Beads and Bread: orange

Showing posts with label orange. Show all posts

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Choosy Chicks Choose Chicklets...Reveal time baby!

Ok, this was such a fun challenge!
The awesome Rita (Toltec Jewels) put out a request for artists interested in playing with some of Sue Kennedy's new bead design, chicklets.
If you've ever had the pleasure of designing with Sue's beads, you will totally understand why it was a joy to create with this bead!

I received the top bead on the last row. Yes, that yummy orangey pinkey color. Sooo gorgeous!!!
This is a small bead, so you would think I would choose to create a bracelet, right?
Nope.
I wanted to make a necklace, so I could feature this baby front and center.
Wanna see? Course you do, that's why you came. Insert dramatic cloak swishing....TADA!!!!!!!

I created a double rope with kumihimo and 3 bead spiral peyote.

Here is a close up of the kumihimo. I looped the end, and added some jump rings to the loop for a fun texture. This has 8 elements, with a chocolate bamboo yarn creating grounding for the sparkle yarns in burgundy, yellow, and orange.

The peyote spiral picks up the darker tones in the bead, along with a softer shade of the oranges. The spiral has two size 8's, and 1 size 11 seed bead. This is a quick spiral that packs a lot of visual punch.

I created a butterfly bail to suspend the bead from the ropes,

and added some simple fringe to the bottom. The butterfly bail gives such a nice contrast to the ropes, and the darker beads just point straight to that fabulous chicklet!!

I may go back and add more fringe, it's driving me crazy the way it keeps separating to either side!

Here are the rest of the lucky participants!

Thanks Rita, for another super fun challenge!

ARTISTS:

Guest of Honor & Featured Artist: Susan Kennedy

Sue Kennedy's blogs: SueBeads...A Beady Girl's blog

Art Jewelry Elements

Sue Kennedy's website SueBeads

SueBeads Art Beads SueBeads

Hostess:

Toltec Jewels http://www.JewelSchoolFriends.com

Artists:

Linda Anderson http://fromthebeadboard.blogspot.com/

Jennifer Reno http://jenrenjewelry.blogspot.com/

Shirley Moore http://beadsandbread.blogspot.com/

Kristen Stevens http://kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.com

Marybeth Rich http://forestofjewels.blogspot.com

Jael Thorp http://jaelsjewels.blogspot.com/

Melissa Trudinger http://Beadrecipes.wordpress.com

Andrea Glick http://zenithjade.blogspot.com/

Nan Smith http://wirednan.blogspot.com

Blanca Medina www.peru-medesigns.com

Shai Williams http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com

Carolyn Lawson http://Carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com

Rana Wilson http://Ranaleadesigns.blogspot.com

Robin Reed http://willowdragon.blogspot.com

Robin Showstack http://heartsdesiresjewelryforyou.blogspot.com/

Sheila Prosterman http://catswithbeads.blogspot.com

Karla Morgan http://Texaspepperjams.blogspot.com

Kari Asbury http://hippiechickdesign.blogspot.com

Kelly Rodgers https://www.facebook.com/BeadinBlackBlue

Jayne Capps https://mamasgottodoodle.blogspot.com/

Mischelle Andrade Fanucchi https://micheladasmusings.blogspot.com/

Heather Richter http://desertjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com

Chris Eisenberg www.wanderware.blogspot.com

Kathleen Breeding http://www.zibbet.com/99BottlesofBeadsontheWall

Linda Landig http://lindalandig.wordpress.com

Crystal Thain http://beaddragons.blogspot.com/

Cheri Reed http://creativedesignsbycheri.blogspot.com

Heather d-Entremont http://frugalmadougall.wordpress.com/

Dini Bruinsma http://angazabychanges.blogspot.com/

Lori Schneider http://www.beadaddicted.blogspot.com/

Tammy Adams http://www.paisleylizard.com/blog.html

Melinda Orr http://bandanagirl.indiemade.com/blog

Lennis Carrier http://windbent.wordpress.com/

Cynthia Machata http://antiquitytravelers.blogspot.com

Elizabeth Hodges http://thewhisperingseas.blogspot.com

Debbie Rasmussen http://kepirasmussen.blogspot.com/

Tanya McGuire http://tanyamcguire.blogspot.com/

Charlie Jacka http://clay-space.com/blog/

Ev Shelby http://raindropcreationsbyevelyn.blogspot.com/

Sharyl McMillian-Nelson http://sharylsjewelry.blogspot.com/

Jasvanti Patel http://jewelrybyjasvanti.blogspot.com

Thanks for joining me in celebrating this challenge. Blessings, Shirley

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

It's 'Time to Stitch' again!!!

This is one of my very favorite challenges! Hosted by the awesome Therese Frank, and Christine Altmiller, this challenge explores beadweaving stitches. Sparks your creativity, and helps you work on some stitches that maybe....you've avoided in the past?? Yep.
This challenge was just a bit different, in that we were asked to create something from a flat stitch, and a spiral stitch.
So, for flat stitch, we could choose brick, ladder, or square. Oh joy. None of these guys are on my top list of faves....
Ok, so what about the spiral? Those were Russian, Cellini, or African. Better, much better. I've made Russian and Cellini, and haven't tried African yet, so....cool. Now, back to that flat stitch...
I have done some flat brick, specifically the leaves in Kerrie Slade's English Rose pattern. Loved them!!! So let's just go see what we can find, cause of course, I needed to try something new, right?
I found this tute, and decided to try it. A friend had asked me to make a bracelet for her daughter, using some bicones that her daughter had been gifted. I thought this would make a perfect teen bracelet.

I love the color combo, and it is an eye-catching pattern.

However, my tiny bit of OCD kicks in, and that uneven edge really bothers me. :)

But it was totally fun to make, and I think if I made it with an even edge, I'd really love it, so I'm going to try that. I'll post pics and you can help me decide.

What I enjoyed was the opportunity to search out patterns that I may have otherwise overlooked.

I really thought I was going to try the African helix for my spiral stitch. I have Carol Cypher's book, Mastering Beadwork, and she explains that stitch very clearly. But I ran just a bit short on time, so I went with a stitch I knew I could do quickly....the Cellini spiral. I really love this stitch, and it's endless variations. However, I usually make a short tube of it, as I've found I don't love how it becomes stiff in a bangle or necklace. Now, I'm really not the best at decreasing smoothly, or transitioning from one stitch to another, so I was pleasantly surprised at how well I did this time.

The color combo started with the beautiful, soft yellow Twin beads by Preciosa. In the Cellini, you are building from smallest bead to largest. My smalls were size 15 Hyacinth AB, moving to an orange-red size 11, then to the lime size 8's, and finally the yellow twins, then back down again.

I love the vibrant color palette, perfect for summer. I transitioned the cellini to CRAW. I made one side of the CRAW, measured it to fit my wrist, and embellished it. That's when my daughter spied it. She's almost 13, and a tiny thing. These are some of her favorite colors, so she immediately asked if it was for her. Hmmm, now I had a dilemma. I had to make the other side the same length as the first...but that would be too big for her wrist, after adding the toggle.

Well, we discovered that using a small magnetic clasp would make the size work for her. It's just a bit loose, but she loves it. And I love that I get to see how well that clasp worked. Again, I would not have ever thought to use it, until circumstances pushed me there. Thanks Therese and Christine, for another great challenge!

Here is the list of folks participating in the challenge:

Therese Frank

Christine Altmiller

Maryanne Gross
Cynthia Machata

Shirley Moore You are here

Have a great time checking out all the eye candy! Blessings, Shirley

Friday, March 29, 2013

Resin Bauble Slider Challenge

Well, that was a mouthful, huh? So, by now, ya'll know I'm rather addicted to challenges. Thus it comes as no surprise to you, that when I was reading blog posts a couple of weeks ago, and saw Lorelei Eurto's post, asking who would like to play, I jumped in with both feet!
Here is a look at the challenge item.

I purchased both color sets, because I wanted the purple and orange ones, and my daughter wanted the aqua set.
I honestly thought this would be a walk in the park.
Not.
You see, I did not pay attention to the fact that the way you connect this item to something was ON. THE. BOTTOM.
I happily beaded up an awesome section of a Heather Collin pattern to create a bracelet....and then discovered that I couldn't connect it. Ugh.

So then I decided I needed a frame around it. I beaded one up....and it was too big. Yes, I was starting to feel like Goldilocks.
Ok, I know!! Me, the non-wireworker, will make a wire frame....umm, it's a little ugly, so I'll macrame around it...and now it's ugly and took a long time to tie knots on, and it still doesn't work. (Insert some hair pulling at this point)

I'm tellin' ya'll, I was starting to get a little....MAD at this goofy thing!
Finally, inspiration struck, and I came up with an idea...let's see what you think...

A wrap bracelet, with the component all pretty and front and center.

A beautiful metal button by Barbara Bechtel is the closure.

The C lon cord is a perfect match to the purple in the component.

If you've ever worked with goldstone, you know how pretty it sparkles. It was such a great complement to the sparkle in the resin beads.

This was a great challenge, and I'm so very glad I got to finally play in one of Lorelei's challenges. Here's the links to the other participants.

Thanks Lorelei!

Friday, February 1, 2013

AJE-Component of the Month Reveal

Today is the day!And I actually have TWO reveals today! If you are looking for the Seam Binding Challenge, go here.
I was so very stoked when I got the email from Karen Totten, of Starry Road Studios, telling me I had won a component. The very talented folks over at Art Jewelry Elements hold a challenge each month, and a couple of lucky commenters get to play along. Here are the components for this month's challenge:

(photo courtesy of AJE blog)

I got one of the caramel orangey ones. And no, I didn't think to take a pic of it when I ~~ripped~~ gently opened the package! I adore ceramics, and have spent many happy hours painting figures in a friend's pottery shop.

So, I know Karen calls these pie beads, but I didn't immediately think 'pie' when I saw it. The first thing that struck me was the beautiful color. The next was the wonderful swirley design she stamped on it, with her own handmade stamps.
As when I participated in the challenge before with Diana Ptaszynski's component, I knew I wanted that baby front and center on a bracelet.
I have had a love affair with CRAW for quite a while now, and I have some gorgeous matte beads from Brightling Beads that just seemed perfect for this project.
I did run into some hiccups along the way. I tried to bezel the ceramic bead. And, while it looked pretty, it wasn't the concept I was going for....so...I ripped it out. Yep. First time for me to do that much work, and just rip it out with no hesitation!
Here's the bezel:

And because the bezel made the piece so large, I needed two ropes of CRAW on either side....

So then, when I ripped out the bezel, I had these ropes that I need to tie into the focal somehow, without overwhelming it....

Now, you see those cute little beaded beads in the center of the ropes? Those were from the amazing Liz Reed of Crimson Moon. She provided a free tutorial on them, and I just love how they brought the two sides of the rope together. Thus they became my solution.

They mimic the shape of the ceramic bead, and the swirl of color.

The swirl pattern on the CRAW came about from a conversation with Heather Collin, and further playing with the pattern.

Close up of the clasp, also done in CRAW.I love the contrast of the matte and shiny, and the raku color with the dreamsicle orange.

Thanks Karen and AJE for letting me play along this month. It has been such a joy!

Blessings, Shirley