feeling comfortable again

two more items made yesterday. i'm feeling comfortable again and enjoying the beading. maybe because i'm sharing?

this was started on sunday and i sat up with it until 12. just didn't look like what i expected. slept on it, thought about it and then made it last night. i'm pleased with it, the doughnut i've had for ages, the little blue bird is from lima beads in the usa.

i found beads for this bracelet while i was scratching for beads for the blue bird above. one of those designs that just evolved into this really stunning bracelet. quirky glamour because of the silver button and some really old pony beads.

my friend makkie who is closing shop, made this necklace for a show in nelspruit. she made the polymer clay orange beads. she used a variety of recycled glass beads, resin, wood and glass. love it and of course get lots of comments and compliments.

the two bracelets below were made about two weeks ago, the pics were taken with my samsung tablet, i really haven't conquered the camera. but both bracelets sold the day after being made off my fb page.

calming

we had a busy day yesterday. still sorting out the study and guest room. final touches, i'd washed all the curtains and they needed to be rehung and richard was busy with wiring and plugs points in both rooms. did some quite beading in the evening.

i'm sure i've mentioned many times that i find beading calming.i didn't want to do anything too demanding. this is the result. i searched out small colourful beads and some charms. i made my own chain by linking the half circle charms. i'd made a similar piece some time ago, my mother in law purchased it from joce's salon and mith wears it regularly. says it goes with so much.

this was the one mith has. a heart theme and more pastels.

i started on another necklace but it drove me crazy, i don't have the beads for my idea. so some tweaking will have to happen.

moving on

a young woman, who over the last few years i've become friends with, is moving on. she had a bead shop, where she gave lessons in beading, art, mosaic, crochet and so much more. she has been a supporter of many creatives, including myself. i'm sad to see her closing up shop, but she studied fine art and would love to pursue her chosen career. i wish her all the luck and much success.

i've managed to keep making pieces regardless of what feels like a killer schedule of late.

feels like i haven't made something like this for ages. it all started with the large disc paper bead that i purchased from lima beads in the us. i added wood beads, small and large discs, faceted agate dyed a blueish grey, as well as preciosa beads. i'm loving my new camera, it takes the most amazing pics.

ever since my sister lindy made a necklace with wooden beads and other things, i've have gone back to wood beads. the fact that they are light make them great for chunky or long necklaces. having said that, here is a bracelet inspired firstly by the turquoise wooden beads and then the large flat oval wooden bead.

when i'm looking for beads for a particular piece and come across something else, that i think could work in another piece, or the bead, focal, charm inspires me, i put it to one side. in this case the inspiration was the green disc beads. they were handmade by a social up-liftment programme. the metal bird was also sitting waiting for inspiration to occur. digging into the box of green beads and voila. i love this green, silver and bronze bracelet. it has glass beads purchased ages ago as well as some interesting charms and separators.

aaah! the salmon/orange coloured beads are from my friend who is closing up shop. they are beads from west africa , i teamed them with royal blue seed beads, some coral and white chain.

the flat polymer clay disc beads were made by makkie. i've combined them with six strands of a mix of glass, shell and seed beads. regae colours?

this bracelet which is the same design as the one above, is styled on the three glass lampwork beads. i'd already made a necklace using all the lampwork beads i had. i recently found some more and have used them in this bracelet coupled with seed, glass and preciosa beads, as well as metal fish.

i'd purchased the pewter heart at a local silver jewellery shop soon after i came out of hospital. as i'd had a close call, i felt that the tearful heart was appropriate. but then i was doing some research and found a necklace similar to this one. i felt the heart would be perfect. it was made and sold two days later.

hope you enjoyed the visit.

getting there

well, the floors are done and the study is sorted. the guest room beds still need to be made up and the curtains hung. might have to buy myself another chair for my desk, the wheels on my chair don't roll so well and i don't want to scratch the new floors. there won't be more in my lifetime.

a bit of a change to what i usually do. waxed linen between the polymer clay troll beads. some dyed volcanic rock beads, preciosa beads, that i purchased from shipwreck beads in the usa. the exchange rate is a killer.
joce claimed this before it even left the studio.

this is in a similar vein, just no linen cord. i purchased the carved beads ages ago after a lovely breakfast with caron, one of my oldest friends. i used some of the presiosa beads again, as well as red coral tubes and porcelain beads. i ended up keeping this one.

mmm, blurry and taken with my samsung tablet, which i haven't mastered. crochet cuff using cotton thread, encrusted with glass beads with a wooden button fastener. but hey, i have my new camera, a canon s110. great little camera so better pics to follow soon.

blurry again, the first cuff snapped up by jocelynn. i've already done an order for a turquoise one, pics to follow.

isn't this amazing, nature is incredible. so perfect.oh! pic off the internet.
I did some beading last night, inspiration flowing.

catching up

this morning we had to empty our study in preparation for the carpeting to be replaced with wooden flooring. so exciting but a huge spring clean evolved. anyway we ready for monday and tuesday they do the guest room. at least these's no major work to be done as i keep it clear for visitors.

pics i'm publishing are not of jewellery made in the last week but what has been made over the months i wasn't here.

 i'm struggling with my tablet.i spent hours yesterday afternoon trying to download from my samsung tablet to my acer pc. i followed all the online instructions but the two just won't connect.

i made this bracelet with my daughter in mind. i wanted it to look as if it had been made from old long lost pieces. funny enough a lot of the glass beads and buttons are old.

a wooden button i love and could never decide what to do with. so, the button, sea glass, purple dyed shell and red glass all wired together.

another unusual button. old lamp work glass beads, clear seed beads and various white glass beads. the quaintest castle charm.

bevan is a full time artist now. this is an aluminium origami bird sculpture at an exhibition. they are white coated. the exhibition for various artists was "pulp" and the rest was left to the artists.

a pattern for a floor cushion which i haven't got to crochet yet.

the start of a large afghan.

millefiori discs make a simple 60's style necklace. this comes with matching earrings.

delicate millefiori bracelet.

clock charm, old metal button and a tortoise to slow things down. i struggle so to get unusual glass beads nowadays.love these blues.

soothing blues. designed around the large foil glass bead. love the little millefiori bead.


hoping to have my camera soon.

commitments

we all have commitments and sometimes they just pile up. but as the saying goes "this too shall pass".

isn't the colour of this delphinium incredible. this one is in a pot in the courtyard and comes up and flowers every year.

they watch over me as i work.

my second wrap bracelet.

my third wrap bracelet. these are such fun to make. they really have me thinking.

i went with bevan ages ago to buy leather off cuts. now that iv'e started making the wrap bracelets, i find that i need thicker leather, or i have to make the pieces double sided. i've had the large clear glass oval bead for ages, it's made from recycled glass and is quite heavy.

an order from joce, my daughter, for creams and whites, this is what i came up with. she's been so happy with it and orders have come from it.

a wrap bracelet made with a dear friend, caron in mind. a thicker piece of  leather, wrapped with a scrap of cotton fabric and waxed linen. this one has a mix of semi-precious stones, sea glass, trade beads and other glass beads collected over the years.

this wrap bracelet came about as a result of my first one, which i wore when visiting my sister in jo'burg. lindy's neighbour ordered this one. i've subsequently made another one for her. no pic available because, see below....

i accidently thew my camera on the tiled floor and have been taking photos since then, with my samsung tablet. but i haven't managed to figure out how to download from my tablet to my laptop. i'm in the throws of looking for another camera, most likely the canon s110 or preferably the s120.

i have an order for a wrap from australia and must getting going on that.

thanks for popping in. i'm going to try and keep this up.

back from another planet

last here 7 months ago, incredible how time goes by. still busy making beaded jewelery. so much has happened in this time. near death being the most sobering.

wrap bracelet, such fun making these.

i haven't worked with wood beads for ages. an african kinda mix.

i had the big blue bead for ages. in the mix are other wood beads, zulu teething beads and african trade beads.

not one of my better pics. took the pics in a hurry before going away for a break at my sister in july. i made the pendant insert.

continuing with the heavier more africany look. 

one of my favourites, dark green buttons mixed with chain and african trade beads. lapis lazuli nugget.

inspired by a book on the trade of beads, trade beads and ethiopian silver.

the same necklace on one of bevan's aluminium hand sculptures.

the look is inspired by the tree of life charm which i used as a link. 

a chunky charm and bead bracelet built around the large engraved agate bead.

thanks for visiting, my mantra, hopefully i can be here more regularly.