Turtle Box

It started back in July with pictures of the boxes posted by Julia Pretl on her Facebook page with the message that the patterns would be available soon.

Julia's Turtle Boxes

Later she posted a link to her website once they were available. I quickly added them to my collection. Then I had to decide would I use Julia's colours or my own. I looked thru my delica stash and then made a trip to fav bead store. Purchased enough beads (I hope to make all three).

Once I had finished some of my unfinished projects and up coming challenge pieces I was able to look at starting one of the boxes. I decided to start with the medium turtle box is the colours Julia used.

Start of the base

I got to the point in the base where Julia suggests attaching the head and the feet. My problem was that I did not have a crystal for the head in the suggested size (15 mm). So I put the base aside and started on the shell lid.

Start of the shell lid

As I was working on the shell I thought about other things that I could use for the head and feet. I decided to look in my drawer full of lampwork beads to see if anything would work. I found a wonderful bead that has some of the browns in it. I also had some teardrop beads from Unicorne Beads that would work for feet.

So it was back to the base to attach the head with a spacer from Unicorne for the neck. I had to play with what bead to use for the turn around. A simple seed bead was too small, crystal did not sit in place the way I would like, so I used a drop bead. Looks like a nose on the turtle.

Head and feet added to the base

Feet up view

Once the head and feet were attached I completed the base. I love using Julia's new method for starting the hem. It is much easier to get the beads on the inside of the box.

With the base completed it was back to the shell lid. This was a challenge as it has to be worked in such a way that it will accomodate the head. I had to undo a row and a half once I realized that I had misread the instructions.

Here is the finished shell lid.

Three views of the finished turtle.

Head on view

Side view 1

Side view 2

I started the box on August 24 and finished it last night (August 29).  The next two should go a bit smoother now that I have a better understanding of the design. Just need to find heads for a small and large turtle. I have enough of the tear drops to use for feet.

Hope to have a family of turtles completed soon.

Happy Beading!

Blue Rondelle Zigzig Collar

Back in 2012 I made samples of a netted zigzag collar design from Maria Rypan. It had rondelles along the edge and within the zigzag.

I also made myself a purple version to wear to a gala presentation for the Creativ Festival Designer Challenge. I used rondelles along the edge but replaced the rondelles within the zigzag with 3mm fire polished crystals.

In 2013 Maria was preparing to have the design published in Beadwork Magazine Aug/Sep 2013. I did a test run of the instructions as they would appear in the magazine. I worked with beads that I had on hand and that I would like to wear once the piece was finished.  After a few repeats I wa able to ensure that the instructions were fine. I put the sample aside until the article was published. 

Once I had the magazine in hand I did a few more repeats of the design before figuring out that I was not going to have enough rondelles for the length I wanted to make. So it got put aside yet again. I was able to get more rondelle but did not finish the necklace right away.

My summer vacation challenge to finish up some of my UFOs and the upcoming Blue Fantasy Blog Hop that I am participating in got me thinking that I should finish it.

Come back again on Saturday September 6 to see the Blue Fantasy Blog Hop Reveal.

Happy Beading!

Blue Fantasy Preview

 

Back at the beginning of the summer of signed up for yet another of Lisa Lodge's wonderful blog hop challenges. This one called to me as it was based on one of my favourite colours - Blue!

We each received a wonderful selection of blue beads along with plated metal beads and findings. The challenge create something wonderful. Here is the amazing mix of beads that arrived in my mailbox earlier in the summer.

I decided to start by looking in my stash on art beads know that I likely had some beads that could be the focal for a necklace or two.

The first I found was the lampwork bead with a number of different shades of blue. I am pairing with two of the various shades of blue in the kit from Lisa. I added accents beads from my stash.

I also found this wonderful soft blue bead. It works well with some of the seaglass and the brass beads.

Come back on Saturday September 6 to see the final reveal of these two pieces and and unique necklace combining chain and the seaglass beads.

Happy Beading!

Turquoise Drops Netted Collar

Here is another project that got buried on my beading table.

It started back in Febuary with some lovely turquoise beads that I purchased during a destash event host by Lisa Lodge on Facebook.

I wanted to make a netted collar with the drops along the bottom. I played with the colour of the seed bead, the accent crystals and the placement of the drops.

Size 8 seed beads with 3mm fire polished crystals and no picots

Same beads as above with the addition of a picot between the drops

Size 11 seed beads with 3mm fire polished crystals and picots

Comparison image

In the end I decided to use the size 8 gunmetal seed beads, 4 mm heliotrope Swarovski crystals and the turquoise drops. I did not have enough of the aqua fire polished crystals that I have used in the samples and I did not want to purchase anything else for this project.

I got the necklace started but once again it got put aside as I worked on other projects and challenges.

This only took an afternoon to finish. I used bead tips and silver tone findings to finish the piece.

Close up of necklace

Overall image

On to other unfinished projects.

Happy Beading!

Beaded DNA Jewel tone variation

I have made a variety of bead DNA bracelets, using seed beads and bugles, from Maria's pattern as samples for her booth. I have also made a necklace version using just seed beads.

Beaded DNA bracelet

In the spring when I last made samples for Maria I started a necklace version with metal goldtone 11s and three different jewel tone 8s. It looked like an enamaled spiral necklace. It got put aside with only a few inches done on it as I got distracted by other projects.

While I am on vacation for the next few weeks and decided that it might be a good idea to finish some of the project already started on my beading table. One of the first I came across was this Beaded DNA necklace. It took a couple of nights to get to the desired length. 

Then I had to find a goldtone closure to use. I don't usually work with goldtone so it is not something I have a great selection of. During the cleaning of my beading table I had found a ball and socket in a goldtone. It was the perfect closure for the necklace.

On to the next unfinished project.

Happy Beading!

Ndebele Motif Cuffs

My friend and beading mentor, Maria Rypan, is getting ready to head over to Ukraine where she is presenting about international beading and teaching her Ndebele Motif Cuff. She needed some new samples in a few new colours to take with her.

I worked on them during this long weekend. It takes me about 90 minutes to complete a cuff.

Here is the cuff inspired by Trypillian colours.

 Here is the cuff inspired by the colours on the Ukrainian flag.

This last one is two shades of blues with a cream accent.

Once she is back in Toronto she will be teaching the cuff at Beadfx in September.

Happy Beading!

Summer Carnival Blog Hop Reveal Day

It has been almost 6 months since I signed up for yet another of Lisa Lodge's blog hop challenges. I was sent a kit with a mix of crystals, sea glass and metal beads. The challenge create jewelry with a Summer Carnival theme.

Amazing selection of beads from Lisa

I had a plan for my project and everything was in a basket on my beading desk. The basket got moved and buried during the spring and early summer. As I was hopping for the Gemstone and Metal hop I saw the top image on a number of the other blogs and was reminded that I had signed up as well. So I had two weeks to make and photograph my project.

First my inspiration. Here is Toronto our big summer carnival is the Canadian National Exhibition (aka the CNE or the EX). Among my favourite parts of the EX is the International Building, to see products and crafts from around the world, and the Arts & Crafts Building, to see wonderful handcrafted products. I decided to make something inspired by a handcrafted necklace from another part of the world.

My inspiration necklace was a gift brought back from Ukraine by my friend and beading mentor, Maria Rypan. It uses to simple beaded bands and strands of strung beads.  This is made with various sized seed beads.

Inspiration layed out flat

Inspiration as it would be worn

For my version of this design I knew that I would have to use larger seed beads for the band. I used size 8 blue seed beads and size 6 silver tone metal beads. I beadwove 2 - 10 bands using diagonal weave. They are connected with 6 strands of beads from the kit and a mix of blue, yellow and silver tone beads.

Finished piece layed out flat

Finished piece as it would be worn

I like how my piece turned out. I did not use all the beads in my kit and will likely make some simple strung bracelets to go with the necklace.

Take some time to see was some of my fellow participates have created with their beads.

Our hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue

Marybeth Rich, A Few Words from within the Pines

Karin Grosset Grange, Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera

Ann Schroeder, Bead Love

Kathleen Breeding, 99 Bottles of Beads on the Wall 

Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation

Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design

Heather Richter, Desert Jewelry Designs

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Candida Elkins Castleberry, Spun Sugar Beadworks

Catherine Yvonne King, Catherine's Musings

Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes

Shaiha Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings

Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware

Eleanor Burian Moore, The Charmed Life

Dee Alcalde, Agape Creations Jewelry

 Marianne Baxter, Simply Seablime Jewelry

Carole Carlson, Bead Sophisticate

Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams

Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz

Christie Searle Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry

Dolores Raml, CraftyD's Creations 

Marianne Hurley, Reads and Beads

Marci Allen Koziolek, Krafty Max Originals

Happy Beading!