Beadwork - Two months worth of work

Wow, it has been two months since my last post. I have started and finished a number of pieces but have only just finally been able to get them photographed.

So in to particular here is most of my beadwork from the last two months.

This is a simple netted necklace kit (Textured Net) from Rypan Designs. I taught this to my friend's knitting group. They loved it. My friend called me later that day to let me know that she had finished her necklace. It was the first time she had done any beadweaving.

These two are also designs from Rypan Designs. I bought these great bronze fire polished beads and used them in the Gothic Fringe design. I played with the number of seed beads between the crystals to make it the correct length without having to buy more crystals.

Of course I have also made some more beaded boxes. The first is the Celtic Knot box. I changed to colour from red to blue and I used only one colour in the background instead of three.

The second one was a requested one. My friend Anna saw my blue pagoda that I finished earlier this year. She wanted one done in black, red and white. I just topped it with a Swarovski cystal finial.

The other two pieces that I have finished are basic stringing necklaces. The first combines lampwork beads and pearls.

The second was a request for a red necklace. I had these three rectangular resin pieces that were the starting point for this creation.

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.