Table of contents for December 2016 in Bead&Button

The holidays are here, a time for reflection, gratitude, and good cheer. A time to gather with friends and family to show how much we appreciate them. A time to let bygones be bygones and spread goodwill far and wide (have I got you thinking about Jimmy Stewart in “It’s a Wonderful Life” yet?). This year, we’re adding a bit of beaded joy to all of our packages and cards with a series of 12 easy-to-make gift ideas that you’ll find right in the middle of the special pull-out booklet, “Your Guide to a Sparkling Holiday.” Besides these gift toppers and stocking stuffers, this booklet also features a beautiful necklace, a bracelet, earrings, and an ornament, all crafted with care using Swarovski crystals and pearls. And because we are so…

Nancy Cain’s 2015 stitching master class at the Bead&Button Show focused on creating structural vessels in peyote stitch. Student Yvonne Kuriata of Australia used what she learned in that class to create this gorgeous collection of beaded forms. See more work from Nancy’s students at www.BeadAndButton.com/resources. Ephesian Septenary I attended Nancy’s master class with the expectation of making a wearable piece. I learned a lot about construction and, most importantly, the math behind it. I was initially disappointed that my vessel was too big to wear. It took me a couple of months to get around to finishing it, but once I did, it reminded me of an ancient urn. This inspired me to create a set of complementary urns and explore construction techniques further. It was a wonderful journey.…

Difficulty rating Materials necklace 17 in. (43 cm) • 27 6 mm pearls (Swarovski, gray) • 80 5 x 10 mm Arcos par Puca beads (argentees) • 80 2.5 x 3 mm Minos par Puca beads (argentees) • 52 3 x 5 mm pinch beads (metallic suede light green; www.baublesandbeads.com) • 1 g 110 seed beads (Toho 512, galvanized blue haze) • 2 g 150 seed beads (Miyuki 2030, Duracoat steel blue matte; www.beyondbeadery.com) • 1 magnetic clasp • Fireline, 6 lb. test • beading needles, #11 or #12 Basics, p. 79 • attaching a stop bead • ending and adding thread Puca has always been a creative person but finds her greatest joy in beading. She is from France, and is the designer of the Kheops par Puca bead…

Lovely labradorite. Shimmering spectrolite. Sparkly sunstone. Turquoiseblue amazonite and mysterious moonstone. What do all these softly-radiant gems have in common? They are members of the feldspar mineral family. In the last issue, we learned that quartz is the second most abundant mineral in the earth’s crust. Feldspar is number one, and actually comprises up to 60 percent of the crust. But wait, don’t dig up your backyard just yet! We also learned in the last issue that this doesn’t mean gorgeous jewelready rocks are lying around all over the place. So, sadly, there probably aren’t any hiding underneath your lawn. Technically, feldspar is a group of rock-forming tecto-silicate minerals that crystallize from magma in igneous rocks, and are also found in metamorphic and sedentary rocks. It has many permutations including…

Necklace 12 mm rivoli components 1 On 1 yd. (.9 m) of thread, pick up 32 color A 110 cylinder beads, and sew through the beads again to form a ring, leaving a 6-in. (15 cm) tail. Continue through the next two As. 2 Pick up a color B 110 cylinder bead, skip the next A in the ring, and sew through the following seven As in the round (figure 1, a–b). Repeat this stitch three times to complete the round, positioning the Bs to the inside of the ring, and sew through the first B added (b–c). 3 Pick up six color C 150 seed beads, and sew through the next B in the ring (figure 2, a–b). Repeat this stitch three times to complete the round (b–c), and…

THREAD AND KNOTS Conditioning thread Use wax (beeswax or microcrystalline wax) or a thread conditioner (like Thread Heaven or Thread Magic), to condition nylon beading thread and Fireline. Wax smooths nylon fibers and adds tackiness that will stiffen your beadwork slightly. Conditioners add a static charge that causes the thread to repel itself, so don’t use it with doubled thread. All conditioners help thread resist wear. To condition, stretch nylon thread to remove the curl (you don’t need to stretch Fireline). Place the thread or Fireline on top of the conditioner, hold it in place with your thumb or finger, and pull the thread through the conditioner. Ending and adding thread To end a thread, sew back through the last few rows or rounds of beadwork, following the thread path…

Many beaders have no interest in using software as an aid in beading — they’d rather just sit down with their beads and start playing. But for those who are inclined, software can be a great help in designing graphed patterns for peyote, loomwork, and the like, and it can be immensely useful when you want to document your stitching paths, as we do in the magazine and designers do for tutorials and kits. For the most part, these uses really require two different types of software. This software roundup overviews seven programs that can make these tasks easier.* Graphed patterns A graphed pattern is generally defined as a design or image that is worked into an otherwise plain piece of beadwork in a single stitch, like a straight, flat…

Ornament Connector strips 1 On 1 yd. (.9 m) of thread, work in ladder stitch using 80 cylinder beads to make a 25-bead ladder, leaving a 6-in. (15 cm) tail (figure 1). 2 Pick up a 150 seed bead, a 3 mm color A bicone crystal, and a 150, and sew through the previous 80 cylinder in the ladder, going in the same direction (figure 2, a–b). If needed, position the new beads to sit diagonally on top of the cylinder your thread exited at the start of this step. Repeat this stitch 23 times to complete the row (b–c). 3 Working in the opposite direction, pick up a 150, and sew through the next A (figure 3, a–b). Pick up a 150, and sew through the following 80 cylinder…

Bezel 1 On a comfortable length of thread, pick up 40 110 cylinder beads, and sew through the first three beads again to form a ring, leaving a 6-in. (15 cm) tail. These beads will shift to form rounds 1 and 2 as the next round is added. End and add thread throughout the project as needed. 2 Work rounds of tubular peyote stitch for the front of the bezel as follows, and step up at the end of each round: Round 3–5: Work rounds using cylinders. Rounds 6–7: Work both rounds using 150 seed beads. Round 8: Pick up a 150, and sew through the next two 150s in the previous round using a tight tension. Repeat this stitch nine times to complete the round. Sew through the beadwork…

I’m a bit reclusive,” says author and bead artist Julia Pretl. “I like to work out of my house. I like to write my books, I like to create my patterns.” Confirmation of this can be found in the name of her website — Julia S. Pretl (beading in my basement) — and in case there’s still any doubt, her website’s URL is “www.beadcave.com.” BIRTH OF A BEADER That bead cave occupies hallowed beading ground, because Pretl is the artist behind the ground-breaking techniques in Little Beaded Boxes, now in its tenth year of publication. Pretl’s techniques for building hollow, self-supporting three-dimensional geometric forms in peyote stitch (tight-fitting custom lids included) have inspired beaders across the globe. Pretl says she started beading in the late ’80s. “I had a boyfriend…

Bead Happenings Bead-It-Forward 2017 Started in 2006 by Jeannette Shanigan to benefit breast cancer research, Bead-It-Forward is still going strong under the direction of Amy Severino. The 2017 theme is “Fantasy: Dreaming of a cure.” Get involved and check out the patterns that are already available. Deadline to send in squares is March 1, 2017. Visit www.bead-it-forward.com for additional information. Plus, click on “Auction” to bid on some remaining pieces from 2016. All proceeds benefit breast cancer research. Beach Dreams It is time for BeadDreams, our annual competition celebrating bead artistry. This year’s categories are: • Seed Bead Jewelry • Finished Jewelry • Crystal Jewelry • Objects and Accessories • Metal Clay • Polymer Clay • Wirework • Metalwork • Handmade Beads and Buttons Finalists will compete for thousands of…

Designed as a versatile loom to make various styles of bracelets, the Endless Loom can also be used to make bands to fit 25⁄8-in. (6.7 cm) diameter ornament balls. Fringe at the bottom and decreasing rounds of crystals and seed beads at the top create an heirloom-style ornament cover to be cherished for generations. Prep the loom 1 Measure your ornament around the widest part. The one in the photos measures 85⁄16 in. (20.8 cm). Due to manufacturing variances, your ornament may differ somewhat. 2 Assemble the loom using the sizing rods marked “Orn.” Add easement rod(s) as needed to adjust the loom measurement to equal your ornament circumference plus an additional 1⁄8 in. (3 mm) to accommodate the Delica beads. 3 Wrap your thread 16 times around the…

Each cubic right-angle weave (or CRAW) unit has six surfaces — four sides, a top, and a bottom. Each surface is made up of four beads, but since the beads are shared, 12 beads are used to make the first unit, and only eight beads are used for each subsequent CRAW unit. For clarity, we used two colors of beads in the how-to photos. Working the first CRAW unit 1 On the specified length of thread, pick up four beads. Tie the beads into a ring with a square knot, leaving the specified length tail, and continue through the first two beads in the ring. This ring of beads will count as the first stitch of the unit. 2 Work two right-angle weave stitches off of the bead your thread…

Pendant How to pick up triangle beads: With the point of the triangle with no hole facing away from you, pick up the bead through the left hole (LH). How to pick up crescent beads: With the tips of the crescent facing down, pick up the bead through the left hole (LH). 1 On a comfortable length of thread, pick up 32 110 seed beads, and sew through the beads again. Continue through the next two 110s to form a ring, leaving a 6-in. (15 cm) tail. These beads will shift to form rounds 1 and 2 as the next round is added. 2 Work a round of tubular peyote stitch using 110s, and step up through the first 110 added in the round (figure 1, a–b). 3 Sew through…