Odds n ends

The photos in this post are without category, just some random earrings I've made recently. The muse does as she pleases sometimes.

These are polymer clay charms from Humblebeads. Heather Powers of Humblebeads makes similar components in different colors, but I love the light green with the purple-y aubergine. I just added garnet colored glass beads.

 

 I recently picked up these printed Howlite beads at Michael's. I like the color combo in the blue and purple beads (I also bought larger, pendant size beads that coordinate - still need to make something with them). The peacock feather image is so attractive, it drew me in. I used garnet colored glass and Vintaj flower bead caps with the blue beads. And Vintaj filigree bead caps and German glass beads with the peacock feather beads - they match perfectly.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Jade scott, those are cool components!

I really love buying art beads and handmade OOAK components. I'll admit that I hoard most of them! By the time I use them, they are not even being made anymore. I know I have a life time supply of art beads! I'd love to quit acquiring them, but those darn bead artists keep coming up with new and creative things that I must have in my hoard collection.

Jade Scott makes really cute components from copper, paper and resin. I have been hoarding these for a little while. Recently I was looking through a basket of stuff under my bead desk, that somehow did not get organized or put away when I moved my desk earlier this year. I found 2 small envelopes with these inside. I wouldn't say that I forgot about them, it was more like "out of sight, out of mind".....I decided that it was time to take action!

necklace #1 - This is a branch component, with 3 leaves (or maybe they are berries...I think they look more like leaves) The leaves are 3 different colors. I picked some robin's egg blue 2mm leather from my stash that matches one leaf, and a ceramic cube bead that matches the pink leaf. I decided to make a tassel from some of the leather (tassels seem to be "IN" right now). I finished it off with some Vintaj chain. The necklace length is about 22 inches, and the focal hangs below that.


I picked up a strange yellow glow at the bottom of this photo...I think it's a reflection from surrounding trees

 A close-up of the focal. You can see the texture on the copper, and the little print on the paper - so cute! And my tassel, too.

 

necklace #2 - This wing focal really is so nice, it didn't need much embellishment. I recently purchased a mixed bag of vintage German 4mm beads (from Fire Mountain). They are in a range of colors from a greenish yellow, to a burnt umber. I tried to used them randomly. I made 2 "love knot" headpins and put them through the holes of the pendant, then added my beads, and a wrapped loop. I bent the wire so that the beads are going out to the side of the pendant. This necklace is about 18 inches.
 I realized when I was cropping my photo that I did not lay this down straight. The beads really are at the same angle on both sides when worn. (oops). In my defense, it was cold and windy when I was outside snapping photos. :-)

 

 And a close up of the wing focal!  *love*

 

necklace #3 - As much as I love the first two necklaces (and I really do!), this one is my favorite! It all starts with the peapod focal from Jade Scott. At Beadfest, I purchased some delicious lampwork beads from 2 Bead Sisters. The lampwork bead is mostly purple and black, but has greenish yellow lines, and I thought it played well with the peapod. All that was left to do was to pick the supporting cast. The small green and aqua beads are more vintage German beads (also from Fire Mountain) and some faceted purple beads (probably dyed Howlite?) that I've had for several years. The 5mm German beads are in a range of colors from aqua to grass green. Again, I chose the colors randomly. Bead caps, jump rings and chain are from Vintaj, of course. Necklace length is about 19 inches.

 

 Here's a close up of the peapod focal, and the lampwork bead. Both are yummy!

 

I'm so glad my muse has come back to me. She still has more up her sleeve, I am happy to report. More jewelry is coming! Thanks for reading my blog!

10 weeks??

I read somewhere that Christmas is less than 10 weeks away! Is that even possible?!? Is it unreasonable and contradictory for me to think the holidays are coming too quickly AND that it's way to soon for Christmas stuff in the stores? We are still a week from Halloween. But still, I'm already feeling a bit panicky about the holidays! Is it just me? Maybe it's got to do with being a year older, I don't know.

Can you tolerate photos of some new Christmas/ holiday jewelry? Too Early?
Stop reading now if you don't want to see Christmas jewelry - but please come back after Thanksgiving!!

I got this vintage Holly pendant on etsy (from WhoKnowsWhat). I was very pleased with the quality. It appears to be from the late 50's/ early 60's. The 8mm white beads, believe it or not, are Precosia beads. The balance of the beads are several years old, probably from AC Moore. Brass components from Vintaj, as usual.

 

 Here's a close up of the pendant - it's enameled! Ha - I just had a thought. I probably should have used some of my enameled beads in the necklace.... Oh well, I might need to revise this one.

 

Walking through Michael's with my 50% off coupon in hand, these little spools caught my eye. They weren't in the jewelry section. I think they were for making miniatures or something. But I was on a mission to find a frame, planning to use my coupon for that, so I kept moving. Happily, the frame I ended up getting was on sale (big shocker!), so I picked up a bag of these spools with the coupon.
I knew I wanted to wrap them with sari silk and wire. After that, I played with beads until I liked the combinations. The peppermint stripe beads are polymer clay beads from a dis-assembled Christmas bracelet. The brown sparkle beads are from AC Moore. The smallish silver, red and green beads are from a miniature reproduction vintage garland. It was meant to go on a mini tree, but I unstrung it to use the beads. The tiny red and green beads are 4mm German glass beads from Fire Mountain.
All these earrings are very light weight.

 

Once again, thanks for reading my blog!

zig-zag dangle earrings

I made some Zig-zag earrings. (I wonder what the origin of "zig-zag" is..... I just Googled it. It's origin is unknown, but possibly German from "zick-zack", or French).

 

Anyway, I saw this idea in online somewhere.

 

Just a single bead on a 1" headpin with a simple loop at the top. Then another one, with the first one added, and so forth. They have lots of movement when worn.

 

First pair of earrings with bronze crystal beads...These are light weight so I used hinged ear wires, so they won't fall out of the ear holes. 

 

Next... Same thing, but smaller blue crystal beads.

 

Then I thought maybe bigger beads and 5 headpins might be better. I think I was right...they are longer, of course, but also have even move movement. Red crystal earrings will be good to have on hand for the holidays.

 

I just got an idea - I could make a matching necklace with these "links"....hmmm.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my post!

More Beadfest inspiration

While at Beadfest this past August, I ran across a vendor with really nice chain at very reasonable prices. It was one of the many smaller foreign vendors - I don't know the name. I'll probably never find him again, even if he's there again. The tables were non-descript. Just the usual...until a friend pointed out the chain prices to me! Some chain was $0.50 per foot (what?!) Of course, I had to stop and buy some!

 

There were spools of beaded chain too. I tried not to go too nuts. I bought the below carnelian bead chain below, I think, for $3.00 per foot. Each link is connected by wrapped loops - pretty nice.

I know it's kind of cheating - I should be making my own chain, right? But it makes it quick and easy to try out ideas...

 

I got the idea to make this necklace - with 3 lengths of chain, all in equal lengths of 11-12 inches each. The Carnelian chain and the large twist link chain were from the vendor at Beadfest. I added some smaller Vintaj chain for the "third" chain. It can be worn long, with the either chain in the front, or half and half. Or it can be worn doubled around the neck.

 

 

 Because I had to cut the chain, it gave me 2 carnelian beads, so I made them into some simple matching earrings.

 

 

That's all folks! Thanks for reading!