Variations on a Theme

I love the idea of having a basic design that you can make again and again.  I have several favorites in my repertoire like my dragonfly bracelets and several different earring designs.  I make them in different colors and with slightly different beads but they are essentially the same design... not the one of a kind creations that I love to make but still fun and with (I hope) my stamp on them.  Coming up with a new design and working out the kinks is what takes a lot of my jewelry making time so it's nice not always having to reinvent the wheel every time I sit down to make.

What I REALLY love is a design that is repeatable yet still results in one of a kind jewelry pieces.  One of those favorites is a bracelet design by Lorelei Eurto from a past issue of Bead Style magazine.  Just switch out the art beads and what you pair with them and you've got a completely different look!

Admittedly, bracelets are not usually my favorite thing to make (probably because I don't wear them often), but these bracelets are addictive!  I used this design for my Art Bead Scene entry this month (you can see that one HERE if you missed it) and I just started itching to make more.  Who am I to argue with my muse?  I hunkered down and got busy making more of these fun bracelets over the weekend!  I had bought a bunch of beads by Golem Design Studio just for this purpose a while back so a bracelet making binge was long overdue!

On Friday I whipped up one last item with Valentine's Day in mind.  I'm not really a pastel or pink girl, but I love how this one turned out.  The main focal is a chocolate clay lentil with white polka dots by Golem Design Studio that I got in a destash lot from Andrew Thornton (I used some of the vintage seed beads from the same lot too).  I paired it with a lampwork bead by BeadyGirl Beads and some large hole faceted rose quartz plus lots of yummy Czech glass and seed beads all on maroon Irish waxed linen.

I went a lot brighter for this next bracelet featuring a Golem focal with a happy daisy design on turquoise blue.   I like the addition of the white glass, yellow seed beads, and pops of silver to keep it from being too monochromatic.  I'm thrilled that I finally found a good use for the bright yellow waxed linen that's been in my stash way too long! 

From there I went back to my color comfort zone with two additional bracelets using shades of aqua, teal, and turquoise paired with copper and bronze metallic accents.  I'm hard pressed to pick a favorite between these next two.

One features another gorgeous lentil bead by Golem Design Studio (I'm dying for the colors in this one!) paired with Greek copper and crusty lampwork beads.  I used several different colors and shapes of Czech glass along with some crystal to round things out.  I think the turquoise is just yummy with the copper and deep brown ceramic.   

Last, but certainly not least, I actually made one without a Golem bead!  I'll bet you were starting to think that wasn't possible.  This one felt like it designed itself... I love it when the beads just come together that way.  While digging for beads for a different bracelet, I found the cool teal and copper polymer clay bead in a destash goody bag (from Andrew again!) and thought the Greek copper would work well with it and some juicy lampwork.  There's a good mix of textures in the body of the bracelet with the shiny bronze, matte seed beads, recycled glass, and Picasso finish teardrops. 
          

I'm still playing with a few more projects that I hope to complete before moving onto the next thing on my to-do list.  I always forget what a mess I make when I'm into a big session like this... here's a peak at my work area.  I have to have ALL the beads and ALL the linen out to ensure I make the best match for each bracelet.  Ok, this is no where near all of my beads, but it's a good chunk of the smaller ones!  Plus, what you can't see is that there are boxes on the floor by my chair.   
 

What about you?  Do you have favorite designs that you like to revisit?  I'd love to hear about it! 

Art Bead Scene: February 2016

This inspiration for this month's Art Bead Scene challenge is a Vogue magazine cover from January 1925.  It features the Simultaneous Dress next to the Simultaneous Car by Sonia Delaunay as illustrated by George Lepape.  To read more about the Sonia Delaunay and her artwork, check out the ABS blog HERE.  

I have to admit that the color palette is a little too "America!" for my taste... It just feels like Fourth of July I guess.  On the other hand, I am intrigued by the chevron and triangle shapes in the dress and car.  Unfortunately, my bead stash doesn't really lend itself to sharp geometric patterns.  I'm more of a round girl I guess. 

I was thinking that this month might just be a simple pair of earrings with some lampwork beads but then I managed to find a carved ceramic lentil bead from Golem Design Studio that had some promise!  Even though it has a floral or leaf pattern, it'd got a geometric look to it that I think works.  As soon as I decided on the focal I knew I had to make a version of a bracelet that Lorelei Eurto shared in Bead Style magazine a while back.  (This is such a fun and versatile design and I've been itching to make some more of these guys!)

Lampwork beads from BeadyGirl Beads and Firelily Glass round out the art bead goodness in this bracelet.  Most of my smaller blue beads were a little too bright and red is the more dominate color in the inspiration piece, so there's a definite focus on the red in my bracelet.  I added in some plated steel seed beads and pewter rice shaped beads to pull in the chrome from the car.

I'm surprisingly pleased with how this piece came together... proof that it's good to get out of your comfort zone from time to time.  This baby is headed to Unearthed Arts later this week! 

Jewelry Mojo Challenge Week 12: Art Inspired

I can't believe it, the final week of Heather Powers' Jewelry Making Mojo challenge is here!  For our final task, Heather has challenged us to make a piece of jewelry inspired by our all-time favorite piece of artwork from any medium.  I have to admit that this kind of stumped me.  As I've mentioned before, I have no real background in art or art history.  Sure, there are plenty of of pieces of art that inspire me and I respond to... but a favorite?  Not so much.  (Sorry if this sounds like heresy!)

So as I thought about it my mind turned to the some of the first artists whose work I admired and owned (well, in print form anyway).  Salvador Dali, M.C. Escher, and Gustav Klimt.  In retrospect, I think a lot of the appeal of Dali and Escher to my teen aged self was that they are both a little, well, weird.  And I was weird.  Not really weird enough or normal enough to really fit in with any one group.  Luckily I had a nice group of friends that fell in the same range so we made our own group that was a band of misfit toys in many ways... but I digress.

So, from there I moved onto thinking more about Klimt and how I have long been enamored with and fascinated by his work from what is known as his "Golden Phase," and especially The Kiss.  Unlike my fancy for Dali and Escher, my feelings for Klimt have endured.  The rug in our basement alcove is even Klimt inspired!

Much of Klimt's work features gold leaf and a very cool almost mosaic effect.  (See, told you I'm no art historian!)  Apparently he was influenced by both the Art Nouveau style and the Arts and Crafts movement... two things I'm also enamored with so I guess it shouldn't surprise me that I like this painting!

Gustav Klimt, The Kiss (Lovers), oil and gold leaf on canvas, 1908–1909.

I remembered that I had a pillow shaped bead in my stash from my very early days of beading that I bought because it reminded me of Klimt's work.  I had intended it to be used as a pendant for a necklace but had never gotten around to it.  I initially thought that I would finally make that necklaces but then I decided to play around with waxed linen and made another bracelet instead.

I chose some walnut colored waxed Irish linen, a bunch of random glass and crystal beads, and even a couple of matte finished little spacer beads from The Spacer Bead Shop.  I also worked in a couple of gold plated beads to pull in the gold colors from the focal bead.  I kept my color palette to shades of cream, grey, and amber and finished things off with some Vintaj brass chain and lobster claw clasp.

A HUGE thank you to Heather Powers for hosting this wonderful challenge.  It's been a really great experience for me and has helped me see new ways of thinking about things. Next time my mojo needs a boost, I'll have some great tricks to fall back on!

Waxed Linen Jewelry Blog Hop

So, you may have noticed that I'm a total sucker for a design challenge or blog hop.  That seems to be a universal truth about me so when Diana Ptaszynski of Suburban Girl Studio announced that she was hosting a Waxed Linen Jewelry blog hop I had to join in!  Diana was inspired to host this hop after rooming with Erin Siegel on the Bead Cruise this year.  Truth be told, even though I have had some waxed linen in my stash for a while, I hadn't used it other than to tie simple dangles on something until the Bead Cruise myself.  It was taking Erin's macrame bracelet class that really turned me on to this versatile and colorful material and I've been working more of it into my jewelry designs ever since.

I had such good luck with the waxed linen bracelet I made a couple of weeks ago, that I decided I wanted to make a bracelet for this blog hop too.  I actually ended up making a couple of them that can be worn together or separately.  I might actually be getting over my weird bracelet aversion!

First up I started with a super simple design based on a tutorial from Lesley Watt of Thea Jewelry and Thea Elements.  You can find that tutorial HERE but you have to scroll down a ways... sorry I couldn't manage a direct link!  I was intrigued by the fun textured look she achieved just by alternating seed beads and jump rings.  I decided on a dark purple waxed linen and brighter purple luster seed beads.  I went with copper jump rings because that's what I had.  For my clasp I used a little glass button from Unicorn Beads that I won in a Vintaj give away a year or so ago.

I'm happy with the way that first bracelet turned out but I wanted to do something else that showcased the linen cord a little more.  I've been enjoying looking at the pictures Erin has been sharing of her stacked bracelets so I decided I wanted my second look to be something that could be worn with the first one.  Oh, and I needed to incorporate an art bead.  Game on!

I picked out a large polymer clay lentil bead by ArtsyBecca that I got as a door prize on the Bead Cruise because it had a nice mix of colors including some purple.  There is also some pale blue green and a nice metallic sheen to it.  I paired it with some rainbow fluorite and little square copper plated spacers.  I chose a toggle clasp from TierraCast that mimicked the patterns in the focal.

I still have some issues with bracelet balance so I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions.  I'm also not sure about the best way to knot the clasp on the end.  I started with a larks head knot on the one end, but the toggle bar side just doesn't do exactly what I wanted it to.  I had to add a few overhand knots at the end to make it long enough for me and to allow the bar to pass easily through the ring side of the clasp.  So, again, any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Here's my finished "mini-stack" on... I think they look great together or alone!

As a P.S. to this post, I'm also sharing a bracelet that my friend, and Bead Cruise room mate, Kathleen just made with waxed linen.  It's a pattern of her own design.  I'm super happy and impressed by the way she has embraced the beading life!

And now for all the blog hop fun!  Lots of folks participating in this one so have fun bopping around seeing what everyone made.

Diana Ptaszynski (our hostess!)
Kelsy Vincent
Susan Kennedy
Linda Landig
Kashmira Patel
Jenny Davies-Reazor
Vaness Gilkes
Sandy Huntress
Kay Thomerson
Sarajo Wentling (that's me!)
Kari Asbury
Rebecca Anderson
Melissa Trudinger
Ann Schroeder
Shai Williams
Blanca Medina
Cheryl Brown
Johana Nunez Rivera
Lori Bowring Michaud
Kelly Morgan
Barbara Bechtel
Kristen Stevens
Heather Boardman
Janet Bocciardi
Kathy Lindemer
Lesley Watt
Susan Kolovson
Jayne Capps
Michelle McCarthy
Cynthia Deis
Karla Morgan
Erin Siegel
Becky Pancake
Kelly Hosford Patterson
Sharyl McMillan-Nelson
Inge von Roos
Carolyn Lawson
Linda Younkman
Sandi Volpe
Toltec Jewels
Michelle Mach
Jen Cameron
Dorothy Winchell
Darlene Mansue