Chain of Hollow Beaded Beads for I Might Make That! Monday

Source: bead-patterns.com via Geneva on Pinterest

This is going to be quick, since it's almost 11 on Sunday evening, but I'm determined to get back to my regular Monday feature (and hopefully soon to my other regular one--Need a Laugh Wednesday.)

I spottend the above pattern on Pinterest recently. What's interesting about it is that is not a series of individually made beaded beads, as most patterns are. It's a chain of netting stitches that you make as one continuous piece, forming the beads as you go, which I think is pretty cool.

The pattern is free, but you do have to download it from a site called Bead-Patterns. (But you don't have to register or create an account or anything.)

And thank you, everyone for the well-wishes last week. It's good to be back.

Seeing double for I Might Make That! Monday

I promised a double feature last week, so here are two patterns for two-hole Twin beads.

Although these have been on the market for awhile, I have not purchased any yet. But I already know I prefer their rounded, more organic shape to the square Tilas. (I did get a small packet to play with when Preciosa Ornela staged a giveaway, but haven't had a chance to experiment. There were enough beads to make a focal, but not a full bracelet.)

But I have been collecting Twin patterns. To the left is one for a bracelet featured on the Preciosa Ornela website.

Click this link for a downloadable PDF of it.

During the Olympics, the company also published the pattern at right. I'm not sure what the "support the athletes" headline  is about. Apparently the Czech and U.S. flags have the same red, white and blue color scheme and it just refers to showing team spirit; I don't see anything about actual money going to the Olympics.

Besides promoting the Olympics, Preciosa was also using the pattern to introduce its new pressed-glass Twins, which allows the company to manufacture them in many more colors.

I think this pattern has the worst name in the world--"bracelet with small bells"--because the junky jingle bells are the most forgettable thing about it. What's really cool is the illustration that shows the beaded beads done up with spirals, stars, zigzags and diamonds. (The pattern schematic shows only the spiral, but once you made that, maybe you could decipher the patterns for the other designs shown.)

I'm highlighting only two patterns here, but there are many more on the Preciosa Ornela Twins website, plus an inspiration album.

[Previous I Might Make That! Monday entries can be found by clicking the widget at the top-right corner.]

Triangle Star for I Might Make That! Monday

Triangle Star from Eva
Maria Keiser designs

[Looking to sign up for my Bead Soup book giveaway? Click here!]

I recently stumbled upon the amazing blog of Eva Maria Keiser Designs. She has hundreds of followers already, so some of you may already be familiar with her site. I wish I could remember how I got there so I could credit the person who led me to her.

Seeing the beaded chess pieces featured on her home page banner will make you gasp, but even more impressive are the resources you'll discover once you start digging. If you click the link on the banner underneath that says "Complimentary e-Patterns," you'll be taken to a page that has links to instructions for all kinds of beaded wonders, like the Triangle Star shown at left (Sorry for the crappy photo, but it is a screen grab from the PDF.)

Lookie here for a sample:

Some tutorials available at Eva Maria Keiser Designs

Clicking on the "more tutorials" link reveals even more riches. If Eva Maria Keiser is new to you, I'll just go ahead and say "you're welcome" now, because I know you'll be thanking me.

An archive of past I Might Make That! Monday entries can be accessed at the widget in the top right corner. 

Girly beaded spiders and more for I Might Make That! Monday

Beaded spider from Shawkl

Arachnaphobes, stay away!

Last October, I spotted a pattern for a beaded spider--I think it was on CraftGossip. I didn't save the link, but in Web-surfing this weekend I stumbled across the creator of those beaded spiders and the tutorial that accompanies them.

Beaded spider from Shawkl

These beauties are from Kathy Shaw of Shawkl. What I like about them in that they're girly, not Goth. Not the least bit  Halloween-y. Just a nice alternative to the dragonflies and butterflies you see everywhere. Kathy Shaw's tute is here and is linked to caption of the rose-colored spider, below, as well.

Beaded spider from Shawkl

These appear to be freestanding spiders, to be used as ornaments or whatnot, but you could easily wire a pinback to them. She has other tutes on her site, too (mostly sewing/quilting/embroidery), which is how I landed on her page to begin with.

Cabbage rose from Shawkl

Check out this darling cabbage rose, for example. I won't tell you what it's made from. Click here to see. I think a cute mixed-media necklace could be made by sewing a dozen, each cupped by a bead cap at the base, onto ribbon or kumi braid, along with lots of pearl and crystal dangles.

Here are some other beady spiders for inspiration:

This green fellow here is from So Crafty; there are instructions for a couple of different variations, plus a video. I like the unbeaded legs effect:

So Crafty spider

And from Etsy (it's sold; I wonder if the buyer wore it as a bride?):

Bridal Spider from Souldier

This one here is getting pretty meta: a beaded spider in which one of the beads is a beaded bead. Whoa.

Meadow Treasures via Alibaba.com

Here's a netted ornament that is inspired by "the legend of the Christmas Spider." Hmmm. Not familiar with that legend. But it does explain why so many of the spiders I'm finding are ornaments, not jewelry. Excuse me while I Google.

OK, I'm back. For those as ignorant as me, a version of the Christmas Spider legend can be found here.

And here's a steampunk bad girl spotted on Pinterest. L-O-V-E this one.

Source: Uploaded by user via Kimi on Pinterest

OMG, the Pinterest search for "beaded spiders" turned up some amazing beaded spider webs. I'll post a couple, but then I really have to stop. Really.

Source: threedeadkings.tumblr.com via Kelli on Pinterest

Source: ehow.com via Liz on Pinterest

(For blog newcomers, the I Might Make That! Monday Archive can be accessed by clicking the IMMT!M link in the top right corner.)

Beaded beads galore for I Might Make That! Monday

The Boulevard by Julie Bean, featured on Beadaholique

I can't believe I haven't done this already, because I love beaded beads, but today I'm featuring a roundup of tutes showing how to make many different kinds. Above is a closeup of a gorgeous beaded bead necklace using two-needle right-angle weave. It was designed by Julie Bean and is on Beadaholique. She has christened it The Boulevard. If you click on the link, you'll see it includes a well-done video showing you how to do two-needle right-angle weave.

Filled net pendant from Beadiferous

Here's a beaded bead from Beadiferous, a site I first learned about from Mandy's Beads for Brains.

Beadiferous has free tutorials for several beaded beads. I've already made a necklace in what looks like a variation of this stitch, so I think I could whip this out pretty quickly.

Cyndi Lavin's beaded bauble--made with free-form peyote

At Beading Arts, Cyndi Lavin prepared two great step-by-step photo essays way back in 2009. One is for a beautiful freeform peyote bead, pictured at left, and the other is for a beaded flower (which is really more of a beaded focal than a beaded bead, I guess. Still, I think they'd look great strung together for a statement necklace.)

I've seen lots of tutes showing how to cover wooden beads uniformly with peyote or brick stitch, but I've never seen Cyndi's crazy-quilt look before. I love it!

Next are Diane Fitzgerald's lovely Fortune Teller beads. The link takes you to a downloadable PDF from Lark Crafts. These beads are from her book Diane Fitzgerald's Favorite Beading Projects. I know it's partly a trick of using a light table, but I love how the glass beads shine through the netting.

Source: larkcrafts.com via Geneva on Pinterest

I have a few more beaded beads on my Pinterest board Beading Inspirations (but note that not everything pinned there links to a tute.)

One of four beaded bead projects
 from Jewelry Making Daily

Last, Jewelry Making Daily has a free eBook devoted to beaded beads.  (You'll need to create an account--it's free--to download it.) I've actually made the beads pictured at right, which kinda violates the spirit of I Might Make That! Monday, but I'm including it here because I want to make other beads in the eBook. This pic just happened to be the easiest one to grab.

And I'm including the book below because it's on my wish list.





















New to my blog? Check out the IMMT!M link in the top right corner for previous I Might Make That! Monday entries.

And stayed tuned for another post tomorrow--the second installment of my bead room makeover series!