New Kits: Crystal Helix Beaded Beads

New kits are now available for the Crystal Helix Beaded Bead design. The first uses blue zircon Swarovski crystals with the AB2X finish in a color palette that reminds me of a tropical ocean:

Crystal Helix Beaded Bead Kit - Ocean Breeze Colorway

The next colorway uses the crystal silver night shade of Swarovski crystal, and ends up looking a lot like hematite. I paired a collection of very similar beaded beads with actual hematite in this necklace a while back.

Crystal Helix Beaded Bead Kit - Hematite Colorway

Finally, kits for the peacock colorway are back in stock.

Crystal Helix Beaded Bead Kit - Peacock Colorway

All three kits are available at beadorigami.com, and make two small (~10 mm) and one large (~ 17 mm) beaded beads. The kits include all the beads needed, a beading needle, plenty of thread, the Crystal Helix pattern (automatically delivered after checkout as a PDF download), and shipping is included in the kit price! They can be incorporated into an easy earring and pendant set, or into a more elaborate necklace!

New Necklaces and a Bracelet in the Shop

Sometimes I find it hard to let go of the jewelry that I've made, even when I know deep down that I need to put it up for sale to make room for new designs. I finally did just that with several pieces that I've been hanging onto for quite a while (click on the photos to learn more about each piece). First up is this Crystal Helix necklace in silver night and hematite:

Next, we have this ocean-themed aqua and silver necklace featuring Pagoda Beaded Charms strung as beaded beads, complemented with lampwork beads handmade by glass artisan Melissa Vess:

This necklace features a Circle Starburst beaded bead focal and four Squared Circles beaded beads, strung with Czech glass and grey freshwater pearls. It reminds me of the foggy summers on the San Francisco peninsula where I grew up:

Finally, this little sparkly bracelet was the result of my experimenting with substituting crystals for Czech glass beads in some of my designs. It has a Double Bubble Jacks beaded bead woven with crystals as a charm.

All four items are available for purchase in my Etsy shop.

New Rivoli Kaleidoscope and Crystal Helix Kits

Four new beading kits are now available at my website. First up is a kit in crystal AB and sapphire for the Rivoli Kaleidoscope design. The rivoli pendant crystals decorating the outer edge of the pendant have the AB coating on one side, and I wove this pendant with the AB side facing the back:

The next kit is also for the Rivoli Kaleidoscope design, and features a combination of fern green, copper, and amethyst. Unfortunately, I recently learned that Swarovski is discontinuing the crystal copper color for the rivoli pendant, so this will be a limited edition kit:

The next kit is for the Crystal Helix beaded bead, in several shades of lavender with a hint of silver:

The final kit is also for the Crystal Helix beaded bead, in shiny purples and green patina. I first tried using this color combination for a pair of Pagoda earrings, but I thought that this color palette could use some silver, so I added a few silver seed beads when I beaded this set:

The Rivoli Kaleidoscope kit makes one pendant, and the Crystal Helix kit makes one large and two small beaded beads. Both kits are available at my website.

Remember that through May 29, use coupon code memorial15 at checkout for 15% off of your entire order. The coupon is valid for both patterns and kits!

Hematite Crystal Helix Necklace

A while back I bought some Swarovski bicone crystals in the crystal silver night shade. They sat in my bead box until I decided to pair them with some cobalt and silver-colored seed beads for some Crystal Helix beaded beads. They pair very well with hematite round beads for this dark silvery necklace:

In the Crystal Helix pattern, I talk about how this beaded bead can be woven in both left-handed and right-handed symmetries so that the seed beads will twist up to the left or right, respectively. All of the beaded beads in this necklace are in the left-handed symmetry, so they twist in the same direction from one bead to another along the necklace.

The Crystal Helix pattern is available for purchase exclusively at my new website. Remember that from now through Monday, January 23, enter the coupon code 20off at checkout to receive 20% off your entire order!

New Pattern: Crystal Helix Beaded Bead

Along with the development and launch of my new website, I also wrote up a new pattern, the Crystal Helix Beaded Bead:

These little beads work up quickly and are fun to weave, and are a great step up in complexity from the simple cube beaded bead. When woven with 4 mm bicone crystals they make a nice size for earrings, but with 6 mm crystals they make a petite pendant:

I discuss how to make both sizes in the pattern.

I also like how this design can be woven in both the right- and left-handed directions; the seed beads will spiral one way or the other, regardless of how the bead is oriented. The photo below shows both versions. Imagine turning them over or upside-down... The seed beads will still spiral in the same direction, just like DNA.

I also made a simple necklace in black and cobalt using both sizes of this design. Even though the design is based on a cube shape, the finished beaded bead takes on a round form.

The AB finish on the jet black bicone crystals looks a little yellow in this particular batch of crystals (jet AB crystals are notorious for looking different from batch to batch), but I think it provides a nice contrast with the blue beads.

The Crystal Helix pattern is available for purchase exclusively at my new website. Remember that from now through Monday, January 23, enter the coupon code 20off at checkout to receive 20% off your entire order! 

Website Re-Launch - Instant Download Patterns, Kits, and More

After much coding, writing, designing, and editing, I've finally finished rewriting my website:

I re-wrote the entire site from the ground-up, and it includes tons of new features. To start, all of the beaded bead patterns/tutorials previously available through my Artfire or Etsy shops are now available through my website to download immediately after payment; no more waiting for the pattern to be e-mailed to you! In addition to rewritten versions of the first six patterns I ever wrote, my website also contains my newest pattern, the Crystal Helix beaded bead:

For beginning students, or if you've never woven a beaded bead before, I figure that the best place to start is with a basic cube. With this in mind, I wrote a free pattern for a cube beaded bead in several different color combinations. It reminds me of candy, so I've named it the Candy Cube beaded bead: 

Kits are now also available for several of my patterns. Here's one of the color schemes available for the Teardrop Bubbles kit:

I'll be talking more about the new features of my website over the next couple of days. In the meantime, to celebrate I'm offering a special discount valid only at my website: from now through Monday, January 23, enter the coupon code 20off at checkout to receive 20% off your entire order!

And don't forget, Bead & Button Show Registration opens at noon CST today! I've heard that some classes sell out within minutes, so don't delay!

Margie and Me Color Challenge: SoBe Style

The theme of today's Margie and Me Color Challenge reveal is "SoBe Style," a summery theme representing the Art Deco style of architecture that defined Miami in the '20s. I just love all the light pastels in this palette, combined with a touch of red and dark teal. 

Photo via National Geographic

For this challenge I decided to make earring charms to go with a pair of California Convertible earspirals that I bought from Harry Mason Designer Jewelry last year. I've always been a fan of their earspirals, and I like how their convertible earwires can be swapped with custom dangles for many different pairs of earrings on one pair of earwires. Very convenient if you're the type of person like me who enjoys making beadwoven earring charms, but not the actual earwires.

(Again, just to reiterate: the charms are mine, but the earspirals are not my design nor were they made by me.)

I started with a pair of teal Sakura Charm earrings that ended up a bit darker than the overall original palette, but I think that it works really well with this design:

Then I made a lighter pair using aquamarine crystals, in the Sakura Charm variation that I've been playing with for the past couple of weeks. This resulted in a much lighter effect:

Finally, I used a lighter shade of crystals in this helix-themed twist on a simple cube beaded bead. I think that helices are starting to be a theme around here... Anyway, I think that this pair strikes an ideal balance between all the colors in this palette. 

To get your own pair of earspirals, check out Harry Mason Designer Jewelry at their website, or at their store at Pier 39 in San Francisco. If you're in another part of California, check out your local Harvest Festival this fall to meet the artist in person!

Thanks as always to Marcie for putting on this fun color challenge. Check out all of the other participants pieces at Marcie's blog!

What's your favorite summer color palette?