I discovered the beads for this project at a bead show here in San Diego, put on by the local Bead Society. I had a great day of shopping that day and was the lucky recipient of these beads as part of a door prize.

I had been buying beads all day long, and had some incredible stuff in my bag when I went to check the door prize board. Lo and behold, I was a winner! My prize was a package of six tubes of bead mixes from San Francisco Arts and Crafts.

At first I just put the mixes in my bag and kept shopping. Next thing I knew I was sitting in the rest area, completely captivated by the beads in these mixes. I felt like a kid who's parents have just purchased her a fantastic, expensive toy, but who is having way more fun playing with the box!!

The bracelet pictured above is what I created with one tube of those beads. It started as a freeform Peyote, and turned into a "Free for All." I was moving along just fine with the base Peyote stitch when I got impatient. My mind did not want to go slow and in an orderly fashion. I could hardly stand to go through the process of doing the Peyote. I think if the beads I had had been sorted neatly before I began, I might have come out with a more orderly piece but since they were an already mixed lot, my senses were more tuned to a wild gathering of bead rather than a tidy freeform.

Here's what you'll need to make a Free For All Beaded Bracelet for yourself:

One tube mixed beads, all types, in the same color family

Other assorted beads such as I used here: amber, glass and freshwater pearls in the same color family as the bead mix.

Nymo Size B

#12 or #13 beading needle

Wax or Thread Heaven

1. I used the basic instructions as outlined in this article.

2. I deviated from those excellent instructions by making a 4 row base in Peyote stitch. The I began to stitch on beads in lines and loops and patterns that made sense to me.

3. Do not be afraid to pass through the beads several times, or to go back and forth to fill in empty spots or stitch down any parts that may stick up or overlap.

4. Add a clasp using a tiny piece of French Coil, to protect the thread.

4. That's about it for instructions for this particular piece! If you have any problems, drop me a line!

I am not sure that this piece is really done, as I see some spots I would like to fill in. And to me, that's part of the beauty of this kind of work! No set design, or even a particular technique, you can make it up as you go, or add to it later! It works up very fast. I made this bracelet, scanned it and wrote about it in one day! So take a break from the rules, and enjoy your free-for-all bracelet! I sure like mine!