Bead Embroidered Hair Pins

The 3 small ones had been sitting in my UFO pile for quite a while... run out of idea what to do with them but I think they look cute on bobby pins. The baby blue one was completed recently, with a pearl coin from the stash that Cat sent me.

Enjoy beading all!

Button Swap Reveal

The reveal day has finally come for the button swap organized by Michelle Mach! My partner is Cyndi Lavin, and here are the buttons I mailed for her.Cyndi sent me my buttons super early, in which I had to use a couple right away... as a clasp for this leather wrap bracelet. And this huge MOP shell which I knew right away will be a focal on one of my bead embroidered pendants... it can be used as a brooch as well.

These are the other buttons which are still in the works. I will reveal the finished pieces in the next few days.Michelle is hosting a button giveaway so don't forget to visit her blog for further details. Here's the list of the button swap participants which you really have to check out - and while you're blog hopping, make sure to leave a comment to maximize your entries at Michelle's giveaway.

1. Cat - Boo Beads

2. Cindy - Sweet Bead Studio
3. Cory - Art with Moxie
4. Cyndi - Beading Arts
5. Dita - Alankarshilpa
6. Donna, Marti, and Michelle - Beads & Books
7. Erin - Treasures Found
8. Hope - Crafty Hope
9. Inca - Zerenity Design
10. Katrine - Army of Sock Monsters
11. Krista - French Elegant Jewelry
12. Kristie - Artisan Clay
13. Linda D. - Lutka and Co.
14. Linda L. - Linda's Bead Blog
15. Lody - Lody's Beadworks <<<< YOU ARE HERE!!!
16. Lori - Pretty Things
17. Loretta - Loretta's Boutique
18. Malin - Beading by Malin de Koning
19. Mary - MK's Creative Musings
20. Maryanne - Zingala's Workshop
21. Melinda - Melinda Orr Metal & Clay Jewelry Designs
22. Saskia - Perlendistel
23. Shannon - For My Sweet Daughter
24. Shirley - Beads and Bread
25. Stephanie - Confessions of a Bead Hoader

Leather Wrap Bracelets For Family

It was our domino day yesterday and we played at SIL's house - from 12:30PM to early evening. It was a fun day as usual, not to mention lots of food. MIL made a pound cake - so yummy as she used fresh eggs... SIL prepared fresh fruits - strawberries and pineapple... I brought assorted chocolate cookies... others brought summer sausage, cheese, and girl scout cookies! In between games, we had coffee too - perfect with all those sweets. LOL

Our aunt who custom ordered a "Red Hat Society" theme necklace was there and below is the piece she picked-out.

I was wearing one of my leather wrap bracelets and MIL & SIL loves it so I'm making some for them. SIL prefers black and brown, while MIL wants turquoise.

For SIL

For MIL

And though I love this piece, I think I better add this in my shop as I have way too much wrap bracelets already. This piece is extra long, about 26" - it's quadruple wrap for a 6" wrist or triple wrap for an 8"-8.5" wrist.

I will make more of these wraps once I get smaller stones.:) Enjoy beading all!

Something Blue For EtsyNEAT Team Challenge

Today is the reveal date for EtsyNEAT's first team challenge, while voting will follow immediately after all participant post their linkies. The theme is BLUE and my entries are 2 small accessories - a bead embroidered bobby pin and a fiber bracelet.

Don't forget to drop by at our team blog to vote for your favorite embroidered piece!

Cyber Monday: All About UFOs

I devoted the last couple of days finishing some UFO's which have been sitting in my trays for a while... pieces that had been begging me to put the final touches in them. First are these button-style embroidered pieces, my initial plan was to make these beauties into rings but my bobby pins had been calling me... so here they are! I'll make some white & ecru pins this week for my bridal collection.:)

I ordered a bunch of brass leverbacks a while back and they finally came today! WooHoo! Still remember the dangles I made few moons ago? Well, I finally managed to put earwires on them - but will not bore you with their photos again... plus I made another batch of earrings, some of which I forgot to take pics as they were wrapped right away for a mom ordered them for her girl's prom. I think I finished almost 20 pairs of earrings today - talking about instant gratification!

I also finished a wrap bracelet prior to writing this post, but didn't able to take a shot of it yet. Hope y'all are having a great beading Monday! I sure did!

Cyber Monday: Oodles Of Simple Pieces

I purchased 5 meters of 2mm greek leather cord a while back and I've been using it in my wrap-around bracelets lately. I need to purchase more as I'm running out of it. Here's a triple wrap-around which is ideal for smaller wrist as I cut the cord a lil short. I miscalculate on the knot allowance - moreso, the piece ended up with one loop only.

I wish I made this one at least double wrap since I have enough jasper for it. I got carried away in cutting my cord for a single wrap.

I've been making pendant assortment for my commissioned Red Hat Society necklace, here's one of them. My plan was to add some fringe but I find the pendant quite big already.

I'm currently overflowing with single beaded beads so I'm trying to use as much of them in simple pieces.

Here's my take on our rainy days lately - The Falling Rain.

I have completed more simple pieces but I'll just share those later. Have fun beading all!

Cyber Monday: Necklaces And A Pendant

Remember the beady gifts I got last christmas? Well, I finally started to use them - pendant on the first necklace was from SIL. I partnered it with volcano cherry quartz, (dyed) lapis and brass chain.

A simple beaded bead in between pressed czech leaves hangs on a delicate chain.

I recieved 2 of these buttons from an aunt, and I already used the other one on the brooch/pendant I gave her last christmas. I love the fact that they're true antique, not to mention metal - so am keeping this for myself.

Happy beading all!

Plastic Button Pendants In Bead Embroidery

I seldom use plastic buttons as focals on my embroidered pendants or brooches... but I couldn't resist these 2 when my button collection in preparation for the button swap organized by Michelle. I found out today who's my partner for the said swap - I can see myself busy putting buttons together in the next few days.

Bead happy all!

Cyber Monday: Bead Embroidered Button-Style

All I did last week was bead embroidery - finished my BJP block first, then followed by itty-bitty pieces like the button styles below - I did these over the weekend. I can see myself doing more of these this week. My initial thought was to finish them as rings - but I'll gonna make some earrings and pendants out of them too. Most got a fancy jasper coin focal (only one got a button focal, the pink) but I'll gonna dig my small pearly buttons today.

Here's a crazy piece done over the week... was hoping for a ring but I think it will be better off as a pendant. I'm still in the quest of making a 2 or 3-finger ring.
Me and the in-laws had a girls domino night last Saturday in town, at Aunt R's house - but of course eating is part of the gathering. We had yummy cheesy brocolli soup with matching crackers, and oatmeal cake for dessert... and many thanks to SIL for a fruit assortment - strawberries, pineapple, grapes, cantaloup, watermelon, etc. Aunt R belong to a Red Hat Society group that meets once a month and go somewhere - a member host the party on each meeting... I was told that she'll gonna host their May gathering and she asked me if I can commission a necklace and a pair of earrings as door prizes on the said meeting.:) I'm more than happy to do so of course, since the main idea is to make them in either red or purple or both colors combo.

Happy President's Day everyone!

Bead Embroidery: Foundation Preparation

I forgot to mention in my previous post that what I share here are my own techniques and experiences. Back in college, I lived at my paternal aunt with a dress shop & boutique in Manila. Me, my sister, and my cousins - who were also college students then - were in-charge on all the beadworks on wedding gowns, TV show costumes, evening & formal gowns, etc. We had the chance to do our own thing - design wise!

In this post, I'll show you how I prepare my beading foundation in rounds & square shapes as seen in the photo below...

FABRICS & STABILIZERS - I love stitching over patterned fabrics as I use the design on it as my guide - refer to my on-going March BJP block. If you're using ultrasuede and/or lacy's stiff stuff, you don't have to use fabrics really. In my case though, I often use stabilizer then cover it with fabric.

My on-going March 2011 BJP block

TOOLS OF THE TRADE - Measuring tools like footrule or tape measure comes handy when preparing your foundation. Also, I always have an assortment of needles, pins, scissors and pens (either ink pen or fabric pen) nearby.

THREADS - All purpose thread is great for foundation preparation. But of course, nymo and nylon (either quilting thread or fishing line) threads would work well too.

SHAPE TEMPLATES - You don't need expensive templates to draw or determine a shape, specially if you just want a circle. You can definitely find a lot of stuffs with round shapes in your home, i.e. a drinking glass for bigger rounds. Don't throw away those bottle caps, they're perfect for button-style pieces or pendants. Want a lil fancier shape? How about those cookie cutters in your kitchen? I love using them as I can get a great assortment of shapes at a fraction of a cost.

HOW TO PREPARE THE FOUNDATIONS:

Again, please take note that this is my own technique as I always use stabilizer on my works.

I think the photos on both shapes are self-explanatory. The other tip I'd like to add is to always make at least 2 of the same fabric to make sure you have a matching set, so that the backing coordinates - unless you want to use ultrasuede. Making the round shape is similar to making a yo-yo, the only different is you have to insert a stabilizer inside. As for the square shape, it is like framing a miniature piece, while making sure the corners are mitered properly.

The backs should look like the photo below. A half inch allowance on all sides or from the edge of the stabilizer works great. Most of the time, my cuffs have rounded ends... in this case, I make a half yo-yo to get the rounded shape on fabric.

Since these are fast and easy to do, I always make a lot in one sitting - usually while watching TV - in all shapes & sizes I want... rounds, squares, odd shapes, cuff sizes, etc. You'll definitely save a lot of time by doing this. Ready made foundations comes handy when my embroidery muse is gone - they get me inspired!

I'm sure you'll find a lot of different ways online at how others do their thing... if you're just starting, find your niche - soon you'll have a technique of your own.:)

Next Topic: Basic Stitches

Bead Embroidery: Materials

Whether you just started beading or been beading for a while, chances are you got some materials available in your household already for bead embroidery. These are just few of the materials you CAN use on this technique.

CABOCHONS - You can't go wrong with them and they're must-have in my stash. Cabochons, also knows as cabs, have flat back which is great for laying. They come in different materials, shapes and sizes. Below are few of my collection, i.e. jasper, unakite, goldstone, bluestone, amethyst, etc.

SEED BEADS - A must have in bead embroidery! The more colors & sizes, the better... I have them in 8/o, 10/o, 11/o, 15/o, E, etc.

BUTTONS - whether they're old or new... shank or not... simple or fancy... they can be used as focals in bead embroidery.

OTHER BEADS - Coin beads are one of my fave focals as they work like a cab. For extra fling, freshwater pearls, chips, gemstones, or any kinds of beads (as long as it has a hole and will stay put when sewn on the beading foundation) can serve as extra embellishments.

OLD EARRINGS - Remember the 80's - where earrings are so bold, so big & so colorful? You might have some in your jewelry box and just sitting there for a long time. Take them out and use them in your next bead embroidery project. These are easily available on garage sales, auctions, flea markets, etc. I've made some embroidered pendants with old earrings as focals.

FOUND OBJECTS - Domino, scrabble tiles, left-over beads, etc. As long as it has a flat back and can glue it on your beading foundation, feel free to include it in your bead embroidery.

Bead embroidery is not as intimidating as you think - all you need is another pinch of patience plus extra time. Come on, look for those old earrings & buttons from your grammy's box so you can give them a new life.

Next Topic: Foundation Preparation