Monika Wiklund

My first try at making a tubular peyote bracelet using the uneven peyote stitch technique.  I wanted to try to make something using the tubular technque because I thought it would create a nice effect, but at the same time I thought it was best to start small since I had a limited supply of seed beads and because I wanted to see the result fairly quickly. I started stitching around a plastic chop stick, but it kept falling out so I replaced it with the leather band which I also used for a very simple clasp.

In the beginning, I was not quite sure how  the pattern would turn out, and it took a couple of tries to figure out what happens with the different layers, but I think that it turned out fairly well considering that I am new to the technique.

Photography by Kristian.

This bracelet represents one of my first tries at sewing with beads, using the RAW (right angle weave) stitch for the bracelet and the mandala stitch for the flower.  I am not entirely happy with how it turned out, but I think I learned a few thing by making it, among other things I realised that it is easier to make the parts separately and sew them together when all parts are done rather than try to sew everything together at once.

Overall, I think that the flower turned out ok, but the bracelet could have been better and more even around the flower. The clasp side of the bracelet is not visible in the picture, but I used a cylinder shaped magnetic clasp that was intended for a three-stringed necklace or bracelet, that I sewed into the bracelet after completing the pattern.

Photography by Kristian.

A matching set of necklace, bracelet and earrings made from a light silver-colored, oval, angle-cut chain, some silver-colored metal beads, purple silver-foiled beads of different sizes and shapes, and with a large purple silver-foiled heart as a pendant.

I really like the combination of and the contrast between the dark purple beads and the light silver-colored chain and I wanted to create a set with a common theme without using the exact same pattern in each part. The bracelet and the earrings use the same colors, but rather than using the square and oval silver-foil and metal beads of the necklace, I used the small silver-foil hearts to increase the focus of the pendant of the necklace.

Photography by Kristian.

A rather discrete brown glass bead and copper chain bracelet with a cute, heart-shaped copper toggle clasp.

Copper chains are very nice, I wish I could find more of them, I only have a few different kind of chains right now. I think that the flat, square brown silver-foil glass beads fit in very nicely with the copper tones of the necklace, and the combination with a couple of small brown silver-foil glass hearts and the heart-shaped toggle clasp completed the bracelet.

The picture above shows the colors of the necklace, and below you can see the shape of the beads and the composition of the bracelet.

I think I also have a copper chain necklace somewhere that should match this bracelet perfectly, but I can’t seem to find it at  the moment…

Photography by Kristian.

I have made this necklace and bracelet specifically to match a white, brown, and purple skirt that I have. The minute I saw the brown and white stone beads, I knew they would be a perfect match for this skirt, and the amethyst nuggets perfected the match.

I am not sure what kind of stone the brown and white beads are, but I think they might be some kind of jaspis.

For the necklace I used one large amethyst nugget as a center piece, and smaller thinner nuggets with the holes at one end between each of the white and brown beads. Every second brown and white bead is coin shaped and the others are twisted ovals. For the hanging beads, I only used the coin-shaped beads.

The bracelet uses the same brown and white stone beads, but rather than the smaller amethyst nuggets, I used larger nuggets that are hanging from the bracelet between some of the brown and white beads.

The beads are linked with each other using eye pins, hat pins and some small rings.

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.

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.

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

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.

Photography by Kristian.

A dark chain necklace made from three different chains, sodalite nuggets, and with a large sodalite donut pendant.

Sodalite is a very nice semi-precious stone, and I love the mix of colors. This is a closeup of the pendant.

I have also made a matching bracelet for this necklace. The bracelet is made from the same materials, with the addition of the padlock and key toggle clasp.

Pictures by Kristian.

This necklace is part of a set of four necklaces and bracelets that I made for a colleague and friend of mine. Each necklace consists of semi-round fresh-water pearls, small metal letters charms hanging between the pearls, spelling the name of the owner,  and each necklace have a nice decorated toggle clasp or hook. For each necklace there is also a matching bracelet with a small heart-shaped magnetic clasp.

Each necklace and bracelet contains beads of three different colors, ranging from dark red to white, and where the lightest color in one necklace is the same as the darkest color in the next necklace. The necklace in the picture is the darkest necklace, unfortunately I do not have any pictures of the rest of the necklaces.

Picture by Kristian.

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.

Beautiful necklace and bracelet with black hearts.

The large hearts in the middle of the necklace and bracelet are made of hematite. The smaller hearts are glass beads, and the small cubes and twisted bugle beads are black with AB finish. The bracelet is made from memory wire and the necklace is made of wire with a simple toggle clasp.