Miss Elainie

I just thought I'd post some miscellaneous stuff. No real connection to these things, other than they were all made recently, and I got around to photographing them.
I usually start with necklaces and end with earrings, so let's change it up!
These earrings are pretty simple, but I like them. They look sort of like Japanese lanterns. The Dyed Howlite barrels were from Michael's. The bead caps I got from Panda Hall. Did you ever buy from Panda Hall? I was too cheap to pay the faster shipping, so they took 2 months to arrive. (that was a buzz-kill to my impulsive purchase!) But besides that, it is a huge quantity of beads. These particular beads are in a baggie, and there are as many pieces of straw in the bag as there are beads! And some of them are a bit grungy. They really look like they came from a farm (in China) or something! But I really like them. I bought other beads at the same time. All I can say is that I have a life time supply of beads to enamel, and tiny antique copper spacer beads (20,000 of them!!!) Anyway, here's the earrings:

Next up is a necklace. The focal is from Earthenwood. I really like some of her things, like the wings, and this, and lots of other things too. I don't think I realized there were snowflakes on this when I bought it. I bought it because I liked the crackle glaze, and the open window design. I like the snowflakes too, but I've not seen green snowflakes before! (I have heard of yellow snow. lol) But, no matter, I love the ceramic piece. I decided to look through my stash for smaller filigrees that could pass for snowflakes. The necklace is a bit fussy, and I might make some alterations to it, but this is it's current state. Subject to change.

 

This simple necklace is just a Vintaj bird and a handful of vintage carved bone flower buds. It's NOT a fussy necklace, like the one above, but is good for those days you want something neutral, that goes with anything and everything.

I bent the ends of the wing and tail, rather than making a hole in the bird somewhere. And, coincidentally, I recently saw this bird, bent the same way, on the Vintaj blog.

 

Lastly, this is a variation on a previous design. Previously, I made a necklace with a Simple Truth pendant, called "Make a Wish", and it was published last April in Bead Trends. This necklace is similar, but the pendant is wood with a dandelion painted (or stamped? or printed?) on it. I twisted little pieces of wire going up the one side, to be the seeds blowing off the dandelion (like the previous necklace).

 

 

That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by!
Have a nice weekend!

Come fly with me...

I am always happy to get some unsolicited inspiration. I received an email from a friend who was looking for a piece of jewelry with wings in it. She needs to buy a gift for a friend that is a pilot.
Well, of course I have some wing components in my stash!! I was only hoarding them, but it's time to let them go!
Actually, this first one is not that old. I just got it last month, from Erin Prais-Hintz. It was from the simple truths sampler club. It's actually perfect for my friend's friend. I put it on a fairly substantial chain, because the pendant is substantial. It's about 1.5" square, and has a nice weight to it. I added the extra wing at the clasp, which can be worn in the back, or on the side. Simple, but the pendant is the star of this one!

The next wings I found were from Earthenwood. I actually bought them somewhere else, on sale. So I bought all 3 colors available.

First, the white wing. I used some black and white polymer beads and an acrylic bead, along with some cool bead caps, hematite small rounds, and grey matte glass pony beads.

Acrylic is just a fancy word for plastic. Still, I like the bead, but I'm not in love with that seam!

Next up is the green wing. I used the same bead caps as above (I just got them and I hadn't used them before) with some faceted fire agate beads.

And lastly, the rust wing. I decided to use the lone copper filigree bead that was hanging out on the desk. I went through my copper stuff, and found the fire patina'ed curved tubes. They look so pretty in the baggie together, but it's really hard to pick out just one! But I finally picked this one. Then I picked a pretty clasp - I think it goes with the filigree bead.

And, just because I was on a roll, I picked up this mother of pearl butterfly that has also been languishing on my bead desk. Picked out an enameled bead and flower to match. I thought I had made the necklace all lop-sided, because the butterfly doesn't hang straight. That's always the challenge doing asymmetrical designs. But after I switched things around, and it still hangs wonky. I think the thickness of the shell is uneven, so one side is thicher/heavier. Either that, or the hole is not in the center. Either way, I'm probably stuck with this one for a while!

Still, it's pretty.



That hole looks like it's in the center!!??!!??!!

I sent the wing photos to my freind - she liked all of them, but she's buying the simple truth pendant - it really is the perfect necklace for a pilot!