WIMSICAL CREATIONS FOR EASTER

I've been having some downright fun!  Spring brings forth lots of awesome color and playful art ideas roam around in my head . . . from decorating my house, to making little art pieces and projects, to my favorite thing, creating new jewelry.  This post includes nothing too serious or beautifully woven . . . just some bright colors and some fun, using whatever I found or have -- plastic buttons from the craft store (I love these, they are so cheery!) to metal charms, some kinda heavy, but adorable nonetheless, and some miscellaneous beads, with wire, lots of wire in 18, 20, 22 and 24 gauges.  You'll see in some of the earrings, I wire wrapped using 24 gauge, onto a more sturdy base of 18 gauge.  I smiled with each completed piece!

 

The pic above is just a fun throw-in!  It's the finished product of an Easter basket my grandson and I attempted using colored shredded paper.  It was so fun... but kind of tough for a little guy with all the glue and all. Heck, it was a challenge for me!!!  Here's the basic overview:  Saran wrap on the inside of a Tupperware round, square or just a plastic cup; cover the saran wrap with a mixture of half glue/half water; start layering shredded paper cross-wise, until you get it where you want it; add more glue mixture with each layer of paper so it sticks together; and then, wait for it to dry - about 24 hours - before you attempt to pull off the saran wrap.  It's pretty fun to see it completed.

A set -- these earrings just completed to go with the necklace below!

A funky little necklace.  I started with a large wood round, and started adding buttons (with 24 gauge) and I do love hearts, so that's where I started, adding a carrot and little polka dot buttons too.  I finished it off with two antique brass hearts and a rabbit head.  The rabbit is kind of heavy - too heavy for earrings, but I thought he added just the right touch to this piece.

PIECES COMBINE TO MAKE A WHOLE!

I love having a "project" on my beading table, so when I get a few minutes I can just start where I left off and not have to think about what beads or colors I want to combine for a project.  That early process takes me a bit of time... determining color, size, shape, 1-hole, 2-hole, now 4-hole.  So many options and where to begin?  So back to this project, which is already determined, I just need more time.  I'm still working on the individual X-spokes (using the new 4-hole quadratiles), and then combining each X-spoke, either with 2-hole tiles or just another X-spoke.  It's a 2-sided design by Kelly Wiese named X-Factor, taught by Sandy Taylor @ Bead Street.  In a couple of the pics below you can see the start of another X-spoke, which will give you a better idea of how small each one is by itself.  It's gonna be pretty! Stay tuned for the finished product. 

FIRE LINE CAN MAKE -- OR -- BREAK -- A PROJECT!

Oh, fireline... how I hate thee sometimes!  I made this beautiful new pendant,  designed by Vezsuzsi, and as I got ready to put on the last few 15/0 sb, I started to bend it oh so gradually, to look at those little 3 mm fp which kind of get hidden in the pattern, and it paid me back for that bend, by gradually disintegrating before my tearful eyes!  You can see at the top of this blue beauty that the layer is coming away from the center.  So, basically, fireline is perfect, until it's not.  I think those cute little fp I used may have been sharp at the drilled opening, but I can't be sure.  There are several other beads in this piece that could have assisted with the disintegration, but if fireline can catch a fish without breaking, why oh why can't it string a dang pendant?  It can, right? Catch a fish that is?  But, alas, since I will not allow myself to be discouraged for long, I started once again, using a different color palette, and I was cautious and conscientious about my tension on every round!  Tension, tension, tension, and sharp beads, make the diff I guess.  Thank you, Sandy, for letting me quietly sob.... kidding...  Thanks for a great class!  No matter what happens in my learning cycle, I always enjoy that creating time with my beading sistahs at Bead Street.

TWO SIDED BEADED BEAD STATEMENT PIECE!

I love the versatility of this double-sided beaded bead from my last post (Vezsuzsi).  In this project I made it bigger than the original pattern, using 11/0 and 8/0 sb, along with 6 mm fp, and made it my focal, along with this wonderful pendant, from one of my favorite clay artists, Tracee Dock @ The Classic Bead.  It is a wonderful spring/summer piece.  And, I made darlin' bird earrings to match using the smaller beaded version from the original post.  L O V E!  (THIS DARLIN SET HAS SOLD!)

 

TWO-SIDED BEADED BEADS!

A fun new pattern using beaded beads!  I made the bracelet pattern into a necklace, with a couple of slight alterations, and strung a lovely heart pendant by Humblebeads.  Plus, earrings of course!  The bead pattern is a Vezsuzsi bracelet pattern she calls "Edgar", taught by Sandy Taylor at Bead Street.  I chose to use peachy/pinks/maroon shades, with copper and silver interspersed using 11/0 and 15/0 seed beads.  I also used bronze wire to wrap the pendant, so it's a mixed bag of colors for sure.  Copper colored Czech O rings are inserted on either side of the 6mm pearls to enhance the color shade change to the 6mm fp.  I'm liking this combo very well!  

BLUE AND PURPLE DEW DROPS

Beautiful blues and purples - what's a better combo?  The gorgeous shades of blue in this bracelet really gave me something to cheer about.  I started the pattern with what became the earrings - slightly lighter shades and I just felt like I needed more, so I  switched a few bead shades and oh my - color is truly what makes the world go round.  Can you see the drops interspersed on either side?  Love that... I diverted slightly from the original Marcia Balonis' pattern aptly named "Dew Drops" and added a 2-hole pyramid in the center to give it some pop!!  I also added a short strip of peyote on either end, with a bronze metal clasp.  I really like these interlocking clasps - I just need to remember they take up some room, so sizing a bracelet is a bit more of a challenge. 


Thanks Sandy for teaching this fun class at Bead Street!  And, for all those sweet goodies from my fellow beaders.  It was a wonderful Valentine's class!  And, last but not least...Sharon...your unexpected thoughtfulness truly overwhelmed me.  Thanks so much!  Random acts of kindness... 

These earrings came together so nicely.  Especially after I spotted the large rounds at Bead Street.  I kind of had a vision of the end result, and low and behold, here it is...Love the flower brass bead caps.  They kind of finish the look.

2-HOLE PYRAMIDS 'N' BRICKS

Been a couple of weeks, as I've been unable to get to my blog, and also I've been in Montana visiting our son and daughter-in-law.  We have a beautiful new granddaughter, so I was incredibly fortunate to spend some time with these great kids, my new girl, Lily, and her brother Noah, who is 3 this Sunday.  Oh, it's so glorious to be a grandparent, and now to have a girl, well... need I say more?  Two grandsons and a granddaughter, and life is good.  

Here's my newest bracelet, a design by Vezsuzsi named "Rasmus" and taught by Sandy at Bead Street.  I have truly been missing my beadin' friends, and excited to get back to it this weekend.  This pattern used several two-hole beads, but the pyramids are my favs at the moment!  I mixed up as many colors as I could think of on this one, and really love how it turned out.  Lots of spring colors... purples, turquoise, the bright green pyramids, light purple 2-hole tiles, and multi-green 2-hole bricks.  Orange 8/0 sbs, turquoise 11/0 sbs and purple 15/0 sbs complement the design.  I added a magnet closure and peyote stitched it, to give it the final finish.

And, here's just a little peek at my darlins in MT...

SOMETIMES WRONG IS RIGHT!

This zig zaggy "Zipper" bracelet pattern is from TrendSetter designer Anna Lindell taught by Sue (thanks Sue!) at Bead Street.  Of course, I got to stitching, and one thing led to another -- I wasn't paying close enough attention to the placement of my 2-hole triangles, which are supposed to be offset, like a zipper, not across from each other...  But,  I love my mistake!  So, just sayin... wrong isn't always wrong, and sometimes it becomes a new favorite design -- for me anyhoo!  The correct pattern is shown down the page in the purple version.  It is a wonderful design and these are both beautiful in their own right (I think!)

Here's the designer's version, stitched properly according to her instructions!  The base uses 1.5 cube beads and is stitched in RAW.  The back is really quite lovely as well!

PIGGY BEAD VERSION #2

These newly discovered piggy beads are so much fun.  I couldn't wait to make another color combo.  Gold/brown/green toned version was from my last post - Scroll down for more of version #2.  Spring versus Fall so to speak -- I've put them side by side in this first shot so you can see the difference color makes!

Plus, earrings to match of course...beaded puff beads using 2-hole super duos.  These were from my March, 2014 posts.  Love this pattern from SashaSi.  It uses many beads, but the earrings are still light enough not to weight down your ear.  Splash of color!  They look beautiful on you Krissy!!!

 

NEW PIGGY BEAD DESIGN

Happy New Year to you all!  May 2015 bring us all some happiness.  I know there will be other stuff thrown in there too, cuz there always is, but as long as it is interspersed with happiness, and lots and lots of beading... Here's a new design by Vezsuzsi she calls P. Derrick.  As I've mentioned before, not sure where these names come from.  I just bead 'em as we learn 'em.  Thanks Sandy Taylor for another wonderful class (it's just about as much about this family of friends--we have such a great time together!), at Eileen's Bead Street.  Plus Eileen is getting these new piggy beads, and so many more wonderful new beads coming every week.  I know, I know... but really, isn't this gorgeous?

 

 

 You can even see the reflection of the trees overhead in this version.  Ha!  Trees with lots of limbs and no leaves that is.