Mel's Makes: beading challenge

Showing posts with label beading challenge. Show all posts

Monday, 30 June 2014

Top 5 Gems

I saw a blog challenge on Jewellery Maker TV's website the other day, asking jewellery makers to name their top 5 favourite gemstones, and why or how they are used. I thought this was going to be a bit hard for me; how wrong I was!

I know straight off my top 2 are Opal and Rose Quartz.

Opal is my birthstone, and I love every version of it. I must admit though, I have a soft spot/magpie eye for Fire Opal. The colour change which can happen depending on the light it is in and the iridescence that can also happen always catches my eye.

I'm a sucker for vintage things. Proper vintage that's pre-1950's and 1950's too. Rose Quartz has the ability to create a vintage look and also a modern look with very little effort. Last year I bought some carved Rose Quartz from Jewellery Maker TV, in the shape of a Rose - I couldn't help myself, they were beautiful - I used them to make classic pieces within a couple of days after I received them! Versatile is an over used word, but with Rose Quartz it's too true.

Rose Quartz rose and leaves with pink banded agate and dyed purple Jasper

Rose Quartz leaves with purple dyed jasper

close up of the Roze Quartz rose and leaves

These are available as unique pieces at my Etsy shop, BubblyDuck Beads

The next 3 of my favourite gemstones are in no particular order.

Like me, Snowflake Obsidian is perfectly imperfect. The natural inclusions which make the "snowflakes" are why I love it so much! It makes classic black and white or black and red jewellery zing with that added dimension which the snowflake provides with no effort or gaudiness. I have lots of strands of this, and generally will team it up with dyed, ethically sourced coral or blue goldstone for that starry night piece.

Snowflake Obsidian with dyed coral and metallic silver beads, also available on Etsy

As I said on my previous post, I love pearls and pearly things. I love Swarovski pearls for the colours they provide, and I love shell pearl for sheer availability and affordability. Real pearls are for when I have a little bit saved up, or I get them in a bundle or kit. Always classic, evoking vintage era designs for fashion and jewellery, pearls are an evocative gem. English Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy even wrote a poem about pearls. Look it up, it's beautiful and captivating, just as a pearl should be.

Not real - re-purposed glass pearl necklace given to my cousin as a present, she too loves anything vintage

Haematite (also known as Iron Ore Stone) is one of my basics. I find it in almost any shape I can imagine, and often pay no more than a couple of pounds for an 18" strand of fancy shapes. I recently purchased some "mystic coated" haematite double holed spacers which I re-dubbed "disco coating" because it reminded me of dance floor lights, sparkly shoes, dancing around my handbag and rock music fashion (don't ask me why about the latter - I just thought they would look good as an edgy rock-chic piece). It also does pretty good for jewellery that pays homage to Art Deco & Art Nouveau styles and periods,

My favourite earrings - haematite chevrons and milky glass diamonds

Monday, 2 September 2013

back blogging and beading!!

The reason I disappeared off the bloggersphere for a few weeks was because of family parties, holidays and fancy-dress costume-making. I did pop into The Beadshop Liverpool for a bit of beady respite, but didn't have time to blog-until now.

So, what have I been doing??

Well, I've been experimenting with superduo beads making a heart design to accompany one of the aforementioned costumes, making pieces to enter into blog competitions over at The bead shop Liverpool and Operation Tackle that Bead Stash. Due to lack of time, I didn't get a chance to enter OTTBS...

I wandered down to The Beadshop today to spend the afternoon beading preparing for September's monthly competition http://www.thebeadshopliverpool.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/indian-summer-monthly-challenge.html I have so many ideas running through my head for this, I have decided to make almost all of them, before deciding which one to enter!
Vicky had a new delivery of beautiful seed beads which were sprawled all over the table as I walked in! I bought a few new size 15's in luminous colours, extra needles (word to the wise - you can NEVER have too many needles) and put aside a cabochon for my foray into bead embroidery!

I'll add all the pictures I took today in another post, as they're on my phone, and this post is from my PC!! In the meantime, I'll leave you with my design for the Fairytale theme blog competition in August http://www.thebeadshopliverpool.blogspot.co.uk/2013_08_01_archive.html

Thursday, 1 August 2013

Beading/jewellery making is contagious

It might have been a few weeks since I last posted, but I haven't been slacking-not at all! In fact, I have been spreading the love of beading & general jewellery making to my family.

Last week, my fab cousin Emma came to stay and we made jewellery and learned to do Nepal Stitch at my usual place, The Bead Shop Liverpool.

Emma has been learning silversmithing techniques over the past couple of months, and is continuing in September. As a result of all this inspiration and bead-fuelled excitement, I convinced her to start a blog about her learning experience and exploits as a jewellery maker! I will put links to her site once she has put her project photos up.

Add to this my parents. Both are creative people in very different and wonderful ways, and I can usually find them sitting around the dining table with me surrounded by real gemstones and other non-gem beads asking where the head pins are, if I have any odd-coloured findings, and if I can get a tube of copper seed beads for spacer beads!! I came home tonight from my beading class to find them hard at work!

Soon I will put our makes up for sale online. And try and get to a couple of craft fairs. In the meantime, please ogle our display of earrings!

Like it? I got the basket from a charity shop for under £2, the material, foam insert & dowels are all our own! Marvellous eh? The credit must go to my dad though for making it look so good, all I did was buy it!

So, what have I been making in my last two beading classes? I've learned Nepal Stitch and spiral stitch. Aren't they pretty?

I might have found a new favourite stitch!!

And so, this months inspiration? I think I might have gone into overdrive on the project ideas...

I can't decide where to start!!

I'm also trying to find some inspiration/knowledge about steam punk jewellery and the genre in general. I love vintage style anything up until the 1960's

and I love the writing of most kinds of fiction but I'm fascinated by the wonderful combinations that steam punk brings. So if there's anyone out there can can give me a hand to point me in the right direction there, give me a shout!!

Now, I have to go and design my August challenge for thebeadshopliverpool.blogspot.co.uk

Where shall I begin??

Mel's Makes