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.

 

 

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...

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.

MORE BRIGHT, BOLD AND OH SO FUN!

More creations of my hoop de hoop earrings that are just so much fun!  Any color combination works... truly... and the brighter the better in my mind!  Plus some simple, yet adorbs dyed magnesite butterflies at the bottom.  

I've been experimenting with different sizes of loops and different ideas at the top of the earrings to camouflage the wire connector -- using wire wraps with beads, plain silver or copper wire wrap coils and Czech or rubber rounds to do the trick. The lucite flower toppings add just the right color mix for a finishing touch.  And, using lucite keeps the weight light, with no drag on my earlobe.  

And, another pic, just to show off my new cards.  I'm so excited about these... they are a bit different, and I guess that's good because that means I'm growing a little, eh?  It's the little things... the back is lovely too... 

DARLIN' EAR CANDY!

I've been working on some new designs - yeah!  Some I can share right now and some I can't, so stay tuned... it's all about the timing don't ya know...and who might be getting what when... ha ha!  Mostly, I've been appreciating and enjoying getting back to some regular beading sessions with my friends!  We had all taken a break through the Hollydaze, and then bad weather and roads continued to make things difficult.  However, of late, we have been getting in a few group bead sessions, and that makes me so happy, and helps my artistic juices flow.  It's always fun to see how differently we all see the same pattern, and then the choices of colors, etc. we all make.  Thank you to my "bead-line" ("life-line") of friends!! :)   

So, back to some of what I've been making -- some darlin' earrings, most of these shown are my JDreams design.  The first pair below is my design... I think they're so spring-like! and I was able to get a pic outside while the sun was shining.
 

 

The pair below also my JDreams design - for someone very special.  Don't they go beautifully with the scarf underneath?
 

And below a creation for a friend who prefers posts instead of loop earrings, plus anything silver.  I try hard to keep posts in stock, so I'm not madly searching at the last minute.  I was happy I had these available.

And last, but not least, some fun copper wire wrapped, purple 3-shade dangles - the bead weaving design is from Deb Roberti (color variation from a previous post), and the overall design, with wire wrapping, mine.  C U T E and really light! 

Stay tuned... more to come...

COLORFUL SWEETNESS!

Making earrings using a component of any kind, whether I make it with wire, or it comes pre-made... I just love the process and the concept.   It's kind of freeing for me as I just start adding beads and where it goes nobody knows... especially me.  Here's (truly) one of my most adorbs creations in earrings.  The color combinations were fun and ultimately worked PERFECTLY together.  I do have to say that I thought of cutting the first earring apart, as it didn't seem like it was working, but again, I just kept on stringing...  Don't you love these?  I know someone who does!  ME and one other!  xo

Next, a fun and easy project with an incredible African Chevron Trade Bead from Tracee Dock at Classic Bead/Classic Elements.  I loosely braided some ribbon for the necklace and I'm off to the races... need to make some earrings now to go with.  But, this was a fun, easy way for me to dangle a gorgeous bead, and because the bead is already heavy, adding more just didn't seem like the thing to do for this project. 

AN OWL FOR ALL SEASONS!

Another New Year creation, which started with the beaded beads (using superduos) in black/brown/brushed gold.  I saw the pattern for a bracelet in Bead&Button, Feb 2014, (Michelle McEnroe) and knew individual beads would be awesome in a special piece.  And, the pendant (Golem Design) was too adorable, and went perfectly with my color choices. Love this owl and the look of the whole piece.  I'm getting more and more confident in my wire wrappings.  I really enjoy the contrast between, and the combining of, wire, stitched beading, ceramics and anything else I can find to incorporate.