You Won't Want to Miss These Links

Beadweaving will always be my first love, but in the past year I've had fun branching out into other mediums, from wire to metal to resin. The more techniques, the more creative possibilities, right? When I learned this week that Cindy Wimmer has written a book on wire links, I couldn't wait for the print version and clicked over to Interweave to download the eBook.

Everything about this book is gorgeous! The first section features 15 links, all fun and fresh components I can't wait to include in my designs. The photography is breathtaking. Great step-by-step photos that had this novice wireworker turning out links in no time. They're followed by a section of inspiration from your favorite designers, using one or more links in their designs.

The wire links are listed by degree of difficulty, so I started with my favorite in the Easy category, the Engagement Ring link. The Projects section includes a bracelet of these links by Lori Anderson that I loved and wanted to try. I worked up a set of 8 in copper wire before allowing myself to cut the first length of sterling silver. I also stirred up my first batch of liver of sulfur - lots of firsts in this project!

Lori's bracelet was exquisite in her signature pinks and purples. I chose one of my favorite combinations from
Pantone's Fall Color report - Mykonos Blue and Linden Green. The dangles include kyanite, vintage glass,
Swarovski pearls and lampwork beads by Atlanta artist Kimberly Branch.

And those practice links in copper? I connected them up, added a focal clasp and a couple of charms. I love them just as they are!

You can pre-order Cindy's book from her website, or if you're as impatient as I was, you can download the eBook direct from Interweave. You're going to want this book in your library!

Bead Hoarders Blog Hop

We in the beading community are all hoarders to some extent. Our relationship with our treasures of glass, metal, pearls and gems is (on most days) magical, and we want more of that magic!

Lori Anderson of Pretty Things conjured up a fun way to lighten our secret (and not-so-secret) stashes in the form of today's Bead Hoarders Blog Hop. Simply take hold of some of those pretties we've been saving for a special occasion and design away.

I've been holding on to this gorgeous butterfly wing, bezeled in silver, for a couple of years. Originally purchased to create a necklace as a birthday gift for my oldest daughter, I simply couldn't come up with anything that worked. Believe me. I've woven several neckstraps, long and short, simple and over-the-top, but nothing appealed. Flipping through my copy of Jewelry Designs from Nature by Heather Powers proved to be the inspiration I needed.

Besides the focal, this necklace uses some absolute favorites from my stash: Saki silver hammered link, a hand-cast, braided brass bead, and two shades of beautiful apatite - roundels in pale green and rounds in dark blue-green. And the design is reversible!

My daughter's birthday is several months away, but I'm sending this off to her now. She recently left her career as a Special Ed teacher to start her own cottage school, opening next month. The butterfly is the perfect symbol of change and hope … and enjoying the beauty of the journey.

Thanks to Lori for inspiring me to finally give wing to this focal. I'm currently visiting my youngest daughter in Pittsburgh, and will have to wait until I get back to hop around to all the participants' blogs. But you'll want to click this link right now and get started!

Bead Soup Blog Party - Second Reveal

As we embark on today’s Bead Soup Blog Party reveal, I’d like to start by thanking Lori Anderson, the visionary and organizer extraordinaire behind this fun and fabulous event...and my partner in this second reveal. If you haven't already, click over right now to her Pretty Things blog to see what Lori created from the Soup I sent her.

Here’s a reminder of the sumptuous Soup I received from Lori.

 

The Thai silver focal is embossed with elephants and my first design was inspired by the power and beauty of these animals, resplendent in their colorful trappings and ornate saddle cloths.

The pendant arrived complete with fringed tassel added by Lori and her note let me know the chain was from AD/Adornments.  Kathy Domokos still stocks the chain, so I was able to order some and separate the tiny metal drops to use as fringe on my brick-stitched bail.

Although I used only the focal and the pewter spacers in my first piece, my color palette comes from the rest of the soup ingredients - the intensely saturated blues and aqua blue-greens of the Kazuri beads;  a muted version of the orange-red from the handmade glass discs and the lighter purples in the amethyst. I wanted the necklace to have a tribal vibe, so I constructed two kumihimo ropes, using size 11 sterling, pewter and zinc metal beads, along with opaque gunmetal that closely matches the drops in Lori’s fringe, and wrapped the ropes tightly in peyote-stitched bands.

The rope ends are finished with Kazuri rounds and the pewter spacers from Lori’s soup, which proved to be the perfect embellishment for my handmade S-clasp. I wanted this necklace to be adjustable from 16 to 19 inches, and I was reserving the pewter clasp for my second piece.

The nearly matte finish of the deep amethyst discs is striking and brings out the luminosity of the Kazuri beads. For the bracelet, I scaled the kumihimo ropes down to one inch and used Japanese charlottes in pewter and silver to complement the silver tones in Lori’s clasp. The elephant charm is from Nina Designs.

Again, thanks to Lori for sending such fantastic materials to inspire me. I still have lots to play with after today's challenge. But wait… the fun has just begun. Click on this link to explore the designs of all the other participants in the Second Reveal.

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!