Latest Necklaces

While shopping at Michaels during the Friends & Family sale, I found these cool rhinestone sliders. I made a couple of necklaces, one with the sliders and other embellishments and the other with sliders and spiders for a subtle "Halloween-style" necklace.

Sliders & spacers on neck wire

Finished necklace with additional embellishments

Spider necklace

I found some really cool sprocket gears by Tim Holtz at Michaels. When Vicki & I were at the Grapevine Bead Show in May, I saw some beads
that just begged to be made into jewelry combined with those sprockets. Here is the necklace & bracelet I made. I used a freeform peyote & right angle weave to create the pieces.

This one is for Vicki

My dear friend Vicki is my partner in crime at the bead shows & functions. While we were at the last bead convention, I spotted these lampwork beads that were labeled as ophans and being sold very cheap. Vicki & I make things for each other - there is no telling when one of us might present the other with a beaded piece we have made (usually in the locker room at the gym where we work out together). Anyway, I told her if she would pick out & buy the beads, I would make her another necklace. You see, she wears the necklace I made for her birthday almost nonstop - a girl has to have some variety, don't you know?

This was a very fun piece to do. When we bought the beads, they were shiny, however both of us prefer a matte finish, so I used Etch-all on the beads. It changed the color quite drastically. While the beads had been more of a green, the areas that were green were now a navy blue. The background became more of an ochre color. When I went to my stash to choose beads for the necklace, the woods, ceramics and nuts spoke most to me.

Vicki had a rough week this week and I was really glad to be able to give her this necklace yesterday evening to at least end her week on a much brighter note. Everyone should have a friend like Vicki - I'm really lucky.

Wow, where has the year gone? it seems like each year flies by faster than the last one. I've had good intentions of keeping my blog more up-to-date, however when given the choice between blogging or being in my studio creating, obviously creating has won out. I've narrowed my focus artistically to two mediums recently - art dolls (sculpting) and beading.

I was able to take several art related trips this year. The first, with Vicki in January to the Texas Beader's Retreat. In July, Lisa & I attended the Enchanted Doll Artist Conference in Albequerque, NM, after which Vicki & I went to the Shreveport Beader's Retreat. October found Lisa, Vicki & I journeying to Houston to the Quilt Show. It has been a fun year, art-wise.

I recently saw an article on bead/jewelry trends that "statement" necklaces are going to be the latest "thing". I guess I'll be all set, as my freeform necklaces definately fit the statement style. Most of these I've created within the last couple of years - the except being this first one - which features raku face beads I bought at a bead convention 3 - 4 years ago.


The frog bracelet & necklace set and the mermaid necklace were both inspired by imported handcarved beads that I found a a bead convention 3 years ago.











Since I also love sculpting (mainly with polymer clay), my next necklace featured a polymer clay dragon that I sculpted and more beads that I found to inspire me. The coordinating bracelet has pewter dragon charms.

Those necklaces evolved into this year's creations using my lampwork stash of beads. The first one had turquoise, green and brown tones and is a very versatile necklace. I wear it with many outfits. This is the necklace that my friend Lisa says is hers when I die (assuming I die first).







The blue jean necklace was created from lampwork and blue coral beads. I had made a simple strung necklace out of them several years ago when I found the coral, but I took apart that necklace to make this one that coordinated perfectly with denium.







It became such a joke between Lisa & I about "her" necklace (the one that would be hers when I died), that I thought I should create her one of her very own to enjoy while I'm still alive, so I made this one for her for her birthday. The lampwork beads have grey, brown, copper and black, so this necklace will coordinate beautifully with many of Lisa's outfits. The surprise and joy on her face when I gave the necklace to her, made the time I spent on it very worthwhile.

Last week was another road trip - my stepson graduated from Army basic training last and we drove up to Fort Sill (Lawton, OK) to attend Family Day and the Graduation Ceremony on Thursday & Friday. As I had already finished the mermaid necklace, I needed to find another piece to make. I was working on a couple of birthday presents and needed accent beads for them, so I looked in my lampwork box. I found those beads (and finished those bracelets), but I also pulled out two sets of beads I bought when my friend, Debbie Givens first started making lampwork beads. I added some glass beads that had gathered at various conventions and created this piece, which I finished yesterday.



My friend, Irene modeling the necklace. Her smiling face adds alot to the necklace, doesn't it? She said it was perfect for her - in her colors. Doesn't it look good on her? However, I did bring it back home with me. It doesn't look bad on me either.

When I went to the bead show this past May, I found some marvelous carved bone beads. I loved the detail on these beads. I bought several frogs and three mermaid beads. I also bought lots of leaf beads. I made the Garden Frogs necklace first, using only two of the frog beads. I created a triangle-shaped peyote base and added leaf and flower beads over the whole area.

My husband had a day surgery procedure last month and I took the beads to do the Mermaid Reef necklace while I was waiting. I got quite a bit done while waiting and finished it up the following week while watching television.

Last year when I was on a dragon-creating spree (thanks to Christi Friensen's book), I made this dragon and beaded the necklace with beads I found at the local bead convention.

When I travel I usually carry beading. It is one of the few artistic things that I do that can be portable. In April when I flew up to Rhode Island to take the class with Kathleen Dustin (I told about this in a previous post), I started working on the Octopus Garden necklace. I made the octopus with polymer clay using the instructions in Christi Friesen's book "Under the Sea". I thought they were cool and would make a great component for a necklace. The idea was to have the necklace look like a coral reef. I plan on adding to the necklace in a couple of weeks when I fly back to Rhode Island for my annual art pilgrimage.