 month old puppy, and just graduated from puppy obedience:

Tigger's graduation portrait, 12/14/14

He starts an intermediate obedience class this Sunday. He loves his school!

Tigger and I send warm Holiday greetings to all our friends, and special thanks to the wonderful Patterns for Tigger group!