Flowers and Butterflies

My day off on Monday wasn't as productive as I thought but I made two beautiful things.

Must go! Going to be late for work O_O

Budget Bride- Earrings

I was looking at wedding magazines (shh! Don't tell my boyfriend) when I saw a pair of earrings that I just adored! But I know I wouldn't be able to afford them if I were getting married. I don't even know if I'd want to spend that kind of money on earrings I might only wear once! I wonder if I'm the only girl who thinks that.

ANYHOO. I made these. These are for the girl who wants the look but can't (and just refuses) to pay the price of the real thing. Glass pearls, fire polished glass, filigree beads, sterling silver hooks... just as pretty as the ones in the magazine and affordable!

Will post on Etsy soon. Alternate views! I love alternate views :D

Not-So-Traditional Pearls

Browsing the sale rack at Michaels, I came across these HUGE glass pearls and instantly remembered Lisa Crone's post over on her A Bead A Day blog about her find of huge glass pearls at JoAnns. I've never done anything with a bead this big at all before, and thought I should be daring and try something out! Afterall, how can we create something new and exciting without pushing ourselves into the uncomfortable?

Driving over to my bead store as soon as I made this purchase, I found big silver hammered rings and I could clearly see the design in my head.

I think I would wear these with my hair up, just to make sure everyone could see them. I love the delicate filigree beads against the boldness of the pearls. And the colors just make me giggle.

Maybe I should have tried another design with the other pair of earrings... oh well. I still have four pearls left to play with! Yay!!!

Rainy Day Beading

It has been STORMING here in southern California. I'm sure other parts of the United States are used to this kind of weather, but a "tornado warning" for Orange County? Really?

Personally, I love the rain. It's calming. And I felt ready to tackle a project that had been growing in my head for a little while. Not a complicated one, but a project nonetheless.

I can't reveal what is going to happen to this bracelet/earring pair just yet... because I have no idea who is going to be reading my blog. And I'd like to keep it as a little bit of a surprise, but I did want to share this design with whoever does happen to read my blog.

This bracelet was made using memory wire and five-holed spacers. The seed beads are from a bead soup I mixed up with purples, blues, white with a slight gold finish, and a touch of hot pink and brown. Four little metal dragonflies are worked into this bracelet. The dark blue beads are glass and look like stone. The purple beads are glass crackle beads. There are also lavender glass pearls and lavender fire polished glass beads. Its really very spring-like in my opinion.

I finished the ends with more spacers and chain on two of the three pieces of memory wire. Without the chain, the bracelet felt un-secure when I tried it on (is that a word? Un-secure?). On the middle piece of memory wire, purple Crystazzi crystal beads dangle and add just a touch more sparkle. Not really in a noticeable place but something that is waiting to be found.

Not one to waste, I used some of the scrap wire from the Crystazzi dangle beads to start a pair of earrings to match the bracelet. More seed beads and metal dragonflies. A touch of lavender fire polished beads. And a bit more Crystazzi sparkle.

Purples and silver really are my favorite colors to bead with right now. Hopefully, I can branch off and do something a bit different for next time.

Happy beading, all!

Note: I feel compelled to tell you that I watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy while I make things... drawing, painting, bookbinding, beading... all things made by me are made with Lord of the Rings playing in the background. Movie, movie with commentary, or special features. While making these, I was listening to the cast commentary of "The Return of the King." And Billy Boyd, who plays Pippin, has a fantastic Scottish accent. Well, while writing this, and even while I'm writing this little note, the words are being said in my head in his voice. Isn't that odd? It makes me giggle.

A Bracelet for Vanessa

A few weeks ago, I made a bracelet for my friend, Vanessa. It was kind of a "Hey, cheer up. Here's something shiny," gift. I haven't known her for too long but she is probably one of the nicest people I've met and luckily for me, is turning out to be a really awesome friend. Also, she turned me on to barbacoa burritos from Chipotle (with guacamole, thank you very much). That in itself means we'll be friends forever.

Vanessa's favorite colors are red and black (what a great choice; those were my fave colors in high school) and I chose to make a bracelet with red Swarovski crystals and black glass beads. I used a silver plated wire for the links for her bracelet. Well, that silver plated wire tarnished quicker than you could say "monkey pants."

I also didn't think of how much Vanessa uses her hands and the original dangle I made for the end of the clasp's chain broke. Originally, it was three beads on a single head pin that was looped onto the end of the chain. Well, that head pin broke and the crystals were lost to the carpets at Borders... so I went ahead and replaced them and made three separate links hoping that the "wiggle room" of the links will make it last longer.

I ended up re-doing the bracelet with sterling silver wire. Hopefully the wire wont tarnish like the plated wire. I'm told that all metal tarnishes over time. I can't always afford sterling silver but I made this for my friend and I want it to last. Besides, the silver was on sale that week... it was like a sign. :P

Also, you can see I used clear silver lined seed beads on each link. That was to help add length and a little more shine and texture to the bracelet.

Now, because I'm a curious lass, I took the tarnished wire from the old links and wanted to see if I could just clean them up. I have a polishing cloth that says it gets rid of tarnish... and in the before and after pictures (before being on the left and after being on the right) you definitely can see a difference. I didn't get rid of all the tarnish... it was, after all, 3AM when I decided I needed to work on the bracelet RIGHT NOW. But, there was a difference. However, the silver has turned yellow. I'm assuming the metal under the silver plating is brass. Actually, I'm not even sure that the packaging said "silver plated." Maybe it just said "silver color." I should read the package closer.

I haven't a problem with tarnishing with the earrings I've made for myself (using the same metal as the original bracelet). Maybe its because it hangs off of the ear and doesn't touch skin. Hmm...