#Makeover Monday – Gummy Fish

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#makeovermonday, Allegory Gallery, Andrew Thornton, William Jones

In my past, I often had good ideas that I wasn’t able to execute as well as I would have liked.  I didn’t have a lot of design knowledge, but mostly I didn’t know where to get the best beads (or even what they were.) There are pieces from that time that I don’t wear (and didn’t wear much then) but that I didn’t take apart because I really loved the idea of them. One such necklace is the gummy fish necklace. 

That is the necklace there on the right made many, many years ago – like maybe 15 or 20. I have no idea where I got the Czech glass fish; I didn’t even know the term Czech glass at that time. I’m not surprised I bought them; I like beads that look like candy. Also, I can see that I often loved just the strand of beads as it was, as I still do, and tried to change it as little as possible. Back in the day, that usually involved just separating things with seed beads. That can look a little skimpy, as with these larger fish beads. My designs are still often simple, which I like, but they are more balanced and pleasing.

When I got the chance to get these gorgeous vintage Czech glass light blue rondelles from Andrew Thornton of Allegory Gallery on his destash page, I jumped at it. I just love the shape and, like my previous set of blue rondelles, I loved that it was a long strand. I know I mention Andrew and William and their shop and the destash often, but I’m so thrilled with the variety and quality of beads I can get. When I saw these and thought what to do with them, my gummy fish necklace came to mind. I could finally make it something I would like to wear.  

It’s not really that different. It just has a bit more heft and a quality, finished look. It is true to the original concept – my lovely gummy fish swimming through a bead sea of blue water. I’m so thrilled with the makeover and can’t wait to wear it.

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Allegory Gallery Design Challenge Reveal – Kaleidoscope

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Allegory Gallery Design Challenge, Andrew Thornton, David Christensen, Green Girl Studios, Kaleidoscope, Ragged Robyn, William Jones

Today is the reveal for the Allegory Gallery Design Challenge – Kaleidoscope edition.  This kit is gorgeous and rich with materials.  Here are the pictures.Here are some of the bigger beads in the kit, a couple tubes of seed beads, handmade beads, a gorgeous multi-color strand of chip beads and some colored floss.

Here is a close up of the pendant, handmade by Andrew.  Below is the luxury bead blend. 

I first wanted to use some of the handmade components, including the pendant Andrew made. I’m assuming he also made the two kaleidoscope looking polymer beads. I love all three of these beads. They are so rich in color and pattern. I used two together in my first necklace. 

For the pendant, in addition to those two polymer beads, I used a tiny ceramic bead in the same colorway by Ragged Robyn and the carved rose colored bead from the kit.

I have been collecting furnace glass (a.k.a. art glass, a.k.a cane glass) for a while to make a necklace, and I thought this could be the necklace to do it. Each piece of glass is like a little kaleidoscope. There were also a few pieces of furnace glass in the kit’s luxury bead blend.  

I’ve already decided to restring this!  I want to add seed beads in the rose color to make the piece more cohesive and give the space between the furnace glass beads a little more heft.  I just haven’t had time to do it yet.

Next I started a necklace using the green kaleidoscope-esque bead from the kit. This went through a variety of iterations. I had planned to include a tassel, but in the end I separated those ideas. In looking for more beads to use in the necklace, I came across a set of green hollow lampwork beads I got in a destash.  I’m sorry; I don’t know the artist. I combined those with the clear beads and some of the larger seed beads from the kit. I like how this picture shows the AB effect on some of the clear beads. Very kaleidsocope-y.  

I love the chunky fabulousness of this necklace.  This piece seems the most kaleidoscope-y to me. I was actually looking through a kaleidoscope the other day, and what I saw wasn’t a bunch of different colors but a bunch of the same thing, each one slightly different, all clustered together.  That’s what I see in this necklace. I finished it with a Green Girl Studios swirl hook.

Lastly, I made a bracelet. As I had the furnace glass out, I used a large rainbow piece by David Christensen.  I added a clear plastic bicone bead from the kit, one strand of chip beads from the kit, a strand of various beads from the luxury blend and a strand of my own mauve seed beads with some of the kit large seed beads. 

I enjoyed this kit very much. This challenge is also a competition!  See what others have made by visiting the Allegory Gallery Design Challenge Facebook page. Thank you Andrew and William!

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Mixed Materials Love

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Allegory Gallery, Allegory Gallery Design Challenges, Andrew Thornton, Art beads, The Bead Chest, William Jones

I get some of my best beads from artist Andrew Thornton – his destashes, the shop he owns with William Jones, Allegory Gallery, and the kits he puts together for Allegory Gallery Design Challenges.  Recently I got a strand of paper beads as a prize, and I love them.  I had multiple ideas for them right away.  (They have some similar beads in their etsy store right now.)

Andrew made the polymer faux Moroccan amber beads for a challenge kit. I took apart the necklace I originally made that didn’t do them justice, and I’ve been saving them for something special.  I got some cool, chunky wooden chain from a destash that I knew would find just the right project someday.

After auditioning different metal spacers, I decided to use some I just recently got at Bead & Button.  I added in an enamel Berber bicone bead from The Bead Chest and a large swivel clasp.  I really love how it turned out. It’s a fun mix of materials – paper, polymer clay, metal, wood. Some of these materials have been waiting for the perfect project and some new beads came in handy right away.  I’m already picturing what I will wear it with.

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Allegory Gallery Design Challenge – Midsummer Edition

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Allegory Gallery Design Challenge, Andrew Thornton, Gaea Handmade, Green Girl Studios, Midsummer Mystery Challenge, Trinket Foundry, William Jones

Today is the reveal for the Allegory Gallery Design Challenge – Midsummer edition.I love even the picture above of the kit. Such beautiful colors! The theme is lovely – Summer Solstice and Faerie folklore.  Also, just from my own midwestern perspective, midsummer is a time when we can count on it being consistently warm and there is still time before the snow flies. OF COURSE, I forgot to take a picture of the kit, but I will point out what I used, so you can get an idea.

First I used a strand of rock crystal quartz beads, purple seed beads, purple waxed linen, pink and purple crystals and a lucite flower from the kit.  I added a copper and resin art pendant and copper clasp from Gaea Handmade. I hope you agree I’ve achieved the funky and romantic look I was going for.

Next I made a bracelet. I was looking for something else and found this little length of plastic chain. I thought it would be great with some of the larger plastic beads from the kit.  I threw in a tin bead from Trinket Foundry and made dangles with kit beads. Cute and chunky.

I had another design in mind for the necklace with Andrew’s handmade component – multi-strand with smaller beads and some fiber. I was going to put one larger amethyst above the pendant. When I got out this strand of matte amethyst slabs, it was clear they were the necklace. I used a pretty Green Girl Studios clasp.

I branched out a little more than usual, pulling in more things from my stash. I had a great time! Please visit the Allegory Gallery Design Challenge Facebook page to see what others have made.  Thanks to Andrew and William for another beautiful kit and fun challenge!

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Bead & Button Fun #1

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Allegory Gallery, Andrew Thornton, Bead & Button Show, Dakota Stones, MAKU Studio, Trinket Foundry, Vintaj, William Jones

I went to the Bead & Button Show on Friday for the first time in five years. I had such a good time!  I got to meet some online friends, which was very fun.  I bought lots of great stuff.  I’m already scheming my plots and plans for next year, but I know that is folly because I had a big plan for buying this year, and I didn’t really follow it.  But I’m super happy with everything I bought (and I only forgot to get one thing I meant to get!) and I did realize something that affected my shopping.

I generally cannot deal with a ton of strands. I can buy from a booth with lots of strands, like Dakota Stones. But a ton of strands all laid out on top of one another just makes it impossible for me to focus. Throw in a big 75% off sign that will force me to calculate a price in my head, and it turns a good deal into a deal breaker. So my plan to focus on gemstone strands crashed and burned. Speaking of Dakota stones, they had a new cut, called star cut, that I really liked. I thought about getting a few strands of this cut in some favorite stones. But then I saw a collar strand of rough cut labradorite beads. I’ve admired strands like this over the years in the Dakota Stones booth at various shows. I decided to treat myself to one great strand! It’s so beautiful.I also got a strand of pyrite nuggets. I always love these.

I got some fabulous new things from a couple of favorite shops.  First, Allegory Gallery. I got to meet proprietors Andrew Thornton and William Jones in person! That was so nice after participating in their design challenges, reading club and destashes over the years.  They are just as nice in person as they are online!  I picked up some lovelies from the shop.

They had these great fiber cards each with four different kinds of fiber.  I love them!  I really wanted them all, but this is the one I picked.  I can’t wait to incorporate these fibers into my designs.  I’m hoping these fiber cards mights show up in the etsy shop. I also got multiple strands of these beautiful soft yellow vintage plastic beads.  I have a couple, and they are a favorite. I’d like to make a whole necklace featuring these. I love yellow. 

I also got a couple of Andrew’s pendants. I love the meaningful sayings he has been putting on pendants lately. Also, I never met an Andrew Thornton bronze pendant I didn’t love.  In addition, Andrew and William gifted me with this charming podling ornament. 

This magical creature was handmade by Andrew. It’s full of good vibes it will be spreading while hanging in my studio.

Andrew and William shared a booth with their family who own Green Girl Studios. I was hoping to be able to get a couple of their new designs, and I did.

The hands and house are new. Some of the new Green Girl beads are available in Allegory Gallery’s esty shop. If I could still wear earrings, I would totally make the hands into earrings. Even though I won’t use them that way, I bought two so I could have my bead and use it too.  I also bought this gorgeous bangle.  In fact, I was on a bit of a bangle binge.  Here is the stack that ended up on my wrist on the ride home.  LOVE!

In addition to the Green Girl bracelet, there are three glass bangles made from wine bottles from Trinket Foundry and a hand patinaed cuff from Vintaj. I had seen the Vintaj cuffs on their Facebook page just before the show and had fallen in love.

For a while I have wanted a bird from MAKU Studio.  I thought I would check out her supply at the show, and if one seemed right I would get it. This one spoke to me right away. And this little heart wanted to come home with me too.

I got some more things, but I will save those for another post.  I hope you enjoyed this show and tell.

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Allegory Galley Queen of Hearts Design Challenge Reveal

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Allegory Gallery Design Challenge, Andrew Thornton, Beady Girl Beads, Darn Good Beads of the Month, Joan Miller Porcelain, Queen of Hearts, William Jones

Yesterday was the reveal for the Allegory Gallery Queen of Hearts Mystery Challenge.  Andrew Thornton and William Jones of Allegory Gallery host these fun challenges. I completely forgot to post, but here I am now. Artist Andrew Thornton curates a kit based on a theme, and participants make things with the kit materials (another other things if they choose.)

Andrew also includes a handmade Mystery Component, although lately we’ve been having a lot of fun with mystery kits where everything is a mystery until we receive it! The handmade component this time is such gorgeous colors and design.

Around the same time I received the Queen of Hearts kit, I also received my first Darn Good Beads of the Month kit that was a tassel necklace.  I didn’t make it into a necklace thinking that the tassel colors would be great to go with the Queen of Heart kits, and I was right!

I love the romantic, bohemian look of this. I used a gorgeous multicolored faceted bead, some of the bright seed beads and the strand of pink nuggets and a couple of beads at the back. From my own stash, in addition to the tassel, I used a few amethyst nuggets, a couple of silver spacers and a gunmetal clasp that goes with the gunmetal chain that is part of the tassel.

Next I used the Mystery Component because it’s so pretty! I put two Beady Girl Beads above the pendant and strung it with some pretty faceted garnet (one of my favorite stones) and green tourmaline. There was a tiny star in the kit, and I used it as a dangle from the chain extender. I used two bright red kit beads at the back as a nod to the tiny red heart on the pendant’s crown.

I had these fantastic heart cubes from Joan Miller Porcelain. I used the purple waxed linen and beads from the kit to make a choker attached to a jump ring.  I attached some pink chain from My Elements to the bottom of the jump ring and added the Joan Miller beads. I used some red, pink and purple jump rings for a little interest under the cubes. This necklace is very fun!

Visit the Allegory Gallery Design Challenge Facebook page to see what others made!  Thanks to Andrew and William for sponsoring these fun challenges.

Allegory Gallery Mystery Challenge 3 Reveal

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Allegory Gallery Design Challenges, Andrew Thornton, Miss Fickle Media, Mystery Challenge 3, William Jones, WoolyWire

Today is the reveal for the Allegory Gallery Design Challege – Mystery Challenge 3 edition.  People really seem to like the mystery challenge kits where we don’t see any of the components prior to getting them.  In other Allegory Gallery Design Challenges, only the Mystery Component that is hand made by Andrew Thornton is a surprise.  Well this kit came as a complete surprise to me. Judging by the photo above, I thought it was going to be all neutrals – taupe, cream and beige.  I did not pick up on the color of the lettering.  The kit actually consists of soft pinks, peaches and greens.  Love!  Just gorgeous.

My first piece is a necklace using the Mystery Component that Andrew made – a gorgeous bird pendant.

Materials I used from the kit include the pendant, the two green saucers above it, a few of the pearly seed beads and the waxed linen.

I made another necklace based on a sketch I had made to use some “flag” beads I have in a necklace unrelated to this kit.  It wasn’t quite working, so I thought why not try a version of it with some of the kit beads.

I used a sea glass pendant made by Andrew Thornton and his sister Sheila.  I’m in love with it. Above it, I put three chip beads from the kit and two serpentine rounds.  Then I used the flag beads and green beads from my stash along with pink rice beads and pearly seed beads from the kit.  I finished it off with some chain bits because I’m enthralled with chain bits.  This picture was difficult due to the shine on the flags. Also, we’ll see how long this necklace lasts because the flags flap and there doesn’t have to be any wind.  It may or may not bother me enough to take it apart.  But I like how it looks.  I love the look of bunting flags, and hope I got a bit of that here.

Next I wanted to use those gorgeous, lightweight pink barrels from the kit.  I had gotten some of my serpentine out to see if it went with anything, and these twisted barrels were perfect.

In addition to the pink barrels from the kit, I used a flower pendant by Andrew Thornton, a few Czech cathedral beads, and the serpentine with some tiny bright green colored pyrite between them. These are all I had of this color of cathedral bead.  It’s gratifying when a small number of beads is just what I have and just what I need! I love the slight asymmetry.

Then I focused on earrings.  When getting the pendant above out of my Andrew Thornton box (I group art beads for storage by artist) I saw a pair of his polymer roman glass pieces in a perfect color for the kit.

All the other beads in these earrings, along with the waxed linen, are from the kit. I think these earrings are so cute!

Then I moved on to some fabulous faux strawberry quartz dangles from the kit. (I don’t know if they were trying to be faux, but that’s what these plastic pieces looked like to me.)

All the beads in these earrings are from the kit.  I even got to use some of the sequins!  I’m always thrilled when I get to do that.  And then I loved these so much I used more of the “strawberry quartz” drops in another pair.

All the beads from these earrings are also from the kit.  Next I wanted to use one of the big, faceted pink plastic rectangles.  I originally thought of earrings, but even though they are light, they are kind of big. I regularly look at Pinterest for inspiration, and saw these fab bracelets by Shannon of Miss Fickle Media. She has a whole bunch in her shop, along with components that are some of my favorites. I had an open bracelet bar by her and decided to try to use it.  My bracelet isn’t perfect, but I love it anyway. It’s very much my style.

All the beads are from the kit, and I added some WoolyWire on the bottom.  I didn’t want to use it all the way around because the bracelet bar itself is so beautiful.

There were lots of beautiful rounds in the kit. I also had a bunch of fun large glass pearls, faceted plastic and large “sugar” beads I had been trying to use together in a piece. This kit brought them all together!I used about half a dozen green and pink round from the kit along with the other beads, some bead caps and waxed linen for this fun necklace.

This was another super fun and inspiring kit!  Thanks to Andrew and William for this challenge!  Please visit the Allegory Gallery Design Challenge Facebook page to see what other participants made.

 

Inspired by Reading – The Silver Witch by Paula Brackston

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Allegory Gallery, Andrew Thornton, Grubbi, Inspired by Reading Book Club, Nunn Design, Paula Brackston, The Silver Witch, William Jones

I have two reveals today!  To see the reveal for the Allegory Gallery Design Challenge – Storm Cloud, click here.

Today is the reveal for the Inspired by Reading Book Club featuring the book The Silver Witch by Paula Brackston.  I really enjoyed this book, although it took me over 100 pages to get into it, and it wasn’t a long book!  I don’t know why. Perhaps because so much of the beginning of the book was the main character in her head.  I live so much in my own head, maybe I like books with characters who get outside themselves more for a change.  I’m not sure.  Anyway, as I’ve said before, this is the great thing about book club. I persevered because of book club and enjoyed a book I otherwise would have abandoned.

This book is about Tilda Fordwells, her experiences and what she learns about herself as she starts a new life in a remote cabin in Wales a year after her husband’s death. I really enjoy books about women taking control of their lives and also like magical realism, so this was just my sort of book.

I had recently gotten this hare by Grubbi, so it was just perfect since a hare features in the story.  I wanted to include something in beautiful gold as a nod to the torc.  I had larger things in mind, but settled on this one bead with a fancy design on it.  I have a couple of large gold seed beads and a gold Nunn Design toggle as well.  I had some lovely matching rounds also from Grubbi that I thought about using, but I couldn’t stop thinking about these vintage German glass beads.  They always remind me of snow, also something that has a role in the story.  I separated the glass with tiny stones. Although they are stone, they look to me like clay pots and reminded me of Tilda’s work.

When I went to look for a good link for this book, I found the author has a bunch of others.  I enjoyed this book enough that I will be checking those out, and I look forward to reading more of Paula Brackston’s work.  Thank you to Andrew Thornton and William Jones of Allegory Gallery for hosting the book club!  Check out the Inspired by Reading Book Club Facebook page to see what others have made.

Allegory Gallery Mystery Challenge 2 Reveal

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Allegory Gallery Design Challenge, Andrew Thornton, Mary Harding, My Elements, Mystery Challenge 2, William Jones, Yvonne Irvin-Faus

Today is the reveal for the Allegory Gallery Mystery Challenge 2! I’m sorry I don’t have a picture of the kit.  I can’t even borrow one from the Allegory Gallery blog because it is a mystery kit – no picture. I forgot to take one, and the materials are all mixed with other stuff on my table now.  However, you can tell from this picture that the color theme is yellow and blue.  Yellow is a favorite of mine, but blue is a bit of a struggle.  But not that much because I ended up making three necklaces!

The first is probably my favorite. It was difficult to get a decent picture, so you’ll have to trust me that it is super cute. I’ve already worn it twice. I love how it turned out.

I used part of the strand of lapis rectangles from the kit and separated them with tiny brass drops. I finished the necklace with these cool vintage ball chain connectors and a beautiful Mary Harding clasp.  This necklace is great on its own or layered.

This next necklace uses the Mystery Component that Andrew Thornton made and a gorgeous vintage yellow glass bead from the kit. I finished the necklace with some azure agate and metal spacers.

Last, but not least, I used a variety of beads from the kit and my stash to make chain bits to go along with a couple of chain bits I already had. I used a pendant by Yvonne Irvin-Faus from My Elements as the focal.

Thank you to Andrew Thornton and William Jones of Allegory Gallery.  These challenges are always fun and feature beautiful kits.  Visit the Facebook page to see what other people made.  Someone might have even remembered to take a picture of the kit!

Inspired by Reading: A Girl of the Limberlost

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A Girl of the Limberlost, Allegory Gallery, Andrew Thornton, Gene Stratton-Porter, Hidden Ridge Studio, Inspired by Reading Book Club, William Jones

Allegory Gallery hosts the Inspired by Reading Book Club challenges.  We post creations on the group Facebook page inspired by what we read.  This month’s book is A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter.  I liked this book more than I thought I would.  At first I thought it was hokey, but in the end, the story and Elnora, the main character, really appealed to me.  Elnora is a young woman who is driven, knows her own mind and is “…resolved to act in that manner, which will, in my own opinion, constitute my happiness…” as another favorite literary heroine, Elizabeth Bennett, declares.  In many of the same ways as Bennett, Elnora is what I consider quite a feminist for the time (or really for any time).  She insists on going to school and finding a way to do so.  She enters into a romance with quite a clear head and on her own terms.

Moths are a huge part of the story.  Elnora pays her way through high school by catching moths to mount and sell to collectors.  I knew I had a moth piece in my stash.  I thought it was a pendant that I would make into a necklace surrounded by leaves, flowers and other bits of nature that play a big part in Elnora’s life. When I found it was darker more muted colors than I thought and a button rather than a pendant, I made a bracelet instead.

The moth button is by Hidden Ridge Studio, which I can’t find exists any more. I got a few things from that etsy shop about a year ago and really loved them. I think the artist actually lived in my state of Wisconsin, but the shop has disappeared.  I love the folk art look of this button.  I knotted it on thick waxed linen in a plain color that reminded me of the parts early on in the book when Elnora was out of place in the city school with her country clothes.  It was also thick enough for the bigger holes in the manik-manik lampwork glass.  I’m in love with the forest green color.  I used seed beads that are really more the magenta color of the moth wings than the picture shows for the loop of the clasp.

I’m pleased with this bracelet.  It is simple, straight forward and beautiful, all qualities shared by Elnora.  Thank you to Andrew Thornton and William Jones of Allegory Gallery for hosting these challenges.  Not only do I get to read books I might not otherwise have, but I get to challenge my creativity as well.  Please visit the Facebook page to see what others have created!