Sunflower Bracelet II

And here is the other color way.  This bracelet worked up a lot faster than the first one seeing as how I pretty much had the design memorized by this point.  The only issue I have with this design is that it was a pain getting the chatons centered in the beaded bezels.  I think it is because you start with a round of size 11 beads and use the size 15 beads on the other rows to create the shape to hold the chaton and that round of size 11 beads creates a bump that keeps the chaton from really nesting in the bezel.  Beading around stones is something of a challenge.

I tried Tulip beading needles with this project.  I've had them in my needle stash for a few years and everyone has been raving about them at Bead & Button (we always sell out of them at the show) and I'm happy to say that all of the praise is not hyperbole.  They are easy to thread, have a nice stiffness (I tend to bend beading needles), and come in cute little tubes with the needle size marked, so there is no mystery when you are looking for a beading needle, as long as you remember to return them to their tube when you are done with them.

Design:  Sunflower Bracelet by Yasmin Sarfati (December 2013/January 2014 Beadwork Magazine)
Materials:
2 g silver size 15 beads
5 g silver size 11 beads
8 g opaque blue luster 5x3 mm 2-hole sead beads
5 foil-back sapphire blue 8 mm crystal chatons
4 silver 6 mm jump rings
1 silver 14x15 mm filigree oval box clasp
silver size B nylon beading thread
Size 11 beading needle