Wednesday, October 02, 2013

5 day self imposed challenge

I'm still talking about my bead society (Bucks County Bead Society), and last month's meeting. We had show and tell and I brought what I had made that week.....related background story.....

At my full-time job, we had been "asked" to rotate working 11am to 7pm once every 10 weeks or so. The week of the last bead society meeting was the week I was working the "late shift".

On Monday, I thought I'd see if the couple extra hours I had in the morning were enough time to make jewelry. I had a strand of grey top drilled pearls I wanted to use (I bought them at Beadfest for my sister, but she didn't like them, and I already have about 5 gallons of pearls, so I didn't want to add them to my stash). Anyway. I made this necklace. Grey pearls with copper bali daisy spacers. The added bonus is that I used a Green Girl Studios pendant that I have been hoarding for probably 10 years!! So, I was very pleased with myself.



On Tuesday morning, I had some left-over ideas in my head. There were more pearls that I wanted to use (and not add to the already ridiculous pearl stash). So, I went to the bead room, to do another design. I used tiny copper round spacer beads from Panda Hall between the pearls. The added bonus here is that I used a beautiful lampwork bead (by Jennifer Cameron) I just bought at Beadfest, and did not add it to my humongous stash of lampwork beads!! (my stash is really getting too big - and that's something I never thought I'd ever say!)
  
 
 
On Wednesday morning, with more left-over ideas in my head, I had now set a goal to make something every day that week! As I was making Tuesday's necklace, I noticed that the strand of pearls looked good with the lampwork bead, but they also looked good with my enameled flower pendant. What to do?!? I used half of the strand for each necklace, and added chain at the back for the needed length. This pendant is one of my enameled flowers layered with a Vintaj filigree flower.

 
 
This is where I need to talk about the bead society again. For my show and tell that Wed night, I took my 3 necklaces I had made that week and told my story (same as above). I think I actually heard clapping! They cheered me! They were so supportive of my little goal that week. This, compared to my husband, who I did not even tell. Because, I know if I told him I made jewelry every morning that week, he would have asked if I did anything else, like clean something, wash something, etc. He just doesn't "get it", but the bead society members do!

On Thursday, I used another strand of pearls from Beadfest. While rummaging through things earlier in the week, I ran across some antique copper discs with different leaf designs. I most likely got them on clearance at Michaels or AC Moore. I bought 2 packages of 3, thinking they'd make cute earrings, and they would have, but they are way too heavy. So, I made a pendant. I forgot to snap a photo of the back of the pendant, but I used 2 discs, so there's a cute leaf design on the back of the pendant too. I had the mother of pearl leaves, from Fire Mountain, on hand.
 


On Friday, I decided to make a necklace with one of the wire wrapped pendants I made at the bead society meeting. I really liked the red in this cabachon, so I went with it. I bought the tiny picasso Czech cut beads at Beadfest a couple years ago from Grain of Sand. They were sold by the hank, with mixed colors on every strand. So I picked a strand with plenty of red beads. And I sprinkled in some random Czech beads that were laying around, to add texture. I also added a length of chain, to give it a slightly heavier look.
 
 Believe it or not, I had time to make a second necklace that morning! I used another wire wrapped cab from the bead society meeting. It's black with raku. I liked how it looked with the Czech glass I found in my stash - black with green picasso finish.
 

 
To wrap up this post, my additional pleasure that week was, after making jewelry for a couple hours, I came downstairs, took my shower, and got dressed for work, picking out clothes to wear with my new necklace I made that morning!
 

2 comments:

  1. I am so impressed!! Both by your designs and by your making jewelry before work. Really, Cynthia, fantastic designs. I don't know if I could pick a favorite. Maybe the first one--love the fringe created by the top-drilled pearls. Maybe the second one--a stunningly simple and wearable design. Maybe the third one--your gorgeous enameled flower looks so at home with the luscious pearls. And so on! And kudos on getting right to it without adding to the hoard. Your sister is going to be sorry she didn't want the gray pearls when she sees that necklace. Good to have the support of the bead society. They get it even if A. doesn't.

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  2. I so wish I could join the local bead society. I work 3pm - midnight at a local hospital so hardly ever have that night off. I am so looking forward to retirement so I can have my evenings free LOL.
    I really is amazing what a person can accomplish in a few hours every day ... you did good.

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