Moon Garden Blog Hop Challenge

Greetings Fellow Hoppers and welcome to the "Moon Garden Blog Hop Challenge" hosted by Andrew Thornton. Andrew is the Creative Director of Allegory Gallery in Ligonier, PA. For the Blog Hop Challenge, Andrew assembles a collection of beads and findings and designates a theme. I was so excited to discover the palette we'd be using for this challenge. It was all pastel pink and white with gray and black accents. I admit that I am not a 'pink' girl, but the finishes on the beads and the allure of the Moon theme really got my creative juices going! Here is my bead mat after sorting out the goodies:

 

Ok, some of the mess is not part of the challenge, it's just how I roll when I bead. Now I had to get down to ideas for designs.

My first piece is part of the "Dusk to Dawn" mix-and-match set. This is the "Dusk" design, a bead and chain pull-over necklace using the smoky shades of gray and silver. The Labradorite bead is the center focal and various components from the kit were used as accents. I happen to love Labradorite with it's gorgeous shimmer and flash. Note: I had a difficult time photographing these pieces as the natural light at this time of year is diffuse and my timing couldn't be worse when I had a chance to shoot photos. If you click on the photo, it does help with some of the resolution/color issues. I'm going to try to take better pictures and swap them out at some point, but this is what I have for the moment.

The next design is the "Dawn" version. A pretty Moonstone is the focal paired with peach and milky translucent accent beads. I used rose gold chain and wire to complement the bead colors. This is also a clasp-less necklace and the two can be worn alone or together.

I also made a coordinating pair of earrings.

The next piece used the Mystery Component that Andrew makes for each kit. It is a polymer clay pendant embossed with a flower and shimmers beautifully. I used the waxed Irish cord to suspend the pendant and knotted some of the accent beads for visual interest. I made a coordinating pair of earrings. The Moon Garden set is also mix and match-able with the above necklaces.

The next design used a really cool Mother of Pearl mosaic bead. I decided to bezel around it. Looking through my seed bead stash, I realized I am not much of a Pink Lady. Most of my bead drawers are packed with blue, red, green and purple beads. I am fairly under-represented in the yellow/orange color group, but pink was just sadly neglected. I did manage to dig out some pretty pink Delicas and some iridescent 15/0s. I am just going to state for the record that the bezeling took 64 delicas around (32 Peyote) and was 13 rows deep with 4 rows of 15/0s. I managed to break the Peyote bezel, not once, but twice. Third time was the charm!  And then I thought it needed petals, so around and around we go!! I do have an amazing stash of pink Czech fire-polish, so voila..."Moonflower" necklace!

Finally, I had to make something in a Freeform Peyote/netted design with the bead soup. So, I went a little crazy...I think the bezel breaking sent me over the edge. I usually Peyote lengthwise, but this time I decided to bead width-wise. Then I decided it needed fringe (my mind works in mysterious ways). The bracelet reminds me of something you'd see under a microscope or deep in the depths of the ocean. I call it my "Fringiform Bracelet":

When you close the clasp, you get something with eye-lashes that reminds me of a primordial Cookie Monster. Bahahaha!!!

That is all for me for this Blog Hop. Stay tuned to the same Bat Channel...there are more hops to follow. To find more participants in this Blog Hop visit Andrew's Blog for a list:

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton

Or click on the links below:

Alice Peterson

Kari Asbury

Shaiha Williams

Paula

Netted Bracelet in Turquoise, Garnet and Silver with Beaded Bead Dangle

Well, that's a mouthful for a title, eh?! I had made the beaded bead awhile ago and had envisioned using it for a dangle on a bracelet. After learning the tubular netting technique, I decided the beaded bead was the perfect accent for a coordinating bracelet. I used turquoise crazy lace agate, Czech druks in garnet AB and silver 15/0 seed beads. I added additional coordinating accent beads and a decorative toggle clasp with the beaded bead dangle inserted into the accent beads. Fun to make and wear!

Dragonscale Chain Maille

I've been a busy little beading and mailling bee, finishing up myriad UFOs and plotting new twists on old designs. I finished (after running out of the Sterling Silver jump rings and reordering) my first Dragonscale chain maille bracelet in Sterling Silver and Enameled Copper (EC) in Red with a Sterling Silver tube clasp. It is a pain-staking weave, slow and intricate. However, the resulting piece is lavish and drapes beautifully! I'm working up another using EC in Red and Amber on a double bias. Yes, I like to torture myself :P

Ootheca Cuff Finished!

I have finally completed the Ootheca Cuff in Berry Colorway. The design is from Rachel Nelson-Smith's Seed Bead Fusion book. This was a labor-intensive effort, but the resulting reversible cuff was worth the time. I didn't realize the bracelet was reversible until after I had created both bases in the same color, but I did use two different colors of Swarovski bicones on either side to make it somewhat reversible. I'll no doubt make another, however, it will be one of my go-to projects when I'm between other designs. My next project from her inspirational book will be a pair of earrings that seem to be able to be worked up in a day!

Ootheca Cuff: Berry Colorway

This project was inspired by Rachel Nelson-Smith's design from her vivacious and inventive book, "Seed Bead Fusion." I chose a colorway with a ripe berry theme, since the 'bumps' reminded me of luscious raspberries and blackberries. This particular design is beautifully conceived, however, the execution is a bit of a challenge. Thousands of seed beads are required to construct this cuff and while the finished piece is well worth the time and effort put forth, let's just say I've been weaving this baby for quite some time now and I've still got a ways to go! In the first stages of the design, two 6x29 unit bases are created in Right Angle Weave (RAW). Then bumps are added to the base at every other unit. The two units are then sewn together (this is where I'm at as I type). My next step is to embellish the cuff with 3mm Swarovski bicones and then add a clasp and safety chain. I'll update as I make progress with these final touches.

I've gotten the two halves sewn together! Now for the embellishing phase...

Freeform Wire Wrapped Paramecium Cuff Bracelet

I have finally taken the plunge and have begun to learn the art of sculpting wire into shaped forms. My first attempt, while primitive, was a blast to make from beginning to end! I used a base of 12 ga aluminum wire and wrapped with various lengths of 22 ga craft wire in silver and red and finished with wire wrapped red coral beads. I really didn't have a master plan when I began my project (not something I'd recommend for a newb). I did have a vague idea of a general shape for the base, so I made a highly detailed sketch of that to help me get started (ok...note to self: in the future, maybe a little more detail).



Then I started bending and wrapping the wire and added the beaded detail when I ran out of space. I think it kind of looks like a unicellular organism or a multi-toed space alien with red nail polish. I'll let you decide :D

What's Black and Gold and Red All Over?

This is a slight modification of a Sabine Lippert bracelet design. Sabine is an extraordinary German beadwork and jewelry designer. You'll find many of her patterns at http://www.trytobead.com/ as well as a calendar of her teaching engagements. For this design, I embellished the middle with Swarovski Jet bicones and used Miyuki drops to form a beaded 'prong setting' for the crystals. I have fallen in love with Sabine's intricate beadwork designs and this lacy bracelet is the first of many that I plan to make!

Florida Orange Juice

It is not even Spring yet, but in Florida the citrus industry is in full bloom! I decided to enter this design into the Florida Beader's Calendar Contest for the February cover. This bracelet is a Japanese 6:1 chain maille weave using non-tarnish silver and tangerine jump rings and is interlaced with sterling silver and Swarovski crystal 'seeds.' Yummy! Ironically, I had a difficult time photographing this piece of jewelry as there hasn't been a lot of sunshine in the Sunshine State lately :P