Where Does The Time Go?

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!

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.

Fun With Earrings

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.

Fresh Fruit Salad Bracelet

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

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.

Commission Finished

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.

Where's The Orca - Necklace

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.

Bead Shopping in the Big City

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...

...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.

Freeform Peyote Bracelet in Black, Grey and Silver

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.

Book Review - Exquisite Beaded Jewelry

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.

Inspiration Piece Finished

The piece that was inspired by the photo (below a couple of posts) is finally finished. It's not exactly what I had in mind but I had "technical" difficulties. The ocean jasper stone I used in the pendant had no hole in it and I wasn't able to manage a way to set it that would leave the stone completely visible though that is what I'd hoped to achieve. The spiral rope is a combination of 10 different coloured Delica seed beads. It was the first time I tried using Delicas for a spiral rope and I AM pleased with how that came out. I still have more beads in these colours and I'm contemplating another project.

Stars at Midnight Bracelet

I had to delay completing this bracelet because I ran out of beads. My order arrived yesterday so I was able to finish it by working on it last evening and this morning. I'm very happy with the results. It's made with Toho triangles and it's 1 1/4" wide. It's fairly stiff but still has a suppleness to it and it's a gorgeous colour - deep navy with some transparent dusty blue appearing as the stars in it's name.

More Earrings!

I'm still enjoying making the triangles so...more earrings! I'm loving working with the Toho triangle beads too!

Avocado Bracelet

This single drop peyote bracelet uses two different finishes of Delica beads in avocado. One is matt and one is pearle. I'm pleased with the look it gave by alternating beads by row. The colour was selected to work with the bead which was a gift. I'm not sure what the stone is...jade? jasper? I have a few more of the stones but this one has the most green in it. The others have more black.

A Treasury Appearance

I found myself included in this beautiful treasury!



Thank you to Smadar's Treasure for including my Amber and Gold Peyote Bracelet.

Triangles...A New Compulsion

Carol Dean of SandFibers shared a website address with a Triangle Tutorial a few days ago and I went over, bought it and have started making triangles. This may be my newest addiction. Since I'm away from home, I took a few beads with me and in my very limited free time have been beading away.

I made this pair of earrings first (before I left home) from #11 Delicas.



Then I tried Toho #11 triangles. They are interesting but I'm not sure that I love them.



And finally, these are the beginning of what I think is going to be a bracelet. We'll see.



Please excuse the quality of the photos. I had to make do in my hotel room.

Pebbly Sand Bracelet

This bracelet reminds me of the kind of sandy beach that has a lot of pebbles in it. It has a lot of texture to it so that when it's on your arm, you want to touch it. I wasn't happy all of the way through creating it but I think it's because the beads are Toho 8's and 11's and I've been using Delica 11's a lot lately so it felt strange working with the different dimensions. It's 2-drop peyote stitch and the difference in the bead sizes makes it interesting to work. Overall, it's fragile and delicate because the beads are glass, but it has a nice cool slinky weight to it when it's on your arm.

Okay, Something Got Finished

I've actually been working on this for a few days and finally finished it tonight. It's much like another bracelet I made a little while back. This one. Though they are very similiar in colour and design, the last one was single drop Peyote and this one is 2-drop. Eight different colours were used and the design was developed spontaneously and intuitively as I stitched.

Take Me To The Forest - Green Bracelet

This bracelet was fun to work and very relaxing. It's got three different shades of green in it and the pattern is completely random. I seem to have an aversion to following a chart or pattern and I love the spontaneity of just deciding, one bead at a time. Seems that I've become addicted to Delicas and the smooth sleek surface they create. I'm thinking the next piece I need to step outside of this box.





I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone who has taken the time to write me a comment here. I really appreciate that you do it. It's nice to know that I'm not blogging in a vacuum!