Friday, October 9, 2015

Stone Cabochon Series :: #5

It's been awhile since I posted designs from my stone cabochon series. I have continued to bead and create new designs, but just haven't had time to post.

I was gifted all these beautiful stones from Melinda Orr over a year ago. And I've been working my way through my stash. They don't match exactly, but that has been all the fun. I have enjoyed mixing and matching and beading around them. I have half beaded sets, and quite a few sets still patiently awaiting a strap design. I don't know why I get so stumped on straps?

This particular set sat on the bead table for months until one day I noticed that it was sitting next to another necklace with a hand made chain that really worked with the pattern. So I did what any designer does when hit with beader's block, you steal from another piece! Oh yes I did. I would rather figure out what to do with the other necklace than sit and stare at this one half finished.

For this set, I decided to try something a little different. I beaded around one, but left the second au naturel. I have absolutely no idea what either one of these stones are, but I love how the bottom one plays off the negative space in the one above. 

I have been having so much trouble lately with catching the light in a way to bring out the colors in the jewelry. But I find the pieces photograph so much better on a model. You can see my dilemma here in the picture off to the right. I must have screwed up the settings on my camera, and now can't seem to figure out what I had it on when the pictures were working. Which is really frustrating me.

I did do a little photo shoot with the Bead Girl to make sure I took pictures of the pieces piling up on the bead table to ensure I can show you what other beaded stone sets I've been working on. She was very patient with me pulling necklaces on and off, positioning then this way and that. I've neglected my blog lately, and I'm trying to carve out some time to make it over here to share some of the recent work. I do have more to come.   

15 comments:

  1. Lately I've been loving the look of raw stones. The bottom one looks like a heart! Your lovely bead girl modeled this necklace well :)

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  2. Raw stones = Raw beauty
    What a gorgeous necklace - love how you stole the strap off another piece...it works perfectly with these stones. Bead Girl is more beautiful each time I see her :-)

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  3. I admire anyone that can bead around cabochons. I tried back in the 90s and it was so hard that I only made a couple of things and gave up! You do great work!

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  4. Gorgeous design. I love the chain with it! The top stone looks like crazy horse stone to me. I have no clue on the bottom one.

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  5. I never thought that stones can be that beautiful too. :)

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  6. What a beautiful model, for a beautiful necklace! That bottom stone DOES look like a heart - love the beaded bezel you created! I swiped a chain off of a "why did I ever make this necklace in the first place" piece just the other day - you are not alone! That is a cool looking chain!

    Almost 2 years ago, I misplaced my camera - just a point and shoot - but I thought it took great pictures. Well, that camera was 5 years old at the time. After searching forever, I finally broke down and bought "the next model camera up" - a Sony - and it took me 2 months to figure out how to take a good picture again. It was a Point and Shoot, for goodness sake! Just found my old camera - the first one - and cannot remember how to use it! The whole point of this diatribe, I guess, is that I still hate taking pictures!

    :)

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  7. What a beautiful necklace and model! The Bead Girl did a great job! Oh and you did too even if you stole from another piece! :) Seriously, it's gorgeous!

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  8. Those are really neat stones! I love the "natural" version. Photographing jewelry is difficult. Does your photo editing program show you the camera settings? I've realized that a lot of the photo programs have a place where you can see what settings you used, which can be useful.

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  9. I love the clean simple lines of this necklace. It should go with everything.

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  10. Gorgeous! That's for both the model and the necklace. Looking forward to seeing what else you have been making!

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  11. Aren't daughters great models?? your necklace is beautiful :)

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  12. This is one of my favorites! Just the perfect marriage of elements. The soft gray of the bottom stone adds warmth to the top stone. The touch of pink in the seed beads and the inspired addition of that chain tip it over to elegant. (Especially on Bead Girl!)

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  13. Cynthia I really love this piece!! I think the chain is perfect, and I love how you mixed the bezeled stone with the non-bezel stone. Bead Girl looks gorgeous showing it off too! :)

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