"Évora" Necklace Tutorial

Reference EA0133

List of materials used in this project:

• 4mm Swarovski bicones;
• kheops by Puca;
• 3,4mm Miyuki fringe drop;
• 8/0 Miyuki seed beads;
• 11/0 Miyuki seed beads.

Video tutorial

"Blooming Star" Earrings Tutorial

If you love a flower that lives on a star, it is sweet to look 

at the sky at night. All the stars are a-bloom with flowers...

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince 

Reference EA0132

List of materials used in this project:

• 14mm Swarovski rivoli;
• superduos;
• 3mm Swarovski bicones;
• 4mm Swarovski bicones;
• 11/0 Miyuki seed beads;
• 15/0 Miyuki seed beads.

Video tutorial

"Perfect Two" Earrings Tutorial

The Perfect Two earrings tutorial is composed of 3 step by step videos. This design was created through a combination of a main component, a peyote embelishment and a top part. 

The name for these earrings came up from the two pearls perfectly aligned in the centre of the main element.

Reference EA0131

List of materials used in this project:

• 8mm pearly beads;
• 3x4mm glass rondelles;
• super duos;
• 8/0 Miyuki seed beads;
• 11/0 Miyuki seed beads.

The main component can be adapted and turned into other pieces of jewellery. By linking several of these components you can make a bracelet or a necklace, for example.

Video tutorial

The peyote embelishment wasn't something planned. At first, the main component was created with another purpose, not to make a pair of earrings but a bracelet instead. However, everytime I pick up some beads to create a design, imagination goes wild and sometimes the finish project turns into something else.

Video tutorial

The video on the element that forms the top of the earring was a tutorial requested by a subscriber of our YouTube Channel. That little flower was named Forever Spring component. You can see another use for this element on a previous post about the Forever Spring necklace. The piece consists of a composition of several of these small components.

Video tutorial

"Game of Thrones" Bookmark by Crafts For You

With the release of Game of Thrones' new season just around the corner, i's a really good time to tell you about a special bookmark I received in the mail about a month ago. It was sent to me by my friend Ana from Crafts For You.

About Crafts For You
But first let me tell you a little bit about Crafts For You. As a book lover, Ana takes pleasure creating unique and custom bookmarks. She uses a great variety of components to make these bookmarks: charms, pendants, gemstones, fossils, crystals... Just give her the name of a book and she will do the rest. But Crafts For You isn't only about bookmarks! Among Ana's works you can also find bracelets and necklaces. Everything handmade with a lot of detail and love.
If you are curious to know more, check out Crafts For You on facebook or visit the site.

A gift from Crafts For You
Knowing that I'm such a big fan of the TV series, Ana surprised me with a customized bookmark, Game of Thrones style. Made with red suede cord, it has a crown charm on one side and a pendant with a dragon on the other side. It is such an exquisite and unique bookmark. I love it!
Maybe this was her way of giving me a little push to start reading the books! Was that what you were aiming for, Ana?! Just kidding! Thank you so much for this lovely gift.

Ana has a section of Game of Thrones' bookmarks on Crafts For You facebook page. This is one of my favourites (besides mine, of course!). Winter is here!

Photo by Crafts For You

"Torneo Creativo 2017: Beading" from Beads Perles Boutique

Beads Perles Boutique is a Spanish online shop that sells materials and components to make handmade jewellery. They ran two jewellery contests the present year: a Soutache Tournament and a Beading Tournament (from May to June).

A beading friend told me about their beading contest and I decided to sign up. I participated with the "Forever Spring" necklace. This design was elaborated with super duos, 4mm Swarovski bicones, 14mm Swarovski rivolis and 11/0 and 15/0 Miyuki seed beads.

My design didn´t pass the first round but that was ok. I wasn´t expecting to win, just wanted to join the contest. It was a good experience!

All competitors were very creative and their designs were beautifully executed. The tounament was won by Ana Reza from Leah couture bijoux. Congratulations!

Winner design by Ana Reza

"Braga" Necklace Tutorial

When I started my own designs I began naming them after portuguese places, like Tróia (peninsula in Grândola municipality) and Mouraria (neighborhood in Lisbon). However, this idea was lost along the way. To recover this purpose, the protagonist in this post was named after the oldest city in Portugal and one of the oldest Christian cities in the world, Braga. With more than 2000 years, the city was founded in the Roman period under the name of Bracara Augusta. Here are some pictures taken last Summer when I visited the city.

Braga, Summer 2016

But let's go back to the necklace, the main purpose of this post. Handmade with few different types of materials, this necklace turned out really gorgeous. It's very easy to make even if you are a beginner.

Let me warn you that 10gr of superduos won't be enough to make this necklace. I was able to make 15 complete units with this quantity and had to complete the rest of the length with chain. So, you will need 16 to 17 units to make a proper necklace.

Reference EA0130

Materials used:

• turquoise green matte superduos;
• jet iris 4x3mm rondelles;
• black 8/0 Miyuki seed beads;
• metallic forest green iris 11/0 Miyuki seed beads.
• beading needle size 10 or 12;
• beading thread.

Video tutorial

"Vega" Earrings Tutorial

This was my first time using AVA beads... I bought a 7gr bag of these beads and had no idea it will only bring 10 units! With so fewer beads, I was able to design the "Vega" earrings. I wish I had more! 

These beads have great potential and are very easy to work with. They have a good shape and size to combine with other beads and multiple holes along the V sides (2 holes on each side). Although, they are a little expensive!

Reference EA0129

Materials used:

• lila gold luster AVA beads;
• 6x4mm blue zircon ab rondelles;
• red copper mat minos by Pucca;
• 4mm topaz ab sew-on strass;
• 11/0 metallic forest green iris Miyuki seed beads;
• leverback earrings;
• beading needle size 10;
• beading thread.

Video tutorial

"Akoya" Pendant Tutorial

Why the name "Akoya"? The name I give to each of my designs is always chosen with special care. I usually do some online research looking for inspiration or something that can relate to the design before definitely naming it. 

This particular pendant remind me of a kind of capsule containing and protecting a pearl, like a shell or oyster. So, with this in mind, I came across the Japanese Akoya oysters.  The Akoya oysters produce popular high-quality pearls in rich colours and brilliant lustre. They are used to make beautiful jewellery all over the world.

Reference: EA0128

List of materials used:

• 6mm dark purple Preciosa Ornela pearls;
• chalkwhite blue grey ceramic look khéops by Pucca;
• red copper mat minos by Pucca;
• 8/0 light caramel ceylon Miyuki seed beads;
• 11/0 turquoise blue opaque Miyuki seed beads;
• 11/0 galvanized wine Miyuki seed beads;
• 10mm cream Preciosa Ornela pearl;
• beading needle size 10;
• beading thread.

Video tutorial

"Key to My Heart" Beaded Key Tutorial

Reference: EA0127

I tried to make this key for weeks! Tried various stitches and different materials and finally end up with a tubular herringbone and ladder stitch beaded key. [I'm probably not naming the stitches correctly. If that's the case, I apologize.] I was hoping to finish it before Valentine's Day... Instead, I had already missed the day when I finally succeeded to edit the video and upload it to youtube. I'm publishing this post a little late too! However, I couldn't overlook this project. I'm so proud of it!

The video tutorial (watch below) isn't very thorough. It is not a good project for beginners. To be able to make the "Key to My Heart", you have to know how to make ladder stitch and tubular herringbone. Here are a couple of complementary diagrams to help you out.

List of materials used:

• 8mm glass pearl;
• 6mm round;
• 11/0 Miyuki seed beads;
• 15/0 Miyuki seed beads;
• headpin;
• beading needle size 12;
• beading thread.

The heart shaped bow was inspired on MarielBeadsandBeyond Beaded Jewelry tubular herringbone heart. Instead of using 3 15/0 seed beads to join the two ends of the heart, I used 1 15/0 + 1 11/0 + 15/0 and went through the beads again, skipping the 11/0 seed bead.

Video tutorial

"Avalon" Cross Pendant Tutorial

The "Avalon" Cross is made with the Cubic Right-Angle Weave with embedded SuperDuos technic, focused on the last post. This is only one example of what you can make with this technic. It only depends on your imagination and creativity.

This is the list of beads used to make this cross:

• opaque mix rose orange ceramic look SuperDuos;
• metallic dark blue iris 11/0 Miyuki seed beads;
• metallic dark blue iris 11/0 Miyuki seed beads;
• galvanized muscat 15/0 Miyuki seed beads;
• iris 2x3mm faceted rondelles.

Find the video tutorial below.

Reference: EA0126

Video tutorial

Basics of CRAW with embedded SuperDuos

The Cubic Right-Angle Weave with embedded SuperDuos, as the name suggests, is based on the CRAW stitch. Therefore, to be able to understand the process of this stitch with super duos, you first need to know the basics of cubic right-angle weave. In my video Craw Earrings with embellished pearls I explain how to make this stitch, but if you search online, you will find a lot of video tutorials, intructions and step by steps on how to make cubic right-angle weave.

Cubic Right-Angle Weave with embedded SuperDuos

A basic CRAW unit looks like a cube: 4 sides (pic.1), 1 top and 1 bottom. In this case, superduos are added to 2 sides, replacing the top and bottom beads on each side (pic.2). Watch the instructionable video below for more.

Barrel Beaded Bead Tutorial

Went through my stuff this weekend and found out a barrel I made some years ago with fire polished beads. I've been wanting to design a barrel shaped bead for sometime. I really forgot that I had one hidden among my jewellery stuff. So, based on that barrel this is the new bead I came up with.

List of beads used: 

• black and red 3x4mm rondelles;
• light caramel ceylon 8/0 Miyuki seed beads;
• metallic dark blue iris 11/0 Miyuki seed beads;
• metallic copper dark bronze 15/0 Miyuki seed beads;
• galvanized muscat 15/0 Miyuki seed beads;
• 10mm pearls to fill in.

Find the video tutorial below (also available in PT).

Reference: EA0125

Video Tutorial

PT version here