A few new pieces

Hi,
I am very much behind with taking photographs of my pieces since a couple or more months. I go through these patches at times. Perhaps it's related to the darkness of this time of the year. So now I have a lot of catching up to do. Anyway, here are three previously not shown pieces. (No the bracelet I mentioned on FaceBook the other day is not here, just in case you wonder.)

Necklace - Peace & Camping

• Happy Camper, ceramic pendant - Gaea ceramics
• Heart charm, hammered oxidized silver - DaisyChainExtra
• Peace-Love-Hope-Faith sterling silver charm - HipChick
• Dark pink ceramic round - Gaea
• Green ceramic round - Gaea
• Stoneware Espresso ceramic beads - Barbara Hanselman of BHClaySmith
• Matte dark grey 6/0 seed beads
• Charcoal grey waxed linen cord
• Chain

Bracelet - Magenta Copper Grey

• Copper rice beads
• Ruby Moonstone AB irregular facetted
• Clear glass tubes
• Matte dark pink 8/0 seed beads
• Natural Aquamarine AB square facetted
• Amazon bluegreen ceramic round - Elaine Ray
• Dark bronze ceramic round - Gaea
• Grey india glass bulky drops
• Grey AB glass rectangulars
• Waxed linen cord in pink and magenta
• Copper double stranded clasp

Bracelet - Pineapple Express

• Poppy oxidized copper clasp - DaisyChainExtra
• Lampwork glass bead - CheekyCherub
• Peach ceramic round - Gaea
• Smoky Teal AB facetted rondelles 
• Pineapple copper bead
• Coral buri seeds beads
• Copper heishi rings
• Tassel from copper leaf chain
• Coral waxed linen cord 7-ply

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All my jewelry pieces are available for purchasing, even though I might not yet have listed them in my Etsy Shop. Please let me know if you are interested in any of them. Contact me at: malindekoning[at]hotmail.com

All my best,

Malin

Bracelets

Can there be too many bracelets in the world? I believe not. Or if it can, I don't care, because I so much enjoy making them. Here are three new ones I have made recently.

• Red facetted ceramic bead by Gaea
• Golden speckled round lampwork bead by Gardanne
• Lemony-lime large rice shaped lucite beads with golden stripes
• Golden swirly hook clasp
• Brass heishi rings
• Waxed linen cord

• Golden filigree beads
• Lime green lucite beads with a golden heart pattern
• Golden toggle clasp
• Waxed cotton cord
  

• Rombic heirloom colored cubes by Elaine Ray
• Pale blue semiprecious stone smooth nuggets (chalcedon or lace agate? I can't find my records on these stones right now ...)
• Vintaj brass clasp
• Brass findings

Coming up soon, now on Friday, is the musical challenge reveal. With 80 signed up participants!!!! So much looking forward to do the blog hop and see what everyone has done. It is a great theme this time. Instrumental music!



For myself I am slightly stressed about it to be honest. I have my idea ready since a good while, but I haven't even started putting my piece together. And it is an ambitious project to pull off (it's not a bracelet he he). Or at least that is what I believe, before I even started. So I better get going then, don't I.  See you on Friday hopefully, or maybe even before.

All my best,
Malin

2 New Bracelets & 1 "Older"

Howdy friends,

Lately I haven't been all that active in the online beading community as some of you might have noticed. I get like that sometimes, just need to keep to my self for a little while. However I do feel I have been in a very productive and creative period, even if I don't post here so very regularly. And I am keeping busy with jewelry making and making my beaded beads (I have quite a few more of them now to still list in my Etsy shop :-)). Today I'll show you two bracelets I made recently, and one bracelet I made back in April, which was published on a spread with instructions in the August issue of the great British beading magazine Beads & Beyond (my first spread with instructions ever, so I am mighty proud of that). 

I'd be very happy to read your opinions on all three of them, or just any.

1.

Lovely rustic indonesian glass beads made from recycled glass. Knotted on waxed cotton cord. Vintaj brass lobster clasp and etched jump ring for closure. I really like how it turned out with the three rings with the same colored beads sitting in the middle. This bracelet is super easy to wear.

2.

The clasp made by Amanda Davies I've had for ages, it was actually one of the first art bead components I ever bought. I have always loved it, but not been able to find a  suitable enough way of using it in a jewelry piece. The black large glass nugget beads I have also had for a long time without knowing how to do them justice. Knotted on teal waxed linen cord. I am very pleased with this combo. The bracelet looks so great on, I think.

3.

Lastly but not leastly a bracelet I made some time ago, which was one of the projects in Beads & Beyond August issue. It is packed with art beads, and it was the flower clasp in oxidized silver from DaisyChainExtra that sparked off the idea in the first place. I wanted to really enhance the flower aspect of it all, to get the feeling of walking around with my own pretty front garden as it looks in mid summer on my wrist. Remember it was April so I was longing with all my heart :-). 

I made a little flower group and combined the clasp with the two pink flowers I already had in my stash. I remember I was very happy to come up with that idea in the first place, because it felt quite different from what I normally do. Three flowers in three different materials, by three different artists. The ceramic flower bead cap from ChelleV2, and the polymer clay blossom from MissFickleMedia. Enameled head pin by PaintingWithFire, and all the larger ceramic beads by Gaea. Opal pale pink glass rounds, smaller blue green ceramic round beads, copper chain and findings, and one Swarovski bicone bead.

These three bracelets will be listed in my Etsy shop within the nearest few days.

All my best,

Malin

Two new bracelets

Two new bracelets. For the coming summer season maybe?

PeaceLoveFaithHope

Sterling Silver word charm by HipChic, FusionBeads

Round Charm in white bronze from Objects and Elements

Sterling Silver heart charm by CathyDaily
Waxed cotton cords
Findings

Dragonfly Love

Green ceramic heart by Gaea

Brass wire

Dragonfly charm

Glass beads

Memory wire

All my best,

Malin

Three casual bracelets and a little bit of pride :-)

Macrame with blue-grey waxed cotton cord and selection of glass and semiprecious stones in different colors. I made this one with a particular friend in mind. She can't wear any metal at all against her skin. I hope she will like it.

Macrame with orange waxed linen cord and a selection of glass, semi-precious stones, brass beads and three white ceramic beads by Gaea.

Here's a better photograph of the bracelet I wrote about in my previous post. Ceramic hank button made by Birgitta Lejonklou of AngelWhisperer, and a selection of rustic trade glass beads, semi-precious stones and natural material beads strung on beading wire.

Now check this out

The other day I got one of the nicest compliments ever. I am so proud (do you say you are proud as a cock/rooster in English?), and at the same time I blush. But my pride wins and I just have to share with you. Rebecca Anderson of SongBeads wrote (and this is just a cut-out from the whole post):

My 2012 jewellery resolution is to be more adventurous with colour. I so often stick to monochromatic colour schemes (or turquoise and red of course...!) and whilst i do love them, and the textural possibilities they offer, I want to branch out. Two people who I really admire for their colour choices are Malin and Lorelei. They put things together in such a beautiful way.

Thank you so much Rebecca! By the way, I don't really agree with you about you working mainly monochromatic, but maybe that's just me. I myself really really love to play around with and combine colors. And I here and there read about people struggling with color in one way or another. So I got this idea that I could write a post, or a few, on the topic of color theory and my own personal experiences and thoughts on working with color. It is a large topic, and I also have a few other ideas in pipeline for posts here on my blog, to be written during the next half a year or so. So we'll see when and if I get around actually doing it. I also have some kind of still very vague idea that it might work to make the post/posts about color in the form of vlog/vlogs. Any suggestions from you on these posts, I would gladly receive.

And as I mention suggestions, I am also interested in hearing if you have any ideas on what I could bring up at my next Swedish lesson. I haven't done one of those in a while now, and it's about time I think.

Please leave your comments, and I wish you all my best,

Malin

:-)

Random wishes

Since I spend so much time roaming around on the online bead shops from all over the world, but not always come to an actual purchase I have a huuuuuuuuuge wish list. Sometimes it is just random chance that makes me end up buying something or not. Anyway, I thought I'd share a few of my latest wishes. It's not likely I will get them in the nearest month or so. So maybe you also take a fancy, and decide to go for it. Please do, and then use them in your creations. That way I would get my satisfaction anyway.

• Deep Teal Blue Faceted Pearls - Beads On Sale
• Ceramic Swirl Beads - Gaea
• Black with White Stripes Lantern Glass Beads 21 mm - Happy Mango Beads
• 5 Matching Pairs Ceramic Washers in Greens and Turquoise - Joan Miller Porcelain
• Green Vaseline African Trade Beads - Bead Chest

Hope you enjoyed!

ABS June Challenge Necklace - Somewhere Down The Crazy River

My contribution for the June Challenge at Art Bead Scene became a necklace. It has undergone a few transformations on it's journey to the final piece. Started off as a bracelet with Gaea's green button as the clasp and center piece. 7 strands of waxed linen cord strung with Delica beads size 11/0. But I couldn't make the clasp solution look good. Gave up after trying about 10 different ways. Moody about it of course. I really like all those strands.
One of the first things I picked out from my stash when starting on the challenge piece was the multi-holed pendant from RoundRabbit. Hey, look at that. I can combine them! I like!!!!

Also tried quite a few different solutions for the chain/ribbon part. Ended up simplifying it more and more. Now it's only a chain and a leather ribbon. And I kept shortening it too. I generally don't make necklaces as short as this one. But with a pendant like this you want it to sit higher. And you want the fringy bit to hang by the clevage.
Here's another pathetic try by me to take a photograph with myself as the model. This was the least bad one anyway. I might have a new solution to this "show the piece on" problem. Will see tomorrow how it works. Now I must add a note to this paragraph. I just realized this particular photo wasn't taken by myself at all. My 7 year old daughter took it for me. I guess she didn't keep her hand all that steady either ... Sorry for being unclear.

Below is the art piece by Odilon Redon we are supposed to be inspired by. It's a lovely lovely painting/pastel. And it was very easy to be inspired by it. I do have some more things simmering on my bead table for more contributions. We'll see if I finish any more of them off.Here on flickr you can see some more contributions from other jewelry artists. More will be added through until the end of the month. So keep coming back if you are the curious kind.

All my best!

Malin

I got carried away

Heather Powers just listed the umbrella pendant in her husband's Etsy shop Jess Contreras. The pendant is a collaboration between her and Jess. I saw it 3 min after she had posted on Facebook about it. OMG! What do you do when you fall in love? as Dionne Warwick sang. I saw it together with Gaea's wonderful cloud which I've been wanting to get for some time now.

So there was no reason to hold back anymore. I had to get them both. Oh, and of course a few more things ended up in my carts ...

Does this happen to you too? That you get an idea for a piece just by seeing a component? It has happened to me a few times before. It's a wonderful sensation. Like you are in flow. I mean - I already know the name of the piece ...

Have a nice weekend!

Buttons, Ceasar and crazy Gaea

I was so lucky to just in time discover the ButtonSwap arranged by Michelle Mach. We shall send three buttons to our partner. Identical, similar, related or completely unrelated. At least one button should be somehow special. Handmade, vintage, sentimental or otherwise unique. Make at least one project with at least one of the buttons. It doesn't have to be jewelry. Reveal day including a blog hop will be April 21, 2011. I just love arrangements like this. I always get totally excited. Thanks Michelle for arranging this!

And Michelle also offered to be my swapping partner, since I was late with my application. Thanks again! She told me she kind of prefers medium sized buttons with a feminine touch. Boy you could say that is almost the opposite of what I have in my own small button collection. But luckily she also said she would be interested in a challenge. Phew! So this is what I sent, hope you like it Michelle, even though it is not exactly your style:

• A rustic ceramics "Spokes and Dots" button by Tracee Dock of ClassicElements. It is rather big.
• A vintage truly weird large plastic flower button with an obscure pattern in the middle. I would really like to have been around when that design was created. HOW on earth did they think?
• A shank button I have another one of, but a smaller one (or did I send the smaller one?). I bought this last fall in an amazing button and trim shop in central Stockholm. I will take photos next time I go there just to show you heaven. Anyway I think these buttons look like fine quality fudge sweets. Yum!
• And for the fun of it I added three buttons that came in a lot of vintage buttons I recently purchased, (the weird flower came in the same lot). The text says "Stroms Goteborg", which is a shop (tailor?) for men's clothing in the town of Gothenburg on the west coast of Sweden. The o's comes with two dots to add a touch of Scandinavian exotism to it all.

Gaea Cannaday has gone crazy. She has opened a new shop where she sells things she thinks didn't turn out perfect. She calls it GaeaExchange. I think it IS perfect. The prices are a bargain. I had to buy these four lots you see below.

I get upset with everyone presenting really tempting things all the time. I HAVE to cut down on my shopping for a period. Gaea is not the only one I tell you. (Barbara!)

Radka (my neighbour that I mentioned before) left for Czech republic yesterday. Carrying with her the eleven colour print-outs of my wishes. She'll be back in about two weeks. I hope with a heavy bag of goodies. Ooooohhhhhhh!

All my best,

Malin

I have copied Gaea!

Hi,

I have participated in Gaeas challenge "Copy Me".

So this is what I made. I believe I have stayed rather true to the original, if I compare with what some of you others have done.

I got the idea almost immediately. To exchange the chain and the tag with a bent wire forming the words "dreams". And started scetching and then bending the wire.

Now you know why I HAD to buy an anvil recently.

If you look thouroughly at the pictures it is clear that at the first part of the bracelet I was a total rookie at hammering on wire, but that I gradually got better, and at the last letter I was a pro. :-)

Great fun it was! And I keep hammering whenever I get the chance.

Here is a list of some more people who has participated:

Lorelei

Michelle

Erin

For My Sweet Daughter

SueBeads

Spirited Earth

Malin de Koning

Imaginative Jewelry

Also check out Gaeas blog for more info.

More Gaea - Yes Please!

I have developed a new need.

It is just another one really.

This time it is Gaea!

Gaeas Lovely Heart

Perhaps you remember that I was the incredibly lucky winner of all the beads from the June monthly challenge on Art Bead Scene. Beads from Natural Touch, HumbleBeads & Gaea Cannaday, who all were sponsors that month.

About a week ago I recieved a really nice parcel from Gaea with a variety of handmade ceramic beads. I loved them all. But I have to admit that the big heart with the scull and the roses stood out as something I would most likely not have purchased myself. What on earth was I gonna do with that? I am not a "sculls person", you see.

But the funny thing is that if something bothers me I just can't leave it alone. So the heart has been laying on my work desk ever since I got it. And then my daughter, 7 years old Arabella, came in to my studio last night to say goodnight, directly picked up the heart and asked if she could have it. "Hm, I don't know darling, let me think about it. It is a valuable bead, you see." So after she had left I stared at the heart. Ok, it would have to be a necklace of course. How about a light blue silk ribbon? Wow, that looks really nice colour wise! I was really surprised, and suddenly really excited. That heart that I had had difficulty seeing in a piece of jewellery made by myself, was suddenly something very interesting and challenging.

I ended up sitting there for a couple of hours testing variations and putting the piece together.

So much FUN! I love it when things just happens like that. Unexpected inspiration. The three other beads are also made by Gaea. I started on a pair of really nice earrings too, that could go with necklace if you would like to. With some gemstone beads that arrived along with some other beauties from StarEyes yesterday. The end of the story is that my daughter will not get the heart after all. I will have to come up with something else for her. And the necklace will be listed for sale in my Etsy shop. I have named it "Gaeas Lovely Heart".

Thank you Gaea for a wonderful, unexpected and fun creating experience!

Links:

Gaea on Etsy

Gaea website