Fall 2015 Sets

Now that we're through Halloween, I'm re-focused on getting jewelry done for Holiday Shows and my Porkies weaving.  This set is headed off to the Lansing Art Gallery this week. I'm really pleased with the necklace which I blogged about a little while back.

Cluster Earrings $75.00

Cluster Earrings $75.00

Fall/Winter 2015 Jewelry Set

I had a hard time deciding on colors, I started bouncing around a lot, which kept this set interesting.

Leaf Bracelet $85.00

Bangle with netting detail and earrings

Flat Loop Earrings $45

You've seen the netting detail in my large art-cuffs, but this is the first it's been integrated in a simpler bangle style.  The glass pearl accent sets this design off for me.

Bangle with Netting Detail $80

I was initially going to do some detailing in the loop of the earrings, but it was getting too tight and I started breaking beads.  I will do one in the future with bigger loops and try again.

Wreath Bracelet $70

I'm not sure how I feel about the above bracelet yet...I wanted to mix in various sized beads, and I love how it lays flat.  But it seems a bit wonky on the wrist. I'm referring to it as the wreath bracelet since it circles out.  It's soft so it still moves like fabric and is comfortable to wear.

Two Drop Peyote Stitch Variation

I was teaching two-drop peyote stitch at Interlochen at the beginning of this month.  When I get the class going on the stitch, I start talking about the various ways this stitch can be used.  I feel like every time I get going talking about this stitch, it gets my creative juices going as to how I should be using this stitch.

One of the ideas that I have always talked about is integrating bugle beads in with this stitch.  I finally decided to do so.  

The check-patterning is actually inspired by one of my students from this class.  Once she got the stitch down, she got right into playing with alternating beads.

Bugle Two-Drop Bracelet $55.00

Finishing this bracelet was a little new for me.  Due to the wide spacing of the bugle beads, I couldn't stitch in loops as I normally would. I found this gunmetal slide clasp in my supplies and figured out how to attach it.  I'm really hapy with how this turned out.

Fall 2015 Layered Necklace

I feel like I've been working on this necklace for forever. I tried a few different add-ons to it, but it's so busy with color already that I needed to keep it simple.  The original necklace of this kind of design I had accent beads in, but I like being able to do wrap this one differently.

I really like this style, you can tie it after slipping it on:

Or do kind-of a braid with it too, it tends to wrap around itself while wearing it.

This necklace is $200.00.  I plan on bringing it to the Lansing Art Gallery for their upcoming Holiday Market (unless it sells before then, you can always contact me if interested).

Fall Form Bracelet

Fall Form Bracelet $120.00

I'm really happy with the finished product of this bracelet.  Outside of just playing with upcoming Fall colors, I decided to go with a form that I've been considering for quite a while.  I originally started thinking about it when I made these yellow tiered pod earrings.  As I stitched pods together, I thought about how they would drape around other forms.

I've worn this piece around a number of times already and I'm really happy about how it maintains its shape around my wrist.  I initially thought about going with a lobster clasp for the bracelet, which is my go-to clasp.  However, it was important to me that this shape maintain all the way around.  I was pleasantly surprised at how easy stitching the snap into this was, and how seamless it appears when being worn.

Snap detail

I always leave all my threads on until the pieces is together.

Shaping up.

"Vintage" snaps (36 for 29 cents!)

Fall Colors Bangle Spin-Off

Bangle 1/2 inch wide $75.00

Earrings 1,5 inches long $40.00

When I was working on my first Fall 2015 bangle and earrings, I noticed a colorway at the beginning of one of the earrings that I really loved.  I took note of it and when the first set was done, I started right in on the next bangle.

Bangles $75.00 each

Playing with colors, without drafting a pattern  can help me relax into my work and figure out what I want to make with these particular colors.  I'm happy to be able to create again and slowly get back into my beadweaving and also my handweaving.

This is the beginning of one of the earrings in the first set that led me to the second set.

I've also been thinking I could do a square pendant, much like THIS ONE that I made for Liisa back in 2013.  Or I could do it without the edging like this Peach/White one.

Bangle Bracelet with all the Fall Colors

In this summer heat we have been having, I am dreaming of fall and winter.  So naturally I start looking at the fashion forecast for fall and holiday colors.  I then pour through my beads and make a collection of them to work off of for the upcoming season.

Bangle Bracelet 1/2 inch wide

$75.00

Earrings 2.25 inches long

$50.00

 I started with the navy and pink from the netting bracelet and earrings that I just made.  I have started making leaves from the various sized seed beads that I have, but I really missed making my beaded bangles.  So last Monday night I pulled color rages from my collection of delicas, poured them into my largest palette and decided to just use all the colors. I wasn't in the mood to graph something out, so I started with small stripes and alternated them.

I know when I decided to move into the alternating, I was thinking of my friend Kathy's beautiful double-weavings that she has been working on.  I was hoping to have a bit of that weaverly feeling in this bangle, which I think was successful.  I'm considering doing this same bangle with a few less colors, wider.

It has also gotten me thinking about what colors to use and some future bangles to graph out.  I may even visit some old patterns with these fresh colors.

And of course it always feels good when you get a magazine in the mail and the colors on the front cover about-match what I'm working on!  Thanks Pottery Barn!

Netting Bracelet and Earrings to match a polka-dot dress

Earrings $30.00

After working for hours on the wedding dress beadwork deadline I needed something simple, basic and colorful to bead. So looking through my closet I picked out a polka-dot dress that I bought during MLH's Conference at my favorite boutique in Holland: Frances Jay.  I'm not usually too big on polka-dots, but this was a cute dress and the cut was different than I usually wear and it actually fit me correctly.  Plus I really like the pop of the bright pink on the dark navy (or black, it's hard to tell in different light).

Bracelet $65.00

I originally thought I might make the bracelet all black/blue with some circles of the pink here and there, but I really preferred the pick as a smaller accent.  So the circles in the "netting" stitch alternate navy cut 15/0s and black 15/0s. I usually make this bracelet four circle wide, this time I figured I'd see how three wide felt.

(The dress inspiration)

The bracelet and earrings match and were fun to get into some new colors. This is a little sampling of the colors I'll be using for fall this year.