Beady Gift for my Mother in Law

My mil has always been a really big supporter and encourager of my bead work.  I've been beading for quite a few years now, and I never made her anything.  The other day I showed her the black and silver Oglala necklace and she completely looooooooooooved it (click here if you want to go back and check it out).  I should have known she would...she adores ruffles!  If it's got ruffles, she's a-likin' it.  Now, she has really liked a lot of my other work in the past, but none of them totally clicked in my head as thinking she would wear it.  But as soon as she saw the Oglala, it just hit me that this is what I needed to make for her...I wanted to make for her.

I told her I wanted to make her one, and we discussed color and length.  She likes bright colors, with teal being her favorite, and she likes her necklaces to hang longer.  We decided it needed to be at least 30 inches.  I went bead shopping yesterday at a little shop not too far from my house.  For the core I chose a 6/0 in a metallic iris finish.  Depending on the light they change from purple to green to gold.  I chose in 11/0 a transparent lined teal, a matte purple (really pretty shade...it's hard to find gorgeous purples), a cranberry tinted goldish metallic and I had on hand some cranberry colored beads.

The color that is used the most and goes throughout the necklace is the teal.  I used almost the whole tube of those.  The next color was cranberry/rose-ish gold to give it some sparkle (my new favorite word this week) and kick.  The large ruffle down the middle/front is the purple and there is just a wee hint of the cranberries.  I so wish the camera picked up the colors better.  They are really really pretty. 

I originally told her it would take a while to finish, being that it is so long and that I was in the middle of another project.  But I was a little bored of the project on my table, so I switched over to hers.  I started yesterday afternoon, worked for quite a few hours, went to bed, woke up at 4:30 a.m. and worked quite a few more hours.  I went back to bed and worked on it throughout the rest of the day.  Between yesterday afternoon and this evening when I finished it I guess I have about 11 hours into it.  Not bad...I've been told I'm a fast beader.

So I called her up and told her I finished it and I wanted to bring it over to give to her.  I had such butterflies and knots in my stomach.  I soooo wanted her to like it.  I told her she had to be honest with me about it.  I showed it to her and she said she did like it a lot. (whew!)  She said it was a good choice I made to put that rosy metallic in there, otherwise the colors might have been too flat.  (whew, again!)  She went to her room and pulled out a top that she's going to wear with it.  It is almost the exact same shade of purple as the beads in the necklace!  It looks like it was meant to be together from the very beginning.  If I had actually planned it to go with that top I don't know that I could have done as well.  (whew, again!!!)

Here are some pics.  Maybe I'll get a pic or two of her wearing it sometime to put up to show.  It kind of looks like a little knot or tie in the back.  Since it's large enough to slip over the head and didn't need a clasp, I wanted to make it a little more interesting than just a circle.  The two ends curled in a bit, so with the string at each end I backed up about an inch, tied the string in four knots, glued the knot, weaved the threads back through the beads and back out again, tied it in four knots and glued it again, then tucked in the threads and snipped them.  Hoping it will hold well enough!  But I thought that little tie thing in the back would add a little more interest than just tying the very ends together.  What do you think?

You can always click on the pics for a larger view.

New Treasures!

I just love getting packages in the mail from Artbeads.com.  Have you ever ordered from them?  They wrap your beads up so nice and pretty like a package in purple tissue paper.  It's like getting a little gift in the mail instead of just an order.

I just have to show you the things I got...but I'm not going to tell you what I'm doing with them just yet.  A girl has to have some secrets, right?  Well, let me tell you...these beads are gorgeous!  My pics just don't do them justice.

First, I got seed beads.  The staple of any bead project, if you ask me.  These are Toho Matte Raku Green/Vine Iris and I just love the subtle changes in color in them.

And I got Toho Metallic Dark Copper...

3mm is very small.  Wow.  They are not much bigger than a size 11/0 seed bead.  I didn't realize just how small the were, but I'll make them work.  These are Swarovski Xilion Bicones in Purple Velvet.  Doesn't it just sound like a luscious color?

And then Swarovski 4mm Faceted Roundelles in Amethyst.  Sparkle, sparkle, shine, glitter.

This one was hard to photograph, but it is really pretty.  It's got gold foil on the front and back, so it gives it an added element of depth and dimension.  It is a Venetian Glass 20mm Luna Square.  It's very thick...a real substantial piece to work with.  You must click the link and check out the category of Luna...they are amazing!

This next one is sooo much prettier than even the pic on their website shows!  I was so excited when I saw it.  It is really beautiful.  This one is a Venetian Glass 14mm Luna Round in Amethyst.  (I put two pics so you could see the colors from different angles.)

And finally, the creme de la creme.  This one is an 18x36mm Porcelain Flat Oval Green Tree.  Something about it just spoke to me.  Maybe it's a little like fall...a tall, strong tree standing leafless in the fields.  Or maybe it's a Tree of Life, rejuvenating through the season.  Maybe it's both.  Yes, I think it is.  It's really gorgeous in person, and I haven't seen one like it before.  I highly recommend it.

lol  It started raining pretty good while I was taking pics.  See all the raindrops on my backdrop paper?  Since my hands have been hurting so much lately, I've decided not to go too terribly ambitious, but I still want to produce something beautiful for you all to see.  Hoping it doesn't take too long!  I'll keep you posted.  What do you think of my new treasures?

Disclaimer:  Artbeads.com has provided these beads free of charge.  I have not received any compensation for my true and honest opinion of these products.

Another Update

Ok, kids.  I did it!  I almost didn't, but I did.  I went to not one, but 3 stores today!!!  The first bead store I went to was one I had never been to before near my son's house on the other side of town.  It was an ok store, but not one I would make a special trip for.  Do you know, they did not have one single cab in that whole place!!!  I was disappointed in that.  But I did manage to spend $13 on some pretty Czech glass beads.  I was drawn to blues and purples.  I'm also always on the lookout for a true purple seed bead, and I found a very good color there, so I bought two packages of those.  I got quite a deal because I printed of their coupon off their website.  I got 40% off one item, 15% off the czech glass and another 10% off the whole purchase !  So I think I made out pretty good.

I want to say thank you to those of you who responded to my last post.  You all gave me such encouragement and inspiration to bust my way through this creative block I've got going on.  Carol Creech was talking about animals and how the bison is strong and powerful. And Carol DeLater was talking about her symbol of power.  Those two comments made me think of my favorite...the dragonfly.  The dragonfly to me is beautiful and independent and free.  So I found a couple of those that I picked up.  Thanks both Carols!  Bobbi Kirk gave me a good idea...make myself commit to just a few minutes a day.  That will be a good start!  Thanks for the suggestion, Bobbi.  Robin, I'll have to check into the book you suggested, too.

I appreciate each and every one of you for taking the time to send me a message.  It means so much!  I will write each of you back (as long as there is a return address in the email).

Then I bought a bunch of other things.  Not because I have a plan for using them, but just because I was drawn to them.  I just read a post by Beth at Bellesanbeauscrafts about how her mother would get wonderful pretty things and then "keep them for good" to save for the perfect occasion but then they were never used.  I'm afraid some of my beads might be just those types of treasures.  I love them and love to sit and look at them, but I want to save them for the perfect project.  As a matter of fact, I have a few of Beth's amazing face cabs (if you haven't seen them yet, you must go look!) that I am treasuring for the perfect project.  But I'm afraid to use them for fear of not doing them justice.  Something I need to work through, don't you think?

So here are the pretties I got today...

The lentils are such a pretty color of purple.  And I have a vague idea of something I want to do with the silver branch...part of a brooch.

These are just faux shell, but I love how the colors mix and sparkle.

These are the cheapy beads, but they are fun and I liked them.  So in the basket they went.

I have a "thing" for leaves.  Some of these are leaves and some are just ovals.  I love the mix of colors.

I can't have enough seed beads.  Ever.  Period. :)

The camera doesn't show it so well, but these just glisten in all shades of colors.  They are gorgeous!

I thought these long, curved pieces of jasper were so unique...I've never seen beads like this before.  Of course I had to have them!

I bought these because next to blues and purples, I love shades of green.

If you have any splendid ideas for me on what to do with any of these, please feel free to let me know!  Like I said, I didn't get them with any special plans in mind...I got them because I was drawn to them.  Maybe tomorrow's time will be spent just going through my colors and sorting this and that to see what speaks to me next.