A Bouquet....

One of my favorite patterns for earrings is what I call "Fringe" earrings. They remind me of Native American beadwork, but there are so many variations to the basic pattern. 


So...I thought I'd show you a 'bouquet' of some of the colors I have made these in. All have 7 dangles, in graduating lengths, and at the end of each dangle is either a dagger bead or (in the 'dressed up' version) Swarovski crystal beads. 


I intend to write down my version of these earrings and give away the tutorial - just need to find the time (ha ha!) to get it done! In the meantime, these cute and swingy earrings can be yours for just $15.00 per pair - and if you don't see the color you want, just ask! May just have what you're looking for in my bead stash!!


Here it is!

The colors are....going clockwise from the almost-top - light amythest, pale blue, dark amythest, jonquil yellow and green....makes a pretty little picture just as they are. Oh, and I need only to attach the earrings to their silver-plated french hook earring findings to be complete!

More to come....

Sometimes Simple Is Best...

Though I love the tini-ness of the Delica beads, and the whole process of beadweaving, whether it be the peyote stitch (my favorite) or herringbone, or even the brick stitch - sometimes it is fun to just put a simple embellishment on a really lovely bead, and leave it at that!

This blue faceted glass teardrop bead is the most beautiful shade of blue, and the facets are subtle - not so much 'sparkle' as 'shimmer' - and the silver coil draws attention to it rather than distracting from it. Hung from a pretty sterling silver figaro chain with a sterling lobster clasp, this is such an elegant addition to any outfit!

The necklace measures just under 24" (58.4 cm), and the bead itself is 3/4" (1.9 cm), 
and, should you wish to purchase it....the price would be $39.00. Just send me a message!

Here it is:

More to come.....

Cancer Awareness....

....a subject close to my heart. As some of you know, in 2010, I fought a battle with Non-Hodgins Lymphoma, and am now 18 months in remission! My form of cancer is considered 'incurable but treatable' - and this remission is as good as it gets, and I thank God for every single moment I have - He is the One who got me through that experience, and is still my Rock! If you like, you can read about my journey with Lymphoma in my blog about the experience: Raindrops And Sunbeams Blog 

Since then, awareness of cancer has been a subject dear to my heart. I want someday to walk in the "Light The Night" walk, which in Virginia Beach is in early November, and I decided to make some 'awareness' jewelry to offer for purchase, and use 50% of the profits from those sales to try and reach the $100 goal to get my 'survivor' T-shirt and walk the walk. Alas, just 'cause you make the jewelry does not make it sell.....but I always have hope that someday the things I make will reach the right person....and I'll be on my way!

I designed these little earrings, and can do them in any color to represent any cancer that has a color - but the first ones were to be lavender - that indicates support for ANY type of cancer - and I love lavender!

The main part of the earrings is a tiny strip of peyote stitch made with delica beads - and the background is white with a lavender heart in the center - I love my little heart pattern!! I then 'zipped' up the peyote strip into a tube, strung some Tanzanite Swarovski 4mm crystal bicone beads on a head pin - 2 at the bottom, the 'heart' tube, and then 2 more at the top - attaching it to a silver-plated earring.

They are tiny, but they move with you and make a statement of your support in the prettiest manner! These sweet earrings are $15.00 per pair - the profit on them is not big, since I'm trying to make them a reasonable price, hoping for quantity to make up the difference! :-)

Here they are: 

More to come......stay tuned!!

Thought I would show y'all what we did in March for our monthly Craft Night at church - it was spring, and I wanted to do something with flowers.....so....

I used bell flower beads - the ones pictured are the palest pink, but I had several other colors from pastel to bright for everyone to choose from. We strung them on silver-tone wire, so they'd be different lengths, putting spirals at the bottom for interest and added two shades of green glass dagger beads for leaves. Then we found pearls (some real, some glass pearls), to match or contrast, and strung them on silver tone head pins, using the excess length to spiral down the bead a bit as we finished off the wrapped loop. The whole collection was then suspended from silvery chain, so they would move every time your head moved!

The results were extraordinary - everyone's earrings looked completely different, just from the different ways they decided to put the components together - that's what makes Craft Night so much fun - there really aren't any 'rules' - just a main idea to jump start the imagination!

Here is the sample I made....

More to come.......keep checking back....and if you're so inclined to want to purchase them....just send me a message!

 

I'm back......really!

Last post in January - and now here it is almost the middle of June! Talk about not being with it!

Yet again I am hoping to get on a more regular schedule of posting - and show y'all what I've been playing with craft-wise - and it's not all jewelry! I am still trying to put together a website, but this blog will do just fine til that's done, and will get me in the habit of posting and changing up the content.

Just need to get some photos together, get out the camera and re-acquaint myself with how to use it, and get back in the swing.

I was looking through a huge stack of magazines I have accumulated in my craft room,
and found a really cool design from way back in 2005 - don't remember which magazine, but I had the components to try this out, and when I did, I loved the result! Thought I would show you what I came up with - 

Dragonfly Earrings!

How pretty these are!! Dagger beads and Swarovski crystal bicone beads - such rich colors of iridescent dark amythest, and clear crystal beads - I like! Thinking I'd love to try these in some other color palettes......suggestions?

More to come, I promise.....just need to get pictures!

Back soon!

Topsy-turvy world.....and life! Time has flown along with last year. Some obligations became too much to do, and so I just opted out. Had to.....just too much going on in my life that required my time and attention. Note to self...do NOT commit to long term projects....

Now...new year....new church to help with, as my dear husband is now pastoring a brand new work here - and as his wife, a lot of 'stuff' fell on my plate....exciting and fun, but boy, there is just no 'free' time any more!

Now January is about done, and I have finally gone and purchased the domain name to match this, my original blog....and soon will begin building it - I'll keep you posted on the progress! It will probably be slow - I have a new book on the latest revamp of HTML and CSS, and will be using that extensively in the building of the site - hope to have some cool stuff to show off.

Meantime, we have started a "Craft Night" at our new church, Arise Christian Fellowship - and this is a favorite thing of mine! I love trying to come up with new ideas for jewelry we can make - at a reasonable cost (I foot the bill), be able to be done by people with no crafting experience, be fun, and have something pretty to take home to wear!  Sometimes 
the cost part gets to be a challenge....when you have 20-24 people coming each month!

So...for January I thought it would be fun to do what I ended up calling 'dangly heart earrings' - as I never had the time to get a sample done til a couple days before the event! I had fun finding all kinds of hearts, along with pink and red pearls. Add in silvery chain, head pins, and pink jump rings....and there is the making of all kinds of designs. And that was the order for the night - my idea was to make earrings that deliberately did NOT match - who made up that rule anyway? Lol!  We had a fun time, and everyone surprised themselves by making some really cool earrings!

Therefore....I thought I would post the pair I made....just to show them to y'all....and I'd be happy to make them yours for the tiny price of $20 - just let me know, and I'll send you a Paypal invoice!

Here they are....mismatched heart earrings:

...the behinder I get...

July has gone, and so has August....and here I am, finally posting the JULY Bead Journal project. July was a jumbled up month....mostly overshadowed by the decline and too sudden death of my dear Mama (mother-in-law to be technical, but to me, she was Mama) at the end of July. I loved her dearly, and will miss her always...

I actually had my project done before things accelerated and seemed to scatter all over the landscape, but there just was not ever time or inclination to sit and put it up here. Didn't help that the project was yet another that sure did not match what I had in my head when I started!

 The idea actually came from my sister (ah...technically another in-law, but I just don't feel that separation at all) to do something 'beachy' - since it was summer, and I love the beach...so that is what I had in mind. I thought of the tiny symmetrical patterns the sand sometimes makes where it is real shallow on the beach, and picked a pretty green fabric for the background that had that kind of pattern in it. Liked the 'sea' green color too.


Then I added a little starfish to the center....I think they are such marvelous little creatures....like the ones from the sky come down to the sea to live. Then my idea was to have my beads....sea-green and sand-beige kind of flowing over and off the little starfish, like water motion captured as it moved. I really liked the whole idea of it....but alas....when I added my streams of beads, the reality didn't much match my imagination. But...at that point, there wasn't much more to do...but to do...and I added a little beaded decoration all around the edge to represent tiny shells...nah....didn't much work either.
Ah, well...there's always next month!


So...such as it is.....my little 'beachy' project.....

To add to it all - my scan didn't turn out too well (the starfish made the scan uneven)....but you can see the idea....

I have my idea for August ( I WILL catch up!) - and it will be for Mama....have exactly what I want to do in mind....and am now getting my time back to yet another 'new normal' - so hope to have that up here very soon....and the September one too....no pressure.....no pressure.....:-)

Stay tuned....

June Bead Journal Project

Can't believe the month of June is history, and even though I have my June Bead Journal project done.....I forgot to post it. Sometimes I wonder about myself.....hmmmm...

At any rate - I did do something different this time, though I'm not sure it will turn into any kind of 'theme' for the rest of the year....have to wait and see what comes to mind for this month!

Without further ado......

I love the fabric - the colors of the strips appealed to me, so I didn't want to cover them up with beads....so I decided they'd be a nice 'abstract' landscape for a fantasy bunch of flowers...just drifting away from a bed of dark and light green dagger bead 'grass'. I added the stars, for a starry sky, even though the fabric doesn't suggest night - but I just liked the effect!

Now....what will suggest itself for July? Stay tuned.....

A bit of 'out of the box' fun...

After the creativity prompt series ended - created and run by A Creative Dream, I noticed as I followed her blog, that she does many creative things....and one of them was doodling.

Yep, the same thing we all used (or still) do during classes, at work, at church....whenever we have paper and pencil, and are using ears, but not hands....I know I'm like this (not always.....but a lot of the time). I told myself that one of these days, I was going to try my hand at doing what JC does - making the doodles an artistic creation. So..the thought sat and simmered through the entire year of creativity prompts, until....

I got out one of my ATC cards and decided to see what would happen if I just started doodling. I drew a bunch of curved lines in no particular pattern, and then began filling in the spaces with lines, dots, flowers...whatever. It was kinda fun.....like making a picture that isn't an idea first!

When I was done....I liked it - but it was all so ....black and white. Duh. That's what a pen and paper look like - but then I got out my markers (another of my favorite things that I don't use enough), and added some color. Not a lot....I didn't want to fill it up with color - it was quite busy enough without that!

So now it is done! And the next thing is....what do I do with it? Frame it? Make a card out of it (like that, but I've not made many cards...hmmm), keep it, give it away...
Help me out here, readers! Give me some suggestions....(not including 'good grief, Trish, what were you thinking - I've already done that one).

Here it is in all its glory!

This was fun.....and I just may do it again....even think of a general theme....or not...

May Creativity Prompt....

...and ahem.....just a tad late - but that's ok!

This time I have something truly new. Some of you may know I have been learning a totally new craft - and it turns out to have (for me) a pretty steep learning curve. But I persevere, and now things are beginning to progress.

What is this craft, you ask? Ah, it is glass bead-making - and by this I mean the torch and the glass rods that one turns into lovely glass beads in the flame. The videos I watch make it look so easy....but in my hands....decidedly not!

There are a few examples of the 'oops' variety of beads on my beadblessed.com site
but since those pictures I have an entire bowl full of them...lol! I love making the beads, and am steadily getting better at it...

I picked out four (three are promised to some very dear people), which I dress up in some gorgeous filigree caps - two shades of blue, lavender, and albaster pink (love that color!), and this is my 'artist's choice' for this month. Sadly, this is also the last of the Creativity prompts from A Creative Dream - I have SO enjoyed trying to make lovely things to fit the wonderful themes June comes up with. I am hoping she finds another variation on this to continue on with the fun.....have to wait and see.

So, here are my 'Remembrance Raindrop' charms....ready for whatever lovely use you want to put them!

Now to go experiment....and see what new things I can come up with! Stay tuned....

May is done....and so is my BJP project!

I'm just a bit tardy in posting this, but was thrilled to accomplish at least one thing with my May project - got it done in time!

The 'new' thing for this month was to put an edging around a cabochon in the center of my piece. As usual, I made it more difficult than necessary - and chose what I had on hand, which happened to be a rectangle....grrrr. It is a piece I made back when I could afford to 'experiment' with precious metal silver clay...a distant dream these days! It is a little rectangle of fine silver with the word 'wish' stamped in it.

Funny that what runs through my mind when I see that word 'wish' - is my mother saying to me when I was little...'if wishes were horses, beggars would ride'. Guess that was in the back of my mind as each little section of my project was a different bead, a different color, a different pattern....wishing for lots of things...

It also occurred to me that the element I have been 'missing' in all these projects so far is a unifying theme....the 'do something new' just isn't enough....and now that June is here, that's my new goal for the rest of these little works of mine....to find that element to build each one around....be interesting to see what evolves!

At any rate....without further ado....my May project....appropriately titled "Wishes":

Now I'm really looking forward to June.....with a whole new perspective.....woo hoo!

April Bead Journal Project Entry

April is long gone, and my BJP April entry remains kind of bare. I had intended to do a lot more with it - but inspiration eluded me, and I didn't want to just do the same 'fill in with beads' that I've already done. Didn't quite fit with the 'do something new' each month that remains my goal.

So....I've decided to leave it as is....I like the background....I like the frame of little flowers...speaks 'spring' to me. And I love the metal butterfly....who is smack dab in the middle of all the flowers....and I think....that is enough.

So...here 'tis....and I DO know what I am going to learn for next (er...rather THIS) month's project! Hoping for more success, and a new skill learned!

More stuff in the works......finding time....hmmm.....stay tuned!

Yay for Purple!

Cannot believe how time gets away from me.....too much going on, not near enough hours to take care of it all.....or even SEE it all! Whew!

Anyway - this month's creativity prompt from A Creative Dreamer was PURPLE - which is one of my favorite colors....I am definitely a blue, purple, lavender, grey kind of gal - so this one was easy - but what?

Decided to go back to a design I have always loved. I just like it! I had these tiny wooden spools - and some pearl-y paint....so I painted a pair of them purple, then made a teeny peyote stitch strip to go around them....in purple nad pink. Oh, yeah - I love tiny!

Then I went beyond the box.....and decided to try a larger version for a necklace.... a bigger spool - same paint (which didn't look the same - interesting how size changes shades!). Then a larger version of the same peyote stitch pattern....and viola! Casual and swingy - I just love the look. Goes great with jeans....but I bet it would look good with most anything!

So...here are the pics......first the earrings:

and the necklace......

Just can't have enough purple!!!

Now....can't wait to see what the prompt is for June....and hoping my world settles down some...ha!

Way out of the box.....

This month's creativity prompt given out by A Creative Dream
was to make a journal page. Whew. Of all the things I do NOT do,
this is a prime example!

But, I decided to make a stab at it....but in a very small way. As
all the projects for my Bead Journal Project are the size of Artist's
Trading Cards, my journal page was going to be the same size - thinking
maybe I'd include it on the wall hanging I'm planning for those.

I did make myself one rule....I would NOT use beads for this - if I was
going to do something different....make it different! So this became
a treasure hunt for things I could use...interesting was was lurking in
some of my drawers and containers....little wire objects that looked like
music notes, some pretty papers for some project I never started....

...and this is what I came up with....

I actually kind of like how it turned out....some of the papers here are
iridescent, but that doesn't show so well in the scan. but overall, the
sentiment is mine....and I'm going with it!

Wow....wonder what the prompt for April is going to be.....!

March Bead Journal Project

Another month has flown by so quickly....
I've been working on my little project....and have to confess I'm not happy with it. What I meant it to be was flowers blowing in the breeze, with clouds overhead. What I didn't count on was that the beads I used for the sky being SO close in color to the flowers!

Each flower was a different kind of bead, but even that gets lost in the maze here. Ah, well - live and learn. I also was going to do something 'new and different' with each project, but then ended up that this one is the same kind of thing I did for February.

That's all good, for everything is a learning experience....and I will take that with me into April....

So...here it is....my little flower garden...

Any feedback greatly appreciated!!

....til next time....onward and upward!

February Gone Already?

I had them done....really! But, what I didn't have is time....time to fuss with the pics, to sharpen and color-correct them. Someday, I'll learn enough to use a camera and have them turn out!

At any rate....I am part of the Creativity Prompt - a fun and creative way to celebrate each month with a different word - and February's word was appropriate - "LOVE"

I have been trying to learn new things for both this monthly idea and the Bead Journal Project.....so this month, I tried a brand new stitch - the Diamond stitch....and ended up doing variations on a theme!

I chose amythest crystals and fire polished beads - as that is February's birthstone (and I am a February person), and hearts to symbolize love....

First I did a single motif:

I quite liked how the stitch made it's own little diamond pattern, just from the difference in size of the beads, and how they were strung on the thread - the smaller beads making the corners. This variation was seed beads and 4mm crystal bicone Swarovski beads, with a dangle of a little iridescent heart (I LOVE these little heart beads!)

Then I thought....hmmmm....how would this pattern look doubled up? So....that became variation two:

I liked this version too....thinking this is my favorite. I doubled the motifs and put them in a vertical orientation....using the same 4mm Swarovski bicone crystal beads, and darker color seed beads for the corners. I also doubled up on the hearts....the little heart beads are a transparent amythest color on one side, and iridescent on the other....neat!

Then...of course, I started wondering how it would look with bigger beads? I just happened to have some 6mm fire polish round beads....so that was the third and final variation on the 'love' theme.... This was ok....but not my favorite - guess the 6mm are just a tad bigger than I would like to wear...I'm into 'little'. This version is back to just one motif, but tripled up on the heart beads....different look entirely.

I had a lot of fun trying out the different variations, and now the pattern is firmly in my memory, so I won't forget how to make it.....I'll for sure be using this pattern in more designs in the future!

Now....wonder what the prompt will be for March???!!! Stay tuned!

February Bead Journal Project

It is hard to believe that February is almost over....how can a month drag along and yet be gone so fast?

This month my intention originally for my Bead Journal entry for this month was to learn how to make a bezel out of beads to surround a larger bead on my tiny canvas. Well, obviously I need to do more research on how to do that....somehow it never looked right, so I went to plan B.

Plan B? Um.....it just evolved. I had already glued down some pretty flat back 'jewels' on my very pretty fabric (just love dark blue and purpl-y red)....and then I just started to surround the gems with seed beads....I had some pretty mettalic blue beads..some transparent red ones, and some iridescent ones that seemed a bit of both! Outlining became swirls, became circles of beads....and I knew I wasn't going to stop until I had filled up the entire canvas with beads!

I'm still far from proficient at doing this bead embroidery thing - I was forever going back and tacking down beads that threatened to pop up....maybe I tried to lay down too many with not enough anchoring threads? But, boy, It was fun! And it didn't take nearly as long as I was afraid it would!

I did get a heart-shaped bead in there - that was my starting point....a little bow to February and Valentines... and my 'jewels' were pink....also seemed so 'february'...lol!

So...here 'tis! My February Whirls and Swirls!

I'm very happy with this....and I did something totally new....part of what I want from this whole project....and now I'm looking forward to March....and hopefully...spring!

January - Bead Journal Project

This year I decided to join in on the Bead Journal Project
and stretch my skills and imagination, trying something a little different. This promises to be a fun thing - to create a new project each month - one that incorporates beading in it.

I decided to make my 'journal' be a collection of little fabric covered canvasses the size of Artists Trading Cards. Not too big that I can't finish in a month's time (along with everything else in my life...lol), but big enough to try out a new technique...new beads...new sizes....the possibilities are endless!

This first month was easy - as far as being 'new'. Everything about it is new to me. I have never done bead embroidery - ever. Trying to create a scene with beads - new. Trying to make the beads stay where I put them - new. But FUN!

My little canvas this month represents a new year.....the focal points are the sun's rays in white spreading out from the corner, each ending with a clear or yellow crystal bead....I saw them as chasing away the white seed bead snowflakes that float on the right side on my canvas....and below is the snow-covered land, creadted with white and light blue seed beads. New project, new beginnings, new year, new blessings and promises to come....that's what I see when I look at it!

Here it is......

Size-wise, these are a little bigger than a business card - and I am so pleased with my first foray into this new medium!
Can't wait to try out the new thing I have in mind for February!

January Creativity Prompt

Wow...how time flies! Could not believe how long it's been since I last posted. Have to correct that...

I missed the December creativity prompt - not because I didn't actually try to do something for it....more that what I did just didn't measure up - even to my sometimes low - standards. I didn't want to put smething out here that I ended up not liking.

But...now it's a new year, and a new prompt from the Creative Dreamer Blog
The January prompt was very appropriate - "WHITE" - sure fit for around here with all the unusual snow and wintery stuff that's been going on.

So...I started to play around with white beads....and crystals....thinking in a 'snow and ice' mode....gave up on seed beads, and went back to my favorite Delicas...and thought...hmmm....beaded beads! So that's what came about. I made a small peyote stitch tube to make a thin tube bead....and the 4mm crystal bicones snugged right up to the ends like they were made for each other. Then I thought...I need a shorter, chubbier beaded bead...and that turned out really well....just right for the 6mm round crystal beads I had. Just had to add a little more sparkle by adding a dangle of all crystals....and the three shapes and combinations came together beautifully, I think!

So...without further ado.....here are my January White Earrings!


I am really pleased with them.....winter white without the cold!

Red!

This month the 'creativity prompt' from A Creative Dream was "RED". Simple....just a word....but what to do with this?

'Twas a busy month....and by the time I got seriously thinking about this, the month was nearly over...but I decided to try. I had found instructions to make a beaded bead ( I LOVE beaded beads!) out of Swarovski crystal beads.....and had to try it. This would be perfect for my 'red' entry....

I worked and worked.....and failed and failed....funny how the stuff I really, really want to learn is only done so by LOTS of trial and error....mostly error! Of course, some of it was not having the proper supplies....first try I used beading wire - granted, it was very flexible....but too heavy, and I didn't like the result. Ok....on to beading thread....this I could color coordinate....but this time, I think it was too light, and would NOT make a nice tight bead. Sigh....

Off to Wal-Mart....and the sporting goods aisle....needed to actually get some fishline. The video I watched to learn the technique (right-angle weave) used 10-lb fishline. Have no idea what that meant....but all the 10 lb fishline at Walmart was colored....green, blue, red....who knew? So - I settled for 8 lb line that was clear.....and what a bargain this stuff is! I got 700 yards of fishline for $2.50! That is a LOT of fishline!

But....would it work? Yes! Yes! Took some getting used to....and a magnifying glass....being clear is a detriment to finding and getting the ends through the crystal beads...lol! But, I persevered....and got them made! YAY! Now.....to turn this pretty little orbs into earrings....easy, right? Not so much....as the center of the bead is essentially hollow - a regular headpin had to be placed very carefully, so it doesn't pull right through....but oh, how pretty they were! I have since tried other methods of attaching the crystal beads...and am quite enchanted by all the possibilities.....

My photography has a LOT to learn...but I was doing this in laughable circumstances, which I will never tell about....but scanning made the orbs flat....not good. So....here are the earrings.....please forgive the photos....hope to get better than this quickly!

and.....

This was such fun....and opened up a whole new area of creativity for me....and that's what it's all about, right?

Can't wait for the December prompt!!