Grey Flower Necklace

Bead Embroidered Flower
Blue Lace Agate
Swarovski Crystals
Glass Pearls

Bad Blogging!

I know I've been neglecting my blog lately, my last post was I think two weeks ago... Yikes!  I've been busy cleaning and organizing my room, study room, and workroom... I have too many rooms.  The good news is that they're clean but I still have a long way to go on organizing, I have way too many beads.  So what did I do today? I went out and bought more beads.  I have so many ideas swirling in my head that I don't know where to start.    I have started a cab bracelet with a color scheme that's grey and black.

Blue Lace Agate
4mm Black Swarovski Crystals
11/0 Matte Black and Grey Delicas

 

There are going to be four other different 'flowers' connected to make a bracelet/cuff.  This is going to be a long project so I'm going to have small side projects that will act as little breathers!

Coming up Next...

My inspiration comes from all sorts of places: mother nature, current fashion, other jewelry artists, other artists in general and photography. My next project/design is based on current fashion and the interest and fascination in owls. May I just say that owls (especially this one) are just GORGEOUS.

Courtesy of Jen Hall

So it's safe to say that this magnificent and elegant bird will be the source of inspiration for my next piece and maybe more than one.  This particular piece will be a bead embroidered pendent, I already have the design and color scheme worked out, I just need to sit down and bead.

The beginning of the bead embroidered owl

The color scheme, as of right now, is dark, deep blue with black/purple accents.  His belly will be a black onyx stone bead.  There will definitely be beaded beads to accent the chain.

Speaking of which, I'm also working on a Berry Beaded Bead Tutorial to share the love (it will be free).  I can see why tutorials aren't free through, they're hard work.  Thankfully pictures are worth a thousand words.  The reason I am against selling tutorials (no offense to those who sell tutorials, this my personal view) especially for basic techniques is because there are beaders out there like me who are too frugal to pay a small fee and end up tirelessly searching the web for little snippets of information to then cohesively compile and digest to make a simple beaded bead.  It's very discouraging.  Literally it took me months (exaggeration... maybe) to find enough information to attempt making a beaded bead.  So to all those poor beaders who are searching, I will hopefully end your pain.

On another side note, I'm also going to do a series on gemstones.  Fun facts, myths, and general information regarding many different gemstones. Stay tuned, a lot is coming your way...

Into the Light...

Finally, my cuff is done.  As I worked tirelessly on it I had an epiphany:  the effect reminded me of dawn and dusk.  The intricate black design against the soft pink stone characterizes it to most sunset and sunrise pictures.

Into the Light Cuff
Bezeled Pink Stone with Intricate Black Overlay
11/0 Matte Black Delicas, 13/0 Czech Black Rounds
6/0 Matte Black Rounds

Instead of making the super long earrings I mentioned, I decided to try my luck with making bead embroidered studs.  Here's how they turned out...

Into The Light Studs
Bezeled Rhodonite Stone

I absolutely LOVE how they turned out and I'm currently working on a second pair.   I assure you that you have not seen the last of this style.  I'm too much in love with how both turned out.  Stay tuned... I'm working on a new design, different from the this one.  As you will soon come to know, I cannot be hung up on one design, too boring, I usually cycle through techniques to get my fix to create unique jewelry.

Red Jasper Bead Embroidered Cuff

Red Jasper Bead Embroidered Cuff
6/0 and 11/0 Seed Beads
Front Fabric is a Mixture of Cotton and Polyester
Backing is Ultra Suede

Live, Laugh, Love, and Beads

It's been a while since my last post because of classes, finals, and now packing.  Where am I going? To the land of no opportunity, the land of total chaos and violence, the land were, literally, I devolve into a couch potato.  I am going to Paki-land.   Even though I go every year to visit family, my freedom's abduction gets to me every time, BUT this time it's going to be different because I'm going to make it different. How? I'm bringing my beads.  That is life, not everything is going to go according to my 'plan', whatever that may be,  so all I can do in such dire situations is: Live, Laugh, Love (Fischer Prices: Play Laugh Grow is playing in my head).  For me my 'happy hour' is with my beads so I have made personal goals to perfect my beading techniques, cheesy I know.  There are a million things that I wanted to try but never had the time to between school, studying, research, and sleep.  So I made a "Bucket List" of things I want to accomplish in this four month period, I want to make

• Beaded Beads
• Self Standing Beaded Boxes
• Bead Embroidery
• Make an extensive beaded pieces

This is a short list which I will add to and expand upon later.  I have already made head way on the bead embroidery, I started a cuff a while back which I plan on completing hopefully before I leave on my 'vacation'.

Bead Embroidery, Size 6/0 and 11/0 seed beads

This took a lot of self control since I have OCD about certain things, such as symmetry.  Everything MUST be symmetrical for it to be beautiful in my head BUT I know better and that there IS beauty in asymmetry.  However some part of my brain deep down doesn't want to accept it, and constantly nags at me, so to shut it up I deliberately decided to go asymmetrical on the cuff.  My inspiration was a how a single sunflower can make the world more beautiful; no matter how dull a day may seem,  sunflowers are always bright and full of life!  I'm planning on adding small 3D flowers to the vines to add some depth and a level of complexity.

3D beaded flower, Size 11/0 Delicas, 4mm Swarovski Pearl

If I finish in time I just might submit it to the Bead Mavens Vernal Visions Challenge.  That way I can 'officially' enter the beading world. Dun dun dunnnnnn.  Originally I had wanted to enter the challenge with a well thought out piece but being confined to the resources of a third world country, I decided not to have high hopes about this challenge.  Hopefully I will participate in other challenges once I get back and I will definitely continue blogging.  So stay tuned for the finished cuff!