Calla Lilies (in beads)

I just love calla lilies.  They have always been one of my favorite flowers.  I don't know why, but I just love the shape and simplicity of them.  To me they are very elegant.  Some time last year I found the prettiest frosted calla lily beads.  I'm having a hard time now remembering though if they are glass or resin.  The writing on the plastic bag rubbed off, so now I don't even remember where I bought them.  I had been looking for quite a long time to find just the right beads to go with the calla lilies.

I had in my mind what I wanted to do with them, but I needed a green bead and a yellow bead that would fit the bill.  I came across the perfect green beads at Artbeads.com...on clearance nonetheless.  Of course, not knowing exactly how many I would need I bought 2 strands of these gorgeous, sleek olivine cat's eye rectangles.  Since they were on clearance I knew if I didn't order enough, I'd never find the same ones again.  Finding yellow beads is so very difficult.  If I did find the right color, they weren't the right size or I didn't like the shape.  Then one day I wasn't even looking for them and these little yellow and white nuggets caught my eye.  Perfect color, perfect shape!  How lucky am I?

I wanted my necklace to be a little abstract, but still get the feel of the calla lilies.  I strung the beads on flexible wire, which I have never used before, and crimped the ends around the clasp.  I like the wire!  I am definitely going to use it again.  Here are pics of my simple little (20") calla lily necklace.  Each of those flower beads is 1 1/2" long and 1/2" wide...pretty substantial!  And the flowers do match up and are centered...I just had the necklace skewed on the form.  dumb me!

As always, you can click to see a larger view.

Got Some New Pretties in the Mail

I know, it's been simply forever since I've posted anything.  My summer has been hectic and my schedule is all screwed up.  I'm hoping that once the kids go back to school in 25 days (but who's counting?!) that things will get back to a more normal routine for me.  Number one being my beading time!!!  On top of summer, I am still having a hard time being creative.  Maybe it's partly because my schedule is screwed up and maybe partly because it's soooo damned hot in my beading area (me and heat do not get along well).  Maybe I've just got a block.  Maybe it was partly because I was terribly sick for about a week.  (Feeling much better now after a trip to the ER and some meds.)  lol  then there was the dental work I had done the day before I got sick (prepped for a crown and a tooth pulled), and also a UTI on top of everything else.  When it rains it surely does pour!

BUT I've been thinking a lot about my July BJP piece, and I ordered some things because I actually had some ideas!  woohoo!!!  of course, we all know that they rarely turn out the way you think, but at least I've got a jumping off point.  So I wanted to show off some of the pretty things I got to give you a hint of what's to come.  This will be for a 5x7 bead/art piece for the BJP.  I didn't do one for June, but I did 2 for April, so I figure I'm still even!

Ok, so here's some pics....

6/0 Seed Beads in Emerald Green and 13/0 Czech Seed Beads in Green.  I love the deep, rich green of the emerald seeds.  I imagined the 13/0's to be a bit bigger than regular 15/0's, but they actually seem tinier!

Dark Emerald Bugles.  I love the variations of colors and shades in these!  I think they're gorgeous and I can't wait to play with them!

Look at these fabulous Calla Lillies!  OMG they're to die for!  They are Lucite, and are very large...about 1 1/2" long.  They are frosted white and are just stunning.  Again, I can't wait to use these!

These are not what I originally ordered.  I got a phone call from Bello Modo that the Olive Green Plumerias I ordered were out of stock.  Big bummer :(  I was soooo disappointed!  After much debate, I decided to go with the Burnt Orange Plumerias.  They had another flower that was a green color, but it was "just a regular flower" with standard rounded petals and it looked so, well, blaaaah.  I love the shape of the Plumerias...something a little different.  So I decided that the Burnt Orange will contrast nicely with the other beads I have going on in this piece.  I think I'm going to set some green pearls down in the centers of these.

Finally, I got some Tagua Nuts.  I had no idea what they were, but I thought they looked neat.  In the package a little card came with them explaining a little bit about the Tagua Nut.  It turns out that the harvesting and income from the Tagua Nuts of the Tagua or Ivory Palm trees helps to save the rain forests.  Yay!  I'm helping the planet and didn't even know it.  Now I will have to think about buying more in the future.  You can find them at Bello Modo if you are interested in getting some.  They are pretty substantial in size.  They are approximately 1 1/2" x 3/4".  Aren't they cool?

In addition, I am going to center the whole thing around a face cab that Beth at Bellesanbeaus made for me.  It reminds me of a Pagan Greenman.  That's a little of hint of what will be in my next art piece.  I figure it will probably take about 2 weeks if I can make myself sit in the heat for more than 30 minutes.

Last I checked it was 113 degrees here in Phoenix.  And don't tell me "but it's a dry heat."  Bull****  Hot is hot, especially when your eyeballs and mouth dries out instantly when going outside, and your car is so hot that you need oven mitts to drive.  My car a/c doesn't even blow cold enough to cool down the inside of the car and i just got it charged up with freon about 3 weeks ago.  I keep waiting for the monsoons to come, but so far nothing.  Just a few clouds in the sky.  Humidity is going up, though, which is a good sign of storms to come.  I looooooooove thunderstorms!!!  Can't wait to get some!!!!!  Also, for me, the monsoons are a sign that the summer is half over and we're just about over the worst of it.  Hurry up monsoons!  Get here quick!

Oh!  And don't forget to use the 10% discount code Artbeads gave me for my readers out there in blogland.  Just type in SCF10P-ARTBEADS-0125 at checkout to get your discount.  It's good until the end of July!