Sunday, July 29, 2012

New Project

I don't know about you but the hardest part of each project for me is picking out colors.

Last week a friend of mine did a blog post about mood boards and I commented that I do not create mood boards or design boards.  Instead, I go through my beads and pull out what I think is appropriate for the project that I have in mind.

My next project is going to utilize a long cinnabar bead as the focal for a bracelet.  It will also include 24 kt gold iris Delicas.  Those are the only certain choices.

Here are all the starting choices:
Big mood board for cinnabar bracelet project

As I stated the only choice is the cinnabar and the gold iris Delicas.  Then, I need to make a choice between two secondary beads.  Here is the first option:
Secondary Bead with Delicas Cinnabar Mood Board Choice 1
I really like this option.  I like the gold foil in these beads, I like the visual texture, and I like the size.  This is likely to be my choice.

There is, however, a second option:
Secondary Bead with Delicas Cinnabar Mood Board Choice 2
It is difficult to tell from this picture, but these beads are mostly clear with clouds of gold dust and white swirled throughout.  The gold in these beads are a bit more visually delicate and will likely be a nice balance against the rest of the bracelet.

Both choices are viable.  I will make up my mind when I am ready to add them to the bracelet.

Planning ahead, I may be in need of a tertiary bead to round out the bracelet.  Here are my choices:
Tertiary Beads Cinnabar Mood Board

In this set of choices, I like the jade barrels, they pick up on the mood of the cinnabar focal but I don't think the color is going to be quite right.  The crystals are nice, but I think are a bit to yellow.  Finally, I am leaning toward to dark bronze beads.  Again, all options remain viable and I will make a choice if it becomes necessary.

Of course, there are going to be additional seed beads.  The gold iris beads are in the center of the picture below:
Delicas Cinnabar Mood Board
This is going to be a more limited choice.  The gold iris beads are a size 10.  I need to make two more choices, an 11/0 and a 15/0.

Finally, I do not have all that I need for the finished piece.  I need a gold tone clasp and some chain.  I need the chain because I want this bracelet to be adjustable in length.  *sigh*  You would think with all the beady stuff I own a trip to the bead store would be unnecessary.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Something Quick and a Shopping Tip

Somewhere in the midst of creating the Turquoise Slab Necklace I said I was going to make something simple, or was that fast?


You may recall these earrings made from test beaded beads somewhere in the process of the Turquoise Slab Necklace.











I really liked these.  Thus, I am repeating the design with left over beaded beads and additional Lucite flowers.
Pink Lucite and Silver Beaded Bead Earrings
Another view Pink Lucite and Silver Beaded Bead Earrings
Top View Pink Lucite and Silver Beaded Bead Earrings
Side by Side Beaded Bead and Lucite Earrings


Shopping Tip:  I am out of Fireline.  I use 6 lb Fireline for my bead weaving.  I never buy Fireline at a bead shop, it is too pricey.  I have been buying Fireline at K-Mart where you can get 150 yds for about $17.00.  (It is with the fishing gear)  Yesterday K-Mart did not have what I wanted.  This morning, I  ordered 300 yds of Fireline on Amazon for about $24.00 + shipping. 

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Kreativ Blogger Award

I was delighted when Lynsey, of Musings of the Unicorn, gave me a Kreative Blogger Award.


I thanked her in comments for her generosity and then told her it would give me something to blog about today. Then I began to think about the fact that as a recipient I need to name 10 other deserving bloggers- how the heck can I do that when I subscribe to hundreds of blogs? I decided what I would do is try to pass along an artful link to a blogger with less than 100 followers or to a blogger that you might find helpful that is not likely to popup on your radar. 

The rules of this award are as follows:
When you receive this award, there are a few rules:
1. Post a link to the person who awarded you
2. Share 7 well-thought out random things about yourself
3. Award to 10 other deserving bloggers and let them know

7 well thought out random things about myself:
1.  I read.  Now I don't just mean I have that skill, instead I mean that I am a passionate reader.  I think I would read to the exclusion of just about everything else if given the opportunity.  The books I read for pleasure are Science Fiction and Fantasy.  Need a good book? just ask.

2. I read political blogs.  I am an avid follower of politics.  I also know that when talking politics the person on the other side of the conversation has to be willing to engage, articulate, and able to put politics aside in order to keep the peace.

3. I am well educated.  I have three college degrees, none of which involve art.

4. I love to eat good food so I cook.  I follow food blogs.  I shop farmer's markets and small local shops when possible.

5. I love Native American art.  This is how my love of beaded jewelry began.  This is also why I know how to spin wool.  One of my long term goals is to make a Navajo style rug beginning with spinning the wool, using natural dyes, and building the loom which is a necessary step for this type of weaving.

6. In my professional life I tend toward positions that are in the public interest.

7. I dream, and here we are talking REM Sleep, vividly.  My dreams are extraordinary.  I sometimes share my dreams and people seem shocked at the breadth of my dreams and the details which are so far from their own experiences. 

Ten Blogs you should look at:
1) Olive Blogs.  I had intended to limit myself to blogs with less than 100 followers, but then I would not have been able to mention Olive to you.  Cat, who writes Olive Blogs was my first follower, just because I happened to mention to her that I had just started a blog.   That, however, is not the reason why I am mentioning her.  I list this blog because it is a pleasure to read, it makes me laugh often, and I get really good business advice from her.

2) Nicole Hanna Jewelry.  Nicole has not been an active blogger of late, but I am listing her anyway.  Nicole is another blogger who almost always makes me laugh, or at least smile. She also does fine wire work and writes great tutorials.  Maybe some day I will take up wire work for more than wrapped loops and simple clasps.

3) Another Country Beadworks.  I have given special mention to this blog before.  Morwyn has a great eye for design.  She also works with seed beads so what is not to love?  In addition, she recently gave up on her Etsy shop so be sure to put her blog into your reader so you do not miss her new creations.

4) Bizuteria by Dominikana.  More wirework to inspire you to something new. 

5) Pérégrinations de perles. This is not an English blog.  If you like seeing the process of how a piece is made add this blog to your reader.

6) Torque Story.  This blog has one of my favorite features: I Might Make that Monday.  How many of you do not have a long list of things you might someday get around to making?  This is a wonderful read.

7) Luann Udell.  I know Luann has more than 100 followers.  I also bet she is not in your list of blogs.  She is a great writer and pushes you to see yourself.  Plus she makes these really fabulous beads. 

8) Gabriella Gyongyblogja.  Another non-English blog, another creative beader.  Gabriella is worth keeping an eye on.

9) Créations laure : Bijoux fantaisie.  Laure does not have a list of followers.  I am pretty sure it is beyond my 100 count limit.  I am also pretty sure that many of my regular readers have not discovered her.  Laure writes complex multi-part free tutorials for seed bead weavers.  She is creative and generous.

10) Must Haves Jewelry.  Linda works with PMC, silver, and gemstones.  Not anything I do but certainly inspirational. 

Okay, that was hard.  To all you bloggers out there that I love and read regularly you were not forgotten just not quite within the lines I set for myself. 

One more link.  One of my decorating blogs had a great link to this artist:
Andrea Posada
Take a look at this beautiful work and be inspired.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Done, Done, Done

Pictures only today.
Turquoise Slab Necklace Completed
Clasp at work
Turquoise Slab Focal
Reduction Bar Side 1
Reduction Bar the Other Side (Note this is on the bust with a white back ground, the picture was not cropped oddly.)
The Turquoise Slab Necklace
Another view
Again
Another picture
Turquoise Slab from the side
Last one