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!)

SilverSilk: Northern Lights

Tags

Nealay Patel, SilverSilk, The Great Bead Extravaganza

I had heard of SilverSilk but did not know much about it. After attending The Great Bead Extravaganza, where owner and designer Nealay Patel was a presenter, I started following. I couldn’t resist the kit called Northern Lights. That had to be beautiful, right? And it was. I should have taken a picture of it, but you can see the kit and the beautiful designs Nealay made in his video. I made my first SilverSilk piece based on his lariat style necklace design.

One of the things I like about SilverSilk is it gives a way to wear really pretty or special beads that you want to highlight in a different way than using regular chain (although I often like that as well.) I think it is a lovely design element similar to a beaded rope, which I don’t have the skills for. This style of SilverSilk is called pearlesque. It is knitted rainbow tinsel over ball chain. Then thin wire is knitted in a tube over that. It is very lightweight and supple and comes in various colors. This teal is a limited edition. I was a little nervous to crimp it, but the custom crimps work like a dream and don’t require any glue. I read Nealay’s article with tips and tricks to make sure I had no snags!

Almost everything here is from the kit. Two beads I added are the clear crystal drops. Years ago, before she passed away, my friend Edith gave me some of her jewelry. Those crystal drops are from a pair of earrings. I can’t wear earrings, so I wanted to incorporate them into another piece. This was the perfect chance. I’m so happy I found a special design to use those in. Thanks Nealay and SilverSilk!

If you would like to learn more about SilverSilk, you can check out the links I’ve provided (they are to the shop, the Facebook page and the YouTube channel.) You can also attend the next Great Bead Extravaganza by joining the Facebook group. It is coming up March 19 – 21, 2021. You can watch presenters live or re-watch later if you can’t make it live.