I'm Back!!!!!!! And I've made some earrings.

Hello, long time no blog!! Here we are again, I don't like January and February, you get all the way to the end of the year, and you have to start all over again!!! But we have had a few bright days and the creative juices are startling to bubble up, so hopefully I can get some things done! I want to spend some of my time this year getting a few things finished. I have lots of projects ready to go and really want to work though this back log.

I have finally made my earrings and the winner was the bead covered bead, rather then the needle lace one.
Below we have stage by stage pictures of how I did it. I got a kit from The Bead Merchant a couple of years ago which had excellent instructions in it, but of course I could not find them, so I studied the beads I made then, and just made it up from there.
The Bead Merchant
Please visit the Bead Merchant for all the beads I've used and they have a wonderful range of kits.

I'm covering a 12mm wooden bead, using Japanese Embroidery beads, round 11/0.
You start with ten beads

Make them into a circle, by sewing back though them.

For the next round you pick up two beads and past the needle though two beads in first circle, continue until you are back to the beginning, and 'step up' though the first bead of this first round, so you are ready for round 2. We will call these two beads 'the stack'.

Round Two, with your thread coming up though the first stack bead, pick up two beads to go on top of the first two beads (the stack) go down the next stack bead. Pick up one bead for in between the stacks, thread needle back up next stack bead. work round as set.

Round 3. With the thread coming out of the top of a stack, Pick up two beads, take the needle back down the top stack bead, pick up two for in between this time.

This time, come up in the top of the stack, take two beads go down in stack and come out of the the first of the two beads in between, pick up two beads, back though second in between bead and up in the top most stack bead, pick up two beads, keep going until your all the way round.
Stop there, and now make another.

You can see from the picture above that I line up the beads so the stack of one side lines up with the in between beads of the other side.

Last thing to do is sew the two sides together, I do this with the help of a Double pointed needle, just to hold them all in place.
As the two sides are not quiet big enough to join you need to add in one more bead, with your thread coming out of the top of the stack pick up a bead, take the needle down two beads on the other side, back up the two beads next to them into the middle again, pick up one bead and then thread the needle thought the two beads on the other side, keep going until all the stacks and in between beads are joined together.

Tips
You will need to make the beads lie flat, by pushing them down with your needle.
Make sure you have a nice long piece of thread!
To cast off your thread run it back though several beads, until you are happy it won't come undone.
These beads also make great necklaces and bracelets.

Any questions please ask.
Jenny