The End of a Year

Its that time of year  again....... seems to come round faster each year but 2012 is on the horizon.
For the last few weeks I have been playing with seed beads and mirco macrame, here are a few more..........

This one being made with dark green thread with 4mm 6mm pearls some small crystals and size 11 seed beads. I so love the centre  slider bead and bought it in a few different  colours.

This is a twist of an Annita DeGroot design. 

The next one was from a book called Beaded Macrame Jewellery by Sherri Haab.

I was really pleased with this make  far from prefect but  it just feels so nice on , I think I will make this again but using a different colour way.

This was certainly a challenge but I really did enjoy making this.

I am now thinking of a new colour theme for the New Year. I wonder what it will be.................................

Yes ... seed beads !

Dont know if the broken foot has put a strain on my brain  but I have ordered , received and made some more beaded bracelets using   yes ..... wait for it ..... size 11 seed beads.
I know after all I have said about the 'bits of dust' with  holes in but its happened.

The c-lon cord arrived and my first attempt was a 9 stranded with glass pearls and crystals.........

 I had to try  a design by Annika deGoot  and her Victorian Bracelet was my next attempted so that's when the order for seed beads happened.
I was interested to see how this bracelet was worked ........ starting with a loop and beading a section, then leaving a gap , doing this 3times creating the first layer. Adding a button then turning my work round and working back along weaving sections  into the gaps .

I was really pleased with  this bracelet and sold it as soon as I had finished it. I will certainly make another.
 I found some amazing slider beads from www.bead-workshop.co.uk so the  next bracelet had to be 'Secret Garden'

So I think I have well and truly been bitten by  the Micro Macrame Bug and dare I say  SEED BEADS !!!!

The Beaded Cuff

The beaded cuff challenge has finally been finished. I am really pleased with how its worked out far from prefect but I now can see how one of these bracelets make up.

The finishing off on the slide toggle was the most difficult and I will certainly have to find a better method of finishing.
So here it  is ................... Drum Roll ..................................

Having finished this I wanted to try  something similar so off I went in search of a  book and came across Annika deGroot  http://www.annikadegroot.com/
Not wanting to copy exactly one of her designs I saw away of making a bracelet without a clasp just using a button and loop. I have used this method before but in a different way, Annika starts from the centre of the threads and works down one side then the other creating an arc the size needed for the button.

Using flat knots I then joined the two sides together. The Superlon cord works really well and seems to thread easily through beads without a needle. I worked this on a cushion so I could pin my work to keep it in place.
I finished off with an antique silver button.

I used crystal  and glass beads in tones of purple with a grey cord. I am really pleased with  this and I now have another design in my head and waiting  for a delivery of cord from  http://www.absolutebeads.co.uk