stargazer beaded bead

Enjoy the light captured within these delicate-looking hollow beaded beads. The crystals connecting the four-pointed stars seem to hover in midair, providing maximum sparkle. This is the third design in Beadwork’s

15th Anniversary Beaded Bead

Contest (see box on p. 21).

TECHNIQUES
right-angle weave variation circular netting
See p. 94 for helpful technique information.

PROJECT LEVEL

See p. 4 for project-level information.

MATERIALS & TOOLS
3 g dark sage matte metallic size 15° seed beads (A)
3 g copper matte metallic iris size 15° seed beads (B)
4 g dark sage matte metallic size 11° seed beads (C)
4 g copper matte metallic iris size 11° seed beads (D)
2 g denim matte metallic size 8° seed beads (E)
24 brown 4mm crystal rounds (F)
24 light sapphire 4mm crystal rounds (G)
Crystal 4 lb or 6 lb braided beading thread
Scissors Size 12 beading needle

1) BASE. Stitch an inner structure for the beaded bead:

• Stitch 1: Use 4' of thread to string 1F, 1E, 1F, 1G, 1F, 1E, 1F, and 1G; pass through the beads again to form a circle, leaving a 6" tail. Tie a square knot and pass through the first F strung (Fig. 1, purple thread). 
• Stitch 2: String 1E, 1F, 1G, 1F, 1E, 1F, and 1G; pass through the last F exited in Stitch 1 to form a circle. Repeat the thread path again to reinforce. Exit from the first F added in this stitch (Fig. 1, green thread). 
• Stitch 3: String 1G, 1F, 1E, 1F, 1G, 1F, and 1E; pass through the last F exited in stitch 2 and continue through beads to exit from the last F added (Fig. 1, blue thread). 

• Stitch 4: String 1E; pass through the nearest F of Stitch 1 so the 4E at the center form a square. String 1G, 1F, 1E, 1F, and 1G; pass through the last F exited in Stitch 3 and the first E added in this stitch. Weave through beads to exit from the fourth F of Stitch 1 (Fig. 1, red thread). 
• Stitch 5: String 1G; pass through the nearest F of Stitch 2. String 1E, 1F, 1G, 1F, and 1E; pass through the last F exited in Stitch 1, the first G added in this stitch, and the nearest F/E/F of Stitch 2 (Fig. 2, blue thread). 
• Stitches 6–8: Repeat Stitch 5 three times, connecting Stitches 2 and 3, 3 and 4, and 4 and 1 in the same manner. Weave through beads to exit from the F/G/F of Stitch 5 (Fig. 2, red thread). 

• Stitch 9: String 1E; pass through the nearest F of Stitch 8. String 1G, 1F, 1E, 1F, and 1G; pass through the nearest F of Stitch 5, the first E just added, and the nearest F/G/F of Stitch 8 (Fig. 3, purple thread). 
• Stitch 10: String 1E; pass through the nearest F/G/F of Stitch 7 (Fig. 3, green thread). 
• Stitch 11: String 1E; pass through the nearest F of Stitch 6. String 1G, 1F, 1E, 1F, and 1G; pass through the nearest F of Stitch 7, the first E just added, and the nearest F/G/F of Stitch 6 (Fig. 3, blue thread). 
• Stitch 12: String 1E; pass through the nearest F/G/F of Stitch 5. Note: The beadwork should resemble a bowl with 2 flaps (Stitches 9 and 11 form the flaps). Weave through the beads at the “rim” of the bowl to exit from the nearest F of Stitch 7 (Fig. 3, red thread). 

• Stitch 13: Turn the work to view it from the side, with the flaps pointing up and the working thread at the front. String 1G; pass up through the nearest F of Stitch 11. String 1E; pass down through the mirror F in Stitch 9. String 1G; pass through the next F of Stitch 8 (Fig. 4). Weave through beads to exit from the nearest F in Stitch 5. 
• Stitch 14: Repeat Stitch 13 to complete the other side of the beaded bead, joining the other sides of the flaps (Stitches 9 and 11) to Stitches 5 and 6. Secure the thread and trim.

2) OVERLAY. Work circular netting to embellish the base: Round 1: Start 4' of new thread that exits from 1E of the 4E at the top of the base. String 1A and pass through the next E; repeat three times to add 4A. Repeat the thread path once to reinforce. Exit the second A added (Fig. 5, green thread). Round 2: String 2A, 1C, and 2A, then pass through the next A of Round 1 to form a net; repeat three times to add 4 nets.

Weave through the nearest F and G (Fig. 5, blue thread). Connector: String 1B and pass through the nearest G; repeat twice. Pass through the nearest F and E (Fig. 5, red thread). Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 on each 4E face of the base and repeat the connector on each 3G face of the base. Exit from a B.

Round 3: *String 2B and 1D; pass through the C at the tip of the nearest Round 2 net (Fig. 6, blue thread). String 1D and 2B; pass through the nearest connector B (Fig. 6, red thread). Repeat from * three times to complete the square face. Weave through beads to exit from an open B of a 3G face. Repeat this round five times to complete all 6 square faces. ✦

Artist’s Tip
Since this bead is open and hollow, a beading wire passing through this bead would be visible. Consider stringing this beaded bead on a strand of seed beads to add texture and hide the unsightly wire. Use larger beads on each side of the seed beads to loosely trap the beaded bead in place.