WIP: Felt and beaded double sided headband done!

I had this idea a while back for a felt headband with leather straps for ties. I kicked it around in my head for about a month then decided to try it. In that month, the headband grew a skull and sported some bead embroider. Oh, and it also became double sided. This first one I finished is just a prototype for me to keep.



It took a lot of energy to make it, so I am unsure if I will make more for my shop. I might (and I will probably break out my sewing machine next time instead of doing all of the stitching by hand). I am not completely happy with the quality of some of the felt (hint, dont use craft felt unless it is the thick kind).



I like the way it came out. I haven't gotten dreads yet to test it out, but that is why I gave it braided leather straps: so I could wear it with either 'normal' hair or dreads. I also love that it has two sides. It is more versatile that way. I am definitely going to make templates out of card stock next time!

Next Bead Embroidery Project

I thought that I would share with you my next big project. This is eventually going to be completely bead embroidered in shades of gold and green. I havent yet decided what the part that will go around the neck will be, but it will probably be beaded as well. This is my first try at doing an entire piece "free style", meaning that there will be next to no pattern and I am sorta making it up as I go along. The beads are also a larger size than those that I used on my previous project (the Fire Ball Necklace), so I have to get used to working with these as well. To give you an idea, the yellow bead surrounded by pearls actually has the light yellow beads from my previous project as well between the bead and the pearls. The green beads are huge in comparison! The cabochon in the middle is (I think) malachite. but it came in a grab bag so I cant be 100% sure. I probably shouldnt have used black thread, but to late for that. I am hoping it should all work out in the end. I think I will also have some elements hanging down off the edge of the necklace as well, possibly incorporating brass coins. I am also working with my last appropriatly sized needle for this kind of work. If it breaks, I will be S.O.L. until I get the funds to get another order into my supplier. Wish me luck!

Great Balls of Fire DONE!

Well, it is finished! I have even listed it in my shop. I thought that I would treat you with some photos that didnt make it on the listing. I am so glad that it is over. I want to start thinking about some of the other things I have in the works. I also want to make a bead embroidered skull with red eyes some day. I just hope that it sells, it is such a beautiful piece! I really love how it came out and all the hard work that I put into it really paid off in the end. I thought I was never going to finish it there for a while! I just with these pictures would line up straight! Ugh!

Great Balls of Fire part 5

Since break started I have been hard at work trying to finish my fire ball necklace. I have finished the bead embroidery part...finally! Now I just have to finish it. I glued a black Tandy leather back on with E6000 and now I am in the process of stitching the two sides more securely together with black seed beads (the same time I used for the chain part) in a modified brick stitch. I actually had to wrap a scrap of leather around my finger so I could push the needle though the leather. I was actually starting to use the table instead of my fingers for this task because I had started to push the needle though my finger...instead of the leather, then along came the idea of wrapping my finger in leather! Work has gone a lot faster after that light bulb moment.
I also took a day off in frustration. See, my inspiration for bead embroidery came from the Fire Mountain Gems Website (FMG) and their Bead Embroidered Cuff bracelet. Keep in mind, when I started this project many many many months ago...FMG also had a whole set of videos that you could view to help you along with certain projects. These videos were actually clips of some show that actually used to be on the local public television channel around there. They helped tremendously when I first started, because I learn the best from watching. I watch this video back then thinking, that when I got to the next step I could just refer back to it for more help. Well, man was I wrong. Not only are NONE of the videos up any more, the instructions they have make zero sense to me. I did have some foresight and printed off the directions back when I started (they had the written instructions available as well). Apparently, they decided to take off the pictures that went with every step and only include a handful and stop at step 11...I need help on steps 14 on!!! The written isntructions make no sense...like what side of the backing are you stitching from? That would help... So basically I had to go back to the stuff I had printed off from before, which had stills from the video (thank God!) and figure it out from there. I think I did...they basically used a modified brick stitch. I was pulling my hair out before I sat down and figured it out. I didnt want to ruin this piece that I have worked on for months just because FMG decided to be poop heads and pull the videos off from their website. So far everything else is going along well...except for the time I tried to trim some leather and accidentally sniped my thread. That was a bit hairy. Now I just have to finish the edging and connect the embroidery to the more "necklace" part then attach the clasp. I am so close I can almost taste it!! mmmmm beads.....

Great Balls of Fire part 4

I just wanted to show you what little progress I have had on the Fire Ball Necklace I have been working on for months. Because of school, I havent had much time to work on it. The bead embroidery is very labor and time intensive. I did complete some, so I thought I would post what I have done. I think I will try to work on it when we do laundry every week. We shall see how long that keeps up...
Anyway, enjoy!

Great Balls of Fire part 3

Finally an update! I am to the point where I am starting to shade in the red-orange mirrored beads. Other than finding the time to do this, everything is going well for the most part. I think because I am doing such a large piece (and I am handling it more) the Lacy's Stiff Stuff is pilling a little bit. I have been trying to keep my cat out of it (because no one wants cat hair in their jewelry) and the fibers are driving me nuts! I see a fiber and mistake it for a cat hair, and removing it can pull up other fibers. It isn't particularly bad problem, but I don't want it to get any worse. When I do smaller pieces I cant imagine this being problem.

Great Balls of Fire part 2

I don't think I am going to make it by midnight...but I am trying! I am like a kid.. "One more row, mom!" Anyway, here is my progress up to now. I am trying to blend the colors as much as I can, but I am not exactly fully satisfied with the selection of colors I have. As you can see, the bright yellow and orange are not mirrored like the others (note: the white beads shown are not the same size as the ones I used for my fire ball, but are the same color). I don't know why, but those just don't seem to exist in mirrored form...so I tried translucent. I am not sure if I like it, but I am going with it now! I didn't like the way the solid ones looked...for some reason reds have a nice range, but no ones likes yellows or oranges! I also have added another row on top of the one around the parameter of the cabochon because it started to come off the backing. I also (before I added that row) reglued it with some good old super glue, which seems to be holding very nicely. I guess because my cabochon is so big and heavy, the other glue just couldn't cut it. It doesn't seem to be a problem with the rest of my cabochons (which are much smaller), but I haven't worked with them a lot yet. Maybe heavy handling is a problem?
I will try to update some time in the middle of the week!

Great Balls of Fire part 1

As soon as started getting into jewelry (which wasn't all that long ago) I a have been fascinated by bead embroidery. I just love the way it looks, bold...big...strong! I finally found a little instructional video thing on Fire Mountain Gems' website...and it got my creative juices flowing even more! I bought all of the stuff for it...and now I am ready to start on my next jewelry journey!. I also thought this would be a great thing to put up on my blog...so people could follow along if they wanted! If you have tip and suggestions though out my project, please let me know! Like I said before...this is my first time doing this!
(You can see a lot of my current projects on the picture of my desk...I am a mess!)
The first thing I did was glue some cabachons to my cut outs of Lacy's Stiff Stuff with some E-6000 glue and let it sit over night. I also put a doll face on some Stiff Stuff in a press so that it would adhere to the whole thing...but little did I know it would also adhere to the wood of the press! It just took a little pulling to get it off, but I just about freaked out of a second! I wanted to do them all at the same time because the tips for the glue can only be used once...so I tried to get the most mileage out of one tip as I could! My first idea for bead embroidery (even before I got all of my supplies!) was to make a fire ball necklace, so that is what I am starting with. I am using white Nymo thread and English beading needles..we will see how that works. So far the thread seems strong...unless you nick it...then it becomes a pain in the arse to work with! I am also coating my thread with bee's wax so that it slides though the beads better. I am using a back stitch technique (see the video) which, while I have been cross stitching for years, I have never used with beads! Well...here it is! This is how much of the fire ball I have gotten done as of right now. I like laying the beads down with out a pattern under it because I think it will give it a more natural and organic look. I hope you can see that I am also trying to mix the colors along the way...with a little light yellow in the with white/clear beads. I just wish I hadn't knocked over the yellow seed beads...it look me like 20 minutes to pick 1/8th of the tube out of the carpet! What a pain! The funny thing was I knew I was going to do it! I also am not sure what I am going to back my pieces with...I think leather. Well, I hope to keep you guys in touch with this project, but I am sure it will take me a while to finish it (especially with school starting up again soon).