I haven't blogged in a while.  I have been working though.  I finally finished the furst bead embroidery piece.  It took me a while to decide what kind of necklace straps to make for it, but I think they work well with the embroidered piece. The closure is a lobster claw clasp and a 3-ring extender, which can add up to 1 inch to the length of the necklace.  Using my measuring method, it hangs like an 18-inch necklace and the bib has a 5-inch drop.  I lined the back of the necklace with light pink ultrasuede for comfort. I added a little doo-dad dangle to the 3-ring extender to add some interest, consisting of a beaded bead and a 6-mm fire polish bead in white, which is the same beads I used for the straps. 

How does everyone measure a necklace like this???  I measure the straps plus the straight across measurement of the embroidered piece.  I consider the rest of the depth of the necklace to be a drop - in this case 5 inches.  Using my measuring techniqie, this necklace will hang like an 18-inch necklace. 

I also finished another embroidered necklace for the ETSY Beadweavers June 2013 challenge entitled "June Bride."  I wanted to keep it simple and sort of delicate looking.  I used German glass cabochons for the center stone and the "flowers" and "buds."  The background is done is cream 11/0 beads.  The stems and leaves are done in champagne-colored 11/0 beads. The outline beads are a light gray rainbow color, but they look they are medium blue.   I scattered 2.5mm Swarovski crystals and 3mm Czech fire polish beads in "Alexandrite" throughout the piece for interest and some shine.  The necklace straps are beadwoven in a diamond design using the same seed beads and the Alexandrite fire polish beads.  The clasp is a simple sterling silver ring and toggle.  This necklace also measures 18 inches using my method, with a 3-inch drop.

Bead Embroidery - Lessons Learned

I finished the embroidery, and I learned what to do and what NOT to do.  I am well pleased with the design, but there are too many mistakes in it for me to sell.  I am going to finish it and wear it myself... it is at least that good. 

I still have to add the backing and finish the necklace.  I crowded the pearls too much and some of them came unglued and popped up..  Lesson 1 - DON'T crowd the beads too tightly.  I wish I could have found button pearls that are drilled through and through instead of top drilled.  I could only find button beads that are either cross drilled or top drilled.  I am glad though that the pearls are sewn in or they would have popped right out.  Maybe another kind of adhesive would have held them better, but I just crowded them too much. 

The beads along the edges kind of lay down.  I hope that they will straighten up when I back it and add the beads for the edging.  Lesson 2 - Do the final cutting out of the necklace AFTER the beading is done!

All in all, I am pleased with the design... so much so, that I started another one using tiny rice pearls instead of the button pearls.  Here is the started piece.

I am still crowding the beads a bit, but that is improving.

My first attempt at a bead embroidered necklace

I have been blown away by the bead embroidered creations I have seen, so I have planned a bead embroidered design of my own.   

Wish me luck.  Check back to see my progress.