Friday, March 16, 2012

Earrings mostly....

Supplies:




Well, dang.  A minute ago it was Monday and now here it is Friday.  Where did the days go??  Not to say i haven't been beading!  So Monday it was the tila bangle and the earrings using those FABULOUS shell beads.  And i intended to knot the rest of the shell beads along with the Swarovski pearls but i'll be hornswoggled if it didn't take me three days just to get the right size silk and futz around with clasp ideas and just be feelin' like knotting.  Finally sat down to it Thursday morning and....here tis!
Supplies:
rest of the FABULOUS shell beads
8mm Swarovski pearls (grey)
#6 needled silk (grey)
French wire
chain

The finished length is about 25" so it can slip over my head.  I ended up not using a clasp and just knotted to the chain on each side.  The French wire is used to cover the silk where it goes over the end findings...in this case the chain.  It serves to protect the silk from abrasion and it looks good.  It's longer than i usually wear, but i wanted to use ALL the FABULOUS beads!

And why not. 

Okay...on to today's earrings.


The birthstone for March is aquamarine and i just happened to have a couple of pretty little beads of this pretty blue gemstone sitting on the mat.  hmmmm.....what to do what to do.  I like silver and blue so i picked up some 2mm sterling rounds and a couple of bead tip headpins and wrapped a couple of loops.  So far s'okay....but i want something else with it..... what goes with blue?  Why, BLACK of course!!

Supplies:
(2) 10mm aquamarine round beads
(6) black coral tube beads, center drilled
(6) 2mm sterling rounds
(2) 2" sterling bead tip headpins
length of 24 or 26ga wire
ear wires

I think i like these!  Kinda got the Asian vibe going on with the black horizontal lines of the coral but the blue instead of red is a bit of a surprise.

So.  Another pair on the wall and who knows what tomorrow may bring.  Happy beading, y'all!

Monday, March 12, 2012

Earrings Every Day or four

We're back with another exciting earring adventure!

Tiara Bangle
design by Debbie van Tonder
But first!  I did some beady homework today and finished the tila bangle that i started two Saturdays ago.  woohoo go me!  It was, for me, a difficult pattern.  I had to pay attention every step of the way and i  think i still missed at least one stitch.  But it looks good! and it fits good! and i like it!  I might make another bracelet from this pattern, just to try it one more time.  It is very pretty and the directions are excellent. The pattern is available through the designer's etsy shop at www.etsy.debger

Supplies:
10gm tila beads (turquoise - my fave)
8/0 seed beads (dk brown frost)
(18) 4mm Swarovski bicone (dorado)
Fireline.  Lots of it.
#12 beading needle

Dorado is a unique bronze flash effect that coats the entire bead.  It is soooooooooo pretty!



Okay.  On to the earrings.

I often second- and third- and sometimes even fourth-guess my design decisions. I just know the next combination is going to be killer!  And playing with the beads as i try different designs is a great part of the enjoyment i get from this creative outlet.  At some point, however, you have to stop so that you can finish the piece. ( But i don't wanna!!)

Tonight i kind of cheated and made two almost the same earrings.  Same components in the same order, just attached differently.  I'm all about movement in jewelry design, especially earrings, so normally i would use loops between each bead.  But loops are a design element and i didn't like the look of all them loops.  I linked two components instead of three and it was still too bulky.  I left that one intact for comparison and then the third one i threaded all the beads onto a single length of wire.  I think i like that look best and it has movement jes' a-swingin' from the jumprings.  Which one do you like?

Supplies:
(2) FABULOUS mosaic shell tube beads
(4) 8mm Swarovski crystal pearls (grey)
(8)2mm sterling rounds
(4) 8mm twisted jumprings
(2) ear wires
length of 22gauge silver plated wire

I was gifted with a strand of the mosaic shell beads and i'm going to knot most of the rest of them on #4 grey silk alternating the shell beads and the 8mm Swarovski pearls.  woohoo sexy!  The 2mm rounds in the earrings are meant to mimic the knots between the shell beads and the pearls.  But you couldn't know that since you haven't seen the necklace.  Once i get the necklace finished, i'll put a photo up. 

That's it for today, y'all.  Bead happy!