Beaded, Big and Black

I created these three black necklaces upon a request for "beaded, big and black" necklaces. Notice the increase in the size of the pendants -- the first image shows my idea of 'big' (approx. 60x40mm center part and the fringe adds about 100mm of length), but that was not large enough, and so the last one I created was in size (approx. 130x150mm center part) that is more likely to meet the customer's idea of "the bigger - the better".
I hope my customer likes the larger pendant...It's huge in my eyes, and I had to challenge and stretch my designing abilities beyond my personal taste, which is a good thing...I think...I'm not sure... Maybe the need to "listen to my own voice" while designing is the reason I don't usually do commissioned work. Need to think about it more.

After working continuously on these three black necklaces, I needed a break from black, so I played with wire for a while and created this wire wrapped pendant. I had a few tough, discouraging moments while I constructed the part that holds the large carnelian bead, but the rest was very pleasing to do. I like how the design came out (although I still need more practice!). What do you think?...

New Beaded Beads Necklace

I decided to design something new with sharp triangle beads. At first, I was trying to make a flat design (without much success), but somehow it evolved into these textured, self-supporting beaded beads...

I made one version of the beads with Swarovski crystals and combined them in this bold plum necklace. The other version, is a longer bead embellished with smaller triangles and used as a focal in the blue/pink necklace.

New Necklaces & EBW Challenge

The embroidered medallions in these two necklaces were made to be used as parts of a larger necklace that I intended to create for the February EBW challenge "A Touch of Royalty". Jumping from one project to another, I realized that I would not be able to make all the parts I needed for the necklace in time to submit it to the challenge, so I decided to use the ones I already made in two separate necklaces. Time is the most precious thing.... ;)

Check out the EBW blog to see all 62 (!) entries. I am sure, that like myself, you will find it hard to pick just one to vote for from all the beautiful and original works created for this challenge!

Colorful Club Pendant - BAO Art Inspired Challenge

This necklace was created especially for the Bead Art Original group's December challenge. We had to create a work inspired by famous works of art. I chose Teo Alfonso's Healing Heart abstract painting as my inspiration . This painting became famous and was printed on T-shirts, postcards, bags and other accessories.
I love this painting for its colorfulness and the "texture" created by the brush strokes. It is part of the artist's poker series, and it inspired me to create this colorful cabochons pendant and arrange them in another poker shape - clubs.

Check out the BAO blog and see the beautiful entries created by other members of the BAO team. To vote for your favorite, leave a comment on the blog.

New Pendant "Esmeralda"

Textured, sparkling pendant with gold pearls, drop beads and lots of Swarovski crystals.

BAO September Challenge

Bead Art Originals September challenge was to create something inspired by Bones show and the jewelry worn by the main actress. I don't watch the show, but the ethnic/tribal style necklaces were sure a great source of inspiration to me.

Check out the BAO blog to see all other entries and cast your vote (comment on post).

BAO Color Challenge

The latest Color Challenge for the Bead Art Originals team was copper, deep red and gold. Thank you, Katie of Texas U.S for your suggestion! I love this warm combination of colors! Check out the BAO blog and see what other members of the group created for this challenge.

Multi Layered Necklace

I love it when it happens to me, that while working on one design, (as simple as it may be, like in this case, this necklace from the lazy week ago), an idea for a completely different design pops up and then I feel back on track again. The feeling of bursting creativity and being busy with good stuff is so great! :)

So I was enthusiastically working on the third sample of a new bracelet (I'm going to write a tutorial for it and I needed to test various ways of creating the bracelet, otherwise I wouldn't have made 3 of the same in a row... it's boring me...), when I suddenly realized that I completely forgot about the three deadlines of challenges I wanted to create items for!.

I didn't want to stop working on the tutorial (you know the feeling when you are in a "shvoong"?), so I decided to create another sample (the forth!) of the new design for the closest deadline (Aug. 30), in copper, black and dark green - the colors of BAO team Color Inspiration challenge (you can suggest your own colors to the team by posting on the 'color suggestion thread' on the BAO Facebook page). I'm glad I can check this entry 'done!', and the tutorial is almost finished as well. Now I only hope that soon my photographer will not be too tired from his day work to be able to take pics of the bracelet before the dead line... The poor man is working all day outside in this horrible heat+humidity, and I'd hate to nag him about this...(my photographer, if you are reading this...pretty please?... ;))

The other two entries are for the EBW "Bollywood" challenge and the BAO "Bones" themed challenge. I already have ideas for these themes, which fit two of the styles I love to work the most. I just hope I'll be able to finish everything on time... One week you spend doing almost nothing, and the next one is working on the fast lane.. ;)

Happy Beading, everyone!

EBW Challenge - Secret Garden

Voting on the Etsy BeadWeavers July Challenge, themed Secret Garden, has begun and will last until July 15th. Please visit the EBW blog to view all 24 beautiful entries and vote for your favorite.

My entry, number 3 on the poll, is the necklace shown in my previous post. My inspiration for this necklace came from the mysterious gardens of Pandora, as seen in the movie Avatar, and from the beautiful, unusual shapes and colors of the plants in this garden.

Bermuda Blue Bling

I am in love with this Swarovski color Bermuda Blue! Cobalt blue, sapphire blue, a hint of emerald green, blue zircon and gorgeous purple - all these beautiful colors are iridescently dancing in the light, mesmerizing... Outrageously beautiful! ;D

I created the pendant first and working on it went fluently and quite quick. But then I got stuck on the necklace design. After a few experiments (read: irritating construction failure designs; over 10 hours of work and half a spool of fireline wasted), I decided that 'simple', like in many other cases, will work the best for me... ;) So, embellished RAW necklace it is, made with just seed beads.

Anna Karenina Necklace - BAO Challenge

Bead Art Originals first ever Challenge was "A Novel Idea" - we had to create a work inspired by a written work or fiction. I chose Anna Karenina by Tolstoy and created this necklace for the challenge. I was inspired by a painting of Anna Karenina, wearing a heavy dress with high ruffled collar, which was very fashionable back at that time. I used plum purple beads and burgundy crystals and highlighted the necklace with gorgeous 3-cut rose gold seed beads. These 3-cut s/b really sparkle!

Please visit the BAO blog to see all other entries for our first challenge. You can leave a comment and place your vote until June 22. A random reader will be selected to win a prize.

You may also want to check out what some of BAO members created for the Color Inspiration - a color combination suggested by our blog readers - this time it was turquoise and brown.

The past week was crazy. Except these two BAO challenges, I also had to finish writing instructions for a necklace for B&B magazine, and another project for Beadwork magazine is still in the works. All these and the regular "challenges" of life, which makes me a crazy juggler... ;) The kids' vacation from school is only a few days away and I have to find a good way to keep them busy.. If they'll choose for themselves, spending long days on the computer and watching TV will be their favorite to pass the time, and I can't let it happen... Maybe we will do some beading together, or go biking again...we didn't do it for a long time. OK, now back to work!... ;)

Bead Dreams 2010 Competition

After more than two weeks of waiting, which seemed like forever to me, yesterday evening I finally got a notification from Bead & Button about my first try in entering the Bead Dreams competition. I am disappointed, because my entries were not accepted... *double sigh*...
Congratulations to everyone who did make it to the finals! I can't wait to see all the pieces and I am sure each and everyone is a stunner! :)

I submitted two entries: The first is "Jerusalem" - a beadwoven necklace, made with seed beads and Swarovski crystals, and the other one is "Growing from Within" - a wire-wrapped necklace with Swarovski crystals.

 Jerusalem, Beadwoven Necklace

Growing from Within, Wire- wrapped Necklace

I didn't have too many high hopes as for the wire wrapped necklace (I have started working in wire wrapping only recently, but I thought I should give it a try), but I did hope that my beadwoven necklace would enter the finals.

I had the whole night to think about this experience. I realize that although I spent long weeks in designing and working on these two pieces (especially on 'Jerusalem') just to find out that they didn't make it to the finals - I don't regret trying to enter. I have learned a few important things about how to approach and plan a work for this kind of challenge and I have tested again my ability to work under time pressure (the wire wrapped necklace idea was born less than a week before the deadline). But good as this experience may be, it doesn't take out the sadness about not being accepted.

I remembered that Louise Hill, who is a creative, honorable, award winning bead artist and also a friend wrote about this rejection on her blog about a year ago. I read it again and it helped putting things in proportions... I remember Louise's words that she once wrote to me (reffering art in general) - don't let the rejection define who you are and what you do. Well, I am trying hard not to let this rejection influence me, my motivation and my creativity (I am almost done designing the last variation of a new beaded cabochon I have been working on in the past few days, so I am not letting this stop me now). I am not going to let this rejection change the way I feel about beadwork. I will keep creating what I love, whether in beadweaving or in other medium, and I will always try to do the best I can to be able to call my works "mine".

And I even think I would still like to try again next year. But in the meantime, as I said, I have a few projects in the works to finish (to be followed by tutorials). It's always been easier for me to "digest" unpleasant information or to think about problems while I'm beadweaving... and the Bead Dreams rejection is not an exceptional... ;)

Oh, and I want to say a big Thank You to each and everyone of you who took the time to answer the poll about tutorials here on my blog! About 70% of you said they'd prefer to have illustrations and that is exactly what you are going to get... a lot of them! ;) Thanks again!

Heavy Metal Cuff

This is a new cuff bracelet, woven with textured, shiny corner-less brass beads I bought a while ago from TheJadeDog Beads (thanks Darcy, they're gorgeous!) and using another one of Claspgarten beautiful clasps (check Claspgarten main page and see an absolutely gorgeous bracelet, created by Diane Fitzgerald, using on of their clasps).

If I were to wear any jewelry, this cuff bracelet would probably have been my favorite. I love the simplicity of it!

Warm Winter Bloom Necklace

This is my entry (#17 on the list) for the Etsy Beadweavers challenge "Beauty of the Flower". Please visit the EBW blog between the 9th and 15th, pick your favorite entry and vote for it.

"First Lady of Style" Challenge

First Lady of Style was the theme for the EBW August challenge. There are 30 entries this month - a gorgeous, varied collection of styles. My entry is # 22 on the list.

This month only, the voting poll have been moved over to HERE and voting will last until the 17th.

This is what I came up with for this challenge. I was inspired by the style of the Sex and the City main character, Carrie Bradshaw. Multi-chain necklaces and pearls are commonly used to complement Carrie's sophisticated look, and many of them became hot trends.

New Ethnic Style Necklace

This is the last necklace I finished - combining beadweaving and embroidery work. I enjoyed every minute of the work because I love ethnic style (and beading, of course :) and feel comfortable designing in it, and I really like how it turned out.