Look what has washed up on the shore, oh my. Trapped in the seaweed are shells and seahorses and starfish. What a treasure indeed!

This complex looking bracelet is actually quite simple, when you break it down into it's individual steps (like most things, eh?). Silver charms and fringe make it look more complex than it is. Sterling silver dresses it up, while the seed beads keep it light and airy.

Skill Level: Intermediate, with tips and ideas to take you to advanced!

Time - approx 3 hours.

NOTE: I first learned the basic fringing technique that evolved into this by reading one of Maria Rypan's books. I also recommend her books if you are interesting in seed bead netting techniques and other cool ways to work with seed beads.

Supplies

• Powerpro or similar strong, thin, lightweight beading thread, appropriate for passing at least twice through a seed bead, about 3 - 4 yards.
• a mix of seed beads (I used size 11/0s in mix of colors - Trans. Teal, Silver-Lined Teal, Opaq. Turq Green and Trans. Light Teal. Size 10/0s would work as well.)
• Japanese Triangle seed beads - 4 mm (a small vial or package should do) - I chose Color-Lined Metallic Turquoise.
  
        Color-Lined Triangle Beads, up close & personal!
• 4 x 10 mm Sterling Seamless Rounds
• sterling clasp
• 6 sterling charms (sea-themed)

Tools

• cutters for thread
• beading needle

Cut off as much thread as you can comfortably handle (if you are fairly new to beading, you may find that a short length simplifies your life greatly!) In that case, about a yard (arm's length) will do. Ultimately, you will need more and have to add a new thread.

Thread on a needle, and put a stopper at one end, leaving a 10-inch tail.

A stopper can be a "stopper bead," some masking tape wrapped around the thread, or a bead stopper, which looks like a tiny spring with handles and clips onto your thread. I love these, but can never find them when I am looking for them.

A stopper bead is simply a large bead that you have passed the thread through 2 or 3 times and prevents the beads from falling off the end while you work. You can use any large bead, but make sure that you do not pierce the thread with the needle as you pass through the bead again, as you will not be able to easily get the bead off again afterwards, which is the whole point.

We are going to start by threading the main strand of the bracelet, which consists of the Japanese triangle beads, with the 10 mm sterling rounds for accents. For an approximately 7 inch bracelet, I calculated that I need about 10 beads between the sterling beads, and half of that where I attach the clasp. So, thread

• 5 triangle beads
• 1 sterling 10 mm round
• 10 triangle beads
• 1 sterling 10 mm round
• 10 triangle beads
• 1 sterling 10 mm round
• 10 triangle beads
• 1 sterling 10 mm round
• 5 triangle beads

Next, we are going to add the clasp.

String 8 size 11/0 seed beads and add the clasp. These should fit through the hole on the clasp, so that the clasp will center itself, but if the ring on the clasp is particularly small, add 4 seed beads, the clasp, and the rest of the seed beads.

TIP: Pulling up the thread to take out the gaps.

Grasp the bead where the thread turns (i.e. the single seed bead after the triangle at the bottom of the fringe) and hold that bead in your right hand, while pulling on the thread in you left hand. The thread will pull through the bead and pull up tight and pull out any gaps.

Between these next two sterling rounds, you are going to add 2 sterling charms. If they come with a jump ring, open it and remove it and use the solid loop that is built into the charm. The fine thread will eventually work its way through the jumpring, no matter how tightly closed it is.

Work them into the fringe, using your best judgment for length of fringe and placement. There are 9 fringes between the sterling rounds, so you can add one charm at the third fringe, and one at the sixth.

Kicking it up a notch - advancing to Advanced Beading.

What distinguishes the advanced beader from the intermediate? Probably their willingness to experiment and take chances, rather than simply proficiency with a stitch or technique. You can safely experiment with the fringe and see if you like the changes. Remember, it's only beads, you can always take them out and try again.

This is without a small seed bead, and simply using the triangle bead as the end of the fringe.

Running out of thread.

Sooner or later, you're going to run out of thread - and going to have to join on a new thread.

• Work your way up to the main bracelet
• Use a Surgeon's knot (see below) to attach a new thread,
• try and keep the knot as close as possible to the bracelet (could have been closer in the example. Oh well)
• tug on it and make sure it is secure, if it slips, re-tie the ends to each other again.
• trim the ends short, and
• work in the excess thread so that the knot disappears.

And work the ends back in. Work backward through the beads, come out between two beads, and tie an overhand knot around the main bead bracelet cord, work back through a few beads, tie an overhand knot around the main cord, work the end in, and trim very carefully (so as not to cut anything vital, like the main cord!)

And there you have it. You're done!

Now, try it with your own ideas

Try:

• cubes instead of triangles, or size 6/0 (E size) beads.
• drop beads at the ends instead of triangles.
• large glass beads instead of sterling charms
• work in leaves and flowers for a garden look
• different colors, colorways with a strong contrast instead of all similar

Advanced beading is just about experimenting and taking risks!

This makes a light, airy bracelet. Because the fringe takes some time to do, you won't see this technique available too often in commercially-made bracelets either, so you can have something quite unique for yourself or as a gift for friends. Remember, now is the time to start on those Christmas presents, not in December!

detail of the fringe and charms