Tangerine Dream

Another beautiful piece for a Birthday Gal...This to coordinate with her lucious robe and gorgeous dress. It is comprised of Swarovski Crystals and loads of bicones, rondelles and other sparkly trinkets! Done in a monochromatic warm color theory, like many theories that can be found in Beverly Ash Gilberts Beading Colorways, an awesome display of color info.

The wirework was looped and secured and looped again...painstakingly placing the crystals...a joy in discovering the wonder for aspects of orange. See the little loops??? The wire was pulled as a thin ribbon would be, causing it to curl and wiggle. Fun!

This piece rests gently on the neck and lights up the room.. perhaps the birthday queen will send us a photo? This is perfect for showing off a glowing smile....Happy Birthday, La Terra!

Orange Sunburst Earrings

A classic and yet innovative look at bezeling those beautiful Swarovski Crystals. Led by the influence of Laura McCabe, these sunburst earrings were just the right accessory for a beautiful friend for her Birthday Bash. Adding yet more bling, the row behind all the bicone crystals supports one more row of bling, top drilled bicones in 6mm Hyacinth. The center Rivolis are 16mm Chili Pepper, the crystals for the otuside bursts are Sunflower, FireopalAB and Indian Red. The seed beads used were DB 043, DB603 and gold334. The little picots were created using size 15 seed beads in #471, make sure they are permanent or duracoat.

Notice the backs of the Rivolis are completely closed. The method for this enclosure involves a series of shifts from one stitch to another. The circular peyote moves to the back and after two rows of size 15 seed beads, a repeating stitch of one bead up and one bead down is worked around the circle. This sets up the next stitch which is a three bead netting, which sets up again for either another row of netting, with a skip, and then peyote with one bead to close the tips. I find it rather important to close the back of the Rivolis or coat them to protect them and prolong the life of the crystal. Small tiny nicks in the back (often called flea bites in crystal) actually affect the front of the stone and interfere with the reflection of light. We want our Swarovski's to last as long as they can and keep their brilliance!

For more on these beautiful crystals, check out Laura McCabe's book, creating beautiful Crystal Jewerly with Swarovski. Of course, check out my classes at Monica's Quilt and Bead Creations in Palm Desert, where I show you a quick start with two needles and you can find those tiny, tiny size 15 vintage one-cut seed beads as well as lots of colors and sizes in Crystal Rivolis.

Oh, and I made these to be interchangable as well....look closely at the connection of the two earrings components. The links holding them together can be removed and each piece could be reattached to a new earring finding, making two sets of earrings. Add a bit of bling on the bottom of each and ta-da, a new look for both...one casual, one fancy.

Granada Blossom

What a fun process this Blossom has been! Following a fabulous pattern by Sabine Lippert of Trytobead.com (Germany) this creation just looks better and better each time I work it in different color schemes. Since we're playing at the beach this week, I've been insipied by all sorts of colors, the base starts with the Coral Swarovski Pearl and then gets embellished with beautiful turquoise, lime and lavender Swarovski 4mm crystals. Some 3.4mm mini drops were also used in part of the accented parts. A delight in color theory, each placement of a new color changes the look of the piece. I created this piece in just about an hour...with ideas forming for a necklace of a different sort and perhaps a bracelet with a similar picot treatment.

Visit her website for an amazing look at a very talented artist. I think she is scheduled to teach at the Bead Fest Philly Show. Pattern and or kits are very reasonable, her detailed instructions are availiable in English and quite understandable.

Look for my Black and Silver version coming later this week!!!

Fresh fish for Thursday

Special of the day today includes a beautiful beaded Fishy created for a Fish Challenge in a yahoo bead group. What a fun a thoroughly addicting process this has become! It seems that every beaded project I have on my table also ends up as a fish! This simple peyote Beaded Bead has subtle embellishments, using picot ends for the drops and a little bit of right angle weave to add the tail. It would be easy to use a bead soup mix to create one of these!

Peanuts!

What wonderful undulations are created when you use a peanut beads in place of another! These stone color beads...of the #900 series, are beautiful when showcased on this bracelet next to black and silver. They would be equally pretty next to other shades of gray and brown I'm sure. A fun way to experiment with the peanut beads is to replace a seed bead in your pattern with these little beauties. Here, using a peyote stitch, they replace a line of size 8 seed beads. They have more vertical way about them and look good inside the piece as well as on the outside perimeter. Note the little detail on top of the loops of the slide closure, a size 6 sb with a Delica or size 15sb on top. Do this after you secure the slide to your work, used as embellishment only.

Happy, Happy Springtime

Happy Spring and Happy Easter to all... the new color for Spring and the Year is captured here in this sweet glass covered bracelet. Any of the Coral to Pink to Rose hues will brighten one's day don't you think? Try adding 3.4 mini magatamas as the embellishment to any one of your favorite bracelets. Or make a beaded bead and put them on the outer edges, ummm, pretty.
This special dainty bracelet I learned from a dear friend, now excuse me while I go make one in every color of the new Spring colors; turquoise, yellow, gray, parrot green and beeswax!