Bead Embroidery Resources and Tutorials

I wanted to post some bead embroidery tutorials and resources to get you
started with bead embroidery. Here are two books that I own that are
both inspiring and helpful.

Bead Embroidery, The Complete Guide by Jane Davis
Beaded Embellishment by Amy C. Clarke and Robin Atkins

A great online bead embroidery tutorial is avaliable too. It is Adventures in Bead Embroidery by The Lone Beader.

Bead Embroidery Necklace - Mother's Day Gift

Go ahead, call me the "lazy blogger" because I haven't posted in a while. I just wanted to show you guys the finished piece from my earlier posts. This was for my mother for mother's day this year.

I have many projects in the works... at least three. I need more beads to finish them.

... and you will certainly see more bead embroidery from me to come.

Bead Embroidery on eBay.com

I was browsing on eBay.com for some bead embroidery and actually found some. This piece is a framed bead embroidery piece of the Rocky Mountains. "Pilot and Index Peaks" is the title of the piece. Click on the link to learn more about it and see more pictures. The beads are sewn onto painted denim which I thought was a nice fabric choice for this piece. Crystals are used for stars in the sky. This piece is listed for a reasonable price. For such a large piece, I think it should be priced higher for all the work that has been put into it.

I am actually going to be doing more bead embroidery myself after I get "New Growth" (see previous posts) finished. I have at least four pieces I want to do. There is so little time when it comes to beading.

All Glued Up - Bead Embroidery

Here is the result after gluing the beaded Lacy's stiff stuff to the brass blank. I also glued the deer leather to the other side of the brass blank. After trimming the leather and the Lacy's stiff stuff, I whipped stitched the deer leather to the Lacy's stiff stuff. ( Yes, I did break a needle sewing through the deer leather) You can use Ultrasuede, I just have lots of deer leather. The strings through the piece in the picture are for finding holes later when I need to connect the chain to the embroidery. The brass blank was made with two holes so you can attach a chain to the finished piece.

I am probably going to used root beer and topaz colored size 11/0 beads for the chain. I will be doing a spiral type chain to attach to the bead embroidery.

Moving On - Bead Embroidery

I am finished with the bead embroidery. I did end up flipping the bugle beads from a vertical to a horizontal position simply because I could see white space showing between the cabochon and the bugle beads.

Now I have to mount the work onto the brass blank and make a chain to go with the bead embroidery. I have enjoyed the process and learning experience making this piece.

I am so hungry right now. My tater tot casserole is almost done

"New Growth" - Bead Embroidery

Since I started over again with new beads and a new design, this attempt is the one I will stick with. I am calling it "New Growth" because it looks like a baby plant sprouting out of the ground. Even now I want to take it out again and start over, but I showed it to my mother and she seems to like it... so I am keeping this design as is. Now I just got to finish the other half.

Fresh Start - New Beads

Here are my new beads that I will be using for my bead embroidery necklace. I thought the beads I was using were too dark. These colors are for the most part much lighter. Time for a fresh start. I hope I don't mess too much up by pulling out all the other beads.

The circular bead in the middle is a cat bead made out of bone. I just had to have him. Click the picture to enlarge it and get a close up of the cat.

I used to have three cats, now I just have one. His name is "Tribble". If you are a "STAR TREK" fan then maybe you will remember the episode, "The Trouble with Tribbles". They were these little "alien" pets that were basically a big fur ball. The "Tribbles" detested the Klingons.

Bead Embroidery

Here is what I have done so far on my first bead embroidery project. Guess what? Except for the stone, I am going to be pulling out all of it because I am not happy with it. I love size 11/0 beads for everything else.. but geez.. for bead embroidery.. they are enormous...especially since this is a small piece vs. a large one. This is going to be a necklace for my mom, so it must look spectacular. The teacher for the class did warn us that we might be pulling out some of our work before we were happy with it. I am going to go to my local bead store to get more 15/0 beads and other beads to sew onto the piece. So.. starting over.

My bead embroidery class was VERY disappointing. Not very many people were prepared. One person used interfacing for the beadwork that was so thin, the beads tore through it. The actual class consisted of the teacher drawing the back stitch on a dry-erase board and that was it. What a waste of money that was. I already knew the back stitch.

Hopefully after I pull out these beads and get more size 15/0 beads, things will get better. So... How many times have YOU started over with a jewerly piece?

Bead Embroidery Class Preparation

I am so excited because a bead embroidery class that I am taking is this Saturday. The teacher told us to get some cabochons ready that we would like to use in the class, so I have picked these two. I have chosen a picasso jasper and a rose quartz cab. These cabochons have been glued to Lacy's Stiff Stuff using E6000 adhesive. As you can see by the picture, I have a design that I might try to use with the brass blank that I purchased. I plan on using colors that will match and compliment the picasso jasper ( probably 11/0 and bugle beads). As far as the rose quartz goes, I am planning on making a keychain with it using bead embroidery.

I plan on doing much bead embroidery in the future because it is so beautiful. I will post a picture after the class to show how much I got done in the four hour class.

Cabs from the Show

Here are the cabochons I bought from the Jewelry, Gem, Mineral, and Fossil show today. I didn't spend too much money. The most expensive cab was $5.00. I plan on using these in bead embroidery projects and making key chains using bead embroidery. I will post a picture once I make something with these.

Picture: blue glass, cross stone, labrodorite, rose quartz, and various agates.

Cabochon Collecting

I got more Christmas shopping done tonight...YEAH!!!!

While drinking a margarita, I pulled out my cabochon collection. I have been collecting cabochons for a year and haven't made anything with them yet. I am taking a bead embroidery class next month, so I have decided to use the Picasso jasper in my work. As you can see, I have three pieces of Picasso jasper here. I will be using one of the oval pieces.

I might collect more cabochons this weekend as the Jewelry, Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show is coming to Nashville, TN this weekend at the fairgrounds. I would like to learn to cut cabochons in the future.

Photo: Peanut Wood Agate, Leopard Skin Agate, Regency Rose Agate, Turquoise, Picture Jasper, Biggs Jasper, Picasso Jasper. Collected from past Jewelry, Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Shows and EBay.com.