Green Stone Necklace

I have always loved necklaces with lots of different shapes and types of stones, But I am too cheap to buy a 16 inch strand of twelve different shapes. Since I don't sell jewelry, that is too much of one thing.  Never before have a gone to a show where there were bins of mixed shapes for sale individually like these!

My first design included smaller silver wirework components,(3rd photo) but they were just distracting. I ended up putting the stones on silver wire loops and using silver oval jump rings to attach them together.

Wild Lampwork beads

These great handmade Lamp work beads in lime, black and periwinkle blue are one of my favorite purchases this year. It has taken me ages to get this necklace put together. Nothing seemed special enough. I  bought all I could afford of these at a show in Grapevine TX.

I was looking for a black metal component spacer to go with these, which I never found. I did find these acrylic spacer shapes. I like them but they were half the size I expected from their photos. 

I  strung the components and lamp work beads with black crimps on black Soft Flex wire. I was lucky to find a strand of vintage french beads in this periwinkle color to extend this a little. Look what fun shapes these are. I made the cone ones into funky earrings. When I strung the cones upside down with the point up they looked to much like Christmas trees, Now they look like umbrellas. Or Ice cream cones. I like them anyways.

2 Copper and Teal Necklaces

 The first one feels more heavy and casual to me, It reminds me of Egyptian stuff. The Glass beads were such a glorious shade of teal but very large with huge holes. I may do these again on leather lacing, but I did not have any this weekend. These copper beads are coated ceramic, they have a handmade rough ethnic quality.

The second necklace is made of dyed stone called chrysocolla jasper in shades of green/turquoise. This one is strung with copper accent beads and spiral pendant. These stones were beautiful.

Double Chain Necklace

I have found it hard to get inspired by these black cloisonné rounds, I have had them forever. They always seemed so traditional and boring when I string them up. I decided to use a fancy embossed chain and wire wrap the cloisonné beads and space them. I also had these interesting rectangle tube  painted beads that were painted to look like millefiore. I found some strange twisted metal vintage gold colored beads and used them also.I made two necklaces and then just hooked them together.

Creative beading Truth in Blogging

My husband came walking by and said "You really should show them what a mess you work in!" Yes, I  need to have all my stash on the table at once when I am working---There are even boxes on chairs across from me that are not in these pictures.

I like :

Jewelry tools out--Round nose pliers, crimper tool, chain nose plier, wire cutter, snips, jeweller's cement, tweezers.

a design board, lots of little plates, Those bead keeper springs to hold your strand secure, scrimps. Soft flex wire in lots of sizes and colors

I am even using all those jump rings and stuff that fell on my floor. Waah, The whole box tipped off the table and is gathered into that tin!

I keep a lot of my stuff in plastic compartment containers, but some stranded stuff and packaged items are just in a bin until I get to them.

Bead Simple Review

If you love classic, stark and simple jewelry designs this book has over 100 designs for you. Each has a clear large color photo and  good instructions. Many of these were just not "gobby" enough for my taste, which runs to bling and dangles and big beads. However, I could see my daughter Rachel and my sister Sara would love these designs. Many were made with classic shaped beads of glass and wood. I thought the earring designs were particularly lovely.

Lots of great stuff in here for all--

3 Blue necklaces

Each of these blue necklaces has a different flavor. The first icy periwinkle blue and silver links has a space age feel, like something in the old star trek shows. I think partly because if the odd placement of the holes in the rectangular silver link components.

The second one with two strand of many different indian glass luster beads has and organic or beachy look. The pale blue dagger beads remind me of wings.

The third has large steely blue glass pendant beads and lots of end caps and silver adding up to a more elegant design. The first and third necklaces are wire work and the second is strung beads.