Peaks and Valleys - a New Beadweaving Tutorial by Sweet Freedom Designs

My latest beadweaving tutorial contains step-by-step instructions for a wide bracelet, 2 skinny stacker-type bracelets (with options for several more variations), 2 very different necklaces, and 3 different earrings. Beads used include Superduos; Czechmates™ 2-hole tiles; O-beads; drop beads; and size 15/0, 8/0, and 11/0 seed beads. One of the necklaces has the option for using the new 6x5mm and 9x8mm Czech glass mushroom beads.

"Peaks and Valleys", a beadweaving tutorial by Sweet Freedom Designs

"Peaks and Valleys" wide bracelet:

"Peaks and Valleys" bracelet; 3 colorways shown

"Peaks and Valleys" skinny bracelets:

"Peaks and Valleys" skinny bracelets

"Peaks and Valleys" necklace #1:

 "Peaks and Valleys" Necklace #1

 "Peaks and Valleys" necklace #2:

 "Peaks and Valleys" Necklace #2

There is a lot of opportunity for varying this second necklace - by changing the number of strands across the front and/or back, and by varying the choice of "accent" beads (I used Czech glass mushroom beads for the lower 2 strands, but Swarovski crystals, firepolish beads, and drop beads could easily be substituted.)

 "Peaks and Valleys" Earrings

 "Peaks and Valleys" - 3 different earrings

This versatile tutorial is available in my Etsy shop, and I'm working on getting some kits put together in several colorways.

New Beadweaving Tutorial - A versatile design for bracelets and earrings

Last night I published my latest beadweaving tutorial, "Stackers, Wrappers, and Double/Triple Deckers".

Stackers, Wrappers, and Double/Triple Deckers

a beadweaving tutorial by Sweet Freedom Designs

available on Etsy

When I say this is a versatile pattern, I'm not kidding. It uses a 2-hole bead, which can be either a Superduo OR a Czechmates™ Brick OR a Czechmates™ lentil - all of which give it a different look. Plus, it calls for a 3mm bead, which can be an 8/0, an 11/0 triangle, a 3mm Swarovski crystal, etc. - really, so many different choices here.

The tutorial gives step-by-step instructions for skinny stacking bracelets, a yummy wrap bracelet (I'm wearing the one at top right, above, right now!), a "Double Decker", and a "Triple Decker" (seen at top left, above). There are also instructions for making earrings.

I will be getting some kits put together soon!

My Version of "Egyptian Cuff"

I finished my version of Shelley Nybakke's "Egyptian Cuff" yesterday - the pattern is available online from Beadwork Magazine.

 Bracelet stitched by Sweet Freedom Designs (pattern by Shelley Nybakke)

The pattern calls for stitching the bracelet with 11/0 seed beads and approximately 140 3mm Swarovski bicone crystals.

While I have a huge selection of 11/0s, I have a dearth of 3mm bicones - and only 3 colors where I had at least 140 crystals to play with!

I was none too thrilled with those 3 colors, but paired them up with some 11/0s the best I could, and stitched up the first section of the bracelet, and just wasn't excited about any of the outcomes:

Left: a purple sample using 8/0 seed beads & 4mm bicones; 

Right: galvanized silver 11/0s with turquoise AB 3mm bicones, crystal AB 11/0s with amethyst AB 3mm bicones, and gold-lined opal 11/0s with Caribbean Opal bicones. 

However, I have tons of 4mm crystals, so I decided to step up to 8/0 seed beads and 4mm bicones, and see how the pattern worked, and it stitched up perfectly!

My favorite of these initial trials was the purple/purple combo on the far left - but it seems like everything I'm stitching lately is purple, and I wanted to get out of my "purple rut." It finally hit me that I could use 2 colors of bicones in the pattern, one for the RAW segments, and another for the connecting strands. Duh.

I stitched up a RAW sample with Gold-lined Opal 8/0s and Chili Pepper 4mm bicones, and loved it. I paired it with Indian Sapphire 4mm bicones, and I really liked the combo.

detail, Egyptian Cuff stitched by Sweet Freedom Designs (pattern by Shelley Nybakke)

While the pattern stitched up perfectly with my step up to 8/0s and 4mm bicones, it did cause each of the RAW sections to be almost 1.5 inches wide. I dropped down to using 11/0s for the connecting strands, in an attempt to decrease the size a bit, but it still turned out to be way too small with just 6 RAW segments, so I added a 7th RAW section, which makes the bracelet a little too large for an average wrist, even with the tube clasp I chose to use. Sizing wouldn't have been an issue at all if I had used the 11/0 seed beads and the 3mm crystals, as each of those RAW sections was only 3/4 inch wide!

The RAW technique used in this bracelet was, coincidentally, the same 3-D Right Angle Weave as that in the Amphora Beaded Bead by Marcia Decoster that I was stitching when last I blogged!

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!

My Hammer and I have been very, very busy

I have not worked with metals for a long while; I have been blissfully wrapped up in seed beads, beadweaving away, when not tending to a sick puppy.... but more about Tigger later...

I taught a cold connections workshop a couple of weeks ago, and made a few things while I was teaching:

Mixed Metals and Kyanite Necklace, available on Etsy

This contemporary, geometric necklace combines sterling silver and copper, my own enameled headpins, and a beautiful piece of kyanite - I love this necklace!

Also during that workshop I made a pair of long copper and sterling earrings, very similar to this pair:

Long hammered copper earrings, wrapped with sterling silver; available on Etsy

The pair I made during the workshop sold in my B&M shop within 10 minutes of the time I listed them on Etsy, so I sat down last week and made another pair (seen above), plus some other stuff - I hadn't forgotten how much I loved working with metal, but it was hard to pull myself away from the siren call of the seed beads!

Here are some other creations from last week:

Three different chevron necklaces:

Copper, Aluminum, and Brass Chevron necklace, on Vintaj Natural Brass chain; available on Etsy

This one combines copper, aluminum, and brass chevrons, hanging from dark Vintaj Natural brass chain - I really love the contrast of all these metals combined!

Hammered copper double chevron necklace, available on Etsy

For this one, I simply stuck to copper, and I think the result is very nice!

Hammered copper and brass chevron necklace, available on Etsy

This chevron necklace combines hammered copper with a thin brass chevron. I used Vintaj Natural brass jumprings to connect the two, and hung the chevrons from copper rolo chain.


Lastly, these hammered copper earrings, wrapped with artistic wire, available in 3 colors:

 Hammered copper earrings with silver wire wrap

 Hammered copper earrings with aqua wire wrap

 Hammered copper earrings with royal blue wire wrap

The last pair isn't on Etsy yet, because I forgot to take photos of them hanging - I'll get that done, probably tomorrow.

I noticed, while creating all these listings, that my camera has something foggy going on - I hope it is fingerprints or dog slobber on the lens; something I can fix, because I cannot afford to get this camera serviced AGAIN. It was MIA for over 3 months the last time I needed repairs! The flash has quit working on it, so I need to get it fixed, but there's no money!

Can someone with a critical eye take a look at a couple of these listings on Etsy, and let me know in the comments below whether you think I need to retake THESE pictures? I really don't want to, and the blurry spots in them really bug me, but I think the photos are clear enough for the product listings, but I'd love a second, and third, and 4th opinion!

I'm going back to the seed beads this week (I've missed them!), but I have an idea for a series of metalwork pieces, so I'll be starting with that soon - I'm still in the sketching phase right now.

So, back to Tigger. He is doing much better now. He's healed and recovered from his surgery, but his diarrhea never resolved, so he is now being evaluated for inflammatory bowel disease (little guy just never gets a break!). He is on an extremely restrictive diet (no treats!), and the diarrhea is much better, but still there. The intestinal gas is finally gone, and I can tell he feels better. He is SO active and energetic! He has started obedience classes, and is doing well, although he can be very stubborn and uncooperative (much like his mom). If he doesn't feel like coming when called, he is Just. Not. Gonna.

We see the doctor day after tomorrow, to see what the next step is after these 2 weeks of extreme dietary restriction. I'm hoping we can start to add back some dietary elements, trying to find which ones really upset his tummy and which ones are OK. School is very hard with no treats for reward! Plus, he is going nuts watching me eat Pepperidge Farm Goldfish, and not share with him - it bugs me, too! He's so cute!

There are still tutorials and kits available in my Etsy shop, where all proceeds go to help with Tigger's ever-mounting medical expenses. And, of course, all jewelry purchases from my shop also go to help with the bills!

Thanks for taking the time to read this long post, and have a great week! If you have a minute, leave me a comment, and tell me what you think about the blurry photos!

Thanks!