Tropical Chic

My friends and family have been going on at me to make smaller jewellery... this is not and easy thing for me to do... although I'm not tall (5' 5") I have HUGE shoulders (years of swimming + genetics), I've always battled with my weight, so little tiny delicate pieces sort of get lost on me and.... I simply like big jewellery!!!! :-)
But I listened to my friends and decided to attempt creating smaller pieces.... so this weekend... while nursing yet another cold (have I mentioned my dislike for winter) I sat on my bed and made lots of little flowers in lots of different bright colours in an attempt to create something with them that was smaller than my usual.... and here are the results of those efforts :-)

Both necklaces are made with the same flowers. The flowers were brick-stitched using Delica and Czech seed beads around Swarovski crystal pearls. The green/fuchsia flower on the right is a variation of the other flowers, I just added some Swarovski fuchsia crystals on the outside (see, it's so hard for me to just stop, it needs to grow! :-D). ... Both necklaces were made with gold and nickel plated base metal chokers that I bought from my favourite bead supplier Bogal Ltd. These chokers are so cool! you can undo the bobble at the top and bead them, which is exactly what I did... funny thing I didn't know you could do that when I bought them, but am so glad I discovered that to be a possibility! :-)

I have about 4 more flowers that are screaming to be made up into something, I see more variations of this necklace coming up.... stay tuned! :-)

Oh yes, and almost forgot.... the left one with the blue flowers is my entry for the Tropical Holiday January/February EtsyBeadweaver Challenge.... voting starts on the 9th February... I will post more details nearer the time...

In the meantime... let me know what you think... are you a big or small jewellery person?

Happy beading everyone!!! :-)

BAO Items of the Week!!! Check these out!!!

Here are this week's BeadArtOriginals Items of the Week - another gorgeous collection!!! visit the BAO blog and see what specials offers are on these beauties!!!

My Item of the Week is my favourite pair of earrings!!! these look so gorgeous and elegant on!!!! 

Black and Pearl Blossom Earrings:

Purchase and pay for these earrings between now and 26th October and receive 5 % off + FREE shipping to anywhere in the world! :-)

Visit the BAO and see more!!!
http://beadartoriginals.blogspot.com/

Flaming Wall Flower

 

 

 

Finally managed to finish the bracelet I started a few days ago using those gorgeous large Delica beads.... and for some reason I seem to be stuck on making those brick-stitched flowers I've been making lately... but it works so well with this bracelet that I couldn't help myself!!! :-)

 

 

 

 

 

I'm quite happy with how the actual bracelet turned out!!! and it looks so much nicer, more vibrant and luscious in real life... but what I'm really unhappy with is my photography!!! yuck... and these are  the best of over 150 shots I took....  I just found it really hard to photograph the red and purple!!!  If anyone out there knows what I'm doing wrong or has any advice for photographing these 2 colours then please, please, leave me a comment with your suggestions, because I'm at my wits ends... and it's not the first time I had problems with these colours... I tried taking the photo in the flat, outside, in the shade, in more shade... although I must say the darker the shade the better it looked... but am still not very happy with the results... at least the bracelet turned out pretty nice!!! :-)

So unless someone can suggest how I can improve on photographing these 2 colours, I may have to stop beading using this combination, and I have to say, that would be a tragedy as it is one of my favourite colour combinations!!!!

For more information on Flaming Wall Flower Bracelet please visit  my Etsy shop, thank you! :-)

 

Midsummer Night's Dream

 

Midsummer Night's Dream

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've been working on this piece on and off for a while now... well, since EBW announced the July Challenge "A Midsummer Night's Dream".... and since then all I could envision was these flowers in these exact colours.... so it had to be made! :-)  and I'm really pleased with the result!!! :-D

I used these colours because they remind me of my teenage summer nights on holiday, where the grass looked really green and the skies were so dark they looked purple illuminated by bright lights from the stars in the sky. And because of the darkness the flowers change colour into a strange but wonderful world of greens and purples and lights.... My interpretation of an idyllic memory of how it was....

Six beautiful brick stitched flowers bead woven with freshwater pearls, purple and green fire polished Czech glass beads and Czech seed beads, and pale yellow Swarovski crystals appear to grow out from an ivory/cream brick stitched curved band and joined on the other side by 6 strands of seed beads leading to the bead woven complementary toggle and loop closure.

The largest flower measures 1 ½” (c. 4 cm) in diameter and the smallest 1” (2.54 cm). The band of flowers from the top of the first flower to the bottom of the last one measures 4 ¾” (12 cm). The neckline (inside) measures c. 19” (c. 48 cm).

One Of A Kind - OOAK

************************************************************

Please go and visit the EtsyBeadweavers’ blog from the 7th of July and vote for your favourite piece from a selection of incredible beadwork.

http://www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/

Voting only lasts 7 days, so don’t put it off! :-)

Green, Purple and Pearl Necklace

Well... I can happily say that my bead rut is officially over!!!! :-) and this is a new piece I made in the last couple of days - Green, Purple and Pearl Pendant - yes I know, hardly original, but as I have no idea what inspired me to make this... it just sort of happened... :-) I could not come up with a name for it.... Maybe someone out there has a suggestion.... if so, feel free to leave me a comment, it may be fun to see what everyone comes up with :-)

For more details on this piece please visit my shop : www.triz.etsy.com

Updates + preview

I'm not feeling my best today, and am finding it difficult to concentrate on the beading for long periods of time, so I bead a bit, I catch up with my blog reading, then I bead some more... but am just not feeling it and I really, really like the new project I started yesterday afternoon, so I want to enjoy it, not force it :-) So decided to write an early post today, why not? maybe I'll feel like beading later.

My desk looks like.... I would like to say like a bomb hit it, but with everything that is going around the world and especially here, I feel like it's a bit inappropriate... it looks like a bloody tip!!! My tidy-up lasted... not very long, as you can all see :-) but at least I have a good excuse... hmmm, I meant reason ;-) I'm currently actively working on 3 projects and that makes for a bit of a mess, both on the desk and in my head :-)

Sometimes it happens... when I'm not 100% sure where I'm going with a piece, I start getting loads of ideas in my head, and the ones that get discarded are the ones that inspire new pieces.... and in my attempt not to forget these ideas, I need to start them off. So that is how I get to have 3 almost completed but far from finished project on my beading table in the space of a couple of days!!! :-)

So here are the updates:

Water - no progress yet, lots of ideas flying around in my head, but nothing concrete yet - Water progress - part 1

Purple flowers - some progress, am at a crossroad regarding which way to carry on, will post progress later on, see Purple Flower progress - part 1 and check in later for part 2.

here are 2 previous bead-embroidered pieces that have been on hold for a while, I really like both of them, I just don't know what to do with them YET! :-)

ok so in the midst of all this chaos.... and in between deciding the last few steps for the Purple Flower, I started a new piece, also purple/lilacish and white, also flowers and also I don't know what I'm going to do with it :-) I have NO idea what on earth is going on with me lately... I'm so undecided and unsure.... not my usual self... well, I'll just go with the flow for now, and hopefully I WILL snap out of it soon... and just think of it this way, all of a sudden I will have (hopefully) 5 new pieces all at once!!!! :-) and then everyone that hasn't been following my ramblings :-) will think I'm a super-fast beader!!! :-)

Here is a preview of the new flowery piece... yes, I know more flowers!!! what can I say, I'm sorry... I love flowers, I even worked in a flower shop for a year, which I LOVED immensely!!!

I have 3 flowery tattoos, although arguably not pretty flowers and mostly chosen to balance the more intense tattoos I have spread around all over the place :-) If I could afford to, I would buy fresh flowers every week and have them all over the flat.... as I said, I really love flowers!!! :-)

come back later to see more on the purple flower progress

Wall Flowers

Last post for today... Here are 2 pieces inspired by my entry (Blazing Flowers) for the EtsyBeadweavers' April challenge Fire And Flowers. Voting started a few hours ago... Go check out the wonderful entries and VOTE for your favourite :-) http://www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/

In the meantime here are my Wall Flowers, made over the week-end on my bed :-) for more details on them please go and check out my shop http://www.triz.etsy.com/

Wall Flower Choker

Wall Flower Bracelet

Blazing Flowers

Fire & Flowers is this month's EtsyBeadweavers' challenge and to be honest, I had resigned myself to the fact that I was going to have to miss this challenge.... I had so much going on this past month, that the last hing on my mind was the challenge... I did every-so-often think about it, but had absolutely no inspiration whatsoever!!!.... and then yesterday morning I did a search on etsy under ebwc to see what the group had come up with for this challenge. I was so inspired by what I saw that I quickly got out all my fiery colours and started beadweaving... 36 hours later, this is the result... I love the smouldering quality of the flowers created by the ascending and descending orange, red and purple beads....

Blazing Flowers

Voting Starts on the 7th April and only lasts 5 days, so don't put it off!!! :-) Go vote! http://www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/

Pink Flower

Here it is... finished at last!!!! :-)

Thank you to all of you who left me comments... I have taken the majority's advise, as I agree with you, and did not add the fringe... I just don't think it needs it... actually I don't think a fringe would add to this piece at all... so here is my Pink Flower... I like it!!! :-) let me know what you think :-)

Pink Flower (in the making)

I can't believe how long it has been since I last wrote!!!! shocking!!!

I won't bore you with all the details as to why I just couldn't... as far as I'm concerned you can blame it all on the builder of my flat (Ariel Soltzi Ltd.) who did not hold up his end of our legal contract and even when ordered to pay me by the courts... hasn't!!! so I live in a flat that has had more leaks than years, a lot more leaks!!! and he carries on building as though nothing happened and he has no legal nor moral responsibility!!!! As I don't want to be sued (ha ha ha) I will refrain myself from calling him every single name under the sun!!!! :-) please use your imagination :-)

So another leak fixed (and no thanks to the builder!) and finally I've been able to both post my progress and actually progress with it!!! it is almost finished, but in the mean time, as promised, here is the piece in progress...

Well it all started out with me finally getting round to clearing up my beading desk... I won't show you how bad it was before... but as you can see it's not even perfectly clean after :-) I'm just running out of space where to put all my beads and beading!!! :-) and as you'll see below... it didn't last long!!!! I want an additional table/room :-)

So basically I start off with pulling out all the beads I own that go with the mood I'm in at that moment.... and my mood lately has been pink! :-) I'm so not a girly-pink type of person... but lately pink is what inspires me....

and I do have to point out that the weather here has been soooo hot!!! yesterday was 37 degrees Centigrade in the shade!!!!! and all around are flowers in bloom... so maybe that's why I've gone a bit soft :-)

I bought these gorgeous vintage opaque pink glass teardrops from a fellow EtsyBeadweaver, JadeDogBeads and I had to use them!!! after all they are pink!!! :-)

so I started playing around with a geometrical design onto beadbacking... and started working around the teardrops, slowly building up the design till I got to this...

I used a flat Mother-of-Pearl bead for the centre and beaded around it and the teardrops with matte pink and matte burnt ivory type of colour... hard to explain but like a very rich cream mixed with toffee... Czech seed beads

so the centrepiece for the necklace is finished... sort of... cut excess beadbacking... glue to suede, cut around suede and sew the backing to the suede using brick stitch with the contrasting small beads...

and as I hate wasting material I decided to make a couple of elements from the left over bead backing... also to give the necklace a different element... not just because I hate waste :-)

Now all there is left to do is put the elements together :-)

Come back in the next few days to see how it all turned out... actually... could do with your help... leave me a comment letting me know whether you think I should fringe the flower or not.... I'm still completely undecided... would love to hear your opinions :-)

New piece + Black & Pearl Blossom Earrings

OK... so I've had a stinking cold and a horrific migraine... and I've stayed away from the computer... but it doesn't mean that i have not been beading!!!! :-D I think i would have to be on my death bed before I would stop beading!!! :-)

anyway.... inspired by Eye of the Storm ... here's another pair of brick-stitched earrings... I really love experimenting with different colour combination, and different sizes and textures of beads using this technique.... Black & Pearl Blossom earrings, I just love making these!!!






and!!! I've started a new bead embroidered piece, also inspired by Eye of the Storm, although distancing itself from the original concept.... here are some photos of my progress... am still unsure about the title, so I'm leaving it blank for now :-) all the pearls used, including the fuchsia ones, are fresh-water pearls.


1. 2.



3. 4.

The centrepiece is almost finished... I'm just not sure how to edge and fringe it yet... will sleep on it tonight... and I've sort of worked out a necklace for it... probably crocheted.... but not 100% sure yet... you'll have to come back and see! :-)

and!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so happy my spell check is working again!!!!!!!!!!! :-)

EBW Spring Break Challenge

As some of you may already know, this month's EtsyBeadweavers Challenge is "Spring Break"

There are 36 entries this month!!!

and voting has started!!!!

http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/

You don't have to vote for one of my 2 pieces (of course I would be forever grateful if you did! ;-D).... you just have to vote for your favourite from the selection of gorgeous, intricate beadwork!!!! it literally takes less than 1 minute to vote!!! just chose your piece and click!!! and after voting you will be able to see the total of the votes.

I have entered two pieces in this challenge. (see photos below)

1. Passion Flower Earrings # 4 on the list (see also last week's post)

2. Sunflowers # 34 on the list (click creative progress Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 to see how this piece came about)

Don't put it off.... voting ONLY lasts a few more days!!!!

So PLEASE go VOTE!!!!

http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/

Earring Mania!

I don't know what is happening.... but I can't stop making earrings.... is it the fact that i've learned a new technique and it's a good way to practice small or is it a direct reaction to having finished the "Sunfowers" bead embroidered collar??? and not wanting to commit myself to making anything that takes longer than 4 hours!!! :-)

well a few weeks ago I made the Passion Flower Earrings which I've entered in the EtsyBeadweavers Challenge (voting starts 7th feb) and since yesterday I made 2 more!!! so much fun to make.... all the earrings are brick-stitched and fringed.

Sunflower Earrings and Toffee and Cream Earrings

Creative Process - Bronze Embroidered Collar - Part 3

Well... finally!!!! After a really long week.... first I wasn't feeling well... then I got a really bad eye infection and couldn't really see out of my right eye..... and just as my eye cleared, my son got the flu, high fever and.... as soon as that cleared he got some stomach bug!!! so he's been home, and I've had a really hard time trying to get anything done!!! + I haven't left the house in more than a week.... I feel imprisoned.... the weather is so beautiful outside and I'm stuck indoors!!!!! the only thing that is keeping me from total depression is the fact that my computer and my beading table are next to my balcony window/door... so the light coming in is lovely and the view is gorgeous... and I just look outside whenever claustophobia creeps up :-)

the view from my balcony is thankfully a beautiful open space....

and my sanity :-)

So, for all the above reasons, it's taken me the longest time EVER to finish off and post the embroidery collar progress!!!!

I've actually finished it!!!! :-D and will post it later....

but in the meantime.... here are the last steps.... before the end! ;-D

I CANNOT say that I'm sorry that this piece is

finished!!! it was definately a challenge!!!!!!! so I'm entering it in the EtsyBeadweavers Spring Break Challenge (voting info to follow in a few days)... and I'm actually looking forward to making some more "wearable" pieces (smaller ;-D)...

I honestly never thought it would get finished!!! but it is!!!!!! :-)

in case you would like to see the 2 previous posts regarding the progress of this piece:

Creative Process - Bronze Embroidered Collar - Part 1

Creative Process - Bronze Embroidered Collar - Part 2

Top left is the unfinished "finished" piece :-) top right is what the back looks like , not too pretty!! :-) and bottom left shows the cereal box cut out that I used to make the backing which will be sandwidched between the beadwork and the ultrasuede, bottom right the beadwork is glued to the ultrasuede and then carefully cut around the beadwork



now all there is left to do is brick stictch the ultrasuede to the beadwork.... fringe, decorate, embellish... and of course the fastening! :-)

Come back later on today to see the finished piece!