Winter Enchantment at Artbeads

Do you remember that feeling you get when you open your front door to freshly fallen snow?  With the snow clouds hanging heavy in the sky, the world seems silent and insulated somehow.  The shades of whites and greys paint the landscape with subtle hues, and the only movement you can see is your frozen breath hanging in the air as you marvel at the icy beauty.

These images are what inspired my jewelry sets for Artbeads' "Winter Enchantment" Design Partner challenge.

"Winter's Breath"

Spiral Moon Pendant, Grey Polyester Chain, Czech Firepolished Beads in Crystal and Grey and Light Sapphire

I used the firepolished beads and combined them with sterling silver and the beautiful blue-grey pendant to achieve a simple yet elegant jewelry set.

"Icy Heart"

Czech Firepolished Beads in Crystal and Grey and Light Sapphire

For this set, I combined the firepolished beads with my own enameled heart. sterling wire and beads from my stash, and some beautiful deep grey leather cord.

Thanks, as always, to Artbeads for including me in their fabulous Design Partners program.   Take a few minutes to go out to their Facebook Gallery of Designs to see the other fabulous jewelry from the extremely talented design partners.

Necessary Legal Stuff:  I am honestly reviewing the products above which I have received free of charge from Artbeads.com, and I have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to them.

Autumn With Artbeads, 2 of 2 and Creative *Sparks* Friday!

Earlier this week, I posted my first Autumn piece that I made with my gorgeous beads from Artbeads.com (you can see that post here).  Today, I finished my second Autumn piece and combined it with this week's "Creative Sparks Fridays" project. 

This week's sparks are:

And here are my interpretations of them:

"Wing And A Prayer"

 

I was immediately drawn to the graphic pattern in the moth's wings, punctuated with that vivid splash of red, and I knew I wanted to attempt to duplicate that feel in my pieces.

In my Artbeads.com package, I received some beautiful Iron Zebra Jasper beads that have the striking graphic patterns I was looking for.  Using antiqued sterling wire, I combined those beads with 10mm carved wooden beads, a warm-toned 30mm wood ring and a striking tomato-red magnesite coin to create the effect I loved in the *spark* picture.

The necklace measures approximately 21.5", with the wooden ring hanging in front.  This allows the red to hang off-center, much like the streak of red in the picture.

These pieces will be available for purchase in my etsy shop.

As always, I really enjoyed working on this Creative *spark* Fridays project, and want to thank Becky of The Gritty Bird for all her work in hosting this weekly challenge. 

Happy creating and have a fantastic weekend!

Necessary Legal Stuff: I am honestly reviewing the products above which I have received free of charge from Artbeads.com, and I have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to them.

Autumn With Artbeads, 1 of 2

"Autumn, the year's last,

loveliest smile."

William Cullen Bryant

If you recall, I posted a teaser in this post showing you the beautiful Autumn-colored beads I received from Artbeads.com as a part of their Blogging for Beaders program.  I've finished the first of two pieces, and I'd like to share it with you:

"Plum Mists"

The chain for this versatile lariat-style necklace measures a long 50", from the end of the 40mm Purple Resin Ring to the bottom of the Copper Round Small Hoop Pendant With Rings charm hanging from the gorgeous Purple Freestyling Lampwork Bead focal.

The chain is made from copper wire-wrapped 8mm Multi Tourmaline Round Bead links and dragon vein agate links in subtle shades of plum, mauve, sage and forest, perfectly complimenting the stunning focal and resin ring.

The ring is attached with a handmade coiled copper wire loop, and this loop, along with the copper charm  hanging from the bottom of the focal bead, add texture and interest to the necklace design.

I have always loved this color combination, and am quite happy with the design of this piece.  You can find all kinds of jewelry supplies and ideas for your own designs at Artbeads.com.

This piece will be available for purchase in my etsy shop.  Thanks for stopping by!

Necessary Legal Stuff: I am honestly reviewing the products above which I have received free of charge from Artbeads.com, and I have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to them.

Artbeads Autumn Sneak Peek

Saturday I received a wonderful surprise when I opened up my mailbox to find a package from Artbeads.com with these fun beads to play with:

I'll be turning these beauties into fun Autumn-themed jewelry soon, so check back for the finished pieces, coming soon!

In the meantime, Artbeads.com has some fantastic deals going on, and if you spend $50, you will receive $5 off your entire order if you enter this code at checkout before 10/14/10:

ZZP5D50-S8R-0910

Happy shopping!

Necessary Legal Stuff: I am honestly reviewing the products above which I have received free of charge from Artbeads.com, and I have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to them.

Summertime With Artbeads.com (Part 1 of 3)

When I heard that the new Artbeads.com Blog Partner theme was "Summertime", my mind immediately went to two completely opposite places:  to the bright, bold cobalt blues, emerald greens and turquoises of water lapping up onto the beach and then to the lavenders, golds and olive greens of the lazy days of late summer, watching the sun set on the sunflower and lavender fields of Provence (ok...so I've never been to France, but a girl can dream, can't she?).

This set, "Summer in Provence", is the first of three sets that I'll be sharing with you over the next week or so:

The focal for the necklace is made from etched and antiqued copper sheet with a handmade copper bezel soldered to it. A Summer-themed collage is the backdrop for antique jewelry parts placed into the center of the bezel, which was then filled with ICE resin.  Fastened to the top of the pendant are handmade torch-fired enameled headpins with Czech glass beads shaped to resemble a bundle of lavender.

The chain is made from wire-wrapped Czech fire-polished glass beads in shades of lavender, topaz and olive, and it closes with a hand-made copper wire clasp.

The bracelet is made from three strands of wire-wrapped Czech fire-polished glass beads in shades of lavender, topaz and olive that compliment the colors in the necklace, closing with a beautiful copper toggle clasp.

The earrings feature pale lavender and olive Czech glass beads that hang as a charm from handmade sterling ear wires.

ArtBeads will be posting all of their blog partners' designs in their “Summertime” Facebook Gallery starting June 21st, so stop by and check them all out!

If you are interested in purchasing this set, you can find it in my Etsy store.  Stay tuned for more "Summertime" designs!

Necessary Legal Stuff:   I am honestly reviewing the products above which I have received free of charge from Artbeads.com,  I have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to them.

Spring Has Sprung!

About a week and a half ago I opened up my mailbox, and to my delight there was a package from Artbeads.com!  Here's a peek of what I received:

I've always loved Spring.  The feeling that everything is made new and fresh gives me hope and excitement for whatever is to come.

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I always knew that Spring was coming when I saw the first crocus poking its green leaves up out of the (sometimes still snowy) ground, and the first robin redbreast sitting in our crabapple tree.  As the days got warmer, I knew I would see waxy yellow buttercups and lavender purple bells along with brightly colored tulips, daffodils and delicately scented apple blossoms.

Along with the first signs of Spring inevitably came cleansing rains and, many years, another dusting of snow before the season was officially in swing.

"Spring Beauty"

The colors and design in the Blossoms and Bird Stoneware Pendant were the inspiration for this necklace, that consists of three strands from which the pendant hangs from a handmade sterling silver bail.

The first strand is made from matte red 6/0 seed beads that echo the gorgeous red color from the robin's breast.

The second strand is made from crystal 3mm Faceted Bicone Crystal beads representing the inevitability of that last dusting of snow sometime in late March, sprinkled with delicately shaded turquoise fluorite saucers representing the cleansing rain during the month of April.

The third strand is made from beautiful Amazonite roundels wire-wrapped with sterling silver wire, Metallite 6mm Antique Silver Oval Links, and tiny Czech bell flowers.

If you are interested in owning a piece of Pacific Northwest Spring, I will be listing this necklace in my Etsy shop within the next day or so.

I have another spring-themed necklace in the works, so check back soon!

Necessary Legal Stuff: I have received the following products free of charge from Artbeads and I am honestly reviewing them. I have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received: Stoneware Rectangle Pendant - Blossoms and Bird, 10mm Red w/ Light Picasso Lentil, Metallite 6mm Antique Silver Oval Link, and Metallite 13x7mm Antique Silver Floral Oval Rectangle Bead.

One More Romantic Jewelry Post...

Just a quick post to show you the newest of my Valentine-esque jewelry:

"Hearts and Pearls "

This set is made from more of Artbeads.com's fabulous copper heart beads, paired with blue and white potato pearls.  The copper has been patinaed to an amazing red/pink shade and sealed to protect the finish.

I love the contrast between the organic copper and the elegant silvers, blues and whites of the pearls.

This set is really different from most jewelry that I design, and I love how it turned out: feminine with an edge.

If you like it too, you can find it for sale in my Etsy shop!

Necessary Legal Stuff: I have received the following product(s) free of charge from Artbeads.com and I am honestly reviewing it/them. I have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to the product(s) received: Large Copper Bumpy Heart.

A Simply Sweet Heart Necklace For Valentine’s Day

"Simply Sweet Heart"

 For another Valentine’s Day necklace I just finished, I wanted to create a simple and casual piece, and the Large Copper Art Deco Heart Pendant from Artbeads.com fit the bill. 

 Large Copper Art Deco Heart Pendant

With its beautiful craftsmanship and significant size (height 46mm, width 45mm), it definitely needed to be the center of attention in this piece, without distraction from a complicated chain.

 

With 'simple' being the operative word, I made this chain from small, handmade coiled copper wire links and green and brown glass beads that set off the rustic copper tones in the focal heart, closing with a handmade copper clasp.

For more beautiful Valentine's Day inspiration, check out Artbeads.com's Valentine's Day beads & findings, and if you would like to see more of my Valentine’s Day jewelry, I am selling this piece and others in my Etsy shop. 

Necessary Legal Stuff: I have received the following product(s) free of charge from Artbeads and I am honestly reviewing it/them. I have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to the product(s) received: Copper Large Art Deco Heart Pendant.

Artbeads Special Discount Offer

A a member of the Artbeads blogging team, I received a gift from them this past week - very fun!  In addition to their gift, I received a coupon code to share with you all, giving anyone who uses it a 10% discount on all orders placed before December 31, 2009.   Here is the code:

SCF10P-ARTBEADS-0424

Expires 12/31/09

They offer free shipping to anywhere in the US and $1 shipping to Canada - you can't beat that!  Also, you can sign up for their newsletter to receive more savings at http://www.artbeads.com/.

Have a terrific day!

Crystals and Copper

A couple of weeks ago, I got the coolest e-mail from Artbeads asking me if I would be willing to blog about their products from time to time for their blogging team.  They would send me product samples to play with and I would work them into my designs and then blog about them.  Well, the obvious answer was an emphatic YES!!!  Of course I would participate!

September is Swarovski Crystal month at Artbeads, and I was excited to see what goodies would be sent my way.  So last week I opened up the mailbox and there was a box from Artbeads with these wonderful lovelies in it:

Cotton Crystal Yarn in Olive, Caribbean Blue Opal and Copper

23.5 x 30mm Galactic Pendant in Crystal Copper

Along with these beautiful components, I added recycled sari ribbon and yarn and a handmade copper bail and clasp, and here is what I came up with:

I love this piece!  The colors of the crystals compliment the silk and copper beautifully.

A BIG thank you goes out to Artbeads for their invitation and generosity.  You absolutely must check out their unbelievable selection of Swarovski components and beads.  While you are there, take time to browse the rest of the store as well, as they carry unique beads and findings that I've never seen anywhere else.  Then go and check out their blog, Blog for Beaders, for more information and inspiration!

Necessary Legal Stuff:  I have received the following products free of charge from Artbeads and I am honestly reviewing them.  I have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received:  Cotton Crystal Yarn in Olive, Caribbean Blue Opal and Copper; 23.5 x 30mm Galactic Pendant in Crystal Copper.