I recently revisited my Heart-to-Heart bracelet pattern, since Valentine's Day is coming up soon. I thought I would see if I could re-arrange the two hearts to make a necklace. 

Here is the original bracelet.

Heart-to-Heart Bracelet designed by Janet Palumbo

The pattern was published in BEADWORK magazine, Aug/Sept 2013 and it was the first of our patterns to be published, so it holds a special place in my heart!

The pattern, with more photos and updated instructions, is available for purchase from our Etsy shop at this link if you would like to make your own.

For the necklace, which is for sale at the Red Tulip Gallery in New Hope, PA and from the gallery's online store, I thought I would make the hearts two different colors and intertwine them, since I was going for a Valentine's Day sale! I used luminous raspberry Czech farfalle beads for one heart and white Japanese peanut beads for the other. Both hearts have Swarovski crystal pearls in Rosaline for the embellishments. I finished the necklace with a heart-and-arrow shaped toggle clasp in pewter.

Heart-to-Heart Necklace by Janet Palumbo

  

 

While I was working on this necklace, I got the ideas for two more necklaces--a bead embroidered heart that can be worn as a pin or as a pendant on your favorite chain, and a delicate little necklace made with tiny faceted crystal flowers with a red and pink color scheme that worked out beautifully. Both necklaces are also for sale at Red Tulip Gallery and online.

Bead embroidered heart pin/pendant
by Janet Palumbo

The back, showing the pin with a bail.

Tiny Crystal Flowers Necklace,
by Janet Palumbo

Tiny Crystal Flowers Necklace, detail

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.

Bead Weaving class online, Princeton Adult School, March 2021

Diamond Lace Necklace 
in Topaz/Royal Purple

We will be offering a Bead Weaving class in March 2021 through the Princeton Adult School. 

For details about the class and registration information, go to:
PAS Bead Weaving class

For this class, Reem has designed an elegant necklace made with hundreds of Czech fire-polished crystals, Japanese seed beads, and a beautiful pear shape crystal. Janet designed the coordinating earrings. We will be demonstrating every step on Zoom so that you can bead along with us. The class is suitable for beginner and experienced beaders.

The materials kit, containing over 600 Czech fire-polished crystals as well as the other materials needed to complete the projects, is available for order from our Etsy Store. The materials kit is offered in two color options: Topaz & Royal Purple or Cobalt Blue & Fuchsia. Students who register for the class will need to order their materials kit by February 15, to allow time for delivery before the first class on March 2.

The three elements of the 
Diamond Lace Necklace
in Cobalt Blue/Fuchsia

We will be making three components for the necklace: 

1) a netted rope, filled with hundreds of Czech crystals (top of photo);

2) a shaped beaded component that gives you the opportunity to learn the Prismatic Right-Angle Weave (PRAW) stitch (middle of photo); and

3) a large pear shaped crystal pendant (bottom of photo) that will be beautifully bezeled using seed beads and crystals.

We will be combining all three of the elements into one fabulous necklace (photo at top). Students may also choose to assemble the elements in different ways, making jewelry to suit individual tastes. For example, the netted rope necklace can be worn on its own. The PRAW tube and bezeled pear shape crystal can be combined and strung on a chain, a ribbon, or other material supplied by the student. Or string the PRAW tube on a ribbon and keep the bezeled crystal as a separate pendant to wear on your favorite chain.

PRAW tube and crystal pendant
on a wire necklace

PRAW tube on a chain

Netted rope necklaces

Matching earrings are included in the class. Students will make a beaded ball that matches the netted rope. They will then have the option of finishing the earring by adding fringes to make a tassel earring, or embellishing the beaded ball with a single crystal dangle.

Please join us for this sparkling bead adventure!

Tassel Earrings in Cobalt

Optional version of earrings

Fall 2020 Princeton Adult School Bead Weaving class

SuperDuo Twist Set

We've finished the Princeton Adult School Bead Weaving class for Fall, 2020. We taught the class entirely on Zoom, which worked surprisingly well! The students said they really liked being able to see us demonstrate every step, up close! We used a camera mounted right over the beading tray. It was great to see our "regulars" again and we welcomed some new bead weavers as well. Because the class was online, we were delighted to have some students from far away!

We made a set (necklace, bracelet, and earrings) using SuperDuo beads, seed beads, and faceted crystal rondelles. The patterns are available from our Etsy store, along with the last couple of kits.

The SuperDuo Twist Necklace has a central twisted section that uses a twisted tubular herringbone variation that we devised and which we haven't seen anywhere else. Usually, herringbone variation using SuperDuo beads has the beads oriented in a different way. This version looks like knitting. The stitch variation creates not only a twist in the tube but also an undulation that is very attractive. If you like it, check out the pattern on Etsy!

The SuperDuo Wrap Bracelet works up quickly and is super easy! We've designed it to wrap around the wrist three times and the instructions provide detailed row counts for every bracelet size.

The SuperDuo Swirl Earrings feature three colors of SuperDuos swirling around the beaded bead, which is embellished with a faceted rondelle at the bottom. This earring is also quick and easy.

We offered three different color palettes to the students. The purple and indigo combination was by far the most popular!

Bead Weaving at Princeton Adult School--Spring 2020

I started the Spring 2020 Bead Weaving course at the Princeton Adult School, but only got the first class in before everything shut down because of COVID-19. I hope to use this post, along with some new YouTube videos, to keep the class connected so everyone can finish their projects.

Russian Spiral Necklace--detail

First, a look at the projects for Spring 2020!

Russian Spiral Necklace:
Metallic Purple,Matte Gunmetal,
and Silver-lined crystal

Russian Spiral Necklace:
Metallic Teal Green, Matte Copper, and
Copper-lined Opal

I wanted to design a versatile piece that everyone could use in their wardrobe, so I decided on a rope necklace and two different pendants. The Russian Spiral rope necklace can be worn on its own, or you can slide on one of the pendants that I designed to go with it.

Oglala Pendant--metallic purple

The pendants are very different! The Oglala ruffle pendant is frilly and romantic; the Warped Square pendant is edgy and a little futuristic. Because sometimes we feel frilly and sometimes we feel edgy, right?

The Oglala Pendant gets gradually wider at the bottom. The Oglala netting creates a layer of beaded ruffles. The pendant slides easily onto the Russian Spiral rope necklace.
The YouTube video is available at: https://youtu.be/Xb0y52c1su4

Oglala Pendant--metallic teal

  

Warped Square Pendant (metallic teal)
with a herringbone-stitch bail

The warped squares used in the Warped Square Pendant create a wing-shaped element with a front and back triangular shape. The Warped Square Pendant can be completed in several different ways, although only two are pictured here.

In the metallic teal version, a herringbone-stitch bail is added to a pendant with a smaller warped square atop a large warped square.

In the metallic purple version, the smaller warped square is still atop the large warped square; the small square is used as the bail, with the Russian Spiral rope necklace slid inside.

Warped Square Pendant (metallic purple)
with the smaller warped square as the bail

If you want to make a shorter pendant, you could make just one warped square instead of two. Either attach a herringbone-stitch bail or slide the single warped square onto the rope necklace. I think it would look great any way you make it!

I'm very excited by the fact the several students opted to mix the color choices to create even more color combinations. For example, teal with gunmetal and crystal; purple with copper and opal; purple with gunmetal and opal; and teal with copper and crystal! So many possibilities. I hope we can post photos of the students' completed projects here, so we can admire all of the work.
The YouTube video tutorial is available:
Warped Square part 1

Grounds for Sculpture Workshops

We are thrilled to be teaching two bead weaving workshops at the Grounds for Sculpture, in Hamilton, NJ. We taught the first one yesterday and the second one will be on February 17. We were very excited to be invited by the Grounds for Sculpture to offer these workshops during the Grounds' exhibit of the amazing beaded sculptures by Joyce C. Scott. 

The Grounds for Sculpture is an inspiring place and we wanted to do something very special for them. So we designed two projects just for them! The first is a peyote-stitch pendant featuring a stylized version of the Grounds for Sculpture logo. Since it is a sculpture garden, we embellished the logo with little flower fringes. 

Workshop participants will learn odd-count peyote. We want them to have some color choices and some design choices as well. So we offer three color combinations, as well as an alternate tribal graphic that can be made with the same beads as the logo pendant. The pendant can hang from a peyote-stitch bail or a simpler bail made of 3 loops of strung beads.

Three fringe embellishments are offered: the flower fringes shown on the purple pendant, the Swarovski crystal fringes shown on the green pendant, and the swag fringe shown on the tribal graphic version of the pendant in hematite.













For the second workshop, we designed an earring that looks like a peacock in full plumage. The Grounds for Sculpture has some resident peacocks and they use these majestic birds in their branding as well. The earrings are made using a modified St. Petersburg stitch and a lot of sparkling Czech faceted fire-polished beads.