seed beads and jump rings bracelet

I got a bracelet from a wool shop in Ireland that I just love.  I did a search and found out Lesley from The Gossiping Goddess came up with this one (it's at the bottom of her tutorial page).

I love how it feels, so I thought I'd try to make another like it... but I ended up making quite a few!

I used 6/0 seed beads and 4mm jump rings, which were the closest to the suggested sizes I could find.  because the jump rings were so small the cording needed to be thin.  I tried embroidery floss and hemp cord - I like the feel of the embroidery floss, but the hemp cord might hold up better.

I also did a few with stretch cord, but they were a little trickier - I like the seamless look and how easy they are to put on, though.

micro macrame

I saw some really cool micro macrame on Knot Just Macrame that was beautiful!  I could only ever wish to make stuff that nice.  I had recently seen a video on a leaf friendship bracelet and thought I'd try to add beads to it and see how it went.

I had to mess around with it, but I finally worked out a color and bead pattern that looked like what I was going for, and once I figured out the first one the second one was easier to put together.

these were fun to make, and I like how they turned out.  I wish I had more time for more of all the things I've been doing lately!  I'd really like to make some more of these... maybe I'll move this to the top of my when-I-have-nothing-to-do list ;)

another flip flop project

last October my mom and I worked on some flip flops for our vacation craft, and I just finished mine over the weekend!  that's how far down on my to-do list completing them was.

I watched this video (it's not in English, but you can see what's being done) and thought it looked easy enough that my mom and I could tackle it in a few days (well, she was able to!).

it's a basic macrame knot around the straps, with beads strung on one of the ribbons.  I used the thinnest ribbon they had at the craft store, 6/0 seed beads, some polymer clay beads I made forever and a day ago, and the middle beads at the toe were just flat glass beads.

if I'm lucky, I'll be able to do another pair this summer, but I really wish I had the time to make a pair like Luis Quintero - I love watching him macrame sandals, even if I have no idea what he's saying!

hugs and kisses

I really enjoy watching Beadifulnights' tutorials on youtube.  they're clear and easy to follow and when I bead along while watching I feel like I all of a sudden have something cool I couldn't have figured out on my own when I'm finished.  I loved the Hugs and Kisses bracelet when I saw it and wanted to try it, not really expecting it to turn out, but it did!

  

I used these earrings as color inspiration and made the bracelet to match as best as I could get it to.

  

when I was finished I decided it needed a necklace set to go with it so I searched for a pendant and found one with a couple of smaller ones that could be used as earrings that worked great with the colors of the bracelet.

it still looked like it was lacking so I added another necklace with some simple strands of beads and that did the trick! 

stringing beads

I've been eyeing bead spinners online for a little while now.  I wanted the kind that was wood and just spins on a post without a battery but I didn't want to spend a whole lot on it - I don't understand why they get so expensive for something so simple!  I couldn't find one at any of the local craft stores, then all of a sudden I stumbled upon one at Hobby Lobby, and I had a coupon so I paid less than $10 for it!

I strung up a 6 strand necklace in hardly any time at all to get the hang of it.  I got curved needles that you're supposed to use with the bead spinner, and it says it's for sizes 11/0 and 6/0, but I couldn't get my beads to fit over the eye :(  I ended up just curling the end of my beading wire and it worked fine, just a little slower.  guess I'll have to be on the lookout for some smaller needles.

here's a video showing how the bead spinner works.  I don't know why I didn't have this tool before now!