It is no secret that I love to be able to play with new types of bead and put them through their paces. I am probably at my happiest when I can sit down with an unfamiliar bead, some cord and my Prumihimo disk, so imagine how delighted I was to be given some bags of ZoliDuos by my dear …
This is the latest issue of Digital Beading and my Geometric Bracelet can be found in it. This is the first time I have had a tutorial published which is made using the Kumihimo square plate. Over the last year I have had lots of requests for tutorials using the plate, but I have found myself busy enough just …
It is Mothers’ Day here in the UK and I would like to wish every mother a very happy day. I thought I would find some pretty flowers to post for Mothers’ Day. I haven’t shown this bracelet before and nor have I written a tutorial for it because the construction is rather complex and I found another way of …
I picked up some of this super shiny waxed cord at the Knitting Show on Thursday. Regular waxed cord is great to use with kumihimo. It works up into a tight, regular braid with a casual, natural texture. This new cord works up just as well, but has a lovely glossy surface, which gives a more ‘finished’ effect and is …
One of the great aspects about jewellery making is the constant development of new bead shapes and sizes. Experimentation with new products is the greatest fun. However, most new glass beads are developed for the bead weaving and bead embroidery market, so they are not all suitable for kumihimo. The size of the hole is of particular importance in kumihimo. …
This was my entry into the Mardi Gras Kumihimo challenge. I used these super shiny 6mm beads in purple and gold and added some Rizos and size 8 seed beads for contrast in scale. Members of the group can vote for their 3 favourites and my entry was voted into third place. Thank you very much for all the votes. …
To make this bracelet I used 0.2mm copper wire with a red coating. I used two strands together and found that the beads could be threaded on very easily and the braid worked up beautifully. Once the braid was complete I was able to tighten it by twisting it. This needs to be done with care because wire will stiffen …
Rizo beads are a relatively new bead shape, designed for the bead weavers and embroiderers. However, it is a great shape for use in kumihimo and the colours and special finishes are amazing. I decided to try using them in my Sitting Pretty design. With a couple of modifications it has worked out really well and produced a lively, spiky …
There has been renewed interest in my other wire kumihimo designs, so I thought the time was right to publish this one. It first appeared in Beads & Beyond magazine in the summer and much to my delight it made it to the front cover. I have rewritten the tutorial to include much more detail than can be accommodated by …
Lovely Jamie North has made these stunning bracelets with a definite Wow Factor, using my tutorial and some of her fabulous clasps. Using wire to make kumihimo braids opens up a whole new world of design possiblilites. Wire works in a completely different way to cord and yarn and some familiar braids can look unrecognizeable made with wire. A certain amount …
