Faceted Bead Artist

My name is Michell Brague, but I'm known by my nickname Shell. I am a wife and a mother. My husband and I have a daughter who is presently 7 years old.

I have been beading since I was 15 years old. I started out with seed beads, and tried to make jewelry. I was shy and did not know anyone who could teach me to bead, so, with little success, I tried to mimic things I saw. Then one day I saw a necklace made out of pink pearl beads. It was not the typical one strand necklace.

The necklace, as it turned out, was created with the Right Angle Weave (RAW) and, by close examination, I was able to figure the weave out. My first thought was, "I could make pictures with this."

I then went to the closest bead store, which was 2 hours away (parents drove, of course), and started looking for the perfect bead. I knew it as soon as I saw it: 4mm transparent, plastic, round, faceted beads. I now have also used Crystal and Glass. My favorite is 4mm faceted Crystal BiCone Beads, but as they are about 18 times the price of my Plastic Beads, I still use the Plastic the most.

Once I had the bead selected, I also needed to select the string to use. I wanted something that I could not break. At the time, I lived in the Florida Keys in a campground with a marina, so it was only natural for me to think of fishing line. It was perfect. No matter how hard I tried, I could not break it (8 lb test & up).

The best color is clear. However, you can use other colors as long as they do not interfere with the colors of the beads. What I do is take a clear bead and pass a portion of the line through it. If I can see the line, then I do not use it.

When working with Glass or Crystal beads, since the holes are slightly smaller, I like to use 8 lb test. With the plastic beads, I mostly use 12lb test.

When I first started out, I only created pictures/murals. As I started creating patterns to share my art with others, I began working on ways to create Beaded Curtains. Now, thanks to many online friends, I also have patterns for Jewelry, Mural/Suncatchers, Beaded Doilies, Beaded Curtains and Decorative Windsocks.

Shell - FacetedBeadArt.com

Return to Top

Don't Just Build a Website! Build a Website that Works!