When life gives you left-handed lemons...

 I'm the kind of person who tries my hardest to always look on the bright side of things, but the last few weeks have been rather challenging. I've dislocated my right shoulder, twice. I'm right handed. Thankfully I've been able to pop my shoulder back into place myself both times, so I've avoided a lot of trauma. But still, I've been keeping my right arm in a sling for the last few weeks.  For those of you who are curious, I'm hypermobile, I managed to dislocate my shoulder by turning over in bed.

Not only do I need my right hand for work and life in general, obviously, I need it to bead! My best beading friend, the fabulous editor of Bead and Jewellery magazine, Vicky Roberts asks me to test-bead and proof read a lot of her patterns/tutorials, and when I told her I'd dislocated my shoulder, we agreed I should learn to bead left handed. I think she was actually joking, as she was rather stunned when later that day I sent her a picture of a bezelled cushion stone. I'm sorry I can't share that picture with you, but it's for a top-secret project. 

Instead, here's a piece of modified right angle weave I've done left-handed. This will make up part of the chain part of a necklace designed by Heather Kingsley-Heath - the design is called Katia. I'll blog about it once I've finished it. 

It has made me think though, about how easily I adapted to beading with my left hand. Obviously, I was slower, my tension wasn't quite as tight, but that's not necessarily a bad thing as my usual beading tension can only be designed as fierce! With my right arm in a sling, I can hold the beadwork just fine, so it's just like swapping everything over. 

Usually (right handed), I like to bead in an anti-clockwise direction, but left handed, I seem to prefer clockwise. I also feel like I prefer a longer needle in my left hand, but a shorter one in my right, but it may be too soon to tell on that one really. 

It definitely is much easier to bead left handed than it is to write left handed. I've just about got the hang of using a mouse left handed, and typing with just one hand is slow, and involves a lot of proof-reading (I tend to forget capital letters and apostrophes). 

Months ago, I signed up to do a Zoom workshop with Sabine Lippert for her Fields of Gold necklace which is just beautiful. The workshop is tomorrow, and I still have to keep my right arm in a sling. Normally, I'm a speedy beader, but I I'm definitely going to be one of the slower ones tomorrow. At least I have a really good excuse! 

Scintilla Necklace

I think it'd be fair to admit that I'm a nerd, or maybe a geek. I spent nearly 8 years at university studying chemistry, so some of that geekiness inevitably sneaks out into me beading occasionally. This time it's the name of the design that's geeky. Scintillating is something that is sparkly or shining brightly, but it came to my mind because of scintillation counters which measure ionising radiation. I'll just leave a wiki link here before I lose you all! 

Back to the beads! 

These bezels are designed to be sparkly above all else. The crystal bicones make up the majority of the bezel, which is pretty unusual, there are a few seed beads at the back for stability... And then just a chain to turn them into a necklace. 

This bezelled chatons doesn't have to be used in a necklace, nor does it have to be clear crystals - I've made some earrings using this bezel before, and I love them. Check out the picture at the bottom of the page for the earrings. But you could use a row of these bezelled chatons as a bracelet, or add a few here and there throughout some beadwork for some sparkle.  

What you will need to make this: 

A. Size 15  Miyuki seed beads (silver) 2g)

B. 3mm crystal bicones (80)

C. 4mm crystal bicones (89)

D. Size 11 Miyuki seed beads (3g)

E. ss39 (8mm) chatons (10)

F. 30cm of chain + clasp and jump rings

Anything else? 

Bead mat, beading needle (my favourite is Miyuki needles), thread (I strongly recommend fireline for this as there are so many crystals), scissors or a thread zap, pliers for opening and closing jump rings. 

1.    Pick up 1(A),1(B) 8 times (total 16 beads). Go through all of these beads again and tie into a circle. Go through a couple of beads in the circle so that your thread is exiting a (B) bead.

2.    Pick up 1(C), 1(D) and go back through the (C) bead again. Skip the (A) bead in the circle and go through the next (B) in the circle. This adds the bicone as a little fringe.

 

 

3.    Repeat step 2 around the circle adding a total of 8(C) beads. Step up by exiting the (D) bead added in step 2.

4.    Pick up 1(D), pass through the (D) on the tip of the next crystal around on the circle. Repeat this until you have added a total of 8(D) beads and the circle is closed, go through the first (D) bead added in this step. Place your chaton into the centre of the circle, flat side down and pull the thread tight to close the circle.

5.    Pick up 1(D), go through the next 2(D) beads added in step 4. Do not go through any of the (D) beads from step 3. Repeat this three more times until you have added a total of 4(D) beads. Step up by going through the first (D) added in this step.

6.    Pick up 1(A), go through 1(D). Repeat 3 more times until you have added a total of 4(1). Sew through all 8 beads used in this step again to reinforce the thread path, then weave in, tie off and cut your threads. Repeat steps 1-6 until you have 10 bezelled chatons.

7.    With a new length of thread, weave and tie into one chaton and exit from one of (C) beads, facing towards the front of the bezel. Pick up 1(C) and go through a (C) on another bezel from front to back. Pick up 3(D) and go though the (C) on the first bezel. Leave an 8 inch tail thread as we will use this later.

8.    Pick up 1(A) and go through the connecting (C), pick up 1(A) and go through the (C) on the second chaton. Repeat this thread path without adding any beads, then step up by going through the (D) on the back of the (C) bead of the second bezel.

9.    To move across to the correct place to add the next bezelled chaton, we are going to add (D) beads between the (D) beads added in step 3. *Pick up 1(D), go through (D)* Repeat between * 3 times. Step up by going through the (C) bead toward the front of the bezel.

10. Repeat steps 7-9 until all 10 chatons are joined.

11. Move to the correct place to add your loop to connect your chain: *Pick up 1(D), go through (D)* Repeat between * 3 times. Go through the (C) and pick up 7(D). Go back through the (C) to make a loop. Repeat this thread path several times to strengthen it. Weave in, tie off and cut your thread. Repeat this step at the opposite end of your necklace using the tail thread.

12.  Using a jump ring, attach your chain to your (D)bead loops at each end of your necklace. If required, add the claps to your chain using jump-rings. 

I made this pair of earrings using the bezel for this necklace, they work beautifully - I used opal chatons and opal ABx2 bicones for as much sparkle as possible. 

       

      I'd love to see what you make using this design - feel free to tag me in your pictures on Instagram @BeadsByBecs or using the hashtag #BeadsByBecs

Daffodil Necklace Tutorial

Although this necklace sings about spring and daffodils, you don't have to make this in spring colours. Use some classic blacks, gold and silver and you'll have a stunning necklace that looks like stars rather than daffodils!

What will you need to make this necklace:

A. Half tila beads (6 per flower) 

B. Size 11 seed beads 3g

C. Size 15 seed beads 1g

D. ss39 (8mm) chaton (1 per flower)

E. 3mm fire polish beads (2)

F. 4mm bicones (12)

G. Miyuki 6mm sender bugles (8) 

H. Kite bead (2)

I. Length of chain, jump rings and a clasp

Anything else? 

Beading mat, beading needle - I use Miyuki needles, beading thread (I like 4lb fireline, especially as this
project has crystals and bugles in it), scissors or a threadzap, pliers for opening and closing jump rings.

To make the necklace you need three flowers, but these little daffodil flowers (or stars if you make them in different colours) would make fabulous earrings - just thread a jump ring through one of the petals and then attach that to an ear wire. 

1.    Pick up 6(A) and tie into a circle. Go through the first (A) again.

2.    Pick up 1(B), go through the next (A), repeat five more times adding a total of 6 (A) beads. Step up by going through the top (unused) hole in the (A) bead your thread is exiting.

3.    Pick up 2(A), go through the top hole in the next (A) bead. Repeat five more times adding a total of six lots of 2(A) bead. Step up so that your thread is exiting from the top hole of an (A) bead.

4.    Pick up 3(C) beads, go back through the hole in the (A) bead and through the next 2(B) beads. Repeat five more times adding a total of six groups of 3(C) beads. Step up by exiting from the middle (C) bead from the last group added.

5.    Pick up 2(C) beads and go through the middle (C) bead in the next group of 3 around. Repeat five more times adding a total of six groups of 2(C) beads. Keep the thread tension loose and pop the chaton in – pointy side down. Tighten the thread and repeat the thread path to tighten. Step up by working through your beadwork to exit from one of the pairs of 2(B) beads between the half-tilas.

6.    Pick up 3(B), and go through the next 2(B) beads, skipping the (A) bead. Repeat this five more times, adding a total of six groups of 3(B) beads. Step up by exiting from the first (B) bead added at the beginning of this step.

7.    Pick up 3(B), skip 1(B) and go down through the third (B) from step 6. Repeat this five more times, adding a total of six groups of 3(B) beads. Weave in and tie off the threads. Repeat steps 1-7 to make 3  flowers – leaving a long working thread attached to the last flower to construct the rest of the necklace.

8.    With your thread exiting from the middle bead of one petal, pick up 1(E), 1(F), 1(B), 2(F), 1(B), 1(F). Thread back through 1(F), 1(B), 1(F) to form a loop, pick up 1(E) and then go through the middle (B) of one petal on a second flower. Weave through 14 (B) beads on the second flower so that your thread is exiting the middle (B) bead of the next but one petal (see diagram).

9.    Pick up 1(E), 1(F), 1(B), 2(F), 1(B), 1(F). Thread back through 1(F), 1(B), 1(F) to form a loop, pick up 1(E) and then go through the middle (B) of one petal on a third flower. Go back through 1(E), 1(F), 1(B), 1(F), 1(E), the 15(B) beads in the bottom petals of middle flower 1(E), 1(F), 1(B), 1(F), 1(E) and 15(B) in the bottom of the first flower.

10. We will make the loop to add the chain: Pick up 1(B), 1(F), 1(B), 11(C), go back down through 1(B), pick up 1(F), 1(B) and go through the middle (B) on the next petal.

11. Go through 15(B) along the top of the first flower, pick up 1(G), go through the 1(C) in the group of crystals between the flowers, pick up 1(G), go through the middle (B) in the petal on the second flower, opposite. Repeat this to add a pair of (G) beads between the second and third flowers and weave through the petals on the top of the third flower so that your thread is exiting the (B) bead marked with an arrow.

12. We will make the loop to add the chain: Pick up 1(B), 1(F), 1(B), 11(C), go back down through 1(B), pick up 1(F), 1(B) and go through the middle (B) on the next petal. Step up so that your thread is exiting from the (B) bead marked with an arrow.

13. Pick up 1(C), 1(G), 1(C), 1(H)- through the narrow end, 1(C), 1(G), 1(C). Pass through the middle (B) in the top petal of the middle flower. Pick up 1(C), 1(G), 1(C), 1(H)- through the narrow end, 1(C), 1(G), 1(C) and pass through the middle (B) in top petal of the first flower.

14. Make a half-hitch knot and bead back through the middle (B) of the top petal (changing the direction you are beading in) and bead through 6(B) beads, exiting from the (B) before the middle (B) of a petal. Pick up 2(B), go through the bottom hole of the (H) bead, pick up 2(B). Bead through the middle flower to exit from the opposite petal, pick up 2(B), go through the bottom hole of the (H) bead, pick up 2(B) and go through the (B) next to the middle (B) of the petal on the third flower. Weave in and trim your thread ends.

15. Add a length of chain and a clasp to each end of your beadwork. Adding 7.5” of chain on each end should give an necklace approximately 18” in length.

I'd love to see what you make using this design - feel free to tag me in your pictures on Instagram @BeadsByBecs or using the hashtag #BeadsByBecs

Welcome back!

It has been a terribly long time since I updated my blog, so sorry for neglecting you all. There have been a lot of changes in my life in the last few years but now I'm in a position to dedicate more time to my passion for beading, and my love for sharing that with you all.

I have been creating during this time, I've designed so many lovely things, and I'm very happy to say that I will be sharing lots these tutorials here on my blog. You have necklaces, ropes, earrings, bracelets, and even some 3D objects to look forward to.

This spring time necklace is one of the designs I'll be sharing first, even though the daffodils are just about past  their best, it doesn't mean you have to stop feeling the spring vibe.

This is one of the most sparke-tastic pieces I've ever designed, I think. It was made using Swarovski crystals, and I loved how the chatons looked like little inkwells of colour in amongst all of the clear crystal. I'm sure it will look equally amazing with Preciosa or Aurora chatons and crystals. This is the Scintilla necklace,

The last little sneak peek I'm going to share with you is a pair of earrings that I designed in my 2021 earring marathon. I did manage to complete the challenge and bead a pair of earrings for every week of the year, which was an epic achievement. This pair I was especially pleased with, and I named them after my little cat, Pixie!

And because she's adorable, I couldn't leave Pixie herself out!

I look forward to Seeing you all really soon and sharing the pattern for my Daffodil necklace with you.