BEAD SWAP !

 BEAD SWAP.

I have decided to start an International bead swap this week here on my blog and also on Facebook, if you are interested in joining us please leave a comment on this post, here is the link to a little form to fill in and email to me.
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ZPGCC2X. 

You can send any beads including gem stones, glass, crystal, polymer, ceramic, just about anything. But no chipped or broken beads and only things you would be happy to use yourself that really goes without saying and no plastic or acrylic, you can send SS findings or good quality plated if you wish but do chat with your partner and find out what they like, It is nice to be stretched a bit so you may have to think out of your comfort zone. I was once sent a circle of wood for a focal it was probably the most tricky thing I had worked with at the time, not at all my usual style but I did design a necklace using it and I actually enjoyed doing it.

Here are a few pictures of things I have made in other bead swaps.

My wood circle necklace.

Other things I made.

These are just a few of the items I have made from the bead swaps I have enjoyed, I do hope you will join me in making this swap really enjoyable and fun.

~Jackie~

 

OCTOBER ART BEADS SCENE CHALLENGE!

October has come round so fast my birthday last Saturday has come and gone and the year seems to have flown by.!

The challenge picture for this month was a beautiful Egyptian painting see the picture below.

I loved the colours in this painting and as I really enjoy designing Egyptian pendants I knew this would be fun!

I started with a large open winged brass scarab stamping from B'Sue, I bought a few of these some years ago as I love using them, I decided I would paint the wings then glaze them to give an enameled effect but first I made a cartouch shape, cut off the flat piece on the bottom and turned it on its side and cut my Polymer to shape it made a perfect base for the scarab, I had decided on a lapis colour for the polymer, I also made a pair of coin shape beads and added an Ank to each, these I would be using during the stringing process. The scarab holds in its claws the rising and setting sun.

To string I used a pair of brass Lotus stampings again from B'Sue and painted these. The beaded necklace was done with a number of different beads I used faceted Lapis, Carnelian  and Sodalite cubes, turquoise, different sizes and colours of glass seed beads and six of my precious Roman glass tube beads. 

I doubt if it is something anyone would want to buy so I shall probably end up keeping it myself but I don't mind, it was an enjoyable if lengthy process and looks great on!

I am enjoying these challenges and look forward to next months.

 I hope you have enjoyed taking a look and I would love to read a comment from you if you can spare the time.

~Jackie~

ANOTHER ORGANIC NEKLACE!

Well I am back in the organic mood again, I have recently made another necklace for the Portland Gallery.

I found a wonderful carved wood bead and bought several of them as the website was closing down, that was the inspiration for this necklace as the carving had holes in it I thought what a good idea it would be to suspend some thin leather through them and add beads, well that took almost a full afternoonm they kept making their way out of the centre hole instead of the ones at the side   ...!!! I did get them through the holes eventually as you will see in the picture below, although I was terribly tempted to give up!

I wanted to use some more of the lovely Labradorite as theses beads are quite heavy I use them spareingly. I added some coconut heishi and several of the fair trade hand made beads, all lightweight beads and to bring out the splash of colour in the lovely little cloisonné Ladybird I used one of my polymer beads. I used hand dyed silk and a hand made clasp to finish, I hope you like it!

I love to get your comments and always read them, thank you.
~Jackie~ 

THE ART BEAD SCENE CHALLENGE!

I decided I really need to get back to making a bit of Jewellery again and perhaps a few beads too so I have joined the Art Bead Scene Monthly Challenge, http://artbeadscene.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/july-monthly-challenge.html.

Each month a picture is chosen for you to take inspiration from, just what I need right now, my biggest problem is having too many ideas all at once and never knowing where to start so I never get started. Joining the monthly challenge gives me a better way to stay focused on just one thing. 

There is a Pinterest board....................
https://www.pinterest.com/artbeadscene/jewelry-monthly-challenge-entries/ and I have pinned my offering for the month of July, just the one to start with.

I have put the necklace below, the heart is hand made by me in Polymer.

~Jackie~

THE CONTEST!

I could not have been more surprised when I won a contest recently, not because I thought my humble offering was unlovely but simply because it was so different to my usual offerings and  materials, but I do like to use and put together in my own way things that appeal to me sometimes unusual or overlooked materials.

Thinking about it I always go rather for elegance, it can be simple or elaborate, I have been musing on this a lot lately, why I design as I do, put together certain colours, even use certain materials or gems does it depend on my mood, fashion, time of year! Yes, probably all these things hold a certain sway over how I design and make. Then there is the inspiration, I am inspired by so many things, colours definitely I love colour! My garden, trees, the sea, flowers and leaves, photographs, architecture, sometime a film will spark an idea, art nouveau and many other things, anyway enough of musing.

The necklace for the contest started with hand dyed silk in shades of Pale blue and green with baby blue freshwater pearls for the Kumihimo braid. I made the ends for the braid in silver Polymer, inspired by the seed pods of Lunaria Annua ( honesty ) no glue was used to attach them to the braid, I hammered and sculpted the silver wire central shape, the inspiration for these shapes came from a photograph of bubbles frozen under a lake in Canada. Then I wire wrapped the center circular portion to hang a pendant of rock crystal. One end is also the hook closure. 

So there you have it, Blue Ice the necklace!

 Thank you for looking your comments are much appreciated ~Jackie~

KUMIHIMO BRAID NECKLACE!

I am enjoying my Kumihimo braiding very much. I am using hand dyed silk threads at present that I buy from Lorraine as I want fine braids it seems perfect. If you read my prevous post you will know I don't like the pre-made ends that you have to glue in position, so have worked on a way to secure my hand made Polymer ends without using any glue.

The necklace in the picture below has lovely warm shades in the braid with tiny freshwater pearls. I made endcaps of autumn leaves and one for one of the ind drops the other two are green Tourmaline and the three waterfall strands are a mixture of freshwater pearls glass beads and Tourmaline and a couple of gold plated beads as well.

Lorraine has a lovely blog you may like to visit its called http://colourcomplements.com/ she also has an Etsy shop here https://www.etsy.com/shop/colourcomplements?ref=l2-shopheader-name

I will put some more of these necklaces up soon, I hope you have enjoyed taking a look most of these are available but not on the web site as they are a new collection.

Your comments are very much appreciated thank you.

~Jackie~

 

MADAGASCAR DENDRITIC AGATE!

I have been very busy lately with tucking my more tender plants up in the garden as the winter progesses, lately it has become quite cold and the tree ferns have had to be wrapped up in fleece for the winter I do leave it as long as possible, but the time has come and I would hate to lose them.

On the jewellery scene I have been claying and making more Kumihimo braids which I can use in necklaces I will post one of those later.

I really enjoyed designing this setting for a large and unusual shaped piece of Madagascar Dendritic Agate, I designed a template and used gold Polymer to set the stone I did add a pair of Carnelian cabs as they seem to work beautifully with it. The Jasper and Carnelian gemstones make a great combination for the necklace I think.

Your comments are very much appreciated thank you.

~Jackie~

 

MORE ORGANIC INSPIRATION !

I simply had to make another of these organic necklaces I enjoyed making the first one so much!

This time I got out a strand of huge Garnet faceted rounds, much too heavy to wear as a necklace on their own so I picked three of them and decided to embellish them with some Polymer leaves in old gold to add some interest, I then picked out some Fair Trade Ugandan paper beads made once again by the ladies, in three sizes in lovely soft warm colours, I added some interesting tree seed beads and four huge bronze/gold baroque coin pearls keeping with the warm gold theme and a couple of my green and gold Polymer leaves for contrst. Then I hammered some bronze to make the shapes so I could add a double strand of leather for round the neck.

I have had great fun designing these necklaces so far and making them up and I would like to offer this one here as well before it goes to The Portland Gallery so if it is your kind of thing or you are looking for something a bit different shoot me an email!

~Jackie~

I WON A CONTEST!

I just won the most innovative class in a bracelet contest I am rather pleased and thought I would share the cuff bracelet I made for it with you. It is made from Polymer with beautiful little freshwater pearls and vintage Swarovski crystals.
I named it Spring into Summer!

 

 

Ancient Egyptian Artifacts

Jackie's hand made clay pendant was announced a winner in the Egyptian Treasures contest in Beads and Beyond magazine in October 2008! The inspiration was the Tutankhamun exhibition at the O2 in London. Each polymer clay piece was made separately and applied, no molds were used. The central winged scarab is a vintage brass componant, as are the two ankhs, the cabochons are vintage Swarovski crystal. It also includes turquoise and glass beads. It hangs from a vintage brass chain with lotus flower ornaments. This ornate and intricate pendant was inspired by a piece from the tomb called Tutankhamun's pendant.Jackie is now working on an Egyptian collection.

Please click here to see the rest of the collection so far.

~Lara

Our wedding jewellery

We have decided recently to add a wedding gallery to our web site, The Silver Lodge. It all came about when we received an email in March from a young woman who was getting married in May this year. She had been browsing our web site and came across some polymer clay calla lilly focal beads I had made using the colours of real flowers I grow in my garden as these flowers come in beautiful shades, not just the usual white. She asked if I could design a bracelet and earrings for her in cream to match a tiara she had just bought. I sketched a design and made it up using sterling silver and some Swarovski pearls and crystals. It was really pretty and unique.

The young lady was pleased with the photos we emailed her and was thrilled when she received her set. It was a real joy to be able to make this unusual design and know it was for such a special occasion. That was when we decided it would be really nice to add a bridal gallery even though much of our jewellery is occasion jewellery. We have since made another but different bracelet as most of our jewellery is only one of a kind!

Jackie & Lara