Beautiful Bronzes

I'll admit it, I'm a little bit obsessed with earrings! It all started at the beginning of 2012, when I challenged the members of Operation Tackle That Bead Stash to a challenge - create a pair of earrings, every week, for the year. I thought it really would be a challenge, but I loved it so much, that I re-issued the challenge for 2013. 

I really thought that having already created fifty-two pairs of earrings, that another fifty-two pairs might stretch my creativity along with my stash. Thankfully, Blue Moon Beads are overly generous with their design team - and there's nothing more inspiring than a regular influx of fantastic products. 

Materials: Blue Moon Beads - Bronze Rounds (ZC-001-0040) Bronze Drops (ZC-001-0041) Bronze Eyepins (BM13230-PE-054) and Bronze Earwires (ZF-001-00019)

I've made these bronze drop earrings using several products from the Urban Warrior Collection, which is a deliciously up to date collection of metallic teardrops, spikes, rounds, chain and, um, handcuffs! 

Using just one collection makes it ridiculously easy to make jewellery that 'works'. There's no second guessing about whether each of the products in front of you work well together, because someone else has done all of that hard work for you. Making this challenge just a little bit less challenging!

Creative Leftovers - Something From (Almost) Nothing

Is it just me that gets a ridiculous amount of satisfaction from using little leftovers? I love to stretch my stash, especially when I consider how much money I've invested in it! Fireline Thread is fairly expensive - and, amongst beaders at least, it's considered to be a precious commodity. So, it is with much shame that I must confess that I never, ever measure how much thread I'm using when I start a new project. I just reel out about a 'wingspan and a half' for pretty much every project that I start. Inevitably, I'm often left with about a foot of beading thread at the end of some projects - and that's really not enough to start another major project. 

But, I do hate wasting anything. So a little while back, I started to combine those little bits of leftover thread with seed beads leftover from larger beading projects to make these dinky, little star motifs. And, eventually, I ended up with a little pot full of them! 

Materials: Blue Moon Beads - 4mm Champagne Glass Pearls & Silver Plated Chain; Miyuki Size 11 Seed Beads - Fancy-Frosted Pale Seafoam Green & Matte Opaque Cream.

After working on my Random Snow Bracelet earlier this week, I had a few Champagne 4mm Glass Pearls leftover. Rather than find somewhere to stash them, I had a little rummage through my Pot O' Stars and found some made in a combination of cream and seafoam. A perfect match for the champagne pearls! I wire-wrapped the pearls and attached some tiny little jumprings to each of the stars, then attached them at regular intervals to some chain. And there we have it - something from (almost) nothing!

I'd love to know what you've been busy making this weekend and what you'll be doing with your creative leftovers. Please do tell in the comments! 

It's Back! {Tried & Tested}

I'm battling an addiction and, I admit, I'm in serious need of a Pin-tervention! Just recently, I've been 'busy' sifting and sorting through my 'lazy old likes' and have either re-pinned them or deleted them - whittling down over seven thousand (ahem!) likes and leaving myself with twenty-six boards and well over nine hundred lovely looking projects to attempt - eventually.

In my defence, it wasn't a complete waste of time - and that some-day has already arrived. That's right, I've actually started to work on some projects inspired by all of that pinning. So, I'm bringing back Tried & Tested, and will be regularly reviewing and revealing the results of my crafting efforts that have been inspired by all of the beautiful projects and tempting tutorials that can be found on the internet!

To prove that I mean business this time around, I started with a project that has been languishing in my 'likes' for a very, very long time. The tutorial, 'Random Snow', is in Russian, but beaders familiar with basic square stitch should find the diagram fairly easy to follow. The basic pattern is repeated - over and over and over - but the end result is more than worth a little tedium! 

Materials: Blue Moon Beads - 4mm Champagne Glass Pearls & 6mm Champagne Glass Pearls; Miyuki - Size 11 Galvanised Gold Seed Beads.

I went for a 'classic' look, using some of my favourite Champagne Glass Pearls from Blue Moon Beads and some Galvanised Gold Seed Beads. I'm absolutely loving this combination at the moment - there's just something timeless about it! Given the time it took to stitch (oh so long!) I'm unlikely to be making another one anytime soon, but I am ever so pleased that I finally made something from my Pinterest boards.

I'd love to hear from other 'addicts'. If there's enough of us, we could encourage each other to move away from the computer and into the craft room!

Owl Be Seeing You

How cute is this little fella? He's from the new Blue Moon Beads Amulet Collection. Originally, I was hoping to add him to a necklace, but I couldn't find quite enough bronze chain in my stash and had to have a little re-think!  

Instead, I found Bronze Jump Rings and a Lobster Clasp, both from the Blue Sky 2013 Collection; a couple of leftover Rope Rings - which came in a set of mixed sizes; and a little heart drop leftover from a project using chain from the Urban Warrior Collection. Including the time it took me to rummage around in my stash, it still took me less than ten minutes to make a cute, little handbag charm.

By the way, I'm so sorry for the seriously awful title. It's so difficult to keep thinking of new ones!

Fit For Royalty {Bead Table Wednesday}

Hello! Hello! After almost a month of building work, and no internet connection, you cannot imagine how wonderful it is to have a little time to just sit down, with a cup of tea, and catch up on everything. And without the persistant sound of drilling!

Time without the internet made me feel amazingly productive - and I'm seriously considering scheduling myself time away from the computer each week - so there's quite a lot for me to share. As it's Bead Table Wednesday, I'm starting with one of my recent makes for The Blue Moon Beads' Design Team. 

Materials: Blue Moon Beads Glass Round Pearls, 4mm, Champagne. (BM25233) Blue Moon Beads Oxidised Silver Crown Toggle Clasps (ZF-001-00172) and Miyuki Galvanised Steel Seed Beads.

The 4mm Glass Pearls in Champagne are such a classic colour and combined with an Oxidised Silver Crown Toggle Clasp and some co-ordinating Galvanised Steel Seed Beads, the end result is a little more 'modern' than the classic combination with Gold or Silver. 

I've been blessed with some ideas for embellishing and adapting this little cutie, so expect to see a few variations on a theme. Is it just me that, busy working on one thing, has ideas for another twenty? 

The Mist Drops Hung On The Fragrant Trees

What better way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day than with a little creativity inspired by The Wonderings Of Oisin, by W.B. Yeats? What's that you say? With a Guiness? Well then, at least wear a little green!

"We rode in sorrow, with strong hounds three,

Bran, Sgeolan, and Lomair,

On a morning misty and mild and fair.

The mist-drops hung on the fragrant trees,

And in the blossoms hung the bees.

We rode in sadness above Lough Lean,

For our best were dead on Gavra's green."

Materials: Blue Moon Beads - Green Glass Rondelles (ZB-002-00053) Bronze Earwires (ZF-001-00019), Bronze Headpins (ZF-001-00019).

Blue Moon Beads Giveaway!!!

Just stopping by to let you all know that Blue Moon Beads are having a little bit of a giveaway on their blog, with a full box of jewellery making product up for grabs. And it really will be full, those ladies really do cram stuff into the bead boxes they send us on the Design Team! In fact, they've sent us so much recently that I've had to invest in some more bead storage, see?

To be in with a chance of winning some amazing product, leave a comment on Happy Heart Day - and then share on Facebook for an extra entry. Good luck!

I Chose Creating

Sadly, I've been away from home since last week attending a family funeral, so I haven't had much chance to pop online and let everyone that voted for creating, rather than cleaning that I did manage to squeeze in a little bit more crafting before I tidied away my Blue Moon Beads stash. So, how about a quick peek at what I made?

I chose to stick with bronze components (well, they were already covering every available crafting surface.) This pendant is made very simply using Large Rope Rings - which came in a pack with several sizes - and some smaller Bronze Jumprings from the Blue Sky 2013 Collection. Set inside each circle are some faceted acrylic beads from the PB&J Bead Mix, hung simply with Bronze Headpins and a Bronze Jumpring.

Another little rummage through the bronze stash uncovered this beautiful, bud-like chain from the Urban Warrior Collection. Each of the little 'buds' is already attached to the chain with teeny, tiny jumprings - so the time consuming, fiddly bit is done for you. All I needed to do was cut my chain into a few different lengths, attach them all to a Bronze Jumpring and add chain! It took no more than ten minutes - and most of that was the rummaging!

So, what's everyone else been up to this week? Have you perhaps been finishing up your Counterfeit Kit? Or maybe you've been starting on Telling Tales? Do let me know.....

Beautiful Bronzes

I'm just stopping by quickly to share a little loveliness that I popped together this morning. In the middle of re-organising my stash from Blue Moon Beads, I had an idea. And let's face it, everyone wants an excuse to stop tidying, don't they?

The Blue & Bronze Teardrops were part of a pretty earring component set (I've still got some lovely filigree pieces to work with!) but I wanted to combine them with the pre-made Blue & Bronze Pendant from the Blue Sky Collection. Don't they work so well together?

So, to create the focal, I've attached the Blue & Bronze Pendant to a Bronze Twisted Jumpring. I then added the two Blue & Bronze Teardrops and a length of Blue Moon Beads' Bronze Chain to one side. I've added two lengths of Blue Moon Beads' Bronze Chain to the other side, to ensure that the necklace is balanced well. I hate it when my necklaces start to twist around!

Now, to carry on creating or to carry on cleaning?

The End Of An Earring Era

I never, ever thought that I would manage to keep up with a year-long jewellery making project - even if it was to make 'just one pair of earrings each week'. But, I did! And I have loved every minute of the Operation Tackle That Bead Stash Earring Along so much that I have encouraged everyone in the OTTBS Facebook Group to sign up for another challenge in 2013. 

In the meantime though, let me share my last three pairs of earrings from 2013, all made with some of the amazing beads, findings and stringing materials from Blue Moon Beads. 

I must admit that I'm a little bit in love with this first pair - they remind me of pink champagne and I feel happy every time that I see them! The majority of the components for these little lovelies actually came from a pre-made pendant (but we all know I can't leave anything in one piece, right?) All I added into the mix was a couple of luscious pink round beads and ear-wires, both from Blue Moon Basics.

This second set of earrings came together really quickly with a combination of elements from the Feather Jewellery Collection, the Mud Pie Bead Mix and some amazing tassel chain earring components. They make little swishy-tinkly noises as I walk. Great fun!

And finally, proving that sometimes less can be more, these cute earrings are made up of simple ear-wires, oval jump rings and some of the most amazing metal charms - loving the tiny touch of central bling in all that metal. The charms are from Blue Moon Beads' new collection, Urban Warrior, which is a little bit swoonsome! I guarantee that you'll be seeing more of that very soon!

A Little Eye Candy

So, we had a visit from an internet engineer this morning and normal service will resume shortly. Hurrah! In the meantime, let me say a quick thank you for all of the sweet comments that were left for me on my last post - and for the e-mails that I received from a few of you as well. It means so much to me that there are still people out there reading. Now, onto the eye candy.

During October, I was thrilled to find out that I was selected for the Blue Moon Beads Design Team. I was even more thrilled when a box filled to the brim - and I really do mean to the brim - arrived at my house. There were tins and tins of beautiful bead mixes, chain, charms and cords! Lucky old me!

This weekend, I finally had a little bit of time to sit down and start making. I've started sweet and simple, by taking some of the 'oh-so-cute' earring charms and using them as charms for a couple of necklaces. Because that's how I roll!

This first necklace uses a slightly chunky feather charm, along with some luscious beads from the Red Velvet Bead Mix.

The second uses another 're-purposed' earring charm, which I separated into two parts and re-strung on to matching antiqued bronze chain. And, because I used some of Blue Moon Beads oval shaped jump rings to attach the charms, the chain looks seamless and much more professional. Result!

As I am still steadily working on the Operation Tackle That Bead Stash Earring Challenge, where we're making a pair of earrings each week for 2012, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make myself another pair of earrings using some of my new stash. I combined some lovely, clear faceted beads from the PB&J Bead Mix, with Blue Moon Beads Glass Pearls, silver spacer beads and some ear-wires to create some earrings a little reminiscent of snowdrops. I love these so much, that I've worn them every day since I made them!