Wrapped Crystal Donut

Ever since learning how to use the netting technique to wrap a donut, it's been one of my favorite things to do. They work up *fairly* quickly, and are relatively easy to do. I say *fairly* quickly, because counting is very important in this type of project. Count your beads wrong, and you'll have to start again. Luckily I got this one right the first time, but when I was learning years ago I don't think I got anything right the first time! I actually taught myself - and then about a month later got an issue of Bead and Button with what else on the cover but seed-bead wrapped donuts. Funny how that works.
Anyways, the donut I encased is a genuine swarovski crystal. The cut is stunning, with enough precisely cut facets to make it sparkle to the max. At first I was concerned about covering it up too much, but I kept the weave open enough to see plenty of the shimmer - while still holding it securely inside. I'm quite happy with the result.

Peaches & Cream

Not long after figuring out some of the basic bead weaving stitches, I started netting and weaving around cabochons. The idea that you can take a lonely stone and suspend it securely within woven beads, without backing, still tickles me.
I had yet to try this technique out with round crystals, until this past weekend. It took a couple tries to get the number of beads just right, but the end result was very satisfying. I'm looking forward to wrapping more of these crystals, perhaps for a lovely set of earrings next time.
The crystal is a 12mm peach swarovski rivoli, captured in size 11 delica beads. I used a spiral weave for the necklace itself, which measures 18" from end to end.

The clasp is a very important part of a design...it can make an otherwise beautiful creation cheap and flimsy. Very seldom do I know at the start of something what I will be using for a clasp. Several pieces sit in my "to finish" pile for this very reason...they are waiting for the perfect clasp. One of my favorite ways to finish a necklace (and bracelets too, sometimes) is with a beaded clasp. It takes no extra components, and flows seamlessly into the design.

Rings n things

Lately I've been all over the place - beadily speaking. I have a plethora of almost finished pieces. Some are waiting for that special component or clasp to come in, and others I have no excuse for, except that I have a severe case of B.A.D.D. - beaders attention deficit disorder. If I am working on a labor intensive piece, I feel the need to take time off from it to do smaller "tweener" projects.

I wanted to do something similar to the Blue Crystal Fantasy ring I did awhile back, but in different colors, and with a slightly smaller band. It came out just as I was hoping, and is extremely comfortable for what could be considered a "chunky" ring. It's definitely bold, and the silver lined purple beads are eye-catching.
This one is a bit simpler than the rings I usually make. The band is a single string of beads, as opposed to a woven band, like the ring above. Have no fear, however...this ring was woven with PowerPro, a super strong braided cord. I wove the thread through the band several times before weaving it back into the ring for knotting. After it was finished I gave it a real good tug, too, just to be certain. Solid as a rock.
This dainty ring includes swarovski pearls, galvanized toho seed beads, transparent opal toho beads, and opal pink swarovski crystals.

Both rings will be available for purchase through my Artfire shop, with a full description and sizing information shortly.

Catching up on things...

It's been over a week since I posted anything that I've been working on. In part, this is due to not being able to get the quality of pictures I desire.

Hopefully soon I'll have some fresh shots of all my etsy shop items though. I've contacted a friend, Brody, over at Polarity Photo. Brody takes some amazing shots. His passion is..um...legally being escorted into abandoned buildings and capturing the decay of the untouched.
Here are a few prime examples of what he sees through his lens:

That's just a taste. Definately check out his site for more amazing photography.

Now...onto the jewelry.

This ring and earring set was the absolute biggest pain in the butt to photograph. After many attemps, I settled a little bit on the picture. I'm excited to show them and I just couldn't wait any longer.

I've done rings and earrings of this style before, but I do have to say these are my favorite. Red and black together are just such powerful colors. This was woven with matte black delicas and checkerboard swarovski crystals. Again, I was going for a vintage/flapper style, and I think I captured that quite nicely.

This next bracelet is something I made as a gift for a friend who shall remain nameless. I don't think she's a blog reader, but better safe than sorry!

It was woven with toho seed beads, and overlayed with purple swarovski pearls.

These next bracelets are purely fun. I have had this stash of plastic pony beads for the longest time. Pony beads, meet stretchy cord. =)

Copper Sunset Ring

When my copper swarovski crystal met my metallic iris raspberry delicas, I knew it was meant to be. Seriously, these 2 colors together are amazing! The iris rasperry delicas could quite possibly be my favorite color delica, I've been using it a lot lately. How can you not love a color that is gold with flashes of purple?! The color of the beads is best seen in the 2nd and 3rd pics...in the 1st pic the crystal is getting all the attention.

I just get tickled every time I finish one of these. They're just so fun to make, and they're so sparkly!
It kinda has a vintage feel to it...like a flapper in a speakeasy, gold tassel dress, short slicked hair, and her finger shimmers every time she raises her glass to her lips.

Visit my Etsy listing for all the juicy details.

Sparkly and Spiky

Lately I haven't been interested in delving into any time consuming projects (aside from the ones I already have going, of course). I do love the accomplishment I feel from finishing a complicated piece, but sometimes you just want (close to) instant gratification. Instant gratification for a bead weaver is any project we can accomplish in a weekend...am I right? This past weekend, I stitched up 2 fanciful rings. The first is a circle motif, woven with toho seed beads, czech fire-polished beads, and genuine swarovski crystals.

The second (and admittedly my favorite of the 2) is a vintage inspired square ring with 2 layers. The bottom layer is all cube toho beads, and the above layer is toho rounds, criss crossed over the square to give the ring texture.

Complimentary Contradictions

I had been hoping to get my latest done before midnight on September 5th so I could enter it into the Etsy Bead Weavers challenge "Complimentary Contradictions". You can vote for the challenge on our blog from September 9th through 15th. Don't worry, I'll be reminding you again when voting opens!
I actually finished at 10pm, thinking I had plenty of time to take some pics and get it listed. HA! What was I thinking? I DID get the necklace listed before midnight (11:54 EST to be exact), but I struggled with the photo taking. I even tried again yesterday to get some better photos...different light, going outside, but I can't seem to get the camera to see what *I* see.
Nonetheless, it's finished, it's listed, and it's officially entered in the challenge. I call it "Circle Gets the Square".
I used a bunch of different types of beads for this one. Swarovski glass pearls, delica seed beads, toho seed beads, czech firepolished beads, and swarovski crystals squares and one circle for the clasp. I put a lot of energy into making my hands do what I saw in my head, and I'm quite pleased with the result.

First place winner!!

My bridal necklace "Wedding Bells" won first place in the bead-patterns.com wedding themed beading contest! A BIG thanks to everyone who voted!

To celebrate, I'll be hosting a giveaway of some sort in September. I haven't decided WHAT to give away just yet. Feel free to vote for what YOU would want to win in the poll on the left, and stay tuned for details.