Category: Beading

Chan Luu inspired Bracelet

wrap bracelet

 My Chan Luu inspired bracelet

 I can not tell you how bad I wanted a Chan Luu bracelet.  But having boxes of beads,  I just could not bring myself to buy the bracelet…no matter how cool it is.  Since, wrap bracelets are so popular, I was hoping to find some instructions to make my own.   I tell you, if it was not for YouTube I would not know how to do anything, LOL.   I searched YouTube for a couple of days, trying to find a video that was simple enough that I could follow the instructions.  After a lot of searching, I found the video below.  I thought I would post this just in case you would like to make your own.

Be Well and Happy Wednesday!

The other one:(…

Here is the other necklace that I made a while back and I think that I don’t care for this much.  You can’t really tell,  but the beads on this necklace are so small that it took me days to string and vary from the lightest to the darkest of colors.  This necklace would match my whole wardrobe.  So why don’t I like it?  Well, the toggle clasp is way too bulky and it’s made to look even more bulky by the cone findings.  I don’t like the layering of the 4 strands either.  I wasn’t going to post this, but I really like the look of the beads and I believe it would make a beautiful necklace, but there is something that I’m missing that would make this necklace really pretty! Right now, it’s boring, bulky and looks just thrown together.  I welcome any ideas.

On a better note, I finished my last commission..yay!  I just need to sit with it a few days to make sure that nothing needs tweaking.  This one has three dogs on a 14 x 17 sheet.  I’m also still working on mini me’s blanklet…it will probably be ready sometime after 2017 and with my luck it will be the summer of 2017, lol

I guess that’s about it for me, and I hope everyone is keeping warm.

Be Well and Happy!

 

Putting it all together…

 

Barn

Graphite on Bristol Smooth

       I put everything I have learned over the past few months and I was able to complete this drawing.  Maybe I did get a little ahead of myself, but now I have a good grasp of landscapes and buildings.   I feel much better about my upcoming commission of an old homestead which worried me to no end and it never hurts to expand your portfolio, right?

  This is the only drawing that I have, but I’ve been very busy in my absence.  I have been preparing for an arts and crafts show.  Believe me when I tell you, that I am not a crafter.  So this has been a difficult experience, but it’s also a good opportunity to sell my art.  So I’m sucking it up and making a few crafts as well as selling some of my prints. 

This is just a peek at the stuff I’m selling, but it gives you a pretty good idea.  The glass is a lot of fun to paint, which was a pleasant surprise.  ( If you have any ideas of what I can paint on these glasses, please let me know.  I have a bunch more and I’m running out of ideas, lol)….I’m also selling rice bags, handmade cards, bookmarks, Zentangle art,  jewelry as well as some prints and orginials….So wish me luck:)

Be Well and Happy!

Pearl Bracelet…

I’m back!! I know it’s been a while, but with the upcoming holidays my posts will be sporadic.  I have been pretty busy and trying to find some Christmas spirit!  I have been making Christmas goodies that have been loads of fun and seemed to be a good place to start. I have no idea what I’m going to do with 10 loaves of Icebox fruitcake though.  I hope  it can be frozen.  I have two Christmas favorites Applenut Cake and Icebox fruitcake. It’s doesn’t feel like Christmas without them. I didn’t  bother with making the cake, because nobody makes it like my mama and she makes my sister and I one every year for our birthday:)  One year she even sent us one UPS!  I did make her icebox fruitcake and man that stuff is gooood!  It’s more candy than cake and it’s yummmmmy! Then, I have been making David and Alana watch every sappy Holiday movie I can find from Lifetime, Family and Hallmark channel which is an awesome payback!   I guess next comes putting up my ugly,  sad little tree that no one wants to decorate, but me. It’s like living with two rocks. 

Anyway, on with the bracelet… It was so simple.  I just used memory wire and beaded vintage pearl beads from my stash.  I didn’t have any end beads so I just bent the ends. I think pearls are elegant on their own and should be made with a simple and light designs.  I loved using the memory wire because it gave the illusion of small strands of pearls, but could wrapped it on and off of your wrist, which I think is pretty much the style these days.    The bracelet is part of a Christmas gift and I think I’m going to wrap it around the present like a bow.  I hope she like it.

Be Well and Happy!

November 23

     This is a necklace that I made for my niece.  I’m not worried that she’ll see this post, because her auntie’s blog isn’t cool like texting, Facebook, My Space, You Tube or whatever the heck teens do these days. 

    The necklace is beaded with hot pink tube beads and the larger seed beads in clear, white, hot pink and red.  The ornament in the center is the same seed beads coiled around both strands with scrolled ends.  The findings are just 2 jump rings and a sterling lobster clasp.  I hope she likes it. 

P.S.  Does anyone know the temperature and how long to bake  Shrinky Dink? I lost my instructions:(

I hope everyone has a creative day!

Be Well and Happy!

November 17..

 
I thought I’d do a little beading for AEDM.  The tree of life, star fish, key and some findings were a present from my friend.  The hook is a bookmark.   My favorite pair is the purple stone set and they will go right into my jewelry box after this post. 

Well, I guess this is another short post.:)  Enjoy your creative day!

Be Well and Happy!

November 11

                                                                         

      This is a  simple little necklace that I made for AEDM. It definitely looks beachy doesn’t it?  It’s  a sea shell with hemp cord and two rock beads from a vintage necklace that belonged to my grandma.  Alana collected the shell on one of our trips to Emerald Isle.  I forgot which Carolina Emerald Isle is located…not only am I kinda of forgetful,  I’m also directionally challenged.  I always got 2’s on my report card on follows directions. yep, that was me…

     David comes home today and I’m really excited to see him.  He’s been working in California since last Thursday and we are ready for him to be home.  The only downside is David brings home his own creative challenges. Dirty, greasy, stinky clothes! HEY! Can I post that as a challenge;)

 

 

 

 

Be Well and Happy!

Crochet Jewelry

 

 crochet-red-black-set2My project for the day was learning to crochet and add beads to wire.  If I must say,  not too shabby for my first attempt. I like this  necklace  alot.  I think I want to make one for myself.  Maybe use copper wire and add natural stone chips.  I got the pattern from auntiebeads.com.  They have great videos with clear simple directions.  I wish I could link you to the page  (but I don’t know how)

I am really trying to use the beads that I already have on hand, but it’s getting harder to come up with ideas with my 6 pounds of glass beads and not one matches.  The bead books doesn’t help much, it just makes me want to buy more beads.  But thank goodness for seed beads and polymer clay! 

 

 

Sparklies……

CLICK ON PHOTO ENLARGE 

     Well,  This what I’ve been up too for the last week or so…beading…and lots of it!  I’ve been beading for about twelve hours a day.  It seems like a lot of pieces for just a hobby, doesn’t it?   This  time it wasn’t just for the fun of it.  My friend and I are hosting an artisan jewelry party, and I’m very excited.   We both love to paint and bead and have so many beads that we didn’t know what to do with them.  So we decided that since we get conned into so many jewelry parties, we would bead like crazy and have our own party.   We don’t expect to get rich, although it would be nice.  But it’s fair to assume that we well at least make a little extra money to support our hobby.  

The prices will be more than affordable so I have no fear that they will sell, and there is always craft fairs to think about.  The great thing about beading these was that I had almost everything on hand.  The only thing I had to buy were toggle clasps, crimps, and more tiger wire.  

      I love how everything turned out.  The large bead necklaces are really beautiful.  The wire wrapped glass you have already seen,  but I beaded instead of using cord.  The hook thingies is really some kind of tool, but I thought they would make cool bookmarks.  Then there is the little cell phone/zipper charms.   I like the key chains too. But the  beaded candle holders?  I don’t think that I will do any more of those.  The wire that I used was so fine that I cut myself all to pieces!  I tried gloves, but they were too bulky, and it just isn’t worth it to me unless I find another way to wrap. 

     I have a couple more pieces that I will post later. I didn’t get them completed until I uploaded these pictures.  One thing that you don’t see is earrings.  I completely forgot about those.  If I have time I will be making those also.   I think after this is over I am going to take a break to do some drawing and painting.  Well, I want too anyway.  I miss it! I haven’t drawn in two weeks.  Maybe if I was a better multitasker and could have gotten some drawing in, but my brain doesn’t function that way.  Yep, I’m the type that can’t do laundry and clean at the same time.  It’s either/or with me.   (Or sometimes neither)