FREE FORM--ODDS AND ENDS!

I seem to be doing free form odds and ends of late.  Nothing planned or too extreme, just fun as they come to mind.  Looking through bead magazines and just starting to bead or stitch.  I tried to do a loom project, but since I don't own a loom, I tried both brick and square stitches, and had to abandon both midstream.  They were not working out like the loom picture!  Imagine!  So, I settled on doing odd count peyote and just went where it took me.  It's free form alright... but I love it!  Hard to get outside that "form" or "pattern" box for me, so always worth the time to just let 'er go where she will. 

This free form necklace matches the more patterned, yet still with a hint of free form, earrings from an earlier post, which were my own design.  The colors are so lovely...

Another raku medallion in patinaed copper free form wire wrapped glory.  Can't say enough about the beauty of the medallions.  The colors are ever changing, depending on the light, and the messages on the back of each one, wonderful as well.  "I am Courage" inscribed on the back and this beautiful winged heart fits it perfectly.  The siri silk ribbon also provides a nice balance to the size of the medallion.  It provides a bit of imperfect softness. (Reminder that I purchased the Raku medallions at my local Dragonfly store.  I am uncertain of the artist, but they do lovely work!)

A fun new style for me - 16 gauge wire hammered and then wrapped at the top and along the bottom with 18 gauge, leaving a few wraps loose to hang dangles from.  I also added dangles inbetween the loops to even it out.  Love the look of this and with the siri silk again - a black and blue gingham pattern gives it some whimsy.

Some earrings to match of course!

BALLOONS AND OTHER PURDIES!

The Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic, and this darlin' friend of mine who kept encouraging me to start attending that celebration with our grandson, is the inspiration behind this wonderful creation.  Aimee has always loved the balloons, and she finally got me hooked.  So, a few years ago when I saw that Bo Hulley was making these incredible balloon pendants, I immediately knew I had to have one.  Bo is not making beads now, so this balloon took on a very "secure" life thereafter - mostly staying securely in my bead room :) Ha!    It has also taken me a few years to "feel the creativity" of properly accentuating the pendant with beads that make it stand out.  A light bulb went off while watching a Heather Powers Bead Table Wednesday video on how to make this wire component.  I really love the hammering of metal and the process of creating your own form.  No one makes one the same way, so "original" still applies to the finished product.  Happy Birthday Aimee!!!  I hope you enjoy it and feel the balloons soaring above every time you wear it.  

The earrings are the modified St. Petersburg stitch, and I originally posted a Halloween set on October 24.  I love that the earrings are light on the ear lobe and also the way they drape so nicely.  

SUNFLOWERS OF A DIFFERENT HUE!

A piece incorporating both Tracee Dock [Classic Bead] and Gaea Cannaday in this one wonderful necklace.  I have a stash of both artist's creations and I truly need to quit hoarding them.  So, I chose this incredible, and so unusual, stoneware blue/green/yellow sunflower button from my Tracee stash and started wire wrapping with 18 gauge copper wire I had patinaed.  While it took me a couple of different wraps and subsequent removals of all the wire (#$%^&) plus a few choice words along the way... the resulting necklace is pretty unique and wonderful.  I added one of Gaea's larger round beads in green, with a dangling copper heart, and some 3mm fire polish to both the chain and the dangle.  See what you think -- I think it's pretty fun!  

And, I added some darlin earrings to this set below. Before I finished them I found some small lapis hearts to add to the top.  Love this set -- and, it is now SOLD!

EMBELLISHED CABOCHON FOR FALL!

A fall creation for a birthday bestie...I'm a little behind in getting this posted to my blog.  Let's just say the local and national events of last week threw me for a loop and I've had to talk to myself a lot about it.  I think lots more beading may be in order to freshen my mind and my spirit. 

As I've mentioned in past blogs, my pieces really do come to me based on the person in my mind view.  This one is for Aimee who loves black and brown -- and, I've done that for her on at least one occasion !!! but, I cannot do it too often because color gives me the boost and the enthusiasm to create - that and the limitless possibilities of beads and pendants and shapes and wire and leather -- did I mention beads?  So, here goes... this is a fun, unusual necklace creation for me, starting with the Golem cabochon.  I was so happy with my embellishment and the colors I used for the bezel in 11.0 and 15.0.  I kept thinking I needed to do more, but this really was quite perfect.  (I do tend to want to overdo it... so I had to hold my mind and my fingers still!!)  I also incorporated a bit of leather as part of the strap, painted and sanded the button to pull in the colors of the pendant, and put in three Czech glass leaves for pop.  Love the look and how the smaller leaves move out slightly. 

The earrings are my design - although I have seen other artists do something similar.  18 and 24 gauge copper patinaed wire wrappings to give a cage effect.  Love how the beads are always in movement -- free to go back and forth on the wire.  This ensemble and these colors look beautiful on you Aimee! 

AN OWL FOR ALL SEASONS!

Another New Year creation, which started with the beaded beads (using superduos) in black/brown/brushed gold.  I saw the pattern for a bracelet in Bead&Button, Feb 2014, (Michelle McEnroe) and knew individual beads would be awesome in a special piece.  And, the pendant (Golem Design) was too adorable, and went perfectly with my color choices. Love this owl and the look of the whole piece.  I'm getting more and more confident in my wire wrappings.  I really enjoy the contrast between, and the combining of, wire, stitched beading, ceramics and anything else I can find to incorporate.