Beadwork October/November 2020

As Coco Chanel said, “The best color in the whole world is the one that looks good on you.” We all have our favorites, and this issue is packed with inspiring projects in intriguing colors that might inspire you to try something new. Check out Becky Mitchell’s cover project (page 48) to get started on your trip around the color wheel. And don’t miss the feature article by Melinda Barta—she asked contributors to share their color inspiration and tips. Bead Artist Cindy Kinerson shares her story, tips for selecting colors for your next project, and an amazing set of Tila Trio Cuffs (page 19). Cindy and her husband own the Reno Bead Shop, and she (and her cowgirl boots) have taught beadwork classes there and across the country. Her designs usually…

MEREDITH STEELE 1. These velvet matte-finish shaped beads from The BeadSmith must be touched with your own hands and seen with your own eyes to really get the full impact of how marvelous they are. Ten colors available in SuperDuo, GemDuo, Ginko, and PaisleyDuo shapes. Ask for them at your local bead store and visit www.beadsmith.com (wholesale only) for more information. 2. Just a taste of the new colors of acetate focals from Zola Elements are shown here in mermaid, twilight, and pearl. Lightweight enough for earrings, bold enough to be a stand-alone pendant, try these components in any jewelry design to add a touch of intrigue. Shop your favorite bead retailer and visit www.zolaelements.com (wholesale only) to see them all. 3. Check out these highly detailed sterling silver zodiac astrology pendants from…

USE CYLINDER BEADS TO STITCH UP some open-work beaded squares and add a little Swarovski glow with sparkly bezeled crystal chatons. TECHNIQUES Tubular and circular peyote stitch Herringbone stitch PROJECT LEVEL MATERIALS 0.5 g dark coral galvanized Duracoat size 15° seed beads (A) 3 g Muscat galvanized Duracoat size 11° cylinder beads (B) 2 g eggplant galvanized Duracoat size 11° cylinder beads (C) 0.5 g dark coral galvanized Duracoat size 11° cylinder beads (D) 0.5 g seafoam galvanized Duracoat size 11° cylinder beads (E) 2 crystal laguna delite 8mm Swarovski crystal chatons 1 pair of antiqued copper 12mm faceted diamond ear posts Smoke 6 lb FireLine braided beading thread TOOLS Scissors Size 10 beading needle FINISHED SIZE 31⁄8 × 1 3⁄8" 1) BEZEL. Use tubular peyote stitch to form the bezel: Rounds 1 and 2: Use 3' of thread to string 22B, leaving an 8” tail; pass through the…

THE FOCAL PIECE FOR THIS interesting lariat is made from the head of a table-knife handle! Customize it by using any cone or found object that has an opening large enough to accommodate the tassel. TECHNIQUES Tubular herringbone stitch Tubular peyote stitch PROJECT LEVEL MATERIALS 10 g blue turquoise opaque size 13° Charlotte seed beads (A) 22 g blue turquoise rainbow opaque size 11° Japanese seed beads (B) 3 g silver size 11° seed beads (C) 0.5 g silver size 11° Demi Round seed beads (D) 32 hematite and blue 2×3mm crystal rondelles (E) 7 blue 3×4mm crystal rondelles (F) 1 silver-plated 22×30mm hollow knife-handle head . × 1⁄8" piece of beading foundation Light blue One-G nylon beading thread Smoke 6 lb FireLine braided beading thread TOOLS Scissors Size 12 beading needle FINISHED SIZE 32" (with a 7" focal) 1) ROPE. Use tubular herringbone stitch to form the rope: Rounds 1 and…

Cindy Kinerson loves color. It’s frequently the launchpad for her designs. She likes pulling a palette together and then deciding what she’s going to make. Cindy and her husband, Steve, own the Reno Bead Shop, where Cindy is surrounded by colors in 3-D. From hanks of seed beads to strands of glass beads to cabochons and more, it’s like being inside a bead box. Cindy and I caught up during a few minutes before the store “opened,” with Cindy providing curbside service to customers and taking orders online and by phone. Cindy confessed she’s been busy during quarantine, “I’ve been shipping packages everywhere. I’m juggling three different phones. I’m glad our customers consider beading to be essential!” She says it’s worth the extra effort because she knows her customers are having…

1. If you are using different types of beads in a project, start with the bead with the least amount of color choices. Pick the color that speaks to you in that bead and then build the rest of your project around that. 2. Keep a color journal or a record of color combinations that worked for you previously. If you use beads with a lot of color choices, this is a big help. 3. Give the eye something to focus on. There needs to be some tone variation. If you use all matte beads or all bright shiny beads, many of the details of your project will be lost. Adding a neutral to brighter projects or a metallic bead to a project with darker hues will enhance details. 4. Look for color…