Bracelet - Beads by Pippa of PipsJewellery on Etsy

I recently won a set of beads that were being given by Pips of PipsJewellery on etsy.  She was offering a complete set of five beads of winner's choice.  I chose these bronze capped beads as my winning set.  I am saving them for closer to fall.

But, while I was at it, I purchased these turquoise water petal capped beads. 

They came all the way from England to be in this bracelet that I made using Pips beads, three of Natalie Pappas beads, one of Ingrid Mueller's beads,  some howlite orange and yellow melon beads, sari silk, and pastel seed beads.  I made the clasp out of a vintage wood button - I really liked the green color with this piece.  It is put together with brass.

I have two of these beads left and am going to try to come up with some earrings to match.

I decided I liked these beads being "directional" once I quit fighting it and embraced it.  I also managed to work in one of my UTEE head pins - hah, you will probably be seeing a lot of them.  I do need some different colors though.

Pips, I hope you like it.

Short Version......

I recently made some earrings using porcelain beads, metal beads and seed beads.  They were long........

Marti Conrad came up with a great idea to shorten them........so I did.  I like them better short, but then I prefer short earrings.  In a spirit of "waste not, want not" the wire cut from the long sides were fashioned into dangles.

This pair is made with Ingrid Mueller's "stoney" beads.  I love the matte glaze that she used on these.  These "Beaded Buckets" are listed HERE.

This version is just 2-5/8" long

Sophie, I am still planning a discussion on crimp covers.

Long Exotic Earrings Inspired by Marina Rios.....

Recently Marina Rios a/k/a Fancifuldevices issued her invitation to other jewelry designers to copy her designs.  Well, knowing that I could never copy her unique design I just looked on at what others created - in awe - of course.  Her work is amazing.  But, her attitude on sharing is even more amazing.  If you are not familiar, you really need to read her Art Theft Manifesto.  I really don't have words to describe her work.  You know that drawer that you all have where you just throw stuff because you don't want to throw it away, but you don't know what else to do with it, and in the back of your mind you think "well, I might need it someday?"  Well, she can take things from that drawer and make beautiful jewelry with them. 

She recently started using Ingrid Mueller's beads in her work too.  Ingrid has a couple of bead designs that are truly her own -- the two I'm thinking of are her stonies, that actually contain bits of gravel to give them texture, and her beads done in very matte finishes.  I have known for a couple of years now that Ingrid's work was wonderful, but now it seems as if other designers are figuring that out too.  But, I digress.

I received some beads from Natalie Pappas a week ago and even though they are not matte or stonies, they are magnificent.  They have swirls around them and not where you would expect them to be either.  I began playing with them and while I was doing so, I kept thinking of Marina's style and soon, voila!

Now, these are long - 3-1/4" long.  Ingrid would love that.  I like them and I really like the fact that I got to play with my wire.  I left the copper very dark, like Marina would have done. 

Now, Marti Conrad makes a bead that she calls a knuckle bead.  It is truly her own.  I am playing with them today in this same design to see what happens.  See I'm now starting to talk like Marti and Natalie -- they say things like "look what came out of the kiln today."  Well, I am just going to see what comes off my table today......stay tuned for the next installment of this experiment in Marina.

Thank you all - Ingrid, Marti, Natalie and Marina.  Knowing your work makes me a better designer.  I appreciate you all.
Disclaimer:  There are many more of you that have remained unnamed in this post.  Your day is coming.....

Well, I finished these using Marti Conrad's "knuckle" beads.  They have African copper heishi in the center row and faceted Czech beads in a variety of earthy colors with picasso finish in the bottom row.  They are also a bit longer....

I want to maybe try one more set if I can find some of Ingrid's beads that are begging to be made up like this and I can find the appropriate coordinating beads, etc.  And, also, I would like to try making a pair out of the annealed steal wire I have rather than copper.  We'll see.

Giveaway at Love My Art Jewelry Blog

The Love My Art Jewelry Blog is featuring a giveaway today for this necklace.  I made it just for Valentine's Day.

Ingrid Mueller made the sweet little blue and red porcelain heart pendant and I have attached a Swarovski crystal dangle.  It is on Greek Leather and has a lobster claw clasp.  Those are gold brass tube beads in the front to frame the pendant.

Click here to go to the LMAJ Blog for up to three chances to win.  The winner will be chosen on February 14. 

GOOD LUCK!

Natalie Pappas Also Does Lampwork....

I really need to start reading the descriptions of the things I buy on etsy.....I guess I like pictures better than words.....maybe I have become sick of words being an attorney the last twenty years.  Anyway, I received some beautiful beads from Natalie Pappas yesterday.  I had found a great little set of four beads in her shop that just begged me to buy them.  So I did.  One of them was a porcelain white with a pink, purple, and green flower decal.  Loved it.  She had paired it with two green coin beads on which she made a three leaf design.  She also included a pink and green bead that just seemed to tie everything together.  I pulled out a pink and a purple lampwork bead made by Joyce O'Shea and also a large soo chow jade that also begged me to be included.  Well, to my surprise, the pink and swirly porcelain bead made by Natalie wasn't porcelain at all....it was lampwork.  So I ran back to the listing to read -- yep, sure enough, she does lampwork too.  Then I heard one of Ingrid's butterfly pendants begging me to let it join.  Man, I get so tired of begger beads.......

I built this necklace around copper wire and also used olive green glass pearls and more of my new metallic Greek leather in light fern.  It looks so springy, and layered, and all full of Natalie's and Ingrid's and Joyce's gorgeous work.  It won't be long we will all be looking for spring accessories and this one will be in the shop.....waiting, waiting.

Fiber Beads and Cinnabar Necklace

Last night I made this necklace using Carolyn Saxby's beads which were so thoughtfully given to me by Sophie Watkins.  I used Ingrid Mueller's two-sided pendant as a focal and a great bow shaped bead of red cinnabar that I've had for a very very long time.  It was too bright so I thought "What would Marina do?"  I painted it and then sealed it with Renaissance Wax.  The leather is a metallic copper that I recently purchased and just love.  I made the clasp myself out of copper wire and turquoise rounds.  Would love to hear what you think - especially about the part of the pendant being hung askew like it is.

Porcelain Face Necklace with Lampwork Beads

Good Monday morning to you all.  Here are pictures of my latest necklace.  It was made using one of Ingrid's wonderful porcelain face pendants.  I have had this piece out for several weeks and it finally occurred to me that I had these lampwork beads.  They were made by my friend Deb Houde who lives in Overland Park, Kansas.  I think she makes beautiful lampwork beads and most of the lampwork beads that I use were made by her.  I think these beads look a lot like they could be porcelain or stoneware of some type but they are glass.

I finished it out on Greek Leather with Indonesian spun glass beads, hand carved bone beads and glass seed beads.  I hope you all like it.

Finally......

I have shared with a couple of you that I have been somewhat stiffled creatively the last week or so.  I have had lots of ideas and have made several starts, but haven't been able to get a lot finished to my satisfaction.  I may be breaking free of that as I have been able to finish a necklace that I am very pleased with.

I acquired this porcelain pendant from Ingrid Mueller some time ago.  I had just begun to take notice of the ephemera art that was getting popular and I thought her pendant looked like she had built a bezel into it - so I bought it.  I added a photograph of a vintage cupid from an etsy digital artist and covered it with resin.  Just about my favorite way to make jewelry is to wire beads onto wire so I did some of that and added some leather.  I am pleased with it.  It is romantic, features a beautiful handmade component and certainly won't be your run-of-the-mill Valentine's Day necklace. 

Delayed Plans to Go Home

 We were planning to go home tomorrow, but my Mom decided that she wanted to make a three day trip with my brother and his family to Galena, Illinois.  Well, Mom's dog, Maggie is 12 years old and became ill a couple of weeks ago with a bad inner ear problem.  She is weak and unbalanced and needs constant care right now so I am staying a few extra days to take care of her until Mom gets home.  When I say take care of her, I don't mean just feed and water her, but taking care of her includes sleeping beside her on the living room rug so that she does not get scared in the middle of the night.  Here is a picture of her.  She is a beautiful Belgian Turvuren and amazingly she gets along perfectly with all three of my Rottweilers.

Here she is with Sophie before she was ill.

Since I know that my dogs will want to sleep with me, I guess we will all sleep on the living room floor for the next few nights.  Like Mom used to tell me, we will be "snug as a bug in a rug."  I'm kind of looking forward to it.

New Bracelets for Etsy

These will be listed over the next few days.  Focal and beads by Ingrid Mueller.  The copper clasp and findings made by me.

Focal by Marti Conrad.  The set she put together made it possible to make a set of matching earrings. 

Focal by Marti Conrad.  Beautiful rusty black glaze. 

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New Makins' -- Wrap Bracelet, Stoneware Earrings, Butterfly and Bee Bead

Have you noticed how popular wrap bracelets have become?

I have made and listed several recently.  This one is my newest. 

I recently received a fantastic lot of kuchi buttons from etsian UberKuchi.  They are amazing and perfect for use in this wrap. 

It is very simple -- just a ribbon and four buttons. 

I also made another version of my Steam Roller earrings.  These stoneware disc beads are also by Marti Conrad in a Robin's Egg Blue Glaze.  I just love this design.

Lastly for this post, I recreated a design that I made for my sister-in-law just after last Christmas.  She wanted something Egyptian and when Ingrid Mueller listed a nice Egyptian pendant, I got to work.  I recently received a really fun bead from Natalie Pappas that had a decaled butterfly on one side and a bee on the other side.  I loved the muted mauve and mustard yellow colors in the bead.  Below is a picture of Janie's necklace made a year ago and the new necklace made with Natlie's bead.

Don't you just love that bead.  You can see the bee in the last photograph. 

Blue Snowflake Cuff Bracelet - Focal by Marti Conrad

Another beautiful focal cuff by Marti Conrad.  I love the deep teal blue color of the glaze on the brown "snow-ware" stoneware.  And, I also love that she provided four matching beads with it - enough to fancy up the bracelet and to make matching earrings.

 Ingrid Mueller usually manages to find herself in most of my pieces and this one is no different.  That is her beautiful matte light brown and dark shiney brown striped bead in the back.  And matching earrings as a bonus!  What a beautiful set.  Thank you Marti and Ingrid.  You always provide me with such beautiful components to work with.