Three patterns on one CD!

Hello everyone!

It might seem a bit quiet around here lately but rest assured, a LOT of beading is being done. I'm still working with various companies trying to come up with designs to show ways to use their products and although this is great fun and an exciting challenge for me, it means that pictures of new beadwork are few and far between at the moment.  I have at least ten pieces waiting in the wings but I have to keep them under wraps for the time being - but I can tell you that before too long there will be a colour explosion and I will be bombarding you with picture after picture!  So until that time all I can tell you is that I have just added a new PDF to my website and you can purchase it by following this link.

The PDF includes three of my patterns that were previously published in Digital Beading Magazine: Simply Spikes, Galactic Gumdrops and Bohemian Bloom. It is twenty pages long and also includes a fascinating bonus article about hybrid seed beads written by Perry Bookstein of www.yorkbeads.com. I have set the price of this bundle to £5 for all three patterns as they are magazine versions and are therefore not as minutely detailed as the other patterns I sell. I would also like to mention that these PDF's were designed for online viewing rather than for print.

So that's it for now but I'll be back soon with lots of new pictures, but a word of warning ... you might need some sunglasses before you look at my latest work!

Bye for now!

Kerrie ♥

Spikes in Bloom!

I've just returned home after a lovely couple of weeks visiting family in Spain and there were so many beady things happening in the run up to our departure, that I didn't get chance to tell you about the new pattern I have with Bead & Button magazine.  Some time ago, Perry of www.yorkbeads.com asked me to create a piece using his new spike beads that would be used in an advertising campaign.  As you know, I love a challenge and so I was thrilled to be asked and excited about the opportunity, but I was also very nervous as I had no idea whether I would be able to create anything suitable.  I had already designed several spike pieces and each one was the best that I could make it but as this one was going to be used for an important advert, I knew I needed to try and create something completely different.  I had heard some of my beady friends tell me that they were not fond of spike beads as they looked too aggressive and so that sparked off the idea in my mind to try to find a new way of using these beads, a way that softened their initial dangerous look, something that made them look more feminine and if I could, something that would give them an elegantly floral appeal.  I spent a considerable amount of time experimenting with these 5 x 8mm baby spikes and eventually I mixed them with my trusty Midnight Garden Toho 176B's and a length of grey organza ribbon and found a way to make them bloom.

Just like the Gumdrops in my Garden pattern, this is now another FREE on line pattern.  All you need to do is follow this link and either log in or register and you will be able to download the pattern for Spikes in Bloom.  The pattern includes instructions for making a bracelet, pendant and ring but there are all sorts of other possibilities too and I look forward to seeing your creations.  I find the rings are particularly addictive to make and as you can see, I made myself a whole handful!

And below are copies of the adverts so far, the top one can be seen in the June issue of Bead & Button magazine and the bottom one appears in the current issue of Digital Beading Magazine.

I hope you have fun with the new pattern.

See you next time!

Kerrie ♥

Stripes and Spikes!

Issue three of the new on-line beading magazine Digital Beading Magazine is now available and it seems to have grown yet again with 166 pages and over 50 very varied projects.  I have two new projects in this issue and I was thrilled to see that my project Floribunda Bangle is on the cover!  The bangle is part of the range that I have been creating with the beautiful Czech glass striped beads from Preciosa Ornela and is a really substantial 'statement piece', but as all the flowers are removable you can make as many as you want or even just make one to wear as a pretty pendant.

The second project 'Simply Spikes' is exactly what the name suggests; a set of bracelets and rings that use only the new spike beads from www.yorkbeads.com and strangely for me ... no seed beads!

And last but not least, little 'Flash' the stripey owl has his Australian version of the Preciosa Ornela advert in the magazine too!  I know it looks as though I have hijacked this issue of the new magazine, but don't worry, with 166 pages there are plenty of other projects to choose from - why not purchase a copy and see for yourself?

See you next time!

Kerrie ♥

Two new patterns!

Issue two of the new on-line only beading magazine Digital Beading Magazine is now available and once again it has 158 pages packed full of a wide range of projects and techniques to satisfy everyone.  Although this magazine is based in Australia, being on-line means that you can download it as soon as it becomes available and see what everyone else is seeing ... that means no annoying waiting for it to arrive and no hefty overseas shipping fees.  You can simply purchase it (or subscribe) and immediately start flicking the pages on your computer and decide what you would like to make first.  I have two projects in this issue and the first one is Galactic Gumdrop earrings which mixes the new gumdrop beads from York Beads and a few seed beads to create a pair of out-of-this world earrings.

And the second project is Bohemian Bloom which takes a hank of multi-coloured Czech hybrid seed beads and turns them into a fun flower brooch that will bloom beautifully with everything in your wardrobe.

There will be two more new patterns from me in issue 3 of this magazine which will be available in April, so if you don't want to miss anything, be sure to either complete the 'Follow by Email' box on the top right-hand side of my blog or 'like' my Facebook page. 

Bye for now!

Kerrie ♥

New Year and New Patterns!

Happy New Year everyone!

Well 2012 didn't quite go according to plan but although there is a gaping Mum-shaped hole in my life, I am happy to report that things are going very well on the bead front.  I have spent the last few weeks beading and pattern writing almost non-stop and it looks like there will be lots of new designs and patterns popping up here, there and everywhere throughout 2013.  If you don't want to miss anything, be sure to either complete the 'Follow by Email' box on the top right-hand side of my blog or 'like' my Facebook page.  The first piece of news is that a new on-line only beading magazine has just been launched and although it is based in Australia, being on-line means that you can download it as soon as it is available and see what everyone else is seeing ... no annoying waiting for overseas shipping while all of your friends are busy drooling over the designs, buying the beads, making the projects and moving onto the next fun thing!  I am thrilled to be part of the design team and my project Moon Posy appears in the launch issue

The second piece of beady news is that Bead & Button magazine has also published another one of my patterns and again it's an on-line pattern, but this one is FREE!  Simply follow this link and either log in or register and you will be able to download the Gumdrops in my Garden pattern to make this dainty little bracelet using the new Gumdrop Beads created by York Beads.

So that is my news for now.  I hope you enjoy these projects and that you have a wonderfully satisfying and creative 2013!

Bye for now!

Kerrie  ♥