"Save The Date"

Who doesn't love receiving a "Save The Date" card in the mail!  Time to pull out your pearls!

What is so amazing about pearls is that they have a chameleon nature to them ~ they look lovely with your little black dress, but you can also rock pearls with a tee shirt and jeans.  It's all about your confidence. My dear friend, Victoria, enjoys wearing her pearls even when playing a fast and furious game of tennis.  My mother wisely said, "If you are fortunate enough to own pearls, wear them often so they will become more lustrous with age."  With that attitude in mind, I've created:  "Save The Date."

Bracelet shown flat for better viewing of design.

click on any photo for larger image

This bead embroidered cuff bracelet lets the pearls run wild.  Two shell pearls are sewn on upside down to showcase their flat side, and not the bumpy, textured side.  An array of glass pearls in various tones and tints, from creamy white to golden, embellish the bracelet along with glass crystals and seed beads in shades of ivory.  Six mother of pearl buttons are added with glass crystal beads in their center.  Six frosted white Lucite flowers are hidden among the beads, each with very tiny pearls for stamens.

"Save The Date" is bead embroidered onto the tan-colored Hawk Wing NBB, and the beads are sewn down numerous time with crystal Fireline Braided Beading Thread for added security.

Nicole Campanella's Bead Backing (NBB) is my #1 (actually, ONLY) choice for bead embroidery foundation.  Order yours in any of 14 rich colors by visiting her Web site:
http://www.beadwright.com/

Photo showing the inside UltraSuede lining of the cuff bracelet, and the tiny crystal beads adorning the outer edges.

"Journey's End"

My latest bead embroidered cuff bracelet, "Journey's End," is a pairing of the gemstone Tiger's Eye with Amazonite in a turquoise-green color.  I think the two colors are charming together, exhibiting a very attractive warmth.  As it is still very cold this winter, I am drawn to these warm colors.

This is my first time to use gemstone chips in my bracelets.  This overall design is somewhat symmetrical, and the chips add a random look that is unexpected while offering relief from too much pattern.

Above is the bead embroidered top before it is attached to the inner brass cuff and finished off with edging and an inside addition of UltraSuede.

Along with the Tiger's Eye cabochons and beads, and four large Amazonite beads, I have added round gold-colored cut crystals, gold-colored crystal bicones, natural pearls dyed green, and a variety of glass beads for interest.  The beads surrounding the focal Tiger's Eye cabochon are glass Hybrid Picasso beads, which mimic the look of a green shade of turquoise. I have sewn and embroidered the beads one or two at a time onto Nicole's BeadBacking (NBB) in the Leaf Green color.  Each bead is then sewn through again for security and to align the rows of beads.  All beads that protrude from the tops of other beads are sewn three or four times for added strength.

The inside of the cuff is lined with soft green UltraSuede. 

The edges of the bracelet have a 'picot edge' with more 

turquoise-green seed beads, plus several topaz-gold seed beads.

"Journey's End"

Photo below - click on any photos for larger image.

For information on my favorite bead backing, and to order NBB, 

please check out Nicole Campanella's Web site:

 http://www.beadwright.com/ 

"Journey's End" is in a private collection.