Every week I share what I have been working on. Come take a look at what's on my bead board this week.

I am still busily working on my Halloween patterns. I have a bunch of these little earring patterns done and I am still thinking up more to add to this collection.

I think I might be done with my spooky Halloween items (or not if I can think of some more), so I think I will start working on some other holiday patterns. What do you think I should work on? 

What are you working on right now? I'd love to hear from you. 

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Every week I share what I have been working on. Come take a look at what's on my bead board this week.

I am still busily working on my Halloween patterns. I have a bunch of these little earring patterns done and I am still thinking up more to add to this collection.

What other spooky characters should I add to this collection? 

What are you working on right now? I'd love to hear from you. 

​Want to get beady updates sent right to your inbox? Maybe you'd be interested in a 25% off coupon? Sign up for my email newsletter today and get all that and more! ​

Every week I share what I have been working on. Come take a look at what's on my bead board this week.

I just got back from my first break in about a year and a half. My family and I rented a small cabin and spent the week enjoying the outdoors, swimming, and just enjoying our time together. It was very relaxing and felt so good. 

I didn't bring my beads with me on vacation (I wish I would have), but I did get a bunch of beading done when I got home. I put the finishing touches on my new Halloween patterns and am slowly getting them listed in my shop. You can find the little ghost pendent HERE. The earrings will be up soon (as soon as I finish writing up the instructions for the fringe). 

What projects are you working on right now? I'd love to hear about it. Just leave a quick comment below. 

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Every week I share what I have been working on. Come take a look at what's on my bead board this week.

So I'm still on the large earring kick. I now have four pairs for these bad boys that I wear all the time. I am still not going out and mingling with people, but I have started dressing up at home (I don't wear work out clothes every single day). And what better way to finish off an outfit, then with a pair of amazing earrings. 

And of course I need them in every color, which means I've been raiding my vintage seed bead collection for some of the most beautiful colors. Mmmmmmm, I do love vintage beads. 

I'm sure I will be making even more of these. I mean who could resist. I'm even thinking about putting them up in my shop. What do you guys think? Would you like to see some of these in the shop? Let me know in the comments what your thoughts are on these beauties. 

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Every week I share what I have been working on. Come take a look at what's on my bead board this week.

I had to take a break from my big project. Let's just say I had an unfortunate series of events happen which made me have to take a step back. I think I have the logistics of it figured out now, so I'll probably start working on it again soon. 

In the mean time, I've been working on some long earring for myself. I haven't made a pair of these in years and I almost forgot how much I love them. So now I'm making a pair for myself in every color combo. I really love how I can make a pair in just an hour or so. Nothing like instant gratification. 

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​I have a confession to make. I have way too many scissors. I don't know about you, but I love buying scissors. There is just something about getting a new scissors and using it for the first time. I have a problem and I know it. I own so many scissors and they each have their specific thing I use them for. If I see a cool new pair (or pretty pair) of scissors, I'm probably going to buy them. 

This article includes affiliate links from Etsy. That just means that I get a little fee if you click on the link or purchase something and no additional cost to you. That little fee helps me keep writing these articles. All my opinions are my own. I am featuring these products because I love them.

I won't show you my whole collection. It's quite large, but I will share with you the ones that I keep in my bead box all of the time. The ones that are with me every day. The ones I use the most.

So let's dig in.

​This pair is the one I've had the longest. I have no idea when or where I got this pair of titanium scissors. It use to have a little cover, but that broke long long ago. It has been abused for many years and I mostly use it to cut loose threads and itchy tags out of clothes. I first bought it to use with my beading, but it has since been retired from that (though there are times where I can't find another scissors and I use it to cut beading thread). 

​This one I bought because it's pretty. I know that was a pretty lousy excuse to buy a scissors, but like I said before, I have a bit of a problem. It's cheap and not the best around, but it has it's uses. And also look at how colorful it is 

Here is one I bought about a year ago, not really a scissors, but it cuts thread, so it counts. This one seems to have a bit of a learning curve to use because the first few times I could not get it to work. I just made a mess of things. But I'm happy to report that I have gotten the hang of using it and it does come in handy at times. The best part is this one you can take on a plane without worrying if it will be confiscated. So if you travel a lot, this is a big perk

​This pair right here is one of my favorites for trimming around my bead embroidery. It is uber sharp and the tip is so tiny (and also super sharp) you can get into any tight space. I went through a few different scissors before I found this one. It's amazing on how close I can get to my embroidery. If you do any type of embroidery or even quilting, this is an amazing scissors.

Now if you are like me, you probably cut a lot of fishing line for bead work. You know what fishing line does to scissors. I use to use a pair of kid scissors and they worked just fine. But they still dulled over time and I was really looking for something a bit smaller. I found two that I really have been digging on

First is this little pair of blue handled ones. They are specifically made for fishing line and have a serrated edge. They are well made, small, and cut like a dream. They also were super cheap. I think they cost me around 2 dollars, which is about what you'd pay for a pair of kids scissors. I high recommend these guys. 

​My second most used scissors is this pair right here. I love these so much. They are also made for fishing and have a serrated edge. Since they are made for fishing, they hold up to repeated cutting of fishing line. They are also really small and, my favorite part, you can lock the blade. What a great feature. They even come with a retractable clip, so if you are always loosing your scissors, you can slip them on and they are always right there. I really love this pair. I use this pair almost everyday. They have never met a thread they couldn't handle. This is my top rated scissors. 

​And of course, if we talk about scissors, we should probably talk about thread burners. I have a few of these, but of course I absolutely love this one made by Berkley for fishing (all the best tools are made for fishing). Why do I love this one? Well like all the scissors we talked about, it's made to be abused. It's made to be used in wet, dirty conditions. It's made to be tossed in a tackle box. So that means it's going to hold up really well. And my favorite thing about this one is the retracting tip. Which means you can use it one handed. No dropping everything so you can take the cap off to use it. It comes with reusable tips and take two AAA batteries (I use rechargeable ones). This is a highly recommended item for any beader. 

If you notice I do seem to gravitate towards things made for fishing (fireline, scissors, burners, etc). It's just going to be made to withstand more abuse and things made for fishing are usually a lot cheaper in price. So if you are looking to save a bit of money, they are a perfect investment.

So those are just a few of my scissors (that's right, I didn't even share my whole collection). What is your favorite scissors? Have you tried any of the ones I have? Do you have something you cannot live without? I'd love to hear from you. Leave a comment below and let me know about your favorite scissors. 

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Every week I share what I have been working on. Come take a look at what's on my bead board this week. 

I've made a little bit more progress on my secret project. The base is all done and I've started working on all the extras. 

I didn't get a lot of time to work on this project last week, but I'm hoping to get more time this week. Check in next week to see how much progress I actually make.  And if you'd like to see even more progress shots, check out my Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. ​

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Every week I'll be sharing what is on my beadbaord. Get an inside look at the projects that I'm working on right now. Feel free to share with me the projects you are working on. 

This week I'm working on a new project. A big one. It's a little bit of a secret right now, but I'm sharing everything, step by step, with you. I am making pretty slow progress because I am fitting in beading in-between my very busy summer schedule (ugh, busy summer schedules).  

I'll be sharing my progress every Monday, so make sure to check back next week to see what I accomplished. And if you'd like to see even more progress shots, check out my Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. 

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Today's tutorial is a little different, but it's based on a question I get all the time. "How do I read this pattern?" Which means today I'm going to go over how to read that pesky peyote word chart that came with your pattern. I will be talking about how to read the graph in the next tutorial, so if that's more your cup of tea, it's coming soon.

​This article includes affiliate links from Etsy. That just means that I get a little fee if you click on the link or purchase something and no additional cost to you. That little fee helps me keep writing these articles. All my opinions are my own. I am featuring these products because I love them.

In this tutorial, I am going to be focusing on even count peyote stitch, but will be covering other stitches in future tutorials. Let's get started.

So maybe you are new to beading or maybe you are just new to patterns. I know I learned how to do basic stitches before I ever figured out how to read a pattern. I remember my first few attempts at following a pattern. It didn't go well. I don't think it helped that I decided the first pattern I would try would be a large tapestry. Looking back I see now that it really wasn't the best choice for my first attempt. 

To save you that frustration, I'm going to walk you through how to read that pattern and get you started on peyote project.

This tutorial is for beaders that already know how to do even count peyote stitch. If you are looking for a basic peyote tutorial, please see my tutorial here. 

And if you are looking for some awesome patterns, just stop by my Etsy shop and check out all my patterns. I suggest a simple pen wrap or small bracelet to get started with. Something that won't be too overwhelming. Well, that's enough self promotion, let's get on to the tutorial. 

As always there is both a video and a written tutorial because I know that everyone learns a little bit different. If videos aren't your thing, just scroll down to see the written tutorial. 

Here is the little pattern we are going to follow today. Just a simple even count peyote project. I have used a different color for each row, this way you can visualize the word chart easier. 

Before we jump in, let's talk about the different ways a word chart can be written. There are two ways a word chart​ can start. The chart can combine both rows 1 and 2 together or the chart can start with just row 1 (this is done with a starter strip and we will talk more about starter strips in a later tutorial). Today we will focus on the word chart that combines both rows 1 and 2. 

Let's take a look at the word chart. This is how the word charts in my patterns look. They may look a little different with other designers patterns, but the way they are read is the same. 

Let's beak down all the parts.

Row Number is which row you are working on

The L and R are the direction you are working in. 

I normally ignore this on a pattern because this will depend on how you hold your beadwork when you are working. I tend to flip my beadwork so I'm always working right to left. 

Next are the real important parts of you pattern. The number of beads, which are show as a number within parentheses in my patterns. And The bead color, which is represented by an uppercase letter in my patterns. 

Different designers represent bead color in a variety of ways. They can be an uppercase letter, like in mine, or they can be represented by a symbol or number or something else. Each designer might do it a bit different.

So how do you know what the designer uses? That will be represented by a legend like the one above. It might have more or less information, but it will give you all the information you need to know about how the word chart, as well as the graph, works. 

So in our example today, you can see that pink is represented with the capital A and there are 3 beads, of that color, in this pattern. 

So looking back at our word chart, we can see that our first row (our combined row of one and two) are white (I) and blue (B). 

Row 1 is white
Row 2 is blue

Here is what it would look like on your thread. 

The red bead is our stop bead and then working left to right we strung one blue (B), one white (I), one blue (B), one white (I), one blue (B), and one white (I). 

Now we have our first two rows completed, so let's make sure to cross off rows 1&2 on your pattern so you don't loose your place. You can see how I keep my place while beading here. 

Now that we have row 1 and row 2 on our thread, we're going to start row 3. 

In our example row three is 3 yellow beads (represented by the letter J in our word chart). 

Now hold up, you say. I thought this was an even count pattern, why are there three beads in each one of these rows? The last time I checked 3 is an odd number. You made a mistake. 

I know this can be confusing, I know I was confused the first time I saw this. Think of each one of these rows as "half rows". The beads are going to go in-between the beads of the previous row, so we won't be adding the the full 6 beads in this example, we'll be added "half" of the row or 3 beads. 

You also want to keep in mind that though the patterns says (3) J, we won't be adding all three beads at one. If we did that, we would get a loop of bead at the end of our row. 

This is kind of the tricky part about reading a word chart. You have to wrap your head around the fact that you have to count out the beads as you add them and they don't all go together. 

If you have trouble thinking about this, or if you are working on a large complex piece, you can always lay out the row of beads before you start. That way you just have to pick them up in order and not keep track of them in your head. They even make amazing bead boards that hold your little beads in neat little rows for you. Like this one HERE. ​

This is how it will look once you add those three yellow beads. 

See how each row 3 bead (yellow beads) goes between the row 2 beads (blue beads). 

Word charts always mess with my head because you added rows one and two, but the first bead you add (a blue bead in this example) is row 2 not row 1 and you end with a row 1 bead (a white bead in this example). I always have to remind myself that my thread will come out of row 1 and I will be added row  3 on top of row 1 and in-between row 2. That half step up always throws me off. 

Okay, so now it's time to add our forth row, which will be 3 green beads (represented by F in this example). We will add them just like we did row three. 

Here is what it looks like when you've added the forth row (three green beads). 

​You would just continue adding rows this way until you get to the end of the pattern. 

And that is how you read an even count peyote word chart. 

The toughest part in my opinion is getting started with that combined first row. Once you get past that and get your third row added, it's pretty easy sailing. 

So what did you think? Was there something I missed? Did this help get you started on that new pattern you just picked up? Let me know below in the comments what you thought of this tutorial. ​

Is there a tutorial that you really want me to do? Let me know in the comments. I'd love to hear from you.

Looking for more beady tutorials?
​Even Count Flat Peyote Stitch - Click Here
Ladder Stitch - Click Here
Brick Stitch - Click Here
Square Stitch - Coming Soon
Two Drop Even Count Flat Peyote Stitch - Coming Soon
Odd Count Flat Peyote Stitch - Coming Soon
And many more!

​Other Helpful Goodies

​Want to know how I keep track of where I am in a pattern? Click here to read about my method for staying on track.

What are my favorite beads to use for peyote? I love me some Delica cylinder beads. There are a number of awesome choices HERE. 

What are my favorite needles? Check out these great Tulip needles. They are some of the best needles out there. Click HERE for more info

Holy cow, I haven't written an article since my birthday, I guess I took the month of May off for some reason. To be honest, May is pretty busy time for me personally. My birthday falls at the very end of April. And then it's my FIL's birthday. And then it's Mother's Day. And then it's my husbands birthday (this year was his fortieth). And then before I know it, it's Memorial Day. In all of that, is the start of the summer semester in the lab, which means all of our summer students start. The month of May is just nonstop for me. So of course I let the article writing slide. I know, not cool. But I'll be better, I promise. 

I am even working on some new tutorials, so keep an eye out for those! And if there is a tutorial you'd like to see, let me know in the comments.

But for now, I have some new exciting patterns to share with you! YAY!

So I have been working on a plethora of new patterns. And one of those new patterns are my new lighter covers. I have had quite a few requests for these, but I wasn't sure if it was something I wanted to do. But after a good friend requested one of my new maze design, I couldn't tell her no. 

So that was the first one I worked on. It was a fun pattern to make. I love making these mazes, so making this one was no different. And yes, that is a workable maze that has a start and a finish. 

And one of the greatest things about this type of pattern is that it is so much more versatile than just a lighter cover. You can use it on top of boxes. You can use it to make an amulet bag. You can frame it and display it on the wall. 

They are small enough that you can work one up in a day or two, so that give you that instant gratification that we all love (look, I love big projects, but I also love something I can make in a few hours). They are perfect for that person that is not into big jewelry, so a large cuff wouldn't work for them. Make them one of these beauties. 

And I'm making them in more and more designs, so there are plenty of styles to pick from. 

I am still working on some ideas to keep them from slipping on the lighter. I'm thinking about putting a row of beads or two on the inside at the bottom. That might work. And when I come up with my solution, I'll make sure to post a tutorial on how I did it. 

So what do you think of these new patterns? Love it. Hate it. Somewhere in between. I'd love to hear your opinion on this new venture of mine. Or maybe you have some pointers for me because you're an old pro at something like this. Go ahead and leave me a little comment below and let me know! 

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