Mzuribeads

These fun and lightweight paper beads from Uganda offer several design options. I did this chain maille piece with brass jump rings. After adding Mzuribeads to the bib, the necklace hung properly because the beads did not weigh down the chain maille.

A matching pair of earrings is one that is very comfortable to wear.

Pattern in the Works

May 31, 2010 - Happy Memorial Day to my USA fans! And hello to everyone else!

I'm designing a new piece, writing up the instructions, and I'm going to publish them. I finished the piece, and I think I can make it better, but first I want to publish the instructions, so I took a picture of the piece as-is. I'll re-do the piece another day, as I think I can improve on the design by making chain maille that is just a little smaller in diameter than the focal piece of pearls and sapphires.

This means there will be before and after photos that will show the design process. And of course... the leftovers from what I take off this piece will become something else. The picture below is before:

Who knows? Making writing up the instructions and publishing them won't take all day and I'll get to do the chain maille improvement. However, publishing a pattern that fast would be a first.
I made this piece to match a bead crochet bracelet I made:

I have used every sapphire from the strand I bought, so if I am going to make matching earrings (of course I am!), I will have to buy another strand of sapphires.

Getting Back to the Basics

Over the years, I have spent quite a bit of time grappling with new techniques, learning new stitches, and expanding my repertoire of jewelry making skills. Every now and then, it's good to get back to the basics. I love doing bead crochet. While I was learning, I used three different colors and beaded six in the round, creating stripes. I went on to do different size beads, adding gemstones and pearls, and different Czech pressed glass beads. Some of my pieces are composed of just very fine beads, such as the 24 karat gold lined crystal beads that are Czech vintage beads from the 1920s. The beads alone make the piece beautiful.

While planning for a trip to Pittsburgh, I decided that I would make a bead crochet bracelet upon which just the beauty of the beads would carry the piece. I did not have time to design anything complicated, nor time to pick one bead up at a time if I were to have the beads strung before I left.

Using just one kind of bead makes a simple bracelet, but loading them up onto Jean stitch is easy because you can use a bead spinner.I chose Delicas number 502, which is a 22 karat gold bead that has a lovely lavender iris finish. These beads are discontinued and Myuki no longer makes them. I bought them at a closeout, and only have a limited supply. These beads are some of the nicest I have ever seen though. I was going to do a simple bracelet with an invisible join.

However, as I got closer to finishing this strand, I received some 14 karat gold-filled findings, which included bead caps that fit the end of this strand perfectly. Doing an invisible join is something that took me awhile to learn, and most of my bead crochet bracelets do have the invisible join. Using end findings is a way that those who cannot perfect the technique of the invisible join can still make beautiful bracelet. It occurred to me that just because I COULD do an invisible join didn't mean I HAD to do an invisible join. The result is this delicate bracelet which is really quite pretty. I am glad I decided not to do an invisible join because the clasp and the findings add quite a bit to the design. You can still roll the bracelet onto your wrist, just as you can with any bead crochet bracelet, but the clasp is there if you want to put it on in the more traditional manner.

Moral of the story: Your knowledge of complicated techniques does not detract from the beauty of simple techniques. Get back to the basics every now and then.

Please visit Need for Beads see what else I have for designer jewelry! Or find me on eBay!

Latest Plaid Bead Crochet Pattern Published

The McFarland Plaid
designed by Gail Devoid

This pattern will be released this weekend. This is an advanced design and not for those just beginning with bead crochet. The pattern is based upon the McFarland clan plaid itself, and was designed from a scrap of a hankerchief.

Online Radio Show-Don't miss this one!

The Jewelry Connection with Host, Mona Hair and Co-Host Gail Devoid

3 pm EST, 2 pm CST.1 pm MST, Noon PST

In Europe: 9 PM, except for the UK where show time is 8 PM

November 15, 2009

A Holiday in Jewels - A Collaborative Jewelry Show

Mona and Gail will have a wonderful display of submitted pieces to show and discuss. This week, Mona returns to the permanent broadcast room (The Jewelry Connection) which has undergone an overhaul by LiveVideo. Stop by and see what is going on! No user id is required to watch and listen to the show. Check out the listener base that comes from over THREE DOZEN countries.

Location:

http://www.livevideo.com/the-jewelry-connection

SKYPE Mona77401 or call Mona at 1-832-397-6317

You may also join the show via Skype or this phone number during the show if you want to talk to Mona and Gail.

Copper Chain Maille Bracelet

March 28, 2009 - Although it took a few weeks, I prepared copper jump rings for my next creation. When the wound spring of copper was cut, I noticed that several burrs were created. I had to spend a lot of time tumbling the rings, using a cup de-burrer, tumbling again, before I couldn't even begin to create the bracelet below. This is the standard Byzantine pattern, with a clasp easily made from the same copper wire.

More rings are on the way. We are trying some new cutting techniques in an effort to avoid burrs. In the next piece, I hope to use some stone druks.

Chain Maille

I have been reading about chain maille and how to make it for a couple of years now. At the end of last year, I purchased a jump ring maker and at vibratory tumbler. I've made jump rings in silver and gold, tumbled them, and then started designing with chain mail. This is my first effort:

And here is the same bracelet laid out:

The chain maille in this bracelet is called Full Persian Chain Maille.

The next pattern that I tried was in silver and is called Box Chain Maille:

The art bead in this one is by Marj Bates, a bead artist from Massachusetts.

Finally, I did a necklace with twisted wire gold jump rings in the Byzantine chain maille pattern.

I finished the necklace with a lobster clasp. After making this necklace, my left wrist was sore for two days, but I don't care because I really enjoyed wearing this one! On Friday, January 30, 2009, I spoke at the New London Rotary Club about my manufacturing classification. I actually qualify for this classification three times: once for Labsphere, Inc., once for Tarnhelm Supply Co. Inc., and lastly, once for Need for Beads, Inc. My presentation was well received. I had a blast talking about all the things that we manufacture in these companies.

Next, I'm getting quotes on costs for different sizes of copper wire. I expect that I'll have a piece done in copper soon.