Tribal guitar pick?

As an off-shoot of making the filigree tube bracelets, I wondered if I could use the same technique in a necklace. And in the meantime, my friend Suzan gave me a handful of lovely turquoise Zuni bears. Also fueling this particular design, I re-located my bead desk in another room in the house, so I have touched all my beads in the past few weeks. I ran across a small box of Vintaj blanks that I embossed (on my Big Kick), and I had painted some with Vintaj patinas.
The Zuni bears were sitting next to the green fern embossed guitar pick and looked pretty good together and I was thinking about the bracelets.....serendipity.

I put together the focal with messy (bird-nesty) wire wrapped loops. Then made the filigree tube sections, adding the focal half way through. I used fold-over end caps, as opposed to tying knots (mainly because I did not have quite enough cord on the ends). Then I cut and frayed the ends of the cord and added the jumprings, chain, clasp. I used a lobster claw clasp because the necklace is light weight.

 

It has a tribal, native feel to me. Not at all like Native American jewelry (except for the bear), but reminiscent of it somehow.

 

This gives me other ideas for bracelets too. Like, putting a big bead or a charm in the middle of the bracelet, perhaps? Or making short sections and attaching them with jumprings or connectors. Hmmmm.....

 



It's a bracelet frenzy!

Looking back over the years, I could count on one hand the number of bracelets I've made. OK, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but it would not be more than 20. (fingers and toes!)
However, I have been a bracelet making machine lately!!
Part of the reason is that I have been invited to have a "trunk show" at the Cheltenham Center for the Arts gift shop in May, so I am busy making new things to take to it. I know I don't need to fill an actual trunk, but I'd like it to at least fill the table!
So, I have been making bracelets!

I made just a couple of the leather and chain bracelets I've shown in the past. I have been amassing different colors of chain. I started out with only gun metal and matte copper . Now I have shiny silver (shown below), shiny gold, antique brass (shown below) and I just got matte black at Bead Fest (can't wait to make one with that!).
Two handmade buttons from Mudalicious. The brick red leather bracelet has a modern button, but I could not resist the fleur-de-lis.

 

And I've been making lots of the filigree beads bracelets I wrote about in an earlier post. I ordered more of the filigree tube beads in silver and gold colors, just to have options. But until they arrive, I only have the dark brass.

Here they are all together....

 

 

And now we'll break it down.

There are 2 bracelets with more cool handmade buttons from Mudalicious. And I am now out of them. But not to worry. I think I have other buttons by other artists in my dragon hoard.

 

I love the turquoise glass pony beads!

 

There are 4 bracelets with vintage buttons. The black button is plastic, the white button is pearlized plastic. The other two are brass.

And ELEVEN bracelets using lampwork orphan beads. These beads are from 2 Bead Sisters and Juls beads.
Yummy!

Lastly, these are just beads from JoAnn's or Michael's. Nothing fancy, but fun to wear!

 

I have been using cotton woven cord, ramie cord and waxed linen cord. I bought some 1mm leather at Bead Fest Spring and am planning to make some of this type of bracelets in leather. Hopefully I can squeeze it through the filigree beads with out it cracking!

side note:

I just happened to notice today that I have 100 followers!!! I would like to thank all 100 of you for following and reading my blog!!!

Beading with friends

Beading with friends....do you? Do you bead/ make jewelry in solitude? Or do you have some beady peeps to bead with?
I do most of my jewelry making alone, but I enjoy making jewelry with others. I get more accomplished when I'm alone, but beading with my beady friends is always more fun and more inspiring.

I also enjoy going to my local Bead Society. I've said it before....it's just nice to be with people that "get it". They like beads and jewelry as much as you do. Each meeting we usually learn a new technique taught by another member, or bring a project to work on. Just a room full of ladies (but we would welcome a man) making jewelry together. Fun.

And even, taking a 45 minute "class" at Bead Fest Spring's "Inspiration Playground" this past weekend was fun (and it was only $2!!!). We learned how to make wire bracelets with the Beadalon 3-D bracelet jig - more to come about that later! We all sat there, bending our wire, helping each other, learning the technique. Fun.

Recently, I've had two jewelry making play dates with two different friends. The necklaces I posted in March (made with old brooches) were the outcome from my "jewelry day" with my friend Joan. We spent all day together, making jewelry. We worked on our individual projects. After completing something it was fun to hold up a finished piece to show to her immediately, and also just to declare I finished it. It would be a bit strange to say "Done!" out loud when I'm by myself. (although I don't think the cats would mind). As one of us would finish a design, the other would offer supportive comments. Fun.

Last week, I went to my friend Suzan's house. It was only for a couple hours one evening, but still enjoyable. There is something about sitting and working on jewelry, and chatting at the same time. It's calming, but also inspiring. Suzan always has tons of cool bits and bobs to drool over. She had asked me to show her what I do with old buckles. So, I grabbed some silver metal butterflies from my stash we could use to practice with (they were a thrifty find from a couple years ago - very shiny and not really my style).
She had collected quite a few buckles, so we looked through them (I was oooh-ing and ahhh-ing). I picked one that was not especially special, to demo what I do, wrapping the metal around the buckle. Then I did another one, showing another wrapping variation. She wasn't loving those shiny butterflies either, so she said I should just take them home. She also gave me a fabulous buckle with a pink rhinestone....later in the week, I made all of them into finished jewelry....and here is where the inspiration lead me....

The first shiny butterfly...wrapped around a vintage round black buckle. I used various black beads...faux black Cinnabar, polymer tubes, two of my enameled beads, some silver bead caps...and Arte Metal black chain (from Vintaj).

These shiny butterflies are growing on me....

The same butterfly on a vintage maroon plastic buckle. The lampwork beads have been in my stash for forever (picked up at a bead show, from China or India?). Added to that, dark red glass pony beads, and rustic matte small beads. The jumprings, claps and bead caps are gun metal. I  just got the silver chain at Bead Fest Spring!

Perhaps I can add wire antennae through the hole in his head...hmmm.

And, then there's the fabulous buckle she gave me! It's really half of a buckle. There would have been another piece that hooks into this piece, to make a belt. Can you imagine the dress that this went with?
Anyway, another enameled bead, Czech glass flowers, dark brass beads caps and chain.

 To clean or not to clean? I don't mind the signs of wear, but I may try to get that dark blob in the middle off...either way, I love, love, love it!

Many thanks to Suzan (I know you read this blog!) for the buckles, the inspiration, and your friendship. I look forward to beading together soon. Fun!

filigree bracelets

After making several of the leather and rolo chain bracelets I thought I'd try to make other bracelets. As an experiment, I made one like the below bracelet, but with 1mm leather and a light weight clasp. Maybe it's the leather I used, but the leather cracked where it was bent, going in and out of the beads. It also made the bracelet stiff and was hard to put on. I have tons of these filigree tube beads, in 2 sizes (from Panda Hall), so I really wanted to figure out a cool way to use them.

So, I wondered what I could use to replace the leather. Then, while shopping at Auntie's Beads, I found some small spools of woven cotton cord. It was a great price, so I took a chance and bought a couple colors. I'm really happy with how the bracelets turned out. The cord is small enough to fit through the filigree tube beads (twice!) and flexible enough so the bracelet lays against the wrist. It's very comfortable to wear and the bead hangs like a charm when worn.
My friend, Diane (of 2 Bead Sisters) gave me the gorgeous lampwork bead to use for this bracelet.

This bead is fabulous in person!

I made 6 of these, but put 5 of them in the Orchard Artworks gallery already (before I could take photos). I decided to keep this one ('cuz I *love* the bead!!), and have been wearing it practically everyday!

A dear friend is traveling to China & Taiwan soon, and needed gifts for all her friends (she is originally from Taiwan). She purchased many necklaces from me for this purpose. While she was looking over all my available necklaces, she kept commenting on the necklace I was wearing. It is from my personal collection, made from an old brooch, with purple glass stones. It is one of my favorites....

It was missing a stone at the top, so I covered the hole with a piece of filigree!

Her interest in it motivated and inspired me to make some of my other old pins and brooches into necklaces....

First up is a blue butterfly pin I've had mere inches away from my bead desk for over a year (actually, me hoarding something for a year would be a short amount of time!) Let the digging begin. I dug through my blue beads to find beads to match. The round dotted beads are cool, I don't remember where I got them. They are round and covered with gold dust with the dots being sliced away, to reveal the blue glass under the gold. Kinda cool. The rest of the beads are left over bits I had in a baggie of mixed, mostly Czech, beads.

 How lucky that the butterfly's antennae had holes in the ends, to attach jump rings!!

 

 Next up is this fabulous rhinestone Art Deco piece. I do not know what it was in it's earlier life - it does not have a pin back or any other finding attached to the back, and no evidence anything was ever attached. It certainly looks like it would have been a dress clip, in my opinion. I got it at a garage sale a while ago. I've been on a Jesse James bead kick lately (making Pandora-ish necklaces on ball chain) and the 2 white beaded beads are left-overs from that, as well as the square crystal beads, and the green faceted rondells. The opaque round green beads near the front are vintage (from a broken vintage necklace). The balance of beads are Czech glass, or vintage rhinestone beads and spacers (from Margola Imports). This necklace is a bit longer than I normally make, about 24" or so.

 

 Another angle....she doesn't have any bad angles!

 

 A close up of the rhinestone focal. It has 3 green cat's eye glass cabs.
I threaded wire through holes in the design to create the wire wrapped loops.

 

 And, what fabulous necklace would be complete with out matching earrings? The oval melon beads are a bit greener in real life than this photo shows,

 

 This next necklace is made entirely with left-overs from the Jesse James beads mentioned above. These beads have normal sized holes, and wouldn't work on the ball chain. I added the Vintaj filigree bead caps, jump rings and chain, and wire. The smaller beads towards the back are slightly lighter in color and the 2 bigger ones towards the from have a slight AB finish. But they all still match each other.

 

 This necklace looks like something a royal would wear (except they'd be real gems, not glass).

These necklaces are a bit blingy-er (more blingy?) than my usual style, yet they are still "me". I do like crystals with the Vintaj brass, like opposites attracting each other.

Sheryl's bracelet

A while ago, I received a phone message out of the blue from a woman named Sheryl. She was given my name and number at one of the galleries I sell my jewelry in. She really liked my style and wondered if I'd be willing to take her broken jewelry and create something new with the parts.
This is not something I had done before, but I agreed to meet her, and look at her broken jewelry. I knew that if she liked blingy, shiny things, I'd be in trouble (I do a little bling from time to time, but I really don't do shiny). I probably should not have been nervous. After all, she said she like my jewelry in the gallery.
We set up a meeting. She is really a lovely woman, and she loves jewelry, especially jewelry made with natural stones. While that's up my alley, it's hard to make stone jewelry on 20 gauge wire, since the holes are usually too small.
She also really likes the necklaces I make with Mahjong playing pieces. I am "famous" in her circle of friends..."this is the jewelry designer that makes the Mahjong necklaces..." she says. Her friends reply knowingly "Ahh".
I took on 4 or 5 projects and she was happy with them all. I made 2 Mahjong necklaces for her, with my mahjong piece and her beads and a few other necklaces using her beads.

So, over the last several months, I've made jewelry for her. And I did some minor repair work on a couple pieces. I really wish I'd taken photos of the jewelry I made, so I could post the photos here.
But I forgot. (with my head lowered in regret)

But I have finished a bracelet re-design for Sheryl, and, believe it or not, I took photos!!
Here is the before photo, sorry it's not great. I took this photo, to get her feedback on the surrounding beads. This bracelet was heavy and had two clasps. There is a carved Sterling clasp that is lovely, but it felt a bit too curved to fit a normal wrist. The focal, which is Sterling and Lapis, is also a clasp. I decided to only use the focal as the clasp (that leaves the other clasp for another project).
Here is the before photo...

 

 

Here it is "after". I looked through my stash of blue beads to see what matched the Lapis focal. It took me a couple months to firm up my idea. I knew it had to be at least 3 strands, so I made one strand chain, one strand beads, and the third strand chain and beads. There's lots of Czech glass, some lapis and sodalite beads, some cloisonné. While the clasp is Sterling, I did not use any other Sterling components, which was fine with her. (this would have been fabulously expensive if I had) And I added in some green beads with the blue beads.

 We met a few weeks ago, so she could see it and try it on. It was a tad too big (she has petite wrists!) I switched out some larger beads for some smaller beads and removed a couple links of chain.

We met up again this weekend. It fits her wrist like a charm! I hope she is happy with it and will wear it often.

Up Up and Away!

After our success with creating a collaborative work of art AND actually donating it to a local hospital,  Park Avenue Artisans Collective is starting a new project. Due to the exposure from our first project, we actually attracted some new artist members!! We have doubled our group (to 8!) and we may be gaining more! If you are an artist in the Montgomery-Bucks Co area and would like to know more (or join us!), feel free to contact me.

Our next collaborative piece is a long way from being finished (we have coated the board with gesso), but we are finished the planning phase. Our subject matter this time around will be hot air balloons. We will collaborate as a group on the background, and then each artist will make a balloon (or 2 or 3) to mount on the background. Each balloon will be unique, one of a kind, and hand made by each artist, in the medium they choose. At our last meeting, several members already had completed their balloons! Wow!  They are really motivated, and they motivated me! So, I got my rear in gear and made my balloon. I may make an alternate one later, but for now, this is my balloon...


My wire balloon and sketch

Before making the wire balloon, I sketched it and cut it out, to use as a template. It is 3 inches high, from the top of the balloon to the bottom of the basket.

It's made of copper wire. I created the frame from 14g wire and then wove and wrapped 28g wire in and around the frame. I wove the "basket"  in 20g gunmetal wire, to be a slightly different color. I attached it with little bits of dark brass chain. It's slightly dimensional - the center frame wire is bowed upward, to give it a slight 3-D look. As I said, I might make an alternate balloon between now and the end of summer, with some colorful beads or enamel, but I kind of like the lack of color in my "all wire" balloon.

Hopefully it will be "uplifting" without any colorful beads.

 

I am already thinking of hot air balloon inspired jewelry to make, for when we display the finished piece in public (hopefully fall 2015 at the library). Stay tuned!

 

Creative Spark Winter 2015 released!

Today is the day! The znetshows Creative Spark Winter 2015 e-magazine is released today. It is stuffed full of jewelry designs and other fun stuff!

For this issue, a handful of designers from the design team (including me) were to receive surprise packages of the cultured sea porcelain. I received an email when they shipped, so I sneaked a peek at mine (shhh! don't tell). They are all blue and white, to look like old china patterns. I showed you a photo of the cultured sea porcelain in a previous post.

When I saw these hoops, I knew instantly that I wanted to do a little byzantine chain mail and hang them from it, for earrings - so here they are! I think I will keep these!

 

 

This necklace was made with the pendant from the same set. I used 3 of my enameled beads and some filigree bead caps, arranged ombre-style, and some larger link chain across from the beads for visual balance.

 

 

 

Next, we have another pair of earrings. These are from another 3 piece set. I just used some dark brass chain with blue crystals (that were already out on my desk!) The blue crystals matched really well.

 

 

 

The matching necklace (the pendant from the same 3 piece set)....I started out thinking I'd make a rosary type chain with the blue crystals, but ended up making 3 bead links separated by large jump rings.

 

 

 My next little "set" had 2 pair of earring components. And I originally made 2 pair of earrings. But, it was just too many pairs of blue and white earrings! The components are beautiful, but similar, and all the earrings were getting repetitive. So, I took apart one pair, and made them into 2 necklaces!

This one I put in a wire "bird nest" frame, and used some red Czech flowers from my stash, along with brass beads caps and small fluted round brass beads. And, just to be a little different, I used Arte Metal Chain, instead of dark brass.

 

 

 The other half of the earring pair was made into this necklace! I used more Czech flowers, but in aquas and greens. I was reminded of Celadon, or Peking Glass or something... I hung the porcelain pendant in front of an Arte Metal leaf and used some more brass bead caps, more Czech flowers, more blue crystals. The 2 round green beads were just odd beads on my desk. I really have no recollection where they came from. They have a satin finish (slightly smoother than matte).

 

 

 These earrings match the necklace, but they do not contain any beads from znetshows. More Czech flowers.

 

 

The last thing I made with my znetshows sea porcelain was with the last earring pair - and I made earrings. (surprised?) I used a filigree brass bead cap at the top.

 

 

 

 BONUS: Everyone like a little extra of something, right? While I was making earrings, and digging through my stash, which includes some znetshows sea glass from last summer, I stumbled on to these 2 blue ovals. I tried to use them together with one of the components, but as earrings they were way too heavy. As I was taking them apart, I noticed these as they are, and I liked them, so I stopped taking them apart!

 

Please view the Creative Spark Winter 2015 e-magazine here!!

or below

 

Baby it is cold outside - no kidding.

It's about as cold as ever - record breaking, bone chilling, brutal cold. We're not used to this kind of cold around here. It was 3 degrees when I left the house this morning. I just checked my phone - it's gone up 5 degrees to a balmy 8 degrees!!

While it was really cold this weekend, the sun was bright, and the cats couldn't help but lay in a sunny spot on a chair or the floor. Me? I took the opportunity to snap some photos in all that sunlight!

I made a bunch of necklaces similar to these right before Christmas, to sell at a slightly lower price than my other jewelry. I forgot to take photos of those. They are quick to make, so  I am able to make a bunch at one sitting.

The first group - I just got the Cicada wings from StDymphnaSupplies on etsy. Everything else has been in my stash for some time. The fob thingy (next to the wing) is from Trinity Brass. You can't see in my photo, but the teal beads on the Cicada wing pendant have an AB finish, kind of like bug wings sometime do.

 

 This group is virtually the same description as above, except there are some different components. The Pine Cone charm on the far right is from Trinity Brass.

 

After making these, I decided to get some ball chain from Vintaj to make them in dark brass, since it is my firm belief that everything looks better with dark brass!! (I know it's just me, but I can't help it)

 

The ball chain I bought is on a spool (the silver ones above were already 24 inch "necklaces" when I got them). I made the brass chains about the same length (24"), so they can be put on/ taken off over your head. I did not have problems getting the clasps on and off of these, but I do find them difficult sometimes. Also, I got the heavier Vintaj ball chain (3.2mm), for a richer look.

 

The charms are from Vintaj and Trinity Brass. The lighter charms are a from a new Vintaj line called "Vintaj Vogue". They come in threes. So, in "one"  package was the feather, the key and the swirly filigree feather. I then dug through my stash for the darker pieces. On the middle necklace, I used my buffing block on the filigree, to give it some highlights.

Unlike the silver necklaces above, I made a conscious decision to not add any glass or crystal, or anything shiny or colorful. Just wanted them to be neutral, and for the brass to be the focus.

 

 These three are much like the 3 above. I buffed the dragonfly, the keyhole and the little filigree drop, to highlight the texture. The bright round filigree is from my stash, from who know where.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by. Stay warm, wherever you may be!

 

 



Coming soon - Winter 2015 Creative Spark from znetshows

I just noticed that my last post was Oct 31st! Ack! I'm sorry I have not posted in a while. I was busy, like everyone, around the holidays. I made jewelry to give as gifts, but did not take any pictures, darn it! I can borrow my mother's gifts to snap some photos since she lives near by....that will be a future post.

I will be participating in the Winter Znetshows e-magazine "Creative Spark" this time around!! I'm excited to say that we designers were sent beads to design with that were a surprise to us! The products that were chosen for me were several components from their new line of Cultured Sea Porcelain. Even my husband said they looked like dinner plates! All the components I received were blue and white, and do look like dinnerware patterns, with fish, butterflies and flowers. (not all on one piece, but on separate pieces!) They were lots of fun to design with.

The reveal date for the Winter issue of Creative Spark is TBD, but I'll be sure to let you know.
In the meantime, you can actually buy the Cultured Sea Porcelain from znetshows, for yourself, if you are interested.


photo from znetshows website

leather and rolo chain bracelets

Way back in August at Beadfest Philadelphia, I spotted a bracelet on a vendor's display. The vendor sold leather of all different sizes, and chain too (one of the many vendors selling leather, I don't remember which one it was). They had samples of jewelry on display that could be made with the products they sell. What caught my eye was a bracelet made of 2mm leather and rolo chain. I had an abundance of rolo chain at home (a crazy internet purchase from a couple years ago!), so I purchased some 2mm leather in a variety of colors (plus I had a couple spools of basic black and brown leather at home) to try my hand at making these bracelets.

I studied the sample at the show, and while it was fresh in my mind, got to work re-creating it.
The look is sort of industrial chic and they are quite comfortable to wear. The weaving technique is fairly simple.

Now, my first couple bracelets, per my usual bracelet making, came out way too long. I do struggle getting bracelets the correct length, but I really think I've got these bracelets mastered now. I've actually sold a couple of them, too!

These first 3 are made with the black, medium brown and dark brown leather I had at home. The buttons are vintage buttons from my dragon hoard of old buttons! The button at the top is black velvet and the 2 on the bottom are the same, but different colors. They look like they could be bakelite. And all of these bracelets were made with antique silver rolo chain.

This bracelet was made with antique copper chain and some olive green leather. The button is a hand made button by Mudalicious. I have been hoarding these hand made buttons for years!

 

 I am just now noticing that the "swirl" design on the button is really a lizard (I think). After I searched my stash for beads with holes big enough to fit on the 2mm leather (and didn't find any) I went out and bought some big hole beads to tie onto the leather tails.

 

After having made a half dozen or so bracelets, I wondered how it would look if I used only 2 rows of chain....it looks fine! This is more antique silver rolo chain and some blue leather.

 

and another Mudalicious hand made button, and some of the big hole beads.

 

I'm enjoying making the bracelets, they make up pretty quickly, once you have the pieces of chain made and the leather ready.