Monika Wiklund

Lately, I have been trying some new things and this is one of the results of my experiments. I found a web page (in swedish) describing how to sew beads together in different ways, and this necklace is the result of my first tries at the Nepal chain stitch and Mandala stitch.

The nepal chain is made from silver-lined darker and lighter purple seed beads, with the lighter purple seed beads as the stems and the darker purple seed beads as the flowers or leafs of the chain. I think that it turned out fairly well, and the color combination makes me think about heather in bloom.

For the Mandala flower, I used the same light and dark purple seed beads for the base, and then I added some garnet and amethyst beads to fill it out and make the flower more three-dimensional. The garnet and amethyst beads are not exactly the same colors as the seed beads, but I think this is adding to the three-dimensional effect.

Photography by Kristian.

For this necklace, I used some round beige-pink desert sun beads, large light purple silver-lined seed beads, and some light purple silver-foil beads of different sizes and shapes. I think that the colors are complementing each other nicely, and that the combination of different types of beads highlights the pattern and shapes.

The seed beads are used as spacers between the desert sun and silver-foil beads, and the smaller silver-foiled hearts in the necklace gives a tighter connection between the pendant and the beads in the necklace as well as increases the variation in the pattern.

Photography by Kristian.

A beautiful purple seed bead mix is combined with the sparkling purple resin flower pendant.

Purple flower necklace

The seed beads are interspersed with small,purple, faceted glass beads and small metal beads, and the clasp is a simple silver-colored toggle clasp.

Photography by Kristian.

Matching set of necklace, bracelet and earrings made of silver-lined blue and crystal seed beads, small faceted glass beads with dark blue core, small blue silver-foil hearts, dark heart-shaped toggle clasps, and small angel charms.

Blue angel necklace

The bracelet and the necklace both have the angel charms and follow the same pattern with the seed beads and glass beads, although on a smaller scale with the bracelet.

Blue angel bracelet

The earrings are made from hat pins, silver-lined blue hearts and seed beads.

Blue silver-foiled heart earrings

The angel charms are made from flower-shaped glass beads, silver-colored metal wings, and blue faceted glass beads, that have been put together with a hat pin.

Close-up of angel charm

Photography by Kristian.

I have made a few of this type of necklaces where you tie the ends together rather than use a clasp of some kind. This one is based on wire and seed beads in different shades of blue, with small white “nugget” fresh water pearls, some blue rice fresh water pearls, smalll blue glass beads, and a spiky metal snowflake charm at each end of the necklace.

‘

The ends of the necklace can be a bit difficult to tie since it is based on wire, but I still think that it turned out fairly well. Maybe some day, I will get around to rethreading it with some other material, but then again I might not.

This is a necklace and bracelet made of black and silver-lined crystal twisted bugle beads and seed beads, small black glass cubes, black cloisonne beads, small round metal beads, and metal snowflake charms.

Several people have been interested in this design and I have made at least three copies of this necklace and bracelet, two with the snowflake charms and one with small flower charms instead. I do not think I have any of them left, but I might make another one some day.

Here is a necklace of black agate chips, gold filigree beads, oval black cloisonne beads, and a black cloisonne butterfly pendant.

The photograph was prepared by K. Wiklund.

I think I have at least three variations of this necklace, all with different length and slightly different compositions. Looking through my collection, I have found two similar ones, but it seems I no longer have this particular necklace left.

This necklace was made from blue seed beads, small dragonfly metal beads, blue and crystal faceted glass beads, frosted blue and crystal pyramid beads, small blue glass beads with AB finish, and slightly larger blue glass cubes with AB finish.

This necklace was among the first I made from larger glass beads rather than basing it on seed beads. It is not quite symmetrical since I used a bead mix when I created it, and not all of the beads where exactly like each other…

It is made from dark grey and black glass beads, some with white or gold decrations, large metal spiral findings, and with a leaflike light metal pendant. I no longer have this necklace so this is the only picture available.

This is a  necklace and bracelet kit made from white and silver-lined crystal seed beads, round metal beads and a small metal flower, hematite chips, and white quartz and agate nuggets.

The bracelet is made from memory wire with the same seed beads, round metal beads, metal flower findings, and hematite chips as the necklace, and is the only part of the kit that I have left.