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I've been using the round peyote variation in the Gift Bracelet ever since it came into my life. It is a very fluid tube that drapes nicely in lariats and yet has the strength to support a necklace such as this one. The size beads used are shown on the images and the instructions are on the Gift Bracelet pages. The magatama bead is Miyuki's MA4-2161 Magatama 4mm Garnet Lined Tr Lt Topaz AB available from Caravan Beads. I use C-Lon thread doubled in these tubes. It's a quick and easy tube to make, especially when you use large beads as I've done above.
Who knew that raku can wear off? Obviously, not me. I have some rubberstamp inks that I think will bring it back. Everyone always asks about the endings on the lariat on the right. They're actually the dangles from an old pair of earrings that one of my daughters left behind when she moved on many years ago. It was a case of "finders, keepers."
I've been making the versatile bead (Click for tutorial) for several years. It started out as an unadorned basic bead, often made with 8/0s to give it a bit more size. This creates a barrel shaped bead. Then to create a more rounded bead, I simply started changing the type and size of beads, always beginning with Delicas, working up in size and then down much as in a cellini spiral. One of my favorite beads to use in the middle rows is Miyuki's 5/0 triangle, especially the new rococo ones available at Caravan Beads.
The necklace with the dyed shells on the right is my latest. I fell in love with these shells because of the protuberances which are probably the joint where the two halves of the shell come together. I also bought them in their natural state, but have yet to do anything with them.
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