It is never a good idea to settle down to threading on a complicated beaded pattern when you are tired. Something is bound to go wrong. Last night I was keen to get this bracelet finished, so I battled on and then suddenly saw this bead out of place. I unbraided up to that point and recounted the beads on …
The bracelet in my Precious Posy tutorial is a riot of colourful flowers, but this doesn’t have to be the case. If you want something sleek and sophistocated you can swap the flowers and larger beads for seed beads in another colour. You will need the chart in the tutorial to get this effect of one colour on top and …
I have been very busy recently writing a tutorial for Beads & Beyond magazine. Obviously I can’t give too much away, but here is a glimpse of some of the tools and materials I have been using! I love the autumnal tones of the wire and I have really enjoyed working with such pliable and well-behaved wire! I never know …
One of the most exciting things about writing tutorials is seeing what other people make. A design can go in a completely new direction in someone else’s hands. A great example of this is Jamie North’s fabulous interpretation of my wire bracelet. Not only is the execution of the wire braiding really precise and even, but the choice of clasp …
When I designed the Luscious Lentils bracelet I wanted to make a bit of a statement with something bold and chunky. However, the instructions are just as effective when smaller beads or beads of different shapes are used. The pattern is very versatile and in this example I have used size 8 beads and 10mm daggers for a completely different …
It is always exciting to get a parcel in the post and especially when it is full of beautiful wire in great colours. As soon as I hit the ‘publish’ button on this blog I am going to get out my tools and start work on my next project. The smaller reels hold 0.3mm wire and the larger ones hold …
Traditional Japanese Kumihimo braids are made on wooden stands, the most common being the Marudai and the Takadai. Wonderful though these devices may be, they are also expensive. So a wonderful lady called Makiko Tada invented the foam disk, an inexpensive and easy to use device, which opened up the world of kumihimo braiding to a much wider and very …
This is what started the obsession off for me about four years ago. It is the first piece of my own Kumihimo, which found its way into a finished piece of jewellery. I was entering a forum challenge to create something inspired by a place. I thought of Tokyo in cherry blossom season and made a traditional tree of life …
I have had a couple of requests for some information about Kumihimo with wire, so I have added these two bracelets to the site as free mini tutorials. I love to use wire, but the technique is very different to the way Kumihimo is made with cords and yarns. The best way to learn to braid with wire is to …
I have been busy today adding content to the website. I am working my way through the suggestions made by visitors to the site, starting with the easiest! Several people have asked about adding beads to braids other than the Round Braid. While Round Braid is definitely the easiest and the most versatile braid it is possible to add beads …
