Lots of Projects in the Works

Tags

Allegory Gallery, Ava Motherwell, Humblebeads, Nealay Patel, SilverSilk, Soft Flex, The Great Bead Extravaganza

I’m having fun with a bunch of jewelry and bead related things this weekend.

First off, my sister and her girlfriend sent me a box of fabulous goodies, each one better than the last. The first one I did something with was a sterling cuff bracelet circa 1989. It goes perfectly in a bracelet stack! It is the curvy one that has a design that looks like waves.

Last weekend I attended the online bead show The Great Bead Extravaganza. Seeing Nealay Patel‘s presentation with SilverSilk inspired me to get out some of my SilverSilk and make something.

This necklace uses the purple pearlesque SilverSilk (my photo doesn’t do the color justice) and dark rhodium ends. I also used Soft Flex beading wire and a Humblebeads leaf, two more small businesses that are part of The Great Bead Extravaganza (TGBE). The parts for this had been sitting on my beading table for a while as I tried to figure out how to construct my vision. It turned out a little different, but still good!

Allegory Gallery, also part of TGBE, recently added some fabulous multicolor vintage plastic beads to their shop. I could not resist. They reminded me of some black glass beads that fit together in a similar way that I used in a favorite necklace. I used them almost as soon as I got them. I loved how they all looked together, so I only added some tiny vintage German glass beads from Ava Motherwell as spacers to up the color quotient. I’m thrilled with it.

I was thinking I would make one more thing to add to this post, but I ran out of time and now the week is upon me, so I’m going to publish this post. I hope I get some creative time in the upcoming long weekend (and that you do too!)

Weekend Winding Down

Tags

Allegory Gallery, Jes MaHarry Jewelry

This is the third day of my three day weekend. I can tell how much more relaxed I am on Sunday when I’ve also had Friday off. It usually means I also get more studio time, which is relaxing as well. I made two necklaces today.

I love Lora Lunsford’s pendants. She has regular trunk shows at Allegory Gallery. I always try to show up (online) and get a piece or two. They are so reasonably priced and wonderful looks. Today I used a soldered citrine pendant.

I used a druzy above it that I also got from Allegory Gallery. It’s got a wonderful uneven top that you can’t see in the picture, but I love it and makes it a good match for the pendant. I added a variety of gemstones. Lovely, if I do say so myself!

When I was looking for stones to use in the above necklace, I came across a graduated strand of stones (moonstone?) and decided to use them in a necklace. I was looking at different pendants and even thought about just the stones themselves, but decided to use a small sterling piece. I had to take off the bigger stones at the front so that it fit right. I can use those in another design.

I think this might be a good layering necklace. I like the layered look in the Jes MaHarry ads. Get on her mailing list and follow her on Instagram. Lots of eye candy and inspiration there.

I have to do some chores and get ready for the week now, but it’s been fun to have some creative time.

New Work for Auction

Tags

Allegory Gallery, Artists for Animals Auction, Famous Vintage Bead Hoard Liquidation Destash, Green Girl Studios, Lora Lunsford, Madison Cat Project

I didn’t realize I hadn’t posted in a couple of weeks. I have been making, though. With the Artists for Animals Auction coming up, I generally think about that when going into my studio lately. I’ve made more new things than I thought, and I also have stock that I made before, so I’m pretty well set. I’ll show some of the things I’ve made just lately.

This lovely pendant is by Lora Lunsford. I love making necklaces with lots of colorful Czech glass.

I actually made these earrings eons ago but just with the large drop beads. I really like the long kidney wires but decided they needed a little something and wanted to wrap some tiny gemstones on the wire. Wire wrapping always seems a bit futzy to me, so it took me this long to do it! But it dressed them up nicely as suspected.

It’s always fun to have a horse bead or pendant for the horse lovers. This one is by Foxpaws with some jasper.

I’m very into rosary chain lately. I’ve always loved it but hate to make it. With access to some really nice stock from the Famous Vintage Bead Hoard Liquidation Destash, I can make pretty things easily! Here I’ve combined romantic pink and pearls with a Green Girl Studios captive heart pendant.

Today I used a paw print heart Allegory Gallery wooden pendant, perfect for the auction. I went to get a beaded bead from The Bead Goes On to use with it and I also saw some bamboo hexagon beads I’d gotten from there I had planned to use for a now forgotten project. I thought they’d look great all together, and I was right! A very lightweight and fun necklace.

I have more things squirreled away that I may or may not have shown on the blog. I hope you can take a peek at the Artists for Animals Auction when it is live November 1 – 7, 2021. A variety of artists post their handmade items (not just jewelry) and give all the proceeds to the animal charity of their choice. I donate mine to Madison Cat Project.

Today’s Creations

Tags

Allegory Gallery, Candie Cooper, Famous Vintage Bead Hoard Liquidation Destash, Miss Fickle Media, Stitch Whimsy Market, TierraCast

I went into the studio to tinker around a little and came out with two pieces. The first was easy. My mom gave me a beautiful link bracelet she did resin work with. Her wrist is smaller, so I thought I’d need to add more than just a clasp, but I chose a Miss Fickle Media hook that added enough length and looks great.

A while ago, I bought a TierraCast luna moth pendant along with a strand of coated jasper beads from Allegory Gallery. The pendant comes in different finishes; I chose copper. I decided they would look good together. I added a few copper accent beads, and some large hole pearls to cover the connection points. I made a fiber and chain tassel and used a filigree bead cap that I got as part of Candie Cooper‘s 25 Beads of Christmas last year, and added a few more pearls. I used a copper toggle to finish it off.

The clasp and the rosary chain in the tassel are from Famous Vintage Bead Hoard Liquidation Destash. The fibers are from a variety of places, including Stitch Whimsy Market.

The colors in this look like summer fading into fall which is what the weather is here right now. It’s beautiful outside, but it usually doesn’t last long. I’ll enjoy it while I can.

Ancient

Tags

Allegory Gallery, Andrew Thornton: Project Destash, Happy Fish Things, Jana Bliznakova

I have some pendants that look like cave paintings that I just love. They are by Jana Bližňáková of Happy Fish Things. They were sitting out near some chunky multi color tourmaline beads from Allegory Gallery. I thought they would look great together. They were sitting there for a while, and today was the day I decided to make the necklace.

Actually, last night I was super tired and couldn’t stay awake, so I was getting ready for bed at 7:30 PM. I wandered into my studio for a few minutes and thought I’d see if I could figure out what to put with the tourmaline. I decided on some rough black tourmaline chunks I got from Andrew Thornton: Project Destash many moons ago. I used some metal pewties, also from Allegory Gallery, for spacers. I tried a couple of different things as dangles from that third hole, but I didn’t really like any of them, so I decided just to leave it alone. I really like it the way it is.

Fairyland

Tags

Allegory Gallery, Famous Vintage Bead Hoard Liquidation Destash, Green Girl Studios

I love soft pink beads and clear aurora borealis crystals. They make me think of magical lands. So what better to go with pink opal beads I got from Allegory Gallery and vintage AB crystals (and some crystal rosary chain) I got from Famous Vintage Bead Hoard Liquidation Destash than a Green Girl Studios fairy in a leaf pendant. I always appreciate the Green Girl magical vibe.

The materials for this were so unassuming. I love how knotting beads on waxed linen can turn them into something magical.

This is my last day of vacation. I’m glad I got in a little studio time over the last few days.

Allegory Gallery Inspiration Kit

Tags

Allegory Gallery, Famous Vintage Bead Hoard Liquidation Destash, Green Girl Studios

Allegory Gallery puts together inspiration kits big and small. Some are for a challenge, some are just to help get your creativity flowing. Just recently, they put out a series of Halloween kits.

I’ve had one of their small kits on my bead table for a while. It is a colorful glass bead, a Green Girl Studios charm and some side drilled Czech glass beads. I added rosary chain. I love rosary chain and have been able to get quite a bit from Famous Vintage Bead Hoard Liquidation Destash.

The back of the Green Girl elephant charm says “Happy Memories”. I hope I make lots of happy memories while wearing this fun necklace. I really loved these Allegory Gallery inspiration kit materials, and they did not disappoint.

Creativity Returned

Tags

Allegory Gallery, Andrew Thornton: Project Destash, Ceramic Art Bead Market, Diane Hawkey, Famous Vintage Bead Hoard Liquidation Destash, Gaea, Saki Silver

I haven’t felt especially creative in a while, though I’ve done some things. Today I felt like coming up to my studio. I didn’t make the things I initially had in mind, but I am back to my old way of having materials I see inspire the pieces I make.

First, I was getting out some seed beads for a necklace I will still make in the future, and I saw a textured bronze frame pendant from Saki Silver. I thought of a couple different beads that would go well with the frame. I have another one, so maybe I will make one of the other ideas eventually. This time I decided to go with larimar, star cut amazonite and labradorite.

I alternated the larimar and amazonite with tiny labradorite chips in between. I hung a labradorite coin in the middle of the frame. I got a deal on the larimar from Famous Vintage Bead Hoard Liquidation Destash. I got the amazonite and labradorite from Allegory Gallery and/or Andrew Thornton: Project Destash.

Then I started to put away some beads that have been sitting out for quite a while – cherry red vintage lucite rounds. I love read beads, and I have been thinking lately that I need to use some of the art beads I’ve been hoarding. I knew if I looked through my Diane Hawkey stash, I would find a nice pendant with a red accent, and I did! (If you are looking for Diane Hawkey beads, she sells on the Ceramic Art Bead Market.) I used a Gaea off white bead above it, some large red/metallic seed beads, and gold colored pewties from Allegory Gallery. I hung some sparkly pyrite from the bottom of the pendant.

It felt good to be creative today. I feel like making another necklace too, but I think I really need to clean up my space a little bit. But first, lunch!

Stay safe and creative.

Summer

Tags

Allegory Gallery, Andrew Thornton, Famous Vintage Bead Hoard Liquidation Destash

I got mixed color Czech glass butterfly beads from the Famous Vintage Bead Hoard Liquidation Destash earlier this year. Not long after, I saw that Allegory Gallery had some beautiful table cut Czech glass flowers and lady bugs in stock. I decided to make a summer necklace.

I also had some Czech glass tulips from Allegory Gallery, used some clear glass squares from the vintage bead hoard and a few leaves and other flowers from my stash. I thought about making it a double strand necklace but decided to make the strands separate so they would be more versatile. One is a long strand and the other is a shorter strand with a lucky clover pendant by Andrew Thornton. I knew I’d have something perfect in my stash. I actually had a bird pendant Andrew made that I thought was a better color match, but I was really feeling the joy of the lucky clover today, so I used that.

These were fun to make. I love all the pretty reminders of the good parts of summer. I hope there are good things in your day today!

Sunday Necklaces – Part 2

Tags

Allegory Gallery, Andrew Thornton, Vintaj, Vintaj VIP kit

I made two more necklaces yesterday. It was such a productive day! The first one was in response to a challenge from Andrew Thornton, as I explained in my last post. The parameters included using blue, the number six (however we interpreted that) and a natural material. I sketched out a design that ended up having nothing to do with the necklace I ultimately made. Typical!

I got out my box of blue beads and saw these large, organic shaped blue beads. I’ve always loved their grungy look and soft blue color. They are weird in that they are a large hole bead on one side but have a regular sized hole on the other size. I wonder why. I used six of those. I took out a box of natural materials – shell and bone. I chose these carved bone beads. I spied some mixed leftover small African glass beads and a bag of bayong wood beads I got from Allegory Gallery. I really like how it turned out! I didn’t notice until after I’d strung most of it that one of the carved designs on the bone beads is actually a face. One of those is strung upside down. Oh well!

This filigree and “love” charm in the necklace above are from my May Vintaj VIP kit. The kits come with a great inspiration card showing projects made with the materials. There was a necklace showing this large filigree folded over and painted with patina. I loved that idea, so I used it! I added different dangles – the “love” charm from the kit and two vitrail Swarovski crystals from my stash. The chain is from a repurposed necklace I got in a box of goodies from another artist, and I just love it. Each link is three interlocking oval jump rings. I’ll have to find more like this. It’s just delicate enough. I finished it off with a vintage box clasp. I never would have thought to use the filigree this way. I’m so pleased.