Lighthouse by the sea

When I was a young girl, my Nana and Grandfather would spend a week in Cape Cod, in a small cottage by the ocean and I was lucky enough to go along with them. Some of my fondest memories stem from those carefree days on the beach. I would spend all day splaying in the sand and surf, coming back to the cottage only for a quick bite to eat before rushing back out to play.
Lighthouses always bring me back to that time and make me smile.

I've created three versions of this lighthouse bracelet pattern, available in super wide, wide, and thin.

Speaking of animal print...

...how about some zebra print fun?! I recently finished weaving up this super wide peyote stitched cuff using Delica beads and my favorite beading thread. It measures 7-1/2" long and a whopping 2" wide.

Want to make one for yourself? You can! I have detailed zebra print patterns available in 3 different widths AND different color combinations. Check em out in my Etsy Shop.

All of my patterns come with a full color image, delica bead number and bead count needed, a large easy to print black and white symbol graph, and a word chart. I also email you a hi res photo that you can zoom WAY in on.

Get WILD!

Leopard Peyote Stitch Bracelet

Animal print, when you over do it, can be just awful. Gaudy, I guess is the right word. When done right, though, it's downright classy. The RIGHT way to wear animal print (and I know this because I have seen at least 20 episodes of "What Not to Wear" lol) is to accessorize with it. You know, animal print shoes, animal print purse...
Animal print jewelry!


This bracelet was woven using Delica beads using peyote stitch. If you'd like to add a little touch of "wild" to your wardrobe, it is available for purchase in my Etsy shop.

If you are a bead weaver yourself and would like to make this bracelet, I have patterns available in three different widths: 2" wide, 1-1/2" wide, and 1" wide.
All of my patterns available for purchase are my own designs, and come as a PDF with an easy to print symbol graph, full color picture, and word chart. You may also sell bracelets that are made with the pattern!

Hello again!

Hello beady friends! My sincere apologies for not delighting you with more consistent posts. I have been spending a lot of time designing patterns and creating tutorials so that other can learn how to make pretty things too!
Whether you are a beginning beader or more advanced, you should be able to find a tutorial or pattern to tickle your creative bone in my etsy shop. There are a bunch of funky peyote stitch bracelet patterns too, if you're into that sort of thing.

One tutorial that is not available in my etsy shop but in my jewelrylessons.com teacher page is "Peyote Stitch - Finishing Touches".
That is a free tutorial (you just have to sign up for an account on the website, it's free), that will help you with many of the things beginner beaders struggle with. It shows (with words AND clear, close up pictures) how to weave in new thread, knot, decrease rows, increase rows, add a clasp, and add a loop. Really all the things you need to know to finish a peyote stitch project. Check it out!

Purple Argyle Bracelet

Ah, peyote stitch, my first love. I can't say that it was love at first sight though, as my first few attempts at the seemingly easy stitch resulted in me throwing my beadwork across the room. A lot has changed in seven years though, and peyote stitch for me is a constant, a standard - a feeling of "home", if you will. It will always be a favorite stitch of mine. Granted, it takes a while to work up anything substantial, but the feeling of accomplishment when you are finished is priceless.
I did a spring colored argyle cuff bracelet not too long ago, and immediately started on another one. They are just so fun looking! I am FAR from "preppy", but I think this bracelet could accomidate a variety of personal tastes - from punk to hippie.
I can definately see doing this up in some other colors sometime in the future!

Spring Bracelets

This weekend was glorious. I did very little housework and cleaning (thanks to my wonderful husband, who told me I had this weekend "off"), and I did LOTS of playing. As a celebration for passing my LEED exam, I bought myself a wii, and a wii fit to go along with it. What a fabulous little contraption that is! Even my husband, who never really go into video games, is a fan. He loves the fact that it's so interactive. I feel a little sore today - those balance games really get your controller muscles working! Watch out world, I'm gonna be a hot mama this summer!
In between hooping and playing on the wii, I managed to finish 2 bracelets I've been working on.

The first is a fairly simple design, but pretty nonetheless. I wove in peyote stitch with various sizes of toho beads to achieve a bumpy look - in fresh spring colors.

This second bracelet I'm really proud of - it's also woven in peyote stitch, bead by tiny bead. I've always liked the look of argyle and have been wanting to do an argyle cuff for a while. The colors scream spring, I think.

Psychedelic Spiral Bracelet

If I had finished this bracelet in time, I would have entered it in the Etsy Bead Weavers challenge "Time Machine". If I had a time machine, I would go back to the psychedelic 60's, and that's what this bracelet reminds me of.

I have a jar of "leftover" delica beads...beads that never made it back into their original containers, my "delica bead soup" jar. This bracelet was woven in peyote stitch, all beads coming from my bead soup container. For the clasp I used a sterling silver slide/lock clasp. I'm quite pleased with how it came out, but not as pleased as my husband. He says it's by far his favorite bracelet I've created to date. How sweet of him!

It's a tad smaller than traditional bracelets - measuring in at only 7". I'm debating whether or not I should sell or list it...I DO have tiny wrists and it fits me perfect. Hmmmm.....

Dreadlock Beads

Spring is here. It's almost time for concerts, festivals, and dancing in the sun. Phish just got back together and played a fantastic run of shows at Hampton Coliseum, and they are doing a summer tour. The Grateful Dead is getting back together (Jerry will be there in spirit) to play some summer shows. Of course, you don't have to be a jam band loving "hippie" to have dreadlocks...that just happens to be the category I fall into.

There's no better way to show off your locks than with beaded accessories. Wear them just for fun, or use them to cover up and tighten "rough spots".
Even if you don't have dreadlocks, you can wear dreadlock beads in braids. To wear with braided hair: Separate hair and begin to braid as normal. When you reach the location of where you would like the bead to be visible, slide bead on to one of the three sections of hair, twisting as you go (you may want to clip the other 2 sections together while you are doing this so they don't come undone). Continue to braid hair, securing the end. The bead will be securely in place until you undo your hair. Neat huh?

The following beads were woven in tubular peyote stitch. Beading in tubular peyote allows for a rigid (but still slightly flexible) bead. Weaving in regular peyote or brick stitch will cause the bead to sink in, with no rigidity at all. You could still wear dreadlock beads woven this way, but they may be a little more difficult to put (and stay) in your hair. Personally, I prefer the structure of tubular peyote, so I weave all my dreadlock beads with this method.
These latest beads were stitched with toho seed beads, except for the Om and Radioactive beads, which were stitched with delica beads. Hope you like!








Please visit my online shop for more dreadlock beads in a variety of colors and styles.

Irish Flag Cuff Bracelet

Trying to keep up with the holidays, I was determined to create something with St. Patrick's Day specifically in mind. I found myself leaning towards the colors of the actual flag of Ireland more so than a shamrock or a little elf - perhaps that's my own Irish pride shining through.
After finding the perfectly matching delica colors, I wove in 2-drop peyote stitch.
It's finished with a beaded toggle clasp that will hold the bracelet securely on your wrist.

As a special promotion, I'm offering free shipping for this bracelet to anywhere in Ireland!

Is spring here yet?

It may be the middle of winter, but my head is in the tropics. Every once in a while the mood strikes me to bead up a snowflake but, frankly, I don't like snow. I can appreciate the beauty of freshly fallen snow, and I try to take in each breath, each moment as I live it. However inevitably each winter I find myself longing for spring, anticipating the first signs of new life, and the return of the green buds of my garden. Perhaps in the summer I'll be able to bead a snowman without grimacing, but for this month, I needed a little taste of summer. I used a pattern from the July/August issue of Bead-Patterns the magazine to weave up this hibiscus bracelet in peyote stitch. The page didn't have a designer name on it so I'm assuming the designer is Rita Sova herself. If you're interested in beading one up for yourself, you can purchase the pattern HERE.

In case anyone is wondering, I will NOT be selling this bracelet in any of my shops. A bracelet that is woven using another person's pattern should not be sold, unless you have permission from the designer themselves. A little beading ethics 101 for you.

All We are Saying, is Give Peace a Chance

Peace signs aren't just for hippies anymore!

In case you were wondering, the peace sign originates from the Semaphore flag positions, "N" & "D", standing for nuclear dissarmorment.

I actually started this bracelet last weekend and ran out of the gray beads. Not making sure you have enough beads to finish your project before you begin, I should add that to the "B.A.D.D." symptoms. The delica gray beads are actually metallic matte, rhodium plated. Having started the project just going into my beads and saying "oh this is a nice color" and grabbing my precious vial, I didn't realize that they were so expensive. I almost crapped a brick when I saw artbeads.com had them priced at $15 something for 8g. But alas, they have cheap priority shipping (and free shipping too, which usually takes 5-7 days for me)

If this bracelet was not too big for me, I'm damn sure I'd be keeping it. It's 7-1/2", a pretty standard size. I've got tiny wrists...which may sound nice to some people but it's not so nice when bracelets and watches fall off your hand!

It measures almost 1-1/2" across, and is woven in 2-drop peyote stitch. In addition to the metallic matte rhodium plated beads, I used a combination of silver lined, and ceylon finish delicas. They really stand out in the gray background. The clasp is a sterling silver slide clasp, with a nice "click" to it, locks in nice. It's surprisingly light, and extremely comfortble. I'm pretty sure whoever end up with this one is going to be a happy camper!