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?   

OWLS FOR FALL!

As fall waits right around the corner, I am beginning to feel the transition coming.  That crispness in the air... the end of the garden, the slow change of color in the leaves.  SO, I need to get moving on lots of fall projects.  This piece started with the colorful cellini spiral stitch using 11.0, 8.0 and 6.0 seed beads.  It's so fun and a nice change, but takes time, so I did a small piece and knew it would be the first piece of my next puzzle. I started looking through my stash to find all the next pieces to add and there it was... this wonderful owl pendant by Nicole St. Laurent.  ( I do so love owls).  I wire wrapped some 18 gauge copper wire around the cellini piece to incorporate the pendant and then found these wonderful ceramic beads by Gaea (notice the star in Gaea's blue bead - so perfect!) and wire wrapped those inbetween the silk ribbon and chain.  My first version of this necklace did not have all the wonderful added color of the siri silk ribbon and yarn from Lashell Lundskow-Wyskochil, but I just felt it needed to be bold, so started playing.  The first version is at the very bottom of this post, around my neck -- see what you think!  I also added Nicole's intricate owl charms for my earrings.  It's a perfect set!!

Below is the first version of the necklace with the earrings before I added all the additional ribbon and color for some real POP!