Rivoli and Wine Collar

I recently returned to a favorite technique to tackle one of the remaining two rivolis in my destash tray. With only a few weeks left in this year’s challenge, I didn’t want to waste any time fiddling with experimental techniques. After all, I can only do so many ugly necklaces in a row.

I started with a crystal purple haze rivoli, and some of my leftover purple E beads. The colors go together quite well, but what to pair them with? To save time, I went to the 15/o beads first, and chose a color that would also look good with the multicolor crystal. After picking some transparent lemon lime, I had a long debate over a base color.

Finally, I chose matte purple - a very grape-y shade that I hoped would work well with the other colors. I was surprised by how much the lime green altered the overall look of the purple. It was transformed from an almost juicy color to a more velvet burgundy. Looking back, I don’t think it would have hurt to add a few brown branches and beaded leaves. This piece has a relaxing vineyard mood.

Copyright 2012 Inspirational Beading
Subscribe to Inspirational Beading
Get inspired on Facebook and Google+

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

The Last Medallion

I am quickly running out of focal beads from my destash supplies, with the exception of a few pieces that just haven’t called out yet. I was really pleased to be able to tackle nearly half of my rivolis at once in a pair of collars, but that still leaves three more pieces to go. I decided to tackle the jet black rivoli first, and revive an old design that I haven’t worked with in awhile. My fondness for bezels is only slightly less diminished than my love for circular peyote stitch, so I wasn’t eager to start this piece until I had decided on a palette.

Turquoise blue was my first choice for a contrasting color, but I had only enough to do the pendant, and not much left over. I eventually settled on silver lined topaz for the necklace, and added some of my tortoiseshell druks to coordinate. I also grabbed the last of my turquoise blue pinch bicones from the destash tray, even though they don’t quite match - I was up for the risk and the challenge of mixing many similar hues.

The necklace turned out pretty well, and I love the double layer of fringe at the base of the pendant. It’s short, but still has lots of movement. Now I have only two rivolis to work on. Hopefully some inspiration will come along!

Copyright 2012 Inspirational Beading
Subscribe to Inspirational Beading
Get inspired on Facebook and Google+

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Two Rivoli Collars

Last week I worked on destashing some Swarovski rivolis, and ended up with two necklaces that are made exactly the same way, but look completely different. I had five rivolis in my stash - two Crystal Purple Haze, two jet black, and one tiny aquamarine. I’ve been holding on to them for awhile because I simply got bored with peyote bezels, and I just couldn’t find enough inspiration or motivation to make anything with them.

When I decided to try and use up at least a few of these rivolis, I wanted to try something new - no rings or pendants. The colors were too different to stitch them all together in a bracelet, so I decided to tackle them one at a time, and use each rivoli in a collar. I’ve had some success with big focals on netted collars before, and I thought these crystals would do nicely for the same job.

I started with a Crystal Purple Haze, and chose a palette of tangerine, rootbeer and purple lined Rosaline to complement the unique array of colors in the crystal. Jonquil lined aqua 15/o’s in the bezel pick up on the hints of blue and green and give everything a fun contrast.

With the jet rivoli, I saw an opportunity to use some of my new white-hearts in bright red, so I created a palette of tribal inspired opaques. Although the only opaque 15/o’s I have are orange, I decided not to complement them with the rest of the palette, and stuck with blue, black and yellow in the collar. I love the way the white hearts look as accents in the beadwork - their unique beauty isn’t lost in among the rest of the beads.

Predictably, I got bored after two bezels, so the remaining three rivolis will have to wait their turn. If another inspiration doesn’t come along, I may end up making another collar or two, since these ones turned out so nicely!

What’s your favorite way to use rivolis?

Copyright 2012 Inspirational Beading
Subscribe to Inspirational Beading
Get inspired on Facebook

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Bead Spotlight: Crystal Components

Swarovski crystals are renowned for their unmatched sparkle, quality design, and amazing colors. They are a definite favorite among beaders, crafters, and even fashion designers. But when it comes to CRYSTALLIZED Swarovski components - the un-beads like rivolis and dentelles - there is an entirely different appeal.

What is it about these hole-less beads that we love so much? My theory is that they are grown up versions of those big, gaudy plastic jewels that little girls wear when playing dress up. They have the sophistication of Liz Taylor’s emeralds, and the playfulness of costume jewelry. And even though they aren’t quite as versatile as bicones or rondelles, there are many fun and beautiful ways to use them - from metallic settings and bails, to beadweaving and even crochet.

1. Montanta Sapphire Fancy Pear from SoniaZ Bijoux

2. Bermuda Blue Cosmic Square Ring from Artbeads.com

3. Crystal Antique Pink Organic Cosmic Triangle from Beadaholique.com

4. Tanzanite Crystal Baguette Stone from Fusionbeads.com

Whether it’s a big fancy oval in a bezel, or a cosmic triangle on a chain, the chunky sparkle of these fancy crystals give the impression of precious jewels, with an added flair. They have a fantastic quality to them - like dragon’s treasure or mermaid’s baubles.

Here are a few simple projects you can try using Swarovski fancy stones:

Swarovski Modular Necklace with Ribbon
How to Use DeCoRe Clay with Fancy Stones
I've Got Sunshine Necklace
Peyote Stitch Bezel Tutorial

Do you like to use crystal components in your work? What’s your favorite shape?

Copyright 2012 Inspirational Beading and Friends
Subscribe to Inspirational Beading
Get inspired on Facebook

reade more... Résuméabuiyad