Embroidered Hummingbird is done!

I have been working on this little guy since the beginning of September and I am so happy he is all done :)

I also made this cuff bracelet yesterday-inspired by the Magpies that were all around out campsite but would not hold still for a photo lol.



Snowy Owl finally finished!

After months and months of hitting the wall with this little lady I am finally done! I have been quite literally living at a new bead store in Bellevue the last month or so, taking the owl with me and getting inch by agonizing inch sewn. If it was not for the help and encouragment of Candy and Cara at Bird Tail Beads, I think this would have never been completed.

I really wanted to add a fringe to fill out the bottom of the piece and give the top and bottom sections some sort of connection. Beaded fringe was not an option for me, I did that with the Hawk and he is very heavy.

I came up with the chain fringe idea on Friday while visiting with Cara. It took me all day Saturday to complete the super fiddly execution. And without further ado, here is "Winter Solstice":

Along with Ms. Owl, I have also been working with my Vintaj Big Kick (goodness how I love mashing metal!) This necklace design was inspired by a pattern in the Vintaj Mixed Metals book (I do not recall the artist's name, but I thank her for the awesome idea!)

I also gave in and started making wrap bracelets (they are EVERYWHERE!) Even my cat likes them.

Well, that's it for now...next embroidery project is a Hummingbird (also by Laura Mears).

If you live in Washington State or come here for a visit, please stop in Bellevue and visit Candy at Bird Tail Beads. They have been open since last December and have a great selection of swarks, vintaj, glass, and metal beads. Yes, this is a shameless plug for my LBS (local bead store.)

It's been awhile!

With the better weather here in Washington I have been away enjoying the great outdoors. I have hiked more this year than ever..and I am also learning how to fly fish (not easy at all but so fun!)

A couple of my favorite pictures so far:

Middle tier of the Wallace Falls, Gold Bar, Wa:

The small but really awesome Eagle Falls, Skykomish river, Wa:



And now back to our regularly scheduled BEAD blog :)

I have been working on an embroidered owl...she's not quite finished yet but here she is:

Porcelain owl-Laura Mears. Rainbow Moonstone and Dendritic opal, Etsy.

I am just now working on the edging. I am not sure if I want to add fringe or not. Any suggestions??

I also got a fantastic deal at Hobby Lobby on a Sizzix/Vintaj Big Kick (referred to lovingly as "the bead squisher") It was the only way I could describe what it did when I was telling my Boyfriend about it.

I haven't played with it much yet...I just put in a huge order at Beadaholique for Vintaj blanks to stamp..should be here any day now (yay!) I also nabbed an awesome deal from a seller on Etsy-she was clearing out all of her Vintaj products. That order should be here soon too.

I have the stirrings of an evil plan coming together. I love buying destash lots on Etsy..only problem I have is I seem to find lots of Swarovksi crystals...I use up "that random pretty green" color and want more but I have no idea what it is called (so frustrating!) So I poked around online for a Swarovski color chart...I found the "official" one but it only seems to have the popular/basic colors.

I decided I am going to make my own. I have managed to estimate there are 261 colors (including the AB, ABX2 and special coatings). If I get 2 4mm bicones in each color it will cost about $55.00. The bonus is if I order them from Fusion Beads, the labels on the baggies will have the color name printed on them. I can then tape the baggies to some 8 1/2 x 11 size white cardstock and put each page in a clear plastic sheet protector. Then put them in a binder (kinda like a carpet sample book.)

Yes. I am that crazy. Homemade Swarovski color chart crazy.

Bead Soup #7 Get your bowls and spoons ready!

So what have I been doing the last few months?

Playing with the generous and delightful box of beads from Sabine!

I knew exactly where the Cinnabar bead was going when I saw it!

Prehinite, Coral (also from Sabine), cobalt chinese crystal, and a handpainted brass fan.

I was so surprised that Sabine sent me this amazing heart bead that I dropped it on the floor. It survived! I had some ribbon in my stash that had to go with it. Silk ribbon, silver toggle clasp (from Sabine), Bali silver, lavendar acrylic big hole beads (from Sabine) and swarovski crystals.

The garden pendant had so many details, I was afraid I would overwhelm it. I tried to keep it simple with Silk ribbon, lampwork pendand, and lampwork beads all from Sabine. Pewter dragonfly, czech glass flowers and leaves.

I really loved the earthy, organic look of the green ceramic beads Sabine sent me. I ended up making 2 necklaces with a similar color scheme with them. Ceramic beads (from Sabine) betel nuts, coco wood, czech glass bead (from Sabine), Tibetan copal amber beads, silk ribbon, silver clasp, and a polymer clay pendant from Swoondimples (Etsy)

Similar color scheme as the necklace above but with more metallics than naturals. Green ceramic beads (from Sabine), bronze delicas, vintage bronze faceted czech glass, cream czech glass rondelles, brass clasp, vintage/antique bronze budda pendant.

The lampwork bead above the wing pendant was just screaming "clouds" to me. Sky blue lampwork beads (from Sabine), vintage faceted mother of pearl, vintage opaque sky blue rosary beads, metallic blue iris czech glass beads, blue opal chinese crystal, and a ceramic wing pendant (Earthenwood)

Matching earrings with Sabine's lampwork and vintage mother of pearl beads.

This one even suprised me when I was done...the color combo is an odd one for me but it reminds me of the sun setting through the trees. Every time I have gone hiking with my Boyfriend, we are followed back by a robin. No matter what trail it was. Silk ribbon, opaque red and lavendar czech rondelles (from Sabine), polymer clay robin and birch rondelles Humble Beads, swarovski bicones, vintaj brass branch and bail. Vintage cloth button clasp.

And a matching bracelet:

Czech glass rondelles and silk ribbon (from Sabine), swarovski crystal, bronze bird charm (Green Girl Studios.)

And last but not least:

Silk ribbon (from Sabine), czech glass, blue freshwater pearls, chinese crystal, lucite flower, swarovski crystal and a ceramic dragonfly pendant (artist unknown.)

I hope you have enjoyed looking at my pieces...please make sure to visit Sabine's blog at http://www.perlendschungel.blogspot.com/ and see what she made with my beads!

Soup is here, Yippee!!!

I know I promised to write more about my Bead Soup Partner last week..but things like work and sleep keep getting in the way (darn those pesky things.)

My package of beads from Sabine arrived today and I am still in shock..the colors are so happy and scream spring and summer. A sharp contrast to both the weather here in Washington (grey and cloudy) and my current project (white snow owl embroidery in grey scale.)

When I was assigned my partner by Lori, I went on a visit to Sabine's blog...and instantly fell in love with this amazing lampwork heart bead (it's just fantastic, what can I say)

I can tell you that Sabine is a wonderful and kind person, she included the heart bead along with an assortment of other amazing lampwork beads, ceramic beads, glass beads, shell beads, and ribbons. I was so shocked to open the little wrapped package to find the heart bead inside that I dropped it on the floor. I can now also say that her beads are very very sturdy!

I also remembered to take pictures of everything BEFORE I starting beading like crazy (like I did last time.)

I have so many ideas brewing it's not even funny!

If you love happy colors, high quality work (and sturdy too!) or you just need some beads to drool over, check out Sabine's blog at www.perlendschungel.blogspot.com and her Etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/Perlendschungel

And, without futher ado, the soup!

I am off now to go put away the embroidery for awhile and jump into the soup, yum!

Bead embroidered Hawk is finally done!

No, I did not fall off the face of the planet!

I got busy making bead soup for my partner, Sabine (I promise to write a more fantastic post just about Sabine and her awesome lampwork beads just as soon as I get the bead desk put back together) and in between that I have been working on this guy:

And a close up of the pendant:

Hawk: Laura Mears...stones used: Amazonite, Brecciated Jasper, Ocean Jasper, Moss agate, and Carnelian. Also used were various and sundry glass seedbeads, Swarovski crystals in topaz, palace green opal and emerald and last but not least, 3 little brick/picasso czech glass flowers. Add 2 months of sewing away and ta daa!

Soup's on!

I have not fallen off the face of the earth...just very slowly recovering from a bout of ye olde Office Plague :(

I just got my partner info for the Bead Soup Blog Party!!! YAY! (just got the info as in about an hour ago)

I am so excited!

Off to whip up some soup!