SHADES OF TEAL AND TURQUOISE and some other stuff...

As I took the pictures for this post, it's uncanny how I seem to be in a mindset of turqoise and teals with everything!  I know I am drawn to different colors throughout the year, but right now, you'll see what I'm talking about in the posts below.  

I started this necklace with this adorable ceramic house, made by Bo Hulley Ceramics.  I have kept many of her ceramic creations in my stash as she only makes a few at a time, and there's lots of time inbetween the firings of her kiln.  My first thought for an add-on was the czech glass heart.  How perfect is that?  And, yes, my heart is totally in my home.  From there, I wanted some depth so I painted a brass flower to add underneath (Vintaj paints) and then kept on adding, wire wrapping some farfalle beads with daisy spacers, and this gorgeous glass hanging flower bead from Stars Beads.  I cannot remember the artist, but this is a hefty piece of beautiful glass.  I wanted to draw the eye to that glass, so added a Vintaj bead cap and some lentils around the edge for some sparkle. The necklace is check glass, some funky stacking bones and brass chain.  A very whimsical piece of creation!  

Since it proved challenging to take a picture of the beautiful glass flower, I did some unique arranging!! 

Earrings to match

My next creation began with a beautiful Gaea heart, one of her many incredible resin art pendants, encased in copper.  I wire wrapped the southwestern style copper button to the top of her heart and then used czech glass flowers in a beautiful opalesque color with fire polish/chain to finish the necklace.  So pretty and easy to wear.

Next some colorful earrings!!  I wanted to use the 2-hole chevron duo beads, so I experimented using 24 gauge wire adding different types of beads and different colors with the purple pip beads at the bottom.  These came out better than I could have imagined.  They are very light, a great source of color for sure - they go with anything in my closet. 

Next, another incredible heart by Gaea!  This time ceramic with a beautiful dragonfly hovering over the top.  I cannot go wrong when I begin my own creations with one of Gaea's art pieces.  I also used one of her ceramic round beads in a salmony pink color as a connector, with a funky bead cap sitting on top.  The bead cap took me longer than the entire piece to complete!  The beads were small and the pattern involved (designed by Amy Johnson [amyjohnsondesigns.com], but well worth it as it absolutely fits this piece.  I did some wire wrapping, used some large farfalle peanut beads and then czech glass bead caps to get up to the necklace, which is also czech glass - some puff squares, daisies and translucent square towards the back.   

AHHHH... SPRING COLORS!

I think the saying goes "March comes in like a lion"... well, it's going out that way as well.  We had unbelievably fierce winds of up to 70 miles an hour on Sunday night with the temp dropping from a high of 75 to a high of 45 on Monday.  Fierce for sure!  But... besides that... I am so happy to see the beauty of the colors "springing up" around us.  Makes me feel more inspired than I have in awhile.  A good feeling!  Here we go with some beautiful, yummy shades...

I'm starting with Gaea inspired beauties.  This necklace has three Gaea pieces -- the heart eye, the half moon and the lil' pale pink hearts.  The earrings weren't quite done when I took this pic (update coming) but for now, you get a good idea.  6mm fire polish in a yummy deep pink/peach color around the back with two different copper wire choices.  I wired some frosted 8mm glass rounds across the top of the heart eye, with some wired drops inbetween.  The earrings include Czech glass flowers with those adorbs lil hearts!.

Butterflies - I always say "yes please".  I recently learned to make paper beads through a Stars Beads tutorial, and I have fallen in love with that new process.  It is so relaxing and just plain fun.  There are so many papers to behold, from magazines to music sheets to everything inbetween.  I finally have another use for all my scrapbooking papers!  The metal charms are from Gaea, and they go so perfectly with my rolled paper beads (or is it the other way around?)  I made some really bright and colorful bead caps for the necklace and then added some 8mm glass rounds, that look like bird eggs, on the end.  Some blue and yellow peanut beads finished the look.

One last pair of earrings highlighting my new love of paper beads.  Some beautiful paper, czech glass beads, jasper gemstone rondelles, 3 mm czech sparkle in blue, and hematite wire and findings.

CATCH UP PART 3 +

I'm getting closer and closer to the current season of my creations, I promise!  Crazy part is I shouldn't feel that far behind as it was actually snowing here yesterday morning and evening in Boise!  What?  Another wintry creation and then I'll move right on into a few of my most recent.

This ensemble is one of my new winter favs!  It's gorgeful in person.  It was a step out of my creative box as I don't usually gravitate towards cooler colors, silver beads or hematite wire and findings.  But this beautiful tree house bead by Heather at Humblebeads started me down that path, and I am absolutely in love with the result.  The finish on these etched/frosted daggers are unique, and the crystal beads I used have the AP sheen.  I had the milky white rounds in my stash and then used other clear Czech flower beads to finish the necklace.  And, I actually did use copper wire on the earrings (which is my go to wire and preference on most things I make). I like to mix metals when it works for the overall piece. I embellished with small Czech flower bead caps.  I love those!

Next one started with another of my favorite artists, Gaea, who makes these wonderful, beautifully formed clay hearts - which if you know me, you know I love hearts on everything!  I wanted to showcase these without anything distracting, so I looped them with brass jump rings onto some filigree antique brass chain by Vintaj, and let the hearts speak for themselves.  Yummy. 

And, last one for this posting, a new 2021 piece that started with a pewter Inviciti pendant.  I used 1.0 green leather to tie the pendant to an agate round, wired on a beautiful AB Swarovski crystal star, used leather to string a mix of Czech glass beads for the necklace, knotting after every, or after three, beads.  It was a very fun project.  I don't work with leather all that much, and every time I do, I wonder why I don't.  It's a wonderful look, with the hematite chain added for interest.  The earrings also started with Inviciti charms and I added jasper rounds and bead caps to finish the look.   

  

CATCH UP PART 2!

Continuing on with my catch-up theme.  This may take me a few posts...  Feels like cleaning out a closet or something... feels good to be cleaning out a space for new designs.

This adorable necklace was made especially for my "one and only" niece!  I know how much she loves her kittens, so when I saw this fantastic pewter cat pendant by Inviciti, I was smitten and knew exactly what I was going to create and who it was for.  I used a 6mm beautiful multi blue/purple/green glass czech glass pearl with 2mm pearls as spacers for the necklace.  Staying with the theme of the pewter, I used hematite for the wire and findings.  For a dangle, I added both copper and tiny bronze hearts to pop a little.  So cute.

 

The back of the pendant has it's own finished design, which I love.

Some fun earring designs... love the white flower glass with the beautiful large seafoam/opalesque teardrops.  In the light, the color is so awesome.  I needed ti make a pair with an earring post versus a wire, so I took apart a pair of Brighton earrings I no longer wear and the silver bead post was perfect!!  Recycling does work!!

I started stitching the rounds and here's where I ended up.  I love these multi-colored 2 hole superduo beads.  I added fire polish, 11.0 and 8.0 seed beads, along with some bead caps and pellet beads.  I love mixing and matching different sizes and shapes for a subtle look of interest.

And last for this post, but certainly not least, a fun owl necklace with a Heather (Humblebeads) pendant, coupled with one of her famous rondelle beads and a wood distressed dangle.  These wood pieces truly are so fun... any color, any markations work to make it a nice addition.  Thanks, Heather! I also used Lashell's (Design Talented One) sari silk for the necklace.  Her silk is so wonderful and I use it in a lot of my projects.

CATCHING UP FROM 2020!

New Year 2021... Here it is March (WHAT?) and I haven't posted in soooo long.  Time to get back to it.  I have made some shareworthy pieces since my last post, but the year of covid-19 -- to the present -- has been such a struggle for a lot of us.  It's been hard to get my creative cap on, but when I have, it has provided me absolute joy!  I thank all these magical beads for so much happiness... plus the thoughts of all the people I love drive me onward to provide special gifts and creations.  Here we go... back to the fall of 2020 and then forward to March 2021...

The pendant below started with a metal connector of 16 copper gauge wire, hammered and colored a bit with some Vintaj paints.  I have made several different types of connectors, but Heather @ Humblebeads  inspired me on this one.  The beautiful leaf pendant is made by Ashley at Summerwind Art.

My JDreams design of some fun fall leaves and dragonflies for the ears.  The lucite leaves added to the czech glass help to keep these remarkably light.

This next set started with the Grubbi Ceramics pendant.  I found Grubbi on etsy and fell in love with this mountain flower scene.  Perfect for my MT  daughter in law!  I stitched a herringbone connector for the necklace, added in some peanut beads for added sparkle, a small czech flower and some bell flower beads for movement.  

Beautiful earrings to match in multiple blue tones - the czech glass flowers have been in my stash forever.  I only had two, so they were perfect for this project. Lucite beads above the czech flowers and sparkly glass prisms on the bottom.

Last for this post, a winter set using a Heather (Humblebeads) snowflake bead and a pre-cut wood piece, painted and grooved for some design.  These are so great, Heather!  I also wire wrapped some rounds and added Heather's metal dangle gloves.  So adorbs together!  Love the cool colors of this set.  Not my normal, as I tend more to the warm, but absolutely love this ensemble.  Something about the snow and winter made these beads pop out of my stash and come together.

SUMMER PROJECTS

Yes. . . ongoing note to self... this is a totally off-the-charts year!  SO MUCH STRESS, some days it's just difficult to be "normal", whatever that means anymore.  My projects take longer and definitely longer to post on the blog (sorry!).  This post has been in the works for several weeks!! It's been hard concentrating on detailed patterns, so I've been doing more free-hand earrings.  With lots of shared inspiration available from so many artists right now, and then, just the beautiful last bit of summer color to help guide the flow. Here are a few of my latest.

Some form of wire and wire wrapping seems to be my "go to" right now as it lets my mind wander as I wrap.  Starting with anything Gaea-created inspires me to create up to her standards!  These earrings began with her copper etched metal.  I added some beautiful Czech sea foam green glass with small czech dome teacup beads and turquoise 11.0 seed beads for a nice contrast.  I used engraved jump rings as the connector and finished with Czech glass flowers (Ravens Journey) added to the ear wires. 

Some cuties below in blues/turquoise with Czech glass flowers and leaves.  The lower leaves are lucite, which add some add'l color, but no additional weight.  The metal is hematite, which I think really makes the bead colors pop.  Hematite is new for me, but I'm really trying to create outside my normal box...

Next, some random fun wire wrapping with a mixed tube of 11.0 sb.  I wasn't really sure any of this was going to work until the end!!! I had saved these Czech glass faces for the right project, and they were staring at me as I began this one, so I added them in, then added some more Czech glass flowers and drops for a pop of color.  

Some pre-made, stamped metal rounds with a bit of  turquoise Vintaj paint added to tone down the metal before I started the lower wire wrapping of Czech glass leaves, flowers and flower bead caps.  Bright bits of color to jazz up the metal.  :)

More flowers and wire wrapping on a pre-made brass round.  Czech glass flowers in a few sizes with leaves, fire polish, some of those cute teacups and seed beads.  I'm really loving flower combinations wrapped on a wire round base.  The balancing act is trying not to make them too heavy.  The weight of all of these are about my limit.

Next pair I used Vintaj connectors in brass to encase a 12mm swarovski ravoli and then I added some really gorgeous Czech glass table beads in lime green.  Finished off with brass flower bead caps and rondelles on either end.  These turned out pretty rich and gorgeous. 

Finishing this post with a bang of color!  Czech glass flowers and caps with 4mm and 6mm glass and pearl rounds attached to chain for a cascade of color.  I used these gorgeous milky opal glass triangles on top to finish the ear wires.  I really love the turquoise shades with the varying orange shades, with a bit of yellow to pop.  Fun.

CORK, METAL, WIRE, GLASS!

Some of my latest earring creations.  Each one wonderful based on the materials used.  Thank you Heather Powers for your Bead Table Wednesdays and the unlimited ideas, including using cork.  I ordered some to try it (Beans and Peanuts), and really like how many fun patterns there are - it's easy to use and cut to any shape, and even though my free-style cutting isn't perfect - good enough.  I added czech flower dangles, some fish and wood butterflies as additional dangles, and they are still light. :)

Can't have enough flowers for spring, so here's another, more traditional teardrop shape, with another of my cork patterns.  LOVE this for any shape or size.

Next, some incredible metal charms from Gaea.  These moon faces... what can I say?  Just so perfect.  I added some twisted brass wire, along with some czech flowers and glass rounds.  As these came together, the colors melded so nicely, and I think they are yummy!!

Below, some wire wrapping and stitching combined.  I wire wrapped the triangles, hammered them slightly to strengthen the wire and then brick stitched on the bottom.  I saw something similar on Instagram (#seedbeadjewelry) and decided to try my own version, with small drops on the bottom.  These colors are so summery.  

Vintaj has some wonderful projects on their FB page right now, and I knew I had some of their brass charms in my own stash, so I went searching.  I came up with these wonderful filigree squares and links so I folded in some crystal rivolis, added some swarovski 4mm bicones and rondelles and there you go.  These are real eye catchers in the light!  All these fun new ideas... I'm loving all the shared creativity going on right now due to the pandemic.  

And, last but certainly not least.  Oh my... again, it's springtime, and flowers and leaves are perfect with wire.  I used a prepared brass wire base, and started wrapping.  I redid these a couple of times to get them just so.  My wire wrapping skills vary, depending on how long it's been since I last did some, and the Czech glass gets a little heavy, so I have to be careful not to add too much.  This is about as heavy as my earlobes can take -- but, a small splash of garden color.