Creating with Cabochons - Reveal Day

Back in July I signed up to participate in the Creating with Cahochons Challenge hosted by Sally Russick of Studio Sublime.

Back in June I had worked with a Swarovksi flatback crystal for Jean Power's Zinnia class.

back view, peyote bezel with addition of strip for wearablity

Addition of petals in progress

Finished Zinnia with two layers of petals

For my next project with cabochons I decided to do a project from the August issue of Bead & Button. Reverible Romance by Amy Kohn uses Lunasoft cabochons. I decided to use the designer's colour selections from one side of each of the two options.

Purple and Teal oval Lunasoft cabochons

You start this project by gluing the two cabochons together. You then create a right angle weave base for the woven bezel. Different colour beads are used for each side.

To hold the cabochons in place a web of overlapping segments of beads is worked off of the RAW base. Once you have done this on both sides you work the crystal embellishment around the outer edge. Different colour crystals enhance the cabochon on each side.

Ths pendant is finished with a bail of peyote.

Teal Side

Purple Side

The challenge was getting the woven segments in place and the right length. Looking at the images of the finished pendant I can see the thread showing in the bezel.

I had purchased two more Lunasoft cahochons to make a second pedant in my own colour selection. I used a red and a soft grey cabochon for this one. For the right angle weave base I used the same colour (silver) for both sides. The woven bezel and crystal embellishment are in a different colour on each side.

I also decide to have this pendant hang from the short end of the pedant.

Red Side

Soft Grey Side

I have been wearing the grey/red pendant recent and recieved many compliments.


Hop around see what others have created - 

Our Host:  Sally Russick

D Lynne  Bowland

Alicia Marinache           

Lynn  Jobber           

Jenny Davies-Reazor
           

Jo-Ann  Woolverton           

Marde Lowe           

Dawn Doucette           

Mary K McGraw           

Gloria Allen           

Cheri  Reed           

Sonya Stille           

Elizabeth Owens Dwy           

Veralynne   Malone           

Tania Hagen
     

Lynsey  Brooks           

Christina Miles           

Holly  Westfall           

Kathy  Lindemer           

Patti Vanderbloemen           

Therese Frank           

Adrienne Berry           

Liz   E 

Tanty  Sri Hartanti           

Ginger Bishop

Renetha Stanziano           

Marlene  Cupo           

Sandi Volpe           
Sharyl McMillian-Nelson           

Niky  Sayers

Mischelle Fanucchi           

Tracy  Stillman           

Skylar Bre'z           

Ann Schroeder           
Paula Kramer

Jess Green           
Susan Kennedy           

Stacie  Florer           

Cathie  Carroll           
Susan F. 

Michelle Caballero       
Sabine Dittrich           
Kristina Johansson           
Kimberly Sturrup-Roberts           
Melissa  Meman
         
Cheryl McCloud         
Michelle  Timms           
Cindy  Pack            
Lynda  Carson
Cynthia  Machata
         
Julia  Harris           

Karin  Slaton

Ingrid  Anderson           

Karin Grosset Grange

Jasvanti Patel 

Inge  von Roos

Molly Alexander

Toltec Jewels  

I look forward to see what everyone else has created.

Happy Beading!

Challenge Beads in the mail

I am participating in two more beading challenges.

One is the Autumn Design Challenge hosted by Lesley Watt of Thea Elements and Caroline Dewison of Blueberri beads. They combined Lesley's metal clay components with Caroline's ceramic beads.

My package arrived in the mail this week and I have until October 2 to make something wonderful with these beautiful handcrafted beads and components. 

The second challenge is the Into the forest challenge hosted by Lisa Lodge of Pine Ridge Treasures. Lisa put together an selection of seed beads, Czech glass beads and a focal of some sort.

Here is what arrived in the mail from Lisa.  The clay pendant is by Shaterra. Green fire-polished beads and oranges leaves combined with silver lined green seed beads were also included. I have until January 11 to make something which fits the "Forest" theme.

These are both going to challentge my creativity in different ways. Stop back on reveal days to see what I am able to create.

Pepita 1st Blogoversary

It is reveal day for this fun and challenging blog hop. Back in June Alenka over at Pepita handmade post about her 1st blogoversary. To celebrate she invited fellow bloggers to sign up for a creative challenge. She would send us one of her amazing handmade components and we would have until August 11 to make something with it.

amazing components sent to fellow beaders

I received this wonderful component.

Curved turquoise coloured component

After many days of just looking at it and thinking about design ideas. I was inspired by my mobile from a few years ago. It now sits on the book shelf next to my beading table. The combination of copper and turquoise is a favourite.

During a trip to beadfx I picked up some interesting turquoise and coppers beads, copper findings, wire and chain.

The before picture

As I started to play with these beads I found that I still needed a few more things. More chain, eyepins (instead of headpins) and a closure.

Here is my design idea sketch I did on my ipad.

This finished necklace is like nothing I have made before. It is 102 cm (40 in.) long and is an asymetrical design.

The after picture

After finishing the necklace the challenge has been to photograph it. The above photo shows the over all length and design, but not the detail. Arranged over and around this small hand carved wooden bowl you can see more details.

Artistically arranged

Close up of Pepita Component

This was a challenge that had me asking myself "what if" as I played with the makeup of each of the bead connections and their placement in the design. I also got to use my new 1-step looper tool (love it!)

Here are the participants:

Ginger Bishop

Susan Kennedy

Becky Pancake

Debbie(Kepi) Rasmussen

Evelyn Shelby

Dini Bruinsma

Monique Urquhart

Jo-Ann Woolverton

Penny May

Carolyn Lawson

Ana Cravidao

Dolores Raml

Cynthia Machata

Thanks once again to Alenka for the chance to celebrate with you.

Happy Blogoversary!!!

In the mail - books and beads

Yesterday I was able to pickup not one, but two packages that had arrived in the mail for me.

The first was Jean Power's My Favourite Delicas 2. I had ordered this a few weeks ago.

I now have 27 new tubes of delicas. Some are colours I have, but many are not. I am looking forward to creating with them.

I loved the bonus spiral bound notebook for "Important beading notes". Are there any other kind of beading notes?

I also got two books that I had ordered.

The first is Marcia DeCoster's new book Beads in motion. I am hoping to get the supplies together to make the Saturn rings necklace.

The other book, Don't pigeonhole me!, is by one of my favourite children's author/illustrator, Mo Willems.  It is a collection of the sketchbooks he made to share with family, friends and associates. You get to see the doodles that lead to some of his books.

 Happy Beading & Reading!!!

Vacation Beading - Day 2 & 3

Yesterday I had lunch with Maria to celebrate are birthdays this week. We had burgers at the Works down in Bloor West Village. I gave her the Shooting Star pendant that I made on Thursday.

I spent the rest of the day working to finish my series of geometric stars from the class with Jean Power. Using the colour palette from the sea anemone as seen in Margie Deeb's book The Beader's Color Palette.

I finished the fourth star today. 

Here are all four stars together.

I just need to decide how best to display them.

Tomorrow I will do some beading in the morning and spend the afternoon with my sister and her family.

Happy Beading!

Vacation Beading - Day 1

Summer is almost half over and I am taking a short vacation from work. I am hoping to do some beading everyday while I am off. So here is day 1!

Yesterday evening my friend Anna and I took a class at BeadFX.  Pamela Kearns was teaching the Shooting Stars beaded bead from Crystal Play by Anna Elizabeth Draeger.

Class sample, beaded by Pam

Using 2 sizes of Swarovski crystals and seed beads you combine right-angle weave and netting to make this fun and sparkly gem.

I used Dark Red Coral and Jet Swarovski bicones along with galvanized silver seed beads.

It makes a simple but elegant pendant.

I am looking forward to trying other projects from the book.

Happy Beading!

In the mail - Earth 'n' Elements Pottery

Here is the latest in my series about amazing things to arrive in my mailbox. Last week I told you about Pepita's Blogoversary.

This week I am sharing with you the amazing pottery beads from Kathi Mohlman.

Back in June is saw these amazing sea urchin beads on the Art Bead Scene Blog.

I love the demin blue colour and shape of them.

I decided to hop over to Kathi's Etsy shop, Earth 'n' Elements Pottery. And wow, she has some wonderful  pottery beads and home decor items. While looking at the many sea urchin beads I was inspired to see if I could find some of them that would work with my Sea Urchin beaded bead.

I saw these lovely little turquoise sea urchin beads.

I also found some bronze sea urchins beads as well.

So here is what arrived in my mailbox from Kathi's studio.

Four Turquoise beads

Two Bronze beads

The set of five blue beads

a lovely bonus cream bead

Sea Urchin beaded bead with Kathi's urchins on a simple chain

I am looking forward to making a more complete necklace with combining the beaded bead and Kathi's beads. I bought some pearls and fire polished beads to work with them.

Watch for the finished piece later in the summer.