Bad Beads

While making this last necklace, I noticed the beads were losing their color. The seed beads were originally copper brown, but when I started using them, they started losing their color. They only lose their color when they are handled or if you roll them around on your fingers. These are Czech beads. From now on, when I buy metallic coated beads, I will roll them around in my fingers to make sure I don't get a bad batch of beads... a bead test... before I leave the store. Has anybody else had this problem before?

Picture: Beads on the left were the original color. Beads on the right are beads that were handled and lost their color.

Completed Vintage Buttons Necklace

Here is the completed necklace. I used peyote stitch all around the vintage buttons pendant with size 11/0 and 15/0 seed beads. I used the "rapid decrease" method in the above linked document to make sure my stitches were tight around the pendant. The bail was made with 16 rows of peyote stitch folded over and stitched. For the back of the pendant, I glued deerskin leather to the Lacy's Stiff Stuff and whip-stitched the edges.

I used three needles making this necklace...I don't remember why, but two of them broke. I'm glad I met my deadline for making this. I had wanted to finish my necklace before Christmas Eve to show to my aunt... so now I have time to wrap my Christmas presents and cook and not have to worry anymore about getting this done.

Vintage Buttons Necklace Too

I finished the spiral necklace today. I do like the way it turned out, I just wish I would have used dark brown 8/0 beads instead of copper 11/0 beads. I think the dark brown beads would have gone better with the button pendant.

I just glued the vintage button pendant to some Lacy's Stiff Stuff, so I am waiting for it to dry. I was going to stitch around the pendant using a netted technique, but the back of the pendant would be seen and it is ugly. I decided to glue it to some Lacy's Stiff Stuff instead and will use peyote stitch to embellish the pendant.

Vintage Buttons Necklace

I now have my beads from the local bead stores. Size 11/0 Copper brown beads and cream color beads are going to be used in the necklace for the vintage buttons pendant. The necklace is from the "Quick Stitch Beading" book produced by Bead and Button Magazine. The necklace is going to be similar to the one on the front of the book with the large netted pendant. It uses a two needle stitch with a three bead spiral embellishment. This will give it the look of a spiral rope. I have a while to go before the necklace is finished (see picture). Thankfully, Christmas is 10 days away, so I think I can make my deadline.

Vintage Buttons

Vintage Buttons are extremely fun to look at! I can just sit for hours looking at them. I remember as a little girl looking through my grandmother's button collection one by one. I would have loved to have her entire collection of buttons. Here are some of her buttons in a jar I was lucky to get after my grandmother passed away. I have had this jar of buttons for a few years and finally decided that I needed to go ahead and make SOMETHING with them besides just using them in a clasp. I wanted to make them a focal point in a jewelry piece. I decided the two buttons in the front of the picture I am going to use as a pendant. I have already glued the two buttons together with E6000 adhesive, but I need some more bead colors to get started. I think the top button is Bakelite, but I am not positive.

My goal is to get a necklace made before Christmas using the two buttons as the pendant. Tomorrow I will go shopping for the rest of the beads I need.

Christmas Bracelet

Here is a bracelet I made in November to give to my sister for Christmas. It is from a kit called, "Wisteria". It uses glass seed beads and flower beads. Fringe technique and bead stringing was used to make this bracelet. I hope she likes it. She doesn't know I have a blog yet... this is why I can post it here.... he he

All my Christmas shopping is done now! Yeah!

Cabs from the Show

Here are the cabochons I bought from the Jewelry, Gem, Mineral, and Fossil show today. I didn't spend too much money. The most expensive cab was $5.00. I plan on using these in bead embroidery projects and making key chains using bead embroidery. I will post a picture once I make something with these.

Picture: blue glass, cross stone, labrodorite, rose quartz, and various agates.

Charmed by Charms

I picked up these flower charms on eBay and bought the necklace at a local crafts store. This necklace was easily made in half an hour because all I had to do was attach the charms to the necklace. As simple as this was to make, I get compliments when I wear this necklace (I made this in the summer). These enameled flower charms are delightful.

It is suppose to get down to 15 degrees here tonight. Guess I will turn on my electric mattress pad tonight and snuggle close with the cat.

Bead Weaving

Here is a bracelet I made based upon a design called, "Eternal Garden" , shared by a lady outside Nashville, TN. I have made two of these so far. It took a while to make, but was fun. I made this at the end of summer of this year.

The bracelet used many seed beads. Bead weaving with a square stitch base and fringe work was used to make the bracelet. It is outlined with a picot edging using Japanese Miyuki drops. It also has a vintage button from my grandmother's button collection as part of the clasp.

After making the first of these bracelets, I bought a good beading table and bead matt. The dining room table just wouldn't do any more. Plus, now I can bead in front of the television... not that I'm watching it.

Cabochon Collecting

I got more Christmas shopping done tonight...YEAH!!!!

While drinking a margarita, I pulled out my cabochon collection. I have been collecting cabochons for a year and haven't made anything with them yet. I am taking a bead embroidery class next month, so I have decided to use the Picasso jasper in my work. As you can see, I have three pieces of Picasso jasper here. I will be using one of the oval pieces.

I might collect more cabochons this weekend as the Jewelry, Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show is coming to Nashville, TN this weekend at the fairgrounds. I would like to learn to cut cabochons in the future.

Photo: Peanut Wood Agate, Leopard Skin Agate, Regency Rose Agate, Turquoise, Picture Jasper, Biggs Jasper, Picasso Jasper. Collected from past Jewelry, Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Shows and EBay.com.

Thrift Store Shopping for Beads

It's really cold tonight. I think 22 degrees for the low tonight. Brrrr.

I love to find bargains at Thrift Stores. I love bags of jewelry with lots of vintage pieces in them. I like to be able to give beads new life. You can buy bags of old jewerly at thrift stores or online. Ebay.com is certainly one place where you can buy vintage jewelry by the pound. Shopgoodwill.com is another place to find goodies.

These earrings were made from vintage beads found at a thrift store. The turquoise beads are just wonderful. I added some new beads to the vintage ones to complete these earrings.

Stringing Vintage Beads

I want to at least include a picture with every post, so I will post stuff I have already made for a while. My grandmother gave me a vintage bracelet that I loved but I never wore...so when I learned how to make jewelry, I wanted to make a necklace out of this bracelet. After learning how to crimp and put on clasps, here is the finished product. The picture does not do the vintage beads justice. They are all vintage beads (most are glass).

I haven't got my Christmas shopping done yet, have you?

Still Learning!

Here are some additional pieces I made at Michael's. (see previous post) After these classes, I wanted to venture out and design my own treasures.

Picture 1: Chandelier Earrings: strung blue seed beads. Fun Blue Bracelet: Stretchy cord and strung fun blue jean beads. Woven Bracelet: Freshwater pearls and found beads. ( found in my stash - notice It is now broken) Picture 2: Necklace using wired glass beads.

Bead Stringing!

I first started taking classes at Michael's. They have some great classes that teach you how to make basic jewelry. This was a basic bead stringing class. Here is a necklace I made in a class.

From these classes, the bead love began!