Thank you Mr. Postman!!!

I love getting mail... I mean I really, really love getting mail.  It's even better when the mail I receive is large amounts of beads!  Well, this week I received a couple of shipments of beads... I just haven't had time to photograph them and post the pictures.  Enjoy the pictures of my bead loot!

These first two beads are focals I purchased.  I have a project in mind for the red one (I've already started the woven beaded rope for the glass focal and will post pictures when it is finished).  I don't have anything specific in mind for the fish, but I just couldn't help myself when I saw it.  It represents the summer and SCUBA diving to me... both of which I love.  I can't wait for the perfect project to use it in.

These mother of pearl beads are just so cute.  I love the yellow flowers -- they are just sunny and happy.  I plan to make some earrings with them and maybe some charm type bracelets.  The purple triangles are just a cool shape.  I'm not sure what I'll do with them, but I know it will be really cool when I figure it out.  The brown rectangles are such a luscious color that I just had to have them.

These drop beads are really fun!  They are mother of pearl in resin.  I think they will make really cool chunky drop earrings, and maybe a fun bright focal for a necklace.  I can picture the earrings (they include wire wrapping fun), but I'm still working on the design for the necklace.  I'm thinking of something chunky and VERY colorful.  Check back to see my progress on both projects.

All of the beads in this picture are glass crackle beads.  I was introduced to crackle beads for the first time on a trip to China, and I fell in love with them.  I bought a strand of small multi-colored beads while there, but have been keeping my eye out for larger crackle beads.  When these beads went on sale, I bought all the bright spring/summer colors they had in stock.  The beads with spacers in them are drop beads which can be used to make just about anything (fun earrings, multiple strand necklaces, charm type bracelets... and many more ideas).  The other beads are bamboo shaped.  I just thought they were really fun.  I don't know how I will use them, but I don't have many long thin beads, so I indulged myself.

My next indulgence was stones.  I have some small round stone beads, but I don't have anything chunky.  I have a couple of ideas that include wire wrapping that require me to have larger stones, so I picked up a bunch of different types of stones.  I bought some turqoise, just because it's so popular right now, and it's such an awesome color.  I picked up two shapes of redline marble, some jasper, and another type of marble.  I can't wait to work with it.  I don't work with stones too much, so it will be a great divergence from my normal style.

I was definitely in a spring mindset when I was selecting beads.  I found all types of flower spacer beads that will add some fun and whimsy to my work.  I'm thinking of using the lucite flowers in a ring.  I can also picture them being included in a cool multi-strand necklace and maybe even some earrings.  You'll just have to wait and see what I come up with!

These drop beads are blueberry quartz.  In the picture, they had a lot more blue in them.  The specific set I received only has a couple of beads with a significant amount of blue.  I still think they are really cool.  I just wish they had a little more color.  I don't have a specific project in mind, but will know when it's time to use them.

These spacer beads were too pretty to pass up.  They just scream elegance to me.  I'm not sure whether I should work with the elegance and make a really pretty/dressy piece (maybe using pearls and swarovski crystals) or if I should juxtapose them with some thing really industrial and funky.  I guess only time and my mood will tell.  I can see both ideas clearly and am attracted to both.  Hmmm... what to do, what to do?

With so many necklace and bracelet ideas floating around in my head, I had to pick up some findings worthy of the jewelry pieces I have in mind.  I usually work with really simple magnetic clasps, but I wanted to use clasps that could be displayed in the front of the jewelry pieces... and all of these were on sale, so I picked them up!  Again, spring is the main theme.

Last but not least is a bit of bling.  I selected some beautiful Swarovski crystals from Artbeads.com.  They came in early in the week, but I didn't take pictures of them until Friday evening.  I am in love with the red and yellow drop bead.  I can't wait to design something to display it.  The smaller beads are going to be used in earrings.  The round bead will be combined with some other beads and wire wrapping to create a really cool focal.  I think I'm going to need to add more hours to the day in order to work on all the projects I have in mind.

FTC Disclosure: The Swarovski beads in the last picture of this post were provided to me free of charge from Artbeads.com for review or design purposes as part of the Bead Blogger program. I am providing an honest review of the products for which I am receiving no compensation.