Project of the month - Thanks Diane Fitzgerald!

¡six of the eight leaves x almost three hours each!

It took me almost a month...well, about 48 beading hours that I fit into the past month.   I finished Diane Fitzgerald's Gingko Leaf Necklace.  This came after one of my husband's epiphanies this holiday season - bead kits make great presents.  It really is perfect because it is a splurge that I would probably not buy for myself, but which I love.  Before I started I read somewhere that each leaf took about three hours.  I didn't really believe this until I got going.  I think I got that time down a little, but it was hard to tell because I don't think I actually sat for that amount of time in a row.  I love the piece!  I can't wait to put some of the things I learned from it to use in some more work.

No longer am I afraid to make long necklaces - this one has a 15/0 peyote spiral around a satin cord that goes on for miles. Diane's directions for the spiral are super easy.  I thought I might have some trouble using such tiny beads, but I had not trouble going round and round.  Any errors were easy to spot right away.  I also thought for sure I would see all the new threads, but I got pretty good at weaving everything in a seamless manner (my method differs a little from Diane's method).  A cone of Nymo B, some beeswax, and a thread burner got me through the long piece.  At one point I had to stop and work on leaves because I was pretty certain I was giving myself a repetitive stress injury, but a few days off and I was good as new.  I think the spiral part ended up being about 34 inches, which is a bit longer than the direction.

I spy a strand of corgi hair in that necklace

Working on the leaves in brick stitch and blending the colors has given me a new appreciation for transparent Delicas.  I've been thinking about making some leaves in spring/summer colors so when winter ends I won't have to leave my new favorite necklace in the drawer until next fall.

a sweet little leaf...

...the ruffles really disguise the actual size of each leaf...

What fun!

Adiós 2011; Bienvenido 2012

I am ready to welcome in 2012 and bid farewell to a difficult year.  Below is one of the pieces I have finished, or almost finished, but never got around to writing about.  Many more are in need of photos, and I have developed quite a UFO box with bits of beadwork and twisted wire.  I have an array of peyote tubes wired with loops waiting to become a long necklace.  There is an entire garden of miniature flowers of every shape and size with any number of Russian leaves sprinkled among the blossoms.

Straight out of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding is one of my UFO's.  I've only beaded one earring so far.  I made both hoops from 20 gauge sterling wire.  I formed them on the largest part of a ring mandrel, then hammered with a rawhide mallet to harden.  I found a link through Mandy at Beads for Brains to a free Russian site which had the design on which I based this brick stitch monster.  Of course I can't find it at the moment.

a little scale: the blue bicones are 4mm

I love the golden 15/0 beads along the edge.  They are actually crystal lined dichro. They photograph a bit darker than they appear in person - to the eye they seem to be a softer golden tone.

 I did learn one very important detail: work both earrings at the same time - go row by row on each so they will actually match.  Right now I figure I have at least nine months to finish the second earring I probably won't need it until Twin Day during Spirit Week at school when the Spanish department is planning to all dress as Frida Kahlo.  Six Fridas (seven if the ASL teacher plays along, or eight if the guy who teaches Latin will also, but he is more of a Diego - LOL) roaming the halls.

Maybe it is my view of all the camellias in the yard flowering in every shade of pink, but I usually don't go all pastely as I have with these earrings.

  I have tried to think of resolutions for this new year, but what it comes down to is being free from pressure.  I need to allow myself to create whatever I want.  I tend to worry so much that I kill a piece or project before I've even begun.  Who cares if I make huge gypsy glam earrings and only ever wear them around the house!  What fun I will have vacuuming and washing the dishes all decked out in my jewels.  I made these because I had worked on a few brick stitch bracelet patterns and I wanted to try out the stitch in a different form and with larger beads mixed into the rows.  Mission accomplished.  Maybe I'm resolving to have fun free from editing.  Now that sounds like a worthy resolution.