Art Bead Scene February Design Challenge

The February design challenge issued by the team at Art Bead Scene is based on this artwork

The Two Crowns by Sir Frank Dicksee, 1900, Oil On Canvas

There is so much rich content in the painting I struggled for a while deciding on how to focus my energies. I finally decided to continue on a theme developed for the Honey Do List challenge for January

I made a pair of earrings that coordinates with each of the lampwork glass discs in the necklace shown in that post. All 3 earrings use the same vintage montee beads, waxed linen colours and glass peanut beads as in the necklace. The jump rings and ear wires are different for each set, with sterling silver in the light blue pair, antiqued brass in the middle pair and antiqued bronze in the 3^rd pair

Jay Way Earrings, Palest Blue

The colour choice for these earrings comes from the pale blue in the dress of the lady with the flower crown

Jay Way Earrings, Deepest Blue

The blue for this set comes from the gown of the lady with the red hat who is standing by the king, and from the flag on the staff on the opposite side of the horse

Jay Way Earrings, Muted Blue

This final pair pull their blue colour from the outfit of the lady on the balcony as well as the swag of leaves across the railing

And, in case you don’t make it to my other post, here’s the matching necklace

Jay Way Necklace

All items have been added to my online store. Please stop by the reveal to see what she and everyone else has made

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day

Honey Do List January Design Challenge

Last year, Sarajo Wentling’s husband Eric decided to issue a design challenge each month to her. As she says it was “to get me out of my comfort zone and to help clear out my bead stash’. It was so enjoyable they decided on continuing the Honey Do List for 2017!  Sarajo invited everyone to play and has hopes they will continue to play along!

I checked out the blog regularly last year but did not participate. A week ago I decided I would give it a try this year. So starting from the beginning this is my post for the January design challenge

Inspiration is from this photo Eric took and photoshoped:

Photo courtesy of Eric Wentling, SJ Designs

I drew my inspiration from the multiple blues and whites in the blue jay and created this necklace

Jay Way Necklace

The 3 discs are lampwork glass wavy discs created by Sue Kennedy. All are slightly translucent making them glow when held up to the light. The 2 colours of waxed linen are strung with glass peanut beads and square glass spikes in complementary colours

At both the top and bottom of the discs some flat vintage montee beads with silver and copper bezels help bring out the disc colours. Silver plated bead spacers give extra definition to the discs,  while an antiqued brass cone corrals waxed linen strings with more peanut beads and cones dangling from them add swing.  Antiqued jump rings and lobster clasp finish the necklace.

Jay Way Necklace, Reverse Side

The necklace has been added to my online store. Please stop by Sarajo’s blog to see what she and everyone else has made

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day

Design Wings Stretch

For the longest time my blog posts were all about jewellery though with an occasional side post, usually about my messy bench or studio. I thought I‘d show you something a little different today

I bought this mirror about 5 years ago for a spot near the basement stairs. It was hung over a bookcase and though the mirror looked fine, it was a little high and didn’t really reflect the stairwell light very well, the whole reason I got it in the first place.

 I was originally drawn to this mirror because of the pretty ironwork design. It was always hard to see though because the colour was such a flat solid colour black. It looked like this before

The mirror was always very heavy and once I got it up on the wall it stayed there, until one day last summer when it didn’t. The mounting hardware gave out under the weight and the mirror fell behind the bookcase. Luckily it went straight down without hitting the bookcase itself. And that’s where it stayed until 3 weeks ago until I finally reached my limit on the dark beige walls and decided they needed painting. That meant lots of furniture moving, including that heavy bookcase. And there sitting behind it was the mirror, not in one piece but not permanently damaged

The mirror separated into 3 pieces and all the brackets holding everything in place had bent back, allowing the 2 pieces to slip out. It also helped explain why the mirror was so heavy

The backer board that had looked very light was actually solid hardboard. I decided to do without it. Between the clips and hot glue along the edges the mirror was secured to the frame. Next I proceeded to make it pretty with Gilder’s Paste, first German Gold then Silver on top. All that pretty detail stands out now

It will get a new home in the front hall in the next few days, once good strong mounting hardware is in place that is

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day

We’re All Ears February Challenge

So, my computer decided it would start to misbehave Saturday morning, which means I was not able to post until I was back at work today

The inspiration for this month’s We’re All Ears Challenge is patchwork design. Erin, who sets up the Earrings Everyday monthly inspirations fell hard for all kinds of fabric patterns and colours in different designs

My selection for design inspiration is this one:

Pam Beal

Going through my stash I found polymer clay sticks by Sue Lin Tarnowski that I thought were a terrific interpretation of patchwork

The first pair are a mod black and white pattern. To them I added black Onyx rectangles, silver plated spacer beads, waxed linen and sterling silver ear wires and jump rings

Medley Earrings

The second pair of polymer sticks have the same mod pattern, in red and black this time. Staying with the same theme, I went with black Onyx faceted round beads, used different silver plated bead spacers and sterling silver ear wires again. Everything is tied together with sterling silver wires finished with messy wraps

Bricolage Earrings

Please visit the blog reveal to see what everyone else made

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Valentine Sale

Now until February 15 get a 15% discount on all items in my shop. Use the coupon code BEMYVALENTINE

Field Colours

Enjoy the sale!

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day

Changing Up a Design

Way back in February of last year the Art Bead Scene Challenge was this cover art from Vogue, January 1925 edition

Simultaneous Dress next to the Simultaneous Car by Sonia Delaunay, Illustrated by George Lepape

I designed this necklace for that challenge but was never totally happy with the bail

Simultaneous Flower

I received many suggestions from everyone who joined the blog hop. After several months of thinking over all the suggestions, and the necklace getting put aside for a while, the solution popped up on my bench – some seed beads in the perfect colours that I was using in another design!

Simultaneous Flower

I strung the seed beads onto very thin wire so that they would form rows of colours on the bail. The 2 ends of the wire were wrapped tightly around the existing bail and it was done. 

The necklace is now available in my shop

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day