Tutorials for summer flowers!

The run up to the summer craft fair at Brancepeth castle gave me chance to explore and experiment with lunasoft cabachons and czech beads.  I'm often asked for brooches at events - so this season I made an effort to focus on developing some new designs in this area.  Bead Embroidery lends itself to creating brooches.......but my beadweaving background means that these designs evolve from a simple back stitch into innovative bezels.

At the bead retreat in May 2015 - we created a vase of flowers for Donna.  The SuperDuo Gerbera Daisy was designed at the retreat - using peyote stitch and a variety of size 11 and 15 seed beads creates an attractive flower shaped bezel over the lunasoft cabachon.  SuperDuo and SuperUno beads create petals.

Water Lily with pips! was a design that I jotted down at Christmas......and the 3 layers I had pictured worked up quickly.  It looks great with the two tone pip beads used in the tutorial and also works up nicely with the latest pastel shades.  

Rizo Swan River Daisy celebrates visible threads and these add texture to the flower design.  The approach to creating rizo petals is summarised for four sizes.....and the smallest size looks great as earrings!