The Jewelry Swap -- Update

It's been a busy couple of weeks.  I had my orientation week at school last week, and let me tell you, we had some long days.  I know it's just a taste of what I'm in for this semester, but the days were long.  I finally have some time and wanted to update everyone on the awesome necklace (and bonus earrings -- Thanks Amy!  You rock!) Amy at Spyder Jewels sent me for the jewelry swap. 

In response to the questions I sent, I told her that I'm pretty casual and that I would like a lariat style necklace.  Well, she delivered!  This talented lady created a beautiful necklace and matching earrings for me.

Aren't they gorgeous?!?!?  I can picture them with everything from a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt to a little black dress.  I just love everything about the set.  The colors are perfect.  The style is great... casual, but elegant.  The length is great.  I am just so excited to add the set to my jewelry collection.  It is definitely going to get plenty of wear!

I can't provide too many details about the necklace I created for Davinia until she receives it (it takes a little while to make it around the world).  However, I can share my inspiration for the piece.  Shortly after receiving her answers to my questions, I saw an amazing photo on Beverly Ash Gilbert's blog.  As soon as I saw the photo, I felt compelled to create Davinia's necklace using the colors and style of the picture as my inspiration.  I hope she likes it, and I can't wait to share her answers to my questions and how I converted those answers into a piece of jewelry that I hope she loves!

Here's the inspiration photo from Beverly Ash Gilbert's blog: 

I'll provide more details later... and check back Tuesday for an all new New Tip Tuesday post. If you have trouble with color combinations, I think you'll like this post.

Happy Beading!

Kell

Beachy Keen

My big project this weekend was a beach-themed necklace using some of the sea glass I collected while visiting my family in Maine.  I began by selecting the piece of seaglass I wanted to use from my stash.  I just loved the triangular shape of this piece of sea glass.   

After selecting the piece of sea glass and shells I wanted to include, I had to figure out how to include the seaglass in the necklace.  Since I found the sea glass myself, it didn't have a hole in it and I didn't want to try drilling it myself (I'd rather practice on unimportant pieces of glass before I work on something I'd hate to see break).  I started by trying to create a bezel for the glass, but I ended up making the bezel too small and it looked too heavy.  I really wanted something light and beachy.  I came up with this free-form-weaving net.  I thought it went with the whole beachy theme... like the glass is caught in a fishing net. 

My next challenge was figuring out how to incorporate the shells and really create the feeling of the ocean.  I selected my colors first.  I wanted to work from the dark blue of the deep ocean to the aquas and greens of shallow water and the reef.  I created mixtures of each color and faded them together.  Finally, I sprinkled some shells

throughout the mixture.  I then used a freeform beading technique to create a really substantial necklace to balance the size of the pendant.  I wasn't sure how the necklace would turn out, but in the end, it is my favorite piece I have created to date.  I think it really invokes a feeling of the beach.  It's really organic with all shapes and sizes of beads.  I accomplished what I wanted to even though I didn't know exactly where I was going when I started.  Everything came from the one piece of glass I found.

Happy Beading! 

Kell