A-lure-ing fish key chain

This is fun and easy and one of the few things that includes beads that will work for guys.

First find a lure with lovely iridescent colors that you can duplicate with beads. In this case the fish sported turquoise, magenta, cobalt and greens, favorites of mine so it was easy to find match ups.

Next pick up or dismantle and old key chain clip. Now get a nice tough pair of wire cutters to remove the hook. Push the cutters far up into the belly of the fish so no poky wire will protrude. Now the only metal showing is the little loop at the top where you can attach the key chain.

Thread a long needle with Fireline and knot the line. Poke it through from the top near the loop and come out at the belly thread on 10-12 beads and skipping the last bead you put on, come back up through the others and back through the fish belly near where you started. Now repeat and do another fringe of beads until you are happy with the look. Four or five should be about right. This is fun, easy and makes a nice guy gift!

Colored Wheels choker

This choker has been both fun and a challenge. The original directions from a Bead&Button magazine designed by Erin Robinson, naturally called for specific sizes of beads and a certain type of beading line. Right away I decided to use my stash which meant slightly different sizes of beads and different stringing options. I looked Fireline, and when it wasn't available nearby I bought some fish line of the same weight but found it would not go through my size 12 beading needle. If I used a needle that would accept the thread it would not go through the seed beads. Ack! The next dilemma was finding if I followed the directions closely the wheels looked more like wide cones. Okay I needed to change how many spokes the wheels had in order for the wheel to lay flay. The original pattern also had wheels of the same size whether it was the picot wheel or the accent seel. Mine has 2 different sizes.
Well all this was new to me. I bead but am not practiced at designing or re-designing. But I am learning!
I am anxious to try this same idea again, with more sizes, more colors. I will let you know what happens.