Blue butterfly bracelet

 

Blue Butterfly Bracket Bracelet

Supplies:

*2 strands of blue butterfly brackets
*tube of  translucent light blue beads(or which ever color you prefer)
*tube of dark blue seed beads (to act as spacers)
*bead wire (.18mm in silver)
*Slide-in clasp (silver)
*jump rings (4) (silver)
*clamp beads (6) #1 (silver)
*needle nose pliers
*clamp pliers
*wire cutters
*Measuring tape

*Tip 1- Plan It Out* As with all jewelry designs I laid out the design on my bead board before I started doing anything. Had to try out different style gem stones to see which one matched best, as I did not buy any of the beads at the same time. This also includes making sure the clasp and clamp beads match the color pallet.

*Tip 2- Measure* Always measure for each project to make sure the lengths that fit best are correct. This is important when making items for other people. Once you have done them enough times you will know the required lengths and can skip this step.

Steps:

- Measure out the length of bead wire you will need to fit around your wrist comfortably and then give yourself about 2 inches to loop back through at the ends. Use wire cutters to cut correct length. Do this again.

-Take a pair of need nose pliers and open a jump ring. Slide the jump ring onto the ring of the clasp and close the jump ring. Do this again for the other ring.

-Repeat this last step for the other side of the clasp. Set aside once done.

*Tip 3- Tight Loops* Try and keep the loop as tight as possible to keep from having a big gap. This can be done by holding one end of the bead wire with a needle nose pliers and then taking the other end of the wire and pulling it tighter. Keeping it tight keeps the wire from rubbing. This is also why using a jump ring to attach to the clasp is important, as the wire attached to the jump ring is not going to move around much if its pulled tight.

 - Take a clamp and thread it on the bead wire; then slide the bead wire through the jump ring attached to the clasp. Loop the bead wire back through the clamp bead and then use the clamp pliers to clamp the bead in place. This should allow for a loop to hold the one end in place. (see *Tip 3*) Do this for both ends.

-Thread on the brackets and beads in the order of the design you picked ahead of time (see *Tip 1* ) Remember to do the same amount for each wire.

-Continue this until you have the length you determined earlier. (see *Tip 2* )

*Suggestion 1* Doing one clamp bead at the end to make sure everything stays tight and then another to create the loop is NOT required. You can choose to use only one clamp bead, just be sure to keep the beads together tightly enough to not end up with large gaps when you wear it. I do it for both ease and strength. Beginners can do this until they get better at re-threading the closure clamp.

*Tip 4 - Consider Material and Purpose* You must always be aware of the type of give and strength your supplies have or you could end up with breaks, scrapping, and no flexibility. The heavier the wire the less bend and flexibility it has. String the beads too tightly together and some will rub together and break. String them too tightly and the beads will bunch and not bend well around your wrist. Some times you need to allow for "give room" with bracelets in order to get the bracelet to wrap.

-Once you have finished your design for the length, slide on a clamp and use the clamp pliers to secure it in place. (see *Suggestion 1* and *Tip 4* ) (set aside for a second)

 - Grab your wire again. Take another clamp bead and thread it on first, then thread the wire through the jump ring on one side of the other end of the clasp. Then thread the wire back through the clamp. Now tighten the wire until you have a small loop. Be sure that the jump ring stays in the loop you create. Use the clamp pliers to close the clamp when you have the loop the size you want. (see *Tip 3* )

-Take a wire cutters and clip off the extra wire as close as possible to the last clamp bead. (If you didn't use two clamp beads you can do this next part.) If the wire is bend-able enough and the bead holes are big enough you can thread the extra wire back through the beads instead of cutting it.

-Repeat the last two steps for the other side of the clasp.

 -That will finish off the bracelet.

Vintage Pink Rose Bracelet

 

Vintage Pink Rose Bracelet

Supplies:

*2 strands of vintage rose brackets
*tube of bright pink beads (or which ever color you prefer)
*bead wire (.18mm in silver)
*Slide-in clasp (silver)
*jump rings (4) (silver)
*clamp beads (6) #1 (silver)
*needle nose pliers
*clamp pliers
*wire cutters
*Measuring tape

*Tip 1- Plan It Out* As with all jewelry designs I laid out the design on my bead board before I started doing anything. Had to try out different style gem stones to see which one matched best, as I did not buy any of the beads at the same time. This also includes making sure the clasp and clamp beads match the color pallet.

*Tip 2- Measure* Always measure for each project to make sure the lengths that fit best are correct. This is important when making items for other people. Once you have done them enough times you will know the required lengths and can skip this step.

Steps:

- Measure out the length of bead wire you will need to fit around your wrist comfortably and then give yourself about 2 inches to loop back through at the ends. Use wire cutters to cut correct length. Do this again.

-Take a pair of need nose pliers and open a jump ring. Slide the jump ring onto the ring of the clasp and close the jump ring. Do this again for the other ring.

-Repeat this last step for the other side of the clasp. Set aside once done.

*Tip 3- Tight Loops* Try and keep the loop as tight as possible to keep from having a big gap. This can be done by holding one end of the bead wire with a needle nose pliers and then taking the other end of the wire and pulling it tighter. Keeping it tight keeps the wire from rubbing. This is also why using a jump ring to attach to the clasp is important, as the wire attached to the jump ring is not going to move around much if its pulled tight.

 - Take a clamp and thread it on the bead wire; then slide the bead wire through the jump ring attached to the clasp. Loop the bead wire back through the clamp bead and then use the clamp pliers to clamp the bead in place. This should allow for a loop to hold the one end in place. (see *Tip 3*) Do this for both ends.

-Thread on the brackets and beads in the order of the design you picked ahead of time (see *Tip 1* ) Remember to do the same amount for each wire.

-Continue this until you have the length you determined earlier. (see *Tip 2* )

*Suggestion 1* Doing one clamp bead at the end to make sure everything stays tight and then another to create the loop is NOT required. You can choose to use only one clamp bead, just be sure to keep the beads together tightly enough to not end up with large gaps when you wear it. I do it for both ease and strength. Beginners can do this until they get better at re-threading the closure clamp.

*Tip 4 - Consider Material and Purpose* You must always be aware of the type of give and strength your supplies have or you could end up with breaks, scrapping, and no flexibility. The heavier the wire the less bend and flexibility it has. String the beads too tightly together and some will rub together and break. String them too tightly and the beads will bunch and not bend well around your wrist. Some times you need to allow for "give room" with bracelets in order to get the bracelet to wrap.

-Once you have finished your design for the length, slide on a clamp and use the clamp pliers to secure it in place. (see *Suggestion 1* and *Tip 4* ) (set aside for a second)

 - Grab your wire again. Take another clamp bead and thread it on first, then thread the wire through the jump ring on one side of the other end of the clasp. Then thread the wire back through the clamp. Now tighten the wire until you have a small loop. Be sure that the jump ring stays in the loop you create. Use the clamp pliers to close the clamp when you have the loop the size you want. (see *Tip 3* )

-Take a wire cutters and clip off the extra wire as close as possible to the last clamp bead. (If you didn't use two clamp beads you can do this next part.) If the wire is bend-able enough and the bead holes are big enough you can thread the extra wire back through the beads instead of cutting it.

-Repeat the last two steps for the other side of the clasp.

-That will finish off the bracelet.

Gems and Pearls in Purple

This is a very simple project and just a nice bracelet to wear whenever. Nothing fancy or special, but still cute!

Supplies:

*Strand of Pearls and Gems
*bead wire (.18mm in silver)
*Bubble clasp
*jump rings (2)
*clamp beads (3) #1
*needle nose pliers
*clamp pliers
*wire cutters
*Measuring tape

*Tip 1- Plan It Out* As with all jewelry designs I laid out the design on my bead board before I started doing anything. Had to try out different style gem stones to see which one matched best, as I did not buy any of the beads at the same time. This also includes making sure the clasp and clamp beads match the color pallet.

*Tip 2- Measure* Always measure for each project to make sure the lengths that fit best are correct. This is important when making items for other people. Once you have done them enough times you will know the required lengths and can skip this step.

Steps:

- Measure out the length of bead wire you will need to fit around your wrist and then give yourself about 2 inches to loop back through at the ends. Use wire cutters to cut correct length.

-Take a pair of need nose pliers and open a jump ring. Slide the jump ring onto the end of the clasp and close the jump ring.

- Take a clamp and thread it on the bead wire; then slide the bead wire through the jump ring attached to the clasp. Loop the bead wire back through the clamp bead and then use the clamp pliers to clamp it the bead in place. This should allow for a loop to hold the one end in place.

*Tip 3- Tight Loops* Try and keep the loop as tight as possible to keep from having a big gap. This can be done by holding one end of the bead wire with a needle nose pliers and then taking the other end of the wire and pulling it tighter. Keeping it tight keeps the wire from rubbing. This is also why using a jump ring to attach to the clasp is important, as the wire attached to the jump ring is not going to move around much if its pulled tight.

-Thread on the beads and gems in the order of the design you picked ahead of time (see *Tip 1* ). (Or just restring the pattern that was on the strand when you bought it.)

-Continue this until you have the length you determined earlier. (see *Tip 2* )

-Once you have finished your design for the length, slide on a clamp and use the clamp pliers to secure it in place. (see *Suggestion 1* and *Tip 4* )

*Suggestion 1* Doing one clamp bead at the end to make sure everything stays tight and then another to create the loop is NOT required. You can choose to use only one clamp bead, just be sure to keep the beads together tightly enough to not end up with large gaps when you wear it. I do it for both ease and strength. Beginners can do this until they get better at re-threading the closure clamp.

*Tip 4 - Consider Material and Purpose* You must always be aware of the type of give and strength your supplies have or you could end up with breaks, scrapping, and no flexibility. The heavier the wire the less bend and flexibility it has. String the beads too tightly together and some will rub together and break. String them too tightly and the beads will bunch and not bend well around your wrist. Some times you need to allow for "give room" with bracelets in order to get the bracelet to wrap.

-Take another clamp bead and thread it on first, then slide on the other jump ring, then thread the wire back through the clamp. Now tighten the wire until you have a small loop. Be sure that the jump ring stays in the loop you create. Use the clamp pliers to close the clamp when you have the loop the size you want. (see *Tip 3* )

-Take a wire cutters and clip off the extra wire as close as possible to the last clamp bead. If the wire is bend-able enough and the bead holes are big enough you can thread the extra wire back through the beads instead of cutting it.

-Take a needle nose pliers and open the jump ring on the end you just finished and slide on the other end of the clasp (Or length of chain if you want to use that instead. This will allow for different tightness around the wrist. This can be very helpful if you didn't follow *Tip 2* and its not long enough to go all the way around the wrist.) and close the jump ring with the needle nose pliers.

That will finish off the bracelet.


***The tube listed in the supplies can be found at Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and Jo-Anns in several different color shades. The tubes can come in the same color if you don't want different shades or mixtures. ***

Best Find for a new Knitter

I belong to a book club called Crafter's Choice (check out the website of the same name) and they discount crafting books: scrapbooking, cards, knitting, cooking, painting, quilting, sewing, so on. I saw this book and thought it sounded like it might be a good idea for me. Its called Simple Knitting by Erika Knight.

(Simple Knitting, copyright 2010)

(Check out her website at http://www.erikaknight.co.uk/ for books, and projects and all kinds of fun stuff)

Anyway I got it in the mail the other day and I seriously LOVE this book. I meantioned in the previous entry that I was a begginer knitter and this book is a MUST HAVE for all newbie to knitting. It breaks down 24 different types of stitches and tells you how to create them. Here are some examples:

(Simple Knitting, copyright 2010)

(Simple Knitting, copyright 2010)

(Simple Knitting, copyright 2010)

(Simple Knitting, copyright 2010)

I'm going to make squares of each type (like she has) and just keep practicing them over and over until I get better at them. Plus if I make enough of the squares I can make a neat little afgan out of them.

The book also shows you how to seam things together in several ways. It breaks down how to read directions and to add or subtract based on what you want to use. It gives you all kinds of data on knitting and I LOVE IT! I feel like a little kid on Christmas and I have just gotten the greatest gift ever. (even though I am SO paying for this! hahaha)
Erika Knight has a few other books out and I seriously am considering hunting them down, but for right now I just want to get to practicing... once I finish the baby blanket, or I might never finish!

Flower bracelet

On my days off I have been trying to wear ANYTHING that doesn't remind me of my work uniform. Normally this means bright colors and very summery designs. It makes for a very cheery mood. I wanted something to go with my summer/fresh start (when off from work) feel and I had found these great painted beads at a garage sale in Cripple Creek the other day. (Like I said if not the ARC stores I am all for yard sales and estate sales, you find great stuff for cheap.)

I wanted to just use the flower beads, but there was not enough of them. Plus they were the kind that have a much wider hole, so I need to use other beads to kind of 'fill' the gaps. I had these light jade beads and some bright pink beads, which matched the color of the painted flowers.
I am down right HORRIBLE at describing how to loop the bead wire for bracelets, so for this one I will just show you the finished projects and list the items.

I used:
.24mm bead wire (flexes easier)
7 pink beads
5 green jade beads
10 painted flower beads
two crimp beads (silver)
1 set of claw clasps
1 head pin
1 inch section of chain

And since I had to have random amounts of beads I finished off what I had left and made a set of clasp earings. The earings aren't great because I couldn't do it the way I wanted (the painted flowers have a hole that is too big and the headpin would slip though if I used it first like I had PLANNED).

Vintage Pendant

A few months ago my Mother found this vintage pendant and she asked me if I could make i up for her. She found it at a yard sale for .10 cents. Its in great condition, so it didn't need much 'clean up' work. I took her to a store downtown and made her pick out some beads and gems that she liked. When we got home I had her sit down and make out a design for it. She set out a  rough design and I tweeked it a little, but for the most part, I kept it the same. This was the start up design and what I went off.

As I said this was just a rough design. I would suggest doing this for all your projects. Makes it easier to see the over all picture. Plus you can get a general feel for what items you might run out of, that is if you try and make it to reflect the correct lengths. I always measure first, design, and then start my project and continue to measure through out to be sure I don't go over or be short.

I used:
10 eye pins
12 light green gems
40 brown luster beads
1 vintage pendant
4 jump rings
1 set of claw clasps
about 10 inches of brushed gold chain- fine

I put jump rings on each side of the pendant and closed them.
I them did each eyepin set of beeds and gems. I did 4 sets of 3 brown luster beads, 1 green gem, and 3 more brown luster beads. Then 2 sets of 1 green gem, 2 brown luster beads, and 1 green gem.
Here is a version of one:

At either side of the pendant I added two sets of brushed gold leave covers and then a green gem inbetween. I thought this added a little more nature feel to it and dressed it up. This was NOT part of the original idea, but it fits well.

After I finished with the eyepin sets I cut up pieces of chain that was even for each section inbetween the eyepins. I just counted each ring and then opened the last count to attach to an eyepin in the order I wanted.

This was my finished product. A nice vintage pendant for my Mom.

Since it was so easy to make and I still had some beads and gems left I made a pair of dange earings to go with. I took the idea of the brushed gold leaves from either side of the pendant I added and made two more. I cut two lengths of he fine brushed gold chain and attached a brown lusted bead to the end of each. I had some light gold triangle gems that I thought would go well, but Mom didn't want on the neckless, and I added two to each chain midway between the leaved gem and the bead at the bottom.

Mom loved the earings, so it was a good idea. Plus I hate being left with only one or two of a certain gem/bead. Just easier to use them all if its possible.

This project was easy and very vintage, so totally up my alley. Plus it made my Mom happy, so totally worth it.