beadalicious

Online Art Tutorials

2010-09-23T20:53:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty excited. I just signed up for a series of online art tutorials. It's called:

21 SECRETS: An Art Journal Playground

. If you are interested, you can find information about the tutorials, look HERE.

It all gets started October first so stay tuned to see what I learn!

My Studio View

2010-06-18T20:33:00.000-07:00

Moved my studio from the main floor to the second floor and I'm loving my view there. You can see the table where I work.

This photo taken from the balcony on the studio. It's looking west on the Pacific Ocean and those are islands in the distance.

I've been making fabric and recycled fiber bowls and this is a nesting set of four.

It's Been a While

2010-06-06T11:15:00.000-07:00

It's hard for me to believe that almost two months have passed since I last posted to my blog!

I have been busy and I have NOT been beading. I have quite a stock built up and as it has not been selling, I've not been making more. That is part of the reason I'm not beading. The other reason is that I've been weaving and I've fallen in love with fiber. Several scarves have come off of the loom and at the moment I'm working on a shawl that will be 26" x 72" plus the finge. Here is a peek at it:

These are the yarns before putting them on the loom. (The purple mohair is missing from this photos)

This is how it looks on the loom before it's woven. The fibers include mohair as well as alpaca and wool.

And this is the weaving in progress.

Can't really say when I'll put beading on the blog again, but I'm planning to post my progress at weaving.

Tote Bags

2010-04-19T16:18:00.001-07:00

I've been beading but haven't finished a project for a while now. I've also been at the sewing machine and making up some tote bags for a Mothers' Day sale. Here's a peek at them. Those are actually pockets across the bottom of the bag. They also have pockets inside.

ENTRECARD EXIT

2010-04-08T20:18:00.000-07:00

Today I made the decision to quit Entrecard. It didn't do what I'd hoped it would do - which was draw "buyers" for my jewelry.

If you are one of the Entrecard users that began visiting here because of Entrecard, I'd like to thank you for your visits and for dropping your cards.

Beadalicious to Entrecard: Over and OUT.

Beauty of Spring Necklace

2010-03-29T15:02:00.000-07:00

Artbeads declared February and March as their months of ‘The Beauty of Spring‘ for their blogger community. I was asked to design my jewelry or creation with my own individual interpretation of Spring and here is the necklace I created. Leaves always make me think of spring because that is the time that they appear, signalling that summer is on it's way. I found these gorgeous copper plated ivy leaves by searching "leaves" on Artbeads. They inspired me to design this necklace. I received three leaves and each of them is unique and beautiful for a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry. The other two leaves will be finished as earrings to match the necklace.

The small round copper "beads" in the spiral twist neck piece are actually 3mm copper Swarovski crystal faux pearls. I've been working with their pearls for a year now and I absolutely love them for their beautiful sheen, consistent size and colour. I believe that they give my jewelry a "step up" in elegance.

The necklace also features Opaque-Lustered Turquoise Toho seed beads. They were chosen for their colour and the consistency of size. The central core of the spiral is size 11/0 Triangle Toho beads. I like to work with triangle beads where I will need to pass a thread through many times. They also add interesting texture to the piece. These quality are my favourites to work with.

All of the supplies in this necklace were given to me by Artbeads.com in return for a review of the product.

Back to Beading!!

2010-03-13T09:14:00.001-08:00

This is the piece I've been working on for quite a while. The fancy oval was what initially inspired me. I've been stalled for a while because I haven't been happy with the starts for the neckpiece. At least four times I've started and ripped it out. I'm still not sure about the one shown here. Looks like it's still going to be a while in progress.

Sophie's Puppies

2010-03-08T13:40:00.000-08:00

A few posts back I mentioned that my little female dog Sophie would be having puppies. They were born on February 26th and here is a photo of them at 10 days old.

The white and black one is a male and weighs in at 9 5/8 oz. The black one with white toes is a female and weighs 8 oz. She started out the tiniest at 3 1/4 oz. The all black is a female and is gaining fastest. She weighs 11 3/8 oz. It's really fun having puppies in the house though my male dog - Willie has been banished by Sophie and isn't allowed anywhere near the room the pups are in.

New Earrings

2010-03-01T12:34:00.000-08:00

Worked on these as I watched Canada win the gold medal for hockey and then the closing ceremonies afterwards. (Just don't ask me how many hours!) Goodness knows I'd have been biting my nails during the hockey game if I hadn't been beading!

These beads are called "amethyst" but they look more raspberry to me.

Turquoise and silver always look good to me.

The green of the fire polished beads is very interesting...there is some red in them too. I like the way they look with the metallic AB seed beads.

Not black...hematite. I love the shine of these beads.

All of these earrings are for sale in my Etsy shop.

1,000,000,000 Pillowcase Challenge

2010-02-26T15:48:00.000-08:00

If you haven't heard of it, you can find all of the information here. What they say about it is: " A pillowcase can provide comfort for a cancer patient, hope for a foster child, encouragement for a battered woman, or beauty for a nursing home resident."

I spent Wednesday cutting out twenty-five pillowcases for the ladies in my quilting group to sew and when I left them they were sewing them. Today, I decided to make a few myself. I have a huge fabric stash and I'm looking for ways to use up fabric so that I can justify buying more.

Here's a peek at the ones I made. You are looking at the cuff on the ones I made and the smaller strip in the photo is the fabric of the body of the pillowcase. They are well made and all of the edges are finished.

In case you want to participate here's the lowdown on how I cut my pillowcases.

1 - Body of case 27" x WOF ( width of fabric) - approx 44/45"

1 - Cuff of case 12" x WOF

1 - "Zinger" strip 1 1/2" x WOF.

Pin together and sew "zinger" (folded and pressed in half), cuff and body of case (right sides together). Then roll up body of case into cuff folded in half (right sides together) to make a tube. Sew tube. Pull pillowcase out of tube and finish remaining two seams as french seams.

And now, back to beading.

Gold Bling

2010-02-18T17:45:00.000-08:00

These gorgeous gold Swarovski pearls were the inspiration for this necklace. The first piece of the set that was completed was the smaller of the two circles in the pendant. My granddaughter told me that it was too large for earrings so I decided that it would be a pendant. Then I added the larger circle of the pendant.

The Russian spiral rope contains pearly seed beads and is closed with a Swarovski button and loop. The sparkle and flash of the pendant were to be dominant so the rope needed to take a back seat to it.

Finally, the matching earrings were added. When I look at the set, I envision it worn with a full length strapless gown.

Oh and in between working this set, I managed to complete two more pairs of baby booties. They are available for sale in my Etsy Store!

Another NOT Beading Post

2010-02-14T10:25:00.001-08:00

Lately, I've been learning to weave. I did not warp the loom for this project. Another weaver generously gave me the warp that was left on the loom when she finished her place mats and table runner which I had been admiring as she wove them.

I have a rather long dining room table. This table runner is 75 inches long.

The white threads in this piece are the weft - the part I did. The coloured threads are the warp. The reason I mention this is to show you that a large part of the work on this piece was done by the other weaver. I did the easy part. My next project begins with me warping the loom myself. (Actually, planning the project was the first step.)

And finally, this is Sophie, my 5 pound shih tzu/poodle cross dog. Sophie will be having puppies around February 28th.

Etsy BeadWeavers' Challenge

2010-02-12T19:47:00.000-08:00

This is my entry in the EBW Challenge. The theme this time is "The Ocean" and since I live on the west coast of North America in Beautiful British Columbia, this challenge is a MUST for me. Head over to the EBW Blog and check over all of the amazing entries from so many talented beadweavers. Be sure and vote for your favourite! Voting closes at midnight February 15th.

You can get a better look at my entry (which is available for sale) and find more information about it by going HERE.

I've Been NOT Beading Again!

2010-02-07T16:09:00.000-08:00

Several months ago I found this adorable free pattern for baby slippers and bought some wool to knit some. As you can see from the photos below...I couldn't just knit one pair. The biggest challenge was to make two of the slippers "match" and look like a pair while working with yarn that changes colours. The pairs aren't identical but I'm satisfied with how they look. Unfortunately, my youngest grandbaby is 13 - so long past these tiny slippers. A friend suggested that I wait for some great grandbabies but I'm hoping that doesn't happen for at least another five years! Twenty is too young for my oldest granddaughter to start a family!

These booties came from a free pattern that is available on patons.com. (NB: you'll need to be a member to get it)

Blogging for Beads with Artbeads

2010-01-28T16:36:00.001-08:00

These three items are the latest I've received from Artbeads in return for blogging a product review.

The pearls are 4-4.5mm Pink Rice pearls and the colour is absolutely gorgeous. It's a lovely pastel/baby pink and they have a very smooth almost satiny finish. As far as them being "rice" pearls, to me, they are almost "potato" pearls as they are fuller and rounder than I expect rice pearls to be. I have plans to use these in a necklace that I think would make a lovely gift for a young lady to wear to her graduation.

The three small sterling silver heart charms are lovely. They are small and dainty and would make a beautiful addition to a charm bracelet, necklace or earrings. I'm very pleased with them and look forward to including them in a piece of jewelry soon.

The sterling hammered 3D heart hook and eye clasp is a bit of a disappointment to me. I'm not happy with how the hook fits into the heart because it will hang asymetrically. I'm going to have to be inventive coming up with a piece of jewelry that I think it will suit. That said, the stamping, shape and size of the clasp are fine.

Any of these three items would be perfect to include in a piece of jewelry suitable for Valentine's Day! I'm thinking...have a heart! What about you?

EBW Ocean Challenge

2010-01-28T11:45:00.000-08:00

This necklace is my entry into the Etsy BeadWeavers' Ocean theme challenge. I happy to say that I've finally had enough time (as well as inspiration) to participate in the challenge this time!

The colours I used are reminiscent of the colours of a stormy ocean, here where I live on the West coast of British Columbia, Canada. The ocean is my muse in most things, most days and my favourite time to view it is when there is a good storm blowing. The necklace sparkles as the ocean would when the wind whips it and sun glances off. The three circular pieces are meant to represent the ever changing tidal pools which teem with life.

It was fun to create and I'm working on a variation on the theme in gold, with pearls. Watch for it!

It's available for sale in my Etsy shop.

Necklace for Keely

2010-01-22T14:51:00.001-08:00

My granddaughter Keely sent me this pendant and asked for a necklace for it. I had four false starts before I decided on this design. I think it complements the pendant nicely. It measures 36 inches end to end and the closure is (guess what?) a Swarovski crystal 10mm square button. I beaded the bail to match the closure. Just hoping it's not too much 'bling' for her! The 'sparkle' is my favourite part!

$1000 Sweepstakes!!

2010-01-18T16:28:00.000-08:00

How would you like to have $1000 to spend at Artbeads? You can by going to the graphic link in the right hand side bar and entering to WIN!! Go for it...and GOOD LUCK!

New Pearl Necklace

2010-01-10T15:07:00.000-08:00

It's finished! I'd made this necklace before but this time I used fresh water rice pearls instead of button pearls and I love the look of them. The last one sold quickly and I'm hoping this one will do the same. One of the differences is that instead of the gold toggle fastener, this one has a square Swarovski crystal button.

I'm also enamoured of the 24K gold plated delica beads. I need to order more!

A New Year Begins

2010-01-10T11:38:00.000-08:00

I was surprised when I realized that it's been such a long time since my last post. The holidays were a bit of a busy time for me and probably one of the best things about them was the time I was able to spend with my granddaughter. She stayed with me for five days. We took a ferry trip to a slightly larger city than the one where I live. Our purpose was to do some shopping. When looking around in a great yarn shop, she spied a pair of fingerless gloves and asked me if she could learn to knit them. That was a pretty exciting request from my point of view, so we bought wool and got her started. She's doing quite well for a beginner though the project isn't happening as fast as I think she'd like it to. Hopefully I can keep her moving forward on it.

I haven't been doing a lot of beading but I do have a few projects in progress. Here's my proof:

I did finish one smaller project...a necklace. And I finished it again with the Swarovski square button. I think this has become my new favourite closure. The hex beads I used in this spiral necklace sparkle quite beautifully. I have an order for this necklace in greens.

The Winning Christmas Tree

2009-12-20T15:59:00.001-08:00

There is quite a story behind my Christmas tree this year.

It began when I asked my son to go out into the forest and get me a tree. Not too tall. Not too big around. Maybe even a Charlie Brown tree. When the tree arrived it was about 8 feet across and 8 feet high. Too big for my living room. But my son assured me that when he was finished with it, it would be great.

There was quite a struggle between my son and the tree. It refused to stand up straight in the stand. He had to go before the job was done but assured me that he'd be back another day. Round two between the tree and my son and the tree won again. He assured me that he only had to stop that time because he'd run out of cuss words.

I had a go with it on my own...twice. The second time ended with me throwing it out the front door, over the railing, complete with the stand and the tree top angel that got broken in the first struggle with my son so it was now zap strapped on and I wasn't about to put any energy into removing a broken angel. Sigh.

After much thought about what I'd do, later that day I went out and bought an artificial tree that came complete with lights. It was easy to put together. Three sections with plugs between them for the lights. Plugged it in and it looked great. Turned my back to get the rest of the ornaments and when I faced it again...the top section had gone out! I wiggled and juggled the plug. Nothing! So I sat to contemplate what would be next. And the lights came on. And went out again. And came on again. And went out. With no one and nothing touching the tree! Packed it up and took it back. Checked elsewhere and managed to get the same tree six inches taller and $50 less expensive.

Fortunately, the second tree I brought home worked perfectly and looks absolutely lovely covered in my (mostly) hand made ornaments! So...here is the winning tree....

Three Piece Dark Denim Set

2009-12-18T15:10:00.000-08:00

The inspiration for this set was the colours of the beads themselves. When I looked at them together, I envisioned them worn with jeans, heels, a tailored wool or leather jacket and a mannish white shirt. The juxtaposition of the feminine and masculine elements feels balanced to me. You couldn't wear this set and not be feminine, no matter what you wear with it.

I've been toying with other sets of beads and thinking about another set.

The closure button is a 10mm Swarovski crystal button in a colour called Montana Sapphire that I bought online at Artbeads. The way it finishes the necklace and bracelet is exactly what I wanted.

Three types of beads make up the spiral rope; triangles, Toho hex beads and seed beads.

Finally Back to Beads!

2009-11-24T22:51:00.000-08:00

Colour me happy! Happy to get back to my beads! The bezel for this stone had been done for a while. In between all of the other things I've been working on I took little snatches of time to work on finishing the pendant. Then the neck piece got done and today I started the day with finishing the toggle for it. It's going into a Christmas sale this weekend.

Being in my studio with the beads has all kinds of things running through my head. I'm happy to say that after Sunday, I'll be able to indulge myself in making whatever the spirits move me to make.

Warning - Not Beading

2009-11-17T21:03:00.000-08:00

It's true - that I haven't been beading. I've been really wanting to get back to beads but I'm working on some other things for the PR Fine Arts Christmas sale. It's the last weekend of the month. I also have the opportunity to display my 'wares' at an evening market on Thursdays. My main concern is that I don't have enough inventory. Anyway, I've been working on mini quilts and I have these ten completed.

Too bad you can't see the hand quilting on them. It's there, but the camera doesn't seem to have caught it.

I'm working on another four that are about half way done. I'm sure I'll finish them tomorrow. Then I can get back to the beading. There are so many things that are rolling around in my brain that I want to try. I'm really feeling the urge to experiment with a new direction for both my beading and my quilting.

That's it for now.

Fiery Inspiration

2009-11-02T17:51:00.000-08:00

I often watch programs on the National Geographic channel. A week or two ago I watched a fascinating program about volcanos where the host took groups on tours across active lava beds. Cracks in the upper crust of cooled lava often reveal glowing rivers of flowing magma and that was my inspiration for this third amulet bag.

The branch fringe dangling at the bottom of the bag is meant to be reminescent of the movement of the flowing lava.

Another Amulet Bag

2009-10-30T12:46:00.000-07:00

If you decide to try this kind of thing...be warned...they are like peanuts...You can't eat/make just one! Here is the second one I've made and I've got ideas and plans for more. In fact, I just prepared three more sets of fabric for beading. I'm starting as soon as I'm done here!

Really, the photos just don't do it justice!

Beads on Fabric

2009-10-27T16:33:00.001-07:00

My life has been so crazy busy for a few weeks now and I'm not getting much time to bead...however...

There is a group I've joined in town. It's the PR Fine Arts and the division I'm involved with is quilting. Because I'm a beader, they asked me to do a class introducing them to beads on fabric. This photo is the "sampler" that I worked on in the class while I showed them some basic things they could do. We also did a beaded button as it's such a fun, quick and easy project.

The following two photos are a project I've been working at for a few days. It's actually a small amulet bag, big enough for a credit card and maybe a bit of money. I haven't yet decided what I'm doing for the necklace part, but I have to say that I'm really having fun playing with sewing beads to fabric.

Just Done & Sold

2009-10-13T11:16:00.000-07:00

I've been working on this necklace for a while and a friend saw it while it was in progress. She said it would be a perfect birthday gift for her daughter. The necklace portion includes fresh water pearls that I picked up while on my road trip this past summer along with the gold charlotte beads. The pendant is different on both sides and can be removed from the necklace giving it lots of versatility for ways to wear it.

Is it really October?

2009-10-09T20:16:00.000-07:00

Nobody told my roses! I just took this photo of them.

Nor were the Dahlias infomed.

I love this Mallow plant.

In case you haven't figured it out for yourself yet...I don't have any new beading to show so I'm showing you my garden instead. I'm working on things. I have a necklace in progress that is already sold as well as a bracelet in progress that is sold as well.

Later, I may get the camera out again because I've been working on samples for a class I'm teaching next weekend. Be kind to me though as I'm horribly under the weather too. (Translation = sick...by doze ids all stuffed ub.)

On A Roll!

2009-09-13T13:04:00.001-07:00

It looks like I'm on a roll! I'd done the bezel on the glass pendant some time ago and it's been waiting for inspiration to finish it. A couple of days ago, I finally came up with a design for it and started working away at it. The rope part was pretty simple and straight forward. When I got to the time to work on the branch fringe I prepared to be at it for a while. Since the last branch fringe pendant I did took a whole day, I was expecting this one to take as long or longer. As it turned out, I discovered a technique that made the whole process a lot quicker. And I finished it last night.

Finally Finished Necklace

2009-09-06T19:28:00.000-07:00

This necklace was originally mentioned here and I'm very happy to say that it's finally finished. Before today, I had the stone bezeled and had part of the rope done and the finishing touches done today took me all day. I now have a lot more respect for beaders that do a full fringe on their designs. It's very time consuming.

This necklace is available for sale in my Etsy Shop.

Still Nothing Beaded to Show

2009-09-05T15:38:00.000-07:00

The past several weeks have been hectic and crazy and I just haven't been inclined to sit down and bead. By the time I'm able to sit down, I'm too tired to bead. I've been going to bed by 9:30 every night. Usually, I read for 1/2 to an hour before I turn out the light but I also get up pretty early. As early as 6:30 but as late as 8am.

Today was the local Farmer's Market. As I'm participating in the "50 mile Food Challenge", (where I've committed to trying to eat at least 50% of my food from local producers) I head to the market looking for some fresh produce. Today, I didn't get there until late but I managed to get some gorgeous veggies!

The kale, zuchinni and yellow plum tomatoes came from the market.

Those yellow tomatoes are so delicious! I had to taste one as soon as I got home. The red one came from my son's tomato plant. Another beautiful and delicious tomato!

The prune plums came from the tree in my son's backyard. I'd already eaten the few I'd picked from my tree so they are not pictured here. I'm looking forward to the kale. There were three different kinds in the bunch I bought.

And of course I had to leave you with another beautiful sunset photo. This is the only shot I got of this one as my camera's battery died right after I snapped it.

There are a few beaded pieces brewing in my brain. Maybe I'll start one today.

Back From Vacation

2009-08-21T07:43:00.000-07:00

There have been no posts to my bead blog as I was away on a road trip with my granddaughter. Here is a small peek at where we went and what we saw.

Hoodoos in Dinosaur Provincial Park

Back in the Rocky Mountains

Looking out over Osooyos

And finally, home for a beautiful sunset!

And now...back to beading. I'm hoping to have some finished projects to post soon!

Swarovski Crystals

2009-08-02T12:34:00.000-07:00

Look at this gorgeous collection of Swarovski that just arrived from Artbeads!

The largest piece is a Fancy Oval. It will be the focal point in the piece I have planned.

The other beads I have are two Triangle Rings, Teardrop Pendants and finally some Faceted Roundelles. Since I'm about to leave on vacation, it will be a while till I get to beading with them but I can hardly wait. With such a beautiful collection of crystals waiting for me, I'm going to look forward to getting home again!

Where Does The Time Go?

2009-08-02T11:55:00.000-07:00

it's hard to believe that it's been almost a month since I last posted here. It's been crazy busy in my life. I'm had either friends or family staying with me for the last three weeks. In the same timeframe, I purchased and investment property, coordinated the trades to get it ready for my new tennant for the first of the month. I've also been working like a slave in my garden and I'm really happy with how it's coming along.

I have been doing some beading, but nothing has been completed except for a few of earrings that I managed to squeeze in. Anyway, here is the piece I've been working on. Those are glass pearls I'm using.

The stone is captured in peyote stitch and it's the first time I've had a success at it. Though I did rip out the first version as it didn't fit the stone properly. There are two secrets to success with doing a peyote bezel...first, use a strip of paper and wrap it around the stone to find out the exact length of beads to string to start. I've been using a strip out of my shredder. Secondly, size 15 beads. The bezel needs no decreases when you start with a larger bead and decrease the bead size. I started with #11 Toho seed beads then went down to #11 Delicas and finally down to the #15 Toho seed beads.

The necklace is in progress and it's taking a lot longer than I expected it would. I'll be taking it with me when I leave for holidays on Wednesday. (Another thing to make my life hectic!)

More Gold!

2009-07-09T09:43:00.000-07:00

Earlier in my blog, I posted photos of a gold and pearl necklace and earring set made using 24k gold Delica beads. I absolutely fell in love with them and decided to order more so that I could "play" with them a little. This bracelet is the result of the first "experiment". I just felt that the beads themselves were so beautiful that they could stand alone in a simple peyote stitch bracelet. The vintage button was purchased in June and I had no idea how I was going to use it. When I placed it with the gold bracelet, it was a match made in heaven.

Oh...and there is another bracelet brewing in my head now! I just might need more of those beads.

This bracelet is available for sale in my Etsy Shop.

Aqua and Silver Necklace

2009-07-04T16:42:00.000-07:00

Another necklace is finished! This one has been sitting on my livingroom coffee table for quite a long time. I started it and when I got about half way through it, I decided that I wanted to include some Swarovski crystals and I kept forgetting to order them. Finally they arrived and have been waiting for me to get back to the necklace. At last, I put my mind to it and got it finished in the last few days, little by little, bit by bit.

The Russian Spiral stitch that I used is one of my favourites to play around with and see how it comes out with all different sorts of seed beads. This one is basically bugle beads (I always have trouble remembering the name of these - "trumpet" kept popping into my head!) and Toho seed beads. I love the sparkle that the silver lined beads create and it's just the thing to go with the crystals. It's for sale in my Etsy shop if you take a fancy to it. You'll also find more details about it, length and such, there. You'll see a couple of other photos of the necklace as well.

If you scroll down a couple of posts here to the batch of earrings I recently posted, there is a pair that would go perfectly with this necklace. It's in the bottom photo of the post, in the bottom left hand corner.

The necklace is for sale in my Etsy shop.

Creating for Friends

2009-07-03T17:33:00.000-07:00

These are the last two pieces that I worked on. Both of them are for friends.

This copper and black Russian spiral necklace is for a friend who came to visit me from about 1500 miles away. While she was here, we went into a glass shop and she bought a gorgeous glass pendant in coppery tones. It should look great on this necklace.

This bracelet is made up of odds and ends of keepsakes and favourite earrings and bits and bobs which was mailed to me with the request for a charm type bracelet. This friend lives in the small town I moved from in February and I've asked her to come to pick up the bracelet and visit so that I can size it perfectly to her arm.

What The Heck?

2009-06-23T12:03:00.000-07:00

Wondering what I've been up to?

I've been busy, that's for sure. The #1 thing that is keeping me busy is my garden. There is so much clean up to do. I have what is certainly the biggest cherry tree I've ever seen. So big in fact that none of the cherries can be reached. Even with a ladder, unless of course I call the fire department! The tree is now slated to be cut down and I'm planting a new one. For the amount of mess a cherry tree creates, it's just not worth it when I can't harvest the cherries. First there are the blossoms that cover my lawn, then there are all of the debris from cherries not forming as well as cherries dropping off of the tree before they are ripe. And finally, I have the leaves falling to look forward to in autumn.

The new cherry tree is standing in a pot in my front yard along with a pear tree that is a gift from friends. They are not in the ground yet as I haven't decided where they are going. Soon though...I have to get them planted!

I've been beading like crazy too, working on stock for the Studio Tour of Artists which takes place late August. You may recall seeing some of these posted here earlier. Well, this dozen is the most recently completed project.

Thought you might enjoy a closer view, though the colour isn't great.

Mystery Revealed

2009-06-16T19:35:00.000-07:00

The project I was working on is complete and I'm happy to share it here now.

It's my entry into the Etsy BeadWeavers July Challenge - "Here comes the bride...". What bride wouldn't enjoy wearing gold and pearls with her lovely white dress?

Unfortunately, the photographs of this piece just don't do it justice. There is an airiness to it and both the pearls and the gold are beautifully set against the other. The necklace falls just below the collar bone and will draw attention to the bride's face. It's a beautiful combination of necklace and earrings that I'm proud to have created. Both the pearls and the gold plated Delica beads came from Artbeads. When it was almost done I realized that it really deserved a more special clasp and that is what caused the delay in finishing it.

No, these are not the shells of the oyster that produced the pearls in these pieces. They're fresh water pearls.

What's On The Drawing Board?

2009-06-09T22:25:00.001-07:00

I don't want to say too much about the project yet, but in the triangle pans (left to right) are opalescent triangles, 24 karat gold plated delicas and freshwater potato pearls. Who doesn't love gold and pearls? It's actually finished but I'm waiting for some gold findings before I reveal it.

I have to say that those 24 karat gold plated delicas are absolutely gorgeous. Everything I hoped they'd be with a depth to the finish that can't be captured any way but with gold. I've been wanting to work with them for a while and all I can say is I've got to have more. I have ideas!

Bzzzzz...Not For Sale

2009-06-09T22:12:00.000-07:00

This necklace is a gift for a friend. I know she loves the colour yellow and I just couldn't resist pairing it with black. Reminds me of bumble bees.

I delayed finishing it for a while as I couldn't decide whether it would have a beaded toggle or not.

I picture it with a nice crisp yellow shirt, top two buttons undone.

Let It Be - Turquoise

2009-06-02T09:57:00.000-07:00

There is no denying that I'm loving the combination of the colours turquoise and copper. Not long ago I posted a necklace that I thought might be mine. When it was finished, I had yet another turquoise stone that I wanted to do something with. This is the "something" that I did. I named it Let It Be for two reasons. It's one of my favourite Beatle songs and also, I was thinking, "if I could have only one necklace - Let It Be Turquoise!" And it's quite an accomplishment for me to be completing things now as summer is here full force with temperatures up to 38C on my deck late afternoon. I just want to be out in the sunshine, working in my garden!

This necklace is available for sale in my Etsy Shop.

Not Your Granny's Purple

2009-05-24T19:41:00.000-07:00

I just completed this necklace and listed it for sale in my Etsy Shop. The name for the necklace kept running through my head as I thought of the poem "When I'm An Old Woman, I Shall Wear Purple". And then I'd think that this necklace isn't that kind of purple!

Artist's Studio Tour

2009-05-20T21:23:00.000-07:00

It's another red sky at night last night and today is a gorgeous warm sunny day!

I'm going to be participating in a local event - The Powell River Studio Tour.

"The Powell River Studio Tour is an annual self-guided tour of artists and artisans on the Upper Sunshine Coast of British Columbia that is free to the public. 2009 marks the 5th year of the Tour and showcases 30 individual artists and artisans plus another 25 represented at the gallery.

On this year’s Tour there are 27 locations from Lund to Lang Bay with each studio providing an example of the diversity and excellence of the art community in the Powell River region. An added bonus is the spectacular natural beauty that can be enjoyed along the way."

It doesn't actually happen until August 22nd and 23rd but I'm already gearing up for it and I'm pretty excited. As my studio is in my home, it means that lots of folks will be coming to my home. It will be a wonderful way to share my jewelry artistry and more of the detail of what goes into it. I'm planning to do some works in progress to document the process of designing and developing a piece.

Fun With Earrings

2009-05-19T13:53:00.000-07:00

For quite a while now, I've been intending to play with some earring designs. Much of the designing I do is "on the fly" and this latest earring design was developed that way. I began with beads looped into a circle and just sort of winged it from there by adding a row of beads and evaluating the look and then adding another. The black and silver pair happened first with several false starts...beading and then unbeading. Ultimately, I'm satisfied with the result. So much so that the silver pair is mine. And then, of course, I wanted to work the design in some other colours so I had to put together a bead order. Which turned into two bead orders. And that's how I have "fun with earrings".

The gold pair of earrings is available for sale in my Etsy shop.

Quartz Crystal Necklace

2009-05-16T11:28:00.000-07:00

One of the design techniques I seem to use often is Serendipity. This necklace is a result of that technique. The quartz stone had been in my collection of quite a while. I knew that I wanted it as a pendant and prepared it for that role by stitching it into a netted bezel. Then it hit the "projects in progress" pile. The rope it is a Russian spiral and was actually an experiment using a mixed bag of pink beads. When I saw the two pieces in close proximity in my heap of partly completed projects I pulled them out and set them aside to be finished and finally got to it today. The result is even better than I imagined!

This necklace is for sale in my Etsy Shop.

Maybe My Necklace

2009-05-11T17:36:00.001-07:00

This necklace has been in progress for a while. In the beginning I thought I wanted to put a copper closure on it. I searched around the internet and bought a few pieces of copper but just didn't find one that I felt worked with the two bead colours. Finally a light bulb came on and I made a beaded toggle closure. The last stage of the project was figuring out how I was going to handle that large turquoise stone that I wanted to use. I'm very happy with the final result and I'm thinking I should be keeping it for me.

My granddaughter was here on the weekend and she was admiring the turquoise and topaz rope. I mentioned to her that I was adding the turquoise stone and that turquoise is my birthstone. Then I remembered that she and I are both Sagittarians but that I am December and she is November. And she reminded me that her birthstone is topaz. So the necklace has some symbolic significance for us. I may need to keep it.

As I said, I'm very happy with the final result. I've been saving that gorgeous turquoise stone for a long time. Waiting for the right necklace to pair it with.

Fresh Fruit Salad Bracelet

2009-05-04T10:10:00.000-07:00

When I was working on this bracelet the colours made me think of a fresh fruit salad...and so the name. This is the second bracelet I've made recently that was inspired by a Toho Seed Bead Mix called "Earth Tone" from Artbeads.com. I love the variety of beads in the mix. There are seed beads in different colours and sizes, hexagon beads and bugle beads. The best part about working with this bead mix is that it forced me out of my comfort zone. This is not a combination of colours I'd have chosen to work with, however, I'm very happy with the result.

Here's my recipe for this bracelet:

2 - 8g packages of Earth Tone Toho Seed Bead Mix
1 - 10g package of coordinating seed beads
20 - coordinating drop beads
25 - coordinating #8 beads
2 - lampworked beads (I got mine here.)

Mix the beads together well using 2 drop peyote stitch. Finish the outside edge with picot stitch and add two lampworked beads with loops as a closure. Enjoy on your wrist!

The bracelet is available for sale in my Etsy Shop.

White Freeform Peyote Bracelet

2009-04-30T10:12:00.000-07:00

About a week ago, in this post, I showed you the beginning of this bracelet. Sometimes it's a good thing when a project waits to be finished. When I take a break part way through, I'm often inspired to go a different direction than my original idea for the piece. That's what happened with this bracelet. When I went back to it, I knew that I wanted to include the Swarovski pearls and I saw that there were already obvious places on the bracelet that were perfect for those pearls.

Choosing the combination of beads that I'd use to support the pearls was simple because I used a Toho Seed Bead Mix called Winter Frost. Sometimes when I use these mixes, I add several other beads from my collection. This time, all of the beads I used were part of the mix. I especially love the consistent quality of these mixes.

The bracelet is available for sale in my Etsy Shop.

Kokopelli Howlite Necklace

2009-04-28T09:32:00.000-07:00

This necklace got it's name after I photographed it and the following shot reminded me of Kokopelli. As the deity of agriculture, his flute playing chases away the Winter and brings about Spring. This is very appropriate for the necklace as I've been watching my garden burst into bloom as I worked on it and I'm sure I'm not alone in being ready for winter to be over.

The necklace is available for sale in my Etsy Shop.

A New Batch of Beads

2009-04-27T20:53:00.000-07:00

I just received another order of beads from Artbeads.com and I love the way the beads always come wrapped. Makes it feel even more like Christmas every time an order arrives.

And here are the Toho Seed Bead Mixes that are so much fun to play with. I think they are a great way to get a colour coordinated mix of beads when you are relatively new to beading and aren't sure how to mix beads. They are so inspirational when looking through beads and thinking about what to try next and which beads to use.

I also got an order of mainly faceted bicone Swarovski Crystal Beads that you'll start seeing in my jewelry soon. I have a plan....

Works in Progress

2009-04-22T11:29:00.000-07:00

Before anything else, I need to mention this gorgeous sunset I managed to get a pic of from my bedroom balcony two nights ago.

I do have a few things in progress. This is a freeform peyote bracelet I'm working on. It's very early stages and I'm using a Taho bead mix. If you haven't played with any of their mixes...check them out. They just happen to be on sale at Artbeads.com this week. But hurry, they are going fast because they are having a Dollar Days Sale. I've already placed my order and will place a second if the money gets to PayPal quick enough!

On this tray, I've got a pair of earrings in Delica's started. I'm also working on a necklace and pendant using some Howlite beads I've had for a while.

And finally if you are interested, I've put some photos of the "greening of my garden" HERE.

Aqua Sparkle Bracelet

2009-04-19T15:00:00.001-07:00

Looks like I'm on a roll! I just finished another bracelet and listed it in my Etsy shop. The beads that I used are what inspired me. The aqua beads are Toho size 11's and are silver lined. It's the sparkle that makes me love them. I also used silver lined transparent triangle beads. These are also Tohos and triangles are one of my favourite beads to use. To the finished bracelet, I added an antique silver toggle clasp and an AB Swarovski drop. I think this bracelet would look amazing with a little black dress.

Summer On My Wrist Bracelet

2009-04-16T13:31:00.000-07:00

I've just completed and listed this fun and happy bracelet. It's the second time I've made something similiar but it's still quite different. More colours of flowers were added as well as a pressed glass butterfly near the center. Swarovski crystals give it some sparkle.

It's That Time of the Month Again!

2009-04-08T20:15:00.000-07:00

Etsy BeadWeavers' April Challenge mosaic is up and you can visit the Blog and vote for your favourite piece. Check them out! There are some amazing pieces there and it's not going to be easy to choose just one!

Ta-Daaaa!! Something Finished!

2009-03-26T18:04:00.000-07:00

This necklace has been done for several days...all but for the closure. Finally did it today. I'm pleased with how it turned out. It's got 35 Swarovski crystals in it as well as some dagger beads.

Projects in Progress

2009-03-23T15:37:00.000-07:00

There are a few projects in progress. I'm planning to get more of the wicker trays so that I can stack planned projects and have them handy to look at for inspiration. Hopefully, soon I'll get something completed.

Beady Things in the Works

2009-03-14T19:47:00.000-07:00

I am taking time to bead (tomorrow I'll get some photos up of work in progress) though I'm not completely unpacked and settled in yet. My upstairs bedroom has been stripped of it's carpet and on Monday I'll pick up the material for my new floor. I'm having fir planks installed and I can hardly wait. It should be in and finished by the end of the month. Two days ago, I had the vents in the house cleaned. What a process that is! Between taking out the carpet one day and the vent cleaning the next, my allergies are really active. But this evening after a cloudy day, the sun broke through as it was setting to provide one more beautiful sunset. As I type this, I can see Venus already...the first "star" in the night sky.

This is just one of a series of photos I took tonight as the sun broke through and sank in the evening sky. More of these photos are here.

There is Progress!

2009-03-10T10:20:00.000-07:00

My granddaughter Hazel spent the weekend with me and helped me with getting some work done in the studio. She's highly motivated because when it's all done and organized, we'll be working on projects there together. We put lots of things on shelves and though there will be some reorganizing, at least it's out of boxes. I'm heading back into the room now, to make some more progress.

Got some shelves up in the closet.

I can actually get to the windows now.

No, I don't have too much fabric! Those are all quilting books.

Beading things aren't in the studio yet. They're on the living room coffee table, where I can see them.

It's That Time Again!!

2009-03-10T10:07:00.000-07:00

Etsy BeadWeavers March Challenge - Temptation, is open for voting until March 15th. Head over to the EBW Blog, look over the entries and vote for your favourite. It won't be an easy choice! The entries are fabulous! But go see for yourself!

Not Yet A Studio

2009-02-25T18:37:00.000-08:00

My moved happened 11 days ago and parts of the house are organized and other parts are not. Because my plan is to be here "forever", I'm working hard to have things organized to my own standards, as I unpack. My studio has taken a back seat to this point and I'm not sure when I'll really go to work on it. I keep reminding myself to "eat the elephant, one bite at a time" so that I can feel satisfied with moving forward, little bit by little bit.

I thought it might be fun to post photos of my studio in chaos to compare with how it's going to look further down the line.

This photo is taken from the doorway to the room. Lots of boxes to be unpacked yet. The windows face west and south.

I've started to get some of my shelves up.

There are a lot of boxes here. You can't really see that the closed is stacked full of boxes too.

You can almost see one of my work tables here in the background. Those dark dusty blue walls have got to go! It just makes the room too darn dark!

Settling In

2009-02-19T08:44:00.000-08:00

I still have a way to go to be settled into my new home, but I'm getting there. Lots of distractions here, that's for sure. Here is one of them taken from the balcony of my second floor bedroom last night.

At least a few more days, maybe a week till I get back to beading.

Life, the Universe and Everything...

2009-02-11T19:57:00.000-08:00

This is the title in the "trilogy" by Douglas Adams known as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe. It's also a good way to describe what's going on with me. I'm moving. From a two bedroom townhouse to a three bedroom house on 1/4 acre lot. Sounds pretty simple but my move entails a 150 mile drive down a two lane highway from the town of 2500 that I'm in (on the ocean - see photos here), to a ferry landing. When I get there, I'll sail across the ocean from Vancouver Island to a somewhat larger community (15,000) on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. The ferry trip takes 1 hour, 35 minutes. Anyway, I'll be scarce online for a few days while I wait for my phone and internet connection to be hooked up.

So these are the last pieces of beadwork I'll be showing for a while. The neck piece on both is Russian Spiral and I made them a while ago. I recently pulled them out of the store they were in, to bring them home and add pendants.

The blue triangle piece below is a version of another two necklaces I'd made previously. Unfortunately I wasn't able to photograph the sparkle of the Swarovski crystal roundells. The piece above is a first try at one way to add a bevel to a stone. I'm pleased with how it turned out and I have more ideas for ways to expand on the design.

Serendipity Necklace

2009-02-08T09:46:00.000-08:00

Some time ago, I bought a challenge kit of beads from a store that I shop in, online. From another online store, I'd ordered some short Toho bugles to experiment with. The kit and the bugles have been sitting on my coffee table, AKA bead studio for a while. I'd seen some pictures of Russian Spiral stitch done using long bugles and though it is interesting, I thought I'd like it better with the shorter ones I had. As I worked on the beginning of the necklace, I was thinking about adding some larger beads at the center to create a sort of faux pendant stitched right in. Back to my "bead studio" I went and the kit caught my eye. So began the experiment. The necklace is made up of seed beads in several sizes and colours, bugle beads, Swarovski crystals and fresh water potato pearls. I have to say that I'm really pleased with the result.

It was for sale in my Etsy shop. Now, it's sold.

Commission Finished

2009-02-07T16:56:00.000-08:00

When I completed the black and silver commission and delivered it to my friend, she mentioned a "beaded fairy" that her granddaughter had made that she'd like turned into a necklace. When she got the "fairy" to me, I told her I thought it is a mermaid. Anyway, based on that idea, I wanted a neckpiece for it that felt...waterish. I delivered the piece today and she told me that she may give it back to the granddaughter as a graduation gift this year. Sounds like a great idea to me.

I also made this pair of earrings that I thought she might like to have. She decided not to take them so they may end up on Etsy.

3-D Triangles

2009-02-02T08:34:00.000-08:00

This necklace is created entirely with Delica beads. When I found the instructions to created these 3-D triangles I just had to try them. I also wanted to try linking two together. It was a bit of a challenge to weave the one into the first, but obviously not impossible. I'd lo it again. I tried them in several different of bead combinations but like the result with the Delicas best.

The photos aren't very good because I've already packed most of my photo equipment. The beads are silver lined gold, opaque chocolate brown and AB cream. The triangles can be worn with the gold side or the cream side showing giving the necklace a bit of variability. I'm also planning on making matching earrings.

More Spiral Earrings Plus...

2009-01-25T08:53:00.000-08:00

Last post I mentioned making some pink ones for my granddaughter. Here they are...one pink and one in her favourite colour combination, pink and lime green:

I also completed a new freeform peyote bracelet which is listed in my Etsy shop. Similar to one I'd made in the past but a bit simpler.

Spiral Earings

2009-01-21T19:04:00.000-08:00

I actually made these several days ago and have made more since. They are fun to make and the two pictured here are available for sale in my Etsy store. I'm planning a pink pair for my granddaughter and I have some ideas for a few more too. The dangling dagger really finishes them.

I'm not sure which pair I like better!

Finally, It's Done!!

2009-01-01T19:54:00.000-08:00

I finally finished the commission I've been working on...for...seems like forever! Finished it today and delivered it. My friend (and customer) was very happy with it. We had dinner together in a local restaurant and before we left, she was showing it off.

Just before she asked me to make her a "honkin' big" necklace, I'd bought a pair of antique silver garland links that would accept three strands for the neckpiece. I really wanted to incorporate it so I made three strands of spiral rope. Each strand is different. Two of them incorporate the faux pearls she had given me to include. Then I added a pendant that can be removed so that the necklace can be worn more than one way.

These photos are not the greatest but the piece has gone to it's new home so they'll have to do.

Whatta Distraction!

2008-12-23T08:15:00.000-08:00

I haven't been getting much beading done and here's my reason why! My 5 pound chihuahua mix, Willie and I have added another member to our family.

This is Sophie, who weighs about a pound and is almost 8 weeks old. She's a shih tzu/poodle cross and was the runt of her litter. We expect her to be about the same size as Willie. She's keeping me pretty busy while I make my best effort to get her house broken. Because we've got a smattering of snow covering the grass, I've been working with her on a puppy training pad strategically placed beside the door. Amazing to me that in four short days, she has learned her name, responds to "come" and does her business on the training pad. I'm grateful that Willie has gone from completely ignoring her to playing with her and even sharing chewie treats.

If you are interested, I've put a few videos taken of Sophie on YouTube.

My son is arriving for Christmas today so...who knows when I'll get back to my beading!

Gift for Granddaughter

2008-12-08T16:22:00.000-08:00

This first photo is my beautiful granddaughter Hazel. We'd just spent a day together shopping and she is about to get on a ferry to go home.

This is a bracelet that I recently made for Hazel.

Pink is her favourite colour so of course I had to make her a pair of earrings to wear with the bracelet!

Still on the Planet

2008-12-03T20:12:00.001-08:00

No post for over a week now. That's not like me. I was away from home for five days, taking a trip to see my son perform in a play. I took no beading, no knitting, nothing with me and it's a good thing. The schedule was pretty full and by the time I headed to my hotel room each evening, the only thing I was ready for was sleep (in a strange bed that put my back out). Today I cut up a bracelet that I was working on. Decided it wasn't what I'd hoped for. Found a rock and bead store while I was away and made a few purchases. Just not "feelin' it" the last while. Soon....I hope.

Variation on Scalloped Triangle Pendant on Spiral Rope

2008-11-23T14:37:00.000-08:00

I really loved the silver and black version of this but I was thinking that not everyone prefers silver jewelry to gold as I do so I decided to make the necklace again using gold in place of silver. The rope is slightly different as is the triangle. Might just be me, but I still prefer the silver one!

Two Quick Bracelets

2008-11-23T14:31:00.000-08:00

I enjoy doing both the Russian Spiral and the Spiral Rope and often when I need something simple to work on, I make a bracelet using those stitches. Here are the latest couple of results.

There are three different shades of blue in this one, combining with the silver center spine.

Too bad I wasn't able to photograph well, the shine of the silver lined grey toho beads in this one.

Scalloped Triangle Pendant on Spiral Rope

2008-11-14T17:10:00.000-08:00

Because I really enjoy beading the spiral rope stitch, I've made another necklace, this one with a triangle pendant. The rope has been done for a week or more and I was uninspired about making a pendant for it. Last night I began to visualize a triangle pendant that I'd intended to embellish. I had the triangle mostly done before I went to bed last night and got up this morning, ready to complete it and get started on the embellishment. The first three or four things I tried I pulled out before I finally stumbled upon using the rondelles and creating a scallop to encase them. I'm very happy with the result. As always, the pendant can be removed to wear the rope alone. This piece is listed for sale in my Etsy shop with more views of the piece.

Etsy BeadWeavers' November Challenge

2008-11-08T23:04:00.000-08:00

It's that time again! The voting has opened and we need your votes. Please visit the EBW Blog, check out all of the amazing entries and cast your vote for your favourite!

Black and Silver Necklace

2008-10-31T10:39:00.000-07:00

This necklace and pendant were created while I was away. The last detail for completion had to wait until I got home so this morning I added the Swarovski crystals to the ends of the toggle closure. The necklace is Russian spiral and the pendant has a netting stitch base that was then embellished with rondelles, bugle beads and seed beads all in black and silver. The technique was shown to me by my friend who has completed several bracelets this way.

The pendant can be removed so that the necklace can be worn alone for added versatility.

Just A Quick Update!

2008-10-26T10:45:00.000-07:00

I'm still away from home and have been since Friday, October 10th. At the moment I'm in a cafe with free wireless internet. After spending a week with a girlfriend in Manitoba, I flew back to British Columbia and bought a car. I haven't been driving for three years (while recovering from a bad car accident) and my #1 priority was to get something I'd feel safe in. What did I buy? It's a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder LE. And I'm loving it! It's got all of the bells and whistles, including heated leather seats (feels so good on my pain racked body) and a sun roof. There are airbags all around and I'm feeling very comfortable in my new toy.

I'm in a small town on the ocean in BC, called Powell River, where I'm hoping to buy a house. Even though there is just me and my little five pound dog, I'm making an offer on a five bedroom, three bathroom home with a wonderful view of the ocean and outlying islands. I'll be able to watch the ferry coming and going and the sunsets will be spectacular. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I spent the last two nights in a most charming hotel - The Old Courthouse Inn. Lovely place! Tonight, I'm going over to the island my son lives on - Texada. We're having dinner at The Tree Frog Bistro and it's also a lodge so I'm going to stay there overnight.

I expect to head for home, later this week. Haven't been doing much beading and I'm looking forward to getting back to it and sleeping in my own bed!

Etsy BeadWeavers' October Challenge - Animal Instinct

2008-10-12T09:06:00.000-07:00

And...yes I'm participating again this month. I'm number 16 in the mosaic below and I'd appreciate it if you'd drop in there and VOTE VOTE VOTE for me! I've entered my necklace "Where's The Orca" and the competition is amazing! Voting is open until midnight on the 15th of October.

Odds and Ends

2008-10-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

I'm leaving home this week and won't be back for a while so there may be a lapse in posts. I may be able to get a post up somewhere along the way, but I can't be certain.

Anyway, here are two items I finished in the last few days. The bracelet is another Russian Spiral and is a gift for a friend. The earrings are additions to my inventory as I've been selling earrings lately and stock was dwindling.

Where's The Orca - Necklace

2008-10-04T10:54:00.000-07:00

This one-of-a-kind piece was created for the Etsy BeadWeavers' October Challenge with the theme Animal Instinct. So "Where's The Orca" necklace was created with Orcas in mind. I live in the Broughton Archipelago off of the west coast of Canada and it's home to both Resident and Transient Orca. I've been out whale watching several times and never lose the thrill of seeing these magnificent animals in their natural habitat.

My colour choice for the necklace is meant to represent the Orca's colouring of black and white. My representation is black and silver because when you see them in the ocean with the sun dancing on the water as they frolic in a group, there always seem to be flashes of silver glancing off of their shining flesh.

Check out my Etsy shop to see more views of the necklace.

And if you're interested here are some photos I took on a whale watching trip.

More Russian Spirals

2008-10-02T09:19:00.000-07:00

The first Russian spiral I made went very well. No hitches at all. Then I tried again about six times, each attempt ended with being unbeaded about five times until I gave up and ripped the whole thing out. Finally, I sat down with the book one more time and closely followed the directions. And...found where I'd been making the error. The stitch starts with loading on 2 size 11 beads and one size 8, three times and forming a circle. From that point, the beads are loaded the reverse, one size 8 followed by two size 11s. The mistake I'd been making was loading the order of the base round!

Anyway, having finally gotten it figured out, I made the following two pieces with beads in my stash. The gold one is actually 8's and 10's.

This one is made with size 11 triangles (the silver beads) and size 11 seed beads in three different shades of blue. The colour goes from dark to light and back to dark again. I love how it turned out.

Now if I could just decide on what the pendant will be for them. In the meantime, I think I'll start another spiral. I have to...I just received another new order of beads!!

Pendant For The Russian Spiral

2008-09-26T08:44:00.000-07:00

A while ago I purchased some natural beads that are called mother of pearl blister pearls. They are absolutely beautiful and unique and I've been anxious to find ways to use them. It seemed to me that they'd make a stunning addition to the Russian Spiral necklace I made and I'm so pleased with the result. The piece sits high on the chest, more or less right between and just below the collarbone. And the pendant can be removed so that the neck piece can still be worn alone. It's so much fun to create something like this that's more versatile.

Russian Spiral

2008-09-22T17:41:00.000-07:00

This necklace is my first foray into the new book I bought. I found the instructions very easy to follow and the stitch itself is fairly simple and straight forward once you get going on it. I did have to unbead it a couple of times but that's no big deal. I really like how it feels. It has a bit of stretch to it and it's very supple and soft. I'm working on a bead order to get myself a stash of different beads to work this stitch. And, there is a pendant in progress to go with it. But there's also a different version of the rope brewing in my head that I may have to work on next. Oh, and there is a freeform peyote bracelet in progress too.

Hockey starts tonight! So I'll be knitting during the game.

Summer On My Arm Bracelet

2008-09-20T14:05:00.000-07:00

This pretty little bracelet was the result of wanting to experiment with the spiral rope stitch. I have a collection of glass beads that I haven't been using so I sorted through them and decided that some of the bell flowers and leaves could create a summer garden feeling. There were also some bright green seed beads that I've been trying to find a use for and I love the viney look they give to the bracelet. The other elements that I couldn't resist using are Swarovski crystals in a variety of colours just to give the piece a bit of sparkle. The bracelet is for sale in my Etsy store.

This bracelet has been sold.

Bead Shopping in the Big City

2008-09-17T16:45:00.000-07:00

I'm away from home this week and today I went to a bead shop that I enjoy, hoping to find some interesting and/or exciting beads to inspire me. What I ended up doing was buying a couple of tubes of seed beads, a gorgeous oval jasper donut and a new beading book. I bought Seed Bead Stitching - Creative Variations on Traditional Techniques which is published by Bead & Button Magazine.

Though the book is pretty much beginner level, there are several variations on stitches that I haven't yet managed to teach myself. There are chapters on peyote stitch, brick stitch, right-angle weave, daisy chain, spiral rope stitch and Russian stitches which include three fabulous rope type stitches. I've been getting a little bored with only having the spiral rope to make necklaces out of, so this will provide a welcome change! I can hardly wait to get home (tomorrow) and get beading again!

Just Two More Days...

2008-09-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

...left to vote on the Etsy BeadWeavers Challenge for September! If you haven't already voted, please do so now! I need all of the votes I can get on this bracelet of mine which is entered!

Click HERE to vote!

For more views of the bracelet (or to buy it) CLICK HERE.

Blog Award...and...

2008-09-12T17:58:00.000-07:00

I received a blog award from Linda at Hammelman Art. I really appreciate being given this award, but I'm not going to pick seven blogs to pass it on to. If you are interested in having the award, help yourself at Linda's blog. There are just too many wonderful blogs out there for me to single out seven! Again, thanks Linda.

Abrupt change of topic:

Looks like cruise season isn't over yet! This ship is on it's way to Alaska, past my front door!

Three Day Pendant Necklace

2008-09-11T17:17:00.000-07:00

The three day pendant necklace is so named for obvious reasons. It's taken me three days to complete it. It's labour intensive, yes, but certainly not three days worth. I needed to take it easy on my neck. Anyway, I was absolutely driven to make it happen. It was in my head and I had gotten some new beads in and knew I wanted to do something in navy and copper. And I'd also been wanting to make a pendant size triangle.

Though the photos are showing the colours pretty accurately, the sparkle is not revealed. In the evening under lowered light, it catches and reflects the light. In other words, it sparkles.

Not to be forgotten that today is 9/11 and I would be remiss to not mention that I too remember that day and the shocking events, for I have a son who is a volunteer fire fighter. I gratefully remember the heroes of 9/11.

Entrecard and Me

2008-09-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

So I've been doing the Entrecard thing for a while now and I have a couple of lists I'd like to share.

Blogs I Only Go To Once

Blogs with music - I have my own music happening thank you very much
Blogs with lots of animated "stuff" - It just takes too darn long to load
Blogs that are heavily weighted with advertising - Goes without saying; I want content
Blogs that hide their Entrecard drop spot near the bottom of the page - Time spent searching for it is time I could be reading your blog.

Working the Entrecard System

Cultivate loyal traffic by returning all drops to your card
Comment when you read something that interests you and to which you have a real response
Place your Entrecard drop spot "above the fold"- near the top of the page so that your droppers are reading, not searching
Don't decide it's not working too soon

I can't really judge how effective Entrecard is at marketing my blog unless I work the system to it's limit. That's what I'm doing and so far so good!

EBW Challenge Voting Open

2008-09-09T11:45:00.000-07:00

It's that time again! And I've entered a piece in the challenge again! So please head over to the Etsy BeadWeavers' Blog and check out the entries and choose your favourite and VOTE!

Earrings and Bracelet To Match

2008-09-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

Ever since I made this necklace for the Etsy BeadWeavers' Challenge, I've felt it needed matching bracelet and earrings. I finally got them done and here they are for you to see. I'm happy with how they turned out and now I feel like I'm 'finished' with the design. Now, on to another freeform bracelet. I've got the beads all picked out and ready to go!

The Big Bear In My Front Yard

2008-09-05T18:15:00.000-07:00

Life is never dull, living in the boonies!

This guy dropped in for a visit. My neighbour threw him some apples. You can see that he's eating one.

He hung around for about 10 minutes and at one point he was on my deck, looking in my patio glass doors. I was upstairs in the window above him.

After some of the comments left, I thought I'd clarify a couple of things. Yes it's interesting to see these guys up close, but it's also very dangerous to feed them. Lots of bears get lazy and go after the "easy pickins" rather that forage in the bush as they are meant to. They'll keep coming back to where they found food easily and they have been known to break into homes to go after food, once they know it's there. The town I live in is very small (about 2500 people) and it's about 100 miles from the closest large center so we are really in the bear's territory. I have a lot of respect for them and a healthy dose of fear!

Freeform Peyote Bracelet in Black, Grey and Silver

2008-09-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

First thing on my agenda today is to wish my daughter Rainey a very happy 41st birthday! Here is a recent photo of her just hanging around!

I'm very happy to say that I've finished the bracelet that I have been working on! I'm pleased with how it looks finished though I have to say that the photos do not do it justice! Of course, it's for sale and I'll be listing it in my Etsy store very soon. It's made of a combination of beads, including seed beads, triangle beads, bugle beads and even a couple of gorgeous Swarovski rondelles.

Work in Progress

2008-09-01T15:41:00.001-07:00

Today I'm working on this freeform peyote bracelet. It's been a while since I've done freeform so I'm really enjoying it. As I bead away, I'm being inspired to create some other pieces and I've been taking breaks and surfing the net looking for a few different kinds of focals. Something that I haven't had much success finding is raku beads. If anyone out there knows of a raku bead maker, please let me know. Anyway, I have a lot more to add to the piece.

This pair of bracelets were completed yesterday. I'm not yet sure whether there will or won't be a third bracelet in the set. It's my intention to sell them together. They can be worn individually, together or linked to create a princess length necklace. I'm also considering making a pendant to go with them to make them even more versatile.

Book Review - Exquisite Beaded Jewelry

2008-08-26T14:16:00.001-07:00

This book has been in my library for a while; about six months. I read it cover to cover when I first got it to help to teach myself freeform peyote. I hadn't picked it up in at least a couple of months, but there is a whole lot more than freeform in it as I rediscovered today.

In the Introduction, the author, Lynda Musante says: "I hope to help you build and expand your skills; find your own voice in your beadwork -- to discover your "look" and, perhaps, challenge you to look at your beadwork differently." The book will certainly challenge you on more than one level.

For the beginner, it covers basics on beads, tools, materials and findings. There is a fairly comprehensive section on the basics of wire work. It also explains stringing with six projects and then moves on to beadweaving.

Chapter six, Stitched Bead Basics, includes detailed instructions with excellent photos for peyote stitch, tubular peyote and brick stitch. The instructions are very thorough and the accompanying gallery provides wonderful inspiration.

The final chapter is titled Sculptural Beading and explains and teaches the techniques of freeform. There are five projects and a gorgeous gallery. Throughout the book there are plenty of detailed close-up photos on almost every page, so there is plenty of eye candy.

Rainbow Time...

2008-08-25T18:08:00.000-07:00

Though I don't have anything finished to share, I'm beading. Working on a necklace right now that features a couple of pretty glass beads.

What I do have to share is a photo taken this afternoon. I live on the ocean and the weather here often changes very quickly. That means we see a lot of rainbows. This is the first one that I'm seeing in about 6 weeks.

Silver & Gold Necklace

2008-08-22T06:42:00.000-07:00

This necklace was actually started a while ago but I hadn't come up with a pendant for it. I finally managed to find this gorgeous piece of glass and made a spiral rope loop to hang it from the spiral rope neck piece. It was back here that I first posted it, with the earring.

Right now I'm working on a bracelet to match this necklace which is just a couple of posts down. It sold and the bracelet was requested by the purchaser. Of course, I'm more than happy to make it!

EBW Challenge Winner

2008-08-16T18:24:00.000-07:00

Etsy BeadWeavers August Challenge has a winner! Search Light Art Deco Bracelet - GemsbyJules received the most votes and took first place.

My necklace entry which was my first time in the challenge, came in 6th. That's a pretty respectable position, I think! A big thank you to everyone who voted for me! Now if I could just find a happy home for it!

I realized today that I haven't done any beading for four days. I was away from home and came home completely exhausted. Hopefully, I'll be better rested and ready to pick up the beads again tomorrow.