I've belonged to two different bead group boards over the years, and both had as a reward for its hardworking board members the decision to have a class “just for fun”. One of these is the prairie wildflowers bracelet I'm currently working on (as of aug04); the other, perhaps the second woven seed bead project I ever tried was this little purse.

The purse itself is 5-bead netting, and I followed directions for a reasonably successful result. Wanting to play with my success of getting purple, fuscia and gold to work together (a formal color problem I set myself while actively stringing) I brought my own beads, and I think the colors work together fairly well.

But I didn't want to just do a boring string of seed beads strap, the common approach; so I decided to make the necklace a sort of choker (amulet beaded bag necklaces being the current thing then) and came up with the two peyote stitched arms as transitional elements.

Talk about kludgy! My total inexperience with bead weaving, once I strayed off the directions, really shows. Nevertheless, I have a sentimental fondness for this piece, owing to its history—not to mention the memories of my frustration, trying to get it to work.

closeup, above. Early 90s, seed beads, pressed (dyed?) glass, amethyst, 12/20 2mm, austrian crystal, rhinestone rondell, pewter charm, thread, stainless steel necklet. 5 bead net, peyote, fringing.

Unless otherwise noted, text, image and objects depicted therein copyright 1996--present sylvus tarn.