Snow day activities

Here in Austin, we had bad weather resulting in snow and black ice so just about everything shut down...(check out Maxie exploring the snow)...of course it was my day off, so I didn't really gain anything...anyway, even though I didn't get to meet up with my beady friends I had a productive day.

First thing I did was to finish a project I started during the Jems meeting...an Ndebele stitch bracelet sun Rullas beads...of course I like sets so I had to make some earrings to match...

Next I finished  a 3 in 1 piece...the focal being a 7 1/4" Russian Spiral piece.  This piece is connected with magnetic clasps so you can wear it as 1 long necklace, a shorter necklace,  bracelet or a double wrapped bracelet (just thought of that one)...what do you think? 

Then I got a little creative and made these cute little drop earrings...

After these I felt like working with Tila beads...grabbing my book "Great Designs for Shaped Beads" and came up with this piece...love the color and feel of the piece...and of course, I have to have matching earrings...

Thus ended my beading day!  Can't wait to see what y'all think...

 

Happy Beading!

OMG!!! No size 15's?

Picture this...You are surfing through the library of beading tutorials and come across the one that you are going to devote the next couple of hours to.  You've cleaned off your beading space (Mise en place); you read the tutorial and know you can do it and now you check the materials list against your inventory and wait...OMG...you have no 4mm crystal bicones in the color scheme...you've expended your bead budget, plus the Local Bead Shops (LBSs) are closed...Holy Cow!  Now what do I do?

Well you know I just have to finish that project, so pull out my trusty Google and I searched bead substitutions and this is what I came up with...(thanks to the folks from Beading Daily)...While using the materials specified in the tutorial is ideal, there are substitutions that can enhance the original design and even make it look like a totally new piece.  Trick is to stay in the same "general" shape and size required in the original pattern and there sky's the limit...

Have Fun and Happy Beading!