#beadhappy

So, this is a pattern I came across several months after I started beading and thought looked like a lot of fun. Turns out, it is. It looks VERY nice. It’s not a completely flat pattern. I did have to put these under a weight so that they would flatten out better. It’s a really great gift set.

These coasters were for my friend and her family of four:

Her wedding colors were teals and greens, so I chose six colors that worked with those patterns. There are only five colors in the pattern (if you follow the rotating method of colors), so I picked and chose which ones I wanted in which order so that I could make a cohesive set without repeating myself.

This next set I made for my husband. You’ll see I did a six color pattern (mirrored method of colors) and only made two as husband and I don’t really need anymore than that.

Husband chose the colors - he LOVES royal colors (blue, red, brown). So, we took a trip to the beading store and got a few tubes of beads. 

I don’t have a closeup of the second one, nor do I have photos of the set I made for Dani as a hostess gift when I visited her in New York. :/ The one thing I forgot to do: take pictures of the hostess gifts.

You will also note, and this will always and ever be true: I am an aggressively poor photographer. This is my best and for that I apologize. Some of it has to do with the VERY orange light in my apartment which I have tried - and failed - to combat on numerous occasions. Some of it has to do with mild, lupus-induced neuropathy that causes my hands to shake/tingle/be numb. Some of it has to do with me as an artist. I can make things; I cannot capture them.

Materials:

12 colors of 6 seed beads (about 100-150 per color per coaster)

6lb Fireline (4lb is totally fine, I just prefer 6lb for all my projects)

This is one of the least intensive patterns Cara has written and it comes out beautifully each time, so long as you get your colors right. Highly recommend this for a beginner, as it works with bigger beads and simple stitches.

So here are the feature beads for my next few projects (otherwise known as the non-seed beads). And some scraps. Can you guess which ones are future projects and which ones are just scraps?

And then we have SOME of the projects started (I wanted to get a good idea of how they looked. I apologize for the poor quality of the pictures, I only had my phone available). 

There’s this future necklace made of three different shades of red fire polish round 3mm beads and 4mm orange bicone crystals with a lovely, delicate peach 11 seed bead.

A future necklace/bracelet set made with clear orange 4mm square beads and 3mm golden yellow bicones with a pearled dark cream 11 seed bead.

Another future necklace with clear 2x3mm rondelles, blue fire polish round 3mm beads, AB 4mm crystal bicones, and jet blue 4mm crystal bicones with a white 11 seed bead.

Another future bracelet in a herringbone spiral made of a blue 8 seed bead.

And last but not least, a future necklace with smoky and purple 2x3mm rondelles, 3mm fire polish beads in peacock colors mix, and jet purple 4mm crystal bicones with a party mix of metallic 11 seed beads to finish it off! (I was really nervous about how this one would turn out. I need to learn to trust my instincts.)

And, of course, the biggest new project: THIS BLOG! I have a wordpress site for finished projects and write-ups, but I wanted a space where I could post a) just pictures and b) WIPs without cluttering up the finished project posts. One of these days, if there’s enough interest, I’ll even make an etsy shop.

All patterns by Cara of Simple Bead Patterns (check her out!). I’m so excited to show you what else I have planned for everything in this bead box, but I think that’s plenty of unfinished projects hanging around!