LOVELY ENSEMBLE FOR A FRIEND

It's September, and the start of the season of making gifts for friends and family, plus getting ready for the Hollydaze... well, hold on, not quite ready to start looking at only red and green quite yet!  Ha.  But, the beginning of cooler weather and fall very close by, gives me a different perspective for sure on what I choose to make and what colors I choose to coordinate.  Tis the season of wonderful fall leaves and earthy tones!  It's really my favorite time of year - must be because I'm a Libra!  So, here's one of my latest creations for a dear dear friend.  Hope you love and will wear this ensemble with joy, Ms. Sherrie!  Hope the earrings are light enough for your ears too.  This was adapted from Marcia Balonis' Spring Loaded design.

 

COMPLETED NECKLACE PROJECT

Here's the completed project from a couple posts ago.  I had many different ideas flowing through my dreams. (yes I dream beads!) as to the finished look of the necklace for this fun pendant, and this was not one of them... it just kind of came together, and I think it's perfect!  I had originally imagined a peyote or herringbone twisted tube, but the two tones of these awesome round, rough finished Czech beads with 8/0 in-between, and the leaves and flower, just fell onto the wire for me instead.  

 

Plus, earrings to go with.  This is the front side and the next picture is the front and back side.  A little peyote is a wonderful thing!

 

RINGS 'N' THINGS...

A wonderful new design--you can make one segment of the pattern for a ring--make several for a bracelet--a few for a necklace, or double up and make a complete beaded bead!  This is a versatile, fun design.  It's called "Cortez", designed by Vezsuzsi, taught by Sandy Taylor at Bead Street.  I stitched a ring using only one segment of the pattern and I think it's pretty gorgeous.  Sizing the ring to fit is the hard part.  I thought I was making it for my ring finger, but it ended up fitting my pinky.  Looks great there too... but this sizing thing... it ain't that easy!  The pattern uses Rullas (altho I've also used bricks and they work well), 8mm FP, 3mm FP and 11/0 and 15/0 sb. 

 

This is the backside of the ring strap.  I used RAW to stitch the two sides together and that worked pretty darn well.

Another new ring of my own JDreams design.  Used 8/0 sb in even peyote stitch and then used a block stitch, kind of, on the outer rim to cover all the thread on the sides (8/0 and 15/0 in different colors).  Added my own embellishment of two Czech glass leaves, o rings, and an 8 mm FP.  These colors are so great for fall.  And peyote just feels good on the finger!

 

And, here's a quick shot of a pair of earrings I stitched using the new design from Vezsuzsi.  More to come, including the necklace that goes with it . . . but, are these gorgeous or what?

 

 

JDreams Original - Fall Pendant.

A new JDreams original design.  Don't ask me how to make an exact replica however!!!  That's a good thing... one of a kind and all...Ha ha.  I started with the bright yellow Czech glass rondelles and kept adding to... these Czech leaves are so wonderful - rustic with some deep coral veining.  The leaves coupled with the smoother textured drops are a nice combo.  See the last picture below for the back, which provides better view of the yellow rondelles.  I finished with the Unos around the center, which, depending on where they fall - inside or out - I think it looks like an opening flower.  Stay tuned for the necklace to hang it on.  Great piece for fall.



This is the back, where it all started with the yellow rondelles.  A different viewpoint!

EYE CANDY --NEW EARRING, BRACELET AND RING DESIGNS!

Some adorable little daisy ceramic pendants I bought from BoHully Beads.  The size is perfect for earrings, so I added some czech glass donuts, melons and flower caps to make them really pop in the sun of day!  

 

 

 

A new bracelet designed by Deborah Roberti called Venetian Cuff, taught by Sandy Taylor at where else? Bead Street.  It's gorgeous in person.  I used kind of a multi brown 4mm fp w/brighter rust/red 3mm fp and copper 11/0 sbs all around.  Then added the small copper tube beads together w/ 15/0 sbs on the outer edge to give it a little additional JDreams oomph!

And last, but certainly not least, this adorable little flower bracelet in a ring!!!  I found this color of 12/0 seed beads and just had to make something (although they were awful size-wise, and I had to cull through them to try and get most of them close).  I started with a peyote strip and decided on a ring.  Then just started adding - a ceramic flower on top, some greenery, a couple flower bead caps, o-rings and 8/0 sb.  Oh, and the drops on the top outer edge.  This turned out soooo cute.  My new fav! It's an eye catcher on my hand!

 

CERAMIC PENDANT HEART ENSEMBLE

This is one of my favorite pieces (well, they all are!), sold to one of my best customers!  I love these ceramic "Golem" designed hearts.  They aren't too big and come in lots of different color designs.  The coral and green are so great together, and you can wear it all year- round.  Some fire polish, some glass rounds, some wonderful little cut coral flowers with coral rounds, strung together with these darlin' bronze flower bead caps, chain and spacers.  I know this piece will bring you lots of joy when wearing, Kriss! 

 

 

 

BACK TO HEARTS N EARRINGS!

I can't get enough of these hearts... have I said that before?  Well here I go again... The black / crystal / copper is using 4mm fire polish all around with 11.0 sb.  The colored versions use 4mm Czech rounds instead, with the fire polish on the outside.  I'm kind of liking the different look of the rounds in the center.  What do you think?

 

Earrings to match this previously made heart for my darling daughter in law, Lindsey.  Love the translucent turquoise colored glass flower beads.

And, then a re-make of a pair of earrings after one original was lost.  Unfortunately I didn't have enough of these incredible AB blue/purple Swarovski crystals left, so I remade the set with only four crystals.

 

SUMMER/FALL COLORED MULTI-PETAL DAGGER PROJECT COMPLETE

Here's my completed project, using one of the wonderful flowers from my last post.  I found these incredible pink/orange/tan agate rondelles, and strung them with copper filigree rounds in varying sizes (4mm, 6mm and 8mm), some copper fire polish, a few pink and orange coral chunks, and finished with chunky copper chain so it's adjustable.  I think this may be my new favorite!  I attached the flower to the necklace with two different versions of peyote stitch, which kind of came to me after I strung the necklace.  It just didn't come together until I added those last pieces to complete the look.

These daisy earrings turned out fun, but these aren't even the final version... you get the idea - bright copper charms, along with the agate rondelle and bright copper spacer - I then added another link of the pink & orange coral after the picture was taken.

MULTI PETAL DAGGER DESIGN

Who doesn't love flowers in any design?  Anything goes with this pattern and the fun part is you can layer the petals in any color you choose!  You're really only held back by the colors of daggers and rizos in your stash.  It's a pattern taught by Susan Weber at Bead Street, which she aptly named "Dagger Daisy".  It uses Rizos, 1 and 2-hole daggers.   I'm still playing with my colors - and I used 8.0 sb, but you can also use 11.0 sb, which brings things in a little closer.  As my eyes age, I'm likin' those bigger beads I must admit.  Ha!  A completed project coming, so check back in a few days.