Using the cute little beaded flowers that I showed you a couple weeks agao, plus a few more styles, I fashioned a floral necklace that I named for my mother: RuthAnn’s Garden. RuthAnn has an absolutely magic touch with flowers of all types, and her garden is always a riot of colors from the earliest spring to the lastest fall.
The focal flower on the top of the piece is styled after a hibiscus, modified slightly (but only slightly!) from the excellent instructions given by Kerrie Slade in the April 2009 issue of Bead&Button Magazine.
For my general instructions on bead embroidery, …read more

Question of the Month: What’s the best thing you’ve made so far this summer?
Look at this gorgeous pearl necklace, made by Lorraine Coetzee!
www.trinitydj.blogspot.com
http://trinitydj.etsy.com
www.flickr.com/photos/trinitydj
Lorraine writes:
Here is a necklace that I love. I worked up so fast, I love the bling and classy look of pearls, and the embellishments makes it looks like a necklace for a queen.

Question of the Month: What’s the best thing you’ve made so far this summer?
A seed bead extravaganza, made by Sheryl Stephens!
Cool Moon Creations
Sheryl writes:
Ladybug’s Realm (The Exhibition) – a flower “collar” with many different types of flowers, all inspired by the patterns in The Beaded Garden by Diane Fitzgerald. This was the focal piece of a recent art gallery exhibit in East Lansing Michigan entitled Beauty and the Bead.

Question of the Month: What’s the best thing you’ve made so far this summer?
A lovely beaded necklace, made by Trisha Gensic!
http://www.tikigitreasures.etsy.com
Trisha writes:
I’m new to the bead world, but this is my favorite – so far.

Question of the Month: What’s the best thing you’ve made so far this summer?
Check out this darling necklace made by Patricia Handschuh!
http://thecolorofdreams.blogspot.com/
Patricia writes:
I made this necklace with my handmade “rainbow bubble” polymer clay beads.  I love color and I am very happy with the way that this necklace turned out. I made the beads a diamond shape so more of the color would show and be comfortable to wear.

Make Art Monday!
Several months ago, we devoted ourselves to polymer clay artists.  Well, I didn’t quite get enough!  I started thinking about all the wonderful jewelry that we saw, but I realized that I just don’t want to personally work with clay, at least not enough to get really good at it!
So, turning our attention back to polymer clay for a brief moment, I want to share a necklace with you that I made using one of my friend Amy E Fraser’s polymer clay medallions for the centerpiece.   This piece commemorates one of my favorite summer pass-times…fishing!
Tomorrow, I’ll show …read more

Technique Tuesday!
How lucky are we, to have Mary Lyon share a second design and instructions with us!  If you missed the project from last week, check out this beautiful lapis necklace.
This week, Mary’s project is to make a two-strand rose quartz collar with a pendant:

MAGNIFICENT TWO-STRAND ROSE QUARTZ COLLAR WITH PENDANT DROP:
Materials:
Beading wire
12 large faceted rose quartz nugget beads, graduated in size from ¾” to 1¼ inch
1 extra-large faceted rose quartz nugget bead, preferably in a different shape than the 12 other beads
1 2-inch x ½-inch x 5/8ths-inch handcrafted silver dichroic glass 2-hole spacer bar bead
52 4×5mm pale pink pressed …read more

Last week we were able to share a tutorial by Mary Lyon for a lovely lapis necklace.  Well, Mary has shared another design with us!  This time it is a beautiful two-strand rose quartz collar style necklace.  Gather up your materials and tomorrow for Technique Tuesday, we’ll have Mary’s instructions.

MAGNIFICENT TWO-STRAND ROSE QUARTZ
COLLAR WITH PENDANT DROP:
Materials:
Beading wire
12 large faceted rose quartz nugget beads, graduated in size from ¾” to 1¼ inch
1 extra-large faceted rose quartz nugget bead, preferably in a different shape than the 12 other beads
1 2-inch x ½-inch x 5/8ths-inch handcrafted silver dichroic glass 2-hole spacer bar bead
52 …read more

Technique Tuesday!
Many many thanks to Mary Lyon, who shared this delightful design and the instructions with us here at Jewelry&Beading.  Visit Mary’s site to learn much more about this busy lady!

LONG SINGLE-STRAND LAPIS NECKLACE:
Materials:
36 inches beading wire
2 strands graduated medium-to-large rough-hewn lapis chips
5 large (15mm diameter) round lapis-inlaid Afghani silver accent beads
1 extra-large (2 inch long) bi-cone lapis-inlaid Afghani silver bead
14 4mm small fluted silver rondelle spacer beads
2 3mm round silver beads
6 inches of 18-gauge sterling silver wire
1 inch of sterling silver French wire
2 silver crimp beads
1 tube of jeweler’s glue
Tools:
1 pair of round-nose pliers
1 pair of chain-nose pliers
1 wire-cutter
1 …read more

Here’s a few close up detail shots of the necklace I finished last week.  I thought some process shots would help: