Beading For A Cure 2011

Summer is coming to a close, and boy have I neglected my blog! I had a big case of beader block earlier on this summer, and managed to get a few things done that had deadlines, but I havent stopped to update here. Boy oh boy am I overdue!

I managed to get my BFAC piece done on the due date, and get it mailed off. Thought I would try to get back into the swing of things by posting some pics! I named it 'Xylia' which means woodland, or wood dweller. The colors this year were blue, green and brown which are not my favorites, but I managed to find a stone focal bead that worked well with them. I think it is a Jasper, but I am not sure. I also added a bunch of volcano swarovski rivolis to add that extra sparkle.

It is 18" long, with a 38mm focal piece. The fringe is 2" at its longest. I like the way it all turned out, and the colors ended up being fantastic! I think it has a woodsy, outdoor-ish feel, hence the name.

I bezelled the focal, and all the rivolis with peyote stitch. Then I connected them all with swooping strands of beads (boy that sounds silly). I added most of the odd sized beads to the fringe.

Finished it all off with a peyote toggle using the swarovski sequins on the ends of the toggle bar. I originally thought of bead embroidery because of those sequins, but went the route of beadweaving instead.

I really like to participate in BFAC not only for the challenge, but because of the donation. Cancer (colorectal in this case) has affected almost everyone I know in some way or another, and I am proud to do what I can to help find a cure for it. Please check out the Beading for a Cure website (www.beadingforacure.org) for more information on how you can get involved either through participating in the challenge, or maybe helping by buying one of the items when they are auctioned off in March.

Grandmas Cameo

When I was notified of Artbeads new design challenge, I was thrilled! "What was old, is new again" gave me the perfect reason to bust out my box of Grandmas old jewelry. There were quite a few cameos, but I chose my focal piece because it looks like it is actually carved and not just molded. As I continued to dig through all the goodies in the box I found a pair of old clip on earrings that matched the colors in the cameo. I clipped off the back of the earrings, and decided that they looked best right under the cameo. Here's a picture of the old parts of my necklace, the cameo in the middle and the earrings right under it (with the three little rhinestones in them).

Then I started to browse the Artbeads website. Boy they have TONS of stuff! I decided (after many hours and what seemed like days) that I needed some swarovski rivolis in light peach which beautifully picked up the same colors of the stones in the earrings. Then I decided to order a pair of their cameos which I placed at the clasp.

I'm very satisfied with how the whole piece came out, and I think that it would make Grandma happy too! She was big on re-using items (in particular, wrapping paper and old greeting cards) and if she could see what kind of company her cameo was with now I think she would be impressed!I set out originally thinking I would make it all shades of brown, because the cameo looked like it was a shade of carnelian. After adding the earrings, and deciding to use the light peach rivolis to match, the necklace started to take on a whole new color. I added some swarovski sun margaritas, some peach pearls and seed beads in every color I could think of including copper, gold, and brown. I think adding lots of lighter colors brightened the whole thing up and I cant imagine what it would look like if I had stuck with just brown. It was so much brighter and happier then I think brown would've been!

Here is a shot of the cameos from Artbeads. They came as a set, one of them facing in each direction, which is one of the reasons I decided to put them at the clasp.

What I didn't mention earlier is that I decided I didn't want to ruin the integrity of the cameo pin. So I didn't cut the back off and glue it down to my interfacing, I left the pin intact and pinned it to the interfacing. I cut out little holes for the working parts of the pin so that when it sits on the interfacing the back is all flush. Then when I glued the Ultrasuede to my interfacing, I just left an open space where the pin is that is glue-free so that if I ever decide I want just the cameo again I can just unpin it!

* disclaimer - all products provided by Artbeads are free of charge for my opinion of said products whether good or bad. No compensation was given.

Turn up the heat!

Back in January, I was contacted by Artbeads letting me know the topic of their next blogging for beads program*, Winter enchantment. We were to design a piece that represented what we found beautiful or inspirational about the winter season. And to me, there is NOTHING inspirational or beautiful about it. I can sum it all up for me with four simple words...TURN UP THE HEAT! I freeze my booty off all winter long, so I made a necklace that would warm things up. A ring of flames! I started with a teardrop pendant (swarovski of course), which I bezelled, and then brick stitched into a flame shape.

Then I took 30 swarovski teardrop beads, and brick stitched around them to make lots of little flames. You might recognize this pattern from Diane Fitzgerald's "Beading with Brick Stitch book." Its the paisley pattern (but I think they look like flames)! I even made a paisley toggle to finish it off! The beads are all silver-lined so they REALLY sparkle, and of course the crystals help the sparkle factor too!

Now this next one is something I made when the etsy-beadweavers were doing their "Fashion through the ages" challenge. I didn't take part in the challenge because I came up with this four days before the deadline. Lots of people were posting their entries which were inspired by the fashion from their youth so I started thinking about what I wore when I was younger...

Everyone wore studs when I was younger. I hung out with the "punk" kids, and lots of people had jewelry or belts made of black leather with silver metal studs on them. I think my husband still has one of these belts hiding in the closet somewhere!

So a band of matte black delicas with silver metallic studs was born...and I really like it (just like I did back then)!

*disclaimer- all products recieved from Artbeads.com are free of charge in return for my honest opinion of the product

Along the Garden Path

In the spring, when the flowers are just starting to bloom, a walk along the garden path is a little different then summer. You can see the cool grey color of the stepping stones, and the pale vines and soft purple flowers come alive against the cold stone finish. The grey color used in this necklace was the color I chose to work with for Margie Deebs spring color report. I'll admit, I wasn't happy the prettier color were all taken, and what I was left with was the color of cement! But I think I did pretty good with it anyway, right?
I was originally going to do the whole necklace using silver shade rivolis, but then I was browsing the Artbeads site, and I found the most perfect thing! The "Divine Rock" is what it was called, and it fit perfectly into my stepping stone idea! So I bezelled the rivolis, and the rocks, and set them up into a pattern I really like!

I added some green vines, with pretty purple flowers (star flowers from Diane Fitzgeralds "The Beaded Garden"). They kind of weave around the stepping stones, and add a little bit of color to the otherwise very boring grey!

And of course I ended it with a beaded toggle, like always! I was happy to send it off, and be done with it (it caused me to lose much sleep!).

Bronze Tiger

Geesh, I hate taking pictures! I just realized that this one has been done for over a week, and I was just putting off taking the pictures! Anyway... This is my fall Artbeads piece*! I was inspired to make this by watching a documentary that had Jackie O in it. She was wearing a necklace that was hard to see, and even in black and white, I knew is was a perfect design! Of course mine turned out different then what she was actually wearing, but I like it anyways! It is made with 16mm tiger eye coins, which I bezelled with bronze delicas and 15's. Six great big tiger eye teardrops, which I also bezelled, and then connected it all together with some swarovski crystal (light colorado topaz) because I can never resist adding some swarovski bling! I really loved how this turned out. I LOVE tigers eye, and with the bronze and crystal it really is very rich looking I even made the toggle because I think it adds something to a beadwoven necklace, to have a beadwoven toggle!

I also entered this one in Artbeads "What inspires you?" contest. Voting goes from November 23rd through December 8Th. So please check out there website and vote for your favorite (you get five votes in each category, so use them wisely!).

And then I figured, as long as Ive got the camera out, I might as well take a couple of new photos of this one too.

I made this necklace for Margie Deebs Fall color report (2010), but it was to long. I had this feeling myself, but when Margie suggested shortening it, I knew it was the right decision. So now I can actually list it on etsy! (which is the next stop on my to do list!)

*disclaimer- All products received from Artbeads.com are free of charge in return for my honest opinion of the products.

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?