I Finally Did It

O.K., So as promised, Here I am posting my latest project. Remember?-, the new technique I should have tried years ago. I really don't know why on earth I waited so long. Maybe because, I've become very comfortable with the beadweaving that I already know how to do. Maybe because I'm a perfectionist and was afraid to mess up. Oh well, all that doesn't matter now. What matters is that I finally got off my lazy butt and did it. O.K., so with out further ado, here is my first bead embroidered pendant:

Can you believe that I have had the beautiful vintage glass cabochon for about a year, and hadn't done anything with it until now? So, for my first stab at bead embroidery, I decided to keep it simple. But now that I have finally tried, I can't wait to try more with it. I really could kick myself for not digging in and learning this earlier. From now on, I am not going to be such a wimp about trying something new. I believe there is a lesson to be learned here. So in closing I'll leave you with a few inspirational quotes on learning.

"One of the greatest and simplest tools for learning more and growing is doing more." - Washington Irving 

 "Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence."    -   Abigail Adams

 
TTYL and make it a good night,
Debbie

Busy Learning Something New

Hello Blog-Land,
Haven't had time to blog yet this week, because I have been keeping very busy learning something new. Something that I should have had the courage to try years ago, because I just love this technique and have adapted well to it.  So now that I have gotten your curiosity, I have to tell you that I can't post my project yet, because it is still incomplete. I am just trying to decide how I want to finish it off  and what kind of findings to use. Don't worry, I think it will be well worth the wait.

So in the mean-time, I decided that I don't have enough earrings in my shop. So here is what I did complete this week:

Just a simple pair of earrings that I came up with while playing with beads. These are really quick to make, so I decided to whip up a second pair.

Yes, the second ones are definitely for Christmas. I wasn't smart enough to plan ahead in order to make up some Halloween items for my shop, so I am trying to get a head-start on Christmas. Speaking of Christmas, I also downloaded a "Days Til Christmas" countdown widget for my shop. I know it's kind of early, but at least now I won't forget to do it later.

Well, just wanted to let you all know what I've been up to and I do hope you stay tuned to see what I have created with the new technique I've been learning. Hopefully, I'll be right back here blogging about it in a few days.

TTYL and make it a good day,

Debbie



Beads of Many Colors

I don't think that I have kept it a secret that I like Czech Glass beads. Well, actually that is an under-statement. I absolutely Love Love Love Czech Glass beads. Especially the multi-colored ones. Lately I've been posting alot about wanting to explore color. What better way to explore than with my all time favorite beads. So here is my latest creation. It is so colorful that I can't even pinpoint what color it is!!!!

Here's the long view.

The bracelet is embellished right angle weave made with multi-colored purple and green Czech Glass cathedral style beads. I also used a seed bead mix of coppery browns and metallic purples for the embellishment. When you are wearing it, the second you move your wrist, the colors seem to change right in front of your eyes. The play of light is also quite interesting with all the iridescent beads in this piece.

You can plan on seeing lots of multi-colored Czech Glass embellished with seed bead mixes from me in the future.  After all it is a no-brainer for someone wanting to play with color without having to spend a fortune on beads. In closing, I'll leave you with another pic. This time a close up. And by the way did I mention that I Love, Love, Love Czech Glass beads?



TTYL and make it a good day

Debbie

Is it Autumn yet?

Just now, as I'm writing this post, I am realizing that I really need to get outdoors more. My favorite season has got to be fall. You know, not too hot and not too cold. So as I'm typing, I'm wondering to myself, " Is it even really fall yet?" So I'm trying to picture what colors the leaves on the trees are. Then I realize, that I really don't have a clue!! Anyhow, I just now went to ask.com and got my answer. The fall equinox happens at 11:09 pm on September 22. So, now that I know, I can't wait for it to officially begin.

I'm sure you heard the saying that there is no where quite as beautiful as autumn in New England. Well, that saying happens to be true. Here is a video to prove it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_QaXZiLhro

Hope you enjoyed the video. Anyhow, here is my latest project. It is a netted choker in autumn colors. The colors in the Czech glass beads, honey and Sapphire, and the gold bugle beads remind me of the Autumn sky line here in New England. Specifically before it gets too dark, when the sky is a very dark blue and the moon is gold and the trees are full of amber colored leaves.

Yes, Autumn in New England can be very inspiring. Now I just need to get out there more, after all it is my favorite season!! OK, seeing as I've been blogging a while now and you still don't know much about me, I'll let you in on a little secret............One of the reasons I love fall so much is because I sneak most of the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups out of Tammy's and my nephew's Halloween candy. After all, chocolate can be inspiring too, right?

TTYL and make it a good night,
Debbie

The Color Purple

Ok, so I fnally beaded something which to me, is in fall colors. I have always thought of dark purple as kind of a fall color. Not dressy enough for winter holidays, and not the light purple you see all spring and summer long. Anyhow I beaded up some earrings in a dark purple and mettalic gold. Golden Glow is also a color on the Pantone fall color chart I posted a while back. So, here they are, another pair of brick stitch earrings. This time I also designed the pattern myself. 

According to Margie Deeb (The Beader's Guide to Color), this is a luxurious color pallette. I tend to agree, as this dark purple and mettalic gold together remind me of royalty. I think the best thing about the earrings is that I made them with a small amount of beads that I already had in my stash, left over from other projects. You will probably be seeing a lot more earrings from me, since it has become a recent goal of mine to seriously play with color without spending a small fortune on new beads. As usual, I hope you'll stay tuned for more. In closing,  I'll leave you with a few color pallettes I found on the web. The first is royalty and the second is luxurious. TTYL and make it a good night, Debbie.

Blog Giveaways are Cool

I've been checking out blogs forever, it seems, but hadn't been an active follower until just recently when I started this blog. Now I actively follow many blogs, because the world wide web is full of amazingly talented and creative people. One of my favorite blogs has got to be Inspirational Beading by Mortira. She posts alot about what inspires her and then shows her resulting beadwork. She also has alot of other info such as beading tutorials. So anyhow, she recently had a blog giveaway, and the color of the beads was so incredibly vivid, I just had to enter. This was the 1st blog giveaway I had ever entered, so imagine how special I felt when I won the gorgeous beads from one of my favorite beaders!! Here's a pic of the beads. They are 8mm round cobalt vintage lucite beads. The color is even more amazing in person.

Thank you Mortira for your generosity and your inspiration. You can check out her amazing beadwork and blog at http://inspirationalbeading.blogspot.com/ .

Since then, I have been paying more attention to giveaways. I plan on having one soon, too. I think it will be good karma, seeing as I just won one. I just need to find a decent prize. In the meantime, check out this giveaway on the talented Andrew Thornton's site. Auntie's Beads is giving away some Chinese glass beads. Here is the link http://andrew-thornton.blogspot.com/2010/09/thursday-giveaway.html .

So now its time for my latest beadwork. Another flat spiral bracelet. This time I got to play with a little color.

Remember the Pantone fall colors I posted a while back? Well, this bracelet comes pretty close to matching 3 colors on the chart. I used  some two toned crystal and rose Czech glass beads which resemble living coral from the chart and then I used  blue lined purple seed beads which resemble the lagoon and purple orchard from the chart. I think the colors look nice together, but to me it doesn't look very fall-like. What do you think?

Oh well, fall has just begun, and I am still studying color, so sooner or later I guess I will come up with some Autumn colored beadwork. As usual, I hope you'll stay tuned for more.

TTYL and make it a good night,

Debbie

A Surprising But Welcome Request

In my last post, I stated how excited I was to be studying color, playing with bead soup, and thinking about fall colors. Well, since then, I got and read the book The Beader's Guide to Color by Margie Deeb. Then I had started reading Color by Betty Edwards: A Course in Mastering the Art of Mixing Colors. I couldn't wait to start beading fall colored jewelry. But then all of that got put on hold, because I got an urgent request from the most unlikely of all people. So I immediately dropped everything else and completed this project for my new biggest fan. So first I'll show you the pic, and then I'll tell you why this piece is now my favorite and why I am so proud of it.

Ok, so the pic is not all that great, but it is a heavily fringed bib-style necklace. The colors are a gunmetal black and a silvery blue. This necklace is definitely meant to be noticed and makes quite a statement. Either you are going to love it or hate it, no in between. Well I happen to love it. And so does the thirteen year old named Miss Thang Tammy. 

Now, there is a story with a moral about this necklace. I started beading this at least a year and a half ago. It was a project in Bead & Button Magazine. At first I wasn't too sure about it, but then fell in love with the colors which have to be seen in person to be appreciated. I even named it, "Ebony & Icicles" You know, like the song Ebony & Ivory.  Any how, Tammy was a bit younger then and really didn't like my beadwork at all, especially this piece. She just loved to tell me how my stuff was too "out there" for normal people. That was her opinion, and she was entitled to it. So right after she told me that, I accidentally spilled coffee all over it. Not just any coffee, but coffee with extra,extra,extra sugar in it. I carefully cleaned it up with hot water and dish suds, but it felt a little weird afterwards, so I just threw it into a box and thought to myself, well maybe Tammy's right. It is a little out there. I was about halfway through the fringe, and figured I'd rip it apart and use the beads for something else. 

So, moving on with the story, the necklace got put in a box and thrown into a bigger box in the closet where it sat, unthought about for over a year and a half. Then all of a sudden, last week, Tammy comes up to me with the necklace in her hands, and says,  "You never bead anything for me. You have to finish this necklace, and I want it for my Bday" "Please?". So I checked it out and it no longer felt sticky. I immediately sat down and started working on it, and fell back in love with it. Tammy now wears it alot and tells everyone it was made  just for her by her mother who owns Abracadebra Designs, where you can get the coolest beaded jewelry!

Now you know why this is my favorite piece and why I am so proud of it. As to the moral of the story......
Pouring coffee on your beadwork makes it look nicer. No, just kidding. The moral is that if you are unsure of your beadwork, set it aside for a while. Maybe when you pick it up again, you will see it differently.

TTYL and make it a good night.
Debbie