Snow Day

It is snowing and overcast.  No pictures today.

I have been busy beading.  I am putting together test pieces for part of one of the strands on my turquoise slab necklace.  I have already put together four test pieces including one based on Gwen Fisher's Hexagon Angle Weave.  All of the test pieces are silver and red.

I have been thinking about the slab also and trying to decide if I should leave the bezel unembellished.  I want the turquoise to be the star. 

More next week.

Test Results

I think I mentioned it that this blog is a way to keep me productive.  If it hadn’t been for last week’s blog post I would probably be under a quilt reading a book. 

The blog title last week showed the first of two 8mm beaded beads made of 15/0 beads.  They turned out well, no need to dwell on the blemishes only I can see. 

I had a plan: Add Lucite flowers, dangling beads, an embellishment or two and turn my test into a pair of earrings.  I tried two different constructions.

Which do you like best?

 

Of course I liked the one that was different than I had planned.  Here are a few more views of the pair:

Testing...

The turquoise slab has not been forgotten neither have the 3 strands that will be attached to it. 

I had planned one test for today and yesterday had a completely different inspiration.  Does this kind of thing happen to you?  Indulge me for a moment while I wander a bit off topic.  If you have been following along you know I am in the midst of organizing my beads.  I need some of those bigger (and bigger is relative) jars.  The craft store did not have the bigger jars when I was shopping yesterday and I almost walked out empty handed.  I did, however recall that Mandy, at Beads for Brains, had asked for feedback on beaded bead instructions found at GyönGYIKék.  I grabbed a bag of cheap plastic 8 mm pearls and that is where I got side tracked.  I think a strand of silver beaded beads might be just what I need for one of those strands.  Today made two test beads. 

Test Beaded Bead.  Ignore the magenta place holder wire.

Another view of the Test Beaded Bead

I made two because I have plans for my test pieces.  The 15° silver Japanese seed beads that I used may not be a permanent finish.  Before beginning I want to be sure that I am working with the best materials.  Thus, I need to order some 15° silver delicas. 


Thanks for indulging me.  Stay tuned as I work on the slab necklace and watch for what happens to my test pieces.

Torment

I don’t know about you, but I torment myself every time I need to choose a color palette.  I pick a main color with a secondary color in mind, but something about the secondary color does not work, e.g. no beads, wrong size, wrong finish, or just a bad match.  In this case I expected to use turquoise beads with my slab turquoise but all of my turquoise beads are too blue.  I intended to use red coral in this piece too, so I looked at my red beads, here I mostly ran into too pink and the wrong finish- I want a matte opaque for the colored beads.  Which brought me around to the choice I should have made in the first place, silver.  Of course I now have to choose between three shades of “silver:” bright silver, steel, and smokey opaque grey.  I think the steel is going to be my main silver. 

In addition, I chose some blues and greens for accents.  I also picked out all of my red coral (and one red glass) for larger accents.

This is why I have a whole set of bookmarks titled color.

Classic South Western color palette

I also went through a large stack of clippings for inspiration for the composition of the multi-strand part of the necklace.

A second view of the classic South Western color palette

Turquoise

More than a year ago I attended the Intergalactic Bead Show and made a thoughtful, but nonetheless impulse, purchase of five pieces stunning slab turquoise.  Okay I was in love.  Each slab measures about 1.18 (30 mm) wide by 1.5 inches (40 mm) long by .25 inches (6 mm) thick. 

Strand of turquoise slabs

I have had a necklace design in mind since the purchase.  This necklace is going to be for me.  Thus, the cost of contents and time is irrelevant.  I will, however, keep track just in case I have the opportunity to sell it.

Close up of slab turquoise- click for larger view

Another close up of slab turquoise

A few weeks ago on A Beader’s Blog the writer posted an old draft about why she blogs and why blog readers do and do not read blogs.  I posted a rather lengthy reply.  I started this blog to drive me to get my Etsy shop up and running and to start doing more shows.  In my reply, however, I admitted that I am really blogging to drive myself to produce.  Everything else follows from production.  I am really good at being accountable to myself; even so, broadcasting my goals is an added prod.  Keep an eye on this space for continuing developments in 2012.