Bead Embroidered Collar design is evolving

I had some time to bead at the weeekend so my collar is coming along very nicely. It took several attempts to measure up and customise the template that Sherry Serafini works to in 'The Art of Bead Embroidery' and ensure that it fitted me and the sheets of Lacy's Stiff Stuff and ultrasuede backing. Now I have this template I can use it to speed up future projects. The Lacy's is great for glueing cabochons - ultrasuede is good but this just has the edge in drying speed. So far I've bezelled my cabochons with peyote stitch, using delicas and size 15 seed beads as you can see here. As mentioned, I glued them in place with multi- purpose glue (Wilkinson's own, perfect glue but the fumes are quite strong) so they don't need the peyote for security - I just love the intricate look of this style of bezel and will probably use it in most of my designs somewhere.

Now the cabachons are in place, the colour scheme is changing somewhat from how I envisaged -  the peach beads that I was planning to use now don't look quite right. The design is evolving to be very green, gold and black based, and much darker than originally planned, so that's the way I'm going with it. This photo was taken when I'd completed the first row of backstitch round the cabachons on the right hand side, using size 11 seed beads and hex-cuts. Now that part is finished,  I've been laying out beads and smaller cabs and taking photos to see which feel right, and am now have the collar in my kitchen to look at so I can think about it and have a play whenever I go past.

Bead embroidery materials in the UK

I am particularly pleased with my Blue Shell Cabachon Cuff, which was a great experience in how much you may need to change a design, to both get it to work and show off the materials to best effect. I have aspired to bead larger cuffs and embroidered collars for a long time now, which is becoming easier now cuff blanks, ultrasuede and cabachons can be sourced within the UK, rather than ordering from the US where bead embroidery is much more popular.

Many of the US designers use beautiful semi-precious stone cabachons, which can make the finished jewellery expensive to make and heavy to wear. Vintage cabachons come in a huge range of colours, patterns and finishes whilst keeping cost and weight down, and there is something very satisfying in using cabachons with a past in one of your pieces.

My next ongoing big project is a beaded collar with green and peach shell patterned cabachons. I am going to make this more freeform and use more texture than in my pieces so far.

More finished pieces coming shortly!

I have some more photos of projects to upload,  so please check back over the next couple of days for new  more finished beadwork, bead embroidery and wirework projects, some of which are the missing ones of gifts that have kindly been retaken for me.

In the meantime, here is my progress so far with the cabachon bracelet - fully assembled and with just the pearl and charlotte embellishments to go!

Beadwork, chainmaille and wirework galleries live!

These galleries are now up, although the wirework page will be updated with some more pieces when I have the photos through. There are several beadwork pieces that are 'in progress' which I will also put up shortly as they are still part of my learning process. Many thanks to Sue Rose of Rosebudlia for her interest in my blog! There will be a lot more cabachon work featuring her cabachons over the next few months - they are very inspiring!