I always wanted to design with seashells, and, finally, this seashell pendant bead embroidery marks the start of experiments with beads, threads, and the ocean theme.
I used one of the shells from my collection: a very simple one with a shape that looks familiar to everyone.
One of the challenges of designing around the seashell is its shape, which looks almost round. It is tempting to embroider around the whole shell, but then the idea of a seashell pendant will look like a simple round pendant with a strange object in the center.
The best way to avoid making the pendant design trivial-looking is to keep the seashell features clear and visible. Do not cover with beads!
Beads
The largest seed beads I used were 8/0 beads. And the smallest was size 15/0. The 15s fit only to finish the edge of the beadwork on the shell.
I kept all the colors and shades within the palette, starting from off-white and ending with metallic gold.
Threads
I picked the thread with a color matching the color of the seashell, which I painted with gold acrylic. More on choosing thread colors for bead embroidery is here.
If you are curious about the work stages of this bead embroidery, I made this short video to illustrate the beadwork process.
The next bead embroidered shell is already waiting on my bead mat.
What is on your beading mat this summer?
