This is my main exam piece for this years course which I will have to present to my fellow syudents on friday, hope they like it, I have some positive feedback from shop customers. It took me several attempts with different  layouts before I settled for these colours and and shapes. I really like the copper findings.

Had a day off today ( don't get many of these) so what did I do, yes I made a bracelet, so that means I didn't really  have a day off. Never mind really enjoyed making this piece. So I have some copper chain, 2 strands attached to a copper lobster clasp. I took some jump rings and the gold coloured lucite style beads and attached them to both chains. Then through the same jump ring I attached a head pin that I had attached an 8mm faceted abacus bead and a bead cap. I attached 2 groups of beads through each link of the chains and attached approx every 4 chain links so altogether I added 24 leaf beads. Hope you like it..

I love the metal flower beads and combined with the chinese crystal they make a lightweight bling bracelet.
For the basic bracelet you'll need some silver colour chain, headpins, 6mm jump rings, 4mm chinese crystals and of course our 18mm ccb flower beads. I have first placed a crystal on a head pin followed by a flower bead and made a loop. I have then added 4 chinese crystal to a head pin and made a loop at the end. I made about 10 of each attaching them alternately onto the chain with a jump ring. So simple but very effective.  If your feeling more adventurous then you can make a spiral in the head pin after you have made the loopinstead of cutting the end off.

 

Flower and leaf bracelet

Here I am adding a simple bracelet, nade again with the lovely 'lucite' beads. These small acrylic beads are so light that you can add a lot to this project giving you lots of movement without the weight.
You will need bag of each of the following from my website mini 10mm acrylic transparent flowers, and 14mm transparent leaves. You'll also need some size 11 seed beads, beading thread and a clasp. Start by adding approx 110 seed beads to your thread. Add one end of the clasp, you'll need to make the bracelet slightly larger than normal as the beads take up some of the slack. Now come back along the same beads go through the first add 3 beads, skip a bead and add another 3 beads carry on in this manner until you get to the end of the beads. Add the other end of the clasp. Now go through three beads abd add a flower bead and a seed bead go back down the flower bead and along 3 beads adding a leaf in the same manner. carry on until you get too the end an you will have a pretty bracelet. I randomly choose the colour of the beads, this would also look good if you used one colour of just one colour of flowers and one colour of leaves.

Crochet Necklace

I admit with the run up to christmas I couldn't keep up with college, running the shop, looking after our ebay shop and our website , run our workshops and adding to my blog as well but here goes for a new year, a project I taught last year in the shop but thought I would share as it as it includes some of our top selling acrylic beads. http://www.impressionscrafts.co.uk/ourshop/cat_373679-Large-Acrylic-Faceted-Beads.html. As I am only giving brief detail on how to produce the necklace I will have to assume that you know how to do chain stitch.

So you'll need .4mm wire and a 4.5mm crochet hook. Drop 15 beads on approx 2metres of wire. Make yourself 15 loose chain loops. Now add a bead before the next chain stitch. Add a chain stitch. Repeat the previous group until you've added approx 15 beads, then add another 15 chain stitches. Make three of these  bead lengths and weave them together. You will need to wind the ends of the wire together and twist them around a clasp to finish. This is great for any size beads or a bracelet as well. You could also add some crystal to give a bit of bling.