Gifts from Jennifer

You will all probably agree with me that there is nothing more thrilling for us miniaturing people, than opening a parcel sent by a loving friend and finding out what it contains.

Jennifer - http://www.plushpussycat.com, one of the most generous people in blogland, sent me these precious miniatures.  I hope my photos do them justice.  Jennifer now has a series of  lovely giveaways in her blog, you just have to follow her blog and  make a comment.

I cannot believe anyone would part with this precious mama beagle and her puppies. 

Here you can see Jennifer's calling card.  Isn't it adorable.  Tiny postcards handcrafted by Jenni and
slices of citrus fruit to adorn future cakes.

Yards of pink very narrow lace and tiny seed beads.

Sewing supplies,  I have a soft spot for  these .  One of my first shop facades was  a sewing equipment store.  For some reason unknown, I had several sewing machines, most of them gifts from friends. Something had to be done with these, so I made a facade.  At that time I tried without success, making a measuring tape but couln't do it narrow enough., not even a wooden one.  These are also the first pair of scissors that  were not made by me.

Here is the facade. I had to get off the wall and clean it so you won't see how dusty it got. Everything you see inside, except the machines was done by me.  I also built the facade, the  stones are fired ceramic clay the door from popsicle sticks, windows recycled plastic mesh.

A big THANK YOU Jenni.  I love everything!!!!


We are still celebrating the Passover week.  Many of us took days off from work and enjoy a vacation.
We meet with family and friends and have a good time.  Lots of fattening but delicious food.  I am not one to complain.  I love good food!

I am happy to welcome new followers

Trompke - http://poppenhuiskladblogger.blogspot.com/

Cystal Navarro - Cannot locate your blog. If you have one please let me know.

You are, as well as all my other followers, are invited to participate in my giveaway scheduled for May 1st.

Blessings to all

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Beading Tutorial: Simple Chevron Chain

We’ve already had a look at what chevron chain can do when paired up with two-hole Tila beads, but what about the basic stitch? In it’s simple form, chevron chain is limited to a standard set of stitches, but it is still incredibly versatile. Unlike peyote or herringbone weave, you can use virtually any bead style, size, or shape with this technique, and achieve a wide variety of beautiful results.

Whether you’re working with larger accent beads, or sets of seed beads, chevron chain is always worked with units of three - shared beads, outside beads, and middle beads. Just like peyote stitch, you begin by picking up double the normal about.

To weave a simple chevron chain:

Secure a stop bead to a comfortable length of thread, leaving at least a six inch tail. Pick up six units of beads in the following sequence: shared, middle, shared, outside, shared, middle. If you’re using a separate bead or color for each section of the chain pick up: A, B, A, C, A, B. Stitch down through the first bead pick up, to form a tear-drop shaped loop, and pull snug.

Pick up one of each unit: outside, shared, middle (or C, A, B). Stitch up through the nearest shared bead in the loop (the 3rd A picked up), and pull snug. You will now have two interlocked teardrop shapes, with shared sides.

Pick up another 3 units in the same C, A, B sequence, and stitch down through the A bead picked up in the last step. Continue stitching in this manner until the chain has reached the desired length. That’s it! Simple and fun, chevron chain is perfect for delicate bracelets, and for necklace straps.

You can use different combinations of bead sizes, shapes and quantities to achieve different looks. Here we have the same basic pattern of red, blue, and white, with seed beads standing in for each color. Each unit in the chain has a different effect on the overall look of the beadwork. To achieve a perfect curved chevron for collars, I find that increasing the number of C beads on the inside by one is ideal.

Do you like to use chevron chain in your projects? What’s your favorite type of bead to use with it?

Copyright 2012 Inspirational Beading
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Cosmic Triangle Pendant

Last week I decided it was time to use my last Swarovski Elements cosmic triangle and check another item off my destash list. I didn’t have to look far for a suitable palette - I liked the Tribute combination from last month’s Hunger Games inspiration so much, that I decided to run with it. I added some jet black druks and jet lined garnet 6/o seed beads, and got to work on a new Y necklace.

I really wanted to include the white-heart beads, so I came up with a new twist on the reverse daisy chain that I am so fond of for ‘strung’ style beadwork. Once the base chains were complete, I used the extra thread from the lark’s head anchors around the crystal triangle to add seed bead loops to accent the extra beads between each druk. I love how it turned out - the additional texture and curvy shapes add so much to the design, which already has plenty of impact thanks to the gorgeous colors.

To make the pendant section a little more interesting, I added one more element from the destash pile - a single lonely Swarovski drop pearl in jet black that’s been rolling around since my famous females phase back in January 2010. It looked a little naked at the bottom of the embellished chain, so I gave it some seed bead loops, too.

I’m a little surprised that this is only the second Y necklace to show up so far in the destash challenge. I really expected to find myself falling back on ‘easy’ designs as things got going, especially with the more unusual and hard to match beads. I’m sure there will be a few more Y pendants along the way, and if they turn out like this one, all the better!

Copyright 2012 Inspirational Beading
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Book Spotlight: Button It Up

Isn’t it interesting how our crafting backgrounds can influence the way we view and categorize materials? To a crafter or seamstress, buttons rule, and beads might just be pretty once-in-a-while embellishments. To a beader, buttons might be considered sewing mediums that can masquerade as wonderful components. To some beaders, buttons are just another kind of beautiful and versatile bead.

However you look at buttons, it’s true that they can be great when used for jewelry designs or beaded crafts. After all, they have holes, come in a variety of shapes, colors and materials, and are often inexpensive. Some of the most beautiful buttons fall into the realm of vintage finds, which also makes them incredibly trendy for jewelry projects.

In the pages of Button It Up, button enthusiasts and crafters of all skill levels will find an amazing array of beautiful projects to use for showcasing fabulous buttons. Author Susan Beal is a serious button aficionado, and begins with a detailed history of button making and collecting, including popular styles and materials throughout the past few centuries.

This intriguing read is followed by a wonderful basics chapter, which covers a variety of sewing and jewelry making techniques, as well as tips for making and embellishing buttons. There is even a brief tutorial on making your own resin beads from vintage molds. Each tip includes clear diagrams to help you get started.

Then it’s on to the projects. Susan has just about covered it all in this book. Beginners, and crafters who want some instant gratification projects, will love the easier designs. The projects gradually progress to more complex techniques and design styles.

There are nearly 50 jewelry and accessory projects to try, including necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings, and hair pins. Each one explores a different method or approach to showcasing marvelous buttons, so you’ll never run out of ideas or inspiration for putting your own button collection to use.

There are also several sewing and home décor projects, including embellished tops and skirts, pillows, curtains, handbags, magnets and more. Some of my favorites include an adorable and chic collage wall hanging, using fabric scraps and lone buttons.

Although many of the projects use simple, classic techniques like hot gluing, the designs are very classy. Readers will love the full color photographs, and be inspired to create their own variations. There are no step-by-step photographs – each project is very straight forward, and includes detailed instructions for completing the design.

Button It Upalso includes a thorough alphabetical index and reference guide, plus bios of the many guest designers that contributed button projects for the book. Some notable designers include Leah Kramer, Jennifer Perkins, and Christy Petterson.

Copyright 2012 Inspirational Beading
Susan Beal and Taunton Press
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World Beaders: Italy

Today we’re going on a trip to visit historic and beautiful Italy, home of Murano and Venetian glass. I was very excited to see Italy on Inspirational Beading’s list of top visitors recently - it is one of the most notable countries in bead culture, and not just for its deep origins of glass bead making. The technique and term millefiori comes from Italy, and is used by glass and polymer clay artists all over the world. The tiny village of Torre del Greco near Naples is one of the world’s best sources of hand harvested red coral.

Along with innovations in glasswork and bead making, Italy has also given birth to many wonderful things such as the piano, the thermometer, cologne, eyeglasses, espresso machines, the typewriter, and of course, pizza. As one of the world’s most loved dishes, the word pizza is recognized in almost every language and culture, although the recipes and styles vary from region to region.

Italy’s capital is one of the most known and well recognized in the world. Rome was the center of Western civilization for centuries, and continues to be an important cultural and historical destination. Italy is visited by more than 43 million tourists every year, including religious pilgrimages such as the Easter or Pasqua ceremonies in Rome. Art and history lovers also flock to see the amazing landmarks such as the canals of Venice, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Colosseum, and the Sistine Chapel.

Happy beading, Italy!

Copyright 2012 Inspirational Beading
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New Award

Thank you Maribel - http//maribel41.blogspot.com/ for passing on this award to me.  I am grateful and honored to receive it.

Choosing 15 blogs to pass on this award to, is an impossible mission for me.  I believe all of you justly deserve it and therefor choose you all.

A warm welcome to two new followers.  I am moved and grateful that more people find this blog interesting enough to follow.

Anuska - http://elbauldeanuskass.blogspot.com/

Heath - http://hobilerim-funda.blogspot.com/

Happy Easter and Happy Passover to all

Blessings, Drora

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How to Style an Easter Necklace

Easter weekend just keeps getting closer, so for this month’s fashion collage, I couldn’t resist starting with some sweet egg inspirations. Not all of us can pull off wearing pretty pastels like baby pink and blue, but luckily, soft gray counts when you’re going for a spring palette. And since accessories and jewelry can look good no matter what color they are, it’s easy to find a nice balance of pastels for any taste.

I tried to locate an egg shaped or bunny rabbit necklace for this spring collage, but the choices were not very inspiring. I didn’t want to go with a simple pendant-on-chain piece, which would be far too easy. So I restarted my search with pastel jewelry, and was nearly overwhelmed with tasty choices. The one that really stood out was a pretty necklace with big chunky round beads in four pastel colors. The ribbon closure only adds to the Easter-basket look, and it had more than just a hint of gray, which I was determined to include in the palette. It was perfect!

Sweet Spring Pastels by mortira featuring ballet flats

For the more adventurous ensemble, I started with a pink baby doll dress in pleated polyester. It’s light and pretty, but could look very grown up with the right accessories. For cooler climates, I added some gray tights, but it would also look great with some gray suede ankle boots.

The second outfit is a little less girly, with a beautiful cinched jersey top and sailor jeans. A pink leather shoulder bag and soft yellow ballet flats add a hint of color. I couldn’t resist adding an optional pom-pom scarf with hints of magenta.

Each outfit has only a hint of blue to complement the necklace, with earrings that are small but stylish. Some fun round and egg-like cocktail rings add some extra color and sparkle, and the lovely pastel crystal bracelet would work well with both sets.

As always, handmade and vintage alternatives can build looks just like these:

And here are my favorite Polyvore sets featuring some of today’s picks:

bez tytułu by mine-and-only-mine featuring a wood necklace

Powered by Flower with Nine West by gakranz featuring skinny fit jeans

Kandela ime by lealeal featuring loose pants

I wish I had never met you by rasha featuring enamel jewelry

What’s your favorite pastel to wear or use in beadwork?

Copyright 2012 Inspirational Beading and Polyvore.com
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