B is for...

Beach... and Balcony

The Beautiful view from my friend Margie's condo in Ormond beach. We are having a small R&R weekend, well deserved I might add. Rough week.

Beading

That's Margie working on her Bracelet. We both just took a class to learn how to make Kumihimo bracelets which is a Japanese weaving technique.

It is pretty easy to do, but labor intensive and you must, must concentrate on what you are doing, otherwise you skip a bead and your bracelet is ruined. I speak from experience. Ruined a couple! You can always redo the bracelet, but you will never get back the two hours you lost making it.  :(

This is the weaving disk. It's made of dense foam and has notches all around for the strands of beads. The bracelet is made from 8 strands. We both like to use #6 seed beads or 4mm crystals. The crystal bracelet is more expensive to make but makes a bigger statement.

This is what a Bundle of Beads looks like before it is woven into a bracelet. 32 beads on each strand. More if the beads are smaller.

The weaving creates a rope of beads. This is the underside of one I made today with a combination of pearls and crystals.

Of course, we had to have Beers while we worked, along with a plate of guac and crackers, because when we are at the beach, there is a lot of noshing and beading going on.

Here is my finished pearl/crystal bracelet, and I must say it's a Beauty!




































and another view