A weekend of beads

Since getting my butt in gear to get myself a domain name, hosting and a WordPress theme for a jewelry site.... I then went and got my Etsy store created and added some graphics.  Now this is where I've been sitting for the last week.  Almost done, kind of.  I've found the theme I've purchased to be a bit of a challenge.  Not in "it's impossible" sort of way... it's just a freakin' slog to get  through with the setup.  Once it's done it will be awesome - I'm just the type of girl who wants all the hard bits done... now.


This past weekend my hunny made some beads for me for the jewelry site and I did some as well.  I really feel though as I'm making my beads that my creativity is put under the microscope.  It's like I want perfection, even though that doesn't necessarily have to be.  I just don't want them looking like crap and then no one likes them or buys any of them to add to their jewelery designs.

OHHHH the pressure.  I'm thinking that tomorrow I'm going to try carving into some polymer clay and the bake it and see if I can create a sort of mold that I can use for my beads and then then try painting them to give them a worn/old look.  All of that is new to me and I made an awesomely craptastic bead earlier this evening that I can't even bring to taking a picture of and showing you... it was THAT BAD!  LOL.

Ah well, I'm hoping to have a few more beads done this weekend and then make the brave leap into the world of Etsy.

 

Pretty Red beads

I just felt like making a necklace

I was thinking of making a necklace today after picking up the the necklace magazine a while ago.  I wasn't really sure what I might make as those beautiful necklaces had beads that I didn't have in my collection, but I figured I could try altering what I really liked to work with the beads I had.

My design was going to involve 3 strings of beads.  I wanted to encorporate some jump rings and metal so it wasn't going to be all about beads.  I wanted to break up the design a bit.  So I started to put it together:

This was the start of my first string, then I picked it up and dropped
one of the ends and ALL my beads went all over the floor.
So I ended up trying to put it back together and I ended up altering
the way I put the beads together, nothing too much but it ended
up being a bit different than the one I had here.

... second attempt at my first string of beads. SIGH!

First string is done... and I didn't drop it!

Here is where I put together my second string of beads.
I've included in this one a bit more metal and jump rings just to
spice up the look a bit and not to overwhelem the eye with
beads.  I love jump rings... since I've started to use them...LOVE THEM!

Pretty, Pretty, Pretty

The end result.  I put it on and I liked how it looked.  I also
like the fact that I can twist it a bit more and tighten up the
look or keep it a bit loose like it is and then it gives a bit
more eye candy to enjoy.  I like how it turned out :)

I just really enjoyed working on this project, it was a nice change from my polymer clay and I now have some very sore finger tips from bending those jump rings... even with the plyers my hands take a beating.  But at the end of the day when I can make something like this, it doesn't matter.  Now I'm wondering if my Mum would enjoy it for a Christmas Present?  I myself am not a big jewelery wearer.  I really like making it, just not into wearing it.... and that may have something to do with not wanting to draw attention to myself.  LOL.  I should wear what I create, nothing more awesome than when someone takes notice and says how nice it is... and then I can say I made it!  LOL.  SiGh... see I just need to get myself something pretty to wear in these colours and go out on the town.  Maybe tomorrow I'll make a pair of earrings to go with it, or even a bracelet.

My little find at the Store

Last night I went to the local grocery store to pick up a few things for the week and I ended up going to where the magazines were.  I often check out the different beading magazines and I'm not sure why but I hope that for some little miracle theres a polymer clay magazine... but there never is... so I settle in on checking out those beading magazines.

I ended up picking up a magazine with some very awesome ideas and I'm hoping to get a few of these on the go for Christmas gifts.  I know, I've got a lot to do already if I plan on getting things done, but I am just excited!

Best of Bead Style was a little gem in the beading magazines this month and there are as it says in the title 64 projects to look at and make your very own.  I've got a couple that look like they wouldn't be to hard - and I really like that the layout makes it easy for those of us who aren't trained in jewelery making to be able to follow and understand.  LOVE IT.  So I'm planning this weekend to take a bit of time and try one or two projects and see how they turn out.