Productive weekend

Finally attached toggles to these chains. It's a simple toggle but I like it 'cos it's a bit heavy and has nice clean lines. The hole is in the bar rather than a soldered ring. Would have been nicer if the hole in the ring was incoporated as well. I like it too that this simple toggle doesn't distract from the woven chains.

 

Made a second shaggy bracelet. Only bought two types of long magatama beads. The frosted green one and  this blue one. I like the different shades of blue and teal. 

Another chainmaille belt similar to the earlier one with the 3-by-1 weave. These are larger (and heavier) antique bronze rings. Matched it with a pretty heart charm and flower lobster hook.

Have a blessed day!

More and more rings

Bought some long green frosted magatama beads. I was looking for shorter ones, those that look like drop beads but I could only find these. I like these too after seeing how it all comes together as a bracelet. I also found a tiny Hand Made tag that I added, along with a 2-strand slide lock. This bracelet's fun to wear since it's simple to wear on your own with the slide lock and also 'cos it has a lot of movement.

DD has claimed this.

I found 5mm rings in other colours. From left to right, Byzantine weaves in gunmetal, gold, rhodium and silver. I don't think they're the real thing 'cos of the price (even though the Great Singapore Sale is still on) but they do resemble the real thing. I have some silver-plated rings that I bought from Australia and they look similar to these that I bought here in Singapore. Price-wise, the silver-plated ones from Down Under cost more than 5 times the price of similar looking ones.

Both DS and DD like the gunmetal one the most. I think I still prefer the rhodium rings.

Have a blessed day!

Bead your own watch bracelet

I've almost completed this before I decided to make a tutorial. Now I'm out of watch faces so I can't take any pics. Anyway, these are the text instructions first.

1. Get your watch face. I found mine at Beadtlesweet at Plaza Singapura. You can also get these at Chinatown or for a wider range, get them online. Just google 'watch face'. I chose the one that lets me stick a strand of Chinese knotting string through the loop at the top. There are many types of 'connections'. Choose the one that you like.

2. Loop 1 strand of Chinese knotting string through. The length of this would be half round your wrist plus the length of the dangle.

3. Cut another length of string about 40cm long. I don't know the length of this 'cos I estimate all the time. This will be used for the square knots.

4. Tie this with an overhand knot just at the loop where the first strand is then string beads onto 1 side of it. I used Miyuki cube beads here. You only need to string the beads on one side.

5. Tie a square knot. Right over left, left over right.

6. Push 1 bead up and tie half a square knot with the bead on the right side. The string with the beads is now on the left. Tie the other half of the square knot with the bead on the left.

7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 till you're happy with the length.

8. Do the same for the other side, ie. steps 3 to 7.

9. Cut another length of string about 15cm long.

10. Separate the middle strands of the 2 beaded sides and bring these together, one facing each way.

11. Use the new string and tie 3 square knots.

12. Trim the middle strands and put stopper beads.

13. Trim and singe all ends. (This part hasn't been done yet in the pic)

Have a blessed day!

I need a new wire cutter

I wanted to make jump rings. Curled them round my knitting needle and all ready to be cut when I discovered that my wire cutter is blunt at the tip. Now I have 2 springs waiting for me to cut into jump rings. In the meantime, since I could still cut with the wire cutter, I made these. Notice that I took the easy way out and didn't centre the loops. Deliberately. Excuses on a hot, hot afternoon.

Have a blessed day!

Double-hitched

I seldom use the double-hitch knot. The filler strand seems unruly, difficult to control but I thought, with the help of beads, it might be easier to guide where it's supposed to be. If you've not realised by know, I took the 'back' side of this bracelet so the double-hitch looks odd. LOL!

Have a blessed day!

More beads

I managed to buy the last 2 packets of blue and green beads. I like the colours and the almost transparent nature. Two holes through each bead made it really easy to thread it all through. Now I just have to add matching toggles.

Experiments with peyote and weaving with Miyuki cube beads. Peyote's fast to bead with cube beads 'cos they stay in place. Usually the first 3 rows are a bit difficult to get in place but it was a cinch with cube beads. Weaving wasn't easy at the start. The cube beads have a relatively large hole but because I wasn't using a proper bead loom, the weft wasn't taut enough and there were many times when I missed threading the beading string on top and below each row. Got better with practice though :-)

Have a blessed day!