Dorothy Ring

I've been dipping into my donation bag again and I've been making some really cool rings with the some of the things I've found in there.  This ring used to be a clip-on earring, I believe.

By using the earring like a cabochon, I beaded around it using tubular peyote stitch with ceylon yellow and brown iris coloured seed beads.

The band that I stitched for the ring reminded me of the yellow-brick road - hence the name Dorothy.

I've done quite a few of these as they are fun to do and it's nice watching old jewellery transform into something new.

=:x

Camille Bracelet

I thought today I would share with you a bracelet I made for myself recently from a tutorial from Spoilt Rotten Beads.  As I said last week, I've been looking into how to use two-hole beads in my beadwork.  I came across these new beads from France called Khéops Par Puca and instantly I was filled with a desire to own as many as I could afford and find out all the many ways I could use them.  As they are triangular, I can imagine they'd lend themselves to all sorts of different patterns and shapes.  I thought I'd better get comfortable with using them before I started hashing up my own designs.

The Kheops I used for this were the California Graphite - half gold, half gunmetal.  I also used Czech fire-polished crystals in iris brown, and the Toho seed beads outlining in the same shade.

To finish off I used a gunmetal clasp.

I also made my mom one, using silver Kheops and hematite beads and coloured seed beads.

=:x

Arabian Nights Bracelet

Our last bracelet of the week.  I've had these packs of really pretty beads mixes from Jilly Beads just sitting in my collection for ages.  I keep saying to myself - one of these days I'll make a quick bracelet or a pretty necklace - and nothing happened.  Well today is one of those days.

I tried picking up random beads, but the OCD part of my brain didn't like that, so it's in a repeating pattern that still manages to look random.  I hung a beaded dangle from each end to give it an extra feature.

The beads are in lovely jewel tones - Jade greens, emerald greens, ruby reds, sapphire blues and amethyst purples - with the occasional flash of copper and bronze, so I can see it being a really good look for the Autumn.

It's on memory wire, so you can just wrap it around your wrist.

=:x

Work In Progress - Beaded Chain Necklace

I've been making real progress in moving away from my anxiety and depression.  It still fogs up my mind, but I've been going out and I've even found a bead shop (Beading Amazing) near to where I live, which gives me an excuse to get out.  I'm using beads that I bought from there in my latest project.

I love learning new stitches, and recently I learned how to do CRAW (Cubic Right-Angle Weave) and I'm currently making this beaded chain necklace.  Once I get the length I want, I'm going to tie a ribbon to either end.  It's slow going, but here's what I have so far.

The idea is totally not my own - it came from Sage's Cupboard and her tutorial for Right-Angle Weave on Inspirational Beading - although I didn't end up using that tutorial as I actually found the CRAW easier, once I'd got the hang of it. Plus it seemed cumbersome to bead the length you needed and then zip it up, when you could just stitch the whole thing in one go!

I used Preciosa Czech seed beads in the Honey Butter colour mix as I wanted a gold chain look, with a twist.  They're size 11/0s, which I really don't recommend using if it's your first time doing CRAW.  I'm just stubborn!  I had to make a rough piece using fire-polished crystals first so I could get the hang of how the stitch worked.  I find I can do it without thinking now.  I also have the Pebblestone mix, which I think would look pretty in this stitch too.  So I might try that once I finish this one.

I highly recommend watching this YouTube video if you're interested in learning this stitch.  This was the only tutorial I came across which clearly explained what to do after you've got that little ball of beads in your fingers and you can't figure out which is the top or the bottom or where the hell you're supposed to make the next stitch:



I'll let you know when it's finished!

=:x

Mintberry Swirl Necklace

I've really got to think of a better name for this necklace before I sell it!

I've had this pack of lampwork beads that I received in a goody bag (I think!) for while and I haven't really known what I wanted to do with them.  So using my new found beadwork skills, I've transformed it into this beautiful necklace.

Gran's Locket Necklace

On the same theme as yesterday, my Gran also gave me this heart locket which contains a photo of her and my Grandpa at my Mom's wedding.

Turkish Delight Set

Disclaimer:  No copyright infringement is intended.  These are my own interpretations of various sweets and candy using various beads.  Nothing in the Sweet Tooth collection is edible.  Please try to refrain from eating!

This is a one-of-a-kind set, because I've used a lot of recycled materials and I don't know where I get them again.

Turkish Delight Set

 The pendant on the necklace used to be a clip on earring that was donated to me.

Clip-on earring transformed into Turkish Delight Pendant

  I used glass cubes, coloured sparkling amber - for the chocolate - and transparent yellow - for the lemon Turkish Delight.  On either side of the glass beads are amethyst coloured glass rondelles and copper spacer beads.

Turkish Delight Necklace

The earrings are also no problem.  Please note the the earwires are copper plated and are not suitable for those with nickel allergies. (Tip: If you do have a nickel allergy and still want these earrings, try coating the earwires with clear nail varnish.)

Turkish Delight Earrings

Apart from the clasp, everything on the bracelet is recycled.  The focal is the other clip-on earring and two buttons that I've sewn onto organza ribbons.  I think we can agree that despite it being made from recycled bits and bobs (including the thread I used) it's a stunning bracelet:

Turkish Delight Bracelet

 The ring was a chipped glass stone, which I sanded and polished.  It has an AB (Aurora Borealis) coating, which reflects many different colours when held up to the light.  I think it also might have been a clip-on earring, but I'm not sure.  The ring is adjustable, so should fit most fingers.

Turkish Delight Ring - worn

If you would be interested in this set or would like me to make you something similar, please feel free to contact me at: kymberligee@gmail.com with "Turkish Delight Set" in the subject line.

Sweet Tooth Competition [CLOSED]

To celebrate the launch of my very first collection, I'm giving away a one-of-a-kind set that will never be made by me again.  It's a mixture of new and upcycled, semi-precious and non-precious beads. It's called the Milk and Honey Set:

Milk and Honey Set

Milk and Honey Necklace

Let's start with the earrings;

Milk and Honey Earrings

 Hung from gold plated earwires are white diamond twisted glass beads and glass "honeycomb" beads.

Pendant

The necklace features a beautiful glass pendant that I received in a mix bag of beads.  There are oval and round transparent amber coloured glass beads.  On either side of those are small milky coloured glass beads that were donated to me.  They used to be glass pearls whose coating had badly chipped.  There are also 6 flat oval mother-of-pearl beads.

Hanging from either side are 2 lines of topaz seed beads and between them a line of mixed white beads that I also received in the mix bag.  Leading up to the gold plated curb chain are donated acrylic pearls (the same ones used on the Serenity Necklace) and spaced between them are more topaz seed beads.

 

Disclaimer:  No copyright infringement is intended.  These are my own interpretations of various sweets and candy using various beads.  Nothing in the Sweet Tooth collection is edible.  Please try to refrain from eating!

Peacock Set

I've had this peacock feather (bought when I was a kid) lying around, and it's always getting lost.  So I thought, why not make something out of it that won't be so easily lost, so I made this for myself.

 

First I cut the feather as close to the plumage as I could, but I didn't throw the other bit away.  I'll show you what I did with that later.  I wrapped copper wire around the top and around a copper jump ring several times for security. 

 

I used the many different coloured semi-precious stones I had to emulate the graduating colours of the feather itself.  I started with Goldstone flecked Bluestone chips on either side of the feather pendant.

I didn't have any purple beads that matched the shade I wanted, so I went for turquoise instead.  This is "S" shaped Blue (dyed) Lemon Turquoise.

 I then threaded different sized Antique Bronze metal beads onto pins and bent them into a marquise shape and hung these pear shaped - Turquoise (dyed) Picasso Jasper beads from them.

 There's two thin lines of brown either side of a bright green before it fades into the beautiful dark green colour on the feather.  So to emulate this, I got to use my new brown acrylic beads and lime silver lined seed beads.

 Finally I ended with one of my favourite semi-precious stones - Malachite.

 And it's all connected with an antique bronze barrel clasp.

 So what did I do with the rest of the feather?  I stripped it and made earrings!

 A couple more malachite chips and Capri blue beads for distinction...

 

and voila! Peacock earrings.

 

I have no idea what the price is as I was just having fun.  I can't replicate this design at all, it's just something I made for myself.  I do plan to do more work with feathers though, so keep checking back!

Greek Earth Set

This is the set I made my Mom for her birthday.  She wanted something striking, so I mixed semi-precious stones with a mixed selection of brown glass beads. The list of semi-precious stones include; amethyst chips, smoky quartz chips, lapis lazuli chips, and wooden agate beads.  The rest of the beads are; Czech fire polished light green glass beads, antique bronze spacers, and some lime silver lined spacers.

The pendant is "S" shaped light green veined Jasper topped with wooden rondelles that were off an old pair of earrings.

 

On the earrings, the beads are a mixture of glass shapes, amethyst chips and smoky quartz chips hanging from Greek metal pendants.

 

This set isn't for sale and cannot be recreated. Sorry. :(

Earth Day Set

I made my mom an awesome necklace for her birthday that used her favourite shades of brown and green.  I really liked the concept colours, so I decided to make myself something using those same shades. 

I've been trying to make something out of these topaz/brown beads for a while, as I wasn't that struck on them or the necklace they used to be on.  I'm not sure you can see it on the photos, but they have an AB coating on them, which makes them reflect lots of different colours.  Not bad for some old acrylic beads, eh?

Interesting fact:  Excluding the findings, the Butterfly pendant is the only thing that I bought to make this set.  All the other beads were ones I stripped off old necklaces.

I didn't want big, flashy earrings, with this necklace as I like my jewellery simple.

Materials Used: Silver Greek Metal Butterfly pendant, Acrylic topaz AB faceted drop beads, Acrylic gold round beads, Lime seed beads.