Etsy Beadweavers August Challenge

Etsy Beadweavers decided to start a monthly challenge. We would be given a topic for the month and we were to start creating with all those little beads. This was fun but sort of hard for me because I felt it needed to be done in dark colors and that isn't what I normally choose.The results were incredible as this is a very talented group of gals!! here is what I came up with - Hot August Nights - was the theme. Check all of the entries out on our blog at htt://www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com.

What will Septembers challenge be?

three is the magic number

Three is the magic number in this necklace.
Highlighted are three vintage mother of pearl buttons.
These came from the collection of Natalie Archer, the queen of collectors!
I beaded a curving bezel around the three buttons and let them cascade
in an elegant curve. It was beaded with light blue green delica beads with a sprinkling of gold delicas. The resulting pendant is cool and elegant with a touch of vintage appeal. The Pendant is backed in soft faux leather. The pendant is suspended on a single strand of delica beads enhanced with swavorski crystals and fresh water pearls.

Something cool..

Just finished a Sweet little knot necklace.
This one was stitched in a free form Peyote stitch which I let ruffle a lot before attaching the focal beds. The colors are a great matte earth tone mix.One of the Focal beads is a soft blue green ceramic bead, the other is a vintage Lucite bead. it has "cracks" on the inside which really catch the light and sparkle.

The bad thing about these one of a kind pieces is that I really don't have more beads just like it to do one for myself.

The Etsy beadweavers group is starting a month challenge. We will get a theme, and them create a piece that goes along. This months theme is "Hot August Nights". I am struggling to come up with an idea! It is so hot here at night we don't want to do anything!!!
Stay tuned in to see what I decided to do.

New Creation

Earlier, I mentioned that I made a trade with a friend of mine, Natalie.
I got this great box of vintage beads and things that were already started.
In the box was a bag of metal beads!
Then there was a piece that had been beaded together with wire. My first "Natalie" project Will be with this unfinished metal bead piece and the remaining beads. Thought you minght like to see how the process goes.
Here are the starting pictures of what I'll be working with.

A Little bit old....A Little bit new

One of my goals for the summer break was to learn to do beaded cabochons well.
I had learned to do them using the peyote stitch and making the cabochon real tight, but I still wanted to learn to do them with the "rings" around them.More like beaded embroidery.

I think that I've got it down!

This is one of the results.
I glued the definition of "faith" from a 1950's dictionary to the bottom of the glass bubble and started beading.
I love the results.
Old words, new beads!!
Check out other beaded creations at my Etsy store


Off to find some more words!!!

Still At it...But Not Much Time

WELL, just as I thought, once school has begun I am way busy and have a limited amount of creative time.
I made an awesome trade with a friend of mine, Natalie. She is the pack rat, queen of thrift stores and yard sale junkie number ONE.
I am making her a couple of pieces of jewelry in exchange for a box of vintage beads and buttons. As I decide what I'm going to do I'll post the projects so that you can see them.
This piece was part of an Etsy challenge to make something with the rainbow colors and leave them in the right order. I was very pleased with the way it turned out. You can see it and other items at my Etsy store.

IT'S OVER! summer break that is....

We officially start back to school in 12 hours!
Needless to say it has been a crazy week getting the room ready, meeting the kids, getting my teenagers ready, keeping the house clean so that real estate agents can show it!!
I am ready to get started though. I love the new beginning, a fresh set of kids, I even bought me some new pens and folders!
Hopefully we'll feel fall in the air soon, it is stifling HOT.
The thing that I'll miss most is the time that I won't get to bead, blog, list and promote!! I'll just have to fit everything into the little available slots I guess.

This is one of my newest necklaces. It is one of the Knots that I love to do in Free form Peyote. This one is more horizontal than vertical. The colors are a yummy pink,light olive, taupe and burgandy!

Here is to a great school Year.