Captured crystal and a beaded cube

Time for a short entry and two more pendants. ;)

The first of them consists of a beautiful Preciosa vitrail light octagon crystal and Toho seed beads size 11 and 15. The bezel of the crystal is quite untypical as you see... but that's only because the crystal had a hole which I just needed to hide. ;) It measures 5cm (2") without the bail.

And the second pendant, a beaded cube, made of 4mm fire polished crystals and Czech seed beads size 10 and 15... The edge of the cube measures 2cm (0,78") and the pendant is extremely light as it's empty inside... Think I'll have to make such a cube of some different color some day, as it was quite easy and fast to create. But until then you can see the one that is already finished. ;)

Will be back soon with more beadwork of course. ;)

It's all about Preciosa!

Yep, because those huge rivoli crystals are so beautiful! I can never have enough of them to bezel really. So there are two more of them that have been bezelled recently - something white, and something black, and I can't decide which one I like better. ;)

So, here's the white one, vitrail medium crystal:

 

 

 

And the black one, sahara crystal:

Both pendants measure around 5cm (1,97") in diameter. The bezels are made with Toho beads (size 11 and 15) as well as Preciosa bugle beads.

For the Brave! ;)

Oh yes, only the brave one can wear this. The Preciosa Volcano crystal surrounded by Toho beads is an extremely eye-catching piece of jewellery. It is huge as for a pendant - 5 cm (2") in diameter and it will be accompanied by a black beaded crochet rope - as soon as I make one certainly. ;) The photo however doesn't really show how beautiful the crystal is... it can be purple, red, orange and blue, depending on light. Truly amazing mix of colours really.

Well, not much can be written about it. Better to see it, so here it is:

So, who's brave enough to wear it? ;)

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. ;)