52 Weeks - Week 10

Patty and Bella

I made these as demonstrations while teaching class, so I didn't take the time to make sure they're exactly the same... I'm trying to teach the perfectionist in me to lighten up!

I used 20g copper wire, sterling and gold filled accent beads, and Czech glass beads. 

Anybody wear copper earwires? I think it may turn my ears black, but it's supposed to be good for arthritis.

52 Weeks of Earrings - Week # 9

I have an issue with mixing gold filled with plated wire and beads, but since these are just for me... Guess I'll see how they hold up, and if the colors change over time.

The pale champagne colored glass beads are about an inch long and have an AB coating. I used purple rondelles,  gold filled earwires, and gold colored spacer beads to make the earrings. The wire is gold craft wire, and the small round beads are gold filled.

I had a hard time taking their picture, cause every time I bumped the table, they started swinging, and I had to wait for them to be still.  I'm going to get better at photographing jewelry by the end of the year!

I'm naming them Anicka, which means "pure" in Czech. (according to babyology.com) because every ingredient is purely what it is.

52 Weeks of Earrings, #8

I wanted to make some earrings with paper, so I printed out a sheet of cardstock with a photo of some Paste Paper (made by Tina McChrie from when I used to work at Oskadusa). I cut out fan shapes, and punched a tiny hole in the top. Then I used one of those glazes to give it a shiny topcoat. I think I need more practice with that, because I made a big mess! I think I used too much, because it made the paper curl. I made 3 sets, and these turned out the best, but the glaze is not even close to smooth.

So, anyway, I colored the back and sides with a gold paint pen. Then I assembled the earrings with copper and brass wire, brass coil dangly things, Swarovski crystals, bronze, sterling, and gold filled beads, and gold filled earwires.

They're very light, and I like the basic design, but I'll try the paper/glaze thing again.

I'm naming them Ming-Ling, it means "shining bell" in Chinese.

The Great Unknown: Worth vs. Value and a Can of Alien Worms

The Great Unknown: Worth vs. Value and a Can of Alien Worms

Wow - couldn't have said it better. "I do not want to live my life by everyone elses comparisons."

52 Weeks of Earrings - Week # 7

This week's earrings are made with Thai beetle wing covers, and vermeil filigrees from Bali. I also used gold filled wire and earwires, plus Swarovski crystals. The wing covers are collected after the beetle has died of natural causes.  I'm naming the earrings "Chakri", after a Thai princess.

52 Weeks of Earrings - Week #6

I made these at work last week to try out the new filigree metal components that we got in. They're very lightweight, so are great for earrings. You can stack them, and bead on them, and fold them, for all kinds of effects. We have about a dozen shapes in Antique Copper.

I think I'll call the earrings Lacy and Lucy. 

I love the dancing girlie earring holders, too.

PS - I took the photo with my new iPhone.

Beads I can't use...

Here is a sampling of the drops and Briolettes that I have. The top two are Amethyst, next are the Alexandrite colored drops that I used in the Beth Earrings in the previous post, and on the bottom are some pink (possibly Cubic Zirconia?) drops.

52 Weeks of Earrings

I named these earrings "Beth", because they should only be worn by royalty, and my niece is definitely a princess! They're made with Alexandrite colored faceted drops. (I think they're glass as they weren't marked, and they weren't expensive.) They're a beautiful lavender color in the right light.  The cones, wire, and earwires are all sterling.

52 Weeks of Earrings - Lisette

Two pair of Lisette Earrings - I made them a round smaller than my first few pair, and they whip up really fast. It only took me about an hour to make a pair. Ingredients - Delica beads, 15ºs, sterling chain and earwires, Swarovski Marguerites, and CZ Dagger beads. I think I'll put together some kits!

Antique Steel Cut Beads

Today I wanted to show some of my Antique Steel Cut beads. These are all from France, Circa 1900. The silver-colored ones are marked P3 on the back of the little tag, the black ones P4. I paid 6 and 7 dollars each for the little 2" hanklets about 1990. I bought the "gilt" ones (hard to see inside the baggie, I know, but it's stapled shut, and  wanted to preserve the pricing and packaging info) about 2001 for 20 dollars. I've seen similar beads recently on eBay for around 35 or 40 dollars. 

Most of these beads are TINY! I have a size 16 needle, and some 000 Nymo, and I have used some of these beads in different projects.  I love the heaviness and sparkle of these beads, and how small they are.

52 Earrings

I call these earrings "Angie", because of all the angles. They're made with gold filled 20 gauge wire, gold filled 2mm beads, and 4 and 6mm Swarovski crystals. I'll be teaching them at Beads'N More.

Gabriella Earrings

I used vintage West German  round drops along with vintage Swarovski dangles and beads in Vitrial Medium, plus Gold-filled 20 gauge wire, oval jump rings, and French earwires.  The hardest part was making the 2 wire armatures match.

I wanted them to be mirror image - but they turned out to be "folded" the same way - left to right. I thought I could turn one over, but no, it's one of those magic items that is the same on both sides. Oh well, no one will be able to tell when I'm wearing them! 

They remind me of Flamenco dancers, so I named them "Gabriella".

Beads that I can't use...

I've had this bead for maybe 20 years, and it was old when I got it. I was told it's a Russian Blue bead. It's made of cobalt glass.


I love the stories behind beads, I think it adds to their value. I have a cigar box full of receipts and cards that I got when I bought some of my more special beads, but they aren't with the beads, and some of them just have the date and cost, but no artist/vendor name or description. And here I thought I was documenting my collection by saving all the receipts!


I'm hoping to find out more about some of the beads I have. If you have more information about any of my beads will you please correct or add to my knowledge?

Beads that I can't use...

I have a small collection of Bat beads. Bats are good luck! This one is made of carved bone.

Beads that I can't use...

This is a Fairy Berry borosilicate glass pendant by Gail Crosman Moore. The first pic is without flash, second with flash (and a dime to show size).

I had an idea....

(Well, really I have them all the time.) But I was thinking about blogging and discipline, and thought that I'd try this - Mondays I'll post about patterns/classes/kits, Wednesdays I'll post the weekly Earrings, and Fridays I'll post a pic and descriptions about a bead or two in my humongous collection of "beads I can't use because then I won't have them any more" collection. Of course, I'm still allowed to post between times and about other things, too.

Maybe this will help/inspire/discipline me do several things: give my blog a structure, inspire me to bead, catalog my vast bead collection. Now to come up with clever titles....

Weekly Earrings

Here is the first pair of earrings....
"Olivia" are Comanche style earrings, about 4 inches long. They are made with vintage Czech 3-cut light amethyst colored seed beads, vintage Czech color-lined 8º seed beads, Czech and Japanese 11º seed beads, Japanese twisted bugles, real (lab grown) emeralds, Czech baby dagger drops, and Purple Velvet AB2x Swarovski crystals. I put them on gold-filled French earwires. Took about 3 hours to make.

Birthday Beadwork Commitment

Starting on my birthday (Feb 3), I will create one pair of earrings per week, and post it online. Earrings are due on Wednesdays, since my b-day is on Wednesday this year. Best of luck to me! :)

Happy New Year!

Resolutions:

Clear out that which is no longer useful or joyful
Get healthier
Bead more

Ahh! I Love being lazy! I'm still in bed. I've been awake since 6:30, but I'm still snuggled under the covers with my Mac Book Pro on my tummy. I've actually done some "real" work, along with catching up on House and Firefly on Hulu.com, and playing Kingory. (Like building cities and getting rewards, don't like marauding or conquering.) But I guess it's time to get up, get dressed, and get breakfast, and then go write the instructions for tomorrow's class. And maybe make a few Christmas Presents... I wish me luck!