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

Under The Sea Bracelet

In my June Post, Pretty Pretty Beads, I gave you a sneak peek at some of the charms and glass beads I received from Artbeads.com.  I left you with the promise that I would show you what I created with the gorgeous beads.  Well, since some of the beads are charms, I knew I was going to make a charm bracelet of some sort... but, I didn't want to make a traditional bracelet with charms hanging from chain.  I wanted to make something really cool and funky. 

Since the charms were sea-themed, I decided to combine them with the amazing glass beads that shimmer and change color just like the ocean.  I created cages for the glass beads and used wire wrapping to suspend them in their cages.  Then, I alternated charms with the glass beads, also attached using wire wrapping.  This charm bracelet came out how I imagined it.  It was inspired by some of my SCUBA diving trips, and everything from the colors to the charms remind me of my trips!

I'm pretty happy with the way the bracelet turned out.  Next time, I will try using a smaller gauge wire so the structure of the bracelet is sturdier.  I'll also make the bracelet slightly shorter since it's a little big for my wrist.  Other than that, it came out the way I imagined it.  I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it!

FTC Disclosure: The items in 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.

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.