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I finally have my computer hooked up again AND I found my digital camera. So pictures of my weekly work will be coming again. I am hoping to go back to completing at least one piece a week. If for no other reason then it will help me gather a stock together that I can sell. I know I need to use supplies that I have already... it makes good financial sense. It's so hard though when I know there are projects I really want to do and cannot because I really can't justify going and buying the supplies right now.

WIP

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This piece is a work in progress. What I am showing is the central beaded cab of a new necklace I am working on. Since it is a work in progress I am not going to share a lot of details because I want to wait until I am ready to show the whole piece. However, it is a large glass cab that was made for me by hand by a glass artist. The picture is terrible and I am sorry for that but my scanner simply will NOT pick up the colors and beauty of this cab. I am hoping when the piece i all finished that my best friend will let me borrow her camera so I can photograph it properly. It is embellished with size 6 and 11 seed beads, size 9 Charlottes and backed in ultra suede. it is truly lovely in person. The only thing I am the slightest bit unhappy about is that part of the green seeds (which you really cant see in the picture) that is supposed to be framing the cab, keeps 'folding' underneath the piece.

Pearl Brooch

10:25 PM Posted In Edit This 1 Comment »

Well today I completed my first for sale piece in a long time. It was a challenge to get back into this type of work. I have missed it so very much. I've learned a lot of new techniques since I started beading. This brooch was inspired by some of the bead artists that I consider to be 'artists' and whom I aspire to be able to create like. This piece was also inspired by a book I borrowed form the library called Beading with Cabochons. I am pretty happy with the way it turned out.


The brooch is a fossil coral (thanks!)bezelled in tiny gold seed beads and warm luscious brown seed beads. It is also accented by freshwater pearls and super tiny silver lined seed beads. The back is lined in a creamy beige Ultrasuede.


Unfortunately I don't have a camera so I had to scan it and since it is not flat it really lost something in the scan. But it is still lovely despite that.

A very busy week 10

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I was just hit with the inspiration bug this week. The week isn't over yet. In fact, it's only Tuesday, but I have 5 bracelets to show off. These were all done over a 3 or 4 day period since my last post. Needless to say however, I have certainly met my quota for week 10. :)


All of the chains are made with 20g bright aluminum 1/8" ID.
The first one is called Crys Cuff since I made it specifically for me. It's Euro 4in1 and five rows wide. It hugs my wrist and feels really slinky on.
The second one is called Droplets. I think the little blue magatama beads look like little drops of water. I enjoyed making this piece because it allows me to combine my first love (beads) with my current passion (chain). Other than that is is also a Euro 4in1 weave and fits snugly on the wrist.
The third chain I called Rain. It is a shaggy loops bracelet but one side of each section of loops contains a magatama drop bead. This caused the beads to spiral around the chain. It is really beautiful in person despite it being made in aluminum. It looks incredibly delicate and feminine on. I am really pleased with it. I am really looking forward to getting a hold of some of the end drilled swarovski crystals so I can try this with crystals.
The fourth bracelet here is called Roger's Cuff because I made this specifically for my hubby. He has been wanting a bracelet for a while now but since I am working with such small rings everything was coming out to dainty I think. (mind you that's my opinion, he loved them) However, when I went to my LBS the other day to get some clasps I noted these multi strand clasps that felt masculine to me. They toggles are made with a squarish wire and the bar itself is rectangular. It just felt manly to me. So I constructed a five row Euro 4in1 for him. My only 'complaint' with this one is the toggle was not wide enough to accommodate more rows. I think it would look better at 9 or 11 rows. For the next one I will try it in 18g as opposed to 2o and try and get 9 rows or so in there.
Finally the fifth one is called The Eyes Have It. I made a shaggy loops bracelet. It was my very first one that I had made. While I thought it was very cute, it felt lacking. I think this was mostly because the rings are so small that it didn't feel like it had any weight though it did have some character. So, when at my LBS I bought a new bag of little eye beads. I love these beads so much. I am always buying different colors and sizes because I think they are totally awesome. So, I got out the 22g wire.. (i think it was the 22) and wrapped a WHOLE BUNCH of these tiny little eyes. I did a wrapped loop at the top, then threaded the bead on and wrapped the tail of the wire in a spiral up the side of the bead and then tucked the tail in with the wrapped loop. It took a really long time but I think it looks sweet! For this bracelet though, there are only drops on alternating sides of every other section of loops.
Well that's it so far!

Week 9 Roundmaille

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This week I wanted to try another new weave. When I was at the renaissance festival recently, I saw a bracelet that intrigued me a lot. I recognized the weave as being roundmaille from pictures I had seen of it before. I had to look up how to do it and I finally found a tutorial on the M.A.I.L website. The instructions were kind of hard to understand though. It wanted me to start out with a section of 4 in 1 and then roll it up and connect it together. While it sounded very straightforward, in practice it was so hard for me to get it to work. I only did a small section, maybe 8 or ten links like that.


However, I really wanted it to work for me. So after studying it for a while, I discovered there was a pattern I could follow by adding just one link at a time to the ends in a circular motion rather than rolling up a sheet. It worked wonderfully for me and I think I got quite a bit speedy at it.


Rather then keep reusing the same base metal claps and findings over and over and over again I went to my LBS and picked up a couple packages of clasps. Now I have a few more to keep moving around so that at least I can show them pictured with clasps on them.


This particular bracelet I cannot wait to try in Sterling Silver and Gold Fill. I think it is going to look breath taking in the two metals together. I am excited.


The stats on this bracelet are the same as they have been. 20g Bright Aluminum 1/8" ID. The clasp is a really really pretty silver plated toggle with a swirly leaf pattern on it.

For Mom!

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My mothers birthday is coming up. March 4Th is the wonderful day. I love birthdays and I adore my mommy. I was trying to come up with something to give her. I usually give her jewelry so I wanted to come up with something else. I pulled out a few swarovski crystals and some sterling silver beads. Then I pulled out a small hummingbird charm that I picked out for her. She collects hummingbirds as you would notice immediately if you ever visited her house.


I put them all together and made her a cellphone charm! I know she has never had one and I think she will think it's cute if nothing else. She will appreciate the thought and the materials at least. I am hoping she will really like it as it something new that she hasn't had before. When I make her card I might post that here too even though it's not actually jewelry.
The picture isn't great because it's scanned as opposed to photographed, but you can get the idea.

Week - 8 Romanov Bracelet

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I am still sick so I anticipated making a very simple piece this week. However, after making the Romanov ring, the idea for the bracelet just wouldn't leave my head. I didn't have anymore tiny blue beads for the center of the byzantine sections, so this time I added tiny ruby red check glass beads. It was less labor intensive than I imagined it would be. You will not the clasp doesn't match the metal of the bracelet. This is of course because I am just practicing with this bright aluminum metal and and recycling and reusing findings as I see fit for each weeks projects.


This bracelet will look absolutely stunning when I do it in Sterling silver with swarovski crystals in place of the red beads. I think I am also going to try one with a few different colors of check beads in it as an example of a mothers bracelet. I think it would be beautiful for any other to have the birthstones of her children in the center of the Romanov sections. The extra sections could simply have sterling silver beads in their centers or I suppose in theory be left empty. With the right ring ration I imagine the shape could be kept even while it is empty. However my personal preference would be to put SS beads in there as I think it would be elegant and beautiful.


The earrings match the bracelet perfectly. They are the same size rings and the tiny red beads are the same as well. In future attempts, I may add a dangle to the bottom of the earrings. It might give them a little more movement, but I am very pleased with how these came out.
I almost forgot. 20g bright aluminum 1/8" ID.

Week - 7

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I am back on time and on track for week 7. This is not a theme piece and in truth I don't even know what the theme is this week. I am sick and have still been really busy with another project right now so this was a quick piece for me. I had not tried the Romanov design yet so I thought I would give it a try. I feel very fortunate that it worked out the first time with just a little experimentation on my part. I just sat down to fidget with it and so did no research as to ring size or anything. It is slightly bulky to wear, but I am used to wearing my 4 in 1 ring which lies flat. The roundness of it took just a little getting used too but I enjoy wearing it.


I am still working with the same set of rings so the measurements and materials of the rings has not changed. The bead in the center of the Romanov chain piece is a light blue check bead even though it came out somewhat green on the scan. There really isn't much else to say about this piece other than I am really eager to try and make a matching bracelet. I don't know what I will be tackling THAT project though.
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