PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!

This gorgeous wire wrapped earring design by Penny Dixon, who has been featured on the cover of beading magazines, and on the inside pages too many times to mention, is a wonderfully intricate and challenging designer and artist.  This particular design was featured back in August 2013 in Bead&Button.  I actually took the class from Penny way back when and I just struggled and couldn't get the hang of all the very delicate wire wrapping (4 rounds of 28 gauge wire) around the 20 gauge wire base, so the pattern has been in my "too challenging for me" box. However, I had always hoped I would try it again, as they are so delicate and intricate and beautiful.  And, I can happily say, I DONE DID IT!!!  I've learned a few things over my years of beading, and yes... practice practice practice, plus age, plus ability, plus patience... and if you look closely at this first completed pair you will see they are far from perfect... but I am truly proud of myself.  Give this a try.  You will love how light and gorgeous they are!  Thank you Penny for always challenging me!

TICKLED BY A SOFT FEATHER!

I fell in absolute love with these beautiful light blue imp jasper square puff beads and knew I would have to make them my next priority project.  I immediately started to comb through my stash of favorite artist beads and pendants, to see what I could come up with that would be perfect.  Sometimes you just feel it when you see it!  And, yep, when I came upon this incredible copper heart/feather resin pendant from Gaea, it was too perfect, like it was made to go with these jasper beads. I added some 4mm pearls in between the puff beads and then some 8mm 2-tone pearls at the top to finish it off.  Also some beautifully translucent peanut beads around a jump ring in the front for a slight bit of sparkle.  It's truly a gorgeous combination in my world of creation.  The colors are so perfect for spring, and for me personally.  Thank you Gaea!  It's a SMILE piece.

SHADES OF BLUE!

Blue and turquoise - I seem to repeat this color combo, but love turquoise with anything, really.  It's a versatile color and so gorgeous with this bright blue.   A pattern by Deb Roberti, taught in a class by Sandy at Bead Street.  The flair around each segment of this bracelet is lovely, and truly, there are so many color combos, my head's all aflutter with what I can do next with this pattern!  I have trouble doing the same thing too many times, so I varied this slightly, to give it a different look, and used 3 different colors of seed beads, along with the two colors of pearls.  See my next post for earrings made from the same pattern.

NEW 4-HOLE KHEOPS TRIANGLES

There are truly so many new beads becoming available, that it makes my head spin, but mostly my hands move a little faster!  This is another design by Akke Jonkhof Akkesieraden, she named "Bracelet Kheopatra" taught by Sandy Taylor at Bead Street.  Another very interestink name for a beautiful design.  And, these new triangles - oh my.  Thicker and really fun to use.  They are 6mm and called Kheops.  They actually have 2 holes drilled parallel through the bead.  And, what I learned is that you need to pay close attention as you add them in any pattern, so you have the top of the triangle headed the right direction.  Love this turquoise/purple combo. 

BLOOMING BUDS DESIGN

 A beautiful new "any season" pattern; very versatile for earrings, bracelet, necklace, etc., in any combination of "bud" connector colors.  Designed by Renee Kovnesky and taught by Sandy Taylor @ Bead Street. This work-in-progress has now been completed.  Yeah!  I wasn't happy with a couple of my bud connections, so I had to go back and disassemble and redo.  It's the small things that make a difference in a completed piece...

The metallic permanent finish purple 11/0 sbs are so gorgeous in person.  They really make the piggy bead/pearl/superduo combinations pop.

LENTILS, FIRE POLISH AND PEARLS ... +

A fun Saturday afternoon spent b-e-a-d-i-n-g!  Imagine!  This is a pattern designed by Eileen at Bead Street while she was in Paris a couple years ago with her besty Barb, with newly written instructions and class taught by Sandy Taylor.  Beads used were two hole lentils, 4mm fire polish, 4mm pearls for the center of the flower, 11.0 and 15.0 seed beads for the outer scroll stitch. 

This is one of my own JDreams designs using flat 2-drop even count peyote.  Colors added to colors.  And, it's still a work-in-process, so stay tuned for the finished version.  I started to use one fringe, and then took that off - started another version, and who knows where it will end up.  These are definitely beautiful spring colors that will go with so many things...