AJE Earring Challenge - Wavy Discs

My earrings for Weeks 9 and 10 of Art Jewelry Elements’ Earring Challenge feature wavy discs, combining several different metallic tones from my growing collection.

Large sterling silver discs serve as a backdrop for a highly textured bronze disc and silver flower bead by Tamara Scott Designs. Freshwater pearls and round sterling earwires keep these simple and classic. Layered neutrals perfect for spring!

 

 

Plump blue-green lampwork beads by Kimberly Branch are bracketed by wavy discs in dark bronze and rose gold. A bit of copper chain, along with fancy copper head pins and earwires complete this design.

Click over to the Art Jewelry Elements blog, just the place to find lots of Spring color inspiration.

Quite possibly the best Christmas bangle

I have stitched up a stocking full of these bangles for Christmas gifts. They’re really comfortable on the wrist, appeal to all ages, and would add instant holiday sparkle to everything from a flirty party dress to jeans and a t-shirt.

The gold and white bangle with Aurum 2x crystals is boxed and tucked into a Priority mailer, and will be on its way to my sister this afternoon. It’s guaranteed to coax her into the holiday spirit, even if she’s just bundling up on the couch for a night at home. I love the art deco look of the right-angle-weave band before it’s zipped around the rubber tubing.

The green bangle really stands out despite its muted palette and matte hex beads, with the addition of crystals in Black Diamond AB. It’s the chameleon of the bunch and looks great with anything.

And the season’s traditional red – that bangle’s staying with me! It’s the only sparkle I’ll need this holiday season. The pattern is Tamara Scott’s Infinity design, which can be found here.

Two are Better Than One

That’s true for cookies, chips, chain-nose pliers, and most definitely for Tamara Scott’s new cuff, Othello. If you’re familiar with Tamara’s popular Circle of Gems bracelets, Othello is a chunkier, more textured version of that bangle.

A few hours spent right-angle-weaving and netting the base, then zipping a couple of embellished peyote strips over that core, and in an afternoon, you have a colorful bangle…or two…or three.

Stack up a jumble of textures and colors to create your own unique look. Bet you can’t stop with just one!

Click here to see more of Atlanta-based artist, Tamara Scott’s designs.

Funky Focal

After waiting months for it to appear on the calendar, I finally had the opportunity to take Tamara Scott’s Vintage Medallion class this week at Beadazzles in Sandy Springs. I love Tamara’s designs and she’s an excellent and inspiring teacher. (More about the Vintage Medallion project in a future post.)

While waiting for the class to begin, I looked around this fabulous store with enticing bead strands lining the walls and display cases offering thousands of loose beads. On top of one of those cases sat a simple Dixie cup holding a lone bead. A funky focal that was not my style at all, but somehow it called out to me. I returned to my seat as the class started, but kept thinking about that bead. As the store filled up with customers, I decided to move the Dixie cup closer to my beading tray. I remembered another beading class months ago at another bead store. Every time I looked up from that class, my eye rested on a strand of beads pinned to the wall right in my line of vision. Great colors ranging from dark reds to soft ambers. I purchased them on my way out with no idea what might be done with them. They would look great with this chunky focal bead, I knew.

I moved the Dixie cup to the cash register along with my medallion materials, where several customers exclaimed over it and asked me if there were more. When Alice, Beadazzles’ owner, confirmed it was the last one, two offered to buy it from me. I’m glad I brought it home. It’s like nothing else I own, and I had fun with it! A seed bead necklace can take days, weeks, and in my case, even months to complete. Sometimes a girl needs a little immediate gratification!