Ice Queen - A Bead Mavens challenge

I think I have spoken about the Bead Mavens Ice Queen Challenge enough over the past few weeks so without further ado here is my entry.

(click on images for enlarged view)

This is the first collar piece I have ever made and it was designed and created specifically for this challenge. 

The piece features a gorgeous Czech glass button as the main focal, Swarovski crystal bicones and rondelles, Czech glass beads, freshwater pearls, bugle beads and lots of seed beads! 

The necklace consists of silver links and velvet ribbon and the piece is backed with leather.

I wanted the piece to have a definite icy feel so I have used lots of transparent beads as well as Swarovski crystal and Czech glass.

The silver galvanised beads were used to depict the cold, icy feel an Ice Queen would experience living in the snow.

The Czech glass button is reminiscent of a snowflake and the freshwater pearls represent snowballs.

Wish me luck!

♥

Ice Queen Challenge - another sneaky peaky

I am making steady progress on my collar piece which, as you will know from previous posts, I am entering in the Bead Mavens Ice Queen Challenge.

A few of my original design plans are now...shall I say... on the wayside... but I am still happy with the result so far.

All that is needed to do now is back the piece with leather, attach the edge beads and construct the necklace.

I am hoping the leather isn't too much of a bother to stitch.I usually use ultrasuede but silly old me didn't check to see whether I had enough cream suede and yep you guessed it... I don't have enough!

I figured I'd have plenty, not taking into account that this piece is a lot bigger than my usual pendant size embroidered pieces. Not to worry. I think the leather will give the piece a luxurious feel!

Mental note for next time though is to check how much suede you have before you start stitching the piece if you have a deadline to meet!

I've thoroughly enjoyed working on my very first collar. My crystal ball sees a few more collars in my future!!

Entries for the Ice Queen Challenge are due 28 November so I will be sharing the final product with you in a few days!

~~~~

Just a reminder also that if you haven't voted in the

Artbeads

"What Inspires You''
contest

then be sure to drop by and take a look.

Voting is open until 8 December but vote now as you may forget later!

Here is a link to the piece I entered

Happy voting!

♥

Shameless self promotion.. please vote!

I've just been checking out the entries in the
Artbeads

"What Inspires You"

contest.

Competitions like these are a great reminder that even though you may not be a famous beader...
...you are still an awesome beader!

The entries are fantastic...so much eye candy!

Here is a direct link to my piece.

I know it's shameless self-promotion but I'd really like to win and treat myself to some Swarvoski crystals!

I mean let's face it ...what beader doesn't want to win beads?

You can see my inspiration and my piece in my blog post below.

♥

Artbeads "What Inspires You" contest

I have just entered the Artbeads "What Inspires You" contest. 

You can check out all the details including the entries so far here.

Here is my inspiration

A pop art style picture depicting a beach scene

And here is my piece

Summer Daze

I actually made this piece as part of the Artbeads Design Partner Blogging Program and thought it would be fun to enter it into this competition.

Voting starts on Tuesday 23 November so be sure to visit the site to check out the entries, 

including mine!

♥

My Creative Space... and a sneek preview!

I've been beading up a bit of a storm over the past week as I am frantically trying to complete a piece I am entering in the Bead Maven's Ice Queen challenge.

As previously mentioned it will be a collar style necklace and is my first collar piece I have ever created so that in itself will be a challenge.

The piece is stitched with transparent and silver galvanised seed beads with a few Czech glass and Swarovski beads thrown in here and there as well as some freshwater pearls for good measure!

I have to admit I normally steer clear of transparent beads so they too have proved to be a challenge!

Here is a sneak peek of the front

and the back

I am making steady progress and feel relatively confident I will meet the 28 November deadline.

Watch this space!

♥

If there is a heaven then I reckon this is it!

Check out my lastest ...ummm... investment from Fire Mountain Gems.

I am not a religious person but I reckon if there is a Heaven then this is it!

An assortment of seed beads

Wooden beads and leather cuffs

Cabochons

Delicas

Jump rings and cubic zirconia drops

~~~~

I have also just re-organised my bead stash (to make room for the new loot)

from this

to this

I have sorted my seed beads into colours keeping size 11/0, 8/0 and 6/0 seed beads together, a separate drawer for 15/0's (not sorted by colour) and my delicas, cubes, drops, hex beads etc are still in the hangers.

I am not sure this new system is going to work for me... 

I loved having my beads sorted by size and colour... all my blue 11/0's together, red 11/0's together etc...

it made life easy when starting a new project. 

Now I have to fish through the colour drawer separating my sizes. 

I guess the sizing is easy to distinguish at a glance but my OCD prefers the other, more organised way!

Let's see how it goes!

♥

Those birds are calling my name

The naughty side of me doesn't want to share this awesome giveaway with you as that would be one less chance I have of winning...

But.... the sweet side of me thinks the more the merrier... and I get an extra entry if I blog about it.

Julianna of Julsbeads is having an awesome giveaway... 

3 winners 

and here is just a sample of the gorgeousness on offer.

I can hear those birdies calling my name... I can... seriously... yep... there they are again!

Pop on over and say hello... oh and enter if you like but no pressure!

Remember I want to win too!

♥

Something Old ~ Something New

Ok ...so our newly built deck isn't exactly old yet but I thought I'd share some photos

now that I've ''prettied it up''!

I found these cute wall features and just had to have both of them!

We had dinner on the deck for the first time last night.

Spencer actually refrained from blowing out the candles we had lit...ok I had to tell him at least five times... but they remained lit!

We still have some work to do on the yard surrounding the deck

but you can only get so much done in two days.

Why is the weekend the two days of the week that seem to go the quickest?

~~~~

And my something new is a new piece I am working on for the Bead Maven's Ice Queen Challenge.

I have never created a collar piece so this is definitely something new for me.

I am a wee bit nervous about how it is going to turn out, especcially with it being a challenge piece, but I guess that is half the fun of the challenge!

I did get a little technical and used a saucer from an espresso cup and saucer set for the circular part of the collar!!

At least it looks like I know what I am doing!

Watch this space...

♥

My Creative Space

I've been working on something new this week.

Not new in the sense that it is a new piece I have started but a new design I have never attempted before.

The pattern can be found in Seed Bead Fusion by Rachel Nelson-Smith and the design is Mosaic Cuff.

I wanted to make something with a Moroccan feel and thought this cuff would work nicely with the colours I had in mind.

The space of each square of stitches will be filled with rounds of peyote which will add some dimension to the piece rather than it being a flat cuff.

~~~~

I am also still deciding whether to take part in two challenges.

One is due at the end of this month and the other in December.

I love entering challenges but sometimes I find the pressure of having a deadline to get something finished takes the fun out of creating the piece. I think this is dependent on how I am feeling at the time!

I am enjoying working on my cuff. I feel no pressure to get it done ... 

I am just making it because I can't wait to wear it!

♥