Mid-Week Mutterings - Beadalon CZ-Gem Dropz Necklace

I had the opportunity a while back to make the acquaintance of a Beadalon rep and mentioned how interesting I thought their CZ-Gem Dropz were but that my local stores didn't carry them. He kindly offered to send me some samples, and today I'm thrilled to talk about a necklace I just finished using them.

I received purple two hole 4mm Dropz, round and square shapes, the specially sized light-weight jump rings made for working with the drops by Beadalon, and decided to match them up with the last bits of sterling granulated diamond curb-chain I've used in other jewelry, purchased from Artbeads. The focal is a checkerboard amethyst from Fire Mountain Gems on a thin gauge sterling headpin from Artbeads.

I love the rich, deep purple of these CZ-Gem Dropz. They have two holes drilled front to back for the jump rings to go through, then you can attach them to what ever findings you choose - I was looking for something that, to my eye, suited the delicate look and size and the curb chain kind of jumped out at me.

I had some challenges with a couple of the drops, cracked one trying to get a jump ring in. The majority of them worked perfectly though. I found the Beadalon light weight jump rings very easy to work and they closed up very well, the cuts were flush and clean.

The Dropz I received are cut so the bottom half is faceted to a point, so I think they're going to scratch a bit as a necklace, so these probably do work best in earrings, but we'll see.

I was a bit disappointed with the checkerboard cut amethyst from Fire Mountain - these are currently listed at over $40 a set (you get three - and the price does go down to $36 with Fire Mountain's assortable savings if you've purchased 14 other items) and the holes were poorly drilled - my finest gauge head pin would not go all the way through two of them and I wouldn't like to risk trying to use a reamer to enlarge the hole.

I ended up using one of the smaller pair of the set because that's the only one I could get the head pin through. The stone itself is a nice purple and the checkerboard facets are lovely. The stones have some pretty significant visible flaws inside, too, which kind of spoils the look if held up to the light. I think it will be ok against clothing.

See you tomorrow!

The 2009 Rings and Things Bead Tour as Seen by Dawno

Tour logo used by permission, © Rings & Things

Yesterday I went to the Rings & Things Bead Tour in San Mateo, CA. I've never been to any gem or jewelry supplier shows before, just seen pictures in articles or on blogs. I know intellectually that this, being a single supplier's venue, is very different from shows where there are multiple vendors, but I couldn't tell you how it's different. At least, not until I finally get to one somewhere. I guess Tucson is a biggie, and I'd like to go there someday.

So, all I can give you is a few pictures and some of my own impressions of the San Mateo stop of the Rings & Things Bead Tour 2009.

The event opened at 1pm and I was there around 1:15, stayed until 3:30 - shopping through 50 long tables full of trays of semi-precious gemstones, pearls and various other types of beads - I focused on the stone, pearl and metal (and a few bags of Swarovski's), so I'm not sure what the other offerings included - I would venture to say bone, ceramic, wood and glass.

Here's the view at about 1:30 from the back of the hall - not many people there yet, did get a bit busier later, but it was never very crowded. I think I saw about 4 or 5 male shoppers, the rest were women.

Here's the first item of major interest to catch my eye - Tootsie Rolls!

Actually by the time I got to that table I'd already put quite a haul in my tray. I should have taken a picture of that, too, but I forgot.

Lots of turquoise - Nevada and Mexican were the two regions I noticed. Didn't get any, was not on my list of 'must haves' this time around, but the prices were good and the quality looked pretty good as well. I just don't use many turquoise nuggets or faceted turquoise stones in my designs right now.

I'm pretty sure this was one of the tables with a nice selection of various shapes, sizes and colors of freshwater pearls. I picked up a few strands as you'll see below. I loved the little top-drilled ones and some shaped like mushroom caps, so I got some.

Big glass pearls at the near end, and I think there were double drilled, large dyed stones at the far end - but I'm not 100% sure.

At the very back were tables overflowing with findings and components in gold fill, sterling, gold and silver plate and basemetals; cords, wire, chain, tools and a pretty good selection of Swarovski colors and sizes and shapes. I picked up some 4 & 5mm Swarovski bicones packages (the one that just looks like a white bag is some opal colored ones that I've been thinking about ordering, so I was really glad to see them there), some gunmetal chain and - oh, heck, let me just show you (not shown, two 100 ft spools of Beadalon 49 strand wire):

Swarovskis, Sterling bails, Bali Sterling caps and spacers, Gunmetal chain,
Freshwater Pearls, Hessionite, Opalite, Amethyst, Dragon's Blood Jasper, Prehnite, Onyx

After reading about amethyst on the Rings & Things blog, I tried to get a good selection in sizes and shapes I knew I'd use, so that's the clump of purple in the middle. I'm very happy with what I found. I'm exceptionally happy with the prices! They also had a good selection of "lab" amethyst - a deeper purple in color and very pretty. I may get some one of these days to use in lanyards that I want the look, but not the expense to pass on, of natural amethyst, but also prettier than amethyst colored glass beads.

All in all, I had a great time - a rather solitary one since my friend, who I met for lunch couldn't come and I didn't know anyone else there - but that gave me the chance to really take my time, examine things closely and make what I think were really good selections. I probably had about half as much again in my tray when I sat down to decide what I really wanted and what I could do without, as I had given myself a budget. I'm proud to say that I stayed in it!

I want to thank Dave for coming here and leaving a comment last October, that first introduced me to a real live person at Rings & Things. I'd bought some Scrimps from them when, via a Google Search they were the only supplier who had the ones I wanted, but I hadn't gone back for other beads or supplies with them yet. Based on his taking the time to come by and comment here, I started using them more and more. I feel like they (through Dave) are a partner in getting my little business growing, not just a place where I shop. The same goes for just a couple other supplier partners, but since the focus today is on the Rings & Things tour, I'll talk about them another time.

And that's it for my Bead Show reflections. Hope to see you back here tomorrow, and especially Sunday, when I'll have a *great* tour of the Beadosphere lined up for you!

Random Necklace - Finis...?

I want to start off sharing new posts I've seen recently about the Gluable Challenge. They are all such clever crafters!

*melanie* at Earthenwood Studios blog - baby moon faces and re-purposed bracelet turned into a necklace all using beautiful ceramics. I'm saving up for a big purchase from Earthenwood some day, I love their work!

Tammy Powley at Crafty Princess Diaries showed of her fun fish bracelet and a cool quote on the brass frame

And Lisa over at A Bead A Day did this very cool bracelet using scrapbooking brads she modified and glued to the disk and loop bracelet form (reminds me of 60s Op Art Posters)


Now, on to the thrilling conclusion of the Random Necklace Adventure...

I pondered and piddled around with it some more today, and here's the finished* piece, which hangs about 24" from the neckline, so it's about 48" around - weighs in at almost a 1/4 lb (3.8 oz). Here's how it (approximately, since this obviously isn't my neckline...) looks doubled when I tried it on - you may notice my concession to pattern and order with the focal point in the center of the bottom loop:

In this shot I highlight the randomness (but not an ability to focus the camera - it looks focused in that tiny window, but my eyes aren't so good anymore - even with my glasses on, maybe it's time for a new prescription):

And this last shot was just to show it full length (I drug in that branch the other day thinking I might use some of the smaller branches for earring photos...DH just rolled his eyes).

*finished as in I may or may not change my mind, but I did put the finishing hardware on it, but I can always take it apart and try again...someday...maybe or maybe not...don't you love how I'm so definite?

Spilled Beads Do Not a Design Make...Yet

So, I knocked over my box of aventurine and jade beads - the nagging mom voice in my head told me that it shouldn't have been sitting on the floor on top of other things on the floor, and should have been more tightly closed. After saying some bad words to the nagging mom voice (which by the way, isn't remotely like my mom's voice - it's more like my own, nagging at the kids, but much surlier, voice) and grumbling to nobody about having to get down on the floor to scoop them up and more grumbling and bad words said to myself in general about having to sort them, I was on my knees with a tablespoon* ready to scoop them and sort them back into the box when I really looked at the random pattern of the colors and sizes.

*yes, that's what I use to scoop spilled beads off the carpet and it works really well - happens often enough that I keep one in my tool box with the tiny souvenir (probably not what they intended to happen, but it somehow *cough* fell into my carry-on luggage) Singapore Airlines spoon I use to sort small beads I've used and are now all jumbled up on the bead mat

"Hmm," I said to myself - possibly out loud, as I do talk to myself out loud, quite more often these days since I spend a lot of time alone in my workroom, and I guess I kind of miss the sound of human voices, or I'm just going insane, which wouldn't be a bad guess either - "that would be an interesting look for a necklace."

So instead of sorting and putting them back in the box, I dumped them into one of the shoe-box tops I've lined with a small piece of thin foam packing material for a DIY lap-desk and grabbed the bead stringing wire.

Strung about 20" or so - not happy. Tried adding some silver spacer beads, didn't like this try:

So I took off all the roundels and spacers until I just had two roundels and one spacer. Nope. (didn't take a picture of it)

Added some contrasting colored glass beads and some amethyst beads - still not doing it for me. Will continue to play with this until I get something I like. Knowing me, I'll probably end up with a pattern. I'm not that good with random.

Oh, and one other thing, I've had this silver leaf pendant almost a year now and still haven't figured out what to do with it. I considered using it on the necklace above, but rejected it, too. I do think it needs to be on something big and bold, it's 2 and a quarter inches wide and almost 2 and a half inches long.

As always, your opinions, comments, sympathy and humor are greatly appreciated :-)

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Dawno

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It's Great to be Feeling Better and Beading Again!

I've been fighting off a rather persistent virus on top of being unusually busy at work which means I didn't do much beading/jewelry work over the last couple weeks, just too tired at the end of the day to be particularly motivated or creative. I mostly fiddled with one piece, continuing my purple fixation with this one last item before I moved on (at least regarding colors).

I used some Blue Moon glass faceted rectangle beads in amethyst with fancy bead caps and then used antiqued brass eye pins and tiny (3mm) faceted amethyst glass beads to create a jeweled chain. The necklace is about 24" around and the pendant adds a couple more inches:

Over this Thanksgiving holiday I did manage to find some time between family and cooking to work on a few things, though. I decided I wanted to make more copper pieces and I liked the way the peridot glass looked with copper - as you can see, I've made quite a few things - some are just bits and pieces that will eventually become something else - earrings or more necklaces. I'm particularly fond of the long necklace at the right - I haven't measured it, but it's probably 34 - 35" before adding the length of the pendant. The center necklace with the large faceted rectangles was inspired by the focal piece which is half of a copper toggle clasp. Next project will be to make a necklace to match the earring at the upper left featuring the foil-lined coin beads, and, of course, the other earring.

Lastly, one more Christmas color lanyard featuring a very pretty faceted glass bead in red and some 3mm green Druk beads.

I'm pretty excited about something that I've been invited to do here on my blog, and soon I'll reveal all. I hope you'll keep checking back for the news!

Variations on a Theme with Pearls, Adventurine, Amethyst and Rose Quartz

A couple posts down I wrote about an amethyst, aquamarine and rose quartz lanyard necklace I strung and then re-strung. I liked the color combination so much I wanted to do another, complimentary piece. The larger beads are adventurine, amethyst and rose quartz. I used small sterling silver rondelle spacers from Artbeads.com and silver bead caps I found at Global Beads.

The pearls are very nicely shaped freshwater cultured pearls I picked up last winter when I was down in Orange County. It's about 29" and very light - perfect for an eyeglass lanyard/leash, or just to wear as a necklace with the other lanyard.

I had a large rose quartz donut in my box of pinks and a large snap back bail that fit it, so I thought I'd see how that looked. Not sure it will work - the donut is very pink and the beads in the lanyard necklace are very pale. But the bail slips on and off easily after I rounded it a bit to go over the bead caps, so it's not a permanent addition.

Of course, now I'm thinking that with the right shade of pink pearl...

(This post brought to you via the magic of technology which allowed me to compose and post date so my blog wouldn't be completely dark during my conference week.)

A Bit of Sprintime as the Days Grow Colder

Maybe this is more of a springtime piece, but as I was poking around my beads looking for something else to go with the turquoise nuggets, I pulled out some chunky rose quartz beads and amethyst nuggets. I'd used these in other pieces, so I didn't have that many left over, but I remembered that I'd seen some lovely necklaces here and there with the pink, purple and a light green.

I went to my green stone box and there were these aquamarine chips I'd bought and also some very pale adventurine that were just the right colors. Deciding how to space them was a bit of a challenge, until I realized I had tiny silver ox beadcaps that would go great with some small pearls for in between the rose quartz and the aquamarine chips.

(Click for larger image)

Since I didn't have enough nuggets to go all the way around, I used the nuggets for the clasp ends and smaller round stone beads (this was how I used the palest adventurine beads, since I didn't have round aquamarines), plus more freshwater cultured pearls to go around the neck.

I did that work (and the post) Friday night and Saturday morning, before I put the hardware on it, I decided I wasn't happy with how it looked - just seemed off balance. So I re-strung it like so:

...and I was much happier with it, so I put on the clasps.

(This post brought to you via the magic of technology which allowed me to compose and post date so my blog wouldn't be completely dark during my conference week.)

Mostly a Photography Day

Did photography most of the day and got nine new listings up at Etsy. I've set up a fall themed background for my beaded badge lanyards. Of course this means I'll have to de-list them and re-do the pictures in a different theme come December. Probably not limit myself to a Christmas theme except for Christmas items. I'll go with something snowy I think.

Before I started photographing I worked for a little while on the vintage style necklace, a piece of which I posted about last night. Here's my progress - will need to do some tweeking to make it lie nicer, but I'm nearly there.

When I'd grown too tired of taking pictures, I decided to work on a new strung necklace to give my hands a break from the pliers, and also because the design idea I got was more suited for a badge lanyard.

I used prehnite and amethyst beads with antique gold vermeil spacers in this one. I'd also recently received a couple packages of bead caps that fit down over the front and back edges of rectangular or larger flat oval beads and I'm using them for the larger prehnite rectangles at the clasp end of the badge lanyard necklace. I think they give the piece a very lush look.