beadwork – spiral staircase

Just tried beadwork for the first time. A class run by Maureen Russell at the Nan McKay Hall www.nanmckayhall.co.uk

I made a sort of rope called Spiral staircase:-

1. On a comfortable length of thread pick up 4 core beads (1 colour. size 11) and 3 accent beads (a different colour). Pass needle and thread back up through first 4 beads, pull snugly.

2. Pick up one core bead and 3 accent beads.

3. Go back through last 3 core beads from step 1 and the new core bead just added. Keep tension tight and always move the outer 3 beads to the left.

Keep going until you have the length you want.  (Maureen Ann Designs C 2011)

You can put a keeper bead in to start. Thread can be joined in so work at a comfortable length. A dab of clear nail varnish holds the thread end inside the bead where joins are made, thread through 3 beads, tie a half hitch round the main thread, repeat 3 times and continue with pattern on new thread. Work can generally be unpicked if you have gone wrong. A piece of fleece makes a good work mat, and a dosset box can be used to store beads.

upcycling necklace

Using a strip of cloth about 30cm by 8cm, apply pva (diluted a bit) all over. Place beans (eg kidney beans) in a line with a small gap between each along the length of the strip. Roll the strip from the long sides inwards over the beans to make a tube with the beans spaced out inside. Bind between each bean with wool and tie. Cut 2 lengths of ribbon about 30 cm long, and glue one into each end of the rolled cloth. Bind tightly with wool and tie.

You can add two beans to the line to give more weight. You can make a second strand slightly longer than the first.

Thanks to Blanche from Urban Roots for showing me how to do this.

Hello world!

I have started this blog cos I’ve got a place at Duncans of Jordanstone to do a BA in Jewellery and I will be expected to keep a blog. This is me starting out on my jewellery blog.

The picture is Katya who wanted to live in hell cos it was warm there, but the devils got fed up with her laziness and tried to throw her out. There’s a moral there somewhere.