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.