Art Jewelry Elements Component of the Month - July 2015

Yet again, where did the month go?!?  This year is just flying by.  Somehow I made a little time for beading this month and got to play along with the Art Jewelry Elements Component of the Month.  I would have been really sad to miss out, as we were all playing with either an English Farthing coin bead or clasp by our newest member, Niky Sayers.

Aren't they cute?  Wren is one of my totem animals, so I was already familiar with this coin, and have a few in my collection.  Originally I had thought to make something incorporating other coins...and then (as it usually does) something happened.  This happened!

I was having some issues originally, conceptualizing a way to not overwhelm Niky's awesome bead.  After pulling out some interesting metal pieces to play with, I ended up with this layout. 

I used purple craft wire to suspend the coin bead in the center of a textured copper hoop, and then brick stitched along the lower half of the hoop to keep the wire from sliding around on the hoop. 

Look, matching purple thread!  I love the haze it creates on the copper.  I created a bail out of a structured warped square, and attached it to the top of the copper hoop - allowing for free movement as it's being worn.  

From the lowest part of the beadwork, I suspended this awesome old key.  Maybe it's a clock key?  I don't know...and I don't know why it needed to go with this coin bead...but it did!

  I usually try to put a couple accent or contrast beads in the front of a necklace.  This time I chose some amethyst and silver foil Czech lampwork beads, and vintage glass insulators.  The exposed foil on the lampwork beads has tarnished black, but I like how it looks anyway.  These little insulators were a lucky find at one of my local bead shops.  I'm not sure what type of electrical device they would have been for originally, but I needed something to bring the steely color of the key into the upper part of the necklace.  And they're still kind of performing their original function, right?  Insulating the lampwork from the surrounding beads.

The rest of the strap alternates between some dark plummy pearls and hazy silver peanuts in 3 bead sections.  I love the texture that peanuts make when they're strung together. 

I finished it off with one of my favorite copper s-hook clasps.  I love the ease of an s-hook, but it's really important to remember to use them on heavier necklaces...this way you'll notice if they become unhooked.  I lost several lighter weight necklaces before I figured this out!

And here he is!  Little 1946 wren.  While my friend Kelly was here this weekend we had a realization that neither of us had a finished piece of beadwork from the other person...so this piece went home with her!  Though, I have to admit, I totally wore it to work all last week...I find it necessary to test drive just about everything I make.  Please tell me I'm not the only person that does?

Well, that's it folks!  Please hop around and check out what all of the other participants created with Niky's lovely beads and clasps!  I'm off to do just that!

Guest bloggers

Rebecca Anderson

Nan Smith

Jess Green

AJE Team

Sue Kennedy

Niky Sayers
Kristen Stevens
Jenny Davies-Reazor
Lindsay Starr
Caroline Dewison
Lesley Watt
Linda Landig
Rebekah Payne

Beading Back in Time - Early Civilization Blog Hop Challenge

Hello fellow Beadzillas!  I must once again reassure you that I exist!  We just moved, and I hope as we settle in and I am able to set up my bead room again, to pick up blogging a bit more frequently.

That aside, it's now time for the 3rd edition of our Beading Back in Time blog hop challenge.  Since the beginning of the year, my beady buddy Sherri over at Knot Just Macrame and I have been hosting challenges for some of our beady friends.  All we ask is that each person challenges their self, within the theme, in whatever way they choose.  It has been just lovely to see all my friends take this idea and run with it, weather they make jewelry or beads, work with needle and thread, or clay and kiln.

And so, in our challenge, we have finally made it up to the period of time we are calling " Early Civilization".  This theme will encompass anytime from 3500BC to 500AD...and yes, that is a LOT of civilization to choose from!  Surely there will be something that inspires everyone!  This era of time includes the following cultures (not in chronological order):

I hope you will join us at the end of the month for the reveal!  Hopefully there will be some inspiration and progress posts before then...fingers crossed!