Chain maille

I have at last mastered chain maille! With a little help from my friends at Uk Beaders and the two following links:

http://www.davidchain.com/byz_tut9.htm

http://cgmaille.com/tutorials.shtml

I can now do:

Shaggy Loops

Byzantine Weave

Helm weave

All very straight forward....see the pictures in the last post...but all very exciting! Chain maille is an art form I have struggled to master due to my AWFUL spacial difficulties! But now it seems to have clicked! I am very excited that I have lots of rings and 6 weeks off to play! Expect many photos to come!!

Next on my list....Rhino's snorting....just for the name!! :)

Bead Soup and CHAIN MAILLE...AT LAST!

I haven't blogged for so long! Why...because I've been beading! Haha! It's such a balance...to blog you need to bead...to show off your beading you need to blog! Darn life getting in the way!

Anyway, I have been working on some special pieces. At the end of June I received a package from Jean @ Bead magazine. The package was full of lovely beads! All completely to my taste! Lots of:

*Silver chain

*Silver earring findings, eye pins, head pins and lobster clasps

*Czech glass mix in Blue

*Purple Indian glass tiles

* A 'blue' kit full of different beads etc...etc..

all I had to do was to create lots of jewellery from it! Bead soup! I had completely free choice on how to use them and what to do, what to use and even whether or not I wanted to use my own beads in it.

I decided I wanted to use as many as I could and that I also wanted to use this time to create some pieces that really showed off my style and test out some new skills. Anyway...this is what I came up with...not sure when they will feature in BEAD but I will keep my eyes peeled, usually takes a few issues (4-6 months):

Blue byzantine weave braclet: Blue czech glass ovals and silver plated 6mm jump rings

Blue and white Shaggy loops bracelet:

The beginning of my helm weave necklace! With crackle glass 6mm blue rounds....a definate WIP!!

These three pieces are my real triumphs of the bead soup pieces! I have struggled with chain maille for a while and really decided that I would try my best to have a go and get my head around it! I am really proud of them!

A selection of earrings - Chain and blue czech glass earrings, touquoise glass and swarovski earrings and rainbow wire wrapped earrings:

Silver chain and pearl set - Includes a Y shaped necklace with grey 8mm pearls and 4 mm opal swarovski's and chain drop earrings with 8mm pearls and swarovski dangles.

Purple Indian glass focal Y necklace with silver connector wire wiggles and swarovski bicones:

Hopefuly Bead will like them! So....keep your eyes peeled!