Twin Cross Earrings and Twin Seed Beads

I've finished another pattern using the new Preciosa Twin Seed beads. Here's my Twin Cross earrings. The pattern is available at BeadPatternsBoutique and The Bead Coop.  Although I'm finding handling these beads a challenge, I still have many designs going through my mind.

There are just so many stitches and techniques that lend themselves well to these beads that the possibilities seem endless.  The main problem I've had so far is finding a variety of colors available by retailers and I'm not in a position to buy in wholesale lots.


I did find that Sparkle Spot has added some more colors, mostly metallics, to their inventory.  A friend from South Africa provided a link to West Coast Wholesale Jewellery.  I found that they are located in the UK, but ship internationally for reasonable prices. They have 59 colors available.  Viki Szabo, from Hungary provided this information:
"The shipping is 2.45 GBP flat rate for domestic shipping, but if your package is small, they won't charge you more for the international shipping either. If the shipping to your country cost more than 2.45 (it depends on the weight of your package) they will contact you with the information and the actual shipping cost. The twin beads are on pre-order, it takes about 1-2 weeks to arrive to their shop. If you have any more question, you can always contact the shop owner, Pam, she is extremely helpful and e-mailed me back very fast."
Although they are a wholesale company they have no minimum order size, their products are available to individuals, and the really big bonus for me. . .they accept PayPal!  If you need a currency converter to determine cost you can find one at http://www.currency-converter.com/ .

Now I'm off to clear my bead area.  School will be out for the holidays next week and my 6 year old granddaughter may want to come bead with me.  I need to clear a space so we can both sit and bead at the bead table.

Illusion Square

I've started on a new design. As usual, it started out as something else and just evolved. The illusion wasn't planned, but when I saw it, I enhanced it.

I like the way the light blue fades between the bisque and cobalt but seems darker between the cobalt and silver-lined purple. Yes that's the same color. Somehow a white iridescent bead got in with my opaque light blue.  You can see it in the top right side of the blue line.  It picks up the color from the two cobalt beads above and below it and looks lilac.  I had started using that color as the background, but as you can see, it just made the whole design fade.

I call this design "Illusion Square".  I hope to have the pattern available by the end of the week.

I finished the blue Butterfly Fantasy with a pretty antiqued gold butterfly button I found in my button box.  I think a flower would have been more appropriate, but my flower buttons were bronze and copper and just didn't go well with the gold beads in the bracelet.  I laid the green one aside when I ran out of the background green.  I decided anything I had to improvise with just wouldn't blend with the rest of the beads, so I'll wait until I get more beads to finish it.  I'm going to close it with a round magnetic clasp.

Russian Lace Celtic Cross

I have finished the Celtic Cross necklace beaded in Russian lace stitch and uploaded the pattern to BeadPatternsBoutique.


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Russian lace is always a challenge for me.  I learned three drop netting using a different color for the juncture bead, or a different color for the top half of the mesh and the bottom half.  The designs in Russian lace are created by placing the colors in a pattern which may or may not conform to that formula.  I had finished the necklace, put the clasp on it and took pictures before I noticed a glaring mistake about one third of the way from the end.  And I thought I was checking each design before going on to the next one!

Well it was fun and it was challenging.  The pattern is illustrated with text instructions mesh by mesh, so if you follow the pattern exactly you will be able to complete this necklace even if you've never worked Russian lace.

Beaded Russian Lace

I’ve been looking through my UFO and salvage boxes lately looking for beads and looking at some of my earlier work.  I found some practice pieces that I’d done in Russian lace. 
Russian lace is three drop netting with “slits” for lack of a better word, in the outer edge that lets it form a natural curve for necklaces.  I found a classic Karmen necklace I’d done in purple, green and amber and an adaptation that formed a heart and had pearl and Swarovski crystal bicone drops.  I also found a doodle I’d done trying to make a Celtic cross.  I’ve spent a couple of days working and ripping out trying to make the design work.  Finally got it right and got a pattern worked up.  Now it’s smooth sailing.  There are two places that I had to take out on nearly every repeat because I’d get the bead sequence wrong.  As soon as I get the necklace finished, the pattern will be available.