Green Impression Jasper necklace

I have a thing for interesting stone patterns.  These bright green Impression Jasper tube beads were right up my alley, so I designed a necklace using them, antique copper metal seed beads, fern green and peridot green Swarovski bicones, a copper Swarovski square pendant, and copper findings.  The copper draws out the brown in the Jasper quite nicely.  This is also one of the longest necklaces I've made.  I wanted to keep it simple to display the different patterns in the stone.  The pendant can be adjusted to sit like a square, or diamond; the copper jump ring is loose enough.



Name:  Jade Jasper

Price:  $30 (reason: amount of stone and Swarovskis used)

Length:  24"

Graduation Bracelet #2

Here's the second project I did for the girl graduating this weekend.  She told me one time she loves the Swarovski color Crystal AB, so I incorporated it into this "extreme bling" bracelet.  I used silver spacers, Swarovski pearls in two sizes, and Swarovski crystal bicones.  I like how it turned out.

Name:  Amethyst Glow

Price:  $20 (reason: Swarovski crystals; original given to Mahlie)

Length:  approximately 8.5"

Graduation bracelet #1

A girl I work with is celebrating her graduation this coming weekend, and loves "bling."  I asked her if she'd like me to make her anything, and she said she really likes bracelets, so I made two for her.  The first is a mix of Swarovski crystals: teal, burgundy, and the new teal/burgundy blend released earlier this year.

Name:  Twilight Sparkle

Price:  $20 (reason: Swarovski crystals; original given to Mahlie)

Length:  approximately 7.5"



Current Projects

So.  I know I haven't updated in a while.  Chalk that up to a 40-or-so hour work week since late march, and a mad scramble of other things.  Oh, and no spare change.
Anyway...
I'm hoping to set aside some time to work on a few waiting projects.  I have a few ideas...

Lots of work to do... 

 

 This multicolor Jade phoenix and dragon carved pendant is going to be a challenge!

I love this little fox, done in tiger's eye

Nearly done with this lariat necklace out of a book Mom got me for Christmas...just need the bangles for the end 

 Have been working on this hand bead woven bracelet for my sister for years...still not done

Dan's Dutch Tartan, right angle weave Swarovski bracelet

     Dan's newest beading project (and adventure) is finished!  This time it was, as I've said before, learning the right-angle weave, using four different Swarovski colors to keep the pattern clear in his head.  FusionBeads gave the four-color instructions the nickname "tartan" because the effect looks plaid (theirs was red, orange, yellow, olive).  So for now, until he can think up an official name, we'll call this one Dan's Dutch Tartan.  Why?  Because he's Dutch and it looks tartan.  heh.  Colors used: fern green, peridot, sapphire, and dark sapphire.

Name:  Dan's Dutch Tartan


Price:  $35 (reason: Swarovski crystals, time, and effort; personal collection)


Length:  6.5 inches

Medium Vitrail Heart Earrings

     I really like the Medium Vitrail color Swarovski crystals.  So I decided to make a pair of earrings to go with the Wild Heart necklace I made.  Kept them very simple.  They look rather rainbow-toned here...there's actually a lot more green in them than the pictures indicate.

Name:  Medium Vitrail Heart earrings


Price: $10 (reason: Swarovski and sterling silver; personal collection) *earrings only*


Length:  1 inch

Wild Heart Necklace

     I'm generally not that big on Swarovskis.  They're expensive to make a relatively substantial piece, they don't have all the colors all the time, and often they don't have the color I like in a shape I like.  Sometimes, however, I find a particular color I like, and a particular shape that sparks creativity.
     In this case, I ran across the relatively new shape called Wild Heart (came out last year), in a relatively new color for that shape: Medium Vitrail.  I've always liked that color, and though I'm not particularly fond of hearts, this one just struck me as perfect for a necklace.  It looked like stained glass.  I also bought a pair of small, standard heart pendants in the same color to make a pair of earrings to complete the set.  I wanted to keep it simple, so just used waxed cotton cord and tied sliding knots so it's adjustable.

Name:  Wild Heart


Price:  $25 (reason: Swarovski crystal; personal collection) *necklace only*


Length:  adjustable; knotted on 36 inch cord

Margot's second congratulatory piece.

     As I've said before, my sister recently got her certification as a yoga instructor, and I had intended to make this necklace as a congratulations gift.  Unfortunately, the silk ribbon I'd bought to string it on was utterly the wrong shade, so I had to order a different one and delay the piece.  In that time, I made her a fun bracelet in congratulations as well.
     Now the new ribbon is here and matches very well, so it's done!

Name:  Rusty Sunflower


Price:  $25 (given to Margot R.)


Length:  varies; on ribbon 40 inches long

Twisted Ice, twisted tubular Herringbone bangle.

     I decided to give the twisted tubular Herringbone another try this week, having bought a pair of seed bead packets specifically for the project last week.  I wanted to use a pair of colors that contrasted better than the colors I used last time, and I chose better quality seed beads so they would fit together more evenly.
     I selected silver lined dark teal and silver-lined ice-blue (I really like the extra sparkle and richness of silver-lined colors).  The ice-blue looks more silver than blue in the bracelet, though, but overall I'm happy with it.  As with the other of this pattern, I stitched the ends together to form a clasp-less bangle.  The colors remind me of the different shades sea ice can be.

Name:  Twisted Ice


Price:  $15 (reason: time and effort)


Length:  about 8 inches

Mahogany Obsidian cross-weave necklace

     I had this necklace planned out and in mind before I spur-of-the-moment made my carnelian and banded agate cross-weave necklace this week.  I like the mottled colors and unique red of mahogany obsidian, and since people have said how much they like my cross-weave pieces, I decided to make a longer one in case anyone was interested.  This necklace is really long; I can wrap it around my neck and clasp it in the front and still have the pendant dangle.  I used a different metal for my findings this time: gunmetal.  I like the look of gunmetal, but hadn't had the opportunity to use it until now and I like how it looks with the mahogany obsidian.  This necklace took me far longer than the others I've done given the length, and a lot more stone than usual for the same reason.  I think it looks incredible!
     Unfortunately, by the time it was done, it was too dark out to take pictures, so I took what I could inside and will try to get outdoor "fashion" shots in the next couple of days.

Name:  Mahogany Sunset


Price:  $40 (reason: a ton of mahogany obsidian, time, and effort)


Length:  24 inches, with a 1 inch pendant

This week's finished (and near finished) projects!

     I got a lot accomplished this week!  Just got in a creative mood and did something pretty much every day.  I still have half a project to finish (the pendant shown needs its silk ribbon, which is on its way), and several projects are set for creation next week--at least three, all of which will take a bit more time.

 

One of the two projects done this evening: mahogany obsidian cross-weave necklace with gunmetal findings. 

 All the bracelets!

The pair of earrings and the pendant of the unfinished necklace for my sister.

The one project I did for myself this week.

Dan's New Beading Technique Project

     So my boyfriend Dan decided he needed to learn a new technique and have a new project to work on since I had a bunch I wanted to do.  He chose to learn the right angle weave, and decided to use four different colors of Swarovski crystals to make the steps easier to see and the beads are bigger.  I set him up with my bead board and the instructions off FusionBeads, and away he went.  He thinks it's a fun technique so far.

Margot's Congratulatory Bracelet

     My sister, photographer Margot Roudebush (blog: whimsicalsbymargot.blogspot.com), recently challenged herself and worked extremely hard to get certification to teach yoga classes.  She had to memorize a bunch of routines and be tested in them over the last two weeks or so, and passed last weekend with flying colors.
     I wanted to give her something to congratulate her, and picked out materials for a necklace which is still in the works because one of the things that arrived didn't match (a downside to online shopping).  Shortly after I ordered the materials, I found these really neat hand-blown glass beads on another site and knew they would suit her just as much, so now she's getting two gifts instead of one.
     Oh, if you look at the top of the photo, you can see Merlin's paw descending to step right on the bracelet when I was trying to take the picture; it's why it's mostly shadowed, too.

Name:  N/A


Price:  $30 (reason: hand-blown glass, Swarovski crystals; given to Margot R.)


Length:  about 8 to 8.5 inches

Donna's necklace and earrings.

    My boyfriend's Mom loves jewelry, especially big, unique pieces.  She's awesome at coordinating her outfits to go with her jewelry (or the other way around, depending), so I've made her a couple of pieces.  One--a dark teal pearl necklace--I haven't taken pictures of, but yesterday I was remembered to take my camera when I visited and got pictures of the other one, in which I used aventurine, silver, and dark teal pearls.  I remember I took Dan with me to look for materials, since it was near Donna's birthday and I had offered to make her a necklace he could give her.  You may recognize the pendant; I used another just like it (a little lighter in color, though) for the aventurine cross-weave necklace I donated to the Bollock charity fundraiser silent auction.  I also made a very simple pair of aventurine dangly earrings to match.
     Donna was delighted with the gift and found two great shirts that set it off in two different ways...each makes the light or dark components pop and she says she gets no end to complements on it.

Name:  N/A


Price:  $25 to $30 (given to Donna V.)


Length:  about 22 inches; she added an extender as well