New(ish) Pattern and Kits: Yukiwariso Necklace

I released a few new patterns in this past year. This one is the Yukiwariso Necklace.

This light and delicate necklace gets its name from hepatica japonica, a rare woodland plant native to Japan which produces a beautiful variety of early-blooming flowers. Designed for the Japanese publication Bead Art & Embroidery, this necklace features a light, airy style that embodies Japanese beaded jewelry.

The full pattern is 16 pages long and contains 47 full color illustrations and photographs. It's an advanced beginner project, so if you're just getting into beading, this is a great third or fourth project to try. 

Kits for this project are available in five colorways, and contain all the beads and findings needed to stitch the complete necklace. 

Thanks for looking!

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New Beading Video and Kits: Dainty Prismatic Right-Angle Weave Flower Charms

A few months ago I had the opportunity to film a series of videos based on four different areas in beading. The videos are now available at the Interweave Store both as instant high definition video downloads as well as in the DVD format. This is the last in a series of four blog posts on those video projects; check out the previous posts here, here and here.

Together with the team over at Interweave/F+W, we organized these videos with each level of beader in mind. Beginners can watch me weave each step of the project one stitch at a time, I share several variations for experienced beaders, and throughout the course of each video I include many tips and tricks that are useful for beaders of all levels. If you're new to my Bead Origami style then these videos are a great introduction to my approach to beadweaving, but if you're already familiar with my work then you'll want to check them out too as I cover a new project in each one.

For the last video I focused on a topic that often shows up in my work; stitching beaded flowers using Prismatic Right-Angle Weave (PRAW).

Stitching Flowers with PRAW

Last spring I put together a webinar on Prismatic Right-Angle Weave where I talked about the geometry behind the term, and I showed several different examples of beaded art that use this technique. I also explained how to stitch four different kinds of basic PRAW beaded ropes in a detailed supplementary PDF file, which was then adapted into an article for the August/September 2015 issue of Beadwork Magazine.

In this video I talk about how to use PRAW to make dainty beaded flowers using a collection of shaped beads and seed beads. I start with a brief review of PRAW, and then I show how to weave three different sizes of these flowers using PRAW-4 (CRAW), PRAW-5, and PRAW-6. When we use the same materials and vary the PRAW count, we get flowers with four, five, and six petals (respectively).

I also discuss petal-shaped beads in this video. For this project I chose dragon scale beads in a specific finish that gives us many different colors in one bag of beads, but I've also used lentils, rizos, rose petals, and even drop beads to emulate flower petals with beads.

Quick Petite Earrings

In the next part of the video I show how to make a quick pair of earrings using 5-sided charms with matching pear-shaped crystals. I also cover how to balance the earrings so that the flower faces forward.

Delicate Bracelet

In the last part of the video I show how to make a matching bracelet using 4-sided charms, including how to connect them together and how to attach a magnet clasp.

Once you're comfortable making these charms and connecting them together, try creating a collection of charms using a different number of sides. You can mix and match and connect them together to make more intricate necklaces, bracelets, and earrings!

This video is available both as a High Definition Video Download and in the DVD format, and includes a supplementary PDF pattern with step-by-step written instructions and a complete materials list for the bracelet and purple pair of earrings shown in this post. Additionally, a special limited edition kit is also available for this project, and it includes the video download, the PDF, as well as all the beads needed to make the bracelet and earrings shown here. The last time I partnered with Interweave to sell a kit it completely sold out, so you won't want to miss your chance to snag this one!

Thanks for looking!

2015 Toho Challenge Necklace

This year I was invited to participate in the 2015 TOHO Challenge, a beading challenge put on by the Japanese seed bead manufacturer TOHO Beads. Each participant was given the same set of Japanese seed beads and Czech beads to create a finished piece of beadwork. We didn't need to use all of the beads in the challenge kit, but we couldn't add any additional beads except for findings and stringing materials (with the option of including one extra focal piece). All the challenge pieces are on display at the 2015 Bead & Button Show, and after that they will travel to Japan where they will be on display for a year.

I was stoked to receive the challenge box because they included colors that I already love and use in my beadwork; gorgeous magentas, bronzes, and rich metallic greens. For the challenge piece itself I wanted to create something representative of my signature style, and I also wanted to play with a relatively unused stitch. I went for a more everyday-wear look rather than anything over-the-top, and I ended up with this simple but elegant necklace.

The round focal uses the geometry of an icosahedron, so it has 30 edges and 20 triangle-shaped sides. The edges are represented by 2-hole tile beads while a collection of magmata and mini dagger beads sit on each side, in a manner similar to that of my Tila Garden Pendant. But unlike the Tila Garden design, this focal is self-supporting without the use of a round core bead, though it did require some extra engineering to keep this beaded ball from being squishy.

Since the focal is hollow, it could be strung on a headpin or through beading wire as a beaded bead, but I instead elected to attach it to a beaded rope.

I wove the rope using twisted cubic right-angle weave (CRAW), using primarily green beads to set off the magenta and bronze beads in the focal. The twisted CRAW technique is a versatile stitch that can make a variety of ropes, bangles, and components, but it seems to intimidate everyone I describe it to. It's actually much more meditative and easier than CRAW once you get the rope started (no, really!), and I'm looking forward to exploring this stitch further. In this piece I wove it in both the right-handed and left-handed directions so that each side of the rope is symmetrical with the other side, and both sides meet in the middle in a novel join. I also had fun incorporating fire polish beads into this beaded rope, which become more prominent closer to the focal of the piece.

The clasp is a little beaded toggle that mimics the triangular shape of one of the sides of the focal. I sometimes elect for a metal clasp over a beaded clasp primarily due to time constraints, especially if it's a piece that I will need to illustrate for a beading pattern. There are definitely advantages and disadvantages to each clasp approach, but for this piece I was able to use a beaded clasp which nicely complements the focal of the necklace.

If you'd like to see the 2015 Toho Challenge pieces in person, please visit the display case near the registration desk at the Bead & Button Show. Keep an eye on the Team Toho page for more images of the challenge pieces as well.

Thanks for looking!

Highland Garden Necklace Workshop

I'm very excited to be teaching a new beading class this weekend. This workshop, the Highland Garden Necklace, combines the beauty of beaded flowers with the geometry of dodecahedrons.

Embellished Dodecahedron Beaded Beads

This necklace features six beaded beads woven with six different colors of O beads that make up the petals of very dainty flowers. Additional tiny Japanese seed beads contribute to the fine detail of these beaded beads.

This colorway features pastel-colored O beads for a very soft look:

A Floral Focal

The focal piece of this necklace features slightly larger flowers woven with lentil beads and additional seed beads, in the colors and style to match the beaded beads. I drew on Sakura Charm and Tila Garden Pendant designs to construct this piece; I had been tinkering with the idea of weaving twelve Sakura Charms together for quite a while, but I wasn't able to effectively execute this idea until after the release of the Half Tila bead. Additionally, a number of new colors of lentil beads are now available that have greatly expanded the possible color combinations for this design.

A Geometric Necklace

The beaded beads and pendant are strung in a symmetric arrangement with a simple combination of round beads to complete the necklace. This colorway uses bronze and cranberry hues for a fall-themed take on this beading design.

I'm currently scheduled to teach this class at City Beads in Chicago on April 12 (this weekend!), and at Beaded Bliss in Danville, CA on May 2. Check out their respective websites for information on how to register for this class. I'd love to see you there!

Special Announcement: Beadwork Magazine 2015 Designer of the Year

I'm pleased to announce that I have been selected as one of Beadwork Magazine's Designers of the Year for 2015! As part of this special designation, Beadwork Magazine will publish a new beading pattern from me in each of their 2015 magazine issues. I've already completed several projects for this series and I'm looking forward to seeing them in print in the coming year.

Additionally, my first project in this series, the "Flowerpots Bracelet" is on the cover of the Feb/March 2015 issue! Check out the Interweave Store for more information on how to purchase print or digital copies of this magazine, or for how to purchase kits for this project.

2015 Bead and Button Show Classes

I'm pleased to announce that I'll be teaching four classes at the 2015 Bead & Button Show. Each class that I'm offering this year is three hours long and features a different beading technique.

Cosmic Stardust Pendant 

First up is the Comic Stardust Pendant (generously sponsored by Starman Beads!) which is offered on Wednesday, June 3 from 4 - 7 PM. This intricate, lacy geometric beaded pendant is completely self-supporting and features a variety of crystals, Japanese seed beads, and two-hole beads such as SuperDuos or two-hole triangles. The size and geometry of this pendant can be adjusted to create smaller beaded beads or fancy ornaments!

Brain Chemistry Earrings

Next is the Brain Chemistry Earrings, offered on Friday, June 5 from 8:30 - 11:30 AM. In this class students will learn how to create an accurate, 3D beaded representation of the GABA molecule, and how to incorporate two of these molecules into a pair of earrings. This class is a nice introduction to the world of beaded molecules, and give off tons of sparkle for a fun, fancy way to show off beaded chemistry.

Sakura Bouquet Necklace

Next is the Sakura Bouquet Necklace (also sponsored by Starman Beads), offered on Saturday, June 6 from 9 AM - noon. This piece features four different varieties of the cherry blossom flower, all incorporated into a cascading necklace. The individual beaded charms can be used in a variety of other types and arrangements of jewelry, as I've discussed on this blog before.

This past Christmas I wove several of these charms as earrings and gave them out as gifts!

Rose Blossom Pendant

Finally, the Rose Blossom Pendant (also sponsored by Starman beads) will be offered on Friday, June  5 from 5 - 8 PM. This turbine-like pendant features two different sizes of rose petal bead surrounding a Swarovski rivoli crystal. This design uses a twist on the right angle weave (RAW) technique and works up quickly, so you will want to make more than one.

The 2015 Bead & Button Show will take place in Milwaukee, WI from May 27-June 8, and class registration opens today at noon (CST). It's the biggest bead show in the US and it's a whole lot of fun each year. I'd love to see you there!

New Pattern: Poinsettia Bracelet

After a long, hot summer I've been quite ready for Christmas, so I wholeheartedly dived into holiday beading right after Thanksgiving. Dragon Scale beads in particular have previously spoken "flower petals" to me in other designs, but I've recently found them particularly suited to poinsettias.

Miniature Beaded Poinsettias

The Poinsettia Bracelet features miniature beaded Poinsettias joined together in a delicate a bracelet. I chose the reddest Dragon Scale beads that I had in my stash for the poinsettia flower, but I didn't have any that were green enough for the leaves. So, I used bugle beads instead to mimic the angular, pointed shape of the poinsettia leaf. A handful of tiny 15° seed beads and some stabilizing Half Tila beads complete each flower.

Red and White Poinsettias

I had so much fun making the red poinsettia bracelet that I had to make one depicting white poinsettias too.

I used crystal AB Dragon Scale beads for the white poinsettias. These beads are so shiny!

Matching Earrings

Since this is a component-based design, the individual poinsettia flowers are easily adapted into matching earrings. I used gold seed beads in the center of each flower in this pair, which more accurately mimics the poinsettia flower.

Holiday Beading Pattern

The pattern for this design is now available on my website at beadorigami.com, and it describes how to make the beaded poinsettia component and how to weave several components together to make this bracelet. The circular peyote stitch is used to weave most of each component, and a variation on the cubic right angle weave (CRAW) technique is used to finish each flower. The pattern is in the PDF format, and clocks in at 12 pages of step-by-step instructions with 32 full-color illustrations and photographs.

Thanks for looking and Happy Holidays!

Rose Blossom Pendant Workshop

I'll be teaching a new floral pendant beading workshop at two venues in the next few months.

A Rose Shaped Pendant

The Rose Blossom Pendant uses two different sizes of rose petal beads to encircle a Swarovski rivoli crystal, and this pendant is further embellished with a ring of O beads and completed with a beaded bail. The petal beads in this piece sit at an angle, making the rose look a bit like a turbine.

This project uses variations of the circular peyote and right angle weave (RAW) stitches, and uses some thread paths similar to that of modified right angle weave (MRAW). It's an intermediate project that's most appropriate for beaders who are experienced with these stitches, and who are willing to try a new twist on these concepts.

A Solo Beaded Pendant

I like to wear this pendant as a solo piece, however it can also be used as a focal in a larger necklace.

Many Color Options

This design lends itself to many different color options. I prefer varying shades of purple, but it also looks lovely in light blues and silver.

You could even wear a bunch of them at once for a whole garden of roses!

I'll be teaching this project at Creative Castle in Newbury Park, CA this Friday, October 3. I'll also be teaching this project at the BABE! Show in Oakland, CA on Saturday, November 15. Registration information for both classes can be found on their respective websites. I'd love to see you there!

New Pattern and Kits: Prism Blossoms Pendant with Dragon Scale Beads

My newest beading pattern, the Prism Blossoms Pendant, is now available at beadorigami.com

Flowers with Dragon Scale Beads

This pendant features Sabine's newest bead shape, the Dragon Scale bead. It's a small, 4 mm-long diamond-shaped bead with a hole on one end, and it does look very much like a dragon scale. I was immediately drawn to the pointed shape of this bead, and I incorporated them into little five-petal flowers. I'm envisioning several different kinds of jewelry that can be made with these petite little flowers, but for this piece, I wove seven of them into a circle around a sparkly Swarovski rivoli crystal, and attached a pear-shaped crystal at the bottom for a sparkly, floral pendant.

The pattern for this design describes how to make the complete pendant, including the bezel for the rivoli, the foundation for the flowers, the flowers themselves, the Half Tila bail, and the complicated connection for the pear-shaped crystal pendant. The pattern is in the PDF format, and clocks in at 18 pages of step-by-step instructions with 41 full-color illustrations and photographs.

Three Kit Colorways

Kits for this design are available in three colorways and include all the beads needed to make one pendant. You can create one in Sunlit Garden, Ancient Garden, or Midnight Garden hues.

A Coordinating Diamond O Beaded Chain

The pendant can be strung on a variety of materials, and it looks quite elegant on a silk ribbon. Another option is to string it on a coordinating beaded chain. For this pendant, I wove a matching Diamond O beaded chain with a simple variation on the original; this variation incorporates Half Tila beads into the design.

While the pendant pattern is a for-sale product, the original Diamond O beaded chain pattern is available as a free download on its pattern page.

Thanks for looking!

Forget Me Not Bouquet Necklace

I wove a new colorway of the Sakura Bouquet Necklace, this time in Forget-Me-Not blue.

Blue Sakura Charms

I had previously woven Sakura Charms with this color, back when I first came up with this design a few years ago. I made a necklace with several of these charms, strung simply with bugle beads and Japanese seed beads.

I had wanted to work with this colorway when I first taught the Sakura Bouquet Necklace last November, however the rose petal-shaped beads were not available in blue at the time. Fortunately, they're now available in a few shades of blue, and I chose one of the shades with the "halo" finish for this necklace.

Arranging the Sakura Bouquet Necklace

For the purple colorway of this necklace, I experimented with arranging the charms in several different ways to show the versatility of this design. You can read more about these different arrangements here. Ultimately, I didn't connect the charms in the purple colorway together for a completed necklace; rather, I use these charms in class as demonstration aids, and students can play with this completed charm set to come up with their own arrangements. One of my favorite arrangements is the version below, which uses all 40 charms that comprise the class kit.

I followed this arrangement when I wove together the blue version, making a few minor adjustments along the way.

With this version, I've now made five different colorways of the Sakura Bouquet Necklace! Check out this post for the other four colorways of this necklace.

I'm teaching this project at three upcoming events: at the Bead & Button Show (twice!) in the first week of June, for the San Diego Bead Society on July 13, and at Bead Fest Philly on August 23. Please visit the respective websites of these organizations for more information on how to register for this class. I'd love to see you there!

New Pattern and Kits: Water Lily Windows Bracelet and Earrings Set

My latest beading pattern is done! Presenting the Water Lily Windows Bracelet and Earrings Set:

Floating Beaded Water Lilies

This pattern describes how to make three different shapes of Water Lily Windows components, featuring little beaded flowers woven from Rizo beads, floating in a frame of Tila, SuperDuo, and Japanese seed beads. In the pattern, I describe how to connect them together for a twisting bracelet, complete with a matching custom beaded clasp. The pattern also covers how to make two of these components into matching earrings, and how to attach pear-shaped Swarovski crystals, with an unusual method designed to make the crystals face forward.

Tila Bead Frames + Flowers

This pattern is part of a series where I've experimented with surrounding other beads with frames of Tila beads. I used a similar strategy to make the oval-shaped components in the Cosmic Windows Bracelet:

The components in the Water Lily Windows Bracelet are more angular, resulting in square, pentagon, and hexagon-shaped framed flowers. To create this bracelet, I could have connected several square or hexagon-shaped components together in a straight line, or I could have arranged a tiling pattern of pentagon-shaped components. Indeed, several different arrangements are possible!

In the end, I settled on a combination of pentagon- and hexagon-shaped components in a nonlinear arrangement, which resulted in a more unusual, but organic look to the finished bracelet. I also experimented with using two different colors of Rizo beads for the flowers, which you can see in the bracelet below:

Three Kits!

Kits for this design are available in the three colorways shown above, and include all the beads and findings needed to make the bracelet and the matching earrings. It's the perfect design for celebrating the coming springtime!

Thanks for looking!