Description
About the Arcos Montee Sparkle Bracelet
I created this design for the Beadsmith Inspiration Squad. So all the beads it uses are available from your local Beadsmith stockist.
I wanted to make the most of the unusual thread path on the Montee beads to mix with the three-holed Arcos beads. If you know your beads, then you will know that Arcos and Minos come as a pairing. They were designed to work together. Although both can be used on their own and mix well with other seed beads. In this case, I employed Superduos to add a different dimension to the work. The end result is a stylish bracelet in which the Arcos give a distinctive repetitive pattern and the Montees lend a little sparkle.
Tips
If you haven’t yet worked with the beads I have named, then here are a few pointers. Arcos beads are semi-circular in shape, with three holes that move sideways through the bead, at top, middle and bottom. The Minos have been designed to nestle inside a pair of Arcos, or to link between them across the top and bottom.
As with any multi-holed bead, you need to check that all the holes are empty before you start using the Arcos. Beyond that, they come in great range of colours. So, I think they really add impact to a design.
The Swarovski Montees have all the sparkle that we’ve come to expect from Swarovski, but they are fascinating to use because of their thread path. The crystal is nestled inside a backing – the Montee. This has thread channels from right to left and top to bottom. So, that allows for a criss-cross thread path through the bead. This may all sound very complicated. But in fact, the beauty of these multi-holed shaped beads means that you can achieve complex looking design effects using simple thread paths.
I have included clear step-by-step diagrams with the instructions for this project. So you should have no trouble in creating your own Arcos sparkling bracelet.
