Happy Halloween!!

It is October and fall has set in here in Norway, for sure! To me, october brings back fond memories of going "trick or treating" with the kids I looked after when I lived in the States as a nanny years ago. We have since then adapted our own twisted version of the tradition here in Norway as well. However, based on movies from Hollywood with all their uncosy aspects of what you are supposed to do if you don't get any candy, it has for many turned into an egg buying day. Unlucky are you who happen not to be home if an "egger" shows up at your door and decides to punish you for your absence!!
The nice memories I have of walking the kids around the beautifully decorated neighborhoods, kicking the fallen leaves around, ringing doorbells and hearing them say "trick or treat" are luckily still with me, and no one can take them away from me!
To me October, and with it Halloween, is mainly about two colors; black and orange. I have let myself become inspired by these two colors and I have made several pieces of Halloween jewelry. I thought I would show them here on my blog:-)

SET 1: Leather necklace (44cm) with manmade carved pumpkin face and black 6mm bicone crystals. Bracelet (16-17cm) with manmade carved pumpkin face, black and orange 6mm bicone crystals, 7mm black twisted crystals and 2mm silver-plated nickelfree spacer beads. Earrings on silverhooks with black and orange 6mm bicone crystals and 2mm silver-plated nickelfree spacer beads. (The complete set: 200,- or as separate pieces: necklace 75,- bracelet 100,- and earrings 75,-)

Close-up of the bracelet in SET 1.

Close-up of the earrings and the necklace in SET 1.

Bracelet, SET 1

Another view of SET 1.

Bracelet, SET 1

Earrings, SET 1

SET 2: Necklace (42cm) made with black 6mm bicone crystals, orange 4x6mm rondelle crystals and clear embroidery beads on  black tiger-tail wire - the pendant measures 7cm and is made with the same type of beads and a manmade carved pumpkin face on silver wire. The bracelet (18,5cm) is made with the same "braided" technique as the necklace, as are the earings that I have given a round finish and put on silver hooks. (The whole set costs 400,- pieces sold separately: necklace 200,- bracelet 150,- and earrings 125,-)

Necklace, SET 2

Necklace, SET 2

Close-up of the technique used on SET 2

Bracelet, SET 2

Bracelet, SET 2

Bracelet and earrings, SET 2

I have also made a third pair of earrings that can be used with either set or on their own. Thei are on silver wire and silver hooks and are made with the same type of beads as in SET 2. (100,-)

In this third bracelet (18,5cm) I have used a braiding technique that I like very much. It is made with black AB 4mm bicone crystals, orange 4x6mm rondelle crystals and clear embroidery beads on braided black tiger-tail wire. And it too has the manmade carved pumpkin face (33mm). (150,-)

Bracelet 3.

I made this 4th bracelet (20,5cm) a while back and it was not originally inteded for Halloween:-)It is made on silver colored tiger-tail wire with 4mm orange ABbicone crystals, 4mm clear AB rondelle crystals and black embroidery beads. (100,-)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!

New earrings..

After having completed several orders today, I decided that I would try out making a new style of earrings. On tiger-tail wire I treaded teardrop Swarovski beads and other Swarovski beads in several different sizes and attached it to a earring hook. I am pretty satisfied with the results.

Lt. Rose Swarovski teardrops, lt. rose Swarovski bicones 4mm and 2mm spacer beads on hooks.

Hot pink Swarovski teardrops, 4 different shades of pink Swarovski bicones 4mm and 2mm spacer beads on hooks.

Lt. green Swarovski teardrops, lt. green Swarovski rondelles 6mm and 2mm spacer beads on hooks.

Lt. violet Swarovski teardrops, clear Swarovski bicones 4 and 6mm and rondelle 10mm, lt. violet Swarovski rondelle 8mm and bicones 4mm on hooks.

Aquamarine Swarovski teardrops, clear Swarovski  round 4mm, rondelles 10mm and bicones 4mm, aquamarine rondelles 6mm and bicones 4mm on hooks.

Clear AB Swarovski teardrops, black Swarovski bicones 4mm, rondelles 4 and 10mm and clear Swarovski bicones 4mm and rondelles 4mm on hooks.

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.