The Perfect Bead Storm

I was so inspired by Alma Stoller's mini tutorial on her delicious fabric beads, that I commenced whipping up a storm of my own. Her instructions are clear and easy to follow. Alma is running some classes on more of her fantastical bead creations (Oddities and Thingamajigs) and they look like loads of fun! I made mine from silk sari scraps wrapped around a dowel rod and beaded. They pair nicely with my paper text beads, so I'm creating some bracelets with alternating paper and fabric beads. I'll have these for sale at the CREATE Artist's Faire next week in Rosemont Il.

The finished bracelets.

Here are the silk bits wrapped and pinned to a dowel, ready for beading.

And the beadathon begins! When they're fully beaded, I slip them off the stick and pile them on a headpin with other beads so that I can create a loop for hanging on a necklace or bracelet.

Here's a stick of beaded baubles--it looks like a magic wand.

Thanks Alma for the great spark of inspiration!