The Evolution of the O Stars Pendant

Sometimes when I'm working on a new beading design, I'll have a specific idea in mind that I'm trying to achieve. This was the case with some of my more floral and geometric designs such as the Sakura Bouquet Necklace and the Tila Garden Pendant. Other times, a new design will evolve from a previous beaded component or set of components. This was the case with my most recent design, the O Stars Set.

Lucky O + Snowflakes + Rizo Triangles = O Stars

The O Stars Set started as a variation on the Lucky O Bracelet, one of the first designs that I completed using the new O beads:

While I liked the open, lacy look of these components, especially when paired with bugle beads in the bracelet, I noticed how the Lucky O components can also almost perfectly enclose a Swarovski rivoli crystal. A few bronze seed beads and two rivoli crystals later, a pair of such components quickly became earrings:

Since the wintertime was just beginning, I wanted to expand on the six-fold symmetry of these components to see if they could become snowflakes. I had already experimented with a more open version of beaded snowflakes in the aptly-named Snowflakes bracelet:

This bracelet gave me the idea to use SuperDuo beads for snowflake points, however I wanted to make the new components a little stiffer than those in the snowflakes bracelet. Another one of my designs that makes use of SuperDuos as points in beaded components is the Rizo Triangles Necklace, and, while this necklace is more complicated than the snowflakes bracelet, each component is more heavily engineered to be solid and self-supporting.

With these ideas in mind, I began work on combining the ideas from all three pieces together.

First O Stars Pendant

My first attempt at executing these ideas turned into these two components. In the medium component, the SuperDuos are added with sets of O beads on each side, as well as one on the top of each point to further decorate the component with these shiny little sequin-like beads. Interestingly, the result is more star-like than snowflake-like, a surprising but pleasing development. I immediately paired both components together with a briolette crystal to make a petite little pendant.

While I was very happy with how this pendant turned out, several people told me that it needed something more. Several friends said it would work better as a three-component pendant instead of two, and my husband said I needed to make a larger version to complement both smaller components. I was reluctant to step up to the challenge of more bead component engineering, but I also knew that they were right...

Final Pendant and Earrings Set

As it turns out, designing the large component was similar to the process of designing the large component of the Rizo Triangles Necklace; it's more challenging to create, but the result is definitely worth the effort. Here's a picture of the completed set of all three components in one pendant, plus two small components in matching earrings:

How do you explore new beading ideas? Do you find yourself returning to your previous work for inspiration? Drop me a line in the comments!

New Pattern and Kits: Lucky O Bracelet

The patterns and kits for my new O bead designs are now available on my website! Over the next couple days I'll talk about each of them here on the blog. First up is the Lucky O Bracelet:

O Beads + Bugle Beads

This bracelet features two different colors of O beads in two different orientations: edge-on, and face-up. I wanted to contrast the round, smooth O shape with something angular, so I used several Japanese bugle and triangle beads on the back of each component.

Connected Snowflake Components

The finished bracelet is made up of nine connected components that look like little snowflakes. There are tons of possibilities for other jewelry items from these components, such as earrings, charms, or rings!

Custom Matching Clasp

The beading pattern for this bracelet includes instructions on how to make a matching beaded toggle clasp, with more O beads and bugle beads, for a seamless look to this beaded bracelet.

Three Kit Colorways!

This O bead pattern is available exclusively at beadorigami.com, and beading kits for this design are available in the three colorways shown above. Each kit contains all the beads needed to make one bracelet!

O Beads!

I've been working on a set of secret beading projects for the past few months, and I'm very excited to talk about them on the blog today!

A New Bead Shape!

All three projects utilize a brand new bead shape, the O bead! This little glass bead is in the shape of its namesake, measuring about 4 mm in diameter with a relatively big 1.5 mm hole. But it's very thin - only about 1 mm wide, so it can be readily used as a glass sequin! 

Can you spot the O beads in the bracelet below?

They also make great spacers, especially between crystals and other beads. This property came in quite handy in this crystal necklace (which I've taken to wearing quite frequently as of late!)

The O beads are made by the same folks who brought us the Rizo and SuperDuo beads, so they come in some similar, gorgeous colors. I fell in love with the shiny purple finish on the O beads in this beaded bead:

When used in the off-loom types of beadwork that I specialize in, the O beads present an interesting design challenge because their large holes allow for a lot of movement in the surrounding beads. But this is a useful and convenient feature for designs with high bead density, as it provides more space to pass your needle through the bead.

O beads will be available for purchase worldwide on December 1. Patterns and kits for these designs are coming soon!