Busy, Busier, Busiest

I have actually gotten into the Craft Room to play with creating earrings. I love earrings, I believe that's a well established fact by now. So, preferences aside, here are some pics of what's been happening lately. (as you can see, I was having some serious fun ~snork!~) (I believe it's also been established I love Halloween!?)

 

Still Out Of The Loop

Still have a huge puppy to take care of but, I managed to get ONE pair of earrings made a few nights ago. It took me about ten minutes (from idea to completion) but they were already hollering for me to "come get your dog!" before I was half way finished! (~sigh~) I can at least share a pic of the earrings, though. Right?

skull beads from Michael's
I used purple crystal bicones on top
and garnet crystal bicones on bottom

What's New

Well, I got home last night and decided I really needed to have some creative time. Puppy snuggles aside (and all the funny things Zackery is doing now that he's settling in) I needed to make something!  So I did.  Here are a couple collages for you to enjoy:



Clock-wise from top left: 1) "In Bloom" - created with light blue crystal rondelles and cone findings from Michael's, blue plastic flowers (been hording them so long I don't remember where they're from), white oval/rounds from Znetshows.com, and all held in place by handmade copper headpins; 2) "Chilean Dance" - red donuts from Znetshows.com, South American style beads are from a necklace a dear friend down in Chile gave me that recently broke (if you can't fix it, recycle it!); 3) "Earth to Sky" - blue ceramic beads from Michael's, small, South American connector bead also from that same Chilean necklace; 4) "Belly Dance Diva" - again with my take on Kristi Bowman's "Aladdin" earring tute - blue-ish crystal rondelles held to silver cones (all from Michael's) by copper wire, gold recycled sari ribbon from Willow Mist Acres on Etsy (looooove her recycled ribbons, by the way!)

Again, clock-wise starting with the large picture: 1) "African Dreams" - material is from a fan I had that finally gave up the ghost, tucked into silver cones and accented with black seed beads and black & white beads from Michael's (these are real shoulder sweepers); 2) "Flight of the Condor" - again with the beads from the Chilean necklace, opalescent ovals from Znetshows.com; 3) "Harem Whispers" - starting from the top and going down, dark teal/green crystal rondelles, pink(-ish) ceramic flat rounds topping gold-toned cones (all from Michael's) and recycled sari ribbon from Willow Mist Acres. (did I mention I loooove her ribbons?)

Wish I could have made more, but a certain mischevious puppy was calling and it started getting later.  I will say, of all the earrings, only those I make with the hand-crafted Chilean beads will never be for sale. As I mentioned, the necklace they came from was given to me by a dear friend so I will be keeping any and all remakes from those.

On to other things, now.  Once again, ZnetShows is asking us to design... THIS time with a partner.  What we were asked to do was pick out several items we would like to ship to our assigned partners.  I was assigned Suzette from Ellie's Bijou and I'm excited to see, a) what she does with what I picked for her and, b) what I can do with what she picked for me.  Wanna see what she sent me?  Of course you do!  Here it is:

Aren't they gor-ge-mous!?  I've got ideas already percolating in my head (although, if you're paying attention, you'll notice I've already used two beads from this stash....)
And, finally, I guess no one really wanted any of my magazine destash as there were no responses.  I'll give it one more try.  If you want these:

...then make a comment specifially regarding them. (although comments about my jewelry is always welcome, as well!)

A Little More Work Last Evening

I was able to sit down for a little while last night, after work, and make a few things. Hope you enjoy:



Fishes & Loaves Asymmetrical Dangles
copper & green seed beads plus the new
way I'm curving in the tails. Seems to work!



Fishes & Loaves Bracelet
Lapis-blue beads (not sure if real or just made to look real)
Copper wire and short bits of necklace chain. I'm going
to play with several designs before I settle on one.



Summer Iris
Again with the earring style learned from
Kristi  Bowman's Aladdin's Lamp earring tute
but using my own little twist. This time I added
a couple beads, top & bottom, as accents and
I used lavender tulle instead of ribbon.

And, for those who want to enter my magazine destash giveaway, go here.

Diamonds In The Rough Jewelry Challenge ~ ACCEPTED!

So, as I've mentioned briefly in previous posts, Bill @ ZnetShows asked me to join Round Two of their jewelry design challenge and they called it Diamonds In The Rough.  Don't know if that's aimed at me or not... (kidding!)  Of course, he sent pictures of the Adorable Abby to lure us all in. I mean, really, who could say "no" to that face!?  Not me!  Not to mention the chance to play with more free beads! So, of COURSE, I said "yes" to Round Two. They will be voting on their FB Page so check them out there and vote for your favs (of which I hope I'm one). 
ZnetShows is a wholesale bead-porium and you can click on the link to go take a look at their plethora of gorgeous beads. But, check out their FB page 1st because, I promise, you'll be in bead-porn heaven if you go to their wholesale site first and you'll sit there forEVer before moving on. Not to mention the buying that will happen!
Anyway, here are my entries:




The Beads I started with... aren't they
just SCRUM-dilly-UMPTIOUS!?

    


Tribal Necklace - coins and chime dangles are from my stash
beads and focal bead are from ZnetShows...

 
The beads used from ZNetShows for this necklace are:
Freeform, heat treated carnelian pendent (I've lost the item code for this one, I apologize)
Fire agate rondelles in dyed yellow/green color - item code (BDS1593-09)
Tiger's Eye round beads - item code (BDG58-08)


used the tiger's eye and dyed fire agate from ZnetShows
and the chime charms from my own stash



Hidden Tiger

I cut out and filed/sanded the metal forms and used ZnetShows Tiger's Eye beads for the bracelet.

Morrocan Adventure

For these, the chime dangles are from my stash and the squares are from Znet - red square aventurine and their item code is (BDG44-13A)

What can I say? I'm into the tribal style right now.

For these, I hammered out copper pennies and used Znet's red aventurine squares and tiger's eye rounds, then added a touch of radiance by adding in their opalescent glass quartz oval puffed beads and their item code is (BDG46-55)



Jangling Jade

The metal donuts are washers I beat the b'jabbers out of, colored with black permanent marker, sanded to bring out the high points and sealed. The gorgeous olive jade donuts are from Znet and their item code is (BDG118-17D)


Autumn Desire (I know, it's Spring going into Summer,
but I happen to love Autumn!)

The pendent is a washer I treated the same way as the earrings I described above, the light colored rounds are composite marble from Michael's and the heat treated carnelian pendent is from Znet (sorry, as I said, lost the item code for the carnelian *sigh*). The red aventurine squares are also from ZnetShows. The clasp I found/bought at Joanne's from the sewing/button section. Awesome!


Gypsy Fire

Again, hammered the b'jabbers out of copper pennies and the chime dangles are from my stash. The red rectangles are rectangular, aventurine puff beads from Znet - item code (BDG43-13)

As I said, go vote on Znet's FB page and, then, go explore their wholesale bead site. They've got some YUMMY beads that will keep you drooling and checking your pocketbook for spare change!

After Being Gibbs-Slapped By My Alter Ego....

In my previous post (here) I showed pictures of several pairs of earrings and asked what you thought about which should be worn by my Alter Ego, Zarqa Habiba, to the So-Cal Renaissance Faire.  This is the necklace that she was going to be wearing:

Full view: ended up wearing it without the carnelian
pendent there. It was too long for my neckline and
I'm of a fairly modest persuasion. Still, love the look.
Yellow rondelles are rough, yellow fire agates. Awesome!

 

A detail look.
Beads from ZnetShows.com, dangles and coins from
my stash. Bells were reused from a pair of Middle
Eastern chiming anklets.

 

Another detail shot.


 I was still contemplating which set of aforementioned earrings would work with this necklace when Zarqa gave me a disgusted look and Gibbs-slapped me!  Of COURSE!  Earrings should always match the necklace. DUH! (sigh)  So, I made these (and Zarqa was pleased):

They, and the necklace, chimed sweetly at the Faire and many people liked them.  And, since I was in an earring making mood, I threw in one more pair Because I Could!


Not sure what type, but the stone is agate (I think)
The metal was bought from Michael's pre-stamped
and I just cut out the shape. Bronze 1/2 circles and
copper wire. Warm, dangling goodness.

There will be another post later this week for ZnetShows and the beady goodness they've been letting me play with.  Check back, I'll have pics and links for you to check out. They've got AWEsome stuff!

AWEsome Earrings!

Leslie from The Gossiping Goddess blog has published a tutorial on how to make macrame earrings over at Art Jewelry Elements.

No, no, wait! I can hear you now; "Oh, Pam, you really ARE the Crazier Sister! Macrame? Really? Not that big a deal."

BUT! Leslie's tutorial is for WIRE macrame! How awesome is THAT!?  I've never really wanted to learn macrame.... well, okay, maybe I did just a little.... but NOW? Now I want to run out and immediately start practising with my wire!  You just HAVE to go look at what Leslie has published, along with a link for learning the macrame knots if you've never done it before (although, I'm the sort of learner who gets more from pictures and words and Leslie's is perfect!)

Go! Go look!

Oh, isn't Leslie a-MAY-zing?!?

LITTLE BIT BUSY WEEKEND

So, I finally got my hands into my poly-clay!  I'm a little bit of a nervous nelly so I started off with the box of "starter" clays Saner Sister bought for my B-day back in January (yes, I know... don't ask how long the other clays have been sitting around, waiting for me to open them!)  ANYway, I opened these little packets of clay about 3"x2" and, taking a deep breath, cut a small portion from three; red, olive green (both visible in saran wrap) and a sparkly gold (not in view). These were either a little old or not from good stock so I had to put a few drops of clay softener on them but, after that, and a few (okay, LOT) of runs thru the pasta machine, they came out usable.  I made 5 beads that were a mix of the red, green and gold with the red dominating (I forgot to take pics after baking and before making a necklace).  I also made several petal shaped cut outs of marbled pink and black. That mix was an accident but a happy one! (no pics of that one, yet). 

Anyway, here's the necklace and earrings I made from the beads.  The flower is from another necklace I bought recently but couldn't wear (I love repurposing!) and the green rounds are from Michael's.  The earrings are hanging from the necklace to your right.  I decided to go for a slightly Oriental look with this design, hence the chain dangles below the earrings and the bead under the flower. I wish the shot showed the colors better in the larger red beads, but the earrings show the gold pretty well. The green and gold turned into accents after several turns thru the pasta machine.  I showed Saner Sister, because I was so tickled by what I'd done, and she said how it would go SO well with the outfit she was wearing for church on Sunday. (sigh) Well, I haven't made her any jewelry in awhile, so I let her have it.

Now, about the wineglass tabs I mentioned in my last post, here's a few shots:

octopi at the bottom right, bowl shapes in the center
word tabs, bead flowers

the word tabs.. I call them "flirts" (heee)

The octopus gang! Only have one of each of
these so they'll likely end up as charms.

flower beads

Glass bowls

My use of the blue glass bowls as shown in a previous post

So, here's the contest... give me YOUR ideas of how you would use these in jewelry.  You have until the last day of March to enter and then (depending on the how many people reply) I'll put the names into a hat and draw two winners who will be sent a bead soup of these items to use, whether in the design you mentioned or in another way. 

 Get designing!