Sunday, February 26, 2012

Bracelets

The past two weeks I have basically just made bracelets. I have bought a jewelry book ("Simply Beautiful Beaded Jewelry" by Heidi Boyd) which gave me a couple of brilliant ideas on how to make bracelets that are fairly easy to make. I have ever since been hooked on making two kinds of bracelets and I have experimented quite a bit with the two different methods, and I feel like I am really getting the hang of it!

The first method is simply placing beads in different patterns on several eye pins and attaching them together until you have enough to make either a bracelet or a necklace. I found it quite fun to experiment with different beads and different patterns. All the bracelets measure between 18 and 20cm.
Here are some examples:




  









The next method is a lot more time consuming and it requires a huge amount of beads. The result is however amazing and well worth the amount of beads it takes! You use Tiger Tail Beading Wire and fasten it (crimp) to one part of a toggle clasp so that you have two strands of wire of equal length that you can place beads on in many different patterns. The author of the book uses bicone Swarovski beads (4&6mm) but I have used both bicones and rondelles in many different sizes. Different beads and bead sizes creates new and exciting patterns! 
Here are a few examples:


Bracelet (ca 19cm) made with black Swarovski bicones 4mm, white swarovski rondelles 8mm and black glass embroidery beads 2mm

Detail of the bracelet above.


Bracelet (ca 19cm) made with black Swarovski bicones 4mm, black Swarovski rondelles 6mm and silver glass embroidery beads 2mm.

Detail of the bracelet above.


Bracelet (ca 19cm) with black Swarovski rondelles 4mm, soot Swarovski rondelles 6mm and black glass embroidery beads 2mm.

Detail of the bracelet above.


Detail of bracelet (ca 19cm) made with metallic purple czech glass bead 4mm, crystal and light purple Swarovski rondelles 8mm and white glass embroidery beads 2mm.

Detail of bracelet (ca 19cm) made with crystal Swarovski bicone 4mm, black Swarovski rondelles 8mm and black glass embroidery beads 2mm.
Detail of bracelet (ca 19cm) made with orange Swarovski bicones 4mm, crystal Swarovski rondelles 4mm and black glass embroidery beads 2mm.
Detail of bracelet (ca 19cm) made with tanzanite Swarovski bicones 4mm, tanzanite Swarovski rondelles 6mm and silver glass embroidery beads 2mm.

Bracelet (ca 19cm) made with peacock rondelles glass beads 6mm, crystal Swarovski rondelles 8mm and silver glass embroidery beads 2mm.

Detail of the bracelet above.
Detail of bracelet (ca 19cm) made with emerald green Swarovski bicones 4mm, amber Swarovski rondelles 6mm and silver glass embroidery beads 2mm.
Detail of bracelet (ca 19cm) made with emerald green Swarovski bicones 4mm, emerald green Swarovski rondelles 6mm, green millefiori glass hearts and green glass embroidery beads 2mm.

Bracelet (ca 19cm) made with emerald green Swarovski bicone beads 4mm, crystal Swarovski rondelles 8mm and silver glass embroidery beads 2mm.
Detail of bracelet (ca 19cm) made with red Swarovski bicones 4mm, crystal Swarovski rondelles 8mm and silver glass embroidery beads 2mm.
Detail of bracelet (ca 19cm) made with blue Swarovski bicones 4mm, crystal Swarovski rondelles 8mm and silver glass embroidery beads 2mm.
I have also experimented a little on making matching earrings to these bracelets, but so far I haven't really been happy enough with the results to post them.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Murano glass

 A while back I received my first order of Murano Glass figures. I instantly fell in love with them and proceeded to order a bunch more. I have received quite a few, but I am still awaiting several more in the near future. All the pendents are on leather necklaces.


Green Murano Glass Mouse on leather

Black Murano Glass Mouse on leather

Brown Murano Glass Mouse on leather

Blue Murano Glass Mouse on leather

Purple Murano Glass Mouse on leather



Murano Glass Pig on leather



Murano Glass Seahorse on leather

Murano Glass Seashorse on leather

Murano Glass Seahorse on leather

Murano Glass Seahorse on leather

Murano Glass Seahorse on leather

Murano Glass Seahorse on leather

Murano Glass Fish on leather

Green Murano Glass Fish on leather

Red Murano Glass Fish on leather

Purple Murano Glass Fish on leather

Murano Glass Dolphin on leather

Turquois Murano Glass Penguin on leather

Blue Murano Glass Penguin on leather (a few more colors available soon)

Round Murano Glass Flower Pendant on leather
Murano Glass Leaf with Blue Frog on leather

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Sets of earrings and necklaces.

Finally I had time to sit down and blog a little. It is so much fun to make jewelry and the time seems to just run away from me so I am left with no time left over to blog:-) Yesterday was mostly spent on making necklaces to earrings I had made the other day. I made them so they would match the earrings exactly this time and I am quite happy with the result:

 Set 1.
Earrings on silver plated hooks with dark blue Swarovski rondelle 12mm, tibetan flower spacers and crystal swarovski rondelles 8mm. The necklace is on a silver plated 43+6cm (17+2,5 inch) long chain with a silver plated connector bail.
 Set 2.
Earrings on silver plated studs with jet black swarovski rondelles 12mm, double bead caps and crystal AB swarovski rondelles 10mm. The nekclace is on a silver plated 44cm (17,5inch) chain with a silver plated connector bail.
Set 3.
Earring on silver plated hooks with light aquamarine swarovski rondelles 12mm, 4x7mm tibetan spacer beads and light aquamarine swarovski rondelles 6mm. The neclace is on a silver plated 40cm (15inch) chain with a tibetan silver connector bail.
 Set 4.
Earrings on silver plated hooks with copper swarovski rondelles 12mm, crystal clear swarovski rondelles 4mm and copper swarovski rondelles 6mm. The neclace is on a silver plated 44cm (17,5inch) chain with a silver plated connector bail.
 Set 5.
Earrings on silver plated hooks with crystal clear swarovski rondelles 12mm, dull polish silver plated spacerbeads 4mm and purple swarovski rondelles 8mm. The necklace is on a silver plated 43+6cm (17+2,5 inch) long chain with a silver plated connector bail.
Set 6.
Earrings on silver pøated hooks with red swarovski rondelles 12mm, tibetan bead caps 6mm, crystal clear swarovski rondelles 8mm and red swarovski rondelles 8mm. The necklace is on a silver plated 43+6cm (17+2,5 inch) long chain with a silver plated connector bail.
 Set 7.
Earrings on silver plated hooks with metal bead caps 12mm, emerald green swarovski rondelles 12mm, flower tibetan silver spacer beads 4mm and white rugby swarovski crystal AB 6x4mm. The nekclace is a teal swarovski rondelle 12mm, flower tibetan silver spacer beads 4mm and white rugby swarovski crystal AB 6x4mm on a silver plated 44cm (17,5inch) chain with a silver plated connector bail.
Alternative set with necklace and bracelet:
Nekclace with a dark aquamarine swarovski rondelle 12mm, silver plated ornate filigree spacer beads 4mm and dark aquamarine swarovski rondelle 6mm on a silver plated 44cm (17,5inch) chain with a silver plated connector bail.

Bracelet with carved round silver plated spacer beads and charms made with a variety of blue swarovski beads (both rondelles and bicones, crystal and AB). Everything is on a metal chain measuring 22cm (ca 8,5 inches)
This bracelet was quite a challenge to make as it had no stopper at the end of the chain when I was making it. I think I lost hold of it 3 or 4 times before I had attached the fastening clasp at the end of the chain. Then it turned out to be too heavy, and the chain broke and the beads scattered all over one last time! I changed the chain to a more solid one and now it holds at least!! :-)
The necklace and the bracelet do not necessarily have to be a set.