SPRINGIN' EARRINGS

New beads and new patterns keep it all fresh!  In that vein... using the new 2-hole CzechMates crescents, on a loverly afternoon with my beading sistahs, a pattern by TrendSetter Nichole Starman called "Chrysanthemum".  Try to say that quickly three times... and then, try to spell it without looking!  Nichole's pattern was for a bracelet, but the components make darling earrings, so that's where I got off the train.  Love these springs colors...and the blue on blue tones at the bottom. An issue for me again was working the pattern tightly so my thread didn't show (and I'm a tight beader!).  I struggled with that until on the final set, the blues at the bottom, I went around each section twice, and inserted 15.0 on either side of the 6mm.

SUNFLOWER ENSEMBLE!

The color palette of sunflowers, SO BEAUTIFUL, and even though it's still winter, this combination just seemed to be calling to me - it was my fall-back if you will.  I started this lovely piece with the pendant, a Leela Beads design, in a class taught by Sandy Taylor.  My first attempt was in purple/pink hues, but alas, I just wasn't feeling the "love" of the piece as I finished it, and that's pretty much my gauge.  And, even though my husband gave me his usual oohs and aahs, I see scissors in that pendant's very near future!  It just didn't come together, plus I missed a couple of steps in the pattern (which did make a difference!) because I was enjoying my beading sistahs and not paying close enough attention...I may even have been talking!  Ha!  So, here' the final... ta da... This pattern uses the new Chilli beads, mini superduos, a 14mm rivoli, 11.0 and 15.0 seed beads and I went with the larger drops - 3 or 4 mm work.

Plus, these adorable earrings of my JDreams design, using polka dot orange heart ceramic buttons as my centerpiece.  Bo Hulley's artistry -- these hearts were shouting out "come get me" from my stash and I heard them!!  I added some table cut czech glass and some wood!  Really am excited about this combo.
 

COLOR OF SPRING AROUND YOUR WRIST!

Here's a color variation on the Thorny Twig (Preciosa) design from an earlier post using the wonderful new Chilli beads .  I do love color, which you already know... and these colors shout S P R I N G! And, the button - isn't it a great final addition?  Can't even say where I might have gotten it, but when I saw it, I knew immediately it was the finishing touch for this piece. And, then I added Czech dragon scale beads around the loop for interest.

A COMPILATION POST!

A few new items I've recently completed that I'll combine into this one post - bits and pieces of fun!  A darling necklace using peanut beads, which I think is so wonderfully colorful, coupled with two beautiful artisan beads from Humblebeads - Heather's birds are legendary, and this detailed bon bon flower bead so unusual and beautifully detailed.  

 Second, is a slightly altered version of Eileen Barker's French garden cuff design, from my October 20, 2015 post "Spooky Halloween".  In this bracelet I tried a mixture of small and large drops in differing colors, which gave the top flowers a different look.  The crystal montees are also alternated for a slightly different sheen.  This color combo is really warm and rich!

And last, but never least, some beaded bead earrings I made in a class taught by Sandy Taylor, using a pattern designed by Vezsuzsi.

THE GIFT OF BEADS!

My friend Aimee brought me back some wonderful ceramic artisan beads (African Kazuri beads) from her vacation on the Oregon coast (what's a better vacation destination than that I ask!) and I've been saving them for just the right artistic moment.  Well, I had the moment and here's how it turned out.  I made the beaded necklace first, using superduos and 11 sbs, (thank you Sandy!) and went from there.  The colors in the necklace are slightly different, but really melded with the beads!  Then I did a little wire wrapping to attach the pendant (thank you Beth for helping me to remember I can [I think I can... I think I can...] work with heavier wire).  I added a few butterfly charms, swarovski crystals and a wonderful czech flower, and here it is...one of my new favs. 

SPOOKY HALLOWEEN!

I'm having a lot of fun using my home-grown pumpkins as my jewelry props!  The colors coordinate so well with the jewelry I'm creating right now, and of course I LOVE this time of year - fall - Halloween - the leaves starting to turn and fall - glorious lush oranges, reds, greens and yellows and ... So, below are my latest JDreams creations for this sp00ky time of year.  The pendant is so dang fun !!!! from a favorite artisan of mine Nancy Schindler of Round Rabbit designs, she really does beautiful work, and in this case perfect for the Season!  I also did a bit of patina wire work to attach the pendant.  I was so proud of myself with how that turned out and I thank a wonderful wire teacher -- Beth Routhier!  And last, but never least, my newest  stitched bracelet, designed by Eileen Barker of Bead Street.

The beautiful bracelet below is the design and creation of Eileen Barker @ Bead Street, called French Garden Cuff taught in a class by Sandy Taylor.  I've inserted the link above to Eileen's patterns.  This pattern uses 3mm cubes for the base, and I love this matte green for fall, especially when mixed with the orange and green montees! 

FALL COLORS AND FUN!

So many wondrous things happening during this awesome time of year -- my favorite fall season!  Woo Hoo!  It's also a time of year when I'm preparing for birthdays and other celebrations, so I cannot post all my in-process little pretties, but soon, very soon!  Here are a few of late, that I can post.  The first is this adorable bracelet made in perfectly Halloweenie colors, of course!!! A pattern design by Eileen Barker at Bead Street (you can also follow her on Pinterest or view some patterns on Starman) using quadratiles, tiles, drops, 11.0 and 15.0 seed beads, and 6mm rounds, but of course I used 4mm pumpkin rounds (melons) with 11.0 seed beads on either side to fill in that gap.  I love this bracelet.  It flows with your wrist, and it lends itself to lots of color - the drops I used are so awesome.  Green/orange/clear.  One way they look green, another way they look orange.  A fun twist.

 

 Next, some witcheeee earrings.  So fun to wear.  They get noticed, I'll say that, even in all my hair!  I found a pattern on the Fusion Bead website (they do a great job in their Inspiration section!), and did my own thing from there.  I used some of what I had in my stash (another unbelievable thing... I know!) black onyx and lucite, including the darlin' melons for "her" head - they are fun to use on lots of different pieces.

 Another lovely fall colored bracelet below, that is wonderfully lacy on the wrist.  Sometimes it takes me a few minutes to warm to a new pattern, and this one was just that.  However, it didn't take long, and as I started assembling each of the parts, it began to talk to me!  A pattern by Lisa Jordan, a Starman TrendSetter, in a class taught by Sandy Taylor at Bead Street. We used super duos, mini duos, 4mm fp, 11.0 and 15.0 seed beads.

 These earrings are my design (JDreams) - I love leaves in all colors, but mostly in fall colors, surprise!  So I just started stitching and this is what I ended up with. Czech glass leaves, a 4mm bicone for added sparkle, a little bit of leaf chain, and a stitched flower of leaves with a 6mm fp in the middle, using copper 11.0's for the center.  I could have gone on and on stitching with these, but I just had to stop right where they are because they are lovely enough! 

The earrings above and the bracelet below are more of my JDreams designs - love these white bone melons, coupled with the green Czech glass spacers and the effervescent orange rounds.  Below a peyote stitched bracelet using a Bo Hulley ceramic heart button.  The button just finished off the wrap bracelet, don't you think?

FUN BRACELET DESIGN!

A fun pattern designed by Nela Kabelova, she named "Undulation bracelet".  I had a ball making this with my beading pals, taught by Sandy at Bead Street.  I actually made one in class that was too dark for my liking, so I disassembled all the beads and started anew.  These are the latest two versions.  The pattern works up nicely and wears easily.  Very light on the wrist.  My second version is trended for Halloween, and I'm loving the oranges, greens and purples.  Bricks, 6mm fp or 6mm rounds, 6.0, 11.0 and 15.0 seed beads.