Beadwork - Vintage Ethnic Necklace

My friend Maria of Rypan Designs just returned from the bead shows down in Tuscon, Arizona. She found these wonderful vintage pendants from Pakistan. She selected five blue ones for me. I have strung them with some dyed aventurine and copper spacers. It looks great. I am going to wear it today and see how it feels.

Beadwork - Lavender Pyramid

I have finished yet another box. Julia calls it Egypt and uses creams and beiges. I have done it in white and purples.

I have started two other boxes. One is called New School with fish on it. The other is triangluar with a Celtic knot design. I am putting them aside for awhile to work on my Bag O Beads challenge from the Toronto Bead Society.

Beadwork - Aunt Jo-Ann's Gum Bracelet

I made this bracelet on Sunday morning to go with a pendant that I had made last summer. I wore the pendant and the bracelet to my niece Elizabeth's 3rd birthday party. She thought that the beads looked like gum hence the name Aunt Jo-Ann's Gum Bracelet. I did teach Elizabeth that the beads were actually stone and not gum. It is Rhyolite (Rainforest Jasper) and copper Swarovski pearls strung with a copper toggle.

Beadwork - Boxes and Earrings

It has been a long time since I have posted. Christmas and all of its stuff took over my photo studio area. I have finally been able to photography pieces that I finished and did over the holidays.

First, I got the beads that I needed to finish my second dragon box. The trip to Beadfx was a good one. Bought beads that I needed to finish my box, beads to make other boxes and other planned projects and of course those beads that were calling out to come home with me (especially a strand of lampwork beads by Amy Waldman Smith).

Here is my Saphira Box (Saphira is the dragon in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle).

I still needed to find just the right thing to use as a finial on the lid. I found a beautiful 14mm cubic zircona blue bead. Here is my Saphira with her finial attached.

As a Christmas gift I was given a kit to make a pair of earrings. It used sodolite, silver and Swarovski crystals. Here they are finished.

Have made this set I realized that making earring would be a good way to improve my skills at making loops and wraps. I have since made a number of sets. Here is a selection.

I did another of the wonderful boxes by Julia Pretl. This is a square box that looks like a pagoda. Here it is without a finial on the lid.

I found a cubic zirona drop bead to use as a finial. I think that it looks great.

I have started another beaded box and hope to finish it soon. I also have my bag of beads for the Toronto Bead Society Bag o' Beads Challenge. I just need to decide what to make with them.

Beadwork - Running out of Beads

Once again I have run out of beads for a project. I have been working to finish my Saphira Dragon Box. I had to undo and replace two beads near the top of the box. I was able to complete the body of the box without breaking anymore needles or beads. I have the lid about 2/3 completed and have run out of one colour again!
I have to decide if I should put it aside until the next bead show (in March) or make the trek out to Beadfx in Scarborough this weekend. It may depend on the weather on Saturday.

Beadwork - Crystal Cube Pendants

Having finished a number of projects I decided to start something new. In the Beading Basic: Right Angel Weave publication from Bead and Button there were these cube charms made with Swarovski crystals. The pattern was to make charms for a bracelet with 3mm crystals, but there was the suggestion to use 4mm crystals to make necklace pendants. Here are the ones that I have made so far.

This one is Siam and Fire Opal.

This one is Amthyst and Montana 2XAB

And this one is all Crystal Copper.

I have a few others that I have not yet photographed. I am getting better at my wire wrapped loops with making so many of these.

Beadwork - Finishing Unfinished Projects

This past weekend I decided that it was time to try and finish some UFO (Unfinished objects). From the recent Bead and Button special Right Angle Weave magazine I had started the Edwardian Lace necklace. I had finished the necklace and had started the matching bracelet. I got to the point where I had to decide what type of finding to use. In the magazine they used an extentor chain and lobster claw. I prefer to use toggles on bracelets so that I can put them on myself. Here is my finished set.

Back in October I had started a box but I ran out of one of the colours. I was able to get the colour I needed at the bead fair a few weeks ago. I finished beading the lid and created a finial with lampwork bead and a Swarovski crystal.

At Bead Fair I took a class with Marilyn Gardiner to make a Captive Round Necklace in Copper with captive silver beads. In the class I purchased an extra kit so that I could make two bracelets as well as the necklace. I finished one of the bracelets in class. I finished the necklace later in the week. I will make up the second bracelet at a later date to give as a gift. Here are pictures of the finished necklace and bracelet.