Beading Contest

I entered my Purple Orchid Woven Free Form Choker in a beading contest for using Swarovski pearls sponsored by Bello Modo.

I order a lot of my items from them because they have the best shipping time and it's free. They have Sunday specials when you sign up for their newsletter (usually once a week plus Sunday). Their prices are competitive. I order small quantities when I run out of something needed to finish an item. They introduce items, crafty things, too, and are always getting something new. Check them out at http://www.bellomodo.com/

The contest is at http://wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/71235/voteable_entries/10000911

Please vote. You may want to enter their next contest!

New Listing and Treasury

My lime lariat was included in a green beadweavers treasury on The Crimson Moon blog at http://thecrimsonmoon.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/etsy-ennead-green-etsy-beadweavers/
I've not been able to get links to copy properly on blogger for a couple of weeks now. Sorry. If anyone knows what I'm not doing correctly, please let me know. Does it have something to do with the pop up?

I listed my light creamrose pearl bracelet tonight. I reversed the positions of the 6 mm and 4 mm beads so this one has the 6 mm beads in the middle. I have done this with the same size beads with pearls and crystals and liked it both ways. I'm not sure I will make another one this way unless I make a more dramatic pattern with the beads, which could be fun too.

Pink, Pearls and Earrings

The earrings to the left are today's addition to my earring promotion in my shop. I have decided to add pink to my shop, so the bracelet above is right angle weave of Swarovski Rosaline pink and mauve pearls with rose quartz round beads woven in a pattern. I also listed a matching single strand right angle weave 20" necklace. Last spring I made a number of Rosaline pink pearl items.

My habit is to purchase a quantity of beads and then wait for inspiration as to what to make with them. The pearls usually were right angle weave although the cream pearl necklace I strung with pinks, mauve, and gold filled saucer spacers inspired by a Baroque cathedral ceiling. See my February posts for a discussion and pictures of items in right angle weave.

I made the beaded beads for the earrings to coordinate with Dancing with the Sky. I still need to make earrings for the Swarovski lavender pearl bracelets. I need to purchase more ear wires. I do not wear earrings and wonder which style of attachment people like.

Please comment if you have a preference for ear wires, studs, other so I can add them to my shop.

Rosaline pink pearl Earrings

I found three pair of earrings featuring Swarovski rosaline pink pearls that I will list as part of my earrings promotion in my shop. I do have some other items that coordinate and will check to see what else I can list. It's a pale pink with pink quartz and Swarovski mauve pearl which looks more grayish to me, but is not gray. Enjoy! I have an early appointment tomorrow, so this is short.

Earrings & Life

Today's earrings are Swarovski black pearl. To me, this color is a lovely charcoal and if you want a true black like their jet black crystals, you need to order mystic black pearls. Both are basic neutral colors. I reordered the mystic black pearls when I saw the color of the black pearls.


Life selling jewelry is teaching me some new lessons. Some of them are ones we would rather not have, but today I was lucky as I didn't learn this one the hard way. I received a convo on etsy from someone who wanted me to accept a cashier's check and to use their shipping company. I found the person registered today so I googled the name and found a reference to a forum post about scams. I learned to notify etsy at abuse@etsy.com. While I received their auto reply, someone must read them to prioritize them and I received a prompt reply. So etsy was on top of the situation and had closed down the operation. I thanked the person who initiated the post because I would not have known how to contact etsy. There are written procedures--I just need to search etsy help. The details are to be confidential, but am glad to report that etsy handled the situation well. I'm also liking the changes to listing items and the new treasury east with the wider screen--it loaded my comment in one second!

Right Angle Weave Stitch

Today I finished a Night Blue Swarovski pearl bracelet done in right angle weave stitch. It has hematite color size 15 charlotte seed beads connecting the pearls. Swarovski makes great glass pearls; freshwater ones and Chinese glass pearls often have tiny holes and excess coating on the hole ends. This makes for not a fun experience--picture me with my awl trying to get the holes larger.

Charlottes are seed beads with one side sliced off to give it a facet and more sparkle. These are very small beads. I often use the same style clasp in my work unless it is an artsy piece when the closure is usually a beaded one. Using the same clasp means I can order multiples and save money on the purchase price of each.

I like right angle weave stitch a lot and this style seems to be more popular and affordable than my one of a kind projects. I will take the blue one to the Illinois Artisan Shop in the Thompson Center in downtown Chicago. I have a photo of a white pearl with silver charlottes and a sterling silver toggle clasp that I will put in this blog. I can either keep my commitment to myself to blog daily or take a photo of the blue one.

I am grateful to Jeannette Cook for her article in Beadwork Magazine teaching right angle stitch. If you want some eye candy, check her out. She has kits and instructions for sale. http://beadyeyedwomen.com/

Tomorrow I will post pictures of the bracelets I made inspired by her article.

Thanks to my first two followers from etsy. I learned how to "heart" a shop and to become a follower on a blog.