Color Challenge

My friend Brandi at Brandi Girl Blog issued a color challenge a while back. Click HERE for the specific post. I should have thought to post this earlier, but there's still time to enter. It's open through July 10.

I used seed beads and a simple herringbone weave to create my entries for the challenge. The first bracelet I made followed color palette #2 from Brandi's choices. Admittedly not a color combination I would have chosen on my own, while I worked on the piece I grew to love it!

Next, I chose color palette # 5. This one turned out too red/white/blue looking and I chose not to submit it for the challenge, hence no photos.

Lastly, I tackled color palette #1, which I like to call Mixed Lettuce.

This one, I love!!

Two New Pairs of Twisted Tornado Earrings

I've recently listed 2 more pairs of my popular twisted tornado earrings.  This first pair features bright green seed beads on the outermost wrapping.

For the next pair, I chose white seed beads, which are much more prominent against the gray, oxidized sterling silver.

It's interesting how the same design can look so different simply by selecting different color seed beads.

I actually had a 3rd pair that I thought looked great.  That is, until I set them up for the "hanging" photo.  They were not close enough in length to be considered a pair!  In person, on my earring display cards, they look fine.  But in a photo, not so much.

Oh well.

Holiday Party Bracelet

This bracelet is festive, but also great for everyday wear. The colors are a great mixture of blues, greens and purples.

It starts with a modified right-angle-weave stitch for the base. I then add lots and lots of tiny fringe to the top surface. The fringe consists of seed beads and interestingly shaped pressed glass beads.

This bracelet is finished with a vintage glass button, which makes for a very easy clasp to do by yourself.

The best part? It's on sale. Originally $125, the bracelet is now on sale for $98. And, FREE SHIPPING continues through year end.

Click on the photo to go directly to the listing in my etsy shop and see some more close up photos and one of the entire bracelet.

Rosevine Design - Embellishments toTreasure

Deb, the genius behind Rosevine Design, is another of my teammates on the Artisan Beaders Street Team on etsy. She does amazing things with seed beads. Her attention to detail is unmatched and her sense of style and composition is perfect.

This bracelet is magnificent. It features a huge turquoise cabochon and, dare I say, thousands of glass seed beads, all hand stitched in place. Make a statement by wearing this piece!


This necklace also begins with a large piece of turquoise, but you can see that it is very different indeed. Deb has embellished this necklace with lots and lots of fringe in a creamy color. You can also see the pale coral accents --- what a perfect complement to the turquoise.


Visit Deb's shop on etsy to see all of her gorgeous creations.

Progress on the Bracelet

Now that I've completed the base of the bracelet (see yesterday's post), it's time to consider the surface embellishment.

I start with some headpins to help me figure out what the "short stacks" (aka surface embellishment) should look like. Keeping the earrings close by for reference, I experiment with different combinations of beads, including the keshi pearls and the textured silver beads found in the earring clusters. I work from a small flat bowl to keep those pesky seed beads contained!

I finally decided to use some silver lined crystal rainbow and beige lined crystal seed beads, both size 11. The combination of these most closely matches the creamy ivory color of the large pearls in the earrings. This close up photo shows the final results of the embellishment decision. I will use size 15 white seed beads as the topper for the 3 different stacks. Also included are some 2 mm sterling silver round beads, which look just like the ball ends of the head pins used in the earrings. I'm happy with the continuity.I hook the loop end of the clasp to the gizmo Rick made for me many years ago. It makes working on the bracelet so much easier than working on a flat surface.This last photo shows the resulting texture on the surface of the bracelet from adding the "short stacks".

If I Can't be at the Beach ...

... I'll share a piece of jewelry that reminds me of the beach! This brooch/pendant base is a disk of super lustrous mother of pearl. I drilled a few holes in it to help secure the freeform beadwork.

The beadwork is composed of ocean-y colors -- aqua, teal, green, seafoam, turquoise and little bronze. The large bead in the center is a Peruvian Opal and the diamond shaped bead is Fluorite. The remainder of the beads are glass seed beads in various sizes.

Here's a peek at the back of the pin. I glued on a finding that will allow this to be worn as either a pin or a pendant.




This lovely piece is for sale and ON SALE in my etsy shop!

Woven and Fringed Bracelets

I've been making these intricate bracelets for several years. They don't sell quickly or often (I sell about 2-3 per year), but they always get lots of oohs and aahs. There are currently 3 listed in my etsy shop. While they may not look the same to you, all 3 were created using the same technique.

I start with a modified right-angle-weave base. This flat, flexible stitch ensures comfort when wearing. The top is then embellished with lots of short fringe -- 3-4 seed beads maximum. I usually add some beads of differing shapes for interest. These could be small lentil beads, spear shaped beads or small sterling silver beads. This gives the bracelets an organic look. I finish these bracelets with decorative buttons, sometimes metal, sometimes vintage glass.

These bracelets are labor intensive, but so much fun to create. Be sure to sign up for my etsy shop newsletter to receive information on specials and sales.
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Beaded Barrettes

These labor intensive lovelies get plenty of attention in my etsy shop and at craft shows. They require the kind of beadwork that takes intense concentration and constant measuring. The beaded panel is completed before the piece is attached to the barrette finding.

Freeform bead weaving can use all of the stitches, but the ones I use most are peyote, brick, and right-angle-weave. Looking for the perfect "add-on", such as a pearl or a single gemstone is the fun part. The difficult part is including it in such a way that it looks very much at home in the piece.

These barrettes are all one-of-a-kind. I couldn't repeat them, even if I wanted to. I use high quality barrette findings that are made in France. The beaded panels are sewn securely onto the finding as a separate step in the process.

Click here to see more photos of each of these barrettes.

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