It's Been 6 Months! That's 1/2 a Year!

It really has been 6 months since my last post!  OMG!  Since starting my full-time "J-O-B" in April, I have not been able to get my time management in sinc.  I guess I was just too spoiled, not having worked full time at an outside job in 15 years!  My exercising is still on my list of things to get incorporated into my daily schedule.  Hopefully, this post is the beginning of a regular blogging schedule too.  I miss my blogging friends!  I have peeked in on a few blogs, but not really caught up with anyone (including my own!)  The one thing I have been doing is making some jewelry and learning some bead weaving techniques that I've wanted to try for some time.  I have a lot of pics to share so I won't be writing a lot on this post.  It's great to be posting again!

Here are pics of some of the jewelry I've made during the last  6 months:

The above two bracelets are simple strung bracelets.  The top one is done with chinese crystals and swarovski crystals from Bella Beads.  The bottom one is done with a kit from Creations By You.

I purchased some jewelry made with brass findings from some indie artists and reallly like them!  I decided to start making jewelry with brass findings and I love the vintage look.  I want to make a lot more.  I have some simple designs with simple stringing in mind for bracelets, necklaces and earrings.

This is another pair of earrings made with some brass findings.

I normally don't do Halloween, but a customer came into the shop and inspired me to make this bracelet (Thanks Catherine!)  I also bought some orange beads and used little green flowers turned upside down for the leaves on the earrings.  I wanted to use the earring findings and combined some crystals and the mini pumpkins to make these earrings.  The findings are really fun.  The loop opens on one side and you just string on whatever beads you want to.  You close the loop and crimp it and ta-daa!  So much fun!

This bracelet is done with peyote stitched tube beads, Swarovski crystals and button flowers.  Thanks Emilie for teaching it to me!  I made earrings to match.

These green earrings are made with Czech beads.  They are done with a Right Angle Weave stitch.  They were fun to do!  Karen from Bella Beads taught me how to make them.  I may put a couple pairs in my etsy (that has nothing in it right now due to neglect).  I have to start that up again soon!

These earrings are made with fun earring findings (from Bella Beads) just like the round ones I used for the Halloween earrings.  One side pulls out and you string on the beads you want.  You do a wire wrap for the center and ta-daa - you're done!  I love these!  I call them my "Raindrop" earrings!  Thanks Elaine for the perfect name for these earrings!

The bracelet above is called "Stirling's Bracelet" at Bella Beads.  Stirling made this bracelet with pearls years ago.  The same pattern has once again become popular in Hawaii and people are teaching the pattern under several different names.  This one is done with Swarovski crystals and pearls.  The turquoise earrings were fun to make.  I just wanted to try the wire beadcap technique and coiled the sterling wire down the turquoise briolettes.  I love them!

This is probably one of my most favorite bracelets right now.  I've wanted to make jewelry with river stones for several years now, but have never gotten around to getting river stones and learning how to drill them. We had a bead show here a few months ago and Elaine and Deb were working for Soft Flex (the company that put on the show).  Their booth had these onyx pebbles that were already drilled and looked like stones!!!  I was so excited!!  Deb made her friend Steph a bracelet out of the pebbles and inspired me to make this one that is very similar to the one she made (thanks Deb!)  I used the onyx pebbles, thai silver seed beads, a thai silver leaf and clasp, a sterling silver bead that says, "Family," and tiny faceted onyx rondelles. I am absolutely thrilled with it (yes, I'm doing a little dance!) 

This is a bead crocheted necklace that I finally finished.  I had made a bead crocheted bangle last year and was not happy with it.  I decided that bead crochet was not for me.  Then, Sandy came into the store with a bead crochet she was working on.  I really liked it!  I decided to try it again.  With a lot of help from Sandy, this is what I made and I love it!  The focal bead is from Calvin Orr.  He is a local lampwork bead artist that does fabulous work!  It was the perfect bead for this project!  I kind of worked backwards (yet again) and started the crochet without knowing what I would do with it.  I paused after doing some crochet and decided I would make a necklace instead of a bracelet.  Then I had to look for a focal bead (yes, my backward approach).  I stopped working on the crochet for a few weeks until I found this bead at the bead show.  I brought the crochet with me and Calvin helped me pick out this perfect match!  I found the other beads and the sterling beadcaps at Bella Beads.  Thank you so much Sandy for renewing my interest in bead crochet and helping me create this piece!

At the bead show, a woman had a booth full with seed bead jewelry  done by women from different tribes.  I was fascinated because I had been wanting to do brick stitched earrings after seeing it in one of my beading books.  Amanda helped me learn the brick stitch that I used to make these earrings. All the beads for these came from Bella Beads.  They were really fun to make and I am planning on making more in different colors and using different beads.

These polymer clay earrings were made by Amanda and given to me as a gift.  I love them!  Her workmanship is awesome and so intricate.  Thank you Amanda!

 

Emily taught a herringbone necklace class at Bella Beads a few months ago.  I've wanted to learn that stitch ever since.  Lynn helped me one day when she came in to volunteer.  I picked out my beads (size 8/0) and started this necklace.  I finished it with a beaded toggle and clasp that I tried for the first time also.  I think I could've done a lot better on the clasp.  I wasn't going to hang a pendant on this, but had the perfect leaf already in my stash.  I did a simple wire wrap so if i get tired of the leaf (which I doubt, because I love leaves!) I can just cut it off.

I did the top necklace with different stones and pearls just as a fun project using gunmetal wire.  I love gunmetal wire!  Elaine made the above necklace also with gunmetal and different stones and beads and hung an amberlike pendant on it.  She gifted me with this necklace and I wear the two together,  They look great together!  Thank you Elaine!!

Close up of Elaine's gift to me!

Karen - owner of Bella Beads, taught me this rivoli pendant.  I decided to put it on a herringbone necklace.  I did it with 15/0 seed beads.  I started out with a color that I thought went with my rivoli pendant, but it wasn't quite right.  Because I was using the 15/0's and had gotten a couple of inches already done, I didn't want to start over.  I decided I would gradually introduce the correct color randomly and see what happened.  I'm pleased with how it turned out.  I don't know if I'll ever do another herringbone necklace with 15/0's again though!  It took a really long time! Sandy convinced me to make the toggle with Swarovski crystals.  I like it.  Thank you Sandy and Karen!

A customer came in and told me about these Russian leaves that she had just learned and she really loved them.  I asked her to bring it in the next time.  They were absolutely beautiful!  The one's she made were done with Swarovski crystals mixed in - wow!  Just by coincidence, Sandy was also planning to do some Russian leaves and Joanne came in saying she was working on Russian leaves.  It was really freaky how we were all on the same "beading wave."  About a month later, there was a Russian leaf project in Bead and Button!  Go figure!  I did these with just seed beads, but love how they came out.  They are done with a diagonal peyote stitch.  They are pretty fun to do!  Not a boring project at all.  The combinations that you could do are endless.  I just love leaves and am thrilled to learn any type of leaf. Thank you Anne and Sandy!

The above earrings were done as a "make it and take it" a while ago at Bella Beads (before I worked there.)  I wanted to learn it so Elaine showed me how to make them.  I really like the look.  The technique is a twisted wire technique.  Thank you Elaine!!

This is my current project.  I call these beads my "frog eyes."  I shouldn't have named them, because now I'm kind of attached to them!  I just hold them in my hand and roll them around and want to keep them like this - aiyyy!  I was going to use them to do a seed beaded necklace project from a current bead magazine which I'm not sure if it's Bead and Button or Beadwork, but I'm thinking I might just wire them to brass chain.  I'm making about 17 or so of them and will wait for inspiration on what to do with my "frog eyes."

So, I guess that's it for this post.  Hope to post again soon!  Bye!

      

Comments

[coach purses]

Hey ! am I glad to vist your blog ! from this I can get some information that I didn’t know before. You made my day.

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You did a great job! I see incredible Louise McClure's Charm Bracelet on the picture and you got me want to buy it. I have some more bracelets in my home jewelry collection, bit it's first time I see such big variety of components. It looks really nice. I will search in the web some more jewels from this type. Thank you.

[Vintage Jewelry]

Very beautiful work. You are looking to be very creative. I really liked all the jewelry shown by you.

[Stacie Williams:::Creative Junque]

You have been super busy! Wanted to tell you that I love the vintage brass pieces and the black "pebble" bracelet. Very nice!

[Pencio]

Wow, beatiful beadwork !

[Wendy]

Glad you are back. You have been busy making such pretty things. The czech glass earrings are lovely. Hope you are enjoying your new job.

[Barb]

Well you've been busy! I was nice seeing you the other day. I hope to take some more classes soon. I love the frog eyes and all your other great projects!