Wedding Bling

So my friend Kim asked me if I might be interested in making some jewelry for one of her friend's that is getting married this year. I instantly thought of my Bliss Series as I just think they are the cat's meow. But she's looking for a bracelet and earrings, so my mind starting working.

I created this wedding version of the spiral weave using Swarovski AB Pink Alabaster and White Opal 4mm bicones and 4mm pearls.





And tonight I took a class at Need 2 Bead, which just lent itself to a wedding theme. It's a Basket Weave weave using 4mm Czech fire polished glass beads and seed beads. I'm thinking of making it a wider bracelet by doubling the width. There was an example at the store and it is just stunning!





Which is your favorite? Do you think a wider basket weave would look more elegant for a wedding? Let me know!

Gala Ring

Last night I learned how to make a ring! Never did I anticipate making a ring when I started making jewelry. Angie K. taught a class at Need 2 Bead on creating a Gala Ring using seed beads and Swarovski crystals. Boy, was it easy! The hardest part was choosing the colors!

The one I listed in my Etsy shop and the one shown here is not the one I made in class. The one I made in class was a light amethyst Swarovski crystal and you can see the drilled hole due to the light color. It takes away from the ring. Not cute. At all.

So, last night I made this Gold and Metallic Green Iris Gala Ring. Enjoy!

Hodgepodge

I've made many jewelry items over the last several months and taken hundreds of pictures. I didn't always blog about each piece, so I've decided to make this hodgepodge post.

Earthtone Spiral Bracelet - I'm addicted to beadweaving! I love the simplicity of the weave yet how intricate it can be with the different sizes of seed beads and the true rainbow of colors available!



Byzantine Bracelet - I recently expanded into chainmaille. You may have read about my diamond chainmaille bracelet a little while back. I posted a Tweet about it and it got the attention of another chainmaille blog and seller, Chainmaille by MBOI, who tweeted back at me and that's how I found the site to purchase my first Byzantine bracelet kit. I love the elegant look of this weave. The sterling and copper combination is just magical!



Triangular Peyote - Going along with my new found obsession with beadweaving, I bought a beadweaving book. I'm in beadweaving heaven! I picked this weave not realizing it was peyote stitch. Several other beaders have groaned when peyote is mentioned, but I found it delightful! The bright green and silver lined crystal beads really pop against each other.



Black and White Cabernet Bracelet - This weave was taken at Need 2 Bead. It was my first exposure to ladder stitch. I love this bracelet! It's so simple yet so elegant. (I say that a lot, don't I???) I think that's what I love most about beading. The simplicity of it all and the elegance.



Semi-Precious Stone and Crystal Wire Wrap - This is another creation thanks to Stacy at Need 2 Bead. Thanks to this class, I became addicted to working with wire. The beauty of this bracelet is that it can be made in any color combination. The volume of stones and crystals out there is endless!



Cocoa Bliss Necklace - This right angle weave necklace was the first class I took at Need 2 Bead. I made four other necklaces within a week of taking of the class. This necklace really is elegant. I think it's perfect for a wedding or prom.

RAW Tennis Bracelet

I have always admired the Right Angle Weave Tennis Bracelet at 1 Stop. When Need 2 Bead offered a RAW Tennis Bracelet class, I signed up immediately! They used seed beads and 6mm Swarovski crystals. After I took the class and picked up the technique, I decided to take a stab at making the 1 Stop bracelet. It uses 3mm Tierra Cast Heishi beads as the base and 4mm Swarovski crystals.

I like them both for different reasons.

What do you think?


Seed Bead RAW




Tierra Cast RAW

Egyptian Coil Links Bracelet

Working with metal is fun and exciting because you can do so many things with it! Last week, I took another class at Need 2 Bead to learn how to make the Egyptian Coil. The pattern made is from Laura Pacino and she calls it Lotz of Links. I want the Egyptian Coil to be the focal, which is what I'm focusing on.

The beauty of this link is that you can use a lot of the coils to create a striking bracelet or even necklace.

Swarovski Starburst Pendant

Tonight, I took another class at Need 2 Bead. It was the Swarovski Starburst Pendant. It's made of all Swarovski bicone crystals, 4mm and 6mm. It's a very easy pattern and can be made in virtually any color.

This one is made with Swarovski Fire Opal and AB Crystal bicones.

Stunning!

New Ideas

So, I'm always looking for new designs and techniques to use. I've become addicted to jewelry classes. This week is going to kill me.

• Monday night - 2 strand class
• Tuesday night - Wire wrapped cabochon class
• Wednesday night - Beginning bead weaving class
• Thursday night - Teardrop bracelet class

I'm very excited for the cabochon class and the teardrop class. Pictures will be posted to showcase the result!