9/10/13

Crystal Play

I'm longing for Fall, aren't you? Our afternoons are still peaking in the hot and humid nineties, so while lightweight and airy dictate the fabrics of the day, I CAN start the transition to fall with my jewelry.

This Snake-Belly Bangle combines autumnal earth tones with a summery hit of turquoise - the perfect transitional piece. It's from Anna Elizabeth Draeger's, Crystal Play, a book that makes me wonder why I don't reach for crystals more often when planning my designs!

 

A combination of two of my favorite stitches, peyote and RAW, this one can easily be finished in an afternoon. It sparkles with over 200 crystal bicones and gave me a chance to finally use my SuperDuo's. These two-hole seed beads give the bangle great structure, but I have one caveat - check the holes in these beads carefully before using - nearly a third of my tube had undrilled holes, requiring drilling the second hole mid-stitch.

My sister was visiting last month, and one afternoon I handed her a stack of my beading books to look through while I got dinner in the oven. Crystal Play was the one book she set aside, commenting that she would love one of every design! (Anna includes more than a dozen bracelet/bangle designs in her book, ranging from fun to fabulous to killer exquisite!)

 

So after I finished my bangle, I stitched up a Snake-Belly for Janet in season-spanning black and silver. She has two sons in high school and often finds herself drafted to chaperone at their school dances. She'll be one cool Mom rocking this on her arm!
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6 comments:

  1. AntiquityTravelersSeptember 10, 2013 at 9:24 PM

    so pretty! LOVE this bracelet

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  2. Therese's TreasuresSeptember 11, 2013 at 8:20 AM

    Love the bangles, I am going to have to check this book out.
    Therese

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  3. H.T.September 11, 2013 at 9:14 AM

    Hi:
    Very beautiful bangles.Nice colors and the bead stash used.I haven't made many of them.I'll have to take a look at that book,maybe I will make more someday.The effects are fantastic.
    Warm Greetings-Halinka-

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  4. Sweet FreedomSeptember 11, 2013 at 9:20 AM

    Pretty bling!

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  5. Christine AltmillerSeptember 11, 2013 at 11:29 AM

    These are gorgeous! Fall colors are always "in" in my mind. I really like the splash of turquoise in the first bracelet. And the elegant look of the second is just perfect! Those duos...I have problems with the holes not being drilled all the way too. Aaarrgghh, is what I say a lot when I am using them!

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  6. lynseySeptember 11, 2013 at 12:33 PM

    Lovely, that's a great pattern.
    It's starting to feel like Autumn here in the UK now, the high today was 17,(62F), and the leaves are starting to turn.

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