Last minute gifts...

Oh, it's going to be a big beading weekend for those who are making baubles for family and friends. If you have more beads than money these days, here are some of the best FREE patterns (in my humble opinion) on the Web, and oh yeah, don't forget to check out my Free Patterns & Tutorials:

Sabine Lippert's Blommor:

Sandra Halpenny's Round Lace Bracelet:

Art Deco Earrings by Alexis:

Jann Christiansen's Sealed With a Kiss Bracelet:

Ruth Kiel's Two Drop Dutch Spiral Necklace:

Ruby's Star Bracelet:

Jennifer VanBenschoten's Modern Brick Stitch Earrings:

Rita Sova's How to Create a Toggle Clasp:

Beki Haley's Flat Undulating Herringbone Bracelet:

Michelle Skobel's Imperial Majesty:

Shanna Steele's Woven Starburst Pendant:

Seeing Stars by Eva Maria Keiser Designs:

FusionBeads.com's Making a French Hoop Ear Wire:

Sabine Lippert's Little Stars:

Starflower Bracelet by JayCee Designs:

Wigjig.com's Tie Chain:

Vicki Star's Herringbone Flower Bracelet:

Jean Power's Lacy Herringbone Bracelet:

Marylo's Mandala Ring:

Mini Kimono Bead by Toika Bridges:

Ruby's Herringbone Bangles:

Princess Earrings by Alexis:

Sandra Halpenny's Tennis Bracelet:

Jann Christiansen's African Helix:

Beki Haley's Spiral Rope Bracelet:

Wigjig.com's Beaded Rings:

Ruby's Crystal R.A.W. Bracelet:

Sabine Lippert's Maze Lace:

Sandra Halpenny's Seed & Fire Necklace:

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow....

If you prefer to stay inside and keep warm, there are lots of great snowflake patterns on the Web to keep you busy.

Sandra Halpenny is the queen of the beaded snowflake, and along with a great many snowflake patterns and e-books for sale on her Web site (Sandra D. Halpenny Bead Weaving Patterns), she's also got some freebies up:

Mini Snowflake #1:

and the Mini Snowflake #3:

 

Michelle Skobel has a free Tila Snowflake Pattern:

BeadJewelryMaking.com has a Beaded Snowflake Star Project:

If you know how to crochet, here are instructions for a lovely tatted Bead Snowflake designed by Sharon Briggs:

New free pattern from Centperles blog

If you can read French, or even if you can't but can follow along with the illustrations, Centperles blog has a new free pattern out called Marigold. To download the PDF, just click on the text "Marigold" underneath the phrase "et en PDF" below the photo:

New pattern uploaded: the Holiday Earrings

I just uploaded a new pattern to my Web site: Holiday Earrings, $3.25, also available at Bead-patterns.com:

 The pattern is for both pair of earrings. They work up fast and make great gifts.

Octagonal Ornament

Still experimenting with turning my earring patterns into holiday ornaments. For this ornament, I used my Octagonal Earrings pattern with the following changes:

• Instead of 8 feet of 6 lb. FireLine, I used 2 yards of 8 lb. FireLine.
• Instead of 11/0 seed beads, I used 8/0 seed beads.
• Instead of 3mm fire-polished beads, I used 4mm fire-polished beads
• Instead of 4mm bicone crystals, I used 6mm bicone crystals.
• I used a larger 4mm jump ring, which I attached to a hook.
• In Step 22 and Step 24, I went back around through the beads again to make the ornament stiffer and less floppy.

It's about 2.25 inches long and 1.5 inches wide:

New pattern uploaded: the Holiday Bracelet & Medallion

I just uploaded a new pattern to my Web site: Holiday Bracelet & Medallion, $5.00, also available at Bead-patterns.com:

The bracelet is made by first creating 5-7 separate rivoli medallions by encasing each rivoli in a peyote bezel and using netting to add seed beads, bicone crystals and glass pearls around the bezel. You then join these medallions together. Directions for matching medallion included.

Two new earring patterns uploaded

I just uploaded two new patterns to my Web site:  

the Moon Ring Earrings, $2.75, also available at Bead-patterns.com:

 And the Octagonal Earrings, $2.75, also available at Bead-patterns.com:

New from Sandra Halpenny

Sandy Halpenny has some new gorgeous bracelet patterns up:

Salmon Gold Bracelet

 
Aqua Blue Bracelet

Lavender Blue Bracelet

Ruby Lace Bracelet

New pattern uploaded: Pebbled Earrings

I just uploaded a new pattern to my Web site: Pebbled Earrings, $3.25, also available at Bead-patterns.com:

Instructions are for both pair of earrings (with or without the chain) and they match the Pebbled Bracelet. These beaded bead earrings work up fast (under an hour) and instead of glass pearls, you can use any 4mm round beads, including gemstones such as garnets and amethyst.

More Free Tila Bead Bracelet Patterns

Everyone seems to be going Tila bead crazy with some wonderful new designs. Jennifer VanBenschoten, guide to About.com: Beadwork, has two new (and free) tutorials up for these incredibly lovely bracelets:

Elegant Tila Bead Bracelet

Fancy Tila Bead Bracelet

Free Tila Bead Pattern

Centperles Blog has a free tila bead pattern up. Click on "hiropdf" to download a one-page PDF of instructions. The catch—it's in French but the illustrations are great. For materials, "rondes de 8mm" are 8mm round beads and "rocailles" are seed beads.

There are many more free patterns under the category tab along the left—Schemas 2008, Schemas 2009 and Schemas 2010. Just click on the thumbnail under each picture to download instructions in PDF or jpg format.

Bijoux Ornament

I bought some large Swarovski crystals and pearls because I thought I'd design some holiday ornaments but I just can't seem to get inspired by these large beads. They sure are pretty but I'm not feeling the love. So... I decided to try a different approach and used these beads on one of my earring patterns, the Bijoux Earrings, with the following changes:

• Instead of 6 lb. FireLine, I used 8 lb. FireLine.
• Instead of 11/0 seed beads, I used 8/0 seed beads.
• Instead of 4mm bicone crystals, I used 8mm bicone crystals.
• Instead of 4mm glass pearls, I used 8mm glass pearls.
• I used a larger 4mm jump ring, which I attached to a hook.
• In Steps 12 and 13 where it says to add five seed beads, I found that you have to add six seed beads.
• And in most of the steps, I went back around through the beads to make the ornament stiffer and less floppy.

It's about 3 inches long and 1.75 inches wide, and I'm quite sure my purple-loving Mum-in-law will want it for her tree :)

The Netted Cab

I've been using peyote to bezel rivolis but Ruby has a step-by-step tutorial up on how to use netting to bezel—The Netted Cab: