If you want a chance to win the bead set and pendants shown above (LOVE the heart pendant), share the good news on your Facebook, blog, Twitter etc. You can read more about her giveaway here.
Wednesday, 5 June 2013
Gaea's giveaway
Gaea Cannaday's new bundles, bead sets and pendants are now available on Lima Beads! And she's having a giveaway to get people to help spread the word.
If you want a chance to win the bead set and pendants shown above (LOVE the heart pendant), share the good news on your Facebook, blog, Twitter etc. You can read more about her giveaway here.
If you want a chance to win the bead set and pendants shown above (LOVE the heart pendant), share the good news on your Facebook, blog, Twitter etc. You can read more about her giveaway here.
Sunday, 19 May 2013
More earrings
I made more earrings today. The photos were taken with my phone so they aren't too great. I'll re-take the pics when I have time later in the week. I'm thinking of listing both earrings in my Etsy shop but am not too sure if I need to tweak them first. I'd love it if you could drop a line or two to tell me what you think.
Dyed Howlite discs, pewter spacers, polymer clay charms handmade and gifted to me by Maybeline Tay of The Jewelry Larder.
Paper beads by the awesome Gillian McMurray, orange cord, gold Czech beads and brass spacers.
Dyed Howlite discs, pewter spacers, polymer clay charms handmade and gifted to me by Maybeline Tay of The Jewelry Larder.
Paper beads by the awesome Gillian McMurray, orange cord, gold Czech beads and brass spacers.
Tuesday, 14 May 2013
Patina inks and earrings
If you're wondering where my BSBP7 Reveal post is, don't worry, it's here.
Before you go haring off to check out what I made, you might want to take a look at these new earrings. I succumbed and bought myself a few bottles of Vintaj Patina Inks. I unearthed a pair of brass frames I've had for the longest time and had a fine old time dabbing/painting the inks on. This is the result:
A couple of Swarovski pearls for the centres and some copper-tone ear hooks and I've got me a pair of vaguely vintage-y earrings. I call them Springtime Bouquet.
Before you go haring off to check out what I made, you might want to take a look at these new earrings. I succumbed and bought myself a few bottles of Vintaj Patina Inks. I unearthed a pair of brass frames I've had for the longest time and had a fine old time dabbing/painting the inks on. This is the result:
A couple of Swarovski pearls for the centres and some copper-tone ear hooks and I've got me a pair of vaguely vintage-y earrings. I call them Springtime Bouquet.
Monday, 13 May 2013
And the winner of the giveaway is.......
.........Commenter No. 2 ie. Lori Schneider! Congratulations Lori! Caliban's Treasure will be winging its way to you very soon. Please leave me your email address and I'll be in touch to sort out the shipping etc.
Many many thanks also go out to the other 5 lovely people who left such nice comments. I wish I had several Caliban's Treasure to give away to each of you.
Many many thanks also go out to the other 5 lovely people who left such nice comments. I wish I had several Caliban's Treasure to give away to each of you.
Sunday, 5 May 2013
Thank you & a giveaway
Thank you all so much for your kind, generous comments about my BSBP pieces. I'm (very) slowly making my way through the 3rd Reveal - and the 2nd and the 1st - and leaving my own comments on your blogs. It may take me all year but I'll get there in the end. Till then, please know I appreciate every comment that I receive.
I was tickled by the fact that so many of you liked Caliban's Treasure - my 'unpretty' fishnet earrings. You guys are too funny! In view of the love you've showered on my decidedly odd earrings, I'm holding a giveaway - of Caliban's Treasure itself! Leave a comment below and I'll pick a random winner on 12 May (Sun). I'm willing to ship internationally so everyone is welcome to try. Best of luck!
I was tickled by the fact that so many of you liked Caliban's Treasure - my 'unpretty' fishnet earrings. You guys are too funny! In view of the love you've showered on my decidedly odd earrings, I'm holding a giveaway - of Caliban's Treasure itself! Leave a comment below and I'll pick a random winner on 12 May (Sun). I'm willing to ship internationally so everyone is welcome to try. Best of luck!
Saturday, 27 April 2013
My BSBP Reveal
Hello & welcome to the 7th Bead Soup Blog Party 3rd Reveal! Before I go any further, I just want to thank the hostess with the mostest (mostess?) Lori Anderson for once again coordinating this amazing event. You'll know by now that she's put together this blog party while grappling with an extraordinary amount of pain. A couple of Reveal postponements were necessary but while Lori may have fretted over them, I welcomed them with open arms :-). As usual, I put off making my creations and the extra time was very much appreciated. So - thank you Lori, and I hope you're doing better now.
Now, on with the Reveal. To jog your memory, this is what I received from my fabulous partner, June Butt, from New Zealand - a generous helping of soup that included some gorgeous paua beads.
Guided by the colour palette, and the fact that June lives by the sea, I decided my creations would have an ocean/sea theme. The soup also made me think of Shakespeare's The Tempest. Don't ask me why. My mind is a strange place sometimes.
I also decided that I would explore new techniques and materials (for me) in my creations. I knew there was a possibility I would fail miserably but I figured - isn't this what the BSBP is for? An opportunity for us to get out of our comfort zone when designing and creating? In the end, I think I had a mix of hits and misses.
First up....a wire-crochet necklace. May I just say here - I have the utmost respect for those of you out there who wire crochet (or just plain crochet or knit) on a regular basis. Those hooks are a menace! Just so you know, I took apart this necklace about 3 times before I was satisfied.
And a matching bracelet:
I call the necklace/bracelet set Miranda's Pretties.
You can't see the clasps in the photos above but the bracelet is closed with a faux leather button in a vaguely snakeskin finish (first time ever using a button in jewellery) and the necklace has a mermaid clasp.
Edited to include a close-up of the gorgeous paua focal. June drilled 3 holes in it and I couldn't leave well enough alone, so I strung some seed pearls to form a bow on the side.
After I finished those, I then did a 180 and made a couple of pieces that are much less polished and, for lack of a better word, 'unpretty'. If anyone asks, I think I just ran out of pretty. LOL.
I was attempting to recreate the look of a fishnet. It was supposed to be a caught-in-a-trap sort of concept. I think the earrings turned out looking rather squid-like (octopus-like?) instead. Which, if you think about it, is still in keeping with my sea theme. Anyhow, I call this Caliban's Treasure.
And since I honoured Caliban, I couldn't possibly leave out Sycorax (Caliban's witch mother, not the Dr Who alien). So I made Midnight Magic.
I still had some beads left, and I wanted to make something that wasn't jewellery. This is what I came up with.
It's supposed to be a scallop shell made of wire and beads. It needs to be re-worked, clearly. I think Miranda might have made this as a child from scraps gathered from around the island. So maybe this is Sparkly Scrap Shell?
By now, some of you must be thinking - "wait a minute, where's the clasp? I thought we had to use the focal and clasp?" Well, yes. It's a rule and I didn't forget.
The clasp June sent was too pretty and detailed to be stuck at the back of a necklace or bracelet, so I used it in a pair of asymmetrical earrings. Along with the wee silver frog and beautiful Swarovski crystals she sent. The earrings are now the property of a froggy-loving friend. I didn't name them btw but I was leaning towards Ariel's Light. What do you think?
So there you have it! My six bead soup pieces. June - I hope I did OK with your beads, and thank you for being such a wonderful partner. Everyone else - do let me know which pieces you think are hits and which are misses. I'll work on the misses, I promise! Thank you for hanging in there - I know I rambled more than usual.
Now, since I've taken up enough of your time, let's go visit June and the other participants of the 3rd Reveal.
Now, on with the Reveal. To jog your memory, this is what I received from my fabulous partner, June Butt, from New Zealand - a generous helping of soup that included some gorgeous paua beads.
Guided by the colour palette, and the fact that June lives by the sea, I decided my creations would have an ocean/sea theme. The soup also made me think of Shakespeare's The Tempest. Don't ask me why. My mind is a strange place sometimes.
I also decided that I would explore new techniques and materials (for me) in my creations. I knew there was a possibility I would fail miserably but I figured - isn't this what the BSBP is for? An opportunity for us to get out of our comfort zone when designing and creating? In the end, I think I had a mix of hits and misses.
First up....a wire-crochet necklace. May I just say here - I have the utmost respect for those of you out there who wire crochet (or just plain crochet or knit) on a regular basis. Those hooks are a menace! Just so you know, I took apart this necklace about 3 times before I was satisfied.
And a matching bracelet:
I call the necklace/bracelet set Miranda's Pretties.
You can't see the clasps in the photos above but the bracelet is closed with a faux leather button in a vaguely snakeskin finish (first time ever using a button in jewellery) and the necklace has a mermaid clasp.
Edited to include a close-up of the gorgeous paua focal. June drilled 3 holes in it and I couldn't leave well enough alone, so I strung some seed pearls to form a bow on the side.
After I finished those, I then did a 180 and made a couple of pieces that are much less polished and, for lack of a better word, 'unpretty'. If anyone asks, I think I just ran out of pretty. LOL.
I was attempting to recreate the look of a fishnet. It was supposed to be a caught-in-a-trap sort of concept. I think the earrings turned out looking rather squid-like (octopus-like?) instead. Which, if you think about it, is still in keeping with my sea theme. Anyhow, I call this Caliban's Treasure.
And since I honoured Caliban, I couldn't possibly leave out Sycorax (Caliban's witch mother, not the Dr Who alien). So I made Midnight Magic.
It's supposed to be a scallop shell made of wire and beads. It needs to be re-worked, clearly. I think Miranda might have made this as a child from scraps gathered from around the island. So maybe this is Sparkly Scrap Shell?
By now, some of you must be thinking - "wait a minute, where's the clasp? I thought we had to use the focal and clasp?" Well, yes. It's a rule and I didn't forget.
The clasp June sent was too pretty and detailed to be stuck at the back of a necklace or bracelet, so I used it in a pair of asymmetrical earrings. Along with the wee silver frog and beautiful Swarovski crystals she sent. The earrings are now the property of a froggy-loving friend. I didn't name them btw but I was leaning towards Ariel's Light. What do you think?
So there you have it! My six bead soup pieces. June - I hope I did OK with your beads, and thank you for being such a wonderful partner. Everyone else - do let me know which pieces you think are hits and which are misses. I'll work on the misses, I promise! Thank you for hanging in there - I know I rambled more than usual.
Now, since I've taken up enough of your time, let's go visit June and the other participants of the 3rd Reveal.
Sunday, 21 April 2013
Still here & BSBP Reveals
If anyone's wondering, I'm still here :-). Just a little overwhelmed by real life. I've been ill pretty much most of last month, and my 20yo cat is now terminally ill so life's been mostly crap lately (pardon my language).
To take my mind off things, I've been checking out the amazing creations of fellow jewellery makers who participated in Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party. The response to the BSBP was so enthusiastic this year that there are THREE reveal dates. I'm slowly ploughing my way through the 1st and 2nd Reveals and I strongly encourage you to do the same. Take it nice and slow so you appreciate all the effort and creativity that each participant invested in their pieces. You can go here for the 1st Reveal links and here for the 2nd Reveal.
The 3rd reveal will be next week, 27 April - and that's my reveal date. So come back then to see what I made with my partner's great bead soup.
To take my mind off things, I've been checking out the amazing creations of fellow jewellery makers who participated in Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party. The response to the BSBP was so enthusiastic this year that there are THREE reveal dates. I'm slowly ploughing my way through the 1st and 2nd Reveals and I strongly encourage you to do the same. Take it nice and slow so you appreciate all the effort and creativity that each participant invested in their pieces. You can go here for the 1st Reveal links and here for the 2nd Reveal.
The 3rd reveal will be next week, 27 April - and that's my reveal date. So come back then to see what I made with my partner's great bead soup.
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