Artisan Whimsy, a community of jewelry artisans, has started a monthly group for testing products by using a grouping of components to design with. This month the component provider is ZnetShows and the packet I received is to your left.
My task was to use these elements to create designs and post them by the end of the month. Well, alrighty then. Let's get started!
I'm not one to use all the components in one piece, or even two. So I'm going to show you several different designs.
I thought I'd start with the ones on the top. ZnetShows calls them "fish bones." I did two pieces with these beads, starting with the pairing I did with New Zealand paua shells. These are shells that are collected along the shores of New Zealand that have been somewhat bashed about. So they end up as bits and pieces. But I just loved them. I bought them from a local bead store in Auckland where they drill holes for beaders. I created a fringe with the shells along the edges of a pretty ribbon. Then I bead embroidered the fish bones along the band. I finished the bracelet with adjustable buttons for alternating sizes. I really love how this one turned out. And as an added bonus, it makes the best sound when you're wearing it! The jingling sound of shells.
I used most of the smaller pieces for the bracelet, but with the larger ones I did beaded caps and nestled them into a netting to create a choker. I included a few of the Chinese crystals I had left from an earlier Znetshows stash, and then finished off the necklace with blue leather and a silver hammered closure.
With the individual pieces of sea glass in the middle, I made a series of earrings. I was again creating my own earwires. I'm kind of liking making my own these days! First up are the larger rectangular glass that I paired with a silver wave charm. This pair light weight and has a nice swing to them.
Next are the smaller rectangular glass in a fainter sea foam green. Boy I love this color of glass! I did a slightly 'mismated' pair with a hammered charm on just one of the earrings, and then a silver etched flower bead I picked up at a bead show.
Next are another pair of conch shell earrings. I've been loving these baby conch shell beads; they are so fun to create with! I did a few last week that you can see here. This pair I kept somewhat simple adding only a few Chinese crystals to them. They match up nicely to the netted choker above.
The last pair I made use a pretty little pair of antique silver connectors. These were part of the last set of sea glass along the bottom. I added a little MOP (mother of pearl) charm to the bottom to keep that beachy feel to them.
Ok, you all still with me? I know this is a long post. Longer than I normally do, but the rules are to post all my projects together in just one link so I can connect to the linky on the Artisan Whimsy site. Don't forget to check out everyone else's designs.
I've got just one last piece. It is a green velvet choker with a zig zag beaded trim to it. My friend Christine showed me this stitch the last time we met up. I think it just might be my 'summer fling' stitch! I asked my daughter to model it for you all in a dress I picked up at a Renaissance Faire many moons ago. I love how the choker looks with this dress.
I know I haven't shown you guys any jewelry since before Christmas, but rest assured I have still been working away at the bead table. So I do have a few things to show you.
Let's start with a series on my Pay it Forward. I joined this blog hop over at Alicia's All the Pretty Things blog back in September. We have one year to 'pay it forward' and send a surprise gift to 3 recipients who comment on our blogs. Today is the first of three reveals for participants who clicked on my blog.
I tried to take time and really think about what each of these lovely ladies might really enjoy as their surprise. My first reveal is going to be the one who gave me the most to ponder. Chelsea (shown here) of Chelsea Art Designs. When I asked Chelsea what she liked by way of jewelry she told me she liked warm colors and preferably red or orange.
The first piece I made was with red (I'll show you that one tomorrow). I wasn't quite sure it would work as I used a large black pendent, and after a quick chat with Chelsea we decided that I should try again.
The second piece uses orange in a number of different materials. The chain is handmade with silver wire wrapping and carnelian beads. The large beads are enamels that I received from Keri at Pink Lemonade that are such a rich, deep color. And the pendent is called golden ochre which is a shell from New Zealand that I picked up while I was there. I also used a bale with a little silver leaf (another symbol of New Zealand). I hope she likes this one!
I love the depth of color in this piece. Green. My favorite color. Especially forest green.
Thistle Beads sent me 2 different sizes of beautiful moss agate beads, and I wanted to give it just a little more earthiness by adding some large bloodstone rounds. The flecks in the bloodstone draw on the beautiful copper pieces throughout the necklace. This rich combination reminds me of the indigenous stone of new Zealand, Green Stone, with its own dark flecks in the stone.
The one here is carved in what is called Koru (unfurling fern fond). It means new beginnings, peace and tranquility --- which is everywhere in the New Zealand landscape.
There are 190 different native fern species in New Zealand. The most famous one is the silver fern. The symbol worn on the All Black Rugby Team's shirts. It takes its name from its appearance as the bottom of the fern turns silver in the sunlight.
You'll noticed that the main focal of the necklace is a copper bead with a fern on it. I simply love the copper findings and beads that Thistle Beads sent me. They are gorgeous! And I had to find a way to put that fern bead front and center.
I decided to call this piece Aotearoa, which is the most widely used Maori name for New Zealand. The word breaks down: ao = cloud, tea = white and roa = long. It was called the land of the long white cloud by the Native New Zealanders. My sister lives in New Zealand, and thus I have been there many times, and I love it more with each visit. It is lush, beautiful and unique with so many indigenous species both plants and animals.
THISTLE BEADS GIVE AWAY: I got my bead soup from a family-run bead store --- a mother daughter team, Melody and Shaylynn. And as we got to talking, we decided on a special treat, to joined up on a couple of give aways. This first piece is currently on display in their store (click here for location and store hours), and they will be taking names for the next week. So anyone living in the Connecticut-Rhode Island-Massachusetts area (or if you happen to be traveling through) all you need to do is stop in the store to put your name into the hat. For those readers that are not nearby, I will have another surprise giveaway on Wednesday. So swing back by for my website for a second giveaway!
I remember my sister returning from her semester abroad like it was yesterday. That's us right after she came home. She was giddy when recounting the stories of her travels, the people she met, the countries she'd seen .... and the shopping. Man I wanted to have been there with her while she was drifting through the streets of Spain or Paris. I still have the Damascene bracelet she gave me; it's what piqued my interested in antique jewelry.
After college, and I mean the week she graduated, she packed up and moved to New Zealand ... lock, stock and barrel. She had met a great guy from NZ while she was abroad and that was it. 25 years later, she's still there. Married, two beautiful, grown boys, and some 8,800+ miles away. Sigh. I miss my sister.
I was lucky enough to spend a couple of weeks with her this past February. It was heaven. Lots of chit-chatting, shopping and just general 'sister stuff.' On one of those shopping excursions she pointed out a string of fresh water pearls she liked. I brought the pearls home with me to make something special for her.
I later realized that what she wanted was similar to a necklace I had restrung last summer with my mom's pearls (above center). I added a sweet little marcasite and pearl charm that I pulled off another necklace from mom. I decided she should have them both. One from mom, and a new one just for her.
The new one is a double strand necklace set with a large pearl clasp, and pearl coins. I used small onyx rounds to space the pearls in the necklaces. It's a classic Cartier style that I love with pearls. Sometimes just a simple, elegant stringing style is best. I hope she likes these and wears them often. Happy 25th Anniversary Sis!
Maori are a superstitious bunch. A warrior culture, where losing in battle was pretty rough. For those that didn't run off in shame, they were usually killed by the enemy. Not hard to understand why winning was all important. Several rituals were performed before a battle including abstinence, eating certain foods and a haka (dance). The haka included waving weapons around, sticking out tongues, bulging out eyes and grunting.
They were practicing scaring the enemy. If the haka wasn't performed correctly it was seen as a bad omen... which clearly had consequences. The afterlife crowd also kept a close eye on them. Carvings around the village included paua shells as eyes (to represent the stars); symbolic for the eyes of their ancestors that gaze down from the night sky.
There was no shortage of paua shell. Paua is New Zealand's version of abalone but with deeper, richer colors. It came in all shapes and sizes. I found it in bead stores, jewelry stores, souvenier shops ... and well pretty much everywhere we went. So I had to pick up some and bring it home. I really like the organic look of these natual chips. I saw them in the bead stores, but they were all undrilled. Undrilled? Really ... in the bead stores? I asked why and was told "you pick what you like and we drill them for you" (of course for a charge). Since I was only visiting, it didn't seem like the most expediant process. I ended up finding it -drilled- in New Zealand's equivalent to Michael's. Much more sensible for the traveler. The earrings (right) use a twist connector that make them look a bit like one of those twirly things my mom liked to hang in the wind. Since I was visiting my sister on the first anniversary of my Mom's passing ... this one's for you Mom. It will help you keep an eye on me.
Do you ever get beader's block? Where you have one element, but just can't think of how to design around it?
I was having trouble trying to figure out how I was going to design a bracelet around this red fabric button. The color red was stumping me. I don't seem to use much red in my patterns, which I find strange since I really love the color. I went digging through my stash only to find that I did have a string of coral, but I wasn't sure the reds were going to work together. The coral is such a deep color that I worried it would completely overpower the focal button.
I stared at the pile of coral for awhile. Sorting it by size, matching it to various other beads .... then I realized I could look for inspiration from my recent New Zealand trip. I got to thinking about the beautiful view of Auckland's North Shore. Each morning my sister and I would walk along beach looking for shells and checking out the sea life in the little estuaries that sit in the volcanic rock. You can see Rangitoto out in the middle of the Auckland Bay -- a dormant volcano -- that left behind all kinds of nature along the shore.
I went back at my stash to rethink what I should pair the coral with and ran across an old string of cowrie shells. One of my daughters used to love this necklace, but had long since abandoned it to one of my many bead drawers. Perfect! I had my beachcombing idea. I had also picked up a new pattern on my trip that I thought was a fun. It's called Garden Bracelet by The Bead Hold which I altered to be more of an underwater garden theme.
So without further ado, I finally have my 4th installment of the bracelets I'm designing for a friend who makes these beautiful buttons. I'll be back with the 5th and final design shortly ... once I find some more inspiration.
Materials:
1. Navajo: Miyuki seed beads, Beauty button
2. Elizabethan: black banded agate, onyx, Miyuki seed beads, Beauty Button
3. St Petersburg: Miyuki seed beads, Czech beads, Beauty Button
4. Neptune: coral, Miyuki seed beads, cowrie shells, Beauty Button
Recently I was in New Zealand and stumbled upon an amazing spot called Cathedral Cove along the Coromandal Coast (just South of Auckland).
There are stunning views from the cliffs that curve along the coastline, and equally stunning views just walking along the beach.
New Zealand, like much of the pacific rim, was formed by volcanos and the landscape still reflects the cones left behind albeit now covered with giant ferns and native bush.
Some of these valcanos developed huge underground reservoirs of superheated water. There are a few fissures along this coast, one of which is a unique hot water spring that gushes right at the beach. A popular activity is to dig and create your own jacuzi-like pool for the day. Not a bad way to spend a lazy afternoon.
I also found a wonderful local gallery called Moko that specializes in Maori designs. Moko is the Maori custom of tattooing, but with special meaning. The tattoos represent the individual's ancestral links, social structure and tribal affiliations. So each tattoo is unique to the wearer. I was told that New Zealand is the most tatooed nation in the world, which did not come as a surprise.
The gallery is full of art, jewelry and unique sculptures. The set below are large cement balls resembling tennis balls, or baseballs if you prefer, with an inlay of paua shells.
These are roughly the size of exercise balls ... certainly one of the more unique sculptures I've ever seen. I spent most of my time looking through the jewelry, and specifically the greenstone. I just can't get enough of this stone! It is a jade, but it is unique to New Zealand with deposits of black flecks that I find striking. As you might image, I did plenty of shopping while in New Zealand for beads and carvings. What self-respecting beadaholic wouldn't? I'm wearing my greenstone today to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, New Zealand style.
Several of you know that I've been traveling for a few weeks and have gone quiet on my blogging. All for good reason. I've been down in New Zealand visiting my sister who lives there. It's been 10 years since my last visit, so in some ways it was a whole new experience.
I love exploring places, and nothing is better for me than starting at a local museum. It is a great way to ground youself in the culture, history and with any luck the jewelry. New Zealand is a jewelry jackpot. The native Maori are creative and prolific in their designs and use of symbols. The eternity twist design (pikorua) represents the lasting bond between two people in life. Even though people may move away, their paths will cross again --whether friendship, love or blood.
I spent hours in the museum looking at the designs and various materials the Maori use to create jewelry. The large twist (above) is a natural New Zealand greenstone (similar to jade) and is simply stunning. It is scarce and expensive, so I didn't buy much of this stone. But I did pick up a few pieces. I couldn't help myself!
Over my few weeks there, I looked in local bead shops, galleries filled with original style and of course the Auckland Museum. I was in search of materials to bring home with me to create a series of New Zealand inspired designs. There was no shortage of paua shell (left) which is New Zealand's version of abalone but with much deeper, richer colors. It came in all shapes and sizes. And I included a few simple shell beads to use as accents in patterns. I also found bone carvings (above right) that I picked up with native New Zealand designs. The one above is called Hei-Matau (or fish hook), which means prosperity. Fish were so plentiful to the Maori that the simple ownership of a fish hook meant prosperity.
I took lots of pictures, and have lots of ideas running through my mind about this stash. I'll post again soon to give more background and history on the meaning behind the symbols. I can't wait to get started!
Artisan Whimsy, a community of jewelry artisans, has started a monthly group for testing products by using a grouping of components to design with. This month the component provider is ZnetShows and the packet I received is to your left. 
I'm not one to use all the components in one piece, or even two. So I'm going to show you several different designs. 
I thought I'd start with the ones on the top. ZnetShows calls them "fish bones." I did two pieces with these beads, starting with the pairing I did with New Zealand paua shells. These are shells that are collected along the shores of New Zealand that have been somewhat bashed about. So they end up as bits and pieces. But I just loved them. I bought them from a local bead store in Auckland where they drill holes for beaders. I created a fringe with the shells along the edges of a pretty ribbon. Then I bead embroidered the fish bones along the band. I finished the bracelet with adjustable buttons for alternating sizes. I really love how this one turned out. And as an added bonus, it makes the best sound when you're wearing it! The jingling sound of shells.
I used most of the smaller pieces for the bracelet, but with the larger ones I did beaded caps and nestled them into a netting to create a choker. I included a few of the Chinese crystals I had left from an earlier Znetshows stash, and then finished off the necklace with blue leather and a silver hammered closure. 
With the individual pieces of sea glass in the middle, I made a series of earrings. I was again creating my own earwires. I'm kind of liking making my own these days! First up are the larger rectangular glass that I paired with a silver wave charm. This pair light weight and has a nice swing to them.
Next are the smaller rectangular glass in a fainter sea foam green. Boy I love this color of glass! I did a slightly 'mismated' pair with a hammered charm on just one of the earrings, and then a silver etched flower bead I picked up at a bead show. 
Next are another pair of conch shell earrings. I've been loving these baby conch shell beads; they are so fun to create with! I did a few last week that you can see here. This pair I kept somewhat simple adding only a few Chinese crystals to them. They match up nicely to the netted choker above.
The last pair I made use a pretty little pair of antique silver connectors. These were part of the last set of sea glass along the bottom. I added a little MOP (mother of pearl) charm to the bottom to keep that beachy feel to them.
Ok, you all still with me? I know this is a long post. Longer than I normally do, but the rules are to post all my projects together in just one link so I can connect to the linky on the Artisan Whimsy site. Don't forget to check out everyone else's designs. 
