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Over the last few months, I've started to learn the various seed bead stitches which can be used for all sorts of jewellery etc. Here are a few of my initial tries in following a pattern, whether it be a seed bead one or a cross stitch one I've used for seed beads. I've learnt a lot in the process, but here are some of the pieces, warts and all.

Rainbow Seed Bead Goddess: Many mistakes but I learnt a lot in the process.
This was a pattern from Kimberley Chapman's site. My initial thoughts were that it would be a simple one to start with, but this piece was my third attempt and I still had to undo many rows where I discovered, too late, that I'd used the wrong colour bead or miscounted.
Bead Frog: In lieu of a birthday card.
DH has a collection of frogs, don't ask me why frogs, in glass, clay, porcelain , plastic etc, so i thought, with his birthday coming up, instead of a card, I would make him a seed bead frog.The fact that it is not rectangular clearly demonstrates the benefits of using good quality, and therefore uniform in size, beads. The cheaper the bead, the more the size diverges from the stated size on the packet, hence the white beads are marginally larger than the better quality green. Where the green are predominant, the pattern takes on a sort of diablo shape.
Glitter Ball: Worked on the ball from an underarm deodorant.
At the Essex Bead Fair in February this year, I purchased a Glitter Bug Ball pattern produced by the Bead Society of Great Britain http://www.beadsociety.freeserve.co.uk/
The monies from the pattern sales provide Bursaries to allow Tshwaraganang Beaders from South Africa to visit England to exchange skills and ideas. Although the patterns are based on the "Mum Rollette" balls, those from other deodorants can be used and the patterns modified to cover such items as ping pong balls. The Bursary Fund was started in 2002 and a donation of new unused balls was made by the manufacturers of "Mum Rollette".
Although I didn't make a bug this time, I'm sure the pattern can be adapted to make a spider for Matt's forthcoming birthday!