Square Solitaire Bracelet and Pendant

A new tutorial is available in my Etsy shop - Square Solitaire bracelets and pendant. The project uses combined beading techniques, and it fits also foe beginners who like a bit of challenge,,, 

Happy beading to you all!

Freeform Just For Fun

When I want to bead something of my own just for relaxation, but can't put my mind to set on Designing Mode, I like to make freeform creations. 

I beaded this bracelet some time ago, while recovering from fatigue in bed, enjoying the ability that freeform beading allows you to do so. The cabochon button was beaded "normally"- sitting by my working table, though...  

I used a bead mix of some leftovers to make this bracelet. As I always say: every bead finds its destiny, just be patient... 

Stay safe you all! 

Beading Kits Sale

I'm having a 30% off sale on my two beading kits: Gazing Stars & Winding Path bracelets!

From now through Oct. 21, enter coupon code: 30OFFKITS to receive the discount

Happy Beading to all!

Meandering Cuff Bracelet

 Meandering - Pattern by Carol Dean Sharpe / Sandfibers

The second I saw it, I immediately fell in love with the geometric pattern of this bracelet. It is called "Meandering", designed by Carol Dean Sharpe of SandFibers. And if you prefer to work with loom or square stitch, there's a pattern for that too.

From someone who usually find it hard to follow a pattern, surprisingly (or not) this one was so fun to follow and see how it builds as you bead... 

The clasp I designed for it is a bezeled rectangular Swarovski Hotfix stone that I bought years ago, and now was the right time to finally use it...  

Pinch and Drop Beads Bracelet Pattern

A new beading tutorial for a textured bracelet that can also become reversible and be made in different widths. I have included notes about the design in the tutorial.

"Pinch and Drop in A Good Way" bracelet is made with Czech 3x5 mm Pinch beads, Miyuki 3.4 mm drop beads and seed beads. For the sample I used mixed colors of Pinch beads, but of course you can use beads in one color only.

The pattern is available in both my Artfire shop* (PDF sent by email) and in my Etsy shop (instant download).
* Until some technical issues will be solved on Artfire, European customers can purchase my beading patterns only from my Etsy shop. Sorry about that...

2-in-1 Beading Tutorial - Bracelet Double Diamond and Lacy Braid

I so love it when it happens to me, that when I design something new, the design evolves and I see more options hidden in it.  As always, I am happy to share any design ideas I have for the same project, so Lacy Braid & Double Diamond Bracelets is actually a 2-in-1 bracelet pattern, which includes all information you need to know for making the two bracelet designs. This is a fun project and I think you will love the 3D profile of the Double Diamond bracelet!

The Double Diamond bracelet is made with seed beads, Superduo beads  and Swarovski crystal beads. 

Lacy Braid bracelet is made with Superduo beads (Twin beads can work here, too) and seed beads only, but if you like the Bling, you can substitute some seed beads for crystal beads... 

The tutorial is available in both my Etsy and Artfire shops. 

For the next two days only, I have a

 20% coupon code 

use coupon code*:   TWOINONE20

on checkout

September 20 - 22

* For the commercial use tutorials, 

use coupon code:   2IN1COM20

** On Artfire PDF file is sent to you by email

Double Diamond Bracelets

Double Diamond Bracelets

Night in the Palace Bracelet

Night in the Palace is my latest bracelet design. The bracelet is made with Swarovski crystal beads, glass pearls and Miyuki seed beads.

I had so much fun designing it, using somewhat unusual thread paths, which allow making the bracelet in one continuous path. Although it has an intricate look and it may look complicated to make, you will be surprised at how fast this bracelet works!

The beading tutorial for this bracelet is available in my Etsy and Artfire shops.

Beading Tutorial of the Week - August 4-11

This week I am offering my Echo of Deco Bracelet beading pattern (for personal use only) on a 40% discount. From today Aug.4 and until Aug. 11, the price will be $10.20 instead of $17. The coupon code is valid in both my Etsy and Artfire shops - just enter the coupon code: ECHO40 on checkout.

Happy Beading & have a great week you all!

Blue Bonnet Bracelet Project

My second Designer of the Year project in the Apr/May issue of Beadwork magazine is the Blue Bonnet  bracelet. The bracelet is made with lentil beads (w/ off-centered hole) and Swarovski crystals and it has integrated closure (of course, pre-made clasps can also be used). If you like jewelry sets, one of the four design options of MariLily necklace could be a nice match for the bracelet.

I hope that time will allow me to list my original instructions for the Blue Bonnet bracelet soon, where I provide instructions on how to bead it in one continuous path, but right now I need to work on designing my LAST Designer of the Year 2013 project for the Dec/Jan 2014 issue.
I can't believe how times flies and a year of working on the DOY projects is about to end...time flies when you are having fun!

Lacy Clover Ribbon Jewelry Set

This is my newest project - Lacy Clover Ribbon - a design of a bracelet, 2 options for a necklace and matching earrings. I love the delicate clover shape that the drop beads create, and the whole design reminds me of lace ribbons. The jewelry are made with Twin beads (or Superduo beads), fire polished beads (or Swarovski crystal rounds, as in the silver set) and with Japanese drop and seed beads. A tutorial for this beading project is available in my shops.

I love working with those two-hole beads, but once again I experienced the downside of them - if you miss catching a bead with a blocked hole - you're in trouble! Luckily, in this project, it was easy to unpick the work instead of having to break the blocked bead, as I was forced to do in my previous Twin beads project. I wanted to start beading the design idea right away and I didn't want to select from a pile of beads before starting to bead, so the solution I found was to get myself used to stinging the needle in both holes of the bead to check if they're open before stringing it, and this somewhat-strange method seemed to have saved me a lot of time and and frustration... Try it! :)

Also, I am happy to tell that my Layered Loops Bracelet is included (and appears on the cover!)in the recently published Stitch Workshop: Herringbone Stitch by Kalmbach Publishing (click on the link to go to Amazon and preview the book). This reminds me that it has been quite a while since I beaded something in herringbone stitch... maybe it's time again... I love this stitch!

Twin Spades Necklace and Bracelet

This is a new set of necklace and bracelet I designed with Twin beads. The pattern created by the arrangement of beads reminded me of the shape of spades, so Twin Spades is the name I gave to this project.
A tutorial for both necklace and bracelet is available in both my Etsy and Artfire shops.

I purchased some Twin beads not long ago, without knowing that actually there are two different brands of this bead with two holes - Twin beads, manufactured by Preciosa-Ornela and Superduo beads, manufactured by Jablonec (both are Czech copmanies). I haven't tried Superduo beads, but thanks to Sabine Lippert posting an image on Facebook, I learned that Twin beads are a bit non-uniformed, compared to the Superduo beads (which are much more expensive than Twins) and that there is a larger selection of colors of  Twins compared to Superduos.

I can tell from my experience working on this new necklace & bracelet project, that in a pile of 50 gr of Twin beads I found a few beads with irregular shape, but there were not too many of them - most of the beads were fine. But what really turned into a nightmare was finding out that I can't continue working and pass the needle through the free hole of one bead, simply because it was blocked! I tried to open the hole, but had not succeeded. So the only thing I could do was to break the bead using pliers and replace it with a new one. Breaking a Twin bead seemed to be a challenging task - I had to use great force and to try different angles before it finally broke. Then I had to re-fill the two spaces the removed bead created (that was the easiest part..).So I know that I will be sorting and selecting my Twin beads before I start the next project, in the hope that I will detect and take out any beads with blocked hole...

But except all of the above, Twin beads are really beautiful and fun to work with I love the texture they add to the beadwork!

It's Passover Eve today, so I wish all who celebrate it Hag Sameach! 

Passover means that spring had officially sprung!... I love the smell of spring and the warming weather is doing wonders to my energy. :) And to those who celebrate Easter - Happy Easter!

Dainty Filigree Rope and Bracelet

I felt honored when I was offered to join a group of more than 25 talented designers and bead artists from all around the world, and to design a few items using clasps from The Beadsmith's Elegant Elements clasp collection. These are very beautiful, nickel-free, high quality electroplated German made clasps. Of course I had to say 'yes' to this offer. Who wouldn't?... ;) The only problem was, that just as I got my clasps in the mail, I entered into a long beading rut, and for more than a month I couldn' find any idea of what to do with them... But all is well, and I'm beading again (this project is actually the first one I finished in 2012...).
A tutorial for Dainty Filigree  is available (rope and bracelet only, pendant is not included).

This is the first item I designed using this beautiful flower clasp. The curly detail of the petals in the clasp inspired me to create the flower pendant, and the design idea for the rope was born directly from it.

Flower Clasp with Swarovski Crystal Stone 

Elegant Elements Item #: CLSP89GP

BAO Color Challenge

I love beading challenges... they push my creativity. More than once I designed things that I probably wouldn't have done if it wasn't for the challenge. Challenges also force me to work on a project - from start to finish - within a time frame, which I find to be a good exercise for my concentration at work. If I had enough time, I would have participated in each and every one of them...There's the EBW monthly challenge; the ABG challenge and a few others that I don't recall now, but I really enjoy entering the Bead Art Originals color challenge.

Given a specific color palette to work with , I enjoy looking over my bead stash to find the right colors for the challenge. That way, I get to see (and use) different kinds of beads that I have long forgotten about their existence... It's fun, and it also sparkle up my creativity!

This bracelet was created especially for the latest BAO color challenge.
I really liked the spicy colors picked up for it (see photo below). I found leftovers of Czech pressed glass spacer beads in very dark chili pepper red that was perfect for the challenge, and designed the whole bracelet around them. With the tiny bit beads that were left, I created a matching button clasp.

Check out the BAO blog to see other member's entries for this challenge

The bracelet came out Xceptionally TeXtured (that's the name I gave it) - the spacer beads add texture to the bracelet and make a repetitive X pattern. I made one more bracelet in cold/warm colors for testing a shorter thread path for the tutorial I made for this design. New thread path worked just fine and much quicker, and I managed to finish the second bracelet in just two hours! :)

This Wednesday we are celebrating the Jewish New Year.

Let's hope that next year 

the wars & terror around the world will end;

poor people will have the ability to live decent lives they deserve 

to have as human beings ;

corruption will be eliminated; 

people will be more caring & nicer to each other;

and we'll manage to take a better care of our larger home - the globe;

 (yes, I know, it almost sounds like too far distant future...but it's up to us!)

I wish you all a very happy, loving, peaceful, prosperous and creative New Year!

Shana Tova!

*!שנה טובה*

Magical Magatamas

Last month at a wedding party, I met a few people I haven't seen in a couple of years. We chatted a bit and they asked me what job do I have and I told them that I am a jewelry designer. Then they were very surprised that I don't wear any jewelry (mine or others), and they said that I am a living example of  "a shoemaker who is walking barefoot" (it's an old Hebrew say). Funny, but true!... I stopped wearing jewelry long before I had started beading due to allergy to metals I had developed, and somehow I got used to being "jewelry-naked" (except for a watch, if that counts). I promised my relatives to show them some of my work the next time we meet, which would be next week in another family relative's wedding. I decided to wear a nice jewelry set to show off at the coming wedding... After all, my jewelry is made from glass beads, so there shouldn't be any allergy excuse... ;)

Luckily, my Muse cooperated and I managed to finish this new necklace and matching bracelet on time before the wedding (a tutorial is also ready & available). They are made with seed beads, glass pearls, Swarovski crystal beads and Miyuki long Magatama beads. (I take this opportunity to thank the people of Bogal, who are always very helpful and come to my rescue whenever I run out of beads before the project is finished... Thank you, Gloria and Avishai for an excellent customer service!).

Once again I had a challenging (read: annoying) designing process with those Magatamas (mainly because of their large, diagonal holes), but I love them, and I didn't want to give up on the texture they add to the beadwork. I am very pleased with the result! The necklace is laying nicely around my neck and the bracelet is softly draping  my wrist.

Now all I have to do is to find something nice to wear that goes with this set, which is another challenge for me! I never had to match the clothes to the jewelry - it usually goes the other way around, right?... ;D