Beaded Baubles!

Happy Sunday Friends! Just a gentle reminder to those who live in the US that we have returned to standard time and you should have moved your clocks ahead last night. I like the longer days, I have been waking up early lately on my own so I hope it makes the transition easier. That said I was at a crop last night until 11:30 so I am feeling a bit groggy today. I was supposed to scrapbook but I didn’t feel like it so I grabbed some beads instead.

I had made the above necklace last weekend from a kit by The Beadery that I found at Mardens for $3. I was not in love with the colors but I had always wanted to learn how to bead around a stone and I have to say the instructions were fantastic! I did not follow the pattern to the letter because I did not want the necklace to have a clasp and I did not like some embellishing on it but that is why it is great to make your own, you can have it your way! The kit has a date of 2007 and the item # is 5768 if anyone wants to try and find it. I got the hang of it very quickly and decided to try the technique with some flat backed glass marbles and small beads from my stash:

Once I had the basic idea I found I could substitute beads and change the pattern and basically make it up as I went along.

On the green bead I started with fewer beads so I could cover more of the back. Since I had a pattern that repeated 5 times I got a star look to it.

This was just the type of project I needed last night. Fun, relaxing and easy. Plus I know if there were other beaders there I could ask advice since I have little experience with seed beads other than collecting them and occasionally sprinkling them in wet glue on an art project. 😀 Getting out to create with the gals was what I needed but ironically I almost didn’t go, I was looking for an excuse to veg out at home but I had told my friend Kathy I would go so I did and I even accomplished something, made some new friends ad ended the night feeling tired but inspired. Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

DIY Bead Stringer, Beading Tips and My First Stab at Bead Crochet!

I guess I thought it was time to stop making beads and make something with the beads I have been creating LOL! I might not know how to bead crochet properly but at least I approach it with enthusiasm!

But first a crafty invention…well, more like a craft rip-off really. I saw a bead spinner in a catalog and it was basically a little bowl with a stick attached in the middle and you would fill it with beads and then place a curved needle in the bowl, give it a spin and the beads would zip on to your needle, perfect for the lazy crafter like myself. Ah-ha! I thought all I need is an applesauce cup and a suction cup dart (don’tcha love how my brain works?) and I can make one of these…and i did.

I saved an applesauce cup (make sure to get one with the smooth sides, usually the cheap store brand LOL!) and asked my son if he had a suction cup dart and I was in business. I hot glued the cup end of the dart to the bottom of the applesauce cup, easy as pie! To thread beads on the string I used a short piece of artistic wire and folded it in half and twisted the two ends together, inserted the thread then crimped the fold of the wire closed so it would pass through the holes in the beads. This needle cannot be reused once you remove it from the thread so save your artistic wire scraps to make these disposable needles. Bend a slight curve in the wire and dip it in the stringing cup and give it a spin. It works! maybe not as good as the store-bought (I have never used one) but it beats stringing them on one at a time! Oh, if you can’t find a suction cup dart (dollar store) the little bowls work fine on their own, just spin the cup from the bottom. Also you need to have a fair amount of beads in the cup for it to work, 1″ of beads is ideal!

Or…you can just dip the end of a spool of wire in the pot and add beads that way as I did to make these crochet rings:

This was an experiment  I loaded up my artistic wire with beads and attached the end of the wire to a small crochet hook with a slip knot. Then I made a chain long enough to go ’round my finger, then I joined the ring with a slip stitch. On the next round I pulled up 3 beads and locked them in with a slip stitch and repeated in each stitch then I slip stitched to close.  I trimmed the wire and wrapped the loose ends around the ring to secure. I love the color and sparkle the wire gives and they are surprisingly comfortable to wear! A ring is a good first wire crochet project because it is quick and small so if you don’t like it you are not out that much time or supplies.

And here is a necklace using seed beads and one of the lamp-worked beads from this video.

And one of the beads from yesterdays post with “E” beads.

A tip when stringing beads, when you knot your string place a dab of super glue on the knot so it won’t unravel! The super glue from the dollar store is just fine for this! Thanks so much for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!