Necklace from the Black Lagoon

Here's a necklace I made to enter in the latest Fire Divas jewelry challenge. I was inspired by the focal bead, which is called "Monstrous Algae."
When I think about monstrous algae, I think of the monster from the black lagoon. This necklace is not monstrous, but I couldn't resist naming it like I did.

The focal bead was made by Melanie from Arensea. Its a fabulous bead, and I used its colors to do the rest of the necklace.

I made some netted sections, which I strung on beading wire. I used swarovski crystals, and brass findings.

I finished it off with a brass toggle. It is 22 inches long, and the focal bead is 30mm. I'm so glad I got it all done and entered into the contest on time(today is the last day to enter). I love entering the Fire Divas challenges. Not a lot of people enter, which gives me a better chance of winning some new beads! And we all know how much I need more beads...lol!

Hooray for Bollywood!

When the etsy beadweavers announced the September challenge, Bollywood, I was thrilled! I had so many fantastic ideas for bollywood fashion it was hard to choose just one! When I think of Indian jewelry I think of bright colors, mirrors, and bells. Fuchsia and purple were at the top of my list for colors. Mirrors were always my favorite part of embroidered clothing, and bells seemed to always announce when the wearer had arrived.
So when I combined these things, this is what I came up with! I found mirrors at JoAnns in their mosaic department. The larger ones in front are 1 inch, and the smaller ones towards the back are 3/4 inch. I bezelled them all, and then started to sew them all together.

I wanted the center to be a bit larger then just the mirror, so I took some memory wire, covered it in aquarium tubing, and then covered that in peyote stitch. It seemed to work well with the circular motif, so I used some netting to hold the mirror in place. After all the mirrors were connected I added netting with bells to the bottoms of the center mirrors. The rest of the larger mirrors in front I added 4mm swarovski bicone fringe to, just to up the sparkle quota. In the back I added a peyote toggle and bar for the closure.

I decided though, as I was finishing up, to not stress the deadline and leave it at home while I went to visit my sister for the Labor Day weekend. We had a great time, and I don't regret my decision at all. It will still get listed on etsy, just in my own sweet time! (which must be today!)

Old habits die hard, so here at the end of the post I confess my inability to stay on top of my Bead Journal Page. I know I am not the only one to fall behind, but my guilt comes from knowing that I certainly am not TRYING to keep up....So anyways, here's June...

June is the month that I married my wonderful husband. On June 26Th, 1999 (hence the numbers at the bottom) Brian and I were married. He is my best friend, and soul mate so I dedicated this one to him. He doesn't like the colors, but they were the colors we were married in (me in white, him in black, and the bridesmaids in burgundy). The center heart is also a locket, which I plan on getting our wedding photo shrunk down to fit because it can still open.

And here's July!...

This little turtles celebrating the 4Th of July! The flag that its holding is actually a pin that was my Grandmas. Kind of looks like its being waved, huh? The yellow bugles are supposed to be fireworks going off, and the stars and moon are sequins from a stash of things my mom gave me long ago.

I still don't have August started, or even have an idea for that matter...but I'm sure I will think of something. As soon as the gears in my head slow down a bit, I'm sure it will come to me, right?

Twisted

This is my entry into the Etsy Beadweavers August challenge "Silver and Gold". I knew right away what I was going to make as soon as I heard the theme! Earlier this summer when I was visiting relatives, we went to this cute little artsy area to do some window shopping. In the window of a jewelry store in Occuquan Virginia I saw a necklace similar to the one I made.

It was a small spiral of silver on one side, with a small spiral of gold on the other and they spiraled together in the front. I didn't take a picture, but just jotted down some thoughts on what my own version would look like. Oglala stitch was perfect, and size 15 seed beads helped scale it to the right size. Because it was so lightweight, I needed to weigh it down on the front. A beaded bead with swarovski crystals was the perfect solution!

I finished it off with a Sparkly Wheel, and bar to make the toggle. Simple and sweet! I listed it yesterday on etsy, and it is one of 50 entries! Please stop by the etsy-beadweaver blog between August 9Th and 15Th to see the rest of the beautiful entries and vote for your favorite.

On another note, my necklace "A Sunny Day in the Garden" sold! The buyer inquired as to matching post earrings, and these are what I came up with. The are a hair under 20mm across, and are finished off with sterling silver posts. I think they turned out great, and the customer likes them too! What a perfect end to the week!

Finished off some things...

I finally checked a few more things of my beady "to do" list! This first one I started last fall for the etsy-beadweaver challenge "Indian Summer". I was never quite satisfied with it, so I never entered it into the challenge. I took it up north with me this weekend, and finished it off...and I must say I am now satisfied!
These pretty little flowers are supposed to be sunflowers. The flowers are made up of crystal copper rivolis, bezzeled and then surrounded with petals of rust and yellow.

I don't normally take pictures of the back of my pieces, but I had to share this one because I am especially proud of how nice it looks even from the back!

The rope is made up of 3 herringbone ropes braided together. I finished it of with a toggle made to look like a flower also. I can just imagine how nice this necklace would look with a sundress. It is bright and cheerful and sure to turns heads, so if you are interested in this one check out my etsy shop.

This next necklace is not really a "loose end" that I needed to finish up, but rather necklace I wanted to put together just because I was inspired by the glass bead in the center. A while back I had placed third in a Fire Divas jewelry challenge and one of my prizes was a gift certificate from Tera from Beadygirl Beads. It was a hard choice, because I liked so many of her beads, but I finally decided the peace bead spoke the loudest, so it came home to my house!

I made up some beaded beads to go with it, and made up this necklace to enter in the current Fire Divas jewelry challenge.

As I said, I was inspired by this fabulous focal bead. Pictures do not do it justice! I made some peace beaded beads, and some Cellini spiral beads and then strung it all with some swarovski crystals and sterling silver findings. Tera was also kind enough to add a few little extra beads that match and they are also in the necklace.

I'm not really sure how I keep leaving my BJP till the last picture of the posts. Maybe because I am sad to say that I am not keeping up with the months, even though I knew before hand that I would not be able to keep up. This is Mays Bead Journal Page. It is made up of a cloisonne turtle (the legs and head move on this one) and some broken earrings from my Grandmothers old jewelry stash. I chose the iris to represent the irises that bloomed in my own yard in May, even in those colors! The crystal clusters are representing the lilac bushes that my boys gave me for mothers day a few years back. They are also purple and bloom in May. You might wonder why I used the brick red in the background, but I will tell you it is to represent the brick driveway that I have where all of these flowers are bordering.

Now if only I could come up with an idea for Junes BJP, I would feel a little bit more on schedule. Oh well, I am sure that something will inspire me soon...

Fish On!

When Artbeads contacted me about their blogging topic*, "Summertime Fun", all it took was a quick glance at the new swarovski fish beads before I had a fun necklace idea! It was a hard choice at first because I was given the broad spectrum of their glass beads to choose from. I just cant seem to help myself when it comes to swarovski though!
I made a spiral rope with over 300 swarovski 4mm bicones. It also has 2 crystal copper fish beads to break it up in the front of the necklace.

The clasp is in front, and it is made up of a sparkly wheel and a handcrafted sterling silver fish hook (I made myself!).

From the sparkly wheel hang 4 fish pendant beads. 1 crystal copper, 1 indicolite, 1 blue zircon, and 1 aquamarine. The copper is supposed to look like a goldfish, but I'll admit its more brown then gold! The whole thing is very sparkly, and has a really fun feeling to it.

And last but not least, I finally finished Aprils Bead Journal Project! I started this back before Easter. and it was nice to get it done. It is supposed to look like an Easter egg (because Easter usually is in April). It has gold turtles (because they fit my turtles throughout the year theme), and presents, because both my birthday and my sons birthday are in April! The rest was just filling in the blanks.

I've finally started my May BJP, and hopefully will also get to Junes before the month is up! I'll cross my fingers, and hope for easy beading!

*disclaimer- all products received from artbeads are free of cost to me in exchange for my opinion of said products.

Mums the Word

I just got done with another one! I created this necklace for Margie Deeb, for her fall color report. It is a beautiful mustard colored cabochon, with deep red mums up either side. A couple of olive green leaves stick out underneath.
First I made a netted base in a chocolate brown metallic size 11/o seed bead. Although it is hard to tell from the pictures, it is not a circular pattern, It comes to a "v" in the front.

I made 6 flowers with a 6mm Czech glass fire-polished bead for the center, and made petals with a deep red size 11/o seed bead.

I bezzelled the cab and attached it to the center of the base. Then I attached the flowers, which are done in a basic leaf pattern and the leaves, which are done in peyote stitch.

I used a magnetic slide clasp in the back in a bronze color which match the brown beads in the netting perfectly! Easy on, easy off!

It was hard working with these fall colors right now. Ill admit I am VERY excited to start on my Artbeads summer fun necklace. It will be choc' full of summer blues, which is what its all about in the summer in Michigan, fun in the water!

Beading For A Cure 2010

Its done!!! I feel like this has been in the works forever, but am quite satisfied with myself now that its done. Beading For A Cure is a charity that I started donating to a few years ago. It was started by some friends of a woman named Layne, who died of colorectal cancer. Every year there is a kit, and the rules are simple. Use at least one of every bead in the kit, and add no more then one type of bead to it. When all of the pieces are done, they are auctioned off on eBay, with all of the proceeds going to help support colorectal cancer research. This year, I had no idea when I bought my kit, that colorectal cancer would play a part in my life. A family member was diagnosed, and had a tumor removed just about a month ago now. He is doing well, and hopefully will continue.
I absolutely loved this years kit. Bronze and purple work so well together and there were so many beads in the kit, it didn't really need any additions but I couldn't help myself. I added the focal piece, which is a 37mm fancy octagon Swarovski crystal in Light Colorado Topaz (from Artbeads*).

I bezzelled the octagon, and then added 4mm cyclamen opal crystals, some from the original kit and some that I added. The kit also contained 4mm Czech crystals, and 4mm freshwater pearls, which are in the connecting strands of the necklace.

I made some squares with right angle weave (R.A.W.), and then used 6mm cyclamen opal crystals inside the little windows. Each square has two little fringies off the bottoms, that add some movement to the whole piece.

I made the toggle with another R.A.W. square, and a bar also in R.A.W.. From the square I dangled a little cancer ribbon charm to remind the wearer of the necklaces significance.

I was horrified when I was making this, to find out that as I was getting ready to connect the clasp, I was four pearls short! ACK!! I of course tried the bead store I worked at to find something similar, to no avail. Many thanks go out to Tracy for helping me out and sending me some more pearls so that I could finish my necklace the way I had envisioned it. Thanks Tracy!!!

*disclaimer - all products recieved by Artbeads.com are free of charge and are given to me for my honest opinion of the products.