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....

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:

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!

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!!

Challenges and More Goodies

It was SO cool the other day to find the "Big Reveal" of all the folks who were part of the "Dream" challenge on A Creative Dream I was astounded at the variety of expressions of the prompt, and was thrilled to see my own creations there! Go over and take a look at all the wonderful things!

She also sent out the prompt for August - it is "Transition"....and I already have an idea to make for this one!

Meantime - even though I have lost the tumbler and my magnifying lamp - I donned a pair of 'Dollar Trees' glasses, and did a couple more variations on the Fringe earrings....here are a couple of different colors.....sans findings...they will eventually have sterling silver french earwires....but I wanted to share the beadwork now!

Then I had another idea.....born of necessity....I ran out of the little 'dagger beads' that form the 'fringe' part of the earrings - and thought.....hmmmmm...what if I replaced the dagger beads with 4mm Swarovski bicone crystal beads....so I did!

Here they are:

I am totally loving how this looks! Makes them a tad more expensive - adding the 14 crystal beads - but also upgrades the entire look, from casual to more elegant!

So that's the skinny from the studio today.....now, back to work on other things I put off to do this!

Show and Tell...

Not sure what is going on with my crafting equipment....the revenge of the machines? A few days ago, my tumbler quit....the little roller part that makes the tumbling chamber go round and round literally melted off. Guess it just couldn't stand the combination of the hours of tumbling, and the temperature of the studio when I'm not in there....gets right toasty!

So....no tumbling - no pretty copper jump rings shiny as a new penny....so that gets put on hold. I tried going back to the low-tech way of cleaning them up....salt and vinegar...but didn't get them clean and shiny enough for me to use....

Of course, the sites that sell the tumbler do NOT sell any replacement parts, even though the google search says they do...lol! Their idea of replacement parts is extra tumbling medium and rocks. Ummmm....no. Hoping my hubby can fix this and make it all new again!

Today, I went out to the studio....and there across my work station that I am using lay my lamp on its extension arm. Now this is not just a lamp....the lamp also has a large magnifying class in the center - makes it just marvelous to use to work on tiny things....my favorite kind of things...hmmmm....is there a message here? The block that holds the entire lamp, and clamps on to the counter top just split in half...or almost...it is split and bent at a very odd angle.....not gonna go back where it was.

But, I soldiered on....I promised a picture of the tiny dark iridescent blue pearl beads....guess they are what's called a 'potato' shape....kind of irregular....but that appeals to me. They are small - I forgot to put a dime or something in the picture to give it some kind of scale....but each one is about half the size of a pencil eraser....maybe a little smaller.
Here they are:

Open to any suggestions as to what I should make with these. This is only part of what I have....there are probably three times the amount shown in the picture. Can't wait to read what you think these beads should become!

Also....the person whose idea I decide to use will receive a pair of fringe earrings. And...for those who don't know what it is that I call 'fringe earrings' - here is a pair...I make several versions of these, but the basic shape and kind of beads is what is shown here....the pair shown are a pretty iridescent (love that shimmery color!) pinky-lavender...and the design is one of my favorites....

Here's your chance to own a pair of these - which normally sell for $15.00 - gratis! Free shipping too! Who can resist that? Bring on the suggestions!

Building On Ideas...

After talking about my idea to continue the design of the "Dream" earrings, using warmer colors.....I did! Looked through my stash of pretty crystal bicone beads, and picked out some warm colors....jonquil yellow, crystal AB, Antique Rose, Copper, and Ruby Red....and put this combination on graduated lengths of silver-plated chain....put all the chains on a large jump ring, which I strung through a silver bail....really like that look! As usual, the earrings are all on sterling silver french hooks - and I'm likin' the warm colors just as much as the cool ones I made earlier....

These are also $20.00, and if you would like them....send me an email at trysh *at* gmail *dot* com....you know to remove the asterisks in the address :-). I will then send you a Paypal invoice, and ship them out as soon as payment is credited to my account. I make no money on the shipping - what I am charged, I just pass on...

That said....here are the "Dream" earrings in warm colors:

Since I was on a roll, I decided to keep going and finish up another idea I floated out here on this blog....to create a necklace to complement my "Sunshine" earrings....I had actually started it - but was hesitant to put the design on a copper chain....seems that lots of folks might have a skin reaction to copper - even though most copper jewelry findings now have a coating on it that not only helps prevent tarnish, but also helps with the reactions.

But...the perception is there - so I decided to try and put it on leather....and that worked out really well! The black of the leather actually made the copper and the mother-of-pearl disc beads pop out! Love it. I used a 'trailer hitch' clasp - it is just the simplest one to use...and I also liked it for this design.

The price on this is $20.00 - just refer to the directions above if this design strikes your fancy....

Here it is...

Now to do some thinking on what to do with the tiny pearl chips I got last week....what could I combine them with? Do earrings? A necklace? Bracelet?

Hmmm.....send me your thoughts on what I should do with the dark blue pearl nuggest (they are real small)....and win yourself a pair of fringe earrings! Don't know what they are? Come back tomorrow - I'll post a pair so you can see! Be sure and check back for details!!

Some Copper Fun...

While trying to solve some problems making copper charms, I started playing around with different gauge copper wire....coiling it, hammering it....

I think that anyone who uses a hammer on a regular basis would crack up watching me with my tiny little anvil, and tiny hammer....but the wire coils are tiny too, and a big hammer is kinda overkill. So, I look silly, but that little hammer does a good job!

First I experimented with putting together different gauge coils in the same design....with small and smaller copper jump rings....liked how that looked, and couldn't resist adding some copper crystal bicone beads on long headpins - and liked that even more! These might become a favorite of mine!

Here they are:

That was such fun, I kept on going and tried doing scrolls - connected coils - I started out thinking bracelet - but then decided to stay small....I wear earrings more than bracelets, after all. Couldn't leave them totally plain - so I added some Swarovski glass pears drops - the creamy color goes well with copper!

Here is the second design:

But, this design would be very cool as a necklace with added dangles....little steampunk flavor I think....hmmmm.....I know exactly what I want to do here.....stay tuned!

Earrings Revised...and Revised....

I have a version of my "Fruit Of The Spirit" earrings on my iCraft site - but after they were done, although they were very pretty - half of the crystals weren't visible.

In the end, I didn't care for this - it may have made the earrings 3-D, but since there are 9 fruits, I wanted all 9 crystal beads visible too. I had an idea of how to accomplish this, and added incentive was a dear friend who is also a customer (thanks, Dee!). I made a new version - and all the crystals were now on the front side of the earring. Very pretty, and I was pleased to have my friend purchase them.

Then I got to thinking - what if I made the swirls smaller, making the crystal beads stand out more...how would that look? Nothing would do but to try it - and when they were done, my heart and mind said "YES!" This is how I want them to look!

This is now the final revision - and the way I will be making this design from now on. The balance is just right. Tomorrow I hope to have them on my website, ready for sale, but wanted to give you a sneak peek here first!

The earrings are wire-wrapped - silver-plated 24 gauge wire over an oval base - just over an inch in length. There are nine separate wires, and each one holds a different color crystal - and completed with a spiral. Each one is then bent into shape around the oval to complete the earring. They are attached to sterling silver french earwires.

You'll have to wait to see these on my website Studio 2:14 to find out the colors of the crystals, and how each one represents a fruit of the Spirit - a list of these will be included with each pair of earrings sold.

I truly love this design - and welcome any feedback on them!

More to come tomorrow - both jewelry and other crafts....can't wait!!

Copper Wire and Cotton...

Making some slow progress on my new website - and now I have added another product!

I had run out of silver wire - and while waiting for the new shipment to arrive, I considered the stash of copper wire I had on hand....and it got me thinking...

Don't want to give too much away....so here is a sneak peek at a photo of them - and invite you to go and check out the progress on my website, and read the story behind my 2pence Earrings!

I am really liking my experiments with wire-wrapping - and have a lot of new things in the wings...almost ready for unveiling! And...when I do, there will be a give-away! So check back often...

Note on another subject....the "Use The Muse II" contest - there was an update, but no decision on winners as of yet....there were evidently a LOT of entries! But....soon as they post the winners, I'll let you know here - could it be with a prize attached??

And another...my cotton search! I have had a real hard time finding cotton to use in my new ideas (coming soon!) - but perseverance won out on the one hand - and on the other - I had to temporarily give in - but not for yarn from China...tiny victory there.

The Last of the "Lollies"

I have been way too busy - and have moved some of my craft things back into the house - the studio is just too hot to work in without AC. Hoping to find a window unit on sale after the 4th - I sure miss being out there with ALL my things around me!

But...I have been concentrating on a couple of new things. One...I am practicing my photography - and it is paying off. I am learning how to stage my jewelry, how to get a good picture, and interesting close-ups that show the detail. I am pleased with my progress - and hope to continue getting better.

I have also been working on 'thinking outside the box' - that is - my box. Trying to use materials and sizes I have not done before - and it has been fun! I have a small collection of pretty lucite beads - larger than I normally would think of using - and that was enough to decide I should use them! And, you know.....I liked my experiment! I love how they turned out, so wanted to share the last two in the series here before they go up on my shop at iCraft!

I called this collection "Lollies" because the colors and shapes of the beads reminded me instantly of lollipops that I used to get as a kid. The colors are fun and vibrant, and surprisingly lightweight for the size. They aren't huge - the beads average about 1" - but that is a departure for me, who uses more of the 4mm kind! I named the "Lollies" each after a fruit that the color suggested to me....so without further ado...

Here are the "Lemon-drop Lollies" earrings. They are framed by smaller crackle glass beads and are hanging on Sterling silver french earwires.

And now for the last of the series - since these weren't a 'color' at all, but were frosty white - they reminded me of ice! But I named them "Frosted Lolly Earrings" - and that seemed to be the completion of this series. It has been fun!

Here they are:

So....there you have it! A 'sneak peek' at the last of the series before they go to the shop! And if you'd like to own them before they go out there....just shoot me an email at

and I'll get right back to you with special 'one-time-only' pricing! The rest of the series can be viewed at my iCraft Shop - I would love it if you'd check them out and send me some feedback!!

All Sorts of Sparkle and Shine!

I got in some wonderful crafting time in my studio - thanks to a decision to 'just do it' and the cooperation of the weather being cool and breezy. The combination of the ceiling fan and the open window and door made the studio very comfortable. I put on my favorite Christian station, and pulled my chair up to the 'beading' section of my studio.

Right away I saw these neat tube beads, made from (I believe) buri nuts. The shape was really pleasing to me, as was the subtle lavender shade and translucent look. They looked like they were lit from within! I've had them for a while, but no ideas had come to mind for them....and I've learned to just let things be...until an idea simmers its way to the surface.

I had out a collection of silvery bead caps (just hadn't put them away yet...) and when I got them out and strung them with the buri beads...they looked to me just like tiny garden lanterns you might string outside to light a summer evening. Oh, yeah! I was liking this.

They were too small (even for me) on their own - so I looked around for just the right thing to finish them up.....and then I spied a small envelope...and inside were antiqued silvery connector links in the shape of flowers. Perfect! This fit so well with my idea of the little garden lanterns, I knew they would be just the thing for the earrings. So...on they went, and I just love the result!

I have a limited amount of both the nut beads and the flower connectors - so I thought I would show them off here, and let you in on a bargain too! They'll be here for just a few days....then they'll go to my shop, and the price will go up!


Here they are:

As always - any and all comments are welcome - let me know what you think!

More Wire-y Fun!

I was taking some time out in the studio - not so often now...there's no air out there, so I'm relegated to early morning, or evening (maybe). I did get some time in - and decided to just play and see what I came up with.

I was thinking of the Fruits of the Spirit - and thought they would be a nice basis for a pair of earrings....I took an oval wire shape (thanks Beadalon!), and began wrapping it with 24 gauge wire - then leaving a long-ish tail. I alternated directions of wrapping, so that every other one would naturally either go to the front or back. Once that was done, they looked very odd and spikey - but the wrapping I was pleased with.

Then I got out my precious box of Swarovski crystal bicone beads - all those sparkly colors! I began putting a different color on each spike, then making a spiral with the wire tail to give it interest, and keep the crystal on. I continued with each spike, turning them either to the front or back - and when I was done - I loved the oval shaped filled with swirls and bright bits of color - perfect!

The oval accomodated nine spikes - which just happens to be how many fruits of the spirit there are....and gave each color a corresponding fruit:

Love.................ruby
Joy..................clear/AB finish
Peace................sapphire
Longsuffering......emerald
Kindness.............purple
Goodness............copper
Faithfulness ........amythest
Gentleness..........antique rose
Self-control.........lilac

Somehow the colors just seemed to go with the names....at least to me! I attached them with two tiny Argentium jump rings to sterling silver french earwires.....just a lovely sight!!

Here is how they turned out.....and you're seeing them before they hit my iCraft store!!

Thought it appropriate to photograph them on a leaf...

A closer view....

And the reverse side....just as pretty as the front....I like that!

As always.....any feedback is much appreciated!!

As Promised.....More Earrings...

Finished up the green earrings - and they still don't appeal. Don't think it's the design though - I think I'm just not that fond of green! Or the combination of greens. Which makes me want to explore more green - find a way - combo -design that does appeal!

So...here they are - sans findings - didn't have a chance to get them attached - but wanted to get them out here...

Any thoughts out there? What could I do here?

Spring Earrings - Simple and Pretty!

I decided to try my hand at beading again - I have not touched my bead stash for a few months now - having detoured off in other directions - which I am still pursuing.

I wanted to make myself some simple and pretty earrings to celebrate spring (even if the weather just won't!). I had a dark blue pair of these, and decided to try them in different color combinations. They have a bit of a Native American flavor - maybe because of the fringe, or maybe the combination of bugle beads and seed beads - but I like it!

So here is the first combo - clear bugle beads, pale blue seed beads, and frosted blue dagger beads to finish the ends of the fringe. They are attached to sterling silver French earwires.

I'm half way done with a light/dark green combination - wanted them to be in one shade - light green, but didn't have any bugle beads in that color. May have to play around with the pattern and see what I come up with after I finish this pair.

OH! And if you're so inclined - and would like to purchase this pair - they can be yours for $10 plus $2 shipping. Just send me an email at tryshz at gmail dot com - replacing the words with appropriate symbols.

More to come...