Berry Enchanting Victorian Twilight Flora

I thought I had posted about this bracelet, but I looked back through my archives, and don't think I have.

I made this bracelet last August for a challenge on the Bead & Button seed bead forum. It's very different from anything I had made before, but I LOVE it!!

Here's what I posted about it in the challenge thread:


This was fun! Challenging, but fun . . . I've never tried anything like this before!

I did a strip of 3 drop peyote, but stitched long ways, instead of across the short width of the bracelet. I then did two rows of loops around each long edge, attached to the open peyote three-drop sections and the next row in, on the long outside edges. This is why the long ways stitching orientation.


I used an 8mm snowflake obsidian round bead for the clasp, with a reinforced loop of seed beads on the other end. Both clasp ends are reinforced. I don't count this bead as an embellishment as I wanted it to blend in with the bracelet, and it really does! It goes PERFECTLY!

I used Czech Ornela rainbow grey 11/0 seed beads for the base, ends, and loop. I then used, as my three extra materials, Swarovski crystals (black diamond bicones, 3 and 4mm), 4mm garnet round beads, and Czech pressed glass beads. I embellished my way down the length of the bracelet, although I pulled out the first third I had finished as I hated it, and started over (ugh!!). I was very hesitant to embellish as I was very unsure, but it started coming, after I restarted . . . I like this! I stacked some crystals sometimes, and sometimes a crystal on a garnet "berry".

I call this bracelet Berry Enchanting Victorian Twilight Flora. It feels and looks like I'm wearing a bit of a fairy-inhabited or magical garden around my wrist, at that magical twilight time of evening, with a few bright spots of color still visible as the light dims.

What do you all think?? I thought the rainbow grey beads would add to the Victorian feel, as well as provide a nice background to POP the embellishment colors . . . I also chose black diamond Swarovski crystals, as I didn't want the gleaming brightness of clear . . . I wanted it a touch more subdued, and yet it still sparkles . . . !!