The Return Of My Jewellery Making Mojo?

I've really been struggling to find my mojo for beading (it's been missing for almost nine months!) but I decided to sit down in this afternoon's sunshine and make something. Anything. 

And, well, these may be the simplest earrings I've ever made, but I *made* them. Yay. It's snowing outside, but I'm cozy inside with a warm feeling of accomplishment! 

Introduction To Beadwork: Ministry of Craft, Manchester

In 2016, I started teaching at the Ministry of Craft in Manchester. It's such a fun studio, full of some covetable items made by the tutors - including some of the cutest handmade undies! Oh, and there was biscuits! 

The best aspect of teaching though, was that several of the attendees were really very nervous about their ability to actual make something - especially when they saw the size of the Miyuki Seed Beads that we were using - but all they needed was some encouragement. Everyone left with a completed earring (or two) and the skills and confidence to finish their work by themselves. And happy customers make me happy! 

There's a few spots left for the next Introduction To Beadwork Class on Saturday 8th April and this includes everything that you need - tutorial, beading needle, thread, seed beads, findings and, most importantly, some bling in the form of Swarovski pearls or crystals. 

You'll learn how to bead 'weave' - using a specialist needle and thread to stitch lots of teeny, tiny seed beads to each other to form a new shape! You'll learn about the beads used in beadwork (including the sparkly ones) and, by the end of the class, will have conquered some of the basic beadwork stitches to create your own pendant and matching earrings. (Please note there will not be time to complete all of the items during the workshop but you will go away with the skills and materials to finish at home.)

Let me know if you decide to book, so that I can increase the biscuit order! x

The Stashbuster Series: Putting On The Glitz

I am well known for stretching out my stash and love nothing more than creating a little something from (almost) nothing. I know that I am not the only beader with a stash full of little 'leftovers' from more substantial projects - small selections of seed beads, rounds or crystals that are languishing in our stashes because there's not quite enough of them to make another project!

In an attempt to make the most of my materials and an effort to create some space in my little craft area, I've been working on some beadwork designs that will use up my own stash of lovely, little leftovers - and I've started turning them into tutorials in the hope that they will encourage other beaders to use up the beads left out on their mats, or to rummage through their stash for those teeny, tiny bags of beads that need using!

In the first of the series, Putting On The Glitz Earrings, I've combined some simple materials (which can be easily substituted) to create a little bit of understated sparkle.

Little Shop Restock

It's been a little while since I last restocked Obstinate Pursuit so, over the last few weekends, I've been busy beading - creating customer favourites in new colour combinations and restocking old classics (including these Seafoam Earrings.)

I'm also working on some new beading tutorials and I'll be looking for some new testers! So, if that's of interest, please leave me a comment and let me know!

Radiance Earrings {Tried & Tested}

There is something very liberating about following someone else's tutorials - whatever craft you may choose as your favourite, every so often (usually when I'm lacking a little bit of focus) I like to visit my Pinterest Boards or my Etsy Favourites to find an achieveable little project that I have been 'meaning to do'.

A couple of weeks ago, with no mojo but a need to make something I went in search and found Sarouchka Lobbens' Radiance Earrings Tutorial - a small, but suitably sparkly project that I could make in an afternoon. Little did I know just how much I would love, and I do mean truly love, this beautiful and adaptable pattern!

The pattern calls for a small selection of easy to find materials, making this a wonderful stash stretcher (or perhaps an opportunity to use up all of those little leftovers?) The tutorial included well photographed, step-by-step pictures, combined with easy to follow written instructions. I was intrigued by the 'unusual thread path' - it's like a small insight into how someone else thinks - and I was surprised to find that I was really enjoying myself. It was so nice to just 'bead'.

But the best thing about this tutorial? It's easily adapted for different sizes of chatons, rivolis and dentelles! Needing a bit of beautiful bling for my niece's 21st birthday, I had acquired some 10mm Swarovski Dentelles in this luscious 'lemon meringue' - my niece's favourite colour - through an Operation Tackle That Bead Stash friend. To adapt the pattern, I simply used five Bicone/Superduo Sets in the first round, instead of seven, which worked a treat! To adapt for other sizes, simply divide the diameter of the stone by two for the number of Bicone/Superduo sets - it's that simple!

If you would like to try out Sarouchka's beautiful tutorials, you can visit her etsy store - JuJuJewelleryUK. I've certainly been back and bought a few more!

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!

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).

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!

I've Been Beading {Ten Things On The Tenth}

If you love Shimelle as much as I do - and I'm sure that you do - you'll be aware of her blog series Ten Things On The Tenth. It's a simple idea, we share ten things - any ten things - on the tenth of the month. Simple, but I've never managed to organise myself enough to actually join in.

At the beginning of the year, I realised that by concentrating so much on my papercrafting, I hadn't really progressed much with my wireworking and beadweaving. I was feeling guilty about my ever growing stash and headed on over to the Facebook Group for Operation Tackle That Bead Stash with a bit of a challenge in mind - creating a pair of earrings each week during 2012.

The ladies, thankfully, took up the challenge with relish and we've all been busy beading, bending and, um, bragging about our makes. It's been just the motivation I've needed to start working with my beads again and the photographs you're seeing here are the earring sets that I made during our first ten weeks of the challenge.

If you're interested it's never to late to join the challenge. There are plenty of new members to the OTTBS Facebook Group, who are catching up - and a few of us who need to catch up because we slacked off over the Easter Weekend. And, yes by 'we', I really mean me. *Blush. Blush*

You can also post your own Tenth On The Tenth. Your ten things can be absolutely anything you feel like sharing. Just head over to see Shimelle and link up your own blog post or projects!