Something quite different

For a while I tried needle tatting. Nice to do, but I don't like fabric jewellery. Still, I love the winding motifs. This pendant, with a center stone of white and gray, is a bit way off my usual beaten track but it asked for ornate. So I had this small piece of filigree lying about, and it seemed to make a nice combo. On top of the filigree I added an aventurine bead. Next to the center stone 2 swarovski crystals (yes I do have some of those, even though I generally don't like working with them) and lots of seed beads in a floral/lacey motif. Backed with suede. It needs a bail. And it's very rrrromanticcc even though the colours speak of envy and gossip and all those other bad, bad fun things that come with it. Hope you like it - the odd one out.

Sign of Life

At last a new pendant. I had a serious case of beader's block going on. Now this may not be the most brilliant thing I ever made, but she's here, she's real, and finished!

Bad picture, sorry. It seems so easy to use a phone for this sort of thing but somehow - must be old age - it never works properly.

Anyway, I'm back for a bit, and really enjoyed working on this Lady. The picture doesn't show it, but the top cab is dark mother of pearl, the middle bit is glass en below that, a cowry shell.Seed beads, both Toho and very irregular Chinese ones, because I wanted it to have a primitive feel. The green beads are aventurine. So here she is.

Still here 2

Just to let know that I haven't deserted my blog. Every now and then I check my blog to find that people from the most faraway places have come to take a look! Thank you for your visits, it's really an encouragement to try and keep on beading!
Right now I am again working on a hollow bead. It's progressing very slowly. Why? I had to restart about three times because it didn't work out. And somewhere there is a dream image of the ultimate Hollow Bead that keeps escaping me.
Family matters etc. took up a lot of my energy, but now it's summer holiday and the weather is going to get good, at last! So I hope to have something new to show you soon!

Still here...

It's been some time since I last posted on this blog. But I am still here. And still beading, though not much to show for it.
Here's a rather bad picture of a necklace I finished today. It's for my sister's birthday next Sunday. Simple materials, tigereye, seed beads and firepolished glass facet beads. I hope she'll like it.
That's all for now. On my beading tray there's another hollow bead that needs finishing. Maybe it will be ready next week.

The other Road

One project finished! That is, it needs a closure so it's off to the bead shop. But the beading part is done.
It looks very much like the other one, but has some special features :) including my first close encounter with a swarovski rivoli.
No hedgehogs on this one, but 2 Czech glass beads that are shaped like ammonite fossils (but a LOT easer to bead). Now let's hope my sister likes it. Now off to the bead shop for findings (and needles).

Too many projects

Just a short message to show I'm still there. On my beading trays I have four unfinished projects, and that's two too many. My sister saw my On the Road bracelet and loved it so much, so I am making a different version of it for her. Fortunately I had two Lucky Feet, so the road can be taken. And I was clever enough to make a new mold of the fimo moonface before I used it on the first Road bracelet so that was no problem either. But will I have it finished in time to give to her next Sunday?
Hollow beads, started a new one, but at about two thirds of the way I am not happy with the result. Great frustration on my part, I have a clear vision of what I would really want to make but it refuses to come out. So that's going to be ripping up hours of work, to start the frustration dance all over again. And then there's the hamsa pendant I started to work on. Lovely blue glass cab in the middle, the colours are OK, needs to be finished. AND two Dragon Eyes that need to be put on leather. I want to make pins of them but need to get the findings. All that and the Bollywood thing (but that can wait for a bit, the deadline is May).
So..back to the Road for now.

Red Lantern Medallion

Another medallion/hollow bead. Well, bead...it's a lot bigger than the other one. Fiery red and gold/topaz. Almost like a red Chinese lantern, to raise when passion comes along.