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.   

  

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.

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?   

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.

INSPIRATION FROM THE HOLLY DAZE!

Happy New Year 2020 everyone!!!  I am working hard at not writing 2019 on everything... updating my blog has steadily been moving up my catch-up list. I haven't posted any of my projects from about Halloween through Christmas because it always feels like such a whirlwind.  Today, those few months all seem like a blur of magic dust!  But, onward I march into 2020 with a smile on my face and peace in my heart... most days!  Here are some of my wonderful projects that kept my mind and soul busy during the Holly-Daze.

I'm starting with beautiful original art metal by Gaea - the colors are so "me".  A perfect piece for fall, or anytime really.  The branch is from another wonderful artist, Dana George, New Moon Design (that was also in my stash), and it fit perfectly with this piece.  I wire wrapped farfalle beads as the connector to the branch and embellished the piece overall until I was happy with the look.  More farfalle beads, fire polish, czech glass leaves and coins, flower caps and pips.  It's just a happy piece.  My elderly mother looked at it around my neck and said "is that a picture of you"?  Why yes... yes it is!  Ha.  A likeness in coloring for sure.  Thank you Gaea. 

An adorable pendant from my stash... not sure where I purchased it, maybe Artbeads a very long time ago.  My 5 year old granddaughter Lily loves unicorns and sparkles, so this was a special piece for her December birthday!! 

Two original artist pieces were integral to this next project.   I feel so very fortunate to have several wonderful artists to follow and learn from.  They all take turns in my creations, and my own creations are so much better because of them.  I am grateful to have their inspiration!  Tracee Dock Classic Bead created the ceramic donut, which was in my stash and was just what I needed to work as a connection between the Eagle Zuni Bear pendant by Nicole St. Laurent (Ravens Meadow) and the necklace.  I wire wrapped each piece together and then added some of LaShell's (Design Talented One) beautiful fibers to soften the connection.  I love that look!  The necklace has many different beads -- some wood, some czech rondelles, czech leaves and metal spacers.  So fun!  The earrings are 11.0 delicas in brick stitch - my own design coordinating the many colors in the necklace. 

The next piece includes a Heather (Humblebeads) polymer clay bird.  Her birds are always beautiful and unique and just plain fun.  I have to reteach myself on the wire nest wrapping each time, and sometimes that's more of a challenge than I expect... but always fun!  The polymer square in the earrings are Heather's as well, which match so nicely with the necklace.  I added some czech glass and farfalle bead dangles, plus some painted little bird egg charms.  All very light and chirpy!!! :)  

more projects yet to be posted.  Stay tuned... 

COLORFUL DAY OF THE DEAD!

My blog postings seem to continue on a sporadic schedule.  I just haven't felt like there's been enough time for beading, let alone posting... I'll just have to keep plugging along and do the best I can to keep sane!!  :)  A few projects of late, reflecting the yummy colors of this season.

This fantastic Day of the Dead (and so much more) pendant from Gaea is so wonderful.  Hard not to make this an eye catcher statement piece.  It can absolutely stand alone, with some added chain, but I decided to string some agate rounds in varying degrees of color with a czech glass flower on one side.  Simple, yet colorful.  I also added some little howlite skull charms below the Gaea off-white large ceramic bead and capped that bead w/copper caps... can't have enough skulls at this time of year, right?  And, these fibers just add so much to help pop and soften.  Thank you Lashell!

The skeleton charms on the earrings below are also Gaea.  Aren't her designs just so fantastic and whimsical?  I wire wrapped around some copper chain pieces and included 8.0 seed beads, czech glass flowers, flower caps and o rings. And, some fibers.  Adorbs!

Some more darlin fall wire wrapped skeletons.  Gaea charms and my wire wrapping of czech leaves, 11.0 seed beads, some turquoise and a crystal rondelle in the center bottom.

And a couple of macrame bracelets.  These are so fun to make, to personalize, and I can add any kind of middle charm or connector to a multitude of macrame color combos.