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.   

  

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...

DANGLING EARLOBES!

Some fun new earrings as we transition into spring.  My color choices start to creep -- ever so slowly -- towards brighter shades.  Still some fall/winter tones, but movement towards the new season.  Design below from Fusion Beads' Inspiration page.   They look just like their "Peacock" name.  A 12 mm swarovski crystal provides an incredible center point for the turquoise, blue and purple seed beads that surround it.  F U N to make and wear!

Next design is patterned after a "Bubbly" wire earring pattern from the July 2013 Bead Style magazine.  A  design by Madelin Adriani Pratama.  I didn't want the bubbly as much as a cleaner line with some dangles and a feather, so here's my version.  The older beading magazines are so wonderful to thumb through when my brain is less than inspired.  So many options and such limited time!!!

Such a darlin' pair -- a beaded bead of fire polish with a czech glass flower dangle, and a metal Native American coin as the earring post. 

The flower star beads below are incredible - like a lapis finish - and very unusual.  I can't even remember where I picked these up, but I have been using them sparingly as I don't have many.  The brilliant blue pearls really make them pop! 

And, some fun hammered hearts - with fire polish and seed beads wire wrapped.  

HEARTS PAST...

I do love hearts, have I mentioned that??? and while I didn't get my Valentine's Day post done in time, I'm going to post anyway, even though late.  Better late than never - and, hearts are wonderful all year round.  I'm especially proud of these because I taught my very first earring wrapped wire beaded heart component, after I made the first pair, which was a hit.  Wrapping the wire and making two "close" to the same size/shape components is always the challenge, but also the fun part of this creation.  I lived through the class - and, so did they, but because they are my very special beading sistahs, they are SO forgiving -- I thank them for that experience!  Here are the results... my latest heart creations.

This pair is different than the top pics, which you may note already because the heart shape is a little wider - but the colors are more peachy/pink, and if you look close you can see the translucence of the 11.0 sbs on the first brick stitch go-around the hearts.  Love these!  I started this pair during the class I taught.

BEADED BEADS CREATE THE PIECE!

Sometimes, the moon aligns, the stars shine bright and my artistic abilities kind of go to a higher level (in my own world of colors and beads, that is).  This set is one of those.  I started with the beaded beads (designs from Vezsuzsi in classes taught by Sandy Taylor at Bead Street  using the new crescent 2-hole beads), and as I placed each one with other beautiful beads, and then added the incredible ceramic heart made by Bo Hulley, it just felt like it was melding beautifully.  The heart pendant is truly gorgeous in person, and who doesn't love hearts?  I sure do.  The pictures I took really do not even come close to showing how incredible the color mix is together, but alas, guess the stars weren't aligned for the photos!  Ha ha.

HEARTS A DANGLIN'

A fun design for your neck by Deborah Roberti.  Deborah is so generous and sends out free patterns now and again.   I thought I'd give this a try since I LOVE hearts!  Did I say I LOVE hearts?  I have already sold the pink/red/purple version - but I will have others if I can get time to complete them.   The white/opal is already spoken for as well, but the red/silver/black version is currently available.  I just finished that one, but any color combination can be made with this pattern.  If you have interest, let me know.

 

VALENTINE'S DAY LOST ... plus

Valentine's Day came and went, as has the whole month of February actually -- unfortunately, the bronchitis-flu, coughing, ache all over visitor came to see me and has been here way past the four day limit -- more like five weeks and counting.  So,  I haven't done alot of beading since the first of February. My eyes just won't focus! But, I am slowly and steadily seeing some light at the end of the tunnel.  Here's what I was working on before my visitor. I didn't get to wear this lovely on Valentine's Day!  I think I'll just make my own HEART day (or week) and wear all my red!!!  :)  Have I mentioned I love HEARTS?  :)



I wire wrapped loops for the chain and added silver fire polish, with a few red fire polish interspersed. 

 

 This is a better exposure, showing true difference in the red crystals.

Too much exposure on this one, but still pretty.  Small amount of chain is shown wound around top.  Yep it's a darlin' salt shaker (w/hearts!!).  I am constantly looking for new props!  This one worked!

This heart is two toned using AB copper and yellow crystals. 

 

 

 

Earrings to match, OF COURSE!  Crystal hearts with 4mm - copper color.

 

 

A necklace I made to match peyote dangle earrings (shown earlier in my blog - around Christmas).  I learned this way fun pattern from Eileen Barker @ Bead Street, where else?  Love love love this pattern.  So many things you can do with it.  I added the little top drilled flowers as an extra point of interest.  They fit in perfectly!

 I made these earrings following a pattern designed by Maria Teresa Moran.  She made a three tier bracelet, featured on the cover of Beadwork magazine (Feb/March 2013).  These earrings are absolutely gorgeous and I'm in the process of designing my own version of a necklace to go with.  Love the copper crystals with the turquoise and multi-metal seed beads.  I haven't really worked with bugle beads much, so this has been a fun project using two different bugles.  One with sheen and one matte.