New Pictures

The top photo is a bracelet I created for the July Secret Garden Challenge of the Etsy Beadweaver's Team. I was running out of beads for the base of the bracelet and had difficulty finding a new supply. So I put it aside for a while. Then I realized I didn't have a gold filled three strand clasp. After that the Muse abandoned me. I knew I wanted a lacy edge but only had delica beads and I usually use smaller charlottes or size 15 seed beads. After a time I settled on using the delica beads, but wanted smaller 24 kt gold plate tiny seeds; I went into shock at their price! Got the best price available (almost $20 for a little tube of beads) and proceeded to finish it, not realizing I made a pattern with the transparent pink and blue beads! Guess the Muse had her own plan!

The other two bracelets are my traditional right angle weave bracelets done in Swarovski white pearls which I always pair with silver. One has Swarovski crystal ab bicones with the pearls.

These bracelets need the black background, and I will be making a better prop to pose them on. Still working on the lighting, too. There are some light sapphire bracelets and a peach bracelet and earrings that are at the photo editing stage. Light sapphire is one of the "colors" for December birthdays, so they will be added to my shop soon.

I've got a Black Friday Etsy special on some of my items going on at least thru Monday. Other specials will follow.

Crystal Silver Night - Swarovski New Color

This is a bracelet created from Swarovski's new color, Crystal Silver Night. The crystals are connected with jet black size 13 charlottes. This silvery gray color does not have the fire of aurora borealis, but the bead does have one side more crystal clear and one side opaque. As all things Swarovski, the beads are beautiful.

I also wanted to remind you that it is time to vote in the Etsy Beadweavers monthly challenge. With a theme of "Autumn Falling of Leaves", there are more entries than last month's very popular one on Bollywood. Next month, we are to select a holiday and create something for that occasion--should be popular also.

You can either use the link I have on my blog or go to http://www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com and vote for your choice. The thumbnails are small, so if you click on the number/creator names listed below the mosaic photo, you will be taken to the etsy shop to view the entire write up and multiple photos. My entry is in the lower right hand corner. Enjoy!

Another Pair of Earrings

The third pair of earrings in my special April promotion are Swarovski light topaz with a crystal ab roundel and yellow jade round beads. I like this shade the best of Swarovski yellows. I frequently use crystal ab roundels in my earrings rather than metal accents. Guess that's because I like crystals.

I really like Waterford crystal. I collected Christmas ornaments for a number of years until I realized I was decorating the tree only for myself and stopped the tradition. I need to have a fresh cut tree, nothing artificial.

It may seem like I am writing about Christmas, but it is more about traditions. Most of them in my family of origin revolve around food; since I have food allergies/sensitivities, and shouldn't eat sugar and starchy carbohydrates, I can no longer comfortably eat those traditions. Some of them I realized I never really liked--the large fruit and nut chocolate eggs that we had to share come to mind. Eggs were decorated for the fun of decorating them, not the mess and certainly not for the hard boiled eggs. Ham used to be glazed with brown sugar over the maraschino cherries and canned pineapple rings. There were ever enough cherries to suit me! Today I had a serving of fresh pineapple which tasted good for a once a year or so treat. The rest of my family of origin's traditions involve church attendance.

Anyone care to share a tradition that I might be able to adopt?

More on Right Angle Weave Bead Weaving Stitch

I searched for the photos of bracelets I made inspired by the Beadwork Magazine article written by Jeannette Cook which I used to learn right angle weave multiple rows. If you haven't looked at her work or found the article with pictures, she created a painting with crystals on a base of right angle weave. I also learned how to leave space open for a button hole.

The two scenes I decided to create were based on Monet Waterlilies and a Sunset. I'm going to let the pictures be the post. The photographs show the front which is crystals; the back is 12 x 50 rows of right angle weave using Miyuki delica beads with 2 size 11 beads on a side. That's almost 600 Swarovski 4 mm bicones. The button on Sunset is seed beads in peyote in the round.

Jeannette Cook's article inspired me. See my previous post for her shop url.

Use the Muse IV Contest

The challenge was to write an entry in your blog and post it by 2/24/10 linked to the use the muse website blog. Also I would be entered into a drawing for the coveted free beads if I wrote about my main motivation for entering Use the Muse IV.

The Use the Muse IV contest is officially starting. February 24 is the last day to sign up for a kit and receive the preorder price. http://usethemuse.com/ I ordered mine after Christmas, hoping it would make it start sooner, but patience is one of my life lessons.

My main motivation for entering Use the Muse IV is to set deadlines for me. This blog may not have existed if it were not for this contest. On Use the Muse III, I entered because I thought I wanted to see my beaded jewelry on an international site--it is there. I needed to purchase a camera and lighting equipment to photograph my entry by the November deadline, so I also added that skill. I used it to set up my etsy shop.
http://www.krdesigns11.etsy.com/

I felt I won, even though officially I didn't get any of the prizes--those gorgeous beads. Using the discount from
http://www.artbeads.com/
I purchased a jet black Swarovski cabochon for my bead stash. My personal treat for following through on something I wanted to do for me!

The entry purchases an attractively packaged group of beads the entrants work from plus the "MUSE" which is a secret component each entrant must use. The collections always challenge me to do something I haven't done before, new items, techniques, color palates. I haven't seen the MUSE IV yet, but the kit has wooden pieces and colors I have not created with previously. But I'm waiting to see the Muse which will be mailed out to me the end of this week before I decide what to create. After all, it is the Muse!