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!

OUT OF THE DOLDRUMS COME PROJECTS!

Spring cannot come soon enough.  What a long cold snowy winter it has been, and while I have always loved the snow... this year has given me pause.  And, add insult to injury, I got this wonderful flu/cold bug that's been circulating the country.  I'm still fighting it, but much better.  Ah, to feel like there might be health again... Beading is the answer, and here are my latest creations which bring me great joy!

This earring pattern was calling to me from under my stacks of beading magazines... I just had to try the pattern and I had hoped to wear them on Valentine's Day, but, alas, that was not to be!  But now... yes, now... I need to find that perfect outfit to really show them off!  They are really wonderful in person, and have a true flair . . . A design by Thomasin Alyxander aptly named "flirtatious daggers".

These earrings are also g o r g e o u s!  It was a bracelet design by Deborah Hodoyer featured on the cover of Beadwork magazine.   I didn't think the pictures did the pattern justice, so decided to play around with the colors to see if I could spruce it up a bit.  Love how both sets below ended up.  The multi-copper 8.0 seed beads and the turquoise kheops and multi faceted 2-hole silky beads are a wonderful eye-popping combo. 

And, a new necklace in the double spiral rope pattern to go with . . . finished with some simple leather and wire wrapping.  Isn't the combo of multi-faceted fire polish, turquoise czech drops and the varying colors of 11.0, 8.0 and 6.0 sb yummy?  I am so happy with the way it turned out. 

And, then for absolute fun... I'm loving these adjustable bracelets!  The peyote bead work can be as easy or hard as you want to make it -- done fairly quickly, or, more extensive -- the skies the limit!  What a fun new splash of color on the wrist.  This first pattern is from Fusion Beads' Inspiration page, and I gave it my own spin, with bright colors for spring.  Notice the rubber rings on the side too, which I added to hold the bead work in place, but also to pull it together.  More bright colors needed...until we are officially at springtime.

This next pattern is my own design, and I'm loving the snakeskin in purple!

LIFE, FAMILY AND MISC. BEADING

Life happens... and our priorities change for a time... mine sure have.  Unfortunately, our little 2 year old grandson, has been ill, so my beading has taken a very very back seat for a few weeks.  I just didn't feel much like beading... but I have been trying to finish a project here and there, and I had a leather wrap special order, so that one was done before all the stress began.   There have been many miles driven between Idaho and Montana, lots of calls and texts, and lots of concern, love, prayer and tears shed.  But, we are hopeful and full of very positive energy this afternoon - his platelets have headed back up and I just feel all those prayers and love have helped. Thanks everyone! Not sure what I would ever do without my peeps. 

Another version of the Crystal Windows pattern, but with only three windows instead of five from my previous post.  I thought "less might be more" so to speak, plus fewer to bang on a desktop or wherever during wear.  Tnis is a special version for my sister, Susan, who turned 61 last week. Hope she likes it!  The colors in this version turned out so great together! 

This is the special order wrap bracelet - I used "pleather".  It was awesome to work with and unlike the leather, it doesn't crack and look worn before you even put it on.  I had another bracelet completed, except for the thread tie off, and I can't really even describe what happened.  As I started to knot the end, the thread got all pulled and bunched up and I could not get it to straighten back out.  I was a little stressed by the time I cut that one apart and then finished this one!  I do love these bracelets, but the start and the finish give me a slight kick in the butt.  Can you spell a-n-a-l?

 

And, here's our sweet red headed boy, Noah.  WE LOVE YOU!

 

 

HOT DAYS OF BEADIN' STRINGIN' & WIRE WRAPPIN'

Hot days of summer is an understatement... it's been unseasonably hot everywhere in the West, but here in Boise, ID, the week before the FOURTH we were into triple digit heat - 110 was our high one of the days and it hovered around that for several more.  The FOURTH cooled down slightly, which was VERY WELCOME - it was about 92, which was more livable.  This hot zaps my energy - so, of course I retreat to my beading table.  Unfortunately, under my lights, it even gets warm there, so my wonderful hubby lent me his small table-top Coleman fan from his camping stash... it is very wonderful for such a small contraption with only two blades, and it does the job!  So, here's what I've been working on since my last post, with my little fan a turnin as fast as it will go -- a little stringing, a little wire wrapping, a little painting to embellish the metal on the ring petals, and AGAIN, some stringing.  

 

 I used a pattern learned at Bead Street a couple years ago as my inspiration, but modified my version to only one round of 11s around each large 8mm crystal instead of two rounds of 11s around 3 mm. I love this pattern and love the pop of the red crystals with the two hues of blue and gold 11s.  I made the toggle clasp to match with even count peyote.

 

 

 

 Isn't this little ring a cutie?  Lucite rose with czech glass petals, 8's and then a metal flower, painted in several different hues to get to just the right match.







And yet another little ring.  Peyote stitch using 11s with flower and side hinge embellishments with 15s picot.   I started the ensemble with, yes, the ring, based on a pattern for a bracelet I saw at Fusion Beads on their Inspiration page.  I did my own thing from there.

 Necklace to match ring.  This is really so adorable with a dainty St. Petersburg stitched necklace.  The purple, green, yellow and a really bright orange center 3mm really pop for a summer combo.  I used 11s for the basic square, but stitched the flower in 8s so it would pop out.

 

                                                                                      The fringe dangles show better in this shot!

 

 Yet another pattern just learned at Bead Street, using a free online pattern by Deborah Roberti.  Thanks Sandy Taylor for "learnin" us.  You are a wonderful teacher, fellow beader and friend!  It was a wonderful afternoon.  This is not the bracelet I made that afternoon.  I didn't like my colors or my design, so went home and cut that one up and started over.  Love these daisy czech glass two-holes I have in my stash.  Wish I could remember where the heck I bought these.  Plus two-hole lentels, 11s in two colors, yellow and gold....