Vitamin C... A Daily Dose of Creativity: jewelry

Showing posts with label jewelry. Show all posts

Pink and Black Necklace Re-Do

by Kim

I made this necklace many years ago. The construction is embarrassingly simple. The base is some twisted black cords held together by endcaps. The beads and charms are attached by tieing them on with black embroidery floss. Simple. No tools required (well, scissors), and it has held up for years.

But when I wear it, it bugs me. It never looks right to me on any neckline. The beads don't flow up the necklace far enough to suite me.

So, I made some more beads and tied them on. I like it so much better looking fuller!

This is a good technique to spruce up an old necklace or one you purchased that you are tired of. Just add a few more beads.

Use your Vitamin C!

Some Color for a White World

by Kim

I love winter, but it is so white. Working on this colorful project this week was fun, love the colors!

The Amazing Helen at Blumenthal Lansing sent me some new embellishment packs. I made this fabric cuff bracelet for Jo-Ann fabrics. The package had buttons in three sizes and four colors, beads, and embroidery floss. All I needed to make this bracelet was a yard of grosgrain ribbon and a needle.

Stay tuned for more info on product and package when they hit the store.

Use your Vitamin C!

A Short Memory Pays Off

by Kim

The best part about writing a bead making column is that once I mail off my pieces, I forget they exist. Then, when the magazine mails them back after photography, and I open the box, it's like getting presents!

"Oh yeah! I forgot I made that!!!!"

Today, I got two presents in the mail.

Merry Christmas and Happy Vitamin C!

Wire and Button Bangle

by Kim

New color pack of buttons from Blumenthal Lansing. Sort of Southwest colors. I combined them with three colors of wire: gold, copper, brown. And added some brass heart charms. Fun to make. Lots of movement.

A little Vitamin C…..

Pink Necklace Re-Design

by Kim

This necklace was destined to be re-made. It is something I do. I highly recommend it. Sometimes I don't like what I did. Sometimes I get tired of a piece. Sometimes I don't really like some of the beads in the piece as much as I thought I would. This necklace won the trifecta. All of the above.

I remember making it, it has been quite a few years. I was sitting in my friend Joann's kitchen. The necklace got worn once and it has been hanging on a hook since then. Look how tarnished the silver is.

So, it got a re-do today. I cut it all apart and put away the beads I didn't like anymore.

The bali silver needed a clean up, and I could not find s sunshine cloth. So, I took them to the bathroom sink and rubbed them down with toothpaste. There is just enough abrasive in toothpaste to remove the tarnish. Just put some in your hand and rub. And they smell minty fresh!

Here is the re-design. It is a little longer, a length that I wear better than a choker length. I kept the asymmetry without the busyness.

All of the discs give it a slight Jetson-ish feel. I think I will wear the re-designed version. And if not, I will take it apart and try it again.

Just takes a little Vitamin C.

Layering Glass on Beads

by Kim

New beads for my next column...

Made a bracelet using them. You can see them in the December issue of Bead Design Studio. With instructions!

Had to brush off my Vitamin C a little....

I Love My Magical Crimp Tool!

by Kim

I don't usually do subtle in jewelry, and this necklace is no exception. Click on the pic to see the variety of beads in this necklace.

No sure how I got on this, but I have been thinking how many partial tubes of seed beads I have. Probably most beaders do. They are useful, but apparently only until they get right down to the bottom. And, so, I made A LOT of seed bead rings. There are rings of all size seed beads, triangle beads, hex beads, and some small crystal beads. The rings range from 1/2" to 1 1/2" in size.

I went through the drawer and took out all of the green beads I had. Then I added a couple turquoise beads to add a touch of brightness.

My Magical Crimping tool got a good workout. I love that thing. Do you have one? I lost count of the rings around 120. Probably there are close to 200 rings on the necklace. The process took me a couple movies.

When all the rings were completed, and there were some empty seed bead tubes, I used embroidery floss to knot groupings of the rings to the links of a chain necklace. That part of the process was pretty fast. I even added a couple of small charms. You could add as many as you want.

I saved a couple smaller rings to go on the ends, so it is a bit tapered and looks better around the neck.

It is definitely a 3D necklace! Made of leftovers!
Use your Vitamin C....

Funky Chunky and a Cute Clasp

by Kim

Tonight, I made a bunch of chunky bead bracelets. I make them a couple times a year, they sell pretty well for me. I like making them because I can mix everything together. I impose no design rules on myself. Before I begin, I collect chunky beads of all kinds: lampwork, metals, wood, plastic, stone, shell...whatever is in the stash. Then I string.

The only suggestion I have for you, if you make similar chunky bracelets, is to use two crimp tubes on each end. Usually the weight of the beads is a little more than usual, so doubling up on the crimps gives an extra measure of security.

Because it adds one more material, I usually make button clasps for my chunky bracelets. With big buttons, I can make the clasp balance out the beads. But the thought of stringing seed beads for the loops was making me whine tonight. So, I thought how I could make a fitting clasp of different materials instead.

I had some huge lobsters....love those, and some peace sign charms. And together, they make an unusual clasp. I like it! I could have also used a toggle bar instead of the lobster. I just thought of that right now!

Use your Vitamin C!

Look What Kelly Brought Me!

by Kim

Kelly called and asked me if I knew anyone who would like her Mother's jewelry. HAHAHA! Did I ever! She brought me more than I dreamed I would get and it took me a couple hours to go through it. It was like Christmas. Awesome!

I think I will never have to buy a chain again. There is everything from so delicate that I can hardly see the links, to heavy and bold. There are watches, earrings, cocktail rings, necklaces, broaches, and bracelets. I pulled out everything from pop beads to real gold and Swarovski crystals. So awesome!

Showing off a few of my favorites: love this star chain...

This rhinestone pin is huge and gaudy and glitzy and perfection...

Glittered beads...

Lots of strands of small, sort of cube shaped beads, carmel-ish in color and pearly...

These might be my ultimate fav... the shape, the color....

There are a couple of these rhinestone chains, which are real vintage, and I love the 3D rhinestone medallions that are attached...

Big honkin' prism...

This butterfly chain is so small and dainty...

I hung up most of the chains and beads so they would not get tangled. Did I say awesome?

Hoping this gives me better dreams tonight than last night...dreams of beads and chains and jewelry and rhinestones and creativity.

OT, but I have to tell it.....
Last night I dreamed that I was back in college and my assignment was to get dropped off someplace and walk home. On the walk, I had to stop into business and ask them to let me work on some kind of task. It was pouring outside and puddles were turning into lakes. I remember working for a bit at some kind of shop where I nailed things together with a nail gun. And I remember going into the Facebook building. When I walked in the door, upper management was going into a meeting. The meeting room looked like a living room, with couches and lamps and rugs. It was a warm looking room, earthy tones, and lights turned on since it was so gray outside.

I said hello and explained my experiment, and they readily agreed to give me a job. A girl took me downstairs to a room with several computers and people sitting at them. The computer screens were dressed in faux fur. I got a screen covered in hot pink fur. Then I woke up.

Maybe a little bit too much Vitamin C?

Button Pendant Gives Back

by Kim

You know that I love it when artists use their gifts to encourage or help others. This story is on the Amazing Helen's blog today. For us, her readers, it serves two purposes. It encourages us to encourage others. And it gives us a great project!

Here are some other encouraging projects and artists.

Read about Craft Hope if you don't know about it. You might want to participate in one of their projects.
7000 bracelets
Everything is Ticketyboo!
Flip flops and felt

Word of the day: encourage. Use it in a sentence today with your Vitamin C!

Button Swap

by Kim

I am participating in a Button Swap today, hosted and organized by Cindy Wimmer of Sweet Bead Studio. My partner, Laurel Steven, sent me these buttons. She made the carded buttons. They are polymer clay and fabulous. Yippee, I had enough excellent buttons from Laurel to make two projects.

First, I turned Laurel's polymer buttons into earrings. I added a sparkly bit and a crystal dangle. Of course, I immediately put them on and wore them!

The rest of the beads are acrylic or resin or bakelite, I am not sure. Laurel, what are they? Besides very cool. This is a color palette not normally on my worktable, but I love it. I will be working with it again. Stay tuned.

The center strand is macrame with the buttons and some faceted crystal beads added in. I have had this strand of beads (from the HumanPinBall) that I have not used for anything. The blush color is perfect and they add a little sparkle. Strand two is seed beads and bi-cone beads, both brown.

Strand three is a chain with the same pink faceted beads, dangling. I finished it off with a button closure. I have been wearing it for days.

A lot of great button lovers/button artists are participating in the swap and blog hop. Grab a cup of tea and peruse some of these blogs.

Happy Mother's Day!

Use your Vitamin B(utton)

Alice Peterson and Kim Bender

Angie Blasingame and Billi R.S. Rothove

Billi R.S. Rothove and Angie Blasingame

Birgitta Lejonklou and Pam Farren

Bonnie Coursolle and Tania Hagen

Brenda Salzano and Hope Smitherman

Cat Kerr and Heather Powers

Cece Cornier and Jeannie Dukic

Celeste Thurston and Christine Damm

Christine Damm and Celeste Thurston

Christine Stonefield and Dana James

Cilla Watkins and Lori Bowring Michaud