Finally framed

I finally got my hand marbled peacock print framed. I got this print at the 2009 Christmas One of a Kind Show from Studio Robert Wu. I was saving up to have it framed as I knew that it would likely cost over $200 to have it done. Getting it done was given a kick start when there was a Groupon for framing at Artworld of Sherway. I took the print in earlier this month and the helpful staff that Artwork helped me select mats and framing. I pickup the framed piece on Friday.

 Here is it now on the wall in my bedroom. It looks great!

Flashback Friday - Celtic Glass Knot

I like the look of Celtic knots. I have done them in cross stitch and loomwork. I had some beautiful pewter Celtic knot beads, one of which was a ring. I wanted to create a necklace using a length of silk cord. I saw some great lampwork beads at Susan Stortini's booth at a show that looked like knots.  I knew that they would look great with the pewter beads. But she did not have them in the colour I was wanting to use, a heather purple. Once I explained what I was looking for she offered to make in the colour I wanted. Shortly after the show I got my beautiful heather purple glass knot beads.

Here is the necklace using just the silk cord and four of the glass knot beads.


Here is a bracelet with the pewter Celtic knot beads accented with lampwork beads and a few Swarovski cyrstals.

Owl Trio Necklace

Today was the start of another six week session of Toddler Time at my library. I read one of my all time favourites, Owl Babies. I wore my newest necklace inspired by last week Flashback Friday and the fabulous owl beads I was given by my friend Maria.

I combined the owls with Swarovski crystals, fire polished rondells,and some elongated bicone silver spacers. This was a great piece to wear. I will work on a coordinating bracelet with the matching little owls.

Copper Armoured Dragon Necklace

For the last few weeks I have been working on samples for Maria of Rypan Designs. I delivered the last of them to Maria this afternoon. I decided to make something using some of the lampwork beads that I purchased last month.

One of the sets was called dragon eggs. They looked like mottled green dragon skin to me. I combined them with copper beads, spacers and Swarovski crystals.

I looked forward to wearing this tomorrow and seeing what my co-workers think of it.

Flashback Friday - Owl Babies

As a children's services staff member at Toronto Public Library I do Ready for Reading storytime for toddlers and one of my all time favourite storytime books is Owl Babies by Martin Waddell.

At a TBS garage sale a few years ago someone was selling these cool little wooden owl beads. I knew just what I would make with them, so they came home with me. I combined them with other wooden beads that I had in my stash to create this bracelet with three babies owl (Sarah, Percy and Bill).

Owls, in general,  are a favourite of mine. Knowing this Maria gave me a number of different owl beads from her recent trip the bead shows down in Tuscon. I look forward to make some new wise and fun owl pieces soon.

Flashback Friday - Herringbone Pansy

This morning I was looking in the hanging storage boxes of my finished jewellry to find pieces to use for Flashbacks. I found a number of pieces that have not been blogged about. Here is the first piece.  

This is necklace featuring a beautiful pansy bead by glass artist Kirsty Naray. Instead of stringing it with other beads as I have with many other necklaces, I beaded two herringbone tubes which cover the beading wire. It is a simple but elegant way to wear an amazing lampwork bead.

Chain Linked Heart Necklace

With Valentine's Day just over a week away and a beautiful heart bead set from Crafted Gems I decided to make a necklace. I combined this beautiful heart bead set with red and crystal Swarovski crystals.

I made a center section of the lampwork beads crystals, which I linked to small sections of crystals. I finished it by adding a length of chain on each end.

Flashback Friday - Lariat

This week's flashback is the vesatile Retro Lariat from Rypan Designs. With no closure the lariat is a long band of beadweaving. You can make it as long as you want. It can be worn is so many different ways, including as belt (if long enough).

Retro Lariat

This is a simple netted design, colour placement creates the zippered look. The lampwork beads add interesting breaks in the basic beadweaving.

Fringe Detail

 Here is the coordinating bracelet and earrings.

Indo bracelet and earrings

Have a great weekend.

Briolette Earrings

On Saturday January 22 I was helping Maria with her classes at Bead Rock, a bead store in Ajax. Of course I could not resist looking about and I found these great blue goldstone briolettes. I also got two stands of fire polished rondelles.

I played around with a few ideas, but was inspired by instructions I saw on how to wire wrap a briolette. I decided to try a few with the plan to use them in a necklace. The necklace design is still a work in process. I decided to make a few sets of earrings.

With just briolettes

With Swarovski crystals accents

The success of these earrings had me digging in my gem and mineral drawer to see what other briolettes I had. I found a strand of moss agate briolettes. There was a mix of colours from a moss green to a pale gray.

Moss green stones with Swarovski crystal accents

Pale gray stones with purple Swarovski crystal accents

I am getting better at wire wrapping. I hope to find just the right chain style to make my original necklace idea work soon.