BLING EARRINGS.

Earrings to match the bling Christmas necklace of last post. I'm trying something new with this post and my last. For those of you who watch my blog or see me on FB, I will occasionally list something for sale. The challenge will be payment as I'm not on Etsy or set up for PayPal as of yet, so this may be more for local patronage ... These earrings are 27.00. I did some wire wrapping around the red crystal and added tiny chain to give a bit more interest. Fun!!

MORE CHRISTMAS BLING!

The last week project learned at Bead Street, in class taught by Sandy!  Beeeeuuuuuttteeeeful!  This is a shiny one, perfect for the Holidays.  It's a design by Vezsuzsi named the Kolo pendant.  I love my choice of purple coupled with the translucent, flashy pink/red.  I added a blingy necklace with a couple of gold fire polish, and one red crystal, thrown in to spruce it up.  I'm working on earrings now.  I'm willing to sell this piece if there is interest... as it is worthy of blinding people during the HollyDaze! Let me know if interest!

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...

ODE TO FALL...

My newest dangles for the season, which work for one more week, thank you very much!  Thank you to Penny Dixon, Trendsetters designer at Starman, Inc., for this wonderful earring pattern. It's on the COVER of Beadwork's October/November issue.  It's an intricate, beautifully put together design using netting and picot stitching, and as you can see, the color combos are endless.  I wanted to do something for Thanksgiving, and these beads I had in my stash, so kind of jumbled them together.  These brown/translucent pear shaped drops are hard to photo to highlight the beauty of the markings, but you get the idea.  My friends and I think these look a bit like turkeys!  All the better!

READYING FOR CHRISTMAS!

I KNOW, I KNOW, it's not Thanksgiving yet, but I have to be ready...  This is my Christmas version of a fun pattern called "Tubari" designed by Eileen at Bead Street.  It's a modified tubular herringbone stitch, using 8/0 sb and Unos.   The original pattern used Rizos, which made a lovely piece, but I also like to experiment.  I finished it with bronze bead caps and then wire wrapped a couple of 8mm FP and a bronze crystal, with chain.  The earrings I wire wrapped, using a larger bronze colored bead for the center (it's light weight tho - not real brass), with a green crystal and red 8mm FP.

 

 

TABLE CUT CZECH GLASS

Hand made table cut Czech glass beads make the most wonderful statement.  The beads are kind of hard to find, and I've had to order them on line - some from the UK.  I'm not sure why that is, but I think it has something to do with being hand made - not machine cut.  Anyway, I'm in love with them this season and pretty much find anything Czech glass is wonderful to work with.  I wire wrapped the little turquoise Czech flower buttons on top of the leaves so they stay forward, which worked well to tighten them down a bit.  I also added some sponge coral rounds under the top flower caps.  So, cute!

I'm kind of in a wire wrapping mood right now, so I started messing with 24 gauge wire and just kept pushing beads on.  Love this combination... again, Czech glass coupled with fire polish.

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.

 

 

 

HALLOWEEEEN/FALL FUN!

A little SPOOKiness for Halloween.  


Some darlin darlin fire polish pumpkins.  I started with a Fusion Beads beaded bead pattern from their inspiration page, did some extra embellishing with the leaves and the top stems, and voila!  These are very fun to make! 

Spider anyone???

Some earrings to go with that spider?

A wonderful tile pendant by J-Lynn Jewels.  I added a 4mm FP beaded beads in purple with orange 4mm FP added to  the outside to give a little depth, plus some old brass Ethiopian beads, some wood beads, and some charms to top it off.  Isn't it cute? 

And, last, but certainly not least, some awesomely fall inspired, fun earrings!  Czech glass leaves, Czech glass pumpkin beads, semi precious stones, and some Lucite leaves.  A great combo!



Sugar Skull Fun

A new Artisan widening my horizons.  Very exciting to do something different - and I have discovered a new found appreciation for Sugar Skulls!  This Skull by Staci Louise Originals.  She is so creative  and inspiring on many levels, and I'm excited to have made my first purchase from her, and now my first original necklace design, using none other than a couple of her polymer clay designs.  Just in time for Halloween and the Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations.  Visit Staci's page and see what I'm talking about.  It's a new view for me...kind of out of my comfort zone.., and that's exactly where I need to be!

There's another of Staci's Artisan polymer beads on the right hand side with the wheel design.



I have had these ancient brass/copper beads (I think they are tribal handmade beads from long ago) just waiting for that right project, and here it is!  They were perfect, together with the rough cut Czech beads and the colorful new lucite feathers I've purchased from Eileen at Bead Street.  Quite a cross over of worlds in this one piece!

FUN FUN FUN!!!

REDIRECTION OF A PROJECT

This was a fun project, and the colors were just oh... so gorgeous, but alas, it was one of those projects where you spin your wheels, you learn (AFTER remaking it twice!) and then it's just time to put it down.  I had this bracelet all but complete, for the second time, as shown in these first two pics below, just needed to finish the peyote stitch on one side of the magnet to cover the silver - when I put it on to show my hubby how lovely it had turned out - and, splish splash... one of the tiles came loose (and the tiles are critical, since they make up the base of the pattern) and the rest came tumbling down thereafter.  Yes, I bead tight, and my tiles must have been sharp on the inside, because the fireline looked like it was cut, even though I had gone back through the entire bracelet two times. Oh me oh my... what a sad day for me.  A beautiful bangle bracelet pattern designed by Vezsuzsi and taught by the lovely Sandy at Bead Street.  So... nothing left to do but let my own creative juices flow.  I just started stitching with all the same beads, sans the tiles, to make my own pattern.  See below for that project.

My JDreams original below - not as fancy as the intricate pattern above, but I'm in love with it, and so far so good - it's wearing just fine...out of disappointment comes new light, or creativity ... or something like that! HA!

STAY TUNED...

It's the start of the CRAZY Season... I hate to admit it and to actually type those words, but it's sooooo true.  Beginning today, October 1, which is a lovely day by the way -- cuz it's MY BIRTHDAY!! -- starts that time of year when there is lots to do and the time and days just fly by - Christmas before we know it.  And, we have a granddaughter due the first week of December, so I have quilts and things to make as well for this first girl!  So exciting!  So, between now and the end of the year, I must say - there is lots to do, lots to make and lots to bead... so my postings may fall short for awhile.  So, I hope you'll check back with me, to see some of my new work, as time permits me to post!

In the meantime... here's an oldie but a goodie! -- Tagua nut rounds in fall colors, hooked to copper Byzantine Chainmaille, and strung glass and copper beads.  A great one for fall!