The Earrings Challenge - Part 3

Yes, so that is part 3 of the challenge, probably the last part too, as the 14 pairs of earrings has been finished, just like it was planned. Time to make some other things now... preferably my favourite pendants, although it's quite likely that I'll make some more earrings too...

That will be the end of wire-wrapping for now too, as I definitely need some break from it. Returning to bead weaving instead, so probably my fingers will be grateful for it, not being hurt with the wire anymore. Before I make some other beaded jewelry though, time to show the last four pairs, completed recently. They all are made, as always, of silver plated copper and are oxidized to light grey color.

So here they are:

Next time there will be more beadwork to see. :)

Another wire-wrapped pendant... and a wolf bracelet ;)

Okay, no earrings this time. Need to get some rest from making them. ;)

Have made something else instead. To be honest, it was supposed to be an earring, but when I made one I realized it might be a little bit too heavy for an earring, so instead of making another one, I decided to make a necklace out of it... Used a silver foil glass bead for it and I'm almost tempted to keep it for myself. Or at least make another one that I could keep. ;)

The pendant is 3,4 cm (1,34") wide in diameter (without the bail) and you can see it below:

And a close-up:

Well, most likely the necklace will be for sale. But not the bracelet that I have just finished too. Have been playing around with a transparent resin recently, and since this certain wolf picture is quite special to me, decided to make use of the possibilites that the resin gives and turn the picture into something I can wear. It's just a simple black macrame bracelet and it is going to be mine and only mine. ;)



The Earrings Challenge - Part 2. Back to wire-wrapping

So here we are, the Earrings Challenge is being continued again.

Not quite sure if I can still call it the challenge, since the idea of it died very quickly, as some other duties... yes, let's call it duties, although it was just a kitten, a monster kitten though, haven't let me do much. Had to hide the beads deeply if I didn't want to risk losing them... tried to hide my hands too to keep them safe, but with that I was constantly failing. ;) Eventually the little twister luckily has found a new loving owner, so I could get back to beading.

And not only beading. Whole ages have passed since I played around with wire for the last time... Once favourite jewelry making technique has been forgotten for a few years. Thought however that it might be a good idea to see if I can still work with wire... have I succeeded? I don't know. I know that my fingers were extermely aching the day after I returned to the wire-wrapping. Now though they're getting better, so I can continue with making more wire earrings once I post this entry.

The effects of my last days' work you can see below.

The earrings are made of silver plated copper, oxidized (at least the first three pairs) to achieve a dark grey colour of the metal. It didn't fit to the last pair though so it is going to keep the light silver innocent look. In all of the earrings the wire is accompanied by the wax pearls in different sizes and colours as well as the metal beads. And they required *a lot* of time to be finished... well, wire-wrapping is very time consuming, but the effect is worth the hard work.

But I couldn't forget about bead weaving either... And since I liked the beaded dodecahedrons from here quite much, decided to make some more of them. This time a little bit bigger than the last ones, since I used the bigger seed beads. They measure 1,8 cm (0,71") in diameter.

And another pattern that I decided to recreate... Originally it was designed as a beaded ball made of seed beads along with 6mm pearls. Good for a pendant, but not for the earrings, since it was just too big. It was almost a challenge too to make it smaller, so I could use 4mm beads and make the spheres more fitting for earrings. The earrings are already finished, as you can see in the picture below...

... and another pendant of this desing is being made and that's how the original one looks:

The next pair of earrings is quite simple, made of tiny metal beads using a cubic right angle weave stitch. The pearls however aren't that orange for real... the picture lies in this case. ;P

And the last piece of jewelry that I have managed to complete. A tiny wire wrapped pendant that is only 2cm (0.79") wide in diameter. Some wire, some chain, some metal beads and a gemstone I cannot name... couldn't oxidize it either, so it will remain the way it is...

Hopefully I can show some more effects of my work soon. :)

The Earrings Challenge

More than a month now to the market event, where my jewellery is going to debut... Feels like a lot of time, but in fact not too much to make enough items it seems... That problem I'm trying to solve with The Earrings Challenge - my private challenge to make one pair of earrings every day - at least during the first two weeks. Only then I can make some other projects. Well, so far I have managed to make two pairs... wanted to make something simple to be honest, but apparently it is beyond my possibilities and I spent almost two hours on one earring instead... ;P

The main part of the first pair are very tiny dodecahedrons (only 1,5 cm/0,6") made of black and grey silver-lined seed beads.  They are nothing else but simple beaded balls, just with one additional layer of beads. The dodecahedrons are combined with a square charm in matching colours, stitched with a cubic right angle weave.

The second pair was made again with cubic right angle weave, this time formed to a round shape. Woven with small metal balls, embellished with hematite seed beads and with a matte glass pearl hidden inside them. They were extremely time consuming, even though they aren't very big - each of them is only 2,5 cm (1 inch) wide in diameter.

And beyond any challenge I managed to make one more thing within the last few days. A transparent octagon Preciosa crystal, bezelled with grey (matte and silver-lined) and white seed beads, as well as 4mm bicone Swarovski crystals. Looks like a grey sunflower to me and it is going to be one of my favourite pendants. :)

And now it's time to start making more earrings! ;)

Bezelled octagon and a beaded crochet rope

When I have found some Preciosa 18mm octagons for a very reasonable price, couldn't just help but order a few, although I didn't know what I could use them for at that time. Especially one of them, Bermuda Blue, has drawn my attention and it was the first I decided to work with. Its colour really makes me dream of lying on the beach on some tropical island and watching the wide, clear, turquoise ocean... Gods, I think I need some vacation! ;)

Too bad it is impossible at the moment and my Bermuda Blue crystal needs to serve some other purpose to not remind me of any holidays. Only had to dress it in snowy white seed beads and it has become a perfect focal bead in another beaded crochet bracelet. It doesn't look like a octagon anymore though, but who said that only round rivoli crystals could be bezelled to achieve a similar effect? ;)

Yes, I love making beaded crochet ropes. I can make two bracelets in just one evening, while on some more complex projects I have to work for many hours... So I have finished quite a few of them recently and have a few more in my nearest beading plans. Like making a similar bezelled octagon, this time a Vitrail Light one, with a double rope in matching violet and light blue. It will have to wait a few days though... Until then you can see some of the latest crocheted bracelets I have made.

Like this one, with a beaded sphere again, this time used as a charm...

...and this one, with a charm of a different shape, made with cubic right angle weave stitch...

...and two more with the beaded spheres (I must be crazy about them since I make them so often)...

...and the last one, made of transparent beads, with a shading effect given entirely by the floss.

I'm pretty sure that's not the end of the beaded crochet ropes on here yet. ;)

Beaded "donuts"

The pattern for this pendant was designed some time ago, when I was making it as a gift. Originally it was blue and ecru, and I liked it enough to create some other one too. It is double sided and consists of wax pearls, seed beads and fire polished beads. The red one however was modified a bit by adding a few bicone crystals on the edge.

And that's how it looks like:

However, I liked the blue version of this pattern quite much, so decided to recreate it. This time without any embellishment on the edge of it.

Both pendants are 4 cm (1,57") wide in diameter.