New Tool - Quick Start Peyote Card

iKandies was able to attend Beadfest Philliadelphia this year and we had a ball!  Checking out all the vendors' offerings, attending classes, looking at new products - it was a busy three days. While browsing the show floor, iKandies was drawn to a demonstration of Deb Moffett-Hall's Quick Start Peyote Cards.   If you've ever worked with Peyote stitch you know why this would catch our eyes.

Several weeks prior to the show we started to make Fusion Bead's "Harlequin Bracelet" but had difficulty getting it going.  It's that pesky Peyote stitch! The Quick Start Peyote Card eliminates the confusion that we often have while stringing the first three rows.

The cards come in several sizes that match the size seed bead to be used - 15, 11, 8, and 6.  iKandies purchased the Combo pack so we could try it out with any size seed bead.

The cards are made of "durable laminated material".  They look like they would hold up well, but we were also told we could use them as templates and make new cards should we need them.

Our first attempt at using the card with size 11 beads went well.  As the beads are strung, they fall into small "slots" that are formed when the cards are folded.  This keeps the beads evenly spaced and makes for quick "pickup" when adding the next row.    Detailed directions and diagrams are provided and they are easy to follow.  Instructions are given for even count and odd count peyote.

iKandies can see where this will be a huge help in getting this bracelet project off the ground. We'll post the finished project and the rest of our review at a future date.

Of Dogs and Leather ....

Leather clothing and accessories have become all the rage this past year.  Everybody is buying, selling, or wearing it and recently I found that one of iKandies' canine friends has suddenly taken to leather too. She not only likes to wrap herself in it but has been including it in her diet.  We lost several leather bags, a book cover, and some of our leather jewelry supplies to this leather-loving carnivore.  The other day I found her in the final stages of devouring a leather bracelet I had been working on. Maybe all she wants is a leather collar...

Regaliz Black Leather Bracelet for Men

Regaliz Purple Leather Bracelet

 So iKandies has added a few leather pieces to their line of jewelry, like these leather bracelets.  The black and purple bracelets are made of Regaliz Italian leather while the blue bracelet is leather cording.


Blue Larimar Jasper Wrapped Bracelet

A source of some of our leather has been the online wholesaler, Best Beads.  We also saw them at the 2013 Bead and Button Show.  They have all sorts of leather sizes, styles, colors including the newly popular Regaliz Italian round and flat leathers.
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iKandies recently visited a local Tandy Leather Store to search through their scrap bins for unusual pieces to incorporate in their jewelry. We also found a few accessores we'd like to include as we design our jewelry, like this Pulsar Star concho  and easy lock bracelet clasps.

Many fashion trends come and go but it appears that leather is here to stay, at least for a while longer.