CORAL IN SPRING!

The color coral is G L O R I O U S!  And this shade is truly amazing in person -- at least in this red head's opinion!  Another of my square stitch bracelets learned from my beading sistah Judy, this time using non-precious coral gemstone chips for the top layer, plus 11.0 in bright copper.   Necklace and earrings to make a set below.

The long coral pendant piece I've had for many years, but never had just the right piece to incorporate it, but this double necklace was calling for something, and this pendant worked!  Just needed a little copper wire wrapping to include a heart and a little messy wrapping (the messy part I really have to work at because it doesn't come naturally to me).   :)

And some adorable JDreams earrings, with coral heart charms in silver as the dangle.  Another of my beading sistahs, Sharon (thank you!), gifted me this wonderful heart set and I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them.  The round beads are a paper mache and ever so light, so they work well with the heavier silver weight -- less drag on the earlobes!  And I mixed copper wire with the silver for contrast, of course!

LIGHT, DELICATE EARRINGS

These earrings are SO light and flowing -- really easy to wear -- I don't even know I have them on.  The pattern is called "Duo Drop Earrings" designed by 2015 Designers of the Year for Beadwork Magazine: Barbara Falkowitz and Amy Haftkowycz.  This pattern is showcased in the June/July 2015 magazine and I was excited to try them because it incorporates both wire working and stitching.  What's better than that?  Color combos are endless, of course! The first pictures below are outside in bright afternoon light - the next two are also outside, but in the morning light, one with a flash.  Proof that lighting changes the way your colors reflect! P.S.  The pattern called for half-hard wire, which I didn't have, so I used soft, plus I used what I had in beads, which were not all as the pattern suggested.  But, truly, that's the fun part, isn't it?  Making it your own!

MY OWN INTERPRETATIONS!

Summer gets so busy... and it's tough to stay on any kind of regular schedule, and expanding my beading brain has taken a back seat of late... but I have a few new completed projects that are my own creations and I'm quite proud of both!  One is stitched and one is wire wrapped.  And, I do have a couple other wonderful projects, which I hope to share on this blog very soon.  They are quite spectacular, designs by my mentor Eileen @ Bead Street. Stay tuned for those...

Making a button hole in peyote was a first for me on the bracelet.  It took me a minute to figure it out - as I started stitching the slit sideways instead of up and down with the flow of the beads.  Figured it out pretty quickly, and like how it turned out.  My button is a tagua nut round, with a magnesite disk that just fits inside, with a peanut bead and 15.0 on top.  I love the peanuts around the outer edge.  I tried several different things, but the peanuts seemed to mesh the best with the design of the bracelet.  I tried o rings too, and they were a neat look, but ultimately the peanuts won out.

 My other JDreams design is below.  I used mixed metals to make the heart and wire wrap the shell beads for part of the chain.  A special gift for Teri in my office.  She has been soooo helpful to me this past year and I wanted to do something special for her birthday.  She rides a darling covered scooter, and I found this charm with her in mind, and JUST kind of built it from there.  This necklace and earrings came together like it was meant to be!  Thank you, Teri!

 

SUMMER EARRINGS!

One really can never have too many earrings, right?  Here are a few of my latest creations!  

These darlins are earrings, made from the same pattern in my last post, which was a bracelet pattern taught by Sandy at Bead Street.  Isn't this great chain too?  These came together so nicely - the colors, the chain and the great twisted wire all  compliment.  

A great flower pattern from Fusion Beads using the new pellets, O rings and Super Duos.  I added some splash with color on the birds with some leaves over head.  These colors seem to be everywhere this year.

Another color variation of the pattern above.  These pellet glass beads are a fun new choice.

And, my newest triumph in wire wrapping!  Doing the free flowing thing... not always easy for me - I like my wraps close together and tight, but in this version I wrapped loose and free.  LOVE how these turned out, and the process took me out of my comfort zone.  They go with my pea pod metal smithing necklace from previous post.  The round deep purple beads are the druzy quartz.  They are incredible up close and personal!

THE THRILL OF WIRE!

 

I do quite a bit of wire wrapping, but there is ALWAYS so much more to learn.  New ways to do things, new tools to use, etc.  So, I had a free Saturday and Beth Routhier was teaching a dainty wire wrap "Floating Infinity" design class @ Bead Street so I joined the group!  It was definitely a learning curve for me, just holding the pliers so as not to mar the thicker wire took some time - I bead tight - but it was oh so fun and I did learn so much.  I learned about bail making pliers, and how to patina.  I've wanted to know that technique for so long, and now I know (really, enough to be dangerous!)  Love this pattern - thank you Beth!  I went home and finished the hook closure, even though I originally thought that type of closure would be too difficult for me to connect on my wrist, but it was a cinch!  I also made some darlin' butterfly earrings to match.  As time permitted over the weekend I made a second bracelet in blue hues.  I'm now hooked on using 16 and 18 gauge wire (I usually work with 20-24 gauge), and using these bail making pliers in differing sizes.  PLUS the patina process - love how it makes the copper wire look, without having to wait so long for the natural aging process.
  

MOM'S DAY SETS

Two darlin Mom's Day sets for my girls, (daughters-in-law).  The pendants are so special, from BoHulley Beads in the UK.  Bo has a flair for detailed designs, and they are eye catchers all by themselves.  So, I strung necklaces and earrings (w/birds and butterflies) to compliment what was the focal.  I think these are pretty perfect for spring/summer wear and my girls were very happy, which always makes me happy!

LABOR OF LOVE WITH WIRE AND JADE!

This is one of those Labor of Love projects.  A friend of mine asked me if I could do something with some beads she had purchased some 12 years ago in Mexico.  I looked at them and knew I could, but time is short, so wasn't sure I'd figure out just what for awhile.  It did take me some time, but it finally came to me (at night when I do my best thinking!).  Wire wrapping flat cabochons is not something I do much of, so I knew it would be a challenge.  But I feel great about the outcome of this learning experience.  I'm not positive, but think these stones are a version of Green Jade or Apatite.  If anyone knows, please feel free to enlighten me.  The last picture provides a better view of the true color.  Photos sometimes are just hard to get...

SPRUCING UP BLACK FOR A FRIEND!

I don't usually bead black... I'm more about c o l o r... as you know if you follow my posts, but for this friend, on this birthday of hers, well... I decided "it IS her birthday" afterall.  And, she LOVES black.  But, of course, I couldn't go totally black, so added in the copper and silver and man oh man.  I might be able to do black with this combo.  Beautiful pattern by Vezsuzsi, taught by Sandy at Bead Street.  The picture does not do the earrings justice - they are that wonderful puffed bead designed by SashaSi, which I posted in blue on March 17.  They really look awesome on. 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AIMEE!!!!

DRAGONFLY DESIGN W/TWISTED HERRINGBONE TRIO

What color can do for a project... the proof becomes clear to me in this trio.  I started with the bracelet (I posted it a few weeks ago after taking the class from Sandy @ Bead Street, using a DRAGONFLY design by Eridhan Creations).  I then made the earrings because I just loved the design and the colors I had originally chosen, and then lo and behold, Sandy taught the Beaded Bead class and so this made the trio complete.  I finished it making a twisted tubular herringbone necklace, and then using 22 gauge copper wire to attach the beaded bead to the necklace.  Isn't this just lovely?  L O V E it!

MORE FINISHED HALLOWEEN!

More fun for this Season!  Love the changing of the SEASON, the colors, the fun of Halloween, the cooler temps (well... those temps are taking their sweet time arriving a little later than normal) and just the overall transition.  Each of the very separate four seasons here in Boise presents me with inspiration, and right now, this very moment, it's ORANGES, GREENS, PURPLES, BLACKS, etc.  Here's my second finished necklace using a J-Lynn Jewels tile and magnesite Jack-o-pumpkin, along with 3 different sizes/shapes of black onyx beads for the necklace, some lucite spacers, lucite striped colored rounds, Czech glass rounds and seed beads.  Copper and bronze wire, both used.  Fun and bright and spooky... well, not really very spooky, but very fun!  The purple necklace is from my last post, and as a refresher, has the beaded bead I made, along with the wood rounds and brass Ethiopian beads.  It's a great combo.

 

I included both of these pictures, because you can see more of the bottom of each necklace in each of the shots.

 

A little more vivid shot of this newest creation!  The black background gives different view I think.  And, I'm modeling this one below...

 

 

 

These orange Jack-o-pumpkins above are so cheery, with czech glass leaves and flower caps, instead of scarey, and those below, the colors of wonderful fall.

 

I like longer earrings right now, since my hair has grown some from my profile picture, and these earrings, using lampwork glass beads, are still pretty light.  Some onyx, some glass spacers, some Czech glass and flower buttons.