My life has truly been All About the Seed Beads. I have been working with seed beads to create intricate jewelry and accessories for over 30 years! (Wow… just realized how long it’s been!)
I would like to share some of my larger pieces so you can see what is actually possible with just some string, beads and time. And I do mean lots and lots of time. Most of these pieces are well over 20 to 30 hours worth of work.
Beaded Capuchin Monkey
This little monkey was created for a very dear friend of mine. The monkey was graphed out and then beaded in peyote stitch. The bananas were actually the most difficult part of this project because they kept turning out like corn cobs instead of bananas! But, I finally got them to look right and it only took about 11 different versions of bananas to complete the vine. I used a spiral stitch on the vine itself to give it a more realistic feeling. The leaves were done with a variation of the herringbone stitch mixed with peyote stitch.
Beaded Octopus
Oh the lovely octopus. Like any lady she loves her pearls. She was also beaded using a peyote stitch and the freshwater pearls were sewn in during the process of beading the tentacles. I used Swarovski crystals for the eyes and beaded around them so that when flipped to the back the eyes are still visible plus it lets the light reflect in the eyes better.
Beaded Jellyfish
I had a lot of fun making this beautiful jellyfish. The body was constructed using peyote stitch and reducing the beads while keeping the string tight so that a half dome shape was formed. The tentacles are also peyote stitch using different size beads to give it a winding effect. I also created a set of matching earrings.
The previous pictures are just a very small sample of some of my work. I enjoy making little critters that end up being wearable works of art. So much so that I ended up making a 3-D beaded dragon necklace.
I would like to introduce you to…
Jezebel, the 3-D Beaded Dragon
Jezebel is my pride and joy. She has been adopted by a very loving mother who cares for her deeply. She was made with only string and beads. There is no wire and her center is hollow. She has a hidden magnetic clasp in the middle of her body so she can be worn like a necklace.
Who knows, maybe one day Jezebel will find a husband and have baby dragons. It is possible.
If you would like to see a few more of my beaded critters you can go to http://www.ladytstudio.com or comment below that you would like to see more. I have done all sorts of animals and a series of butterflies that are graphed to be life-size duplicates of the real butterfly.
I would love to hear what you think of my little critters so please comment below and share with your friends. It was so much fun making them. They have brought smiles to many people and that is the best part.
Jebel is beautiful, is there a pattern I can purchase, my grandson is graduating in may and he plays dungeons and dragons with a group
Hi Shirley,
Thank you for the compliment. Unfortunately, no there is no pattern for Jezebel. She is one of a kind. I stitched her entirely freehand with no pattern. She took approximately 58 1/2 hours to complete and that is just actual stitch time without breaks. She is also fairly large. She wraps all the way around the neck to be worn as a necklace. There is a hidden magnetic clasp in the center of her body so she can be taken off and put on.
Sorry I can’t help with a pattern.
Thank you for your interest though.
I love your work. Are any of your patterns for these lovelies for sale? Thanks, Carla
Hello Carla! Thank you. I honestly haven’t thought about selling the patterns before. I will see which patterns I may have for which animals since some of the necklaces were created without a pattern like the jellyfish and Ms. Jezebel the dragon. I have also created a zebra, giraffe, several different species of butterflies, and much more. I will post as quickly as possible the patterns I have available and how you can purchase the ones you would like. Thanks for the inquiry!
I really adore your Jezebel dragon, as with all your beaded critters. My son has always loved dragons, i was wondering if you have a similar pattern that I could purchase from you. Have you thought about publishing Jezebel for purchase? Thank you for the pleasure of letting us all see your beautiful bead work.
Thank you so much Susan! I’m sorry but I do not have a pattern for Jezebel. She is a one-of-a-kind piece that I made for a very dear friend. Jezebel actually took me so long (approximately 58 hours worth of work) that I would have to charge quite a bit to make another one. I do appreciate your compliments on my work though. It is a real blessing to me that people like my beadwork that much! So again, thank you!