New Set of Jewelry and a WIP (and some other things...)

In the last couple of weeks I have been having some issues with my eye sight. I don't see very clearly and there were times that no matter how hard I tried to focus, everything looked blurry. So I thought I should go see a doctor and check if new glasses are called for. The doctor took some tests and she found out that besides the new glasses I do need, there's a start of cataract (at my age?! I though that only elderly people have that, and I'm not even 47 y/o yet!) and there's also a small scar on my right eye retina that needs to be further checked... Of course I set up an appointment with a specialist in the hospital, but what a nightmare! - the earliest available appointment in for next month! Now I get a whole month waiting and thinking whatever this scar is, would I be able to work and bead like before?! :( But I really try to chase away the horrible thoughts and stay positive...I keep reminding myself that it could be a minor thing after all, and except for the new glasses, maybe I won't have to do anything, just live with it... I just hope that time would fly faster this month!....

Okay...on a happier note - this is my newest finished project - a jewelry set of a necklace, earrings and a bracelet, made with seed beads (of course ;), fire polished beads and with Swarovski crystal bicones and drops. A tutorial is available, both for Personal and Personal & Commercial use.

And below is my current work in progress - I'm making a necklace with an embroidered pendant with a Lisa Peters Art beautiful cabochon as the focal. Inspired by the gorgeous artwork of Bead Quilling Queen, Kathy King, I combined a little bead quilling for the first time in this work (it's a fun technique!). I hope I will be able to finish the necklace on time for the next Bead Art Originals color challenge. I still haven't decided on which kind of a necklace to attach the pendant to. BTW, Lisa Peters is attending the Bead&Button show (booth #1213) and she's offering some great deals at the show and in her Etsy shop. You can read all about it here.

Today is Shavuot holiday, the Jewish holiday I like most, especially because we eat many kinds of cheese and other yummy dairy food. I spent a great time yesterday afternoon preparing a nice holiday eve dinner, and I even got some help from my boy, who made us tasty pasta with cheese and vegetable sauce. The cold cheese cake is the only thing that is left from what I made, but I promise you it won't stay in the fridge for a lot longer... ;)

Happy Shavuot Holiday! !חג שמח

New Tutorial - Mystic Stars Bracelet

This new bracelet is designed to be created in one continuous stitch. I love jewelry that consist of a few repetitive elements, but I don't like so much that part of work of sewing them to one piece, and hiding too many threads is always a pain... ;) A tutorial for this bracelet is available and also includes instructions for a matching clasp and a few other ideas of using the basic design for other jewelry items.

I have also created another variation of this bracelet with much more crystals in it, but I'm waiting for the sun to come out so I will be able to take photos of it. I will update this blog when I have them, hopefully soon... and 

*** HAPPY and CREATIVE 2011 to ALL! ***

Dangling Drop Earrings in Perlen Poesie Magazine

These drop earrings are published as a project in the latest issue of Perlen Poesie German magazine. They are quite simple, easy and fast to make, so they can make a great project for beginners.

I haven't received my contributor's copy of the latest Perlen Poesei magazine (No. 5) , but I think it's on the market already... I am curious to see this European version of bead magazine and also to see the editor's take on my design. Hope it gets here sooner or later...

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!... ;)

Here Comes the Bride - EBW July Challenge

I created this bridal set of jewels especially for the EBW July challenge - Here Comes the Bride. Please visit the EBW blog from the 9th until the 15th, view all 39 entries and vote for your favorite. I assure you it's worth the click...all entries are gorgeous and it's interesting to see each member's take on the theme. My entry is # 27 on the list.

This photo was taken by my dear son, who wanted to try catching the many sparkles 
of the crystals in this necklace. He did quite a good job at it, didn't he?

It seems that waiting patiently for my beadweaving muse was worth it in many ways.. After a month or so of general depression and no inspiration for beading, ideas suddenly came up in my mind one after the other... It really felt great beadweaving again, like meeting a good old friend after a long time and having so many things to say to each other...

During the waiting time, except for reorganizing my working area and bead boxes; teaching my kids a few lessons in cooking and "re-discovering" the little garden-in-boxes I have in my balcony, I also spent some time doing some...sport activities. :0) I can't even believe myself...I am so not a sports person...I usually get tiered just by thinking of it... :D Ardjan though it would be a great way to chase the depression away and I think he was right. It did help a bit.
He and I took a long ride on the bike in Tel Aviv port area one day. Thank God riding the bike is not something you forget how to do.. Ardjan, the crazy super-fast rider, had to ride slowly in order to stay in my pace... I felt like a sweat soaked sponge after finishing the 10km+ track and I then thanked God again, this time for keeping me alive during the ride...;)
We also took long walks in the evenings, when the heat was bearable, after which we exercised in the gym area we have in the park near home. And I also did some stretch exercises that my (beading) body really needed...It felt great doing all this stuff.., except for the muscles pains that came afterward...;)
Well, maybe it was too much activity for a start, but I really hope that laziness will not take over me again and I will make at least some of those activities as part of my routine.. so far so good.. :)

Now back to the beading table to finish the new bracelet I'm working on...

Bollywood Glamour - EBW May Challenge "Red Carpet"

Etsy beadweavers' May challenge theme was "Hollywood Red Carpet".
Please visit the EBW blog to see all 21 Red Carpet entries, pick your favorite and vote for it.
Voting starts today and lasts until the 15th, so don't miss it... My entry, called "Bollywood Glamour" is #8 on the list.

While rolling a few possible ideasfor my entry, the name (nickname) Bollywood - India's equivalent of Hollywood- popped in my head. I've never seen a Bollywood movie, but I've seen a TV documentary show about India's culture and I was amazed by the rich, sometimes overloaded, designs of their traditional jewelry and clothes. As I keep being drawn to ethnic designs, I thought I'd try creating something in this style, but wanted to create a relatively delicate design, with just a few hints of India. So I made these up-side-down drop shaped links with picots and attached a Mandala pendant in the center.
I intended to use gold seed beads, but then realized that I didn't have enough of them to complete the necklace and matching earrings, so chose silver to go with the fuchsia. Silver actually goes very nice with the fuchsia-satin Swarovskis I used, as they have a silvery sparkle.

I am going to create another India-inspired set of a necklace, bracelet and earrings in rich colors, for which I already have the design sketched, but I have to wait until I receive my order of gorgeous orange Toho seed beads in a few days. Can't wait... I am excited about this new journey to India.. :)

EBW April Challenge - Time Machine

***Thanks so much to everyone who voted for my entry!, which came in second place***

Etsy BeadWeavers' Challenge theme for April was "Time Machine". This theme was brought to us by Mariya of BeadCatcher, who won the January/February Challenge
Here's what Mariya had to say about this theme:
"I guess everybody once in a while has had that thought "What if?" Yes, what if you were given a once in a life time chance to travel through time and space; to travel into past or future; to travel into a real or imagined world? Where would you go? What would you see there? Just think about it. Take the trip and share it with us in the form of beading art with its unlimited possibilities!".

Voting on this challenge is open and will last until the 15th. Please visit EBW blog, pick up your favorite and vote for it. My entry is #9 on the list.

Excited about this inspirational, imaginative theme, I decided to use the time machine for traveling in the future. The beautiful women I met on my journey had smooth brilliant hair and they were wearing bright silver elegant outfits. This is the necklace, earrings & bracelet I designed for those women I met on my journey to the future… :)

Good News and New Necklace & Earrings

I've received good news from Bead&Button magazine, that they are going to publish one of my necklaces in the October-November issue! Yey! :)

I don't bead much lately, mainly because my muse is probably being "mean" to me... I try to start a new work, one of many that I had an idea for, but then I get stuck with picking the right colors and/or the size of beads, or the idea is just not working and I have to unpick the work time after time. So I end up frustrated.
I hate it when it happens, but I decided not to fight this too much - I just sketch the ideas in my notebook and leave them for a later time, when my muse will "play" nicely with me... :)
I anyhow don't have a lot of time for beading, as Passover Holiday is coming soon and there's a lot of preparations to do.
I also volunteered to coordinate the BAO Welcomes Spring Sale & Giveaways, coming soon. You better keep an eye on the Bead Art Originals group , because there are going to be some gorgeous items to give away!

Tropical Nights Necklace and Earrings - EBW Challenge

It's time to vote for your favorite entry in the Etsy BeadWeavers monthly challenge again!
Triz, who won the November challenge, have chosen the Jan-Feb challenge theme - "Tropical Holiday". It was a great theme and I think it's the first time that there are so many entries - 47 wonderful creations!.
Please visit the EBW blog, pick your favorite and vote for it. Your comment is also appreciated. Voting lasts until the 15th , so don't postpone your voting!

My entry, #26, is the Tropical Nights necklace.
I used gorgeous, sparkling Czech vintage crystal stones I bought a while ago and I thought they would be perfect for this project, as they sparkle in iridescent shades of tropical green, fuchsia and yellow. I also used 24k gold plated Delicas, Swarovski crystal bicone beads and vibrant fuchsia Swarovski chatons.
I had to unpick the necklace a few times before I found the best connecting points of the components to allow the necklace to sit nicely around the neckline. I almost gave up after the forth time… :/ I hate that part of beadweaving, which I guess many, if not all beaders do… But, I was able to finish it on time, and I like the way it came out so much that I even created a pair of beadwoven earrings (I'm beginning to like creating those.. :)) with the beautiful fuchsia chatons.

Photographing this necklace was a challenge in itself.. and these are the best photos I could post. The necklace is much more sparkling and colorful in person. I am lucky to have a very patient photographer… Thanks, Ardjan! :)

Round Tiger-Eye Cabs Necklace and Earrings

Tiger-Eye Cabs and 3D Links Necklace

Front and Back of The Earrings