My Own Bangle From Rebecca's Tutorial On ABS

Yesterday Rebecca Anderson gave us a tutorial on Art Bead Scene. For a bangle bracelet including art beads and using the Vintaj hoop as a base. I have since a while admired this design of Rebeccas, AND I have played around a few times trying to create something useful with the hoops I have in my own stash. I never was pleased enough however, always took apart what I made.

So yesterday I thought, I must give this style a go. Now that I have a great tutorial to use. Check out Rebecca's tutorial here.

I followed Rebecca's advice to start off with finding the main art bead. And I chose Claire Maunsell of StillPointWork's large hollow polymer clay bead. It's irregular, mystical and wonderfully beautiful. There's something about Claire's work that always makes me feel like the things could have been found in an obscure and not yet discovered place in nature. Or like they are reminescents from way back in time. Long before the dinosaurs even. When the earth was forming different materials and structures. I have noticed that I have a particular weakness for components with that feel in general. There is more of that style in my stash.

Anyway, after the focal it was time to pick the other parts, for the dangles/charms. The focal gave me the overall color scheme, which I stuck to, just adding a few dashes of color here and there.

Here's my result:

Looks neat ey!? Sort of Christmassy. Or just wintery.

Art Beads included are:

Large hollow polymer clay bead in white, grey and black - Still Point Works

White Stoneware Flower Bead/Bead Cap - ChelleV2

Black Stoneware Ring/Star - Starry Road Studio

Robins Egg Blue dangle/charm with enameled parts - Miss Molly's Design

Enameled ring - C-Koop

I think I will wear it on Christmas Eve, which actually is the day when we celebrate here in Sweden. And probably also the other days. Have you made any jewelry to wear for Christmas?

All my best,

Malin

2 new necklaces and one "old"

Persian Influence Necklace

For this month's ABS Challenge Heather Powers chose the painting Persia by George Barbier (made in 1912).

It is a wonderful Art Deco illustration and when I first saw it I was struck by all the curvy movement in the composition, whereas the motif itself is so still. That contrast is very exciting to me. And I am attracted to all the shapes in the painting.

Art Bead Parts:

• Robin eggs blue enameled focal pendant, plus two enameled almond shaped beads, by Molly Alexander of Miss Molly's Designs.
• Verdigris diamond shaped chain, plus light pink almond flower, by MissFickleMedia.
• Rosey copper S-clasp, plus headpins, by E2S Supplies.
• Lilac ceramic bead, by Gaea
• Small hammered copper swirl, plus copper "surrounding with leaves" (around the almond flower) by myself, Malin de Koning

Other parts:

Crab fire agate rounds, round orangy gemstones (that I can't remember the name of), copper parts and beads, facetted glass beads in black and lilac, verdigris lucite twisted triangular tubes, carved flowers in pink coral.

You Are My Home

With this necklace I started with that wonderful strand of recycled sari. Which is a bit unusual for me, I generally start with one or a few beads, and then I build from there.

I have a big bunch of ribbons hanging on my wall, and suddenly that red one just spoke to me. I thought, "oh dear, such a vivid colour, will anything manage to match that?" I found SwoonDimples focal in my stash, and not thinking really I picked it and saw it worked really well together. Now when I think about it, maybe the love and passion in the message is lifted forward by the red. And then it just went from there. I used a lot of components in matte antiqued silver. And the shorter chain to the left I put together myself. I really like the every other thick and thin rings.

What I find fascinating though is that I had not looked at any other jewellery with that shape of focal before I made this necklace. The connection links are sitting a bit oddly. But after I had made that circle with the red three-cut czech glass, I got a bit curious and looked around a little. And guess what, Lorelei Eurto has used the same solution with a ring shape on the right connector and a little dangle on the left one to kind of balance it up.

How extraordinary weird in a sense. Or perhaps some pleasant forms and compositions are just universal. I don't know. Or perhaps I just like the same things as Lorelei. I do LOOOOOOVE her jewellery and she is one of my biggest inspirations. I just want to let you know Lori, considering this discussion about copy cats that has been going on lately, that I did NOT copy your design. I would never dream of doing that. Ever. It would be so embarrising. I love to be influenced by others, but I do want to create myself.

That piece you posted about is so interesting, coz although the other person copied your design so shamelessly, his/her piece looks like crap, and yours look great. It is all in the feeling for the details and the proportions. That is why you are a great and world wide appreciated designer and the other person is just a pathetic copy cat. Nuf said!

I really like Gaea's approach on the topic too. I hope I will end up being one of the designers drawn for the challenge. It would be such great fun.

Wild Summer

This is a 6-strand necklace I made last summer. I haven't had any good photos before, but now I think I can show you.

I had so much fun making this crazy wild composition. I kind of see myself wearing it for a wild summer's garden party in the countryside on midsummer, where we would dance like crazy outdoors until 4 o'clock in the morning, and the sun would never totally disappear behind the horizon. The rest of my clothes would be all white, and I would probably take off my shoes after a while and be barefoot on the grass. This would not happen nowadays though, but not too many years ago I would wirl around there in the grass, and then chatting like crazy with some nice and equally talkative people.

Hope you enjoyed this post, and I wish you a great Sunday.

All my best,

Malin