Vacation Jewelry

Tags

Brooklyn Flea, Contents Jewelry, Free Art Friday, JeraLunaDesigns, Vintaj, WoolyWire

This post is going up while I am on vacation in New York visiting my sister and her girlfriend.  I’ve been looking forward to this trip.  I go every year, but this year I’m going a bit earlier than usual and that allows me to do things like go to the Brooklyn Flea Market, which is usually closed by the time I get there.

I had decided it would be fun to make something for Free Art Friday and drop it in New York.  I made some earrings.  Someone in Bushwick will get and enjoy these, I hope!

I also was thinking about what jewelry to take with me.  I like to travel light, but I like to wear jewelry every day.  I decided to make a simple necklace that would go with anything that I could wear while I was there.  Problem solved!

I’ve seen this style of necklace many times, and it is deceptively simple looking.  The pieces kept blocking each other and not hanging right.  I think I’ve got a good combination now, but I have greatly renewed respect for people who excel at this style.  I used a leaf by Contents Jewelry, a lovely rustic bead by JeraLunaDesigns (with a Vintaj bead cap) and a little WoolyWire drop.  I’m pretty in love with WoolyWire, and if I have any vacation money left when I get home, I think it will be going to the WoolyWire store because this used up most of my dwindling stock.

I dream of finding some great beading stuff at the flea market, but I know that doesn’t always happen.  If not, I can take solace in the food carts!  By the time I get home, it won’t quite officially be fall (that is September 22nd) but for many of us, post-Labor Day seems like the start of the season.  I had a wonderful summer; I hope you did too!

Bead Fest Pity Party – Class of One

Tags

Bead Fest Pity Party, Contents Jewelry, Heather Powers. Susan Lenart Kazmer, Humblebeads, Industrial Chic, leather infinity link tutorial, Tracy Statler, WoolyWire

Welcome to day 3 of the Bead Fest Pity Party!  Today’s theme is Class of One. We pull out our beading books and other resources, try something new, and share.

The thing I collect and then neglect is tutorials.  I see something I want to try, buy or mark the tutorial, and then it sits because I am a chicken.  But I have to get over the idea that what I try needs to work out perfectly the first time. The artist teaching the tutorial has a lot of experience doing that technique and using those materials.  I need to be patient enough to practice.

First up, I tried a tutorial by Tracy Statler that I bought a while ago to make leather infinity links.  These links are the coolest.  They are so versatile depending on what leather you use, what bead (or beads) you use and what you use the link for – a charm holder, a link in a bracelet or a focal.  So, of course I want to learn how to make this wonderfully versatile item.  Here is my first try.

My technique with this infinity link needs a lot of improvement, but I feel good that I’ve tried it for the first time because subsequent times will get better.  I learned some valuable lessons making this one that will help future efforts. Getting started is always the hardest part for me, so this was a great first step.

I also mark many projects I want to try, then kind of go around haphazardly collecting some of the materials and never really getting around to completing the item.  So today I decided to pick a project I’ve claimed more than once I would make, pick out stuff for it, and make it.  I chose the Pod Collage Necklace by Ali on Lima Beads.  I really like a lot of her designs, so it was fun to finally try one.

It varies quite a bit from Ali’s version (no pods!) but I loved the idea of putting a bunch of fun stuff together.  I especially like the WoolyWire wrapped around a channel bead, so I did add that.  I also used a seed bead enameled washer component by Contents Jewelry and an Industrial Chic component by Susan Lenart Kazmer available at Michael’s.

I had fun in my Class of One.  Have you tried something new lately?  Check out Humblebeads last several blog posts to see what our host, Heather Powers, has been up to and see who is having a sale this weekend.  Thanks for joining me.

Earrings, Earrings, Earrings

Tags

Art Jewelry Elements, Contents Jewelry, CSA, Free Art Friday, Genea, Little Free Libraries, wing dings

Art Jewelry Elements issued an earring challenge at the beginning of this year.  People could join for the whole year, one quarter or somewhere in between to make and post earrings each week.  The idea was to help jumpstart creativity. 

I often have lots of ideas swirling in my head that never come to fruition.  I did not join the challenge (I could never keep up).  However, upon reading the post for this week, I was moved to make a pair of earrings. 

I had been working on making a pair of earrings using some of the lovely wing ding beads I got from Genea.  She makes all sorts of beautiful beads, but I find the whimsy of the wing dings particularly charming. 

I added a little bundle of multi-color teardrop beads, some silver daisy spacers and a pretty blue glass bead left over from another project.  I’m pleased with this pair.  They are for me!

I made another pair of earrings for Free Art Friday – Wisconsin.  Free Art Friday is a movement of artists who create art and leave it somewhere in public for someone to find and keep.  There are chapters in various states and countries.  I found out about it through the posts of participant Angela Gruenke of Contents Jewelry.  What a great concept.  I love public art, generosity, and (good) surprises.  It benefits the artists because it feels good to give, but they also get in a little advertising, although I realize that is not the main point.  I don’t sell anything, but I thought this would be fun.  I love free public stuff, like Little Free Libraries. 

Based on the title of this post, I should have a third pair of earrings, but no.  I got my first box of veggies from my CSA this week, so I have to get cooking.

Thanks for reading!

June ABS Challenge

Tags

Art Bead Scene Blog, Contents Jewelry, Elements Pottery, Jubilee, WoolyWire

The Art Bead Scene challenge asks participants to make something inspired by a painting and using an art bead.  This month the inspiration is “Jackknife Village” by Franklin Carmichael.

This art is copyrighted and is only used to show inspiration.

The first beads that came to mind when I saw the painting were some off-white raku rectangles with a crackle finish.  I had been lusting after these beads by Duane Collins of Elements Pottery on my etsy favorites list.  It wasn’t too hard to twist my own arm to buy them so I could use them for the challenge!  They remind me of the houses in the painting, which I imagine to have cracked and peeling paint.

I kept concocting designs in my mind with elaborate construction challenges.  For years I’ve been stringing beads, but beyond using a crimping tool, I had barely so much as wire wrapped a bead until recently.  So my fantasy of a leather and linen faux dual strand necklace with blue beads that moved like water was, well, less than realistic for me at this time.  Sounds fancy, though, right?

I did use one of the blue beads I had in mind that seemed to have the exact variegated colors of the water.  As I worked on the piece, I liked how it came together.  Simpler than I had planned, but asymmetrically pleasing with added shapes in other colors that jump out of the painting – muted yellow and orange.  After I had decided on the beads to use, I wanted more texture in the piece overall and more weight beside the orange bead to balance things out, so I used a little wrap of WoolyWire, which I had in a blue and orange color scheme.  I find a little piece of WoolyWire makes lots of things nicer.

I also like a dangle, and wanted a richer yellow color, so I added a drop made with bird and perch beads by Jubilee.  I finished the necklace off with a large and lovely hook clasp by Contents Jewelry and some orange waxed linen.

I think it’s a fun, casual summer necklace.  I wore it today, and it felt and looked great.  I enjoy challenging my skills by making something inspired by a painting.  I hope to continue to grow and improve.

Thanks for reading!