Ziggy cuff

My latest contemporary geometric beadwork project is this bracelet, designed by Heather Collin.  I love that Heather uses two different sizes of rick rack in this bracelet.

When I work from a tutorial, I almost never use the same color pattern.  I couldn't imagine this bracelet in any other color scheme, though.  Luckily, Heather was kind enough to list her colors in her tutorial.

And the best part about the bracelet?  It's reversible!

Because it is double sided, the bracelet takes a bit longer to bead.  The end result is totally worth it, though.

As always, Heather's tutorial is easy to follow.  You can find it here and you can see more of Heather's patterns in her shop, here.

And even more chain maille

I'm going to have to think of a better post title for here on out.  "Even more more chain maille" doesn't have a good ring to it.

The items I have to show you today are all tutorials from Brilliant Twisted Skulls on etsy.

First, I have the Raven's Braid.  The rings I had for the middle were the correct size according to the tutorial, but were slightly too thick.  I had to go one gauge smaller to make it work.  

I love how it turned out!  It just goes to show that, for some weaves, different vendors and different metal types make a difference.  

This is the only piece that I patinaed.  The others are waiting for me to get a few more pieces together.

Next up is the wyvern back weave.

I had done something similar, but I love the doubled persian rings on the edges.  This one used smaller rings and is light and delicate.  I might have to sit down and see if I could do it in a heavier gauge and bigger rings.

Finally, I have a few atomic beads.  These little guys are adorable, but a pain in the you-know-what.  I must have put the bead down a number of times before "getting it".

The beads start out with a mobius, then, somewhere, there is chain maille magic that I can't even begin to explain.  I have no idea how Kirk came up with it, much less explained it.

You can tell these little guys have been sitting around for a while.  The copper has dulled.  I really need to get them cleaned up, dunked in liver of sulphur and tumbled.

Brilliant Twisted Skulls has quite a few tutorials in the store.  If you like these, check it out.

More Chain Maille

I was proud of myself for making the following kitsune bracelets by Amy Leggett.

It's one of the only weaves that I didn't have a tutorial for.  I had to do a bit of "trial and error."

I really like the weave.  It's fluid and feels nice to wear.

I ended up doing a test model in brass, brown and teal annodized aluminum.

Next, was a bronze and stainless steel version.

 Finally, an aluminum with purple and violet annodized aluminum.

Ever since I've made them, I'be been trying to think of a way to make a sheet.  I'm not sure it would work, but it might be really cute if you joined two kitsune bracelets with a european 4 in 1 middle.

A very chain maille birthday

It seems my birthday was all about chain maille.

My parents gave me a very nice wubbers flat nose pliers which came in handy when my husband surprised me with a kit for Blue Buddha's Chunky Cuff bracelet, designed by W. John MacMullen.

When I first saw this bracelet, I wasn't sure about it, but after seeing it in person, I just *love* it.  John used a layering technique I hadn't seen before and the result is fantastic.  I have plenty of ideas using this technique.

I had a few leftover rings and made a simple pair of earrings.

In addition to the sunburst kit, my in-laws gave me the Nouveau pendant and earrings kit, designed by April Hannah Llewellyn.

I just love the colors -- so bright and fun!  The earrings are awesome to wear.  

I haven't worn the pendant yet because I haven't decided exactly how to build a necklace around it.  The kit came with a chain, but I want to make something special, so stay tuned!

More Intricate Chain Maille

I think this is quickly becoming my favorite weave.

The colors are taken from Blue Buddha's Spring kit for "Large Coiled Butterfly" (a building block for Intricate Chain Maille).

I think it will work for summer also.  :)

Jens Pind Linkage

As you know, I've been mailing as much as I've been beading.

The other day, I decided to try my hand at a somewhat difficult weave -- jens pind linkage.  From what I can tell, this weave can scare even the most experienced chain mailers.

I started out with Sue Ripsch's pattern from her book, Classic Chain Mail Jewelry With a Twist.  I was surprised that I was able to start the weave without any trouble.  Keeping it going, however, proved to be harder.

Jens Pind is a spiral weave and each new ring matches the orientation of the 3rd ring back.  While this sounds straight forward, it's hard to see the emerging pattern (especially when using all copper rings).  I took out more than a few rings in learning this weave.

I finally turned back to ZiLi's tutorial (ZiLi is a chain maille genius and a regular on the chain maille facebook group I've joined) and something clicked.

I am really taken with this weave.  It's both delicate and hefty.  The spiral pattern is amazing.

I only had enough of the proper size rings to make a bracelet.  I paired my chain with a focal from Staci Louise Originals.  Staci's bead looks amazing with the copper.

The intimidating jens pind may now by my favorite weave.

I'm excited to try JPL 5, which is the same weave, but using 5 rings instead of 3.  (I think I need to order more rings.)  :)

As I menI've already ordered more rings.  I can't wait for them to get here.

Chain Maille Bracelets

For the past few weeks, I've been beading several special projects.

The first was my new year's necklace.  I couldn't be more thrilled with how it turned out, but it went through more than one reconstruction.

I've also been working on a something for a special February edition of She Made/She Made, hosted by Therese Frank and Christine Altmiller.

I know, you can't stand the wait, can you?  I'll give you a sneak peek.

Check back on February 28 for the reveal.

Finally, I've been working with components made by Sharyl from Sharyl's Jewelry.  Another sneak peek?  Okay, since you asked.

I plan to share my creations using Sharyl's components next week, so stay tuned.

In the mean time, I've managed to complete a few bracelets.

From left to right, they are:

Sleek Cuff - I love how this turned out.  It's a quick pattern (it took me one afternoon to complete) and looks fabulous.

Double Cylon bracelet - This was also a fun bracelet once the final step clicked.  This version is two lengths of cylon weave joined together.  I love how it looks in copper and brass.  

Fire Wyrm - This might be my new favorite weave.  It is a different spin on full Persian and I love how it looks.  This one is in all copper, but I could see adding a bit of color.

Dragonscale - I think I started this bracelet around Thanksgiving.  It's one of those weaves that takes a long time, or at least it seemed to.  I finally made myself finish it and I love how it looks.

Of course, all of these patterns came from Blue Buddha.  (No, I don't work there, even though it seems that I'm plugging their tutorials every week). 

I still have those dragon's eye pendants on my table, so hopefully, I'll have some other finished pieces to share with you soon.

Time to Stitch 4

It's time for another Time to Stitch challenge with Therese Frank and Christine Altmiller.

This time around, our main stitch was netting and we had a choice of three other stitches:  spiral, chevron and chenille.

This was a hard challenge for me.  I rarely use netting and I wasn't sure where to start.

I tried to bezel a rivoli with netting.  Unfortunately, I started with 46 beads, which put me at 23 beads around the outside.  An odd number of beads doesn't always work.  I ended up looping the beads a second time to come out even.

So, the netting didn't work out as I had intended.  It still looks nice, though.

I thought about making a netted base for my pendant, but remembered this tutorial by Nancy Dale.  Nancy's Trellis Necklace was one of our Beading Babes projects a few years ago.  I have wanted to make another for some time and this was a perfect opportunity.

Nancy's design starts with a right angle weave base, then adds a netted overlay.  The result is a gorgeous rope.  It take a bit longer to bead, but it's so luxurious that it's more than worth the time.

If you haven't looked at Nancy's tutorial, run to her shop.  She offers many other gorgeous tutorials in addition to the Trellis Necklace.

I love how it turned out.  I wouldn't normally gravitate to blue and purple, but it works so well.

I wanted to try another stitch as well, and found a design by Yvanne Ham that used 4mm beads in a chevron chain.  Yvanne's "Chevron Chain with Flowers" was published in the April 2007 issue of Bead and Button.

Looking at the bracelet, I would never have guessed chevron stitch, but it is and it makes a wonderful pattern.

Finally, I decided to take a stab at a netted pendant again.  This time, I took inspiration from Sonoku Nozue.  Sonoku's book, Japanese Beadwork, is fabulous.  I used her "Snow Crystal" brooch as a basis for this pendant.

There are three layers of netting in the pendant and it looks fabulous.

I finished the necklace with a cellini spiral and ribbon.

Therese and Christine, thank you for another lovely challenge.

It's so easy to fall into a "beading rut."  I need constant reminders that other stitches exist.  :)

Please take some time to visit the other participants.  I know you will see some beautiful creations.

Hosted by Therese Frank and Christine Altmiller

Amy Severino

Janet Bocciardi

Cynthia Machata

Alicia Marinache

Paula Kramer

Kim Hora

Dee Alcalde

Dagi (Kokopelli)

Maryanne Gross

LizE

Sally Russick

Becky Pancake

Jasvanti Patel

Karin Slaton

Alenka

Sarah Sequins

Tanya Goodwin - you are here

Debbie Rasmussen

Shirley Moore

Crystie Willard

Nelly May

Ana Cravidao

Where have I been?

Wow .. it's been a few weeks since I posted.

Not only am I several weeks behind in Sally's focus on life challenge, I'm behind in posting a few of my recent projects.

I wish I had a good excuse, or any excuse at all, but I have nothing.  The days seem much longer with the kiddo in school full time, but they still pass too quickly.

I've productive, though.  For the past few weeks, I've traded in my beading needles for pliers and have been having a blast with chain maille.

I finished another version of  Rebeca Mojica's "Intricate Chain Maille."

I had originally intended to make this a necklace, but it was just too big for my taste.  It is a stellar bracelet.

I finished this one a bit differently than my other versions.  You can see them here and here.

"Intricate Chain Maille" builds around a slightly bigger version of Rebeca's "Coiled Butterfly" pattern.  (You can find "Coiled Butterfly" on Blue Buddha Boutique's website here or in the Fall 2012 issue of Wirework magazine.  To weave the "Intricate Chain Maille" bracelet, you need both patterns.)

"Coiled Butterfly" is beautiful on its own.

It uses smaller rings than "Intricate Chain Maille" and produces a smaller chain.  Since my other necklace became a bracelet, I decided to make this bracelet a necklace.

It drapes beautifully.

I took time to make Kat Wisniewski's "Illuminated Tunnel" bracelet, also from Blue Buddha.

You can barely see the lime green rings peeking out of the copper.

Finally, I made Rebeca Mojica's "On the Edge" bracelet.

This was featured in the Spring 2013 issue of Wirework and is also sold on Blue Buddha's site as "Zeela."

I'm still on a bit of a chain maille kick, but I want to try incorporating it into beadwork, so stay tuned.

Speaking of beadwork, I have a few upcoming challenges and even have a non-challenge necklace to show you later this week.  :)

Wonky Bead Blog Hop

Kristi Bowman creates beautiful clay and metal clay components.  Her style is earthy, fun and unique.  She achieves these awesome textures and shapes in her beads that I could never imagine.

About a month ago, Kristi decided to host a wonky bead blog hop.  She created different shapes and sizes of beads sets and invited her readers to create something amazing with them.

I ordered the red set of beads.

This is Kristi's photo.  I forgot to take a picture of my beads when they arrived because I was so excited to play with them.  My strand is the 3rd from the left (the one with the red disc and the blue cylinder bead).

I knew right away that I wanted to use the black beads in earrings.  I wasn't sure how, though.  After sifting through my beads, I found the perfect match -- a few clay beads from Staci Louise and two head pins from Nancy Schindler.

I thought the green and black needed a lighter color, so I added spacer beads from Genea.

These earrings are not for the faint of heart, but I adore them!  Along with Kristi, the ladies represented are some of my favorite artists.  Check out their shops: Staci's shop, Nancy's shop and Genea's shop.

I wanted to use the other beads in a bracelet.  I paired Kristi's beads with a beaded bead from Malin de Koning and a beaded bead I made from this pattern by Heather Collin.

Malin's beaded beads are perfect in so many ways.  I love how the shape and texture of Malin's bead works with the clay beads.  Take a few minutes to visit Malin's store to see all of her beaded beads and her jewelry.

I know you've heard me talk about Heather's patterns before, but I'll say it again, I love Heather's designs.  You can find more in her shop.

I've been on a chain maille kick lately, thanks to Rebeca Mojica of Blue Buddha Boutique.  To finish my bracelet, I used Rebeca's "On the Edge" bracelet pattern, featured in the Spring 2013 issue of Wirework.  (This pattern is also sold on Blue Buddha's site as "Zeela.")

I added an ammonia patina to the larger rings.  The patina just happened to match both my beaded bead and Kristi's clay bead.

I strung the beads on a bit of leather and knotted between them.  A handmade s clasp rounds out the bracelet.

I really had fun with these beads.  The blue cylinder bead is still sitting on my desk, staring at me, a little sad to be left out.  I'll find a home for him, though.

Kristi, thank you for such a fun blog hop.  If you want to buy some wonky beads of your own, check out Kristi's store.

Please visit Krist's blog to see what the other participants did with their wonky beads.  Or you can check out the links below.

2nd Annual Challenge of Travel

The wonderful Miss Erin is at it again.  Last year's Challenge of Travel was wonderful and we were all able to visit other places from the comfort of our own computers.  (You can see my entry here.)

This year, Erin changed it up on us.  She asked us to vacation at home.  Instead of researching a new city or country, we were to find new and exciting things in our own back yards.

Now, I live in the midwest -- in Kansas.  I have yet to meet someone who likes Kansas enough to vacation there.

I do, however, live in a suburb of Kansas City, which is a much bigger and more interesting town.

Most people think of barbecue when they think of Kansas City.  It's true -- visitors have their choice of amazing barbecue here.  You can sample Gates, Arthur Bryant's, Oklahoma Joe's or Jack Stack and debate with the locals about which is better.

(For the record, my husband prefers Jack Stack while I am an Oklahoma Joe's girl.)

People don't know about the theater in Kansas City.  You can find the Lyric Opera, the Music Hall, the Unicorn Theater, the Starlight Theater, the American Heartland Theater, and the Kansas City Rep (that shows a great version of A Christmas Carol every year).

My favorite, though, is the Quality Hill Playhouse.  Quality Hill is a small theater.  The shows are musicals, generally featuring a wide variety of well known and little known music fitting a specific theme.  The host, J. Kent Barnhart is a wonderful talent in his own right and his one man biographical show is still one of the best I've seen.

Now that we have the kiddo, we have been attending the children's Coterie Theater a bit more.  :)

After the kiddo was born, we took advantage of the kid friendly sites of Kansas city.  We visited the Kansas City Zoo several times a month.

We walked around the Overland Park Arboretum and Powell Gardens.  (Most of the non-jewelry photos on this blog are taken on one of these two places.)

During the winter, we visited Science City in Union Station.

For this challenge, I tried to find a new aspect of Kansas City.

Did you know that Kansas City was the City of Fountains?  I kind of did, but had no idea the scope.  There are fountains all over the city and in many of the surrounding area.  I couldn't visit all of them, but decided to take a walking tour around the Plaza.

When I first moved here, I spent a great deal of time on the Plaza, but I never noticed the architecture or the abundance of fountains.  It was fun to spend time "getting to know" the Plaza a little better.

The first fountain you will see upon entering the Plaza is the JC Nichols Memorial fountain.

It is even more impressive at night.

Here is a close up of one of the horses and his rider.

Neptune is my favorite.

This organ grinder is not a fountain, but I still thought the statue was cute.

After my walking tour, I decided to create something inspired by fountains.

I started with this pendant from Nancy Schindler of Round Rabbit. It looked so much like the scrolling detail on a fountain that I just "had" to use it.

I wanted to create a weathered chain.  Using the Persian Variations instructions from Blue Buddha, I created two chains of a rippled half persian 4-in-1.  Then, I left the the chains in an ammonia patina for a few days.

Perfect!

(If you are interested in chain maille, Blue Buddha is a great place to start.  I loved the Persian Variations instructions and would recommend it.  You do need to know how to do the basic Persian and half Persian weaves, though, before starting these.)

I then created a peyote spiral piece to link the chins together.

I used larger jumprings to join the pieces together and decorated them with stray seed beads.

Here is the finished product.  I really like it, but after completing it, I wondered if the pendant was too much.

Here it is without the pendant.  What do you think?

While the chains were soaking in their ammonia bath, I decided to create a bracelet.  I bounced between a few patterns and then remembered this pattern by Heather Collin.

Heather's "Crossing Over" bracelet was perfect because the strands of beads were moving in and out and over and under, like water in a fountain.

To mirror the stone base of a fountain, I used tan and off white beads for the base of the bracelet.  The blue beads shoot out from the base like water moving up from the fountain.

Heather's designs are a joy to bead and always produce something beautiful.  You can find more of Heather's designs in her etsy shop.

I was really pleased with the final product -- it looks so lush and opulent.

Erin, thank you for another wonderful challenge.  It was fun and I loved trying a few new things.

Please take a few minutes (or hours) to visit Erin's blog and learn about the home towns of the other participants.  You may even get the hankerin' to visit some of them.  :)