"Meadow Stream" ~ Shibori Silk Ribbon Bead Embroidered Cuff Bracelet

Here is a look at my latest project, and a few step-by-step photos in the creation of

"Meadow Stream"  ~  Shibori Silk Ribbon Bead Embroidered Cuff Bracelet.

This started as a beautiful piece of Shibori Silk Ribbon dyed by Deborah Weaver of ArtisticWeavers on Etsy.com.  You can see this piece in the bottom left hand corner of the photo below.  In my opinion, Deborah Weaver sells the most attractive Shibori Silk Ribbon on Etsy.  If you are in the market for it, please look for her offerings.  You'll have a difficult time choosing from her wide array of stunning ribbons.  In this particular piece of ribbon, the lovely forest greens blended into rich olive greens and then into gorgeous aquas.  I had lots of beads from which to choose for this particular project.

Below is a photo of my possible choices laid out before the creative juices begin to flow. 

My favorite beading foundation, NBB by Nicole Campanella, in the Chartreuse Shine color was the perfect background for the ribbon and the beads.

Above, I have tacked down the Shibori Silk Ribbon with clothespins.  The edges are all tucked under, and I've imagined the pleats as water flowing in a slow-moving stream.  Perhaps one in a quiet meadow.

I must say that Shibori Silk Ribbon is so very lovely, it's hard to cover up any part of it with beads.  But, the show must go on ...

I've used silver beads to highlight the various green beads.  The central focal cabochon is a Jasper stone that I have bezeled separately on NBB, then attached to the ribbon.  Also included are:   round Jasper beads, glass pearls, AB glass round beads, faceted crystal beads, square glass dichroic beads, turquoise Picasa beads, and faceted Czech beads.  The arrangement of the beads was somewhat random, but also in keeping with the "flow" of the imagined stream.

The finished beaded top is wrapped around a brass cuff, glued down, left to dry, and then the inside of the brass cuff is covered by an olive green UltraSuede.  The two edges are sewn together with beads, sandwiching the brass cuff inside.

Another view of the finished bracelet.

This view of the bracelet shows the picot edging with silver beads, 

and the interior olive UltraSuede that is finished off with a line of olive and silver beads, which effectively covers the stitching.

NOTE:   The owner of "Meadow Stream" took this photo for me.  The colors appear slightly different in this photograph compared to the photos that I took of the bracelet ~ but so much depends on the lighting when it comes to photography.  I've included this photo because it looks closer to the actual bracelet itself, whereas my photos of the bracelet are a bit on the bright side.  

* STARLIGHT *

"Starlight" is the name I've given to this latest bead embroidered cuff bracelet that I've created.

The three asymmetrical gemstones in the middle are Aqua Terra Jasper ~ a beautiful stone with gorgeous colorations of aqua swirled with a honey-colored topaz and a warm brown.  These three stones have been bezeled with Toho Japanese glass seed beads, then surrounded with other Aqua Terra Jasper beads in several different sizes and shapes.  Toward the edges are more Toho Japanese seed beads, aqua "sea glass" round beads, Czech crystals, bicone crystals, and decorative varigated glass oval beads.

Below is a closer look at the central gemstones.

Click on any photo for a larger image

Sky Blue NBB foundation by Nicole Campanella is the base for all of my bead embroidery.

For the best beading foundation to be found on the market today, 

please check out:

www.Beadwright.com 

Below are three photos showing the finished bead embroidered cuff bracelet.

A delicate picot edge surrounds the whole bracelet.

Inside the cuff, I've used a light blue UltraSuede lining. 

The lovely organic swirls in Aqua Terra Jasper led to the

choice of light aqua blue, brown, and honey-colored beads.  

"Fallen Leaves"

click on image to enlarge

"Fallen Leaves"

When the Shibori Silk Ribbon called "Ombre" arrived from the talented hands of Deborah Weaver ~ ArtisticWeavers on Etsy.com ~ 

here is a link to her shop:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtisticWeavers, 

I loved the colors so much I couldn't bear to cover up her lovely dyed hues with too many beads.  

Therefore, the bead embroidery on this pendant piece is rather minimal compared to my usual projects.  The colors reminded me of the beginning of Autumn when the leaf colors start to change, and the green leaves fall away.

I gathered together several strands of dyed silk ribbons for a necklace for this piece ~ all the colors of which are present in the dyed Shibori Silk Ribbon.  

The beads are all Japanese TOHO glass, plus crystal cut/faceted rounds, seed beads, with topaz-colored glass drops around the outer edges.  The backing is tan UltraSuede.  Although it does not show, I used Corn Yellow NBB (Nicole's Bead Backing) for my foundation, which is the only beading foundation I will use for my projects. Choose from 16 wonderful colors by clicking on the below link: 

www.http://www.beadwright.com/

Fast forward a few weeks . . . 

Although I was pleased with "Fallen Leaves," each time I tried it on as a necklace I wasn't 100% convinced that I would wear it. It appeared to me as something more suited for decorating a purse.  So ... I visited www.Etsy.com and found Jackie Darling, of DarlingsDesigns ~ Jackie custom-makes fabric purses, and she designed a purse just for "Fallen Leaves."  

Here is the link (below) to her shop. Check out her special hand-made fabric purses, and let her know if you have any ideas that might incorporate a bead embroidered piece of your own. 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/darlingsdesigns

Here is a photo of the purse Jackie Darling made for me.  I attached the bead embroidered "Fallen Leaves" pendant to the front of the purse.  I am MUCH happier now with my pendant as part of a practical purse, and I have Jackie Darling to thank for the excellent workmanship of the hand-sewn and custom-designed purse, and Deborah Weaver for the gorgeous Shibori Silk Ribbon that is the basis for my bead embroidered pendant.  

click any photos to enlarge image

~ ~ ~ 

"Sun Shower"

"Sun Shower" 

Still having a lot of fun with this Shibori Silk Ribbon ... this one by Deborah Weaver (ArtisticWeavers on Etsy.com) is called Sunset.  I've always loved the yellow/orange colorway, and this ribbon is a very cheerful way to usher in Autumn.

It arrived from Deborah's expert dyeing hands with graduated shades of yellow and orange.  Because I wanted to use a dark copper end closure, and some dark copper metallic beads - I used a raisin-colored fabric dye to add in some dark burnt sienna areas on the ribbon.  Thankfully, I didn't ruin Deborah's great work!  

I'm posting only one photo of this bead embroidered bracelet since it's already flat and can be seen easily.  (Click photo for larger image.) Between the top beaded part and the bottom UltraSuede, I have added the stiffest interfacing sold by my craft store (used for inside cuffs and collars) to give it a nice strength and so it will bend smoothly around the wrist.

The central focal cabochon is a dyed Jasper, as are the three rectangular Jasper stones and round beads on the sides.  In addition to the Jasper I have included cut crystal beads, glass pearls, and a variety of Japanese glass seed beads by Toho.

The beading is sewn onto an orange foundation by Nicole Campanella called NBB / Nicole's Bead Backing. It's the BEST foundation on the market!  http://beadwright.com/   

The edges are finished off with a picot edging that incorporate dark copper cut crystal beads, and the underside is lined with a pumpkin-colored UltraSuede.

~ ~ ~ 

"Dress Rehearsal"

"Dress Rehearsal"

Bead Embroidered Bracelet 

I've named this bracelet "Dress Rehearsal" in honor of my maternal grandmother whose love of sewing was passed down to me.  She lovingly made many costumes for my mother over the years.  I imagined her working on a similar project for a special costume in time for a dress rehearsal for a play, pageant, or parade.

For a number of months now I've been noticing on www.Pinterest.com these really striking bead embroidered bracelets that feature a swirling, pleated fabric.  It took me a number of clicks and following a few links, but finally I discovered that this "fabric" is called SHIBORI SILK RIBBON. 

Next, I just HAD to get some and try my hand at beading with it.  OH, is it wonderful stuff!

I firmly believe in keeping my business local and supporting my local bead shop.  But every once in a while, I need something different that isn't carried by my hometown bead shop.  Thank goodness for www.Etsy.com ~ this is where I find out-of-the-ordinary unique beads and beading supplies, and it makes me very happy to give my business to Etsy sellers.

If you are interested in incorporating Shibori Silk Ribbon into your beading designs, I encourage you to give it a whirl.  The silk ribbon is dyed the most delightful colors and arrives pleated.  It's up to you if you want to retain the pleats, or spread them out.   Yes, it takes a bit of patience.   The silk ribbon, I found, has a mind of its own ... it seemed easier to work "with" it than "against" it.

The silk ribbon is first gently tacked down onto Nicole Campanella's beading foundation (NBB), with thread in a color close to the ribbon color. I took tiny little (almost invisible) stitches every 1/2" to 1".  This kept the ribbon from moving around too much, and set the stage for the beading process to follow.

click on any photos for larger image

My bracelet includes a number of "Peacock Iris" iridescent beads, and most have an AB (Aurora Borealis) finish.  The bezeled cabochons are Jasper and glass.  The pearls are freshwater (dyed) and glass.  The crystals are faceted.  The round beads are Jasper, and the seed beads are Japanese Toho glass.  The gold clasp is made in Germany and embellished with iris Hematite cube beads.  Around the outer edge of the bracelet, I have sewn AB drop beads in various shades of turquoise, green, purple, and gold ~ interspersed with a picot edging.

On the underside of the bracelet, a turquoise UltraSuede lends softness against the skin.  This was such a delightful project that I could hardly wait to start another Shibori Silk Ribbon bracelet. Next up: in time for Autumn, the glorious colors of a fall sunset... 

I am always happy to share my sources:

Beads:

BEADS & MORE

215 Water St, Kerrville, TX 78028

(830) 896-9107  Ask for Lizz.

~~~

Beading foundation:

NBB by Nicole Campanella

www.Beadwright.com

~~~

Shibori Silk Ribbon:

ArtisticWeavers on www.Etsy.com

Deborah Weaver ~ Email:  DeborahWeaver56@gmail.com

"Cleopatra's Prize"

Inpiration:  "The Colors of Egyptian Art"

Leafing through a catalogue recently, I came across an example of Egyptian art.  I cut this part out because I love the combination of colors and wanted to use them in a bead embroidered cuff bracelet project.

I've covered up a part of the writing in the lower left corner to make it less distracting - but the colors are black, terra cotta, turquoise/verdigris and a subtle, light gold color.

The above photo shows the beaded bracelet on the foundation before it was attached to the inner brass cuff.

It's always easier to see the whole design flat like this, instead of wrapped around the circular cuff.   

click on any image to enlarge

The turquoise that I chose for my bracelet is a much stronger color with a deeper intensity than what is shown in the example of Egyptian art above.  I was happy with the colors I chose, and the ones in the example were merely a jumping-off point.  Perhaps at a later date I'll use the same inspiration but choose a true light verdigris and incorporate the light gold, as well.

For now, I liked the stronger palette - and I always go with my first instincts.

The turquoise stones in this bracelet are dyed Jasper. These small disks were arranged flat with a size 15 terra cotta glass seed bead as a "stop" bead to hold them down.  They showed more of the Jasper placed this way, instead of lined up flat, side to flat side.

 I've decided there just isn't a "look" that Jasper can't fill in for - it's been my go-to gemstone for most of my projects.  The central oval cabochon is also Jasper, and this one has a rich terra cotta color that works so well with the turquoise.

The round stones with an orange glow are Carnelian.  This stone marries well with turquoise, as it is a very close complementary color (green-turquoise + red-orange).  In addition, I added in some faceted crystals with a turquoise and gold, and a number of turquoise-colored glass pearls in two sizes.  The rest are seed beads - all glass beads, in sizes ranging from 8 to 15.  The blacks are both the shiny opaque black (Czech size 12) and the matte black (Japanese size 8) for added interest.  Tiny light turquoise seed beads are intersperced in any areas where the round stones left a bit of a gap.

The edges of the cuff are finished off with a picot edging,
and the underside is a very soft teal-colored UltraSuede. 

As usual, my work is hand-sewn and embroidered on Nicole Campanella's NBB, the foundation that is perfect for this work.  There is a brass bracelet blank inside sandwiched between the top beaded part and the underside UltraSuede, which is in a rich teal color.

For more information on my preferred bead embroidery foundation called NBB, please click here:
http://beadwright.com/

Contact me if you are interested in sources for brass bracelet blanks or UltraSuede.

"Enduring"

ENDURING  is my latest bead embroidered piece.  A dear friend gifted me with a long, beaded, lariat-style necklace, and I wanted to create a pendant for it. Although I had several colors and tones of "gold" beads, none exactly matched the ones in the necklace (of course!). So I used as many "gold" colored glass beads as I could in order to trick the eye into seeing these two parts as compatible.

The above photo shows the pendant part up close.  The colors are a little truer to life in this photo - even though I took both photos at the same time from the same place.  

The central stone is a Jasper cabochon with mottled colorations.  The other seven stones that are bezeled on the pendant are also Jasper, in complementary colors.  In addition to the glass Japanese Toho seed beads in various sizes, I have added topaz-color cut Swarovski crystals.

The two beads that hang from the bottom of the pendant are especially unique, and very pretty on both sides.  I didn't want to cover up one of the sides, and they seemed to show best with a little light coming through them, so I attached them as drops.

Click on any photo to enlarge image

The back is finished with UltraSuede in a gold color, with additional peyote stitching around the entire edge to hide any thread stitches.

The bale is a graduated "ombre" design in peyote stitch, wide enough to accept two strands of the beaded lariat necklace.

This bead embroidered pendant was sewn onto Nicole Campanella's beading foundation called NBB in the Hawk Wing color.  If you follow my blog, you know that I won't use anything else but Nicole's product - it's the BEST there is!  You can learn more about it at:  www.beadwright.com