I’ve recently been experimenting with two things. I’ve been braiding my hair in fun ways, and I’ve also been playing with my new seed beads.

So I made some hair pins with seed beads to put in my new braids!

The first one was based on this cabochon beaded bezel tutorial (click the pic for the link)

I got these gorgeous Czech Glass beads, and used up some of my chain, and voila!

I know the picture of it in use isn’t that great, but I’m on my own here and photographing the back of your own head is difficult. You’ll have to bear with me.

And a close up of my version of the bezel!

I used size 15/0 charlottes in black, a Czech size 11/o in matte black, a hex cut Miyuki Delica 11/0 in black, some regular Miyuki Delica 11/0’s in matte purple, and 3mm Onyx Swarovski Crystals.

I also made a flower pin based on the design of these flowers I made quite a while ago.

The bigger ones, not the little wire ones. They’re basically a brick stitch, with increasing number every few rows. They were originally designed based on a necklace I saw at a fair a long time ago, and I got tired of the design a few years ago after making about 20 of these flowers.

Then I thought, I bet I could use that pattern in a right angle weave to make a looser, lacier flower.

Voila!

I like it quite a bit. Again with the back of the head thing, though. Sorry.

Basically, the design starts as a sort of a fan, which you then roll together and stitch to make the flower.

It’s a pretty basic right angle weave, in three different colors of a Czech 11/0, and the edge is a two drop, to make up for the size difference, using a Czech 14/0 bead.

I’m really enjoying the access to cheap new beads!