A BUNNY, SOME OWLS and A HEART!

A spirited, unique clay pendant from Nicole St Laurent (Ravens Meadow), a beautiful enameled light purple heart and charms from Gaea and some gorgeous complimenting gemstones make for a unique Easter and all-year-round piece.  I started daydreaming about how this whole piece would come together a few months before I actually sat down to get 'er done!  I do that... I like to look at a piece, and let my mind wander about the possibilities, and hopefully sooner rather than later...(but sometimes it's years later!!) it tells me where I'm going.  For this necklace, I  began by wire wrapping around the top wire of the pendant using a deep purple 20 gauge wire, just to soften the edges.  I kept shifting the heart to see where it would best fit, and it felt perfect where I wired it in place.  I added some turquoise, amethyst and jasper, and 8 sb for the necklace portion - I also wire wrapped a couple of links to soften the connection of the necklace to the piece.

The time of day makes such a difference in the lighting for pics.  The view below shows truer coloration.

Next, every necklace needs a cute set of earrings, right?  For this pair, I started with Gaea's gorgeous enameled metal charms, using purple wire to make the connector, and going up from there with turquoise and jasper rondelles.  Light turquoise czech glass flowers and my copper ear wires topped them off.  Is this a fun statement combo piece or what?   

STAYING AT HOME THEME!

I'm creating all over the spectrum right now - totally distracted at every glance - but here are a couple of my newest creations.  I think many of my blogs will be a bit disjointed right now and into the near future, as we all strive to find our own way.  That old life doesn't look like it will return, and really, it's probably time for a whole new outlook on life anyway.  Lot's of good things happening amid all the chaos of this pandemic.  Beading -- even though sometimes distracted -- has saved me on many a day.  I am grateful for so many many things, including this wonderful craft of beading.


Here are some earrings I made to go with the necklace, also shown below.  I wire shaped the hearts - slightly hammered them to help harden the wire, then wire wrapped around the hearts w/3mm melons, czech glass leaves and 2-hole piggy beads with a 3mm fire polish in the middle.    

Here's my necklace to match the earrings, which was inspired by one of Heather Powers' Bead Table Wednesday.  I already had the adorable heart vine house in my stash, so the project started out perfectly for me.  Heather's theme had a "staying at home" message, so her little houses fit the bill.  I've mentioned before that Heather generously provides project-making Bead Table Wednesdays - showing new ideas to get our creative juices flowing. If you haven't watched one of her videos, you're missing an opportunity!   So, this is my version of one of those recent Bead Tables.  I love her idea of the wire wrapped, hammered connectors and using 2-hole piggy beads on the connectors.  I added some different dangles (peanut beads, czech glass and a little metal bird) plus a tree charm I painted with Vintaj paints.  Truly, just so many endless ideas...Thanks so much to Heather for always providing wonderful ideas to get my brain flowing...

The Blues...

This incredible pattern designed by Natalia Savastano, aptly named "Bright Starburst Pendant" and featured in the February 2020 issue of Bead & Button magazine, is just that -- a starburst of incredible color.  I chose varying degrees and shades of blue and turquoise... and oh my gosh, is it gorgeous.  I finished it off with some chain and just a few swarovski pearl dangles to compliment the pendant.  Hope you LOVE it Kriss!!

To compliment the pendant, but not add too much extra bling, I stitched peyote pieces and attached to different sized jump rings, and added more crystals.  Perfect!

SOME SMILES VIA COLOR!

"Spring is sprung"... and while the weather is warming slightly, so many of us are at home full or part-time to help curb this very serious virus.  My husband and I went on a walk in our neighborhood and experienced all the beauty of spring -- rain and sun and clouds and then a mixture.  It was lovely to get out of the house for some really fresh air.  My poor tulips are as confused as I am!  The greenery is way tall and the buds just waiting to see more sun.  Wait ... I keep telling them... please wait a bit longer as we have several more nights of freezing temps coming.  

For this project, I was dabbling.  I  grabbed some bright magenta 6mm fire polish and started stitching with 8 and 6 sb, adding in more brights as I went.  I didn't want these to get too weighted, so I stopped after three rounds.  See if you agree about the fun colors..they remind me of  bright Easter eggs. 

A fun macrame bracelet project and gift for one of my grandsons, who loves Harry Potter.

Here come de sun and bees... oh how we NEED and love bees.  Wood beauties by Ashley Bonney of Summer Wind Art.  I did some wire wrapping, used czech glass bead cap flowers and large yellow glass table cut flowers.  Absolutely love these colors.  So bright and Springy...

The necklace below includes a beehive bead, also by Ashley, some fibers from LaShell @ Design Talented One and chain with flowers, czech glass rondelles, and heart glass beads.  Hard to see, but there's a crystal butterfly dangling on the top of the bee.

Next... these absolutely adorbs metal earring charms by Gaea.   I really cannot get enough of these because they are so light on the ears.  I added some chain for the backdrop, wire wrapped the leather flowers with some pink lucite stars from a craft store, and some czech flower caps and swarovski crystal center to the chain, which is hidden. 

My most recent necklace creation - starting with a rainbow heart and bird from Gaea, and a wonderful idea for a wire birds nest from Heather Powers from Humblebeads (her Bead Table Wednesday series).  I added my own "twist" (ha) to the nest, and put lots of bends in the wire, and then added some Vintaj paint to give it some oomph.  I love using Lashell's fibers and sari silk in my projects.  Kind of a new staple for me.  The necklace I created with czech glass pieces and parts - leaves, bead caps large and small, daggers, table cut flowers and some peanut beads.  I supplemented with some chain and sari ribbon.

UNIQUENESS!

A beautifully unique piece of jewelry to wear and enjoy.  That's what we all strive for in each and every creation isn't it?   I know I'm drawn to those artists who's creations are so special, my own artistry takes on a higher calling and I'm brought to a new level of workmanship.  It also keeps my mind open to new ideas, colors and patterns.

This unique, beautiful porcelain pendant by Nancy Adams of Round Rabbit  has been in my stash for a while now.  Nancy stopped making beads and pendants, and moved on to other of her many creative outlets.  I do so miss her style and works of art on the beading side of life.  But, because she no longer makes these types of lovelies, I had squirreled away a few - yes, it's also called hoarding!!  This one has been laying in wait for just the right project... ta da... and here it is!  I hope I have done it proper justice.  

I started this piece by free-form wire wrapping a connector, with some czech glass daggers in two sizes and colors and then added a pre-made copper connector for some additional style.  I really love how that part of the project all came together.  Then, I had to search (of course) to find the perfect beads to complement, which started with lovely polymer rondelles by Heather Powers of Humblebeads.  From there I added some rich, beautiful gemstones in mahogany obsidian, snowflake obsidian and picasso jasper.   At the very end of the process, I added in some czech bell flowers in a black copper wash combo.  Sometimes it's a fine balance of joining all the different segments - wire to glass to gemstone to the clay and porcelain, and not to overdo.  i have trouble finding that balance some days, but feel I nailed it on this piece!

And, last but not least, as a compliment for the ears, I used a free inspiration project "primrose" from Fusion Beads, stitched with picasso rembrandt gemduos, superduos and firepolish.  I added the czech daggers on top to bring the green into the coordination.  The gemduos are so fun... but I didn't pay close enough attention to the top and the bottom, so practice was in order... I now know!!

HAPPY VALENTINES and OTHER JOYS!

Recent creations, just to mention a few, made right before and right after the lovely Day.  I hope your Valentine's included hearts of some kind!  I'll start with the adorbs heart set... wood burned tear drop with heart made by Ashley Bonney of Summer Wind Art.  The wood pendants are so light, there's lots of option to add on without too much weight. I decided to cut out some really fun red/black embossed leopard leather to give it some added size and interest.  I also added some dangles at the bottom for movement - a copper heart, and five red 1-hole lentils.  I free form wire wrapped the pendant to a necklace of glass and fire polish.  The earrings are also leather cut outs with copper hearts and copper filigree bead caps, 8mm glass rounds, 6mm and 3mm black fire polish.  So light and just plain fun.  My cutting is all hand done, so it's not perfectly straight, but that gives it a "real" feel of creation.

Now for a couple free-form wrapped heart earring sets.  The first pair I made the wire heart form in 18 gauge, and then used 24 gauge wire to wrap these beautiful pink shimmery 8 sb around the form.  I added a crystal pave round bead and shimmery pink glass round for the top. 

The next pair I strung the 8 sb right on the wire as I was forming the heart, still using these gorgeous pink beads.  On this pair I added a 4mm bicone on the top near the ear wire and a Czech glass bicone and Czech crystal heart for the dangle.  

Next, a couple of my latest macrame bracelets.  These are happy and colorful and the messages something we can all relate to and enjoy wearing.  I never tire of making these.

I added some Vintaj paint to the leather on the next one.  I love how it turned out.  Majestic mountains and all that!

And, below, some absolutely yummy earrings, gearing more towards spring colors... These are a recent Fusion Beads inspiration project, with a little JDreams added in.  The outer ring is the pattern, but it needed more so I added in the chain and the Czech glass / swarovski crystal dangles, along with the glass rounds and copper bead caps on top.  The colors truly are just so yummy, and the mix of the crystals with the pearls!  Ah... love these.

REMINDER OF FALL AND ON TO SPRING!

 I finished this beautiful color combination of a set last fall, and then of course time sped up and I never did get it posted.  The colors are so perfectly fall -- "falling" -- the beautiful heart pendant is unusual with the leaves carved and sitting atop, and the adorable charms -- well, what's better than pumpkins and leaves, since my favorite season is fall!  Pendant and charms are from Dana George, New Moon Design.  I simply added some beautiful sari silk ribbon from LaShell for the necklace and did a bit of wire wrapping, added some czech glass leaves and rondelles, cube turquoise and swarovski bicones for the earrings and away I went...   

Some earrings below I just completed from a Fusion Beads inspiration.  The colors of these Czech pearls and round crystals are so incredible together.  I embellished the pattern (of course!) and added some chain, Czech leaf caps and swarovski crystal in this incredible AB peach color.  Oh my gosh... colors like this make me sing and smile... :)

INSPIRATION FROM THE HOLLY DAZE!

Happy New Year 2020 everyone!!!  I am working hard at not writing 2019 on everything... updating my blog has steadily been moving up my catch-up list. I haven't posted any of my projects from about Halloween through Christmas because it always feels like such a whirlwind.  Today, those few months all seem like a blur of magic dust!  But, onward I march into 2020 with a smile on my face and peace in my heart... most days!  Here are some of my wonderful projects that kept my mind and soul busy during the Holly-Daze.

I'm starting with beautiful original art metal by Gaea - the colors are so "me".  A perfect piece for fall, or anytime really.  The branch is from another wonderful artist, Dana George, New Moon Design (that was also in my stash), and it fit perfectly with this piece.  I wire wrapped farfalle beads as the connector to the branch and embellished the piece overall until I was happy with the look.  More farfalle beads, fire polish, czech glass leaves and coins, flower caps and pips.  It's just a happy piece.  My elderly mother looked at it around my neck and said "is that a picture of you"?  Why yes... yes it is!  Ha.  A likeness in coloring for sure.  Thank you Gaea. 

An adorable pendant from my stash... not sure where I purchased it, maybe Artbeads a very long time ago.  My 5 year old granddaughter Lily loves unicorns and sparkles, so this was a special piece for her December birthday!! 

Two original artist pieces were integral to this next project.   I feel so very fortunate to have several wonderful artists to follow and learn from.  They all take turns in my creations, and my own creations are so much better because of them.  I am grateful to have their inspiration!  Tracee Dock Classic Bead created the ceramic donut, which was in my stash and was just what I needed to work as a connection between the Eagle Zuni Bear pendant by Nicole St. Laurent (Ravens Meadow) and the necklace.  I wire wrapped each piece together and then added some of LaShell's (Design Talented One) beautiful fibers to soften the connection.  I love that look!  The necklace has many different beads -- some wood, some czech rondelles, czech leaves and metal spacers.  So fun!  The earrings are 11.0 delicas in brick stitch - my own design coordinating the many colors in the necklace. 

The next piece includes a Heather (Humblebeads) polymer clay bird.  Her birds are always beautiful and unique and just plain fun.  I have to reteach myself on the wire nest wrapping each time, and sometimes that's more of a challenge than I expect... but always fun!  The polymer square in the earrings are Heather's as well, which match so nicely with the necklace.  I added some czech glass and farfalle bead dangles, plus some painted little bird egg charms.  All very light and chirpy!!! :)  

more projects yet to be posted.  Stay tuned...