Bumblebee Bracelet Tutorial

Summer is here at last, although here in the UK, you wouldn't necessarily know it! We've had a month's rain in a day more than once, serious flooding, gale force winds, and if it's not pouring with rain here in Manchester then it's not sunny, it's just muggy. Ah well. I am keeping my fingers crossed for some good weather soon. One thing that does come along with the advent of sunshine are bees and wasps....not my favourite things. I'm allergic to wasp stings so I have to be extra careful - I don't feel the need to scream and jump around like some, but I would really rather they didn't come near to me, in case they sting me and I swell up like a balloon!

Thankfully, I'm not allergic to bee stings and in fact, I have a soft spot for bumblebees. I recently bought some incredibly sweet bronze bumblebee beads (bumblebeads?! Or is that one pun too far...?) from Caroline of BlueberriBeads 

As one of my recent resolutions is to use more beads and hoard fewer, I set to work straight away on a bracelet featuring some them. They are a lovely shimmery deep bronze colour and they cried out for some aquamarine tones and copper.

1. Cut a 30cm piece of undyed waxed linen cord and attach it to an antique brass link using a lark's head knot. 

2. Knot on a selection of aquamarine czech glass faceted rondelles, antique copper spacers and include three clay bumblebees along the way. Tie double knots on either side of each bumblebee.

3. When the bracelet is almost the required length, knot to an antique copper daisy clasp. 

4. Double knot the cord tails over one bead at each end to secure. Trim the tails and dab with jewellery cement or clear nail varnish.

5. Take two antique copper headpins and twist around the tips of your round nosed pliers a few times to create spirals. Pull these out so they are tendrils rather than coils. Slide these both through an enamelled flower bead cap and turn a wrapped loop with both headpins, attaching it to the brass link from step 1.

6. Slide a clear czech faceted rondelle and attach it to the brass link with a wrapped loop to complete your bracelet. 

Rebecca is a Scottish jewellery designer and singer, currently living in Manchester, England. You can read more about beads and singing at her blog, songbeads.blogspot.com and see more of her jewellery at songbead.etsy.com.