Great Balls of Beads

(2016), each ball is about 1.5" in diameter, various colors of size 11 Delica beads, fireline, microfiber cloth scraps for stuffing.

This is something else you can do with Jean Power's amazing 3D triangle design and a variant of the same technique I used for my "Trillion" necklace:



Instead of embedding a crystal at the center the triangle is simply finished in beads. I used a combination of a darker color for the outside, a lighter shade for the raised triangle and finished off with a complementary metallic shade for a little highlight at the center. The triangles are then stitched together to form a sphere.

Each sphere contains 20 triangles, all of them in a pentagon configuration. Before closing up the last little triangle I stuffed each ball tightly with cloth scraps which gives them stability and rounds out the shape of what essentially is a beader's take on the Platonic solid of the icosahedron, which is meant to symbolize the element of Water.

If you want to make your own balls of beads - here's where you can get the instructions: www.etsy.com/shop/JeanPower

Be warned though - these little guys are addictive! I've already graduated to making Christmas ornaments in red, green and gold beads and it's not even the end of July!