Pattern Finds - Dagger Fringed Peyote Cuff

I am just sneaking in quick before the moodboard winner is announced with our last autumnal pattern finds post. This lovely and highly textured piece from Rose at Random Creative on Etsy would be a perfect dagger bead stash buster!



Click on the picture to be taken to the listing.

Christmas is coming up on us quick, so next month we will be featuring items that would make perfect stocking fillers.

Happy beading!

Sarahx

Pattern Finds - Beaded Bracelet Tutorial Chain Lace by Jewelry Tales

Welcome to our second pattern finds! The tutorial for this beautiful bracelet is by Cynthia of Jewelry Tales on Etsy. I have long been a fan of Cynthia's work ever since I first came across it on the old Bead and Button forums. Cynthia has an innovative and intriguing approach to beading and this tutorial is no exception! Suitable for intermediate to advanced beaders, this bracelet uses chain, crystals and seed beads to create a pretty and delicate bracelet with an unusual construction.

So if you are looking to try something different and use up a few seed beads and some curb chain, go take a look!

Happy beading,

Sarahx

Pattern Finds - Mad Rings 2 by Heather Collin and a Treat!

Happy Wednesday!

I'm excited to introduce a new feature to OTTBS, Pattern Finds. I love to search the web to find unusual beadwork patterns and tutorials from indie designers and thought that it would be fun to share them here with the hopes that it will inspire us all to try new designs and techniques, use up our bead stash and also promote the designers.

We are kicking the new feature off with a real treat from Heather Collin of Beading Patterns by Heather. The Mad Rings 2 pattern really drew my eye when I was browsing on Etsy! The beautiful, bright colours are bold and modern, the design is intricate and it's one heck of a statement ring! How could I not love it at first sight?

As a special treat for OTTBS readers Heather is offering a discount of 50% on the Mad Rings 2 Pattern! The discount code is TTBS2, thank you so much to Heather for making the 1st Pattern Finds extra special with her generosity!



Isn't it beautiful? Please go visit Heather's shop and have a look at all her beautiful patterns, but please remember that the discount code applies only to the Mad Rings 2 design and not any other patterns in the shop.

I will be starting my ring tonight! I recently bought some peacock style colours of delica's and have been looking for the right pattern for them, I think this will be perfect! There are 5 pages in the pattern which includes 2 designs. The pattern has full colour photograph, diagrams and graphs, step by step instructions and even blank graphs for you to chart your own design! The instructions are very clear and easy to read, though I must say that the diagrams are very good and I will probably go mostly by them.

I'm off to go start my ring! Thank you again to Heather for her generosity!

Update: I have just completed the 1st part of the basic design ring top and have to say how impressed I am! It is a well thought out pattern making the beading actually much easier than it looks and Heather has employed a very clever trick involving coloured headings so that once you have the 1st couple of rows started you just need to look at the colour of the header to see what colour is next. I can't wait to finish this one and move on to the more intricate pattern version!

Happy Beading!

Sarahx

Free Pattern - Triple Diamond Brick Stitch Earrings

You have probably already noticed that I quite like very long earrings. It's an inherited taste from my grandma who always wore what she called Gypsy Rose Lee style earrings. This weeks pattern is inspired by the colours in our February moodboard challenge but feel free to use whatever combinations you like. I'd love to see them if you make a pair! Happy beading!

Sarahx

Free Pattern - Blue Waves Peyote Bracelet

This Valentines day the husbeast treated to me to a trip to Cardiff, which is always dangerous for my stash busting plans as the lovely bead shop Crystals and Ice is there. True to form I bought quite a lot of seed beads though I did restrain myself and stay away from the delica's! I bought some blue's, forgetting that I already had a plastic carton full of them)and wanted a simple pattern to use some of them up. I came up with this and thought that I would share it with our lovely OTTBS readers as I bet I'm not the only one with masses of seed beads in blue! I think it would look good in lots of other combinations too, I may try a black and red version at some point.

The dimensions using size 11 miyuki seed beads are width 1.31 inches, length 6.47 inches, just add or detract rows to resize. The bracelet uses the odd count peyote technique, if you aren't familiar with this or need a refresher, here is a link to a tutorial on about.com http://beadwork.about.com/od/beadingstitchtutorials/ss/Flat_odd_Count_Peyote.htm

Happy beading!

Sarahx

Hey Cupcakes! Free brick stitch cupcake pattern.

I may not be a romantic but I do have a sweet tooth! Here is a sweet cupcake pattern to help you use up your seed bead/delica stash up. It would make a lovely brooch as a gift for a keen baker or cake eater! Happy beading!

Sarahx

Valentine Heart Free Brick stitch Pattern.

With only 9 days to go to Valentines Day, I thought it would be a good time to share this brick stitch heart pattern that I designed a while ago. It would make a great pendant, brooch or you could bead a few and link them up into a necklace or a bracelet. I designed it using delica's but you could just as easily use size 11 japanese seed beads.

I hope you like it!

Sarahx

Some helpful links...

Here's some links that might help to use up some of our bead stash in great and beadiful ways.
This is one for the African Helix Stitch
This one is for free Delica patterns
This one is for Jewelry Making and Beading Projects
This one is from Bead and Button Magazine for Free Projects
Here's one for a Square Stitch Rosette Beaded Ornament
This one is for a Beaded Icicle
This is for Free Patterns
Here's one for a Bracelet with Paua Shell Cabochon and Seed Beads
Free patterns from A to Z
More free beading patterns
Free Peyote Patterns
Even more free Beading Patterns
Here's one for a beautiful Necklace
Bead Tree Tutorial
This one is for Bead Crochet
Here's many different Tutorials
Here's one for a beading glossary

I hope that these links will be helpful to you in using your bead stash up and making beautiful beaded pieces!
So until next time please don't forget, "Operation Tackle that Bead Stash" and Bead Happy!
Hugs and happy beading...
Bobbi