Stash busting, pearly dreams and festivals

Well, after a rather swift accumulation of Swarovski and shell pearls for pieces I will be creating for the craft fair I'm appearing at in July, I felt that I needed a good dose of stash busting (especially as I haven't been let off the norty step by my fellow beaders at Operation Tackle That Bead Stash for months!).
But what could I do? What could I make?

A few magazines and websites later, I decided to have a go at a piece of Cubic Right Angled Weave (CRAW). I must admit, I love the straight forward RAW, but had been a bit apprehensive about trying CRAW, especially as a lot of the written instructions I found a tad confusing. Then I saw a wonderful video how-to on beadmavens.blogspot.co.uk that was straight -forward and easy to use (go to beadmavens then look up the post from 9th September 2011).

My Mum was going to a wedding reception, and had a beautiful dress which obviously needed a new and beautiful necklace to go with it! Approximately 30g of size 8 seed beads later, a gorgeous rope had been created! The addition of a couple of little swags and a small slab of blue opal which I designed to simply fill the "V" in the neckline of aforementioned dress. I haven't taken enough photos of the full piece yet, but these will be up here very soon!!

Festival fashion has been thoroughly on my designing brain this month, and some beautiful and colourful clothes and jewellery have been released in time for the festival season. I'm no exception; again using my stash of dyed shell-strands, neon swarovski pearls and a beautiful strand of orange dyed shell pearl.

If you want to see a sneak peek, go to either etsy.com/shop/uk/bubblyduckbeads or my new facebook page facebook.com/bubblyduckbeads

Don't you just love being a jewellery maker?

Well, the title says it all quite frankly, and no more have I found this than the last fortnight.

A couple weekends ago, a good friend of mine came to visit friends in Liverpool. On her birthday. 

Typically, as the good friend I am, I had totally forgotten!

So a quick dash home for my purse (I was meeting her in the pub) and a fast birthday present was needed. 

I'd been busy making a stack of necklaces from a beautiful set of bright green birds by Blueberri Beads, and knew that one particular would be perfect for her! Sadly in my rush, I didn't manage to get a photo!! If I can, I'll get my friend to send me one and then I will put it up here!

Then, at the weekend, me and my parents were visiting some long-time friends, and both mum and I decided we needed some new necklaces. A few hours later and two new necklaces,  a air of earrings and a bracelet were ready! 

We got quite a few compliments from our friends and from their friends in turn. 

It's a good feeling, after all the work that is put in, that you can "pull off" something quick!

A double strand necklace made from Swarovski pearls and seed beads

A long a-symmetric necklace made from a selection of agate and blue goldstone the main focal is a glass coin that I picked up at the April BeadsUpNorth event

Another focal bead from Blueberri Beads with agate, all on silver coloured coated wire

Hope this post has inspired you to make a few "emergency" makes!

Weekend makes

Fair enough, I haven't posted here since my first entry some weeks back. That doesn't mean I haven't been beading though!

In the last few weeks, I have learned how to do triangle weave stitch, spiral Cellini stitch and circular peyote, all at the lovely Bead Shop Liverpool. 

This week has been mainly taken up by thinking out designs, watching tv for inspiration, and gaining ideas. 

Over today, I have made a few bits and pieces, including a necklace which I knocked up before going to church this morning!! Hope you like them! 

This morning's project!

Some wooden beading...

A necklace made for my lovely mum...

My triangle weave bracelet (turquoise) & Cellini spiral 'necklace' that I made into a bracelet (lime green).