Glam Rock

I’ve been so quiet lately… but I have a great excuse… I was in hospital and had an operation a month ago… the recovery is six week… all is well and as I'm regaining my strength I started to bead again!!! :-)

During my time in hospital and for the first 2 weeks thereafter I read everything I could find on metal smith, soldering in particular and some hammering… yes, my next new craze!!!! I’ve decided to expand my jewellery making repertoire into including metals… I have no idea what I’m doing, but have ordered all the tools needed to get me started… they should be here in about 2-4 weeks!!! :-) I’m so excited… and nervous… a bit scared of the torch… but I’ll give it a go! :-)

So my mind has been occupied with metals… which would explain the new pieces I created… very bold, very geometric and very clean design…

Here are three new pieces I’ve been working on for the last few weeks… yes I’ve been working/beading at a snail’s pace! :-) but my pace is picking up as I continue to feel better with each passing day! :-)

Glam Rock Black Leather Cuff 

Glam Rock Necklace

 Glam Rock Silver Cuff

 

I’ve got another necklace… but just as i was finishing it… I notice a mistake, so had to chop off some of it to redo it… but it will have to wait… hopefully I’ll finish it off tomorrow… in the meantime… I’m happy to be “back”! :-)

Wishing everyone, happy beading!!! :-)

Queen Boudicca

“…So the Queen Boadicea, standing loftily charioted,
Brandishing in her hand a dart and rolling glances lioness-like,
Yell'd and shriek'd between her daughters in her fierce volubility….”

From “Boadicea” by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Boudicca (also known as Boadicea) was the warrior Queen of the Celtic Iceni tribe; a patriotic Briton, a heroine, a woman and a leader who stood her ground against foreign invasion.

This necklace was created for the next Bead Art Originals Colour Inspiration – Black, dark green & copper with Boudicca as inspiration for the beginning of September. The necklace was created around a fellow Bead Art Original member’s (Lisa Peters Art) cabochon.

Queen Boudicca – OOAK Necklace

I’m so in love with this necklace!!! and I’m so reluctant to part with it!!! it looks soooo good on me!!! and it’s just so me!!! I wish I had another same shape cab from Lisa Peters Art and I would make myself another one in a heartbeat… but alas, Lisa’s work is OOAK (I have to ask her if she has any similar cabs in the same shape)….

Revisiting Old Friends

If you knew me really well…. you would know that I consider a little trinket hanging over a piece of string or leather, my most prized possession!!! Apart from when I get dressed up and actually go out…. which is so (soooooo) rare lately, I love wearing really simple jewellery…. the same sort of jewellery I wore when I was 16!!! :-) OK… so I’m immature and refuse to grow up + I’m a rebel at heart! :-)

About 2 years ago, I made this pendant which was so perfect for me! So I decided to keep it!!! If you have been following my blog you may have seen it… and in case you are new or have simply forgotten here are my posts from 2 years ago:
http://triz-beadingmania.blogspot.com/2008/07/not-sure-where-this-is-going.html
http://triz-beadingmania.blogspot.com/2008/07/keeping-it.html

One of my favourite pieces of jewellery I own!!!

I wear this all the time…. and I mean all the time! I go swimming with it (something I would definitely not advise anyone to do, especially with beadwoven jewellery), shopping with it, walk the dogs in it… basically anytime I want to wear something turquoise and I don’t want to ruin some of my other prised possessions… I wear it! :-)
Whilst wearing it…. during the last 2 years… I’ve been complemented on it… by people who usually wouldn’t even look at jewellery… but in the last month, people actually asked me to make them some… so of course I obliged :-) I made a smaller version for a lovely lady I met at my gyno!!! :-) and 2 more for a mother and daughter who come to Israel on holiday every year and we became friends last year at the pool…. so I thought… why not make a few more of these to sell in my Etsy shop… and I did! :-)

Zebra Jasper Donut - Pendant

Turquoise Mosaic donut - Pendant

Larvikite Donut - Pendant

I really enjoy making these!!! so as soon as I can find some more donuts that I’m happy with (I’m really, REALLY fussy) I will probably make more!!! :-)

I know these are very simple… but I love their simplicity and design…. having said that, come back tomorrow and check out a gorgeous, GORGEOUS new bead embroidered piece I made for this month’s Bead Art Original colour challenge!!! the challenge is: Black, dark green, copper and bronze (optional). I’m debating whether I should part with it… that’s how much I LOVE it!!!

The best laid plans….

Remember how in the last post I wrote about Janice Abarbanel of Naftali’s gorgeous cabochons that she sent me…. and how I was going to make something out of them for the Bead & Button Show…. and how I was going to “have to” ship them by Tuesday or Wednesday at the very latest!!!…. well… the best laid plans… Tuesday and Wednesday I had to deal with some unpleasant legal stuff, which I won’t bore you with… but I had to deal with it!…. and I thought never mind, I’ll finish the necklace off Thursday morning and send it by 4 pm on the same day…. what I hadn’t taken into consideration was my little boy getting really sick yesterday and having to spend all day trying to nurse him back to health…

he’s a bit better today, still has a bit of a fever but he is on the mend…. So the necklace was finally finished yesterday night… after having made 3 other chokers for it till I finally made this one which I liked the best! (hopefully I will use at least one of the other chokers for something else). Here is the finished piece:

I’m really, really happy with how it turned out…. and hope that Janice likes it too! :-) and…. really, really hope that it gets to the US in time before Janice leaves for the Bead & Button Show! I’m going to send it express first thing Sunday Morning (should take 4-5 days)… this is cutting it so short, but unfortunately sometimes life happens and it interferes with our best laid plans! If all goes well, and you are one of the lucky ones going to the Bead & Button Show, go and check out Janice Abarbanel of Naftali’s booth (#1244) and you should be able to see this piece in the flesh! :-)

Wishing everyone a very happy weekend! happy beading! :-)

Chanterelle Necklace

Here is the third piece I made… although I have since finished another one, and started a new one… all those months of not much or very little beading, I’m sure making up for it now… I think I have about 4 projects on the go at the moment… but as of tomorrow I really need to concentrate on finishing my sister’s necklace and bracelet!!! :-)

Chanterelle Necklace

The centrepiece was beadembroidered around 2 topaz Swarovski Rivoli crystals and the necklace was beadwoven in embellished Right Angle Weave.

In the next couple of days I will post the next piece I finished and if I have time hopefully a matching necklace… so come back and check them out!!! :-)

BAO Items of the Week + a few features

Here are this week’s items from the Bead Art Originals… more eye candy! :-)

Visit the BAO blog and find out what offers are attached to these items for this week! http://beadartoriginals.blogspot.com

My item this week is Purple Graces Necklace

Purchase and pay for this necklace between now and 29th October and receive 20% off!!!

I’ve also been lucky to have some of my pieces featured in a few blogs:

All Things Bead and Beautiful featured Cosmic Carnival Bracelet, which sold since the article came out… coincidence? I don’t know, but thank you Linda of Wild Wicked Beads for featuring it in the great post about Tera Belinsky-Yoder of BeadyGirl Beads. Stay tuned, I have a few more of those gorgeous buttons and beads and will be making more pieces soon! :-)

Found Handmade featured one of my favourite pieces Blazing Flowers on their blog. If you like handmade items you have to check out their site, what a great place!!! http://foundhandmade.com

And last, but definitely not least, my Turquoise Shield OOAK Necklace is featured in a great article about the EtsyBeadWeavers in Zoya Gutina’s Newsletter! If you are not familiar with Zoya’s beautiful beadwork, you must check her out!!! It’s just gorgeous!!! And if you are interested in finding out what the EtsyBeadWeavers are all about I strongly recommend reading the article!!!
http://www.mylovelybeads.com

Thank you all for featuring my work and wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!!! :-)

Life + BAO Item of the Week

All my plans for beading vanished when my poor little baby broke his arm on Saturday… I had no idea it was broken, he was such a brave little boy… after the initial cries when he fell, he calmed down, slept through the night and only in the morning when he told me that his arm was still hurting, did I take him to the doctor… bad mummy!!!! well the doctor also didn’t think it was broken, judging by his happy and smiley demeanour… but to be safe she sent me to the emergency room to see an orthopaedic doctor and get some x-rays done… and yup, not one, but two breaks were found…. what a brave little man I’ve got!!!! We spent hours at the emergency room and he didn’t complain once…. but as soon as the doctor started plastering his arms, that is when he freaked out and the water works started… apparently he was worried that all his friends would laugh at him and his cast… it cost me 12 Bakugans to calm him down :-)

So I spent most of the week entertaining him and spoiling him rotten!!! and on Thursday, Grandpa and I took him to the safari park .

So, needless to say… another week with no beading to show!!! :-) I did start on a variation of the Black Chic Flowers, commissioned by an old friend, hopefully that will be finished by tomorrow… and if no more dramas happen between now and next week, I should be buckling down to some serious (much needed) beading sessions!!! :-)

In the meantime, here are this week’s fabulous BAO items of the week:

This week I’m offering 20% off the Wall Flower Choker, if you purchase and pay for it between now and the 15th October:

Visit the BAO blog and check out what fabulous deals are offered on this week’s items! http://beadartoriginals.blogspot.com/

Now, I’m going back to a bit of beading, then some games of Snakes and Ladders (my son’s favourite) and dominos… and hoping for a quiet uneventful weekend!!!

Wishing all of you a wonderful one!!!!

EtsyBeadWeavers Challenge – First Ladies of Style

The voting for this month’s EBW challenge started a couple of days late due to some technical hiccups… but check out this amazing selection of eclectic, diverse and beautiful entries for this month’s challenge First Ladies of Style by the EtsyBeadWeavers!!! and vote for your favourite here!!!

My entry for this month’s challenge is # 14 on the above list, For Sofia – Choker, you can read more about it in a previous post here.

Go and vote for your favourite piece!!! Don’t put it off, voting is open for a short time only!

http://ebwteam.blogspot.com/2009/08/august-challenge-first-ladies-of-style.html

For Sofia - Choker

Inspiration came this weekend, when I suddenly remembered how little time I had left to enter the August EBW Challenge - First Ladies of Style. So I locked myself in my room and beaded my little heart out! :-) This is one of the 3 pieces I made over the week end – For Sofia - Choker

This wonderful piece of wearable art was created for the EtsyBeadWeavers August Challenge “First Ladies of Style". When I think of a First Lady of Style, I think of Sofia Loren. In my eyes she is the epitome of woman, beauty and style. Through decades we have watched her develop from a beautiful young woman into a beautiful mature woman, and even at 75, the one aspect of Sofia Loren which remains constant is her beauty and her style.

I wanted to create something that would exemplify her style. Sofia Loren has the most beautiful long neck and she is often seen wearing gorgeous chokers.

Not long ago I received the most gorgeous rectangular Russian hand-painted pendant depicting a design based on the Gustav Klimt painting, Judith, from artbeads.com.

In 1901, Judith was considered the incarnation of the femme fatale. She exudes a dangerous form of sexuality, confidence and fearlessness; hence it is the perfect centre piece for a Sofia Loren-inspired choker.

For this pendant/bead and for similar one, please check out - Russian Pendants and if you are a fan of Klimt also check out - Venetian Beads.

I will post details of the August EBW challenge sometimes next week. Back to the beading board :-) to finish off one of the pieces I started this week end… stay tuned :-)

Green and St. Petersburg Chain Stitch

As I mentioned in a previous post, I’m new to and am loving the St. Petersburg Chain Stitch, I’m in the midst of a turquoise/green obsession and I was going to make a bracelet in this stitch – here it is:

Amazon Forrest

The main part of the bracelet didn’t take too long to make but i got stuck at the closure… and whilst looking for the right one, I found myself making lots of elements…. one was too big, one didn’t look right…. so I cut it off and started again… till I finally came to a simple toggle in complementary colours…. and I love it! I’ve been wearing it all day!!!! It’s soft, light, I almost forgot I had it on! :-)

Back to those elements… whilst I couldn’t work out how to finish off the bracelet, I got derailed and started making a necklace… totally unexpected… but I’ve fallen in love with it!!!

Amazon Warrior – Choker

I used these amazing mother of pearl shell beads, that no joke, I’ve had in one of my boxes for at least 2 years if not more…. and I have about 10 of them left… I already have an idea for a bracelet that I’m dying to go and make…

I love it when a design develops itself from discarded elements from other designs!!! especially when I don’t make myself use them rather they find their own harmony…. and that is how this necklace came about and was in fact finished long before the bracelet was even close to completion.. now back to beading, that bracelet is calling me to be made! :-) Happy beading everyone!!! :-)

Turquoise Beading Frenzy

Once a year, and sometimes more often, I get into this turquoise obsession where everything I make and everything I buy has turquoise in it… the last few weeks has been one of those times…. and needless to say I LOVE turquoise!!!!

To top off my turquoise craze I got into this weird mood where I felt the urge to cover as many surfaces as I possibly could with beads! These are two creations where I used some of those turquoise beaded covered beads:

The first one is just a simple beaded bead strung onto a gold metal choker. I love this bead so much that I just wanted to show it off on it’s own without drawing away from the actual bead itself.

Leah’s Jewel – Choker

The second was created using some of the other beaded beads I made during this period. I actually created the beads randomly to fit with the design of the necklace that I had in my head. I used different shapes of genuine turquoise beads and connected all the beads with a basic dark gold and turquoise spiral rope.

Turquoise Galaxy – Necklace

I’m very happy with how these two pieces turned out!!! During the same frenzied period I also covered some wooden doughnuts… and they’ve turned out quite cool…. I just haven’t figured out what to do with them yet :-) and as I’ve been feeling rather poorly this week, I left them for another day :-)

I really had fun making all these beaded beads and am sure I will be making more… and if I can tear myself away from my love of turquoise I may even make them in some other colour combinations :-)

Wishing everyone a happy and peaceful weekend! :-)

More Chic... thank you Bettina!

Who would have thought that when I made the first Tropical Chic Choker for the EtsyBeadWeavers' Tropical Holiday Challenge that they would have turned out so popular!!!

Apart from the fact that I really enjoy making these and have made a few variations in different bright colourful combinations, I also made some for each of my sisters for their birthdays; one in pink for Silvia and one in dark navy/purple for Claudia, and had a custom order for a fuchsia one.... but I would probably not have thought of making these in black had it not been for my cousin who asked me to make her some... and so I did and am so thrilled with how they turned out that am actually thinking of making myself a set!!! I really love these!!! and so for the inspiration I need to thank Bettina!!! thank you so much!!! I hope you get to enjoy wearing the Black Chic Choker and Black Chic Earrings as much as I enjoyed making them!!!! and hope you love them as much as I do!!!

Apart from these... I have been working on a very luscious bead-embroidered cuff... it's so close to being finished... I think I'm about 45 minutes away from the end.... but have been so distracted lately, that it's has not progressed... this weekend I will be busy with my real job, so I don't think I'll get it done... but maybe, if I can find an hour to spare... and a few more to photograph it... I should have it posted, hopefully, by next week...

In the meantime... let me know what you think of the black version of these pieces... wishing everyone happy beading!!! :-)

BAO Items of the Week

Here are this week's items from the BAO.

My item this week is:

Pink Chic - Choker

I designed and made this piece for my sister Silvia's birthday which was last month. She likes very simple things and all that is pink (lucky for her she was blessed with 2 little girls, so she gets to do the pink thing a lot!).... and only silver!!! It took me a while to come up with the right combination of pinks and silver, but this was the result... and best of all she said she loved it (unless she only said so because she didn't want to hurt my feelings :-D).

Purchase and pay for this item between now and 8th March and receive 5% off + free shipping to anywhere in the world! :-)

Please visit the BAO and check out all the amazing bead artists that belong to this group and see what specials are being offered this week:
http://beadartoriginals.blogspot.com/