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

 

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

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.