Backstory Beads

3/30/13

AJE Earring Challenge - Bursts of Spring

I have been literally watching the world outside my window transform into Spring as I worked at my bead table this Easter week. I tried to capture some of those fresh bursts of color in my earring designs for Weeks 11 and 12 of the Art Jewelry Elements Earring Challenge.

A large sterling silver and trio of tiny BeadforLife paper beads dangle from Victoria Swirl lampwork beads by SueBeads. Lavender waxed linen keeps these light and swingy!

Blue sky jasper rounds are encircled by sterling silver and vintage bronze wrapped hoops. Enamel head pins are by SueBeads. This is my take on a project from Kerry Bogert's fabulous Aspire to Wire eCourse.

I hope you're finding extra time to enjoy the beauty of Spring with family and friends this Easter week-end.

3/17/13

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.

3/3/13

AJE Earring Challenge - Plum Yummy

Who doesn’t look good in purple? I’ve chosen the shades on either side of violet for my Week 7 and 8 designs for the Art Jewelry Elements Earring Challenge.

Starting with the warmer hue, I’ve framed red-violet enamel discs by Elizabeth Gerod with large bronze hoops from Saki Silver. They’re topped by a small stack of ceramic, firepolish and bronze discs. Gold-filled earwires and jump rings are by me.

Perfect for these late-winter, early-spring days, my second design pairs blue-violet charms from THEAtoo with my own wire-wrapped beads (from a tutorial by Deryn Mentock.) The pewter posts echo the design on the charms and allow these earrings to sit close to the ear.

Great earring designs await, so click over to the AJE reveal post and Pinterest board for lots of inspiration.

2/22/13

February Art Bead Scene Challenge

This month’s Art Bead Scene challenge, Tōshi Yoshida’s, Heijinja, 1941, offered so many design possibilities! Leafy trees, delicate blossoms, an intimate moment between a mother and child. I was especially drawn to the strong colors and the use of line in this woodblock print.

My design began with a sea glass triangle pendant in the print’s deepest red, which I received in a giveaway from Suzette Bentley of Ellie’s Bijoux. The sea glass is layered with a bronze spiral charm by THEAtoo. I cut three lengths of 16-gauge gold-filled wire, hammered and then wrapped them in columns of blackest-black, right-angle-weave to serve as a bridge to a second sea glass bead, a crystal donut bezelled in soft black and the print’s dominant, brighter red.

Once I had my focal, I wove a neckstrap, pairing the deep and cheery reds with matte and glossy grays. (The simple adaptation of herringbone stitch is a free pattern, the Strappy Strip, from Gwen Fisher and Florence Turnour.) A base metal chain gives some additional weight and shine. And is there a better way to wrap up a design than with an elegant bronze toggle clasp by THEAtoo?

You’ll definitely want to click over to the Art Bead Scene Flickr page to see all the terrific designs submitted for this month’s challenge.

2/17/13

AJE Earring Challenge – 3rd Reveal

My Week 5 earrings reflect our recent visit to the California Wine Country. They start with SueBead’s fittingly named Wine Terrazzo lampwork beads. With their red wine hues and striking silver foil, they combine nicely with a tapered column of black gold-plated wavy discs in 8 and 6mm. Vintage glass and metal beads dangle from black silk cord. These earrings have a lively swing and a nice sparkle.

Week 6 is my version of a class project from Kerry Bogert’s Aspire to Wire eCourse. THEAtoo’s handmade bronze charms in the colors of autumn are the stars of these earrings. All other components are handmade by me.

Click over to the Art Jewelry Elements blog and enjoy the Week 5 and 6 designs of all the challenge participants.

2/16/13

Pretty Things in my Mailbox

How excited was I to learn that my partner for this year’s Bead Soup Blog Party was none other than our hostess, Lori Anderson?

Over the top! It was on my first visit to Pretty Things, where I was introduced to Lori’s deliciously photographed, lively designs, that I aspired to venture beyond my first love, beadweaving, into wire working and more.

Lori's Strawberry-Limeade bracelet

Lori gave new definition to the term jewelry artist. I still remember the first post I read on Lori’s blog. It was about getting away…and coming home; weaving together books, bridges, friendly baristas, and a how-is-it-humanly-possible-to-have-such-a-clean bedroom. That post made me want to be a better blogger!

And speaking of pretty things… here’s what arrived in my mailbox yesterday.

Lori has recently been under the weather, and while she was confined to the aforementioned, picture-perfect bedroom, she made this bag to hold my bead soup. How awesome is that? And she included the stone cab, not as part of the soup, but just for some extra fun!

I am so excited about that Thai silver focal, assembled by Lori! And those colors, captured in glass, gemstone and ceramic! I can’t wait to lay them all out on my mat and play around with them, just to visualize the possibilities. But first…I have to go tidy up my bedroom!

2/7/13

Inspired by Winter Blog Hop

Winter has a serenity that no other season can claim. A stillness and a solitude that appeal mightily to my contemplative side. So when Sally Russick of Studio Sublime announced her Inspired by Winter Blog Challenge, I knew it was for me.

Can’t you just breathe in the crisp air and hear the crunch of snow under your feet when you take in this breathtaking photo, shot in Rocky Mountain National Park by John deBord, and featured on Smashing Magazine’s Winter Wonderland photo layout?

DeBord’s photo inspired my Winter Serenity necklace. The photo came with me on my recent trip to San Diego, where I found my focal (a reversible druzy), and a strand of natural matte lapis stones that look like they could have been chipped out of the landscape. They’re softened by freshwater pearls and braided strands of sari silk, tucked into sterling silver jump rings. This is my first attempt to use fiber in a design, and it’s a technique that caught my eye in Lorelei Eurto and Erin Siegel’s book, Bohemian-Inspired Jewelry.

Special thanks go out to Sally for challenging us to explore the beauty of this season. Ready for more wintry inspiration? Follow these links to see the designs of all the challenge participants:

List of Participants: