Artist PlayDate: A Sensational Tutorial & Incredible Giveaway From a Fabulous Artist Who Proves Time and Again That True Beauty Is In The Details

Jodi, creator of the shop Jodi Horgan, is a talented, warm, dedicated, creative artist who specializes in creating handmade beaded art to wear. When you visit her store, you cannot help but to be dazzled by the striking colors or sheer sense of joy in her work.

There is much to love about Jodi but my favorite thing is the way she handles details. From the loving way she looks after and enjoys her family (she attends to every detail of their lives with such care) to the intricate designs that make her work magnificent, Jodi proves time and again that life is to be celebrated and that celebration begins by giving special attention to the little things.

Today, this phenomenal artist shares a tutorial that will make you want to sit down and make your own pendant as well as a stellar giveaway you won't believe!!

Bead Embroidered Bullseye Pendant Tutorial

Supplies:
- beading foundation - Lacy’s Stiff Stuff or stiffened felt (approximately 2” x 2” square)
- beading needles (size 12 sharps)
- beading mat (useful, but not necessary)
- E6000 glue
- Nymo thread or Fireline
- thin cardboard (like cereal boxes)
- ultrasuede or leather
- seed beads (various sizes, I used size 11’s and 8’s for this project)
- cabochon or other flat back bead or stone
- leather cord or ribbon
- sharp scissors


1. Glue your cabochon or flat back bead or stone to the middle of the beading foundation. Wait at least 20 minutes for the glue to set. E6000 has a strong odor so make sure you are in a well ventilated room.

2. While you are waiting for the glue to dry, you can begin to decide the order in which you will sew the beads.

3. Cut a comfortable length of beading thread. Thread the needle and knot one end. I use about a yard of thread. If you are new to sewing or beading, don’t use too much because it just gets tangled. Using a Simple Beaded Back Stitch, begin stitching the first row of beads.



Simple Beaded Back Stitch

Press the needle up from the bottom of the beading foundation next to the cabochon and pull thread up until the knot meets the foundation.






Pick up two seed beads with your needle. Slide the beads down the thread and place them against the cabochon. Insert your needle into the foundation right after the second bead and pull the thread down. Make sure that your beads are sitting right next to each other and that there is no space between the beads and the cabochon.





Now bring your needle back up in front of the first bead. Slide the needle through both beads.







Pick up two more beads. Slide the third and fourth beads up against the first two beads. Insert the needle into the foundation after the fourth bead and pull thread down securing the beads in place.




Insert the needle back up through foundation between the first and second bead.





Slide the needle through the second, third, and fourth beads and pull thread tight.




Once again, pick up two more seed beads. Insert the needle after the sixth bead and pull thread tight.





Bring the needle back up between the third and fourth bead and slide the needle through the fourth, fifth, and sixth bead and pull the thread tight.




Continue doing Simple Beaded Back Stitch the rest of the way around the cabochon.



When you get all the way around the cabochon, you may or may not pick up two beads. Don’t force two beads into the opening if they won’t fit. The beads should sit comfortably next to each other and next to the cabochon. As you can see from my example I added only one bead.





Pick up the necessary beads and slide needle through the very first bead. Then push the needle down between the first and second bead. Push your needle back up behind the last bead you picked up. Slide the needle through the last bead and the first bead and pull the thread down tight. You’re now ready to start the second round of beads.

Push your needle up through the foundation outside the first row of seed beads. Make sure that is not right next to the first row. Allow a beads worth of space so that the next row of seed beads will fit comfortable against the first row.




Following the same Simple Beaded Back Stitch, continue to add as many seed bead rows as you choose. You can switch between size 11 and size 8 seed beads to give the beadwork some texture.

At some point, you will need to start a new thread. As you reach the end of the thread, bring the needle and thread to the back side of the beadwork. Sew a few small stitches on the back side of the beadwork and then trim the thread. Be careful not to cut any of the stitches on the backside.

4. Once you have finished beading, sew a few small stitches on the back side of the bead work and trim the thread. You are now ready to trim off the extra beading foundation. Using a sharp pair of scissors, trim the extra foundation away from the beadwork. You’ll want to leave approximately 1/8” to a 1/4” of foundation on the outside edge. It is a good idea to check the back side of your beadwork when you are cutting away the foundation. You don’t want to cut any of the stitches on the outside row, otherwise your beads may come loose and fall off.





5. Once you’ve trimmed the bead work, place it on top of the cardboard and draw a line around the outside edge. Cut the piece of card board on the inside edge of your line making the card board approximately a 1/4” smaller than the piece of bead work. Set the piece of card board to the side.




6. Next, you’ll want cut a piece of ultrasuede or leather about 1/2” larger than the beadwork.





7. Now start gluing the pieces together using the sandwich technique. Spread glue on the back of the beadwork, place card board on top of glue. Allow the glue to dry. Next spread glue on the back of the card board and center the card board/beadwork piece on top of the piece of ultrasuede or leather. Allow to dry.

8. Next trim the ultrasuede to approximately 1/4” away from the beadwork.




9. Now it’s time to sew the edge of the beadwork. You’ll be doing a Brick Stitch Edge to finish the piece.




Brick Stitch Edging

Start with a new piece of thread. Make sure your thread is long enough so that you won’t have to start a new thread while doing the Brick Stitch Edging or adding the bail. I’d estimate about 1 to 1 1/2 yards of beading thread. Thread the needle and knot one end. You’ll want to start the brick stitch edging where you want your bail to start. Basically, start at the top. Insert the needle from the underside of the foundation bringing the needle up next the last row of beads. This will hide the knot between the foundation and the ultrasuede.




Pull the knot up tight against the foundation. Pick up two size 10 seed beads and slide them down the thread and up against the beadwork. Insert the needle after the second bead and pull the needle and thread through both the foundation and the ultrasuede.



Bring your needle up and through the second bead. The thread will be on the outside edge. This time you want the seed beads to lay on their backs (the opening should be facing up).




Pick up one seed bead, slide it down the thread and insert the needle through the foundation and ultrasuede. Bring the needle back up through the seed bead making sure that bead opening is facing up.




Continue sewing one bead at a time all the way around the beadwork.




When you attach the last bead, the needle should be exiting the last bead you added. Bring the needle down through the first bead.




10. Now, you’ll be adding beads to make a bail for your pendant. Make sure that your thread is exiting where you want to have the bail. Pick up ten size 11 seed beads and slide them down the thread. Insert the needle through the opposite side of the seed bead on the edging.



Pull the thread through making a circle of seed beads against the edge. Insert the needle back through the ten seed beads and coming through the same seed bead on the edging. Pull the thread tight.




Insert the needle through the next edge bead and pull thread through. Pick up another ten size 11 seed beads, push needle through the edge seed bead making another circle of beads. Sew through the ten seed beads again. Repeat this process until you have three circles of seed beads for the bail.




Weave your needle and thread through a couple of edge seed beads so that it is exiting out the back of the pendant. Pull the thread tight. Now carefully insert your needle up through the ultrasuede into the edge of the last row of seed beads.





Pull the thread up tight against the bead work. Push the needle through about eight or ten seed beads on the last row of seed beads.




Pull the thread tight. Insert the needle down through the foundation and ultrasuede.




Pull the thread tight and snip the thread as close to the ultrasuede you can without cutting ultrasuede.

10. FINALLY, cut a piece of leather or ribbon and slide it through the bail. Your pendant is complete. Congratulations and enjoy!

AND NOW, drumroll please......our incredible Giveaway!!

Today, we have a very special giveaway! Jodi is giving away the gorgeous Bead Embroidered Bullseye Pendant featured in this tutorial!!

To enter:


1. Please visit Jodi's shop at http://jodihorgan.etsy.com and then in the comments section of this post tell me what item you love most.


2. Be sure to leave your name and email address so that I can contact the winner!

This giveaway begins today, Wednesday, June 24th and ends at midnight on Monday, June 29th. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, June 30th!

Need more Beaded Art to Wear? Please check out Jodi's shop - http://jodihorgan.etsy.com

and her fantastic blog

http://jodihorgan.blogspot.com

Thank you, Jodi for this sensational tutorial and giveaway! You are a true inspiration. Please keep creating, creating and creating some more!