Bead and Button Show Master Class

I participated in a Master class at the 2018 Bead and Button Show and my experience was great!!!  The class I took was Cynthia Rutledge's Beadwork & Metal: Meet in the Middle!  In the class students chose patina'd copper sheets to use in making boxes!  The boxes are reminiscent of snuff boxes used in 1700-1800s which could be very decorative. To make these boxes students used their beading skills to bezel and connect the copper together to form box shapes.  While doing this adornments were "bezeled" and attached as well.  Below are two of my boxes and I plan on making a third when time permits...

If you get a chance, take this class!!  I learned so much!!!

Thank you, Cynthia Rutledge!!!

Happy beading!!

StormDuos Beads

Potomac Bead Company has released their new bead StormDuo!  I love the twist of these beads.  They add a sophistication to beadwork.  I designed these Shield Earrings using them.

Here is the tutorial for you to use to make your own set....Enjoy!!  Remember to get your StormDuos from Potomac Bead Company!!

Three Pearls Earrings

Three Pearl Earrings are made with Arcos, Swarovski glass pearls, and seed beads.  It is not a complicated beading project.  I am posting it here for you guys to say 'thank you" for hanging in with my sporadic blog posts!  Also it is a good example of my newer tutorials that I sell in my Etsy shop!  Enjoy!!

Happy beading!!

Norma Jean

A New Design with a New Crystal

It has been quite a while since my last blog...what can I say? Life got in the way!!  But it's a new year and time to try to blog more!
After a hiatus in beading due to a right thumb injury, I am finally able to bead again!  I am currently working on the tutorial for Star Dew...

Star Dew uses a small Swarovski trilliant that I found while browsing Fire Mountain Gems.  I loved the shield shape of the crystal and decided that it would make an interesting drop.  To the trilliant drop I added a bezeled Swarovski glass pearl.  I wanted the main focal to be a 'wow' factor, so I used a 27mm Swarovski crystal and edged it with small pearls and crystal bicones.

The neck chain is done in two parts on each side.  The part that connects to the focal is edged with crystal bicones to add more bling!  I don't like the sharp feel of bicones next to my skin so the rest of the neck chain uses seed beads. 

I hope to finish this tutorial and have it listed within the next two weeks.  Happy beading!!