Pumpkin Patch Bracelet

I was playing with clay the other night and I thought I would make some pumpkins.  I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with them until I was a bead store the other day and bought some leaves, bead caps and Rhondells.  For you non-beaders, the Rhondells are those pretty gold colored beads just after the pumpkins.  The bead caps are on top of the pumpkin and hanging over the pumpkin.  They kind of look like gold leaves.  And of course,  the leaves are those green leaf looking things between the pumpkins!  LOL

I am not a bead stringer.  I am a bead weaver.  I like using the needle and FireLine to make my bracelets.  Stringing beads is an art in itself and I rarely do it.  But after I made those pumpkins I knew where I was going with them and this is what I came up with.  These will be available for sale as a kit at the Twin Cities Bead Bazaar on October 20th-21st, 2012 at the Hopkins Eisenhower Community Center.  So tomorrow I will be making and baking pumpkins in between a few loads of laundry!!! I LOVE playing with polymer clay so any excuse I can get to play with it the better!!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Here Comes the Bride

Today I am going to share with you the necklace and earrings I designed for my niece for her wedding.  I was following a different pattern I had found somewhere on the net but was having a lot of problems with it.  The pattern had you pull all the thread you needed and then you worked from the middle to the ends.  Not a big deal but the part I don't like about beading like that is you have the other end with that extra thread hanging or wound up but either way it's in the way.  So after struggling with the pattern and getting a few inches done I could see that the design wasn't as pretty as I thought it was.  SO I decided to design my own necklace and this is what I came up with. 

For those of you who like to bead I will have a pattern up in the web store in week or so. I have to make 3 more sets for the wedding party plus something simple for the flower girl.  I will share them with you as I finish them.

My niece did see this but not in it's completed state.  She loved it and it looked SO pretty on her!

Thank you SO much for stopping by today,
Wanda

Have a Heart

  It was made using #11 size seed beads, crystal clear and white lined crystal.  Then it was embellished with 6mm red hearts.  I LOVE making these bracelets. You can make them in a short amount of time.  When I sit down to make one I know that I will be able to finish it the same day.  Usually under 2 hours.  Unlike a lot of the other bracelets I make and design.  But it's fun to have a quick and easier one now and then.  

Happy beading,
Wanda

It Has No Name

Here is one of my newest bracelets I designed.  The idea came to me when we were up in Duluth this past February for some R & R.  

It was a lot of fun making it.  I loved how it started out and as I was working on it and trying to figure out where I was going it had some pretty interesting shapes and stitches to the end of it.  And as I worked on it, it began to take shape and this is what the final outcome is.  I wish I wouldn't have taken apart the original test piece one!  It was a mess but yet fun to see how it evolved into this!  I would try something and sort of like it so I'd leave it.  As I looked at it I would change it a little and sometimes add something more and sort of liked what I saw and continue on until I REALLY liked what I saw and then I stitched the same pattern for an inch or so and knew it was what I wanted.  I then started this bracelet and took the other one apart.  Like I said, I wished I would have kept it or at least have taken a photo of the mess!! LOL  It would have been fun for you to see how it evolved into what you see here. 

I will be writing up a pattern for this to put in my webstore soon and for me to teach class with as well.  I am looking forward to teaching this one.  It's easy enough because it's so repetitive.  I think my students will like making it and I feel that they will catch onto the pattern quickly and be happy with it too.  I LOVE watching the students make bracelets with my patterns.  Mostly because I am in awe of the colors they pick.  It's fun to see your creation in so many different colors.  At times I have to take a photo of their bracelets because I want to make one out of the colors they chose.  I have the photos but have yet to make the bracelets in those colors!!  I need a year with nothing else to do but bead!!! LOL

I will post to here when I put this in the webstore.  The sales from my bracelets are going towards the purchasing of Christmas gifts this year for a family of 5 children.  We want them to have a very Merry Christmas.  They come from a struggling family.  The dad works but his job doesn't pay well and they make enough to barely get by.  It's sad but we know we can brighten their holiday!   Anyway, I'll let you know when it's available!

And as the title of this post states, "It has no name."  I have not given the bracelet a name yet.  I'm drawing a blank but I'm sure I will come up with one before I finish making the pattern!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Spiral Netted Bracelet (The Bracelet is Sold)

If you are coming from my stamping web site you will probably have read most of this.  I did a cut and paste because I was pretty much going to say the same thing here as I did there.  

What I love most about this bracelet is that it will fit most wrists.  If your wrist is between 7" and 8" it will fit perfectly.  I have a smaller wrist and I can bend the metal to make it fit but I didn't because I knew I was making it to sell. It is available in my web store.

We have a family we buy for at Christmas time.  I am told they live nearby (in our town) and there are 5 children.  These children are getting bigger and a Fischer Price toy just doesn't cut it anymore.  So we need to buy more age appropriate gifts and of course they cost more.  So I thought I would make and sell some bracelets to raise the funds so we can get these kids nice gifts this Christmas.  

So back to the bracelet.  It is made using black 1.5mm cubes and #15 silver lined clear seed beads.  A Briolette is in the middle of each end of the bracelet along with Swarovski bicone beads.  

This bracelet is not my original design.  I got the pattern from the April/May issue of Beadwork magazine.  It's one of my favorite magazines, that and Bead & Button or any other magazine that catches my fancy at the time!!! LOL

I am working on my 2012 Christmas bulb and I have the main part figured out and 2 pieces to it made already.  I am not sure how many pieces I need but when I get a couple more made I will dig out a Christmas bulb and see how it will fit around it to know better.  I'm SO thrilled I got it figured out early in the year.  Once I get it completed and the instructions written up I can make some for gifts for the family this year.  They loved my bulb from last year and I am SO happy that I can make them a new and different one this year!!!  I will try to find the photo of the 2011 bulb and post it on here.  It was very pretty.  Actually I made 2 different bulbs last year but only made one of them as gifts.  So maybe I didn't need to create a new one!!!  Well, of course I did.  I have students that will want to make a new one this year!  Wish me luck on the finishing part of it!!!

Happy Beading,
Wanda

Herbert the Hedgehog Beaded Critter

Herbert the Hedgehog is my latest beaded creation.  He has gotten a lot of attention at the bead shop (Bead Basics) that I teach at in Coon Rapids.  He will be on the September/October teaching schedule.  I'm very excited to be teaching him!

I put a pin back on the belly so I can wear him on my lapel or jacket!  I honestly don't know how the idea came to me but when it did I had a lot of fun with it.  It did take me three tries to get the head right.  The first one was way to long and he looked like an anteater!  So I shortened it up a bit and it was still too long.  Third time was a charm.  I got the face/head length just right and I attached it to the body.  I was SO excited when I got it finished.  I just liked how he turned out!

I have the pattern ready for sale in PDF format for an immediate download in my web store.

I am also going to put in the store the hard copy pattern that you see to the left.  It will have to be mailed (snail mail).

I will also be adding more beading patterns to my web store in the upcoming weeks. 

Thank you SO much for visiting today,

Wanda