Bracelet workshops by Beadyjan

Come along to a beading workshop and make your own beadwork bracelet.

Prices include all materials and use of tools, tuition, tea and coffee. They can take place at your home (minimum of 2 students), my home or your choice of venue (for groups clubs etc)

Stunning stripes:

Make this striped bracelet on an embellished ladder stitch base.

Available in a choice of colours.

Skill level intermediate

Time to complete approximately 3 hours.

Price per person including materials £18.

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Caterpillar bracelets

Wide choice of colours

Skill intermediate

time taken approximately 4 hours (can be split into 2x2 hour sessions)

Price including materials

£24 per person

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Peyote waves bracelet

Intermediate skill level

Time to complete approximately 3 hours

Price including materials £20 per person

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Life circle bracelet

Made in Brick stitch around a bead.

Skill level - experienced beader

Full day workshop - approximately 5 -6 hours 

Price including materials:

£48.00

Memory wire bracelet and matching earrings workshop

Workshop number 1 bangle and earrings.

Perfect for beginners - make this pretty memory wire bangle and matching earrings.

Lots of different colourways available.

Workshop cost £12 per person - includes materials and tuition. approximately 2 hours long.

Beading circle

Today was the first meeting of my beading circle at the local Community centre.

I'd advertised it widely and 10 people said they'd be coming. However only 4 turned up (plus one who turned up as we were all packed up and leaving as they'd got the time wrong!)

I think the weather might have put some people off as it was dreadfully windy.

We had a lovely time talking about beading, however only one member had done any beading before the others all fancied giving it a try so I set everyone off making a simple memory wire wrap bracelet and a pair of matching earrings.

Everyone did really well and we all ended up wearing our makes. Heres Julie threading her beads on to the memory wire.

Sue planned her bracelet carefully by sorting out the beads and laying them out in the order she was going to use them.

Aided by a fortifyling cuppa Judy carefully planned her bead arrangement

Heres Sharon modelling her lovely green creation

Judy chose shades of brown

Sue made this pretty pink set

If you'd like to try beading this workshop is available by arrangement for small or larger groups.
Contact me for details by email at Beadyjan@yahoo.co.uk

Bead workshop

Here's a picture of the pink bracelet I made at the first beading workshop I held at home as a trial with one other person, two were supposed to be coming but one was sick and couldn't make it at the last minute, which was a little disappointing as I wanted to study the dynamics of teaching a couple of people at the same time.

Anyway, she seemed to really enjoy herself and as a raw beginner did really well - this is a great style of bracelet to be shown how to make as it looks so lavish and complex yet is really quite easy.

I made this one in pink which is nice and girly and frothy, I used vintage buttons as the clasps.

This picture shows the same style of bracelet in 3 different colourways, I can't really decide which ones my favourite - what's yours?

My favourite necklace

Although one thing which I would say most defines my jewellery is colour, probably my favourite ever necklace I made is this monochromatic beadwoven, freeform, brickstitch creation, which is the one which received the most compliments and comments. It was a bit of a challenge for me to work mainly in neutrals rather than the bright shades I'm used to but I managed to cram in as many shades and textures of black, white, grey, ivory, pearl, gold and bronze that I could find.

It has now gone to a loving new home to an owner who loved it so much she nearly made me cry with her generous praise and I must admit it looked sensational around her neck! It took me ages (and a few pricked fingers) to complete, but I think the end result justified the effort.

To make it, I began by making the first 5 (top row) full circle medallions, by brick stitching around a bead, then I stitched the 5 together, then began to work freeform brick stitch around them until it was the right size and made smaller brick stitch circles each one formed off the one before as the neck chain part. Its a really big bib style collar and a complete conversation piece - a real statement necklace. I am going to make another soon - just trying to decide what colours to use this time - any suggestions welcome.

Teal temptation freeform circular brick stitch bracelet

As I haven't been keeping up to date with my blog much lately I intend to blog about items I've made over the past year or so which got missed out, most of the ones I'll be featuring are still available for purchase if you like anything and want to buy it and its not currently in my Folksy shop leave a comment or email me.

First to be featured is this lovely freeform bracelet in shades of teal, turquoise, aqua, bronze and gold, stitched in circular brickstitch around larger beads it is perfect for anyone who doesn't like to wear any metal next to their delicate skin as it is created entirely from glass and acrylic beads and even the easy to fasten clasp is handwoven from beads.

Please leave me some feedback by adding a comment - I love to feel I'm not talking to myself!!

Granny Square fingerless mitts

I wanted to make something I could wear that was crocheted and as I can't yet follow a pattern I looked on the web for ideas for items to make from granny squares and came up with these pretty fingerless mitts/ wrist warmers - I'm very pleased with them. Of course I had a job photographing my own hands wearing them so here's a photo of me wearing one of them!

One of my new years resolutions is to learn to crochet. Its eluded me for 56 years and with the help of a couple of tutorial videos on youtube I've cracked how to make a granny square already.
Trouble is I'm "hooked" and can't stop. I'm trying to scrounge odd leftover half balls of yarn off everyone I meet and have begun making a blanket for the back seat of my car already. Its not quite big enough yet but its rather pretty if I do say so myself.

This is the video that helped me learn click here to see it.

Craft fairs - so hit and miss

A few years ago I stopped doing craft fairs - mainly due to health issues but also as I'd found they'd become too much effort for too little return.

But being unwaged, skint and quite frankly desperate to earn a few quid. I've spent the last few months making some fresh items, Repackaging the old ones as we moved house last year and all the labels had my old details on. By the time it came round to booking some Christmas events in my new home town I found I'd missed the boat with quite a few, apparently they get booked up in June or July!

Anyway I managed to book 3 and the first one was yesterday. I WISH I could tell you it was a success but it was a real damp squib. Lovely venue, a five star hotel in the centre of town which has recently been refurbished beautifully, but the event had been poorly promoted and there was no parking nearby. I paid more for the stall than I sold, ended up £12 out of pocket and that's before petrol (and time and effort). I wasn't the only one everyone was complaining bitterly which didn't make for a nice atmosphere, some had travelled 50 miles or more at least I was only 3 miles up the road. All I sold was 2 bookmarks, one pair of earrings and a cheap wool brooch all priced at under £5 each.


I'm very exhausted - after I do these events it takes me 2 or 3 days to recover - and I have another this Sunday, I'm praying its better atttended and the poeple who come are in a buying frame of mind. 

I thought my stall looked lovely and was very excited before it began then when we had all sat there from 12 noon until 5 pm with hardly a sale between us, I'd lost the will to live. When there was a brief flurry around 6 pm it was crowded for half an hour but people weren't in a spending mood at all, they'd come down to see the Christmas lights turned on, watch the firework display and have a free glass of mulled wine and not to buy handmade items its such a niche market, you really need to target people who are specifically looking to buy handmade, not people who are looking for a cheap bargain. Its so hurtful when the few people who do look turn stuff over and say things like "£30 for a necklace you can get one for £5 in Primark". My skins just not thick enough.

Coupled with the fact that my mobile phone went on the blink so I couldn't contact anyone, and when I finally managed to borrow someones mobile I found out Brian had been rushed into hospital in an ambulance with a suspected heart attack (it wasn't - it was indigestion) it was overall a flipping nightmare. 

Here is my display (done on a tight budget) but I think it looks pretty good - though I may as well have just thrown everything in a heap on the floor for all the good it did.

Beaded bookmarks

Christmas is coming so I decided to make a few more beaded bookmarks, they always sell very well. I don't  like to have things just sitting around so I listed a few in my Folksy shop. But Before I could get any more lined up and ready to list they'd sold!

So I'm going to be making lots this weekend. I want to have a pile ready for a craft fair I have coming up and need to make a few to give as gifts they're great if you're giving someone a book add a Beaded bookmark t it and make it something pretty and special.

Find them or some like them in my Folksy shop. 

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