A Harvest Combination

This is a detail of a cuff bracelet I made using some of the beads from the October Beads in the Mail collection that come every month from The Beadin Path in Freeport, Maine.  I love finding my collection of beads and other coordinated goodies in the mail box the beginning of every month.  I don't always use them in one piece.  But, this collection for the Fall was too great not to use together. 

I had been wanting to make a cuff that used ruched velvet for a base with beads embroidered on it.  As it turned out, I combined bead embroidery with freeform bead weaving and I like the results.  The velvet was a small piece of hand dyed velvet I've had for a long time.  I don't remember  where it came from but I've loved the butterscotch color.  It's very rich looking and it's very soft.  It worked well for the base of the cuff.  I ruched it lightly and tacked it to stiff stuff, then I beaded it.  I backed it with brown ultra-suede and used snaps as a closure. 

I used a small copper spacer bead in the embroidery and I like how it looks very much.  I don't usually use metal beads in my bead embroidery or bead weaving.  But, this worked out so well I think I'll be using metal again. 

The color isn't very good in this picture, but that is a copper spacer.  The leaves are from The Beadin Path, but they were in my stash. 

Here's the entire cuff. 

I've decided I like combining embroidery and freeform weaving.  It provides a lot of space for improvising in a piece.  And, I love this collection of beads.  The colors are all my favorite fall shades. 

I've been  absent from the blog for a while.  This time of year is always busy, but I've managed to squeeze in some time to bead, knit and do some mixed media.  And, best of all this weekend I took two classes with the very talented and lovely Sylvie Elise Landsdowne at Bead Soup.  Sylvie is a lampwork artist who creates the most wonderfully whimsical beads and faces!  She began bead work to feature her glass and her designs are just so colorful and fun that you can't help but smile.  I'll be showing you some of what I did in the classes as I move along with the patterns. 

Well, time to get on to preparations for Thursday!  I hope to find some time to create this week, I hope you do to.  Thanks so much for stopping by!