Half-Starburst Flowers

When I think of the springtime, I immediately think of flowers. So what better way to celebrate Artbeads.com's "The Beauty of Spring" theme than by creating flower beaded beads out of Czech glass beads!

I tend to think of these beaded beads as "Half Starbursts" because they use exactly half of the number of lentil beads as the Circle Starburst design. These beaded beads have the geometry of regular pentagonal prisms, and are an easy variation of the Circle Starburst. They measure about 7/8 of an inch (22 mm) across at their widest length, and can be strung a couple of different ways.

I sampled some of Artbeads' amethyst and matte peridot lentils for this one, as well as some of their 15° Japanese seed beads. The result is a color combination that I didn't quite expect, but it definitely sets off the flower portion of the beaded bead compared to the light green "leaves."

The best part about these flower beaded beads? They're reversible!

I made a necklace with five of these beaded beads in lovely matte blue lentils. Combined with some gorgeous Czech Opalite Blue Roundelles, this necklace is perfect for a tropical spring vacation!

Or, turn it around, and it's perfect for a spring day in the garden!

The possibilities are endless!

Full disclosure: The Czech glass lentil beads, opalite blue picasso roundelles, and a selection of 15° seed beads used in these projects were received as a gift from Artbeads.com. No payment was made for the review of these products.