Using Up the Stash #2

Continuing my quest to use up the stash, I pulled out these light green enameled beads with large holes I bought a bunch of packages of when they were on closeout at Michael's. When I color sorted various beads they ended up in a box with some unusual geometric patterned light green glass beads that closely matched.

I never figured out what I wanted to do with them and they've been lying around for a year or two. Then I pulled out a coil of Beadalon jewelry cable I'd wanted to use and these beads came to mind. I planned the pattern and spacing out on a bead board then started to string them with crimp beads along the cable. Green glass bead holes were the tiniest bit small, so I had to ream them out a bit.

The holes in the spacer beads are quite large, so I designed the pattern so they'd fit over the ends of the glass beads.

sorry this is off center, too lazy to go photograph it again

Now, I could have sworn that the larger enameled beads were the same shade of green as all the others, but in these photos they show up creamy yellow, so I guess I was wrong. Even so, I think the color difference is ok, and a good combination for spring.

UUtS#3 coming soon!

Sky Blue and Freeway Daisies

The last two nights I've been rather worn out from some long hours on the day job, so I didn't accomplish much and felt even less like blogging. I had the day off today, however, and completed my state sales tax return, and have all my documentation ready for my federal and state income tax, which I have prepared by a local CPA. As soon as my husband's W-2 comes in, I'll be getting that out of the way early this year.

Made a short trip to Michael's to pick up just a couple things I needed to finish some pieces I had started working on and some large sheets of scrapbooking paper to use as backgrounds for photography.

The first piece I needed to finish off with my purchases is this lanyard necklace, made with spiral faceted light sapphire blue Czech glass beads and light topaz faceted bicone glass beads - I started it with pale yellow bicones I had, but there weren't enough of them to make it long enough for a lanyard, so I replaced them with the light topaz ones I bought (enough of) today. It's 29" long, which is a good length for eyeglasses or badges.

The next one I made today, continuing my blue and yellow mood. I knew I wanted to use these translucent pale blue pinched oval beads and bought the transparent light topaz ones to go with them. This one is 32" long.

In both cases, I was thinking about how we're already getting that clear, crisp blue spring sky and the yellow flowers that are already starting to come up in the plantings in front of the house, even though it's still January. I have no idea what they are, we rent and the owner does all the lawn care both in front and in back of the house. The flowers look like a daisy, but are low to the ground and when they're not in bloom, the plant's leaves make a nice year-round green ground cover - I think it's the same plant I've heard called a 'freeway daisy'.

With Spring in Mind

We've had cloudy, rainy days for a while, but it's not been too cold and the sun is starting to come out more each day - it's pretty sunny right now. The tree out back thinks it's spring and has started putting out some blooms.

I've started to think about spring as well, and that's what inspired this knotted necklace. I'm using a rose quartz donut, rose quartz oblong nuggets and small round beads, jade beads, Swarovski bicone crystals and glass seed beads. The tassel is made with diamond cut sterling silver curb chain, jade leaves, Swarovski crystals with sterling ball end head pins and a little rose quartz flower.

Here's how it looks draped - it hangs at about the collarbone level on me. I still have some small tweaks to do, specifically, a couple of the jumprings on the tassel need to be closed up a bit.