Bead Soup Blog Party Reveal

My first year participating in Lori McDaniel Anderson’s Bead Soup Blog Party. For those not in the know a Bead Soup is an event where partners send selections of beads of their choice to each other and then we make a piece of jewelry using their soup.

Here is my soup from ceramic artist Michelle McCarthy made in her studio Firefly Design Studio. She has the most amazing beads and nature is her inspiration. So when I received her soup I fell in love with the Tree of Life pendant. I’ve never used ceramic beads in my design and I have to say I’ve found a new love. Michelle has a way of bring nature alive. The colors and textures are so pretty. When ever I wear a necklace I tend to play with it all day. This is going to be one of those pieces as Michelle has made it come to life.

Using all the lucsious ceramic beads here is my necklace that I call “Birds of Life”. The little copper birds were just meant to be added to this design, it bings the earthy greens and browns of the ceramic beads to life. Love how the birds seem to be flittering among the beads and copper chain.

</

I love how this piece turned out and is now among one of my very favorite I’ve ever created. Hope I did justice to Michelle’s beautiful ceramic pieces. Be sure to stop by Michelle’s blog at www.fireflydesignstudio.blogspot.com to see what she created with the bead soup I sent her. Plus be sure to stop by Lori McDaniel Andersons page and browse through all the bloggers in the reveal. Thanks Lori for having be in the 8th Annual BSBP. Now I'me off to browse the other bloggers.

https://debbiestreasuresandgems.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/034.jpg”>

Color of Dreams Blog Hop

This is my first blog hop this year for Toltec Jewels. 50 artists were sent a beautiful art bead designed by Patricia Handschuh and the theme of the blog hop was Colors of Dreams.

I love color, it makes me feel alive, gives me energy and wakes up my creativity. So when I saw the colors in the beautiful art bead I received I immediately thought about one of my dreams of retiring to a far away place. Now not just any old place, it has have a tropical feel, be by the ocean.

Where color is every where, ocean blues, lavendar orchids, luscuious pinks, sunny yellows, sunset oranges, palm tree green. Vibrant colors everywhere, in the cottages and stalls in the island markets. The islanders dressed in white with bright colorful hats, scarves, belts, women in sunny sandals. Island music that sets your soul floating, the body swaying.

Waking every moring to look out the shuttered cabana window, where the white sheer curtains float and seeing the beautiful sea. Days lazing on the beach listening to nothing but the surf washing to shore, feeling the warmth of the sun. At least for the first month or two or three until all the stress melts away. Having no time table, being able to let my creativity flow freely. Setting up a canvas and learning to paint, creating beautiful pieces of jewelry using island beads or making my own. Letting everything else just disappear for hours on end and being one with the creating process. Late dinners on the patio, tropical drinks, tropical delicacies. The smell of surf, sand and exotic flowers on the evning breeze.

The beautiful art bead brought all of those thoughts and dreams back in an instant. The radiant orchid, shades of blue and green in the pillow bead just all came together in this design. Using the Jewel Loom I designed what is now my very favorite bracelet, seed beads, blue/green long magatomas, adding an Artistic Wire Mesh silver rose, and enclosing the base in a silver mesh rope, then adding movement with bugle bead fringe. This bracelet was a dream to put together, every piece, stitch and item just fell into place as I created it. It brings the island feel of flowers and surf to mind and I can’t wait to wear it. Thinking even a new colorful outfit to set it off (Hawaiian shirt print maybe).

Hope everyone finds the Colors of Dreams in something they love. Be it a person, place, thing an idea, your own business, retirement or helping others. Think about it and decide where the Color of Your Dearms will lead you.

Chain, Chain, everywhere there is Chain

Chain, Chain, Chain. It’s everywhere and I love it all. In the summer I want my jewelry to be light and airy and chain is perfect for that. So using Blue Moon Beads small black and gold chain and a decorative chain with Pearls captured within the links I added more Blue Moon Beads and came up with these great summer bracelets I’ll be wearing this year. Oh and not to forget the pretty earrings I whipped up in no time.

This is a simple little bracelet, that took nearly no time to put together. Using Blue Moon Beads 27″ Metal Chain in Black and Gold, I cut two 7″ pices of Black chain and one 7′ piece of Goldtone chain and sandwiched the Goldtone chain between the Black chain. The I pulled out some Blue Moon Beads Urban Warrior charms added those to the chain, added a clasp and in 20 minutes I had this nifty lightweight bracelet.

This next bracelet is fun, colorful and prefect for hanging out with friends at your local aquarium, Sunday brunch or even riding around in the boat on the lake.

Grab a 7″ piece of the Blue Moon Bead Silver Metal chain with Pearls captured in the links (this is such a pretty chain in itself, all you would need is to add a clasp). For me more is always less, I’m just that kind of gal. So I grabbed the Blue Moon Bead Tin Mix, Melon Ball and Mud Pie, Blue Moon Beads 6MM White Pearls some silver plated head pins and made lots of pretty dangles. Attached those to the chain with silver plated jump rings and added a toggle clasp. Fun and Flirty for summer.

I had a couple of the Blue Moon Bead Tin Mix, Melon Ball beads left over so I took 5 minutes and whipped up this pair of earrings to match the bracelet. Beads, head pins, make a few loops, attach jump rings and ear wires. Thats all there is to these simple earrings.

Looms, Beads and Sparkle Oh My!

Not being a woman who is known for her patience I have always shied away from working with those tiny little seed beads. That is until I found the Beadalon Jewel Loom designed by Julianna Hudgins. Truth be told I have never used a bead loom and was a little intimidated at first. Turns out this is the easiest tool I have every used. I was amazed at how incredibly simple the loom is to use. Once you try it you to will be hooked.

For my first project I gathered my Blue Moon Bead Jet Black Bugle beads and strung those on the loom for the base of the bracelet. Then using Blue Moon Light Blue Turquoise 6/0 beads, Jet 10/0 seed beads and Blue Moon Bead Global Nomad line Opaque Turquoise 10/0 seed beads and made a beautiful bracelet, with loops, fringe and lots of movement.

For the second project I made my Mermaid Ring.
Using more Blue Moon Bead seed beads in Light Blue size 10/0. for the base of the ring. Layed out 11 warp threads, added 10 blue seed beads and strung 3 1/4″ of beads. Attached a blue/green foil bead, with teal blue swarovski crystals to the center of the base. Then attached alternating loops of blue and green seed beads around the center beads. Removed this from the Beadalon Jewel Loom and joined the ends to form the ring.
Each project took less than 2 hours and I love the results. Fun and unique jewelry pieces to wow all you friends with.

You can find a tutorial on YouTube done by Julianna Hudgins on how to use the Beadalon Jewel Loom.

Bling up the bag

We women wear jewels in our ears, around our necks on our arms. So how about adding jewels to our other accessories. The one thing nearly every woman carries is a purse, so why not bling it up with this Purse Charm.

To make this piece I pulled a large lobster claw style clasp from my bead stash and added Blue Moon Beads silver plated chain.

Then pulled out some Blue Moon Beads black shell beads, mixed metal rondeles, Blue Moon Beads Mud Pie bead mix from their Blue Sky Line and Blue Moon Beads Lt Pink Pearls.

Using silver plated head pins I made dangles for all beads and added them in a random pattern to the Blue Moon Bead silver plated chain. Really easy peasy project that will add lots of charm to your purse.

So go ahead and bling up you bag.

BMB mix mtl gls shl blk beads #zb-002-00170
BMB Blue Sky silver plated chain 30″ Mtl Curb
BMB GLS Rnd Prls 8mm LT Pink BMB25239
BMB Mix Mtl rndl beads
BMB 12″ BD Acr Blk/Gray #ZB-002-00050
Silver plated head pins
Silver plated jump rings
Plaid silver flower pendant
Medium heart lobster claw clasp
BMB Bead mix Mud Pie
Give your bag a little bling!

Love Necklace

I LOVE romance, it makes my heart flutter, my cheeks blush. For this sweet and simple necklace I was inspired by the Blue Moon Bead Love pendant.

Using a black braided cord, I attached the Blue Moon Bead Pendant with jump rings. Then a simple silver heart with a pretty red heart glued on. For the other dangle, I used a Katedid pendant that I filled with 4MM clear swarvoski crystals and glued another red heart to the Katedid. Using a head pin I ran it thru the Katedid attached two 4mm clear swarovski and one 4mm red swarovski crystal made a wire wrapped look, attached it to two square jump rings which I attached to the Love pendant on the opposite side. Such a simple gift of Love to give to that special someone.

Mixed Media Necklace

Mixed Media and mixed metals in jewelry design is so popular now and when I saw the new Blue Moon Bead Urban Warrior line of beads and chain I envisioned something fun and edgy. So I went digging in my stash of leather and found the perfect brown suede to add to this necklace.

First I gathered my supplies, Blue Moon Beads gold tone curb link chain, Blue Moon Bead gold tone Pendant that has gold tone beads and accent pieces, Green Pearl and accent beads, Urban Warrior Drop Chain and drops and a BMB goldtone toggle clasp, jump rings and head pins.

On the pendant I added the green shell beads using head pins to the pendant and attached the center of the chain. For the leather pieces, I drew a simple pattern (2 sizes) on paper, traced it onto the brown suede and cut out the leather pieces, punched a small hole, layered the two suede pieces the Urban Warrior drops and attached to the chain with jump rings evenly spaced (7 on each side) of the pendant. I also added two Green Shell pearl drops with copper rondeles on each side of the pendant for a little more color. Once that was completed I took a piece of 24 gauge copper wire and three colored metal tone rondelles and wove it through the chain, wrapped the ends of the wire into the chain. From here all that was left was to add the BMB gold toggle clasp.

Such a simple, fun, edgy design. Hope this design inspires you to incorporate different materials in your jewelry pieces.

Items Used:
Blue Moon Bead Goldtone Curb Link Chain
Blue Moon Bead Pendant Metal/YL
Blue Moon Bead Bead Mix MTL GLS SHL GRN
Blue Moon Bead STR 12″ BD PLST RNDL MLTC
Blue Moon Bead Oval goldtone jump rings and head pins
Blue Moon Bead Goldtone Toggle Clasp
Blue Moon Bead Urban Warrior Drops
Blue Moon Bead Urban Warrior Chain with drops
24 Gauge Copper Wire
Brown Suede leather

Earrings, a girls best friend

Earrings, Earrings, Earrings, a girl can never have enough earrings. Small one, big ones, big hoops, little hoops, sparkles, bling, earrings that jingle, earrings that make you smile. Earrings for a fancy dinner party or to wear dancing. We women need earrings for every outfit we own and then we still need more. Here are three designs that I recently created using Blue Moon Beads.

 

Using the Blue Moon Bead Branch goldtone earring findings and the goldtone discs in my stash I attached those and Blue Moon Bead Pink and Mauve colored acrylic beads. These turned out so cool and I can’t wait to wear them out and about.

These Blue Moon Bead Ear Cuffs are just the coolest thing I think I’ve ever designed. When I got them I squealed in delight, I have been looking for ear cuffs for months at the craft store. These were so much fun and so easy. I used small black cable chain and draped it under black and opaque white swarovski crystals. Added more black chain and dangled the butterfly, white flower and silver flower from the bottom of the each chain. There are going to be my go to earrings for spring and summer.

How about these Disco Ball earrings, don’t they just yell a fun night at the club dancing? Using the Blue Moom Bead glitter beads (tip: a little spritz with hair spray will keep the glitter from wearing). I made my own chain from black and silver jump rings, attached the beads I had placed on head pins and next I’m dancing the night away.

Hope you enjoy these designs and they give you inspiration for your earring projects. Please feel free to leave your comments, I enjoy hearing what you have to say.

Last Minute Gift Giving

Now that you have picked up all those gifts on Black Friday, gotten most of them wrapped and you can sit down and relax. Now to plan for those holiday parties. But what about those last minute gifts? You know when that unexpected guest shows up or your brother drops by with a date. There you are scrambling to find a gift. So this year I’ve planned ahead and made up a batch of earrings for that last minute gift giving.

In my last blog I mentioned the Blue Moon Bead Tin Mixes. One look through each tin and I came up with several cute earrings and using DCWV papers I made up little holiday earring cards for them for gift giving. You can add a little personal message on each card and the gift will be so much more special because you made it with love.

For the earring cards I cut the frames from DCWV The Evergreen Stack holiday papers and using the Spellbinders Positively Me by Julianna Hudgins Framed Sentiments dies. I attached the frames using doubled sided tape and attached them to green and red card stock. Decorated the cards with ribbons, stickers.

The earrings were made using beads from the Blue Moon Beads Tin Mixes, Rum Raisin, Red Velvet, PB&J, Melon Ball, and Sour Grapes. Used head pins and eye pins and jump rings attached ear wires and hung them on each card.

Then added the earrings to each card for a ready made, last minute gift for the kids school teacher, that unexpected date that your brother brings over on Christmas Day, or thank you gift for your stylist.
A handmade gift made with love that is sure to touch the heart.

Pb&J and Jewelry?

So I know your asking yourself, what do PB&J and jewelry have in common? If you have seen the Blue Moon Bead/Blue Sky Tin dessert then you may have an idea.

The Blue Moon Bead tin mixes are so cool. Names like Sour Grapes, Toffee Crunch, Rum Raisin, PB&J and Mud Pie will make some delicious pieces of jewelry.

For this necklace and earrings I chose the PB&J and Mud Pie mixes. Love the cool blue and grape colors and mixing in the look of metal with the Mud Pie mix turned out to be the perfect combination.

Using three large Mud Pie Beads, add eye pins, attach three pieces of chain to each bead to connect them. Using beading wire, string the beads in desired pattern, crimping both ends and make sure to add a jump rings, attach to the chain pieces on one end. Then add a clasp to each end. I also took an eye pin, two tube beads and a large crystal, draped chain and added a focal pendant.

For the earrings, use eye pins for each bead., connect them together, add your ear wire. I love movement in my earrings so I added three lengths of chain to each earring for playfulness.

Enjoy making this set, maybe mix it up using any one or two of the Blue Moon Bead Tin Mixes.