Tourmaline Stackers

The universe has aligned in such a way for me to find super-high quality beads for super low prices. I love it when that happens! Call me cheap, but I hate paying full price for anything. When a sale comes up at one of my favorite bead stores, the debit card comes out and I tend to go a little crazy...

I found these incredible tourmaline discs at a very reasonable price. After I made the bracelet, I thought it looked a little lonely on my wrist, so I made a friend for it using Swarovski Elements in khaki, jet and fuchsia. The colors compliment one another perfectly...the set looks like a little slice of watermelon on my arm.

I also got a great deal on these 15/0 Miyuki seed beads. To keep with the watermelon theme, I selected pink and olive AB to coordinate with the tourmaline and Swarovski crystal. This one is still in progress. I am using a simple netting stitch and will finish the bracelet using a little snap on the ends. Once I am finished, I will have a pretty stackable set that will be a fantastic addition to my summer accessory wardrobe!

The Tila Obsession Continues...

Every time I sit down at my desk to work, I keep gravitating toward my ever-expanding collection of Miyuki Tila beads. If my other beads had feelings, they would be jealous.

My most recent project served two purposes - 1) learn the single needle right angle weave stitch and 2) continue experimenting with Tilas (of course). This pattern isn't a Boxcar Annie original - I found it here:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_G7MtClOvc7c/TIuKLKVA8uI/AAAAAAAACXE/UIwr2vClaxE/s1600/Cube+Delight+Bracelet+by+Smadar%27s+Treasure+with+Tila+Beads.jpg

The instructions are really easy to follow and the end result is fantastic! I used 11/0 seed beads to surround the Tila squares, which were a perfect size. The cuff ended up being about an inch in width. Typically, I favor skinnier bracelets, but the three rows of RAW units work very well.




I also incorporated a hand-stitched Tila toggle: I would recommend this project to anyone who is trying to learn RAW - the Tila beads are perfect for this stitch and I was able to navigate the project without too many errors. Also, it was quick! I was able to finish in two evenings.

Hopefully, I will be able to break away from my Tila collection for long enough to work on a project that doesn't involve seed beads...my poor eyes are tired from squinting at tiny beads!