My Creative Space...

Over the past week or so I have been working on the first of my Beading Babes projects for 2012,
Runway of Pearls by Barbara Falkowitz.

Sadly I am still waiting on my bead order to arrive which contains my wee little pearls I need to continue on with this piece so this is far as I have got.

I have used 2mm Jet Czech fire polished beads instead of the triangle beads and have used matte silver grey size 11/0 beads and black size 15/0 beads.

I think I will make my reversible so I will be stitching the other side in black and silver.

I did originally use all black beads but it was just a bit too bland, even with the sparkle of the Czech beads.

It has worked out a bit of a pricey piece as I had to order 400 Czech beads costing me $20.00 but the sparkle is worth it!

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This is a pendant I finished last week.

It is based on Marcie Abney's Looking Glass pendant.

I ended up adding a few extra rows which resulted in a frilled edge which I quite like!

These pendants are so quick and easy to stitch up and really do make nice gifts!

What's making an appearance in your creative space this week?

♥

My Creative Space...

Here are a few pieces I have been working on over the past few weeks.

This is a gorgeous pendant using Marcie Abney's "Looking Glass" pendant tutorial.

I made this for my gorgeous friend, Jess, for her 21st birthday. 

Her favourite colours are hot pink and turquoise.

This is such a quick and easy pendant to create and really does make a lovely gift.

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This is my Earthly Hues piece from Beading Babes - Project 2.

You might recall that I ran out of beads when making this piece so I wasn't able to complete the piece in time for the reveal on 5 December.

The round beads are Ocean Jasper - one of my favourite stones, and I've used Matte Metallic Khaki Iris cubes and round beads.

I found this piece relatively easy to make with the fiddliest part being the pendant. I found I had to go through the beads several times to hold the piece together nicely as mine was sitting too loosely.

Overall I am pretty pleased with the final result and love the mix of earthy colours.

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I am currently going through issues of Beadwork and Bead and Button magazine choosing the pieces for Project 3 of Beading Babes.

Two pieces will be selected again, but remember you do not need to create both.

I will be posting the details up in the next day or two and will then give you a couple of days to vote on your favourite two.

Watch this space!

♥

Margie and Me - The Colors of Constructivism - #102

It's that time again for the Margie and Me Challenge reveal.

This time around I chose

The Colors of Constructivism - #102

Apologies that I am a day or two late for posting my creation.

Unfortunately the weather here has been quite bad again and each afternoon when I have gone to photograph my piece... well it's been pouring with rain.


So... please excuse my dodgy photo but it was the best I could get!

I focused on the gorgeous blues, greens and teals in the colour palette and created these earrings using Marcia DeCoster's "Medici Drop" pattern.

I thought the Czech teardrops worked quite well with the colour palette.

I was intending to create a piece using the other gorgeous palette but unfortunately it just didn't happen.

Be sure to check out the other Margie and Me creations on Marcie's blog at La Bella Joya.

♥

Marcie, Margie and Me - Weis Church Fresco #80

It's hard to believe another 2 weeks has passed since the most recent Margie and Me challenge was set by Marcie at La Bella Joya.

The colour palette for this challenge was 

Colour Palette #80

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"Weis Church Fresco"

I used the masterpiece, that is the ceiling as pictured above, as my inspiration. 

I decided not to go with the colour palette created in the colour generator but focused on the pinks, blues and golds that make up this incredibly amazing ceiling.

The focal piece is a glass fused cabochon I made especially for the challenge in my microwave kiln.

After a little trial and error I managed to create a mix of colours  I felt reflected those found in the church's ceiling.

The cabochon was very difficult to photograph due to the glass being extremely shiny and no matter how hard I tried I continued to have a lot of reflection on the glass...until I took a shot of the piece on it's side!

It's hard to tell from the images but the picot edge is so pretty and shimmery. 

The seed beads are a mixture of size 15/0  gavlanised gold seed beads as well as Rainbow Cream Soda beads in size 11/0, producing some really pretty colours in the light.

Delica beads were used in the peyote bezel and the piece was backed with ultrasuede.

 I have to admit that again the color palette isn't something I'd normally go for. 

I don't consider myself the most "girliest of girls" so when I chose the church's ceiling for my inspiration I was a little concerned with the very ''pretty" colours.

  

But yet again this challenge has resulted in me not only using colours together that I normally would not...

....but yet I have again created a piece that I love!

Thanks again Marcie for yet another great palette choice 

and encouraging me to create out of my comfort zone!

♥

Marcie, Margie & Me - Portrait of a Lady with an Ermine #63

This week marks the first week I have taken part in the "Margie and Me" challenge. 

As I previously mentioned Marcie from La Bella Joya chooses a colour palette each week from Margie Deeb's book, The Beader's Color Palette, then creates a piece using those colours.

This week the palette chosen was 

 ~ #63 - Portrait of a Lady with an Ermine ~

And here is the piece that I created.

The cabochons are lapis (10mm) as well as a teeny tiny glassed fused cab I made. 

The piece has been stitched with size 15/0 and 11/0 seed beads as well as 3 x 3mm Swarovski bicones under the black cab.

The pendant is relatively small measuring 50mm (1.9in or 5cm) across.

I ended up changing the size of the jump ring to a larger one as it wasn't fitting on any of my necklaces so here is the piece with the larger ring on one of my right angle weave (RAW) necklaces which matches perfectly as it has been stitched with the same matte black seed beads!

I have thoroughly enjoyed this challenge. 

Whilst choosing the beads I knew these were not colours that I would normally put together in one piece but I have to admit I am really loving how it all came together!

I guess that is what this challenge is all about...letting us step outside our comfort zone and partake in an adventure in colour!

Thanks Marcie!

♥

Speaking of books

You might have read my recent post about shopping carts and how long we leave items in them.

Well here are a few I've had in my shopping cart at the Book Depository for a few months and as I type the first three are hopefully making their way from the UK to me here in Australia! 

The last one I ended up ordering from the US as a friend was placing an order and with the dollar being so awesomely awesome right now I ordered that too!

I am so excited as I have had my eye on these books for some time now.

So here is what I bought.

This book is a complication of designs from previous issues of Bead & Button magazine. 

I took advantage of the ''Look Inside'' feature and there are some stunning designs, including the peyote links on the front cover, which I can't wait to tackle.

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I am soooo excited to be ordering this book. A few of my friends own this book and said it ''blew their mind'' when they received it! 

The beads on the front cover alone are enticing enough so I can't wait to flick through the pages of this one.

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I don't own Laura McCabe's previous book, Creating Crystal Jewelry, as I have never really worked with Swarovski crystals... until recently! 

But as I love beadweaving I thought this one would be right up my alley! 

No doubt I will come away with a lot of new skills from this one!

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Marcie of La Bella Joya recently invited me to take part in her Margie and Me challenge where she picks a colour palette from Margie Deeb's book and then creates a piece using those colours.

I absolutely cannot wait to take part... what a fantastic concept not to mention a great way to get me to use colour combinations I would not normally dare to use.

Thanks Marcie! My book has hit Australian shores so I should be receiving it on Tuesday!

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How is your beading book stash? Bought any good books lately?

♥