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

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

Diamond and Pearl Earrings designed by
Reem Iversen

We start a four-week course in Bead Weaving at the Princeton Adult School on Feb. 21. We will be teaching three new designs and a variation of an old favorite. I want to experiment with having variations this time--so for all but the last project, each student will get to decide which variation of the pattern she will make. Sounds like fun! Here is the plan...

Diamond and Pearl Earrings--patterns made with 2 colors

Start with Reem Iversen's Diamond and Pearl Earrings. This brick stitch earring is a great project for learning brick stitch. Reem's original design is a solid color. But students who are ready for a little more of a challenge can try one of five 2-color patterns I've added; three of the patterns are shown in the photo.

Geometric pattern from a Mongolian motif

Xanadu Bracelet by Janet Palumbo and plainer variation

The Xanadu Bracelet was designed by Janet Palumbo and uses 2-drop peyote stitch. While watching Marco Polo on Netflix, I noticed this wonderful geometric Mongolian motif (it was appliquéd onto Kublai Khan's yurt outside of Xanadu). Inspiration!

But if the Mongolian motif is too much of a challenge, students can use the same kit of beads to make a plainer and easier two-color pattern (in metallic blue and marine-lined blue in the photo).

Apple Blossom Necklace by Janet Palumbo

When everyone is ready to THINK SPRING! we will make the Apple Blossom Necklace, designed by Janet Palumbo.  We will have three colors of Swarovski crystal pearls from which to choose: Rosaline, Creamrose, and Iridescent Green--all fabulous! The leaf fringe can be plentiful (the Creamrose and Rose Gold necklace), or spaced out a little further (the Rosaline and Purple necklace), or left off entirely. We will offer an extra kit for sale for those who want to make matching earrings.


Finally, we will learn the amazingly versatile Dutch Spiral stitch to make the Crystals in the Dike Bracelet by Janet Palumbo. Dutch Spiral stitch is a favorite because little changes in the number or size of the beads result in big variations in the look. I decided on a moderate "twist" to the spiral, which is achieved by using a mix of size 11º and size 8º seed beads and 4mm Czech fire-polished round crystals.

Crystals in the Dike Bracelet by Janet Palumbo (Dutch Spiral)

My original color is the Garnet and Crystal bracelet pictured on the right. For the other color choice, I wanted to use cobalt as the main color, but wasn't sure what to pair it with. Then inspiration struck again when I was watching Love and Friendship--the movie adaptation of Jane Austen's Lady Susan. One of the costumes was a satin ensemble in cobalt blue, bright orange, and grey. It was stunning! Reem found a silver-lined salmon bead with an alabaster finish that works beautifully. It isn't quite as dramatic as the bright orange, but it has an easier-on-the-eye appeal!

Saucerful of Crystals Bracelet

Saucerful of Crystals Bracelet by Reem Iversen and Janet Palumbo

Designed by Reem Iversen and Janet Palumbo, the Saucerful of Crystals bracelet is a lot of sparkle for your arm!

Our pattern for this bracelet was published in Perlen Poesie Magazine, Issue no. 26 (Sept. 2015). This beautifully produced and exquisitely printed magazine is the European leader in bead weaving and jewelry design. We are thrilled to be included in this high-end publication!

The e-pattern is now also available from our Etsy shop (instant download for instant gratification). The e-pattern contains our detailed step-by-step instructions, with full-color diagrams for each step. Reem recently taught this pattern at the Bead Boutique in Naples, FL and the students told her these were the best instructions they ever used! (We hear that all the time from our students!) Visit our Facebook page to see photos of the great color palettes chosen by the students.

This pattern uses 176 Swarovski bicone crystals (like we said, a lot of sparkle for your arm!), 2-hole piggy beads, and high quality Japanese seed beads in 3 sizes.

Free pattern "Let's Twist"

"Let's Twist" in Denim Blues by Two Beads Are Better Than One

Reem and I are getting ready to teach our bead weaving workshops at Bead Fest Philadelphia this weekend. We will also be launching our Etsy store, where we will be selling patterns (tutorials) and kits for our original designs. We want to offer a free pattern so beaders can see how great our instructions, diagrams, photos, and tips are! We work very hard on our instructions to make them as clear and complete as possible, so that even a beginner can use them successfully. 

"Let's Twist" in Bronze and Purple

Our first free pattern / tutorial is a great pattern for beginners or beaders of all skill levels. We have used it in our classes with students who have no beading experience and they all wear a beautiful bracelet home. The only stitch used is Spiral Rope, which is a very versatile stitch. We call this spiral rope bracelet pattern "Let's Twist" and it is a great way to start bead weaving. 

"Let's Twist" in Pink and Aqua

Use the "Let's Twist" pattern to make a necklace!

The clasp is attached using a method that I came up with and that we haven't seen used anywhere else. At the end of the beadwork, a size 8º seed bead is attached so that it sits perpendicular to the beadwork. A 6mm jump ring is inserted through the 8º bead on one end and another 6mm jump ring is inserted through the loop of a lobster clasp and through the 8º bead on the other end. The look is clean, neat, and finished and the connection is very secure but doesn't put stress on the beadwork itself. We use this connection method in many of our patterns.

You'll want to make more than one!

We hope you enjoy making your own "Let's Twist" bracelet.

Click HERE to download the PDF instructions for Let's Twist.

Heart-to-Heart Bracelet

The first of our designs accepted for publication was Janet Palumbo's "Heart-to-Heart Bracelet" which was featured in the Aug/Sept 2013 issue of BEADWORK magazine.

Heart-to-Heart bracelet by Janet Palumbo

For this bracelet, I used Czech farfalle beads, Swarovski crystal pearls, seed beads, and Czech fire-polished beads. I figured out a way to take simple right-angle weave strips of farfalle beads and shape them into curves to create heart shapes, ovals, and circles. Using the peanut-shaped farfalle beads, I was able to achieve a look that is similar to cubic-right-angle weave but without quite so much work! I hope many beaders enjoy making this bracelet!

Kits for this bracelet, in both the Magic Violet and Copper colors, will soon be available on our Etsy shop, 2BeadsRBetterThan1.

The kits available from our Etsy shop include two variations for the clasp used in the Heart-to-Heart bracelet and I would like to share these variations with everyone who might use the published instructions to make this bracelet.

The clasp is a bead-and-loop type, but for security it uses two beads that go through one ring made of farfalle beads, using RAW stitch. Getting the clasp ring just the right size is a little tricky and relies on culling your farfalle beads to choose some of the fatter ones. If that is too fussy for you, here are a couple of alternative ways to finish the clasp.

Pass back down through the 4th bead added.

Variation 1:
Don't change a thing from the published instructions, but add a second loop of 15º beads. To make the second loop, after adding the two clasp fringes, weave half way around the final RAW unit so that the thread exits the farfalle bead in the last RAW unit that is opposite the farfalle bead that has the two fringes for the clasp. Pick up 27 size 15º beads; pass back down through the fourth bead picked up, making a loop of 24 beads. Pick up 3 size 15º beads; pass through the farfalle bead. Repeat the entire thread path twice to reinforce, then secure and trim the thread. 

Ready to pick up the last 3 size 15º beads.

To use the clasp, you pass only the 6mm bead on the long fringe through the RAW farfalle ring. Then pass both 6mm beads, one at a time, through the second loop made of 15º beads, starting with the short fringe. Using this variation, you don't need to fuss with the size of the RAW farfalle ring since only one of the 6mm fringes needs to fit through it. But you have the security of the second loop: once you pass BOTH 6mm beads through it, they will be tight enough to not slip back out easily.

The completed loop

Variation 1: only the long fringe goes through the RAW ring;
both fringes go through the second loop 

Variation 2: 
Make the RAW farfalle ring larger than the published instructions and make the two clasp fringes longer. Then, add the second loop of 15º beads (as in variation 1). With this clasp variation, you will pass both of the fringes through the RAW ring and then pass both of the fringes through the second loop.

• First, when you make the RAW farfalle clasp ring, add one or two more RAW units so that when you close up the rings there are 13 (or 14) farfalle beads at the center of the ring. While the two fringes pass snugly through the original 12-unit ring, this 13- or 14-unit ring is large enough to allow both 6mm Czech beads to pass through easily.

• Second, when you make the two clasp fringes, make each of them longer than the published instructions. For fringe 1, string 24A, 1E, and 1A. Complete this fringe as in the magazine, except you will pass back through 21A. For fringe 2, string 32A, 1E, and 1A. Complete as in the magazine, passing back through all but the last 3A before adding the final 3A.

• Finally, weave half way around the final RAW unit of farfalle beads so that your thread exits the farfalle opposite the one to which you just added the fringes. Follow the instructions for Variation 1 above to add the loop of 15º beads.

To use the clasp, pass the long fringe through the RAW ring first and then pass the short fringe through (they should fit through this large ring easily). Then pass the long fringe through the loop of 15ºs, followed by the short fringe. This variation is easier to use and very secure!

Variation 2: Larger ring and longer fringes make this easy to use and
very secure. Both fringes pass through the ring and the loop.