String Bracelet Video Tutorial

Have you noticed how popular these string bracelets are becoming with both young and older people today? Well, if not, now is the time to start looking and making.

My apologies on Youtube's behalf. They seem to have cropped the edges of the video. It does play properly though.

You can get the string and buttons at Craft Fairy

http://www.craftfairy.co.uk/thread-and-monofilament-483-c.asp

 I'll put an image here so that you can see it if the YouTube image does not display properly.

Happy stringing.

Plum and Gold, Luxury Colours for a Ribbon Flower

Do you have trouble finding stamens?

Do you have trouble attaching stems to your ribbon flowers.

Well today, I hope to solve both of those problems in one fell swoop.

I've created this ribbon flower with a single stem from a bunch of 12 flower spikes. 

I chose satin as it has a fabulous sheen that brings the flowers to life. So for today's project I decided to use this luxurious plum satin ribbon as my treat. 

You need a length of ribbon
Plum Double Faced Satin Ribbon 3m x 23mm
A needle
some thread







Don't be afraid that this is a lot of difficult sewing. All you need to do is thread the needle and sew a running stitch along three edges.

When you 've done this, pull the thread to gather up the ribbon.

Put the stem in the center of the gather and pull the the ribbon tight around it.

Secure the ribbon with a few tight stitches and a knot or two.

If you can manage it sew through the wider part of the stem at the base of the spikes as this will really secure the ribboon in place. Turn around and admire your work.

How about a bunch of these flowers in a minature vase?

Textured pearl bracelet.

There's no denying that pearls are beautiful beads. They have a beautiful lustered shine that has been the object of many a wonan's desire since the time that jewellery making began. Can this be improved upon? Of course it can. With the new style textured pearl you retain the good of the old with the striking qualities of the new.

So, for this bracelet I've used textured pearls and smooth pearls to creat something modern but with a distinctly vintage feel.

The pearls that I used are:
Pearlized Glass Beads Strands, Matte, Round, Dyed, Barely Plum, 8mm 
4mm glass pearl strand, approx 220 pearls, White
I also used:
Purple 12/0 Glass Seed Beads, Transparent Colours, about 1.9mm - 6cm tube
Tibetan Silver Toggle & Bar, Lead Free and Cadmium Free
Monofilament 0.35mm
Wire Guardians, Silver colour
Silver Colour Crimp Beads
20g Assorted Silver Jumprings, 1.5mm thick wire

To make the bracelet you will need to cut 1 metre of monofilament. Thread it rhrough the guardian and centre it at the half way point. Now thread both strands through a crimp and squash the crimp.

You will need to use both ends of the monofilament. Pass both ends through a 4mm pearl. The thread 2 pearls on to the right hand thread and one onto the other. Now pass the left hand thread through the last pearl on the right hand one. You should now have a pearl with thread coming out of each side. See the illustration.

Step 1. On each end string an 8mm and a 12/0 bead. String each end in opposite directions through the 8mm pearl.

Step 2. With the filament coming out of the bottom end of the pearl, string a 4mm an 8mm and a 4mm pearl. With the top filament string a 12/0 seed bead and then pass both filaments on opposite directions through the 8mm pearl.

With the top filament string a 4mm an 8mm and a 4mm pearl, withe bottom end string 12/0 seed bead and then pass both filaments on opposite directions through the 8mm pearl.

Repeat the above 2 steps until you have 2.5cm of your finished length and then repeat Step 2.

With the bottom end string a 4mm and an 8mm, with the top end string an 8mm. Then string both ends in opposite directions through a 4mm.

Now string a 4mm on each end and then both ends in opposite directions through a 4mm pearl.

String both ends through a crimp bead, then string both ends in opposite direstions through and over the guardian.  Pass back through the crimp bead. Pull the filament fairly firmly so that it does not slip off the guardian and squash the crimp. Trim the monofilament close to the crimp.

Attach the clasps with jump rings.

Cube Beads Rock

Well, Christmas is over and my mind is already turning to spring and lighter colours. So, today, these new in cube beads took my fancy and I decided that I wanted to make something light and airy. This is the result.

I got out the trusty teapot to take the photograph as it hasn't had an airing for a while and I thought that the necklace would look good against the white of the pot.

The necklace is a breeze to make and cheap too. It only took 1 strand of these beads

6mm Cube, Crackle Glass Beads, Strands, Pink 32 pieces

Some white beads that I had spare.

100 metres of Monofilament 0.35mm

 Calottes, Silver Colour, 9mm long, 3mm wide, hole: about 1.5mm

15 Zinc Alloy Lobster Claw Clasps, Bright Silver Color, Size: 10mm long,

So, you can make on in no time.