Ring Binge

 I went on a ring binge. I haven't made any beaded rings in a long time, but I decided I would make a few to sell at the Red Tulip Gallery in New Hope, PA. I had a lot of fun making the rings, trying several different techniques in the process. 

First up, a Lapis Lazuli solitaire bead surrounded by turquoise Swarovski crystals and silver seed beads. To make this ring, I used bead weaving. First, I bezeled the lapis lazuli bead. Then, the band was made using right-angle-weave and a second pass through the band to fill in the "gaps" along the top and bottom edge with more silver seed beads. Passing through the band several times stiffened the beadwork enough so that I was happy with the results. I want all of the bands to be firm. Notice that I used large silver seed beads instead of crystals at the center back--for comfort when wearing the ring.

Continuing with Swarovski crystals, I made a band with a dozen tanzanite AB2X crystals across the top. The band uses Czech fire polished beads and more silver seed beads. It is also right-angle-weave, but stitched lengthwise instead of across the width as in the Lapis ring. This also makes a very comfortable and almost rigid band. This ring is so sparkly, it was hard to photograph!

A peyote band simply embellished with 7 scarlet red Swarovski crystals is next. Matte silver Delica beads were used for the band. I wanted the peyote-stitched band to be narrow at the back, for comfort when wearing, so I stepped down the width of the band twice.

While I was on my ring binge, I dug through my UFOs (UnFinished Objects) to find a "Flying 5 Wing Cocktail Ring" that I had almost finished a few years ago when I was trying out the techniques of the Contemporary Geometric Beadwork project. Kim Van Antwerp's instructions for this fabulous ring are available in the CGB free pattern library here. I finished the ring and I really love it. It is surprisingly comfortable to wear, as are all of the beaded rings I've made--probably because of the flexibility of the beadwork. This ring isn't for sale, as I plan to always wear it when I'm staffing at the Red Tulip Gallery, in the hopes of starting conversations about my beadwork!

I thought a ring made with a warped square would be interesting and I wanted to use Swarovski crystals at the center of the warped square. So I did a little experiment with a raised center and it worked! I started at the center of the warped square with 4 Swarovski crystals. After a few rounds, I made a "point edge" and then 3 more rounds of peyote for the "sides." Then I continued with the increases for the warped square. This is also surprisingly comfortable and easy to wear, even though it is a large ring.

Finally, a ring made using Artistic Wire, a coin-shaped freshwater pearl in a beautiful burgundy color, and gold seed beads. The violet Artistic Wire (28 gauge) peeks through the gold seed beads and the effect is very nice! Because I wove the band with wire passed through the beads, it is completely rigid. I like the simplicity of the single coin pearl.

The rings are currently for sale in the Red Tulip Gallery and through my section of the gallery's online store. 

Black Spinel Collection

At Bead Fest Philly this year, I bought several strands of tiny faceted black spinel gemstone beads. I love black spinel--it is a pure black and has a lot of sparkle! My intention was to use these beads to make a crocheted rope necklace to sell at the Red Tulip Gallery. But I wasn't happy with the little samples I made, so I needed to try something else. I found that I could knot these tiny faceted beads onto silk cord and I could do some bead weaving with them as well (if I used a size 13 needle and the finest bead thread). The results: my black spinel collection of necklaces and earrings, available at Red Tulip Gallery. 

Using silk bead cord with a tiny wire needle attached (because the holes in these 2mm spinel beads are really tiny), I knotted the spinel beads onto the silk, one at a time, with a top-drilled freshwater pearl in  between groups of 10 spinel beads, and then, to increase the rhythm at the center of the necklace, between groups of 5 spinel beads. This necklace sold a few days after I put it in the gallery.

Using brick stitch, I created a circle motif that I used in a pair of earrings and as the pendant for a necklace. The circle motif pieces use tiny faceted silver Czech charlotte seed beads in addition to the spinel.

Using gold Czech charlotte seed beads, spinel, and rice-shaped freshwater pearls, I created this square motif with a triple fringe at the bottom. It made an elegant pair of earrings and worked well as the pendant for a necklace, too.

Little pearl and spinel flower motifs form the center of this necklace, while pearls surrounded only by the gold Czech charlotte beads carry the rhythm through the rest of the necklace.  Of course I had to make pearl flower earrings to match.

Finally, a pair of silver "starflower" earrings and my personal favorite, the gold triangle earrings, in which 14k gold-filled hammered triangles support an inverted triangle made of brick-stitched spinel beads with a freshwater pearl drop.

Bead weaving is usually done with glass seed beads and crystals, but using gemstone beads is possible, if you find the right combination of gems, needle, and bead thread.