October Fest

Autumn is apparently well under way in Northern Europe but here in Morocco the weather is warm and sunny for the most part with little sign of change. The trees are mostly palms or citrus fruit so no leave turning brown either. Life on a boat means that for the most part we stay almost continually in summer but I do miss the changing seasons, the bright new greens of Spring and the rich hues of Autumn. So coming across pictures themed around October in Jewel School Friends latest blog hop inspired me to get a bit more in step with the season.

The colours in one particular photo reminded me of beads in my stash. It took a while to locate them, living on a boat means my bead boxes (all two of them) are tucked away on a bunk usually behind lots of other more useful stuff like charts and life jackets. The beads in question are large and have survived so long because I was not entirely certain how to string them or whether I could even wear them. I fell in love with their glittery shape like a magpie on a visit to a South African bead shop and they've been tucked away for several years, retrieved from time to time to wonder over but until now ideas which would set them off have failed to materialise.

Hand made clasp in brass wire

They are polished resin ovals containing stripes of sharp colour alternated with gold glitter so are not exactly subdued. Like bright colours of a Virginia Creeper these beads shout loudly for attention and deserved to have their season - the acid green, oranges, gold and brown entirely suit Autumn. A length of chestnut coloured leather thong, some gold coloured tiger wire together with a brass wire hook clasp made several months ago and a few other beads complete the ensemble. All that's need now is an occasion to wear it before the season draws to a close.

Autumn Jewels

Close up of the beads

Hope you enjoy Autumn too why not hop over to some of these other season October Fest 13 blog posts, I'm sure you'll be made welcome and find a feast of season goodies:

Andrea Glick-Zenith         http://zenithjade.blogspot.com/

Dolores Raml                    http://craftydscreations.wordpress.com/

Karla Morgan                    http://TexasPepperJams.blogspot.com

Susan                                 http://libellulajewelry.com

Mischelle Andrade            http://micheladasmusings.blogspot.com/

Kay Thomerson                 http://kayzkreationz.blogspot.com/

Billi                                    http://billi-rs-rothove.blogspot.com/

Jean Yates                          http://prettykittydogmoonjewelry.blogspot.com/

Kelly Hosford Patterson    http://travelingsideshow.blogspot.com

Kathy Lindemer                 http://bay-moon-design.blogspot.com

Liz E                                   http://beadcontagion.blogspot.com

Jasvanti Patel                     http://jewelrybyjasvanti.blogspot.com

Christie Murrow                www.charisdesignsjewelry.blogspot.com

Jodie Marshall                   http://marshalljodie.blogspot.com/

Andrea Trank                    http://heavenlanecreations.com/

Dini Bruinsma                   http://angazabychanges.blogspot.nl

Elsie Deliz  Fonseca          http://ladelizchica.blogspot.com/

Pepita                                www.pepita-handmade.blogspot.com

Karla Morgan                    http://texaspepperjams.blogspot.com/

Kathleen                            http://99bobotw.blogspot.com/

Vera Lynn                          http://veradesigns.blogspot.com/

Rana Wilson                      http://ranaleadesigns.blogspot.com/

Catherine King                  http://catherines-musings.blogspot.com/

Lily Vincent                       http://thecreativeklutz.blogspot.co.uk/

Janice Hidey (Janimar)      http://drawingthelinesomewhere.com/

Cory Tompkins                  http://TealwaterDesigns.blogspot.com

Candida Castleberry          www.spunsugarbeadworks.blogspot.com

Cynthia Kent Machata       http://antiquitytravelers.blogspot.com/

Alicia Marinache               http://www.allprettythings.ca

Linda Anderson                 http://fromTheBeadBoard.blogspot.com

Leah Curtis                        http://beadyeyedbunny.blogspot.com/

Jennifer Reno (JenRen)     http://jenrenjewelry.blogspot.com/

Robin Reed                        http://willowdragon.blogspot.com/

Tanty Sri Hartanti              www.tjewellicious.blogspot.com

Lisa Lodge                        http://gratefulartist.blogspot.com/

Ingrid A.                            http://lilisgems.wordpress.com/

Judy Turner                       www.silver-rains.blogspot.com

Gina Hockett                     http://freestyleelements.blogspot.com/

Nelly May                         www.smellynelly.blogspot.com

Tanya McGuire                 http://tanyamcguire.blogspot.com/

Ahowin                              http://www.blog.ahowinjewelry.com

Sonya Stille                       http://dreaminofbeads.blogspot.com

Pam                                   http://www.klassyjoolz.blogspot.com

Carol D.                            http://dillmansdallies.blogspot.com/

Asri Wahyuningsih           http://asribeadwork.blogspot.com/

Ginger Bishop                  http://lilmummylikes.blogspot.com

Janine                               http://www.esfera.me/travel/blog/travel-stories

Shaiha Williams               http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com/
Caroline                            http://Carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com

Toltec Jewels                   www.JewelSchoolFriends.com

 

Been Awhile

So it has been over six months since I posted anything here... and almost that long since I actually made anything beady. Been busy sailing and exploring but having ended up in Morocco for a few weeks I am determined to get my stash out and make something. Watch this space!!

I fully intend to attempt a few challenges to get the creative juices flowing again. I found this list of interesting challenges most of which are now over but still it gave me a few ideas: Jewel School Friends

UnBirthday Party Day!

It seems so long ago that I was sitting on my boat making a very special piece of jewellery for a complete stranger... well only a month ago and not such a complete stranger, we'd been introduced and swapped emails so I knew her name, where she lives and most importantly what her birthday month is.

Jana lives in the Canaries, a place I hope to sail my boat to later this year and she was born in February which makes her birth stone the gorgeous Amethyst. There is a lovely legend about how this gorgeous stone got its name - see my previous post which also explains why we are making celebratory jewellery for each other.

Purple, violet and all shades in between are my favourite colours so it made making a special gift even more pleasurable. But what to make from my onboard mini-stash? Would it challenge my resources? Would I have to go on a hunt for a bead shop (the one in the city of Portsmouth, UK sadly closed a few years ago)?

Over the years I have collected lots and lots of second hand beads and costume jewellery and amongst my crafting stash on the boat is a large bag of unsorted beads and trinkets. I spread the contents on the saloon table, trying not to loose any on the floor as the boat rocked and swayed in the winter winds howling round outside (it was snowing and a gale was blowing, which seems weird as I write this now in the heat of Dubai).

This is what I picked out, adding a few things from my findings box, some Czech glass pearls and the violet coloured glass beads you can see in the top left:

I'd sketched out a few ideas and decided to make a necklace with a large focal piece that would catch the light and glitter, something for everyday wear over a plain top but that could equally be worn to an UnBirthday Party. I love constructing tassels in shapes and forms.

The whole necklace was laid out several times whilst I decided what to put with what and where. I have finally learnt it, seems to figure out the whole construction before I begin so avoiding the how on earth do I attach xxxxx dilemma later on, where xxxxx could be the clasp, the focal or even simply ending a string of beads. Eventually satisfied I started assembling beginning with the focal piece.

The observant amongst you will have noticed from my first picture that the dark amethyst coloured beads were already wired with bead caps. They came to me that way and I've no idea how they were originally strung, one of the fun things I love about using recycled jewellery and beads. I simply made connecting links threaded through the long faux bone tubes to join these together.

Isn't it amazing how one material glass can look so different - the beads in the picture above look much more robust with their strong colour than the delicate translucent violet ones in the picture to the left.

Some tiger tail enabled the stringing of the last section of pale violet glass beads and pearls up to the sunburst clasp on either side.

And finally the focal piece could be joined into the necklace using a length of silver wire.

All that was left was to wrap it in a swathe of tissue and ribbon, place if in a padded bag and send it on its way....

The finished piece

And that is the story of my HBBH3.5 piece.

I'll leave Jana to tell the tale of her present to me but I will say that as yet my crazy globe trotting life has prevented me in seeing it in real life though I have viewed it via a Skype conversation with my in-laws in the UK! Roll on May 17 when we land at Heathrow and can settle at home on our boat for the foreseeable future.


PS: If you want to know more about my expat and sailing adventures you can find them here

PPS: It is a PARTY and here is a list of everyone who is celebrating - do go and meet them:

Ali McCarthy - www.northwoodscreativestudio.blogspot.com

Alicia Marinache - www.allprettythings.ca

Anzia Parks - www.anzipanzisworkshoppe.blogspot.com

Audrey Belanger- www.esperianterra.blogspot.ca

Cheri Reed - www.creativedesignsbycheri.blogspot.com

Cheryl Dunham - www.renaissance-jewelry.blogspot.com

Chris Eisenberg - www.wanderware.blogspot.com

Christine Schlicht - http://www.marshellswaps.blogspot.com/p/visiting-bloggers-reveal-day.html

Cynthia Machata - www.antiquitytravelers.blogspot.com

D Lynne Bowland - www.islandgirlsinsights.blogspot.ca

Dyanne Everett-Cantrell - www.deelitefuljewelrycreations.blogspot.com

Gina Hockett - www.freestyleelements.blogspot.com

Ginger Bishop - www.lilmummylikes.blogspot.com

Gloria Allen - www.gloriaallendesigns.blogspot.com

Janeen Burlingame - www.facebook.com/janeen.burlingame

Joana Perez Stribel - www.facebook.com/lasjoyasdejana

Lori Schneider - www.Beadaddicted.blogspot.com

Mary Govaars - www.mlhjewelrydesigns.com

Mischelle Fanucchi - www.micheladasmusings.blogspot.com

Paula Gaskill - www.lovelylaylabugsjewelry.blogspot.com

Renetha Stanziano - www.lamplightcrafts.blogspot.com

Robin Reed - www.willowdragon.blogspot.com

Sherry Baun - www.unicornsjewels.blogspot.com

Shirley Moore - www.beadsandbread.blogspot.com

Sierra Barrett - www.giraffecanhas.wordpress.com

Susan Bowie - www.susanbowie.wordpress.com

Mowse Doyle - www.mowsemadethis.blogspot.com

Cindy Muse - www.facebook.com/mritech813

Ellie Grossman - http://www.marshellswaps.blogspot.com/p/visiting-bloggers-reveal-day.html

Marlene Cupo - www.amazingdesigns-Marlene.blogspot.com

Shelley Graham Turner - www.shelleygrahamturner.blogspot.com

HBBH 3 ½ - Surprise Party!

Ok I haven't gone mad, there is a bit of unbirthday fun happening over at Marlene & Shelley's Swaps Blog. A sort of a bead swap party based on birth stones midway through another swap event they are organising! Marlene & Shelley paired up everyone who joined in. We firstly let each other know our birthday month and then in secret create some jewellery, based on the colour of the birth stone, for each other. My birth stone is Ruby red for July and my partner Jana has gorgeous Amethyst for February, so I've now got until March 25 to design, make and post something to the Canary Islands!

Once made, photographed and in the post we all sit back and wait with baited breath for the HBBH 3.5 Reveal Day - April 20th when everyone will blog about their creations....so you'll have to wait for more till then :-)

Amethyst is a purple quartz, named when Dionysus (deity of wine and mischief) was so annoyed by Artemis (the huntress) that he set his sacred tigers upon a maiden attending her shrine. To preserve the maiden, whose name was Amethyst, Artemis petrified her in sparkling quartz. Lamenting this virgin's demise, Dionysus poured the contents of his cup over the statue, which immediately became infused with the purple of the grape.

Turmi - A Beading Challenge

I love an inspiring challenge and when it results in something a little different from my usual jewellery choices it is doubly satisfying. The most recent Bead Soup Cafe challenge on Facebook really got the brain cells going as well as the creative juices. The colours in the photo taken in Turmi, Ethopia that Dini Bruinsma set for this one are amazing - lots of browns and orange tones with silver.


Sometime ago I'd organised my bead stash by colour with a transparent shoebox each for red, green, blue, white and metallic beads and the smaller quantities of other colours vaguely organised but in one large box. It was to the latter I went. Somewhere there was a bag of acrylic beads in mock tortoiseshell, if only I could find them! They were laid out on my workbench together with a copy of Dini's wonderful photo whilst I considered them slowly. There were hearts without any holes, various faceted shapes and lots of flatter disc shaped beads plus a selection of spheres in various shades and sizes. A chunky necklace perhaps?

I gradually added to the mix a few other components. I was impatient to get going but first I had to go shopping for some thin cord robust enough to support the chunky beads but thin enough to go twice through their relatively small holes. Eventually everything was in place and I could actually start putting things together, wire wrapping an acrylic heart so it could hang as the focal piece of the necklace. Then how to attach the heart's new wire loop to the metal circle? A beaded tassel was constructed using brown citrine beads in various shades ranging from yellowy umber to almost black and a dark chocolate colour polyester thread. A few macrame knots to secure a dozen or so metre lengths of the chord to the ring and form the tassel head then the rather fiddly beading & knotting before trimming everything to a similar length.

For either side of the main necklace a length of same polyester thread was folded in half through the circle then tied in an overhand knot. This was threaded through the flat beads from either side then both ends went together through the metal spacer beads. The latter were brought back from a trip to South Africa so I though they'd be appropriate for this Africa inspired piece. Further up more overhand knots separated the smaller round beads used for the back of the necklace.

Once again I was about to relearn the lesson that you should think through the engineering right from the beginning to the end before starting work... This time my lack of foresight and planning almost brought this project to an abrupt end, oops! The polyester chord being used for stringing is quite fine, finer than any of the coiled necklace ends I had but too fat to fit both threads through a clam shell hole.  A bit of a hiatus whilst I looked for a solution. Eventually I settled on making my own very narrow diameter coil using 0.8mm silver plated wire and the wire coiling gizmo I'd acquired over the summer. Two minutes work and I had a couple of spring ends, so easy I should do this more often!  Finally a simple lobster clasp secures the piece round the wearers neck.

All that remained was to take some photo's so my work could be published in the challenge album and to wear the necklace itself! Check out the album on Facebook to see some fabulous pieces of jewellery from everyone taking part.

Silver Hamsa

Brass bonbon dish

It all started with a bonbon plate. A lovely brass hamsa shaped one with lots of detail that I found in a local craft shop O'de Rose. It's not just the engraved five fingered outline (hamsa means five in Arabic) but also the gentle cupped curve that I love. This plate begs to be picked up and held, despite the inevitable fingerprints the shiny metal finish acquires. The hamsa has long been used through out the Middle East as a symbol of protection representing blessings, power, and strength.

Ideas board

I was inspired to try making something this shape myself; a spoon or a tiny bowl perhaps? Eventually after trawling the web for inspiration I settled on a pendant. Pictures of Omani and other regional jewellery gave me the idea of hanging it so it would swing. This was to be without a doubt an ambitious project for a novice silversmith like me. I needed cut a silver hand shape, hammer it into a curved bowl-like shape, make and attach a tube and finally create a "hinge" with a loop at each end from which to suspend it.

The project was started before the summer at evening classes, and resumed in January when I joined Don Sankey's morning workshops at the Tashkeel Centre, Nad Al Sheba. He has good humouredly encouraged this novice through each step, demonstrating techniques and proffering much needed advice on how to do the trickier bits like soldering the final loop on the hinge which had to be done with the hand in place.

The result could have been used as a spoon but it was a pendant I was after. A heavy Italian made silver chain was acquired in Dubai's Gold Souk to complement the piece. It was a bit nerve racking to be cutting a relatively expensive chain but I'm pleased with the unique end result. I have learnt a huge amount through this process especially that a huge part of silver smithing is about filing and polishing! Despite the time it takes it is extremely satisfying to gradually bring a flat piece of metal to life and I can't wait to complete my next project(s).

The pictures below show the finished piece, though I had difficulty actually taking these shots as the convex side has a highly polished surface (and I suspect high maintenance). The reverse has a satin finish so it can be worn either way round to suit my mood. One thing I'm sure is that it will not spend much time hiding away in my jewellery box but has already become a favourite to be worn often.

Shiny side up

Satin reverse

Feather with Love

I found this fascinating challenge on the Bead Soup Cafe's (BSC) face book page. The hostess posts an inspirational picture on BSC's main page, along with a short blurb to get everyone inspired to create something. This is the fourth in a round robin event for the Non-Blogger group, though bloggers can take part :-)  Then on Feb 10th, Posting Day, everyone who has signed up posts a picture of each item they have made. This time round the challenge was a as you can see to make something inspired by the bright colours of a red macaw - a bit of a challenge as these primary colours are difficult to wear all together at once!

I decided to keep it small, simple and picked up on the "love" part of the challenge with a pair of heart shaped earrings made from silver wire. Once the wire shapes had been made - a marker pen made an excellent mandrel for the outer curve - I wired on some red glass bicones from Dubai's amazing Chinese emporium Dragon Mart to suggest the body of the parrot and made a pair of dangles using similar blue bicones and a little hint of yellow via a couple of seed beads. Et voila:

 Now I've cracked the shape I think I'll make a few more in other colours for your truely using sterling silver wire! About 8-10 cm of 0.8mm wire is required for each earring plus a headpin for each dangle and another couple of similar lengths of thinner (0.5mm) wire to attach the red beads. The latter depends on the size of the beads used. If you are doing this yourself don't forget to file the wire ends so they don't tear your ears when inserting.

More Buttons

Earlier this year I made a bracelet from buttons. Then a few weeks ago I came across a small bag of recyclable jewellery donated by a friend. In it there was a lovely MoP necklace in shades of blue. Each of the flat, square pieces of MoP had a central hole and the necklace was constructed using two threads weaving in and out, I loved it rescued it so it was wearable once more and was inspired, somewhere in my stash I had some buttons.... 

... in fact two lots of Mother of Pearl (MoP) buttons purchased a couple of years ago from John Lewis as potential fastenings for a knitting project but in the end discarded as too small and fragile for a baby cardie. There were two shapes - circles and stars - both a gorgeous dark, greeny brown. I looked out some shiny bronze-coloured seed beads that I thought would complement the buttons, found a reel of brown button thread (why was this in my sewing box?) and started experimenting. First I cut two 1 metre long lengths of thread and tied them together with an overhand knot, for extra security I threaded on a crimp, squeezing it tight directly below the knot. A clamshell threaded on after this was used to cover both the knot and the crimp and would provide somewhere to attach one half of the fastening.

Having laid out the buttons and beads in a long line so that the buttons were all "rightside up" alternating stars and circles I commenced construction. Using the original necklace as a template for length I threaded one cord from each side of the button up or down through the first hole and then back through the second before feeding both ends through the seed bead. I repeated this until I judged there was sufficient length - my buttons were approximately 1 cm across and I used some 27 in total. It was a bit fiddly but don't pull the threads too tight otherwise the chain you are creating becomes too rigid as the seed beads lock the buttons together. Tip:paint the ends of the button thread with a little nail varnish to make it easier to thread them through the holes.

The end was finished off  to match the beginning - threading on a clamshell and a crimp before tying an overhand knot close to the crimp then closing the camshell over both knot and crimp. To make a catch I cut a short length of fine but fancy chain, created a wrapped loop in a short piece of silver-plated wire, threaded on one of the seed beads before creating another wrapped loop to secure it to the end of the chain. Then I attached the other end of the chain to one end of the necklace using a slightly over-sized jump ring. To the other end of the necklace using another jump ring of the same size, I attached a silver-plated lobster clasp.  The completed piece looks light and delicate, you hardly know you are wearing it and it has attracted several complements.

Inspiration from Buttons

Button Bracelet

Long time no post. In fact the well of jewellery inspiration has been pretty dry for most of this year until yesterday when I took a new friend on a visit to the so called Haberdashery Souk north of Dubai Creek in Deira. Tucked away by the door of one shop I found some small bags of buttons, 10 dirhams (less than £2) acquired a bag of each. An hour or so at my workbench and I'd conjured up a pretty nautical themed bracelet in blue and cream with plenty of buttons to spare for another bracelet and or some earrings. Here's how:

You'll need a length of memory wire to fit round your wrist with 4 or 5 cm overlap, I used about one and a third loops of smaller diameter wire (31-32cm). The key to this design is that the buttons overlap whilst the wire remains hidden behind them.

Cream Shanked Buttons, Blue Flat Buttons & Memory Wire

I chose some cream buttons about 1 cm in diameter with a shank that were decorated with an anchor design. As a contrast the blue buttons are a similar size, flatter so they lie behind the shanks of the cream ones but still have the thread hole at the back. The anchor buttons had been moulded from plastic and as a result the end of the shank was a bit rough but easily filed smooth with an emery board. I used 15 contrast buttons and 14 anchor buttons, if your bracelet is smaller then fewer buttons will be required.

Bend the final end back and tuck in

Make a small loop at one end of the memory wire and starting with a contrast button, thread on alternate buttons. Check that all the anchors are facing the same way. Finish with another contrast button. Once you have all the buttons on the wire check they all lie right way up then carefully bend back the last centimetre or so ensuring that the last button is held firmly in place.Tuck the wire end into the shank of the last anchor button. All that's needed now is to slide it on your wrist and wait for the admiring glances from your friends!

Helping Hand

The non-working threads stuck down

 Don't you sometimes wish you had someone around to hold things whilst you use both hands to work on a tricky bit of jewellery?

I found myself in this situation when working on piece of bead weaving. Having created a seed bead loop to attach the threads to a pendant I needed to keep the tension on the loop whilst working on the bead weaving for one side of the necklace. My solution - stick the pair of threads that would eventually become the other side of the necklace to the worksurface.

Having adapted a project from a magazine I wasn't entirely certain how long the side I'd beaded first needed to be so, rather than finish it off with a crimp and one half of a clasp, I again resorted to sticky tape to hold the ends whilst I worked the other side. It took me a couple of tries to find the right position to stick the threads down to ensure I could comfortably work on the second part.

Once the beading was complete on both sides it was simple to hold the piece at my neck in front of a mirror and find that I needed to remove several pattern repeats to achieve the right length. I was quite relieved to have used tape rather than a crimp!

You can see the completed necklace here