Welcome to my website! My earliest memories are of my family sitting around tables, having great times and always creating. I remember everybody knitting and crocheting, and of course sewing. This inspired me to be creative as well, but I found painting just too messy. No matter how odd our projects seemed, the family always encouraged my cousins and me.

Then came one of many great change in my life, my family emigrated to exotic South Africa. The light and colours, the everyday “normal” gave me a new outlook and desire to create. Being a warm country, woolen items weren’t necessary so we switched to lace making in every possible way, from knitted to crochet. As we all looked the same in schools and were encouraged to be different on intellectual levels, the desire and need to be creative was strong.

They do say that once you move, the wanderlust will never go away. And so, in early 1990 I found myself in Chicago, USA. What a city… and what a country! Here finally, I could experience all the wonders of the art world. While working on an interior design project, I started to bead-embroider on fabrics. It was a life changing moment, and since then I was hooked on beads. I’ve crocheted wonderful invisible necklaces which look like “bird-nests”, which can be both light and heavy, depending on the bead size. I made crocheted ropes by the dozens, finished with fringing and other embellishments. While back in South Africa, I had a chance to learn about the wonderful art of Zulu beading techniques. The mixture of experiences from country to country, have made it possible to create my unique pieces. 

I currently live in Scotland and I just can’t get enough of its landscape of rolling hills and shorelines. Who knows where I’ll find myself next but it will definitely add to my creative journey, for as if by magic the beads tell me what they want to be when they grow up.

 

Email:   vee@pretorius-art.com  |  Phone: +44 7964 164 731

FLOWER NECKLACE
It sparkles with inner light and is great for dressing up or down. Czech transparent seed beads and silver-lined square-hole beads, Swarovski crystals.

 

TRIANGULAR AMULET BAG
Amulet bag in three colours. Miyuki Delicas and Czech fire-polished glass beads.

TETRAHEDRON
3 Herringbone ropes with 3 tetrahedrons on a glider. Custom designed closure.
Opaque seed beads in two colours and silver-lined square-hole beads woven with monofilament thread. Swarovski Crystals.

GEOMETRICS ON THE ROPE
4 geometric shapes suspended from a tubular rope. Custom made closure keeps it all happening in the front.
Miyuki Delicas for the shapes and the rope is in Miyuki 2-cut Hex beads, with Swarovski crystals.

FLOWERS AND LEAVES
Flowers and leaves in Miyuki Delicas suspended on beading wire with Czech fire-polished glass beads and custom designed closure.
Miyuki Delicas and Czech fire-polished glass beads on beading wire.

FLOWER GLIDER
This is a chocker with a difference, as the flower can be moved about depending on your mood.
Miyuki 2-cut Hex beads and Miyuki Delicas woven with monofilament thread.

FLOWER NECKLACE 2
3 Peyote stitch flowers, suspended from a tubular Peyote rope. The unusual colour combination will make you stand out in the crowd.
Czech transparent seed beads and silver-lined square-hole beads, Swarovski crystals.

THE FALLING LEAVES
One of the most versatile necklaces/lariats to date. You can wear it in a variety of ways; the look is up to you.
Silver-lined square-hole Czech seed beads, monofilament thread.

BEING PURPLE
Miyuki 2-cut Hexes rope with 6 lace flowers. Custom designed closure keeps it all in the front, by feeding the flowers through the loop.
Miyuki Hexes, silver-lined square-hole Czech glass beads, Swarovski crystals.

BEADED BEADS ON WIRE
5 beaded beads strung on wire with Czech pressed glass rectangles with custom made closure.
Wooden beads beaded in Czech Iris seed beads and fire-polished glass beads, strung on the beading wire with Czech pressed glass beads.

THE LONELY BEAD
One beaded bead on wire with Swarovski cubes for company and with a customised leaf closure.
Wooden bead covered with silver-lined square-hole red beads and Swarovski crystals, suspended on beading wires covered with the same beads and crystals. .

BEADS ON THE ROPE
Beaded wooden beads in lace stitch with Czech fire-polished beads, on a 38 inch rope. This piece can be worn in many ways, depending on your mood.
Czech Iris Dark Gold seed beads, wooden beads and Czech Fire-polished glass beads, bead woven with monofilament thread.

BEADED BEADS ON WIRE
5 lace beaded beads on wire with a custom designed closure. Wood beads beaded with Czech Iris seed and Fire-polished glass beads.

BEADS ON THE ROPE
Beaded wooden beads in lace stitch with Czech fire-polished beads on a 40 inch rope. This piece can be worn in many ways, depending on your mood.
Czech Iris Light Gold seed beads, wooden beads and Czech fire-polished glass beads, bead woven with monofilament thread.

BEADED BEADS TIMES 5
Beaded beads on wire interspaced with Czech Rondelle beads. This necklace sits high and frames your neck.
Czech Iris Gold beads over wooden beads in two sizes. With Czech Rondelle beads in-between. On beading wire with Sterling silver lobster clasp.

BEADED BEADS TIMES 13
And then there were 13 for good luck. Beaded wooden beads in two sizes interspaced with Swarovski crystal cubes. In this colour you will definitely be noticed.
Wooden beads covered with silver-lined square-hole seed beads, in sparkly red.
Swarovski crystal cubes in-between the beaded beads on beading wire with Sterling silver clasp.

BEADED BEADS TIMES 9
Beaded beads in two sizes are suspended from beading wire and interspaced with Swarovski crystals and finished with a Sterling silver lobster clasp.
Wooden beads covered with Czech iris seed beads, in two shades of green. Swarovski crystals in-between the beaded beads. .

BRACELETS TIMES 3
Gold bracelet is studded with Czech glass beads. Gunmetal 1 is with Swarovski crystals and crystal seed beads. Gunmetal 2 is with red Czech seed beads.
Miyuki 2-cut hex beads, Czech fire-polish glass beads and transparent seed beads, Swarovski crystals.

INVISIBLE BUT THERE
Glass beads suspended on crocheted chains. Czech silver and gold lined glass beads and press glass beads on crocheted monofilament thread.

COLLAR
This is a Herringbone collar in shades of brown and gold, with a custom closure. Czech glass beads and Miyuki Delicas.

NECK COLLAR 1
Necklace designed to fit like a ruffle around your neck, in Miyuki 2-cut Hexes fringed with Czech crystals and silver lined square-hole beads.
Custom designed closure gives you a chance to wear the necklace any way you like. Miyuki 2-cut Hexes, Czech crystals, silver-lined square-hole glass beads.

DIAGONAL PEYOTE COLLAR
Designed to frame your neck, in red with a touch of green. Czech glass and fringe beads.

THE CUBIST MOOD
This necklace is made from cube beads in modified herringbone stitch, with suspended crystals.
Czech cube beads, Czech fire-polished beads, Czech silver-lined seed beads woven with monofilament thread.

VINTAGE
Miyuki Delicas collar fringed with vintage Jet beads and a pair of drop ear-rings. It is very light and smooth to the touch, like silk lace on your skin.
The clasp was custom made for this piece. Miyuki Delicas, vintage Jet beads, monofilament thread.

LET THERE BE SPIKES
A collar with upward branching, in silver and black. Miyuki 2-cut Hexes, Czech glass seed beads.

NECK COLLAR 2
Necklace designed to fit like a ruffle around your neck, Miyuki 2-cut Hexes fringed with Czech crystals and silver lined square-hole beads.
Custom designed closure gives you a chance to wear the necklace any way you like. Miyuki 2-cut Hexes, Czech crystals, silver-lined square-hole glass beads.

NECK COLLAR 3
Necklace designed to fit like a ruffle around your neck, Miyuki 2-cut Hexes fringed with Semi-precious Garnets and ruby glass beads.
Custom designed closure gives you a chance to wear the necklace any way you like. Miyuki 2-cut Hexes, semi-precious Garnets and Czech glass beads.

TUBULAR HERRINGBONE WITH A SECRET
This rope has a secret! The glider bead covers the closure. Miyuki Delicas in 3 colours, beaded bead with Czech fire-polished beads.

ALL KNOTTED UP
Crocheted rope with beaded beads and Peyote rope, knotted up in the centre. Czech glass beads, Czech crystals, wooden beads covered with seed beads.

CROCHETED ROPE
This crocheted rope is made up of 300 Rondelle beads in shades of brown, on a silk thread. It is finished with fire-polished beads a custom closure.
Czech fire-polished Rondelles, Czech fire-polished round beads on silk thread. .

SPIKY CORAL
Coral shaped necklace suspended from a black silk ribbon. Silver-lined square-hole Czech seed beads, monofilament thread, silk ribbon.

CATS EYES
A necklace in different shades of blue and silver. It sparkles when in motion. Cats eye beads, metal beads, Czech pressed glass beads on beading wire.

CROCHETED ROPE NECKLACE
This crocheted rope is made up of 300 Rondelle beads in 3 shades of brown, on a silk thread. It is finished with fire-polished beads and beaded beads as well as a custom closure. Czech fire-polished Rondelles, Czech fire-polished round beads on silk thread and Miyuki Delicas beaded over wooden beads.

CRYSTALS AND PEARLS
Czech crystals and fresh water pearls, strung on the beading wire with a magnetic clasp. Fresh water pearls, Czech crystals and beading wire.

 

Email:   vee@pretorius-art.com  |  Phone: +44 7964 164 731

© Copyright 2008, Violetta Pretorius. All Rights Reserved.