New Amulet Bag Completed

I've finished the amulet bag on which I have worked over the last two month. This is one of my patterns, and I wanted to see how it would look with a strap that employs this new stitch I stumbled upon. The strap is very fluid, and seem to work very well with the bag.

I lined the bag with white jacquard fabric, and the white brightens the colors in the bag considerably. The fringe worked up quickly as the long bugle beads make things go along fast.

Here's the other side of the bag, which is the fire that the wizard has started with his magic wand:

The snap closure keeps the bag shut and add a little extra something to the Wizard side of the bag, while it hardly shows on the Fire side. The bag is made entirely of Japanese beads, Delicas for the body of the bag and fringe, and Miyuki bugle beads and 8/0 hex beads for the fringe accents. I used crystal fireline throughout the bag.

It's time to start another big project!

More work with two new stitches

I've been doing some more work with my "This Way and That Stitch" -- this time I did a necklace using amethyst stones for the center. I wanted to get the look of amethyst in it natural state when inside a geode, so I surrounded the dark stones with a lighter lavender vintage Czech seed bead, and highlighted the outside with a crystal silver-lined triangle 8/0 bead. The effect was really very good. We took a trip up to Enfield last weekend, and stopped by Gemstar Gemstone. They have amethyst geodes for sale, and I put my necklace next to one. I have succeeded in getting the effect I wanted. And then going through my stash of sterling silver clasps, I found one that matched really well. Here's the necklace.

Let me know what you think.

I've been doing some more work with my "Porcupine Stitch" too (and no, it is not a slip stitch bead crochet tube). I had a dichroic piece around which I beaded a bezel. It's been on my worktable for months. Getting beads to match the colors, I use the stitch to create a necklace and a bracelet and finished both with silver plated clasps I bought at the 1st Innovative Beads Expo in Concord, NH. The show was well-attended, and we beaders are delighted to hear that the show will be coming back again next year. Hopefully, the show will get as big as the ones held in Massachusetts.

Here's the necklace and bracelet set:

This weekend, I'm busy redoing some of my amulet bag patterns. I lost some of the older Bead Cellar Software files when my harddrive failed on my notebook. So, bead by bead, I am re-creating them from the graphs I had in the pdf files. Then I am updating the patterns to include a bead map for tubular peyote. The Wizard and Fire amulet bag was probably the hardest, so I did that one first. I also started beading that bag, this time as a tube. It is such great fun to see the Wizard's feet form, and the Fire start up. Here's that pattern as a flat piece.

Amethyst bracelet

I tried a new combination for this with which stitch I've been working. The center beads are amethyst, not purple glass, but actual stones. The darker smaller beads are glass, but they are vintage Czech seed beads from the 1920s. The crystals are Swarovski clear crystals 3 mm beads, so they are tiny.

I added two crystals to the toggle, the first time I tried that, and I like the effect. At some point, I will sell this one. I like it very much, but I have so much jewelry that I have to sell.

Hope you like it!

New design released by Need For Beads!

Designer Bracelet - This Way and That Fine Austrian Crystals and Faceted Stones This bracelet is a eed for Beads design by Gail Devoid. This one will surely add some bling to the owner's fashion wardrobe! This bracelet uses fine Austrian crystals, silver-lined Czech seed beads and 4 mm round faceted stone beads. Made while writing the pattern instructions for this design, the bracelet has a solid sterling silver clasp with a beautiful faceted carnelian stone. The clasp matches the bracelet perfectly! Maybe you have always wanted to own a designer's prototype; well, here is your chance. This bracelet fits a 7 1/4" wrist and will be the only one done in carnelian. If you want it, then visit http://snipr.com/1nqrh.

Green silver-lined Czech Seed Beads with Mother of Pearl Accent Beads

This bracelet uses green silver-lined Czech seed beads with the center beads being mother of pearl. I also did one in blue.

Gail H. Devoid
Need For Beads, Inc.
431 High St.
Boscawen, NH 03303-3800
603-796-2551 Office
603-848-2552 Cell
603-796-2918 Fax
http://www.tarnhelm.com/NeedForBeads

My latest design

Hello students!

I’ve been sick for a few months and not able to teach the corporate classes Monday nights at Michaels in Concord, NH, or the advanced classes on Saturdays. This month and next I will resume teaching the corporate classes on Monday nights, and then in August, I will schedule some advanced classes. Let me know what you would like to see and I will take that into consideration for what we schedule in August.

The pictures here show some of the bracelets that I will be teaching this month at Michaels. The display board in the classroom has more, so check it out the next time you shop at Michaels!

And if there’s time in class, I will show you how to make earrings out of the leftovers!

The second earring to the left is from a bracelet you can see on the display board. It’s beautiful. I hope to see you in class at Concord’s in Michaels. Classes start Monday night at 6:30 PM and last until 8:30 PM.

Gail H. Devoid
Need For Beads, Inc.
431 High St.
Boscawen, NH 03303-3800
603-796-2551 Office
603-848-2552 Cell
603-796-2918 Fax
http://www.tarnhelm.com/NeedForBeads