New Design – The Odessa Cuff with DiamonDuos!

Posted on July 25, 2016 by samwescott

Hello, dear friends! I am so excited to share my newest pattern with you!

Behold! My Odessa Bracelet Cuff!

 

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Click me for pattern link!

I am so excited about this cuff! First off, I have been absolutely in love with these DiamonDuo beads lately. When we got them in at work, I’m pretty sure I spent at least ten minutes just staring at them instead of actually weighing and packaging them like I was supposed to.

I wanted to make a bracelet to really showcase their unique shape and gorgeous color finishes, so I built a base of Tilas and Half-Tilas and used some netting to create this structured cuff! It reminded me of some photos i had seen recently of an Ukrainian opera house – so I named it my Odessa cuff!

Every time I post a new bracelet design, I get a few people that purchase the pattern and then want to know what exact color I used, so I decided to start writing out my color choices for each sample bracelet that I’ve made so far.

DSC01717 So, this bracelet is the first one that I shared on Facebook and it got a lot of attention. (It’s my favorite so far!)
DiamonDuos: Chalk Lumi Green (CW65431)
Tilas: Matte Copper (2005)
Half Tilas: Matte Metallic Blue Gray (2001)
Main 11/0’s: Matte Metallic Silver Gray (2002)
Accent 11/0’s: Unknown (Sorry, guys!)
15/0’s: Sparkle Beige Lined Crystal (1521)

This one was my original prototype. DSC01674
Lots of silvers and grays – very sleek.

DiamonDuos: Concrete Gray (29566)
Tilas: Galvanized Gray Luster (1865)
Half Tilas: Matte Metallic Blue Gray (2001)
Main 11/0’s: Gunmetal (451)
Accent 11/0’s: Union Beads Silver (131-27000)
15/0’s: Steel (190)

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This one was an attempt to break into warmer colors. LOVE those deep blue/green Tilas.

DiamonDuos: Matte Gold (MGD)
Tilas: Matte Metallic Blue Green Iris (2064)
Half Tilas: Dark Bronze (457)
Main 11/0’s: Metallic Blue Iris (452)
Accent 11/0’s: Matte Opaque Lt Cream (2021)
15/0’s: Matte Opaque Lt Cream (2021)

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This pretty clasp by Elegant Elements inspired me to splurge on gold plated Half-Tilas.

DiamonDuos: Matte Black (FJ)
Tilas: Matte Turquoise AB (412fr)
Half Tilas: 24kt Gold Plated (191)
Main 11/0’s: Silver Lined Blue Zircon (1425)
Accent 11/0’s: Black (401)
15/0’s: Galvanized Gold (1052)

 
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After so much color, though, I wanted to retreat to my dark earthtones.

DiamonDuos: Jet Picasso (J434)
Tilas: Matte Bronze (2006)
Half Tilas: Black (401)
Main 11/0’s: Smoky Black Picasso (4511)
Accent 11/0’s: Matte Metallic Silver (2091)
15/0’s: Matte Light Olive (2033)

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And finally, I decided to try some modern fall tones in mustard and cobalt.

DiamonDuos: Chocolate Bronze (14415)
Tilas: Matte Mustard (2312)
Half Tilas: Dark Bronze (457)
Main 11/0’s: Picasso Opaque Cobalt (4518)
Accent 11/0’s: Galvanized Gold (1052)
15/0’s: Galvanized Gold (1052)

Phew! I do have a few more combinations set aside to try out, but I am super stoked by what I have tried out so far. Do you have a favorite? Any color combinations you want to try out? Let me know in the comments!

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Until next time, my dears!

 

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2016 Secret Bead-Along with Jean Powers!

Posted on July 17, 2016 by samwescott

Hello, everybody!

I am planning on participating in this year’s Secret Bead-Along, hosted by Jean Powers. Last summer, some of my friends told me about this really cool project they were all doing, where they received instructions for a secret beading project, and worked up a complicated beaded piece, without ever knowing what they were making. I was intrigued, but when they revealed that the prep work involved peyote bezeling a bunch of rivolis, I bailed. Bezeling is not my forte.

But this year, one of my friends showed me the materials list for this year’s secret project and there were no Rivolis involved, so I decided to gather up my courage and go for it!  This year’s project calls for seed beads in 15/0’s, 11/0’s, and 8/0’s, MiniDuos, Czechmate Brick Beads, 4mm Fire-polished Czech beads, and 3mm Swarovski Bicones.

These are the colors I picked. Lots of grays, dark silvers, and mottled pink/greens.

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Keep in mind that I had NO clue what the project was going to be when I picked these out. That was the fun part!

You can purchase the secret pattern from Jean Power’s here. Hint: You can get it at half-price if you join her newsletter! Then, you can purchase your materials and begin your prep work. This time, it involves tubular peyote, which is right up my alley!

It includes all the instructions, so you an begin beading whenever you want (I’m actually already on Day 3!), but you can’t share your work or what the secret project is, until the end of the project in early August.

I am so excited to share this project with you guys when the week of reveals finally arrives.

Stay tuned!

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Sale Extension!

Posted on July 7, 2016 by samwescott

Hey, everybody!

So, bad news – Etsy has been having a really hard time processing payments this week. They keep promising us sellers that they almost have everything sorted out, but people are still experiencing long delays before being able to access their patterns.

To compensate, I have decided to extend my sale until July 10th! It’s no fun to have Etsy struggling right in the middle of the sale, but at least this way people will have more time to shop!

bday10 copy

So… Yep! Get shopping and enjoy the discount!

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Happy Birthday to Me! (And also that other thing, I guess…)

Posted on July 3, 2016 by samwescott

Hello, my darlings! Guess what!

It’s my BIRTHDAY today!

Yes, my birthday is on July 4th and yes, I thought the fireworks were for me until I was about four years old. You can imagine my disappointment when I found out that I had to share my birthday with the entire freaking country.

But, hey. I vote that this day should be all about me and, since I am the birthday girl, I want to share my celebration with all my beady friends! Since I am turning 24 years old today, I am having a huge 24% off sale!

bday copy

 

Be sure to check out my Etsy shop and see if anything tickles your fancy! Then be sure to use the code “HappyBDay” during checkout to get 24% off your entire purchase.  I made the sale last a few days, so feel free to tell your beady friends and relatives.

And be sure to enjoy MY BIRTHDAY today! (And also that other holiday thing, I guess… )

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New Design – Daybreak Bracelet with MiniDuos

Posted on June 25, 2016 by samwescott

Hello, my dears! I have an origin story for you.

So, I woke up a few weeks ago on a Wednesday morning, about 20 minutes after my 6am alarm went off for work. I felt aaaawful. Nauseated and headache-y, all that fun stuff. My stomach tends to get nauseated when I’m stressed or have been burning the candle at both ends for too long, so this wasn’t alarming. Just really inconvenient.

I went ahead and showered and made myself some coffee, hoping that I could perk myself a bit before work. Unfortunately, after drinking my coffee and getting cleaned up, I was still feeling light-headed and a Dizzy Sam really shouldn’t be attempting the 30min commute to work, so I had to call in sick.

So, there I was. It was, like, seven o’clock in the freaking morning and I was sick and exhausted, BUT already caffeinated, so I couldn’t possibly go back to sleep.

I took shelter in my bead room.

Apparently, my muse works best when exhausted and queasy at the crack of freaking dawn, because this happened.

Like, seriously?!? Apparently, early morning sunlight and the quiet of my bead room are serious creative fodder. So, I decided to name this new design the Daybreak bracelet.

It’s my very first pattern to utilize MiniDuos, which is exciting. AND it only takes, like 10-15 SuperDuos, so it’s great for finishing off the almost empty tubes.

I also don’t have a lot of patterns that call for 6mm beads, so I have had a blast going through my collection of Czech druks and Swarovski pearls. The pink one below uses Swarovski pearls in the newest pearl color – Pearlescent White.

And you can use semi-precious stones, like Pyrite (Fool’s Gold)…

Or turquoise! (Yeah, this bracelet was WAY out of my comfort zone, but it was fun!)

I am really excited about this dainty, art-nouveau bracelet. I’ve started sleeping more and taking care of myself better, so the sicky feeling is gone, but I am definitely going to experiment with designing early in the morning. I’ll report back with my findings!

 

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Starfish Color Palette Challenge!

Posted on June 15, 2016 by samwescott

I LOVE reading beading blogs and Sherri Stokey’s blog, KnotJustMacrame is one of my favorites. She’s also writing for LoveMyArtJewelry and has issued the readers a challenge!

The challenge is to find inspiration from this color palette and go nuts!

Click me for challenge details!

Now, I am usually more into earth tones and metallic colors, but this turquoise and sand combo really spoke to me. I started by working up an Oculus pendant with these glass cabs. My Oculus design uses two cabs glued back-to-back, so this pendant is reversible with browns on one side and ocean blue on the other.

After that, I went crazy with as many coordinating crystals, glass beads, and metal bits that I could find in my stash. The result is a super long, reversible necklace that is a tidal wave of sparkly ocean treasure!

After that I thought I was done, but my muse was apparently still feeling the sun and surf. I swung over to the seafoam and cream section of the palette and made this Demoiselle bracelet.

DSC01607  DSC01614

And then I dove into the sand with this Diadem bracelet. It’s almost entirely neutrals in cream and bronze, but I added little pops of Pacific Opal Swarovski crystals to add some life and sparkle.

As you can see, I REALLY enjoyed participating in this challenge and experimenting with this color palette. It’s a great group of colors and I felt inspired to try something new, without feeling like I’d abandoned my personal style. Thanks for a great challenge, Sherri!

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06/17/16 Edit : Sherri has revealed all the submissions for the challenge over at Love My Art Jewelry. Go see what everyone else made!

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Union Beads!

Posted on May 30, 2016 by samwescott

Hello, my darlings!

So, who else is over the moon with joy about Union beads? I swear, I have about lost my mind with excitement. You guys may remember my blog post I am a Miyuki Snob that a wrote last year about my love of Miyuki brand seed beads? Well, that has definitely not changed. I still exclusively use Miyuki seed beads because of their uniformity within a tube of seed beads and because of their consistent sizing across all their bead finishes.

The only downfall for me has been that the Czech companies have so many pretty colors and finishes that they make all those wonderful two-hole beads in and there aren’t always great Miyuki seed bead options to match.

Well, prepare for a grand surprise, because in turns out that Japanese and Czech bead manufacturers make GREAT bedfellows and now we have Union Bead Blends!

Basically, what this means is that Miyuki is making their wonderful seed beads and then sending them to the Czech Republic to have matching finishes put on them so that the seed beads MATCH the two-hole and specialty beads that we all love!

For example, we now have Crystal Capri Gold 11/0’s to match all the O-beads, SuperDuos, Silky beads, MiniDuos etc that have already been made in that color!

Union Seed Beads 24GM Size 11/0 Blends Crystal Capri Gold - Click Image to CloseCzech Glass Mushroom Beads 9x8mm (30) Crystal Gold Capri - Click Image to CloseCzech Glass 2-hole Silky Beads 6mm (40) Crystal Capri Gold - Click Image to CloseCzech MiniDuo Two-hole Beads 4x2mm Crystal Capri Gold 8g - Click Image to Close

I know a few of my beader friends in particular who are going to be thrilled to see Chalk Lava Red available as a Miyuki seed bead!

Union Seed Beads 24GM Size 11/0 Blends Lava Red - Click Image to Close Kheops Puca Beads 2-hole 6mm - Red Metallic Mat - Click Image to Close

Czech SuperDuo Two-hole Beads 5.5x2.5mm Chalk Lava Red 22g - Click Image to Close Czech O-Beads 3.8 mm x 1 mm Lava Red 8.1g - Click Image to Close

My FAVORITE Union bead blend so far, though, has GOT to be the Full Labrador 11/0‘s. I have wanted to be able to match that true bright silver of the Czech beads for awhile now and nothing has quite fit. Miyuki’s galvanized beads were just too yellow and even their Durocoat line didn’t have a bright enough silver in it. Now my problem is solved!

Union Seed Beads 24GM Size 11/0 Blends Crystal Labrador Full - Click Image to Close Czech Glass 2-hole Silky Beads 6mm (40) Full Labrador (silver) - Click Image to Close

Czech O-Beads 3.8 mm x 1 mm Crystal Labrador Full 8.1g - Click Image to Close    Czech Glass Honeycomb Beads 2-Hole 6mm 30 Pcs Full Labrador - Click Image to Close Czech Dragon Scale Beads 1.5x5mm 9.5g - Crystal Full Labrador - Click Image to Close  Czech SuperDuo Two-hole Beads 5.5x2.5mm Full Labrador 24g - Click Image to Close

I mean, look how gorgeous this silver looks in a finished piece. I used them in my most recent Backsplash Bracelet.

DSC01569DSC01568

*dramatically wipes away a tear* I’m so happy. Spring16 copy

All the links I provided go to Beads Direct USA, because A) that’s where I work and B) not many other retailers seem to have Union Beads yet. Even we only have limited quantities. But I am so excited for these new beads and can’t wait until more finishes are available.

What about you guys? Have any thoughts about this astonishing collaboration between Japanese excellence and Czech beauty?

PS: My big spring sale ends on June 1st! If you’re interested on discounted patterns and finished jewelry, check out my Etsy shop!

 

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Bead Packs with Claire – Tango Passion

Posted on May 21, 2016 by samwescott

Hello, my darlings!

So, I have teamed up with Claire Lee, who runs the SupplyEmporium, where she sells beads and all sorts of beady resources. Most recently, she decided to offer a bead pack for my Backsplash Bracelet pattern.

Bead Pack for "Tango Passion" Bracelet From Samantha Wescott - Tutorial Available Separately - Colorway by Claire

Click photo for link!

It’s not a kit, exactly, because Claire is not selling my pattern. All patterns still need to be purchased at my etsy shop. But! Claire has already arranged and package enough beads to make a 7 1/2 inch bracelet AND earrings in her lovely purple colorway.

I think her colors are super cute and am looking forward to future collaborations and colorway adventures with Claire!

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New Design – The Godet Necklace and Earrings

Posted on May 15, 2016 by samwescott

Hello, my dears! Sorry to disappear for half a month – May is a crazy time for my family. We’ve got about a bajillion birthdays and then there’s Mother’s Day and graduations and it is just a mess. But never fear! I promise I’ll still get in two posts per month!

To reward your long wait, I present to you a new design! The Godet Necklace and Earrings design!

 

My latest design is *gasp* a necklace instead of a bracelet. Can you believe it? And you know what’s weirder? It’s a necklace design that actually started with earrings.

DSC01519

These little earrings just sort of happened on my bead mat when I was playing about with some two-hole daggers and realized how nicely the Crescent beads snugged up on the sides. After a little tweaking, I realized that I had a pretty snazzy necklace design!

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After that, I definitely needed to play with colors! I love the soft pink and golds of the prototype piece, but my experiments with bold turquoise and red have been really fun to.

The red and turquoise necklace is beaded all the way around the neck, but the pale version uses chain to complete the circle. In the class I taught at the end of April, a trendsetting teenager made a small beaded segment (only three or four inches long) and then used a long rope of chain to make a mid-bust length necklace. I want to try a version like that, since hers looked SO cool. I’ll share pictures when I finish!

Godet Skirt (pic from Wikipedia)

I love the variety of colors and finishes available on one- and two-holed daggers. Working the Crescent beads was fun too, since I hadn’t had the chance to experiment with them yet.

One more two-hole bead conquered! Haha.

Oh! And since everyone always asks about the pattern names, this necklace was named for a particular type of skirt that uses triangular inserts to make a skirt flouncy voluminous. Since the daggers reminded me of those triangular panels, I though it was a good fit.

 

I am very happy with this design so far and look forward to trying out new color patterns! Until next time, my dears!

 

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My Love Affair with Coral

Posted on April 24, 2016 by samwescott

Do you guys ever go through whirlwind romances with a certain color?

I definitely have my usual go-to colors that I use all the time. I love earth tones and metallics and have a special place in my heart for Chalk Lazure Blue.

But, two summers ago I went through this weird obsession with pale, peachy coral that lasted several weeks and this past month I’ve been experiencing a similar romance with a darker version of that same color.Kumi 5

Two summers ago, I was playing around with kumihimo braiding with beads and discovered that, while pink is not normally my go to color, a light rosy peach was really fun to work with!
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Then, I decided to go full out and do a Peony Necklace in that same light coral. It was WAY out of my comfort zone, but I still love how it turned out.

After that, I was figuring out how to make my Oculus Pendant design and discovered just how much I liked light coral and spring green together. I paired these two bright spring tones with bronze and went crazy with it. All these photos are of the same necklace, by the way. The pendant is reversible!

After that, I wanted to make some matching earrings and ended up with these pretty things. I’m telling you, that color palette was all I could work with for weeks.

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So, that was about two summers ago. This spring, I have been stuck in a similar obsessive cycle. This time, instead of spring green, peachy coral, and bronze, I have been swimming in a darker coral, cream, and bright gold.

It started when I made Lisa Kan’s Catherine bracelet from her Bead Metamorphosis book.

DSC01338   DSC01380

(You may recognize the dark coral as “fiesta” from this year’s Pantone Spring Report. See? I can be trendy!)

I continued this theme most recently in a version of my Demoiselle pattern, although the coral is a little lighter here.

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Most recently, though, I used the dark coral, cream, and gold scheme for a version of my newest pattern, the Backsplash bracelet. I absolutely love how this bracelet turned out.

DSC01472     DSC01479

It’s probably my favorite incarnation of my coral obsession yet.

So, how about you? Do you have any on-again-off-again relationships with a certain color? Or am I just weird?

 

 

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