Beading Buddy

Living on a remote island in the Pacific makes you really value the connections you make with people. It can be a bit tricky being a beader out here, since there are no bead stores or workshops to be had. While the Marshallese do make amazing handicrafts, it's not quite the same as being in a community of people who do what you do. That said, I'm always looking for ways to reach out that are sort of out of the box. So, about a month ago I posted on beading daily that I was looking for a beading buddy that would be kinda like a pen pal for beads. A lovely woman, who I'll refer to as  M., took me up on my offer. We decided we would go with a fall theme for our first exchange. When I received her package in the mail, I was so excited.



Goodies!

I can't wait to get into the goodies that M. sent. Expect several posts of new stuff made with my new stuff :) I'm even more excited since many of the items she sent are things that I would never have bought for myself. Such a lovely challenge this will be. Thanks again M.!

How many of you out there have done a bead exchange before? What's your take?

Crafting In Public

This Saturday I attended my first crafting in public event. I was joined by a knitter and a pastel artist. We had chocolate cake, lots of laughs, and got down to the business of creating. We got a fair amount of attention from the waitstaff, who couldn't believe the creations that were coming together before their very eyes. I forgot my camera, so wasn't able to get any shots of the first day, but we'll be meeting up again next week for more public displays of craftiness. Here are two pieces I finished during the event.

These labradorite half mandalas were commisioned by a co-worker. I love the pop of blue.

Sodalite, labradorite, and pearl drops for a poet friend. It took me a while to figure out the colors, but I really like how they turned out.

What did you do this weekend?

New lovelies

This week has been about one thing: More wire! More wire!

I didn't get to finish as many pieces as I would've liked, but these three are what I have to offer today.

I LOVE how this ring turned out. I think the moonstone rounds and chips work really well together in this piece, and the copper gives the ring a very down to earth feel.

I was going for a bracelet similar to the red and yellow stash bracelet I posted last week. I think this one turned out ok.

I have been itching to use these kyanite stones since I got them. I'm still not sure how I feel about these earrings, but I think there is a lot of potential here.

Well, that's all for this week. I hope I have some fun seed bead things to post next week. We shall see...

Waking up Wired

Try as I might to sleep in this morning, it just wasn't happening. So, as I rose before the sun, I thought to myself, Let's make some jewelry.

Here's what came of the morning madness:

These beads have been staring at me from my craft table for a while now. It was nice to finally put them together, and I really like how the colors are working. This was also the first time I made my own wire clasp. I think it turned out pretty well.

These pretty painted beads have also been sitting on my table for a minute. The holes in these beads are really large, so the only way I could work them was from the side. I really like how they turned out. They remind me of cherry blossom trees.

What is a creative morning without a fail. I really wanted this ring to turn out funky and fun, but it just feels funky. Probably should have had my cup of breakfast tea before touching this little project. I'm not crazy about the colors or the composition. Any one have any ideas on this one?

What did you do this morning?

Break out the Rollerskates and the Disco Balls!

So, I took a few days to feel sorry for myself after the auction flop, and in my internet skulkings I found the most amazing seed bead jewelry to date. I don't know if you know brokenfab already, but if not you must check it out. I never would have thought to combine the funk of disco with seed beads, but these designs make me want to grab some hot pink lipstick and rock out to Ziggy stardust. Love love love!

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Auction Closed!

Well folks, the auction is over and the winner is.....

NO ONE!

Looks like no one decided to bid on the feather headdress earrings. Alas, I suppose I'll have to keep them for myself :)

We'll try again next month...

The Moment has Arrived!

I've been talking about if for days, and now here it is: MY FIRST BLOG AUCTION PIECE

I call these Feather Headdress earrings.

They were inspired by this beautiful Mexican dancer.

I hope that you all love them as much as I do. The minimum bid for these earrings is $20. If you want to make them your own, just post your name, bid, and email address in the comment section. The person who places the highest bid by Tuesday morning will get to sport these lovelies all year.

Happy Bidding Everyone!