"Burnt Offering"

"Burnt Offering"

"Burnt Offering" is a bead embroidered pendant strung on a beaded necklace.  Oh, these colors are my favorite!  Especially this time of year as we approach Autumn. 

After making several bead embroidered cuff bracelets, I was amazed at how quickly this pendant came together. 

*Click on photo for enlarged view

Below is a closer view of the pendant.  I embroidered the stones onto Nicole's BeadBacking

(order yours by clicking here: http://nicolecampanella.com ) in her beautifully vibrant red color, which lent the piece a firey tone. 

The upper stone is Pyrite - it looks gold in this photo, but it's really more of a vintage silver look. 

The bottom stone is a cabochon that I ordered from India.  It came marked as:  "Natural Silver Spider Web Copper Coral Cushion," and indeed it does have a silver-toned spider web look to it.

In addition to the two gemstones, included are burnt orange cut crystals, two jasper "donut" beads, and various glass seed beads in matte and opaque - sizes 6, 8, 11, and 15 (around the bezel of the Pyrite stone). 

The beads in the necklace are called "Sponge Coral" and each one has a slightly different organic shape to it.

I made a toggle and loop for the closure, as I find this kind of beaded toggle closure ties in the whole design better than a store-bought "silver" metal toggle.  Besides - it's fun to make your own toggles.  You probably already have enough beads, and they make up very quickly. 

The back side of the bead embroidered pendant (not shown) is a very deep, cranberry-colored  UltraSuede fabric.



"IVORY COAST"

"Ivory Coast"

Everything I create gets a name, whether it's an original painting or a beaded bracelet.

This bead embroidered cuff bracelet I have named "Ivory Coast." 

The pearls and beads remind me of the color of shells I've found on the beach. 



* click on photos for larger image

Above is the bead embroidered work before it is attached to the brass inner cuff, and before it is finished off with the inside UltraSuede lining.  These bead embroidered bracelets are easier to see flat first, before they are shown circling a cuff bracelet.

This photo shows the finished cuff bracelet.  The center focal piece is a carved ivory rose cabochon that I encircled with jasper gemstones, glass seed beads, and glass pearls.  On the four "corners" are Lucite tulip flowers with pearl stamens. By each flower is a carved acrylic leaf.  The outer edging on the bracelet is finished with a lacey picot edge.

Besides the ivory rose and jasper beads, this bracelet also includes fresh water pearls, AB crystals, and assorted cream/ivory/ecru beads of various sizes and shapes.  I purposely chose only off-white beads, so no white beads are in the mix.  I think it turned out more elegant with only the cream-colored beads.  The foundation fabric onto which I beaded is a lovely warm tan shade, and the inside of the cuff is covered with ivory-colored UltraSuede in a faux tooled pattern.  The brass inner cuff is sandwiched between the top bead embroidered work and the UltraSuede to give the bracelet form and strength. The bead backing or foundation that I used is by Nicole Campanella (*see last paragraph) and the beautiful tan color is called "Hawk Wing."

I wanted this bracelet to have an old-fashioned vintage jewelry feel to it.  This was my favorite bead embroidered cuff bracelet to work on ... but then, I seem to think that with each one as I'm designing and working on them.  I'm actually a little sad when the bracelet is finally finished, but immediately I'm eager to start a new one.

*For those of you who are already enjoying your own bead embroidery projects, I must share my recent discovery for an exceptional bead backing (the foundation upon which the beads are sewn.)  It's called:  Nicole's BeadBacking (NBB).  This proprietary/copyrighted material is a most excellent surface for not only beadwork, but other sewing applications, and is fast becoming the go-to backing for bead embroidery artists - I know I am a forever fan. 

If you are interested in more information, please visit her Web site at:

www.NicoleCampanella.com or www.beadwright.etsy.com









"Peacock Landing" ~ Pyrite and Iris Bead Embroidered Cuff Bracelet

"Peacock Landing"

• Pyrite and Iris Bead Embroidered Cuff Bracelet

*click on all photos for larger view

The above photo shows the flat bead embroidered work before it is attached to the inner brass blank that gives the bracelet the rounded cuff form.  It's easier to see the whole bracelet design when it's photographed flat like this.

I have a fascination for the "iris" finish seed beads.  Iris beads feature an iridescence that showcases colors in purple, violet, blue, turquoise, green, and gold.  These beads are often sold together in a mixture, and sometimes one or another intense color predominates the mix.  The mix that I chose featured mostly violet/magenta beads. 

Pyrite is a mineral (iron pyrite/iron sulfide) with a metallic luster often referred to as "Fool's Gold" because of the pale, brass-yellow hue in the stone.  The pyrite beads I chose for this bracelet have more of a silver tone to them, although a flicker of gold can be seen in some of the rough nuggets called Rainbow Mystic Pyrite.

Below photo shows Rainbow Mystic Pyrite ~ rough iron Pyrite nuggets with a shimmer of colors similar to the iris beads.  The mineral Pyrite is coated with titanium, and then heat-treated to bring out the various lustrous and light-reflective colors.  I thought these Pyrite nuggets would make a great pairing with the colorful iris beads. 

Below is the finished bead embroidered cuff bracelet with a central Pyrite focal cabochon bead.

In addition to the several sizes and shapes of Pyrite (including Pyrite nail-head beads), and the iris beads, I have included gray pearls, glass magenta pearls, AB color-changing crystal beads, bugle beads, and silver-colored hematite beads.

The edges of the bracelet are embellished with size 15/0 iris beads in a picot design. 

The inside of the cuff is soft, black UltraSuede for comfort.

This has turned out to be my favorite bead embroidered cuff bracelet so far.  Possibly because I expected the Pyrite gemstones to lend a casual look to the final piece, but they surprised me by turning out much more elegant.  Still ... I'm not afraid to pair a bracelet like this with jeans.  I hope you are inspired by iridescence.   

"Royalty" ~ Bead Embroidered Bracelet

"Royalty"

This bead embroidered bracelet is named "Royalty" for the beautiful purples, lavenders, turquoise, and silver colors.  The design is purposely asymmetrical and freeform, with sections that incorporate a myriad of beads in various colors, textures, sizes, and shapes.  The largest cabochon stone is a lovely jasper with swirling purples - bezeled with rows of peyote stitching.  The randomly arranged and organically-shaped stones are dyed Howlite in shades of purple and turquoise.  Interspersed are silver beads with a silver toggle that echoes the square divisions in the bracelet.  The underside of the bracelet features a soft, teal-colored UltraSuede for comfort on the wrist.

*Click on photo for larger image.

"Singing The Blues" ~ Blue Agate Bead Embroidered Pendant and Necklace

"Singing The Blues"

Blue Agate Bead Embroidered Pendant and Necklace

The pendant began with a blue agate cabochon around which I have added bead embroidery using size 11 Capri blue glass seed beads, size 11 silver seed beads, and size 15 Capri blue glass seed beads.  One blue agate round bead is diagonally attached to the rectangular pendant along with seed beads on each side.  The bail is made with the Capri blue seed beads and the silver seed beads, and was purposefully made large enough to slip off the necklace for when the wearer wishes to enjoy only the necklace and not the pendant.  A Capri blue seed bead rests between each bead on the necklace for graceful movement, and the finding is a silver toggle that complements the silver beads.  The back of the pendant is covered with a soft, light tan UltraSuede fabric.

"Heat Wave" ~ Cinnabar Red and Gold Bead Embroidered Cuff Bracelet

                                 

"Heat Wave"

 Cinnabar Red and Gold Bead Embroidered Cuff Bracelet

 (click image to enlarge photos)

This bead embroidered bracelet is somewhat asymmetrical, although the design is balanced on both "sides" of the central gold leaf.  All of the red beads are RED - but as with most colors, there is a combination of the warm reds and the cool reds for added interest and texture.  The same can be said for the golds beads, which vary in shade, shape, matte, and shiny exterior.  Crystals and two uniquely shaped  AB faceted glass focal beads reflect light onto the bracelet.

The above photo (click to enlarge picture) shows the bead embroidered bracelet after the top stitching has been finished, but before the embroidered beadwork is attached to the inner brass cuff, and finally finished off with the inside UltraSuede and beaded edging.

The above photo (click to enlarge picture) shows the top center of the bead embroidered cuff bracelet which features a gold leaf enhanced by glass seed beads for "veins."  Along with the various shaped seed beads in red and gold, this bracelet has bamboo coral beads, crystals, pearls, and two AB glass focal beads on the sides.

This image shows the soft interior UltraSuede fabric, which is in a suble pattern like tooled leather, in a light gold color.  This a side view of the bracelet showing the various shapes, sizes, and colors of the beads embroidered. 

 A final photo of the cuff ends plus the picot edging, as well as four gold buttons can be seen here.  

* My right hand is still in a cast, so this bead embroidered cuff bracelet was made entirely with my non-dominant left hand.

"Deep Sea Diving" ~ Sea Sediment Jasper with Aqua and Bronze Bead Embroidered Bracelet

"Deep Sea Diving"  

Free-form Bead Embroidered Bracelet

Click photo for larger image.

Pictured above is a bead embroidered bracelet with five focal sea sediment jasper gemstones surrounded by various aqua and earth-colored stones.  The piece also includes aventurine stones, glass beads, pearls, crystals, and sea glass along with a few brass metallic beads.  The closure beads are faux ammonites which hold the bracelet closed through tortoiseshell-colored beaded loops. 

Because of the organic size of the jasper stones, the bracelet itself is purposely asymmetrical.  The colorations of aquas (sea) and earthtones (sand) give a coastal feeling to this bracelet.  On the underside of the bracelet (not shown) is a soft aqua shade of UltraSuede with a faint "tooled leather" design.  The sewn edges are covered with hand-dyed silk ribbon in a matching aqua color.

*This bead embroidered bracelet was entirely made using only my left (non-dominant) hand due to a right hand accident involving broken glass.