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. 

BIRD INSPIRATION FOR SPRING!

So many bins, bags, bowls, and containers of all shapes and sizes in my craft room, and I'm taking this opportunity to go through them, very slowly and one at a time, to be re-inspired by all that has been hidden from sight.  With a bit more time to create, more than I'm used to, I'm enjoying it soooo much.  It's such a wonderful distraction and escape... I'm trying to take advantage of that in these very stressful times.  

Here's a sweet combo starting with Humblebeads as my inspiration - birds, nests, foliage.  Perfect time of year to get these out and add some beautiful czech beads for color pop.

I started with the metal copper branch, used some Vintaj paints to give it more of a real branch feel, and wire wrapped the absolutely adorbs bird connector to the branch, using twisted bugle beads.  For the necklace, I wire wrapped a variety of czech glass rondelles, leaves and flowers, with an off-balance look.  So fun! 

For the complimenting earrings, I started with the same twisted bugle beads and wire wrapped them together in a triangle, and then added Heather's beautiful foliage charms, along with more czech glass bead caps and small flowers.

 

 

A BUNNY, SOME OWLS and A HEART!

A spirited, unique clay pendant from Nicole St Laurent (Ravens Meadow), a beautiful enameled light purple heart and charms from Gaea and some gorgeous complimenting gemstones make for a unique Easter and all-year-round piece.  I started daydreaming about how this whole piece would come together a few months before I actually sat down to get 'er done!  I do that... I like to look at a piece, and let my mind wander about the possibilities, and hopefully sooner rather than later...(but sometimes it's years later!!) it tells me where I'm going.  For this necklace, I  began by wire wrapping around the top wire of the pendant using a deep purple 20 gauge wire, just to soften the edges.  I kept shifting the heart to see where it would best fit, and it felt perfect where I wired it in place.  I added some turquoise, amethyst and jasper, and 8 sb for the necklace portion - I also wire wrapped a couple of links to soften the connection of the necklace to the piece.

The time of day makes such a difference in the lighting for pics.  The view below shows truer coloration.

Next, every necklace needs a cute set of earrings, right?  For this pair, I started with Gaea's gorgeous enameled metal charms, using purple wire to make the connector, and going up from there with turquoise and jasper rondelles.  Light turquoise czech glass flowers and my copper ear wires topped them off.  Is this a fun statement combo piece or what?   

STAYING AT HOME THEME!

I'm creating all over the spectrum right now - totally distracted at every glance - but here are a couple of my newest creations.  I think many of my blogs will be a bit disjointed right now and into the near future, as we all strive to find our own way.  That old life doesn't look like it will return, and really, it's probably time for a whole new outlook on life anyway.  Lot's of good things happening amid all the chaos of this pandemic.  Beading -- even though sometimes distracted -- has saved me on many a day.  I am grateful for so many many things, including this wonderful craft of beading.


Here are some earrings I made to go with the necklace, also shown below.  I wire shaped the hearts - slightly hammered them to help harden the wire, then wire wrapped around the hearts w/3mm melons, czech glass leaves and 2-hole piggy beads with a 3mm fire polish in the middle.    

Here's my necklace to match the earrings, which was inspired by one of Heather Powers' Bead Table Wednesday.  I already had the adorable heart vine house in my stash, so the project started out perfectly for me.  Heather's theme had a "staying at home" message, so her little houses fit the bill.  I've mentioned before that Heather generously provides project-making Bead Table Wednesdays - showing new ideas to get our creative juices flowing. If you haven't watched one of her videos, you're missing an opportunity!   So, this is my version of one of those recent Bead Tables.  I love her idea of the wire wrapped, hammered connectors and using 2-hole piggy beads on the connectors.  I added some different dangles (peanut beads, czech glass and a little metal bird) plus a tree charm I painted with Vintaj paints.  Truly, just so many endless ideas...Thanks so much to Heather for always providing wonderful ideas to get my brain flowing...

The Blues...

This incredible pattern designed by Natalia Savastano, aptly named "Bright Starburst Pendant" and featured in the February 2020 issue of Bead & Button magazine, is just that -- a starburst of incredible color.  I chose varying degrees and shades of blue and turquoise... and oh my gosh, is it gorgeous.  I finished it off with some chain and just a few swarovski pearl dangles to compliment the pendant.  Hope you LOVE it Kriss!!

To compliment the pendant, but not add too much extra bling, I stitched peyote pieces and attached to different sized jump rings, and added more crystals.  Perfect!

SOME SMILES VIA COLOR!

"Spring is sprung"... and while the weather is warming slightly, so many of us are at home full or part-time to help curb this very serious virus.  My husband and I went on a walk in our neighborhood and experienced all the beauty of spring -- rain and sun and clouds and then a mixture.  It was lovely to get out of the house for some really fresh air.  My poor tulips are as confused as I am!  The greenery is way tall and the buds just waiting to see more sun.  Wait ... I keep telling them... please wait a bit longer as we have several more nights of freezing temps coming.  

For this project, I was dabbling.  I  grabbed some bright magenta 6mm fire polish and started stitching with 8 and 6 sb, adding in more brights as I went.  I didn't want these to get too weighted, so I stopped after three rounds.  See if you agree about the fun colors..they remind me of  bright Easter eggs. 

A fun macrame bracelet project and gift for one of my grandsons, who loves Harry Potter.

Here come de sun and bees... oh how we NEED and love bees.  Wood beauties by Ashley Bonney of Summer Wind Art.  I did some wire wrapping, used czech glass bead cap flowers and large yellow glass table cut flowers.  Absolutely love these colors.  So bright and Springy...

The necklace below includes a beehive bead, also by Ashley, some fibers from LaShell @ Design Talented One and chain with flowers, czech glass rondelles, and heart glass beads.  Hard to see, but there's a crystal butterfly dangling on the top of the bee.

Next... these absolutely adorbs metal earring charms by Gaea.   I really cannot get enough of these because they are so light on the ears.  I added some chain for the backdrop, wire wrapped the leather flowers with some pink lucite stars from a craft store, and some czech flower caps and swarovski crystal center to the chain, which is hidden. 

My most recent necklace creation - starting with a rainbow heart and bird from Gaea, and a wonderful idea for a wire birds nest from Heather Powers from Humblebeads (her Bead Table Wednesday series).  I added my own "twist" (ha) to the nest, and put lots of bends in the wire, and then added some Vintaj paint to give it some oomph.  I love using Lashell's fibers and sari silk in my projects.  Kind of a new staple for me.  The necklace I created with czech glass pieces and parts - leaves, bead caps large and small, daggers, table cut flowers and some peanut beads.  I supplemented with some chain and sari ribbon.

UNIQUENESS!

A beautifully unique piece of jewelry to wear and enjoy.  That's what we all strive for in each and every creation isn't it?   I know I'm drawn to those artists who's creations are so special, my own artistry takes on a higher calling and I'm brought to a new level of workmanship.  It also keeps my mind open to new ideas, colors and patterns.

This unique, beautiful porcelain pendant by Nancy Adams of Round Rabbit  has been in my stash for a while now.  Nancy stopped making beads and pendants, and moved on to other of her many creative outlets.  I do so miss her style and works of art on the beading side of life.  But, because she no longer makes these types of lovelies, I had squirreled away a few - yes, it's also called hoarding!!  This one has been laying in wait for just the right project... ta da... and here it is!  I hope I have done it proper justice.  

I started this piece by free-form wire wrapping a connector, with some czech glass daggers in two sizes and colors and then added a pre-made copper connector for some additional style.  I really love how that part of the project all came together.  Then, I had to search (of course) to find the perfect beads to complement, which started with lovely polymer rondelles by Heather Powers of Humblebeads.  From there I added some rich, beautiful gemstones in mahogany obsidian, snowflake obsidian and picasso jasper.   At the very end of the process, I added in some czech bell flowers in a black copper wash combo.  Sometimes it's a fine balance of joining all the different segments - wire to glass to gemstone to the clay and porcelain, and not to overdo.  i have trouble finding that balance some days, but feel I nailed it on this piece!

And, last but not least, as a compliment for the ears, I used a free inspiration project "primrose" from Fusion Beads, stitched with picasso rembrandt gemduos, superduos and firepolish.  I added the czech daggers on top to bring the green into the coordination.  The gemduos are so fun... but I didn't pay close enough attention to the top and the bottom, so practice was in order... I now know!!

HAPPY VALENTINES and OTHER JOYS!

Recent creations, just to mention a few, made right before and right after the lovely Day.  I hope your Valentine's included hearts of some kind!  I'll start with the adorbs heart set... wood burned tear drop with heart made by Ashley Bonney of Summer Wind Art.  The wood pendants are so light, there's lots of option to add on without too much weight. I decided to cut out some really fun red/black embossed leopard leather to give it some added size and interest.  I also added some dangles at the bottom for movement - a copper heart, and five red 1-hole lentils.  I free form wire wrapped the pendant to a necklace of glass and fire polish.  The earrings are also leather cut outs with copper hearts and copper filigree bead caps, 8mm glass rounds, 6mm and 3mm black fire polish.  So light and just plain fun.  My cutting is all hand done, so it's not perfectly straight, but that gives it a "real" feel of creation.

Now for a couple free-form wrapped heart earring sets.  The first pair I made the wire heart form in 18 gauge, and then used 24 gauge wire to wrap these beautiful pink shimmery 8 sb around the form.  I added a crystal pave round bead and shimmery pink glass round for the top. 

The next pair I strung the 8 sb right on the wire as I was forming the heart, still using these gorgeous pink beads.  On this pair I added a 4mm bicone on the top near the ear wire and a Czech glass bicone and Czech crystal heart for the dangle.  

Next, a couple of my latest macrame bracelets.  These are happy and colorful and the messages something we can all relate to and enjoy wearing.  I never tire of making these.

I added some Vintaj paint to the leather on the next one.  I love how it turned out.  Majestic mountains and all that!

And, below, some absolutely yummy earrings, gearing more towards spring colors... These are a recent Fusion Beads inspiration project, with a little JDreams added in.  The outer ring is the pattern, but it needed more so I added in the chain and the Czech glass / swarovski crystal dangles, along with the glass rounds and copper bead caps on top.  The colors truly are just so yummy, and the mix of the crystals with the pearls!  Ah... love these.