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~

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~

 

Autumn and winter necklace

I have just finished making a necklace for myself, I decided most of my necklaces are too short to wear with my autumn and winter wardrobe, I wanted something a bit longer 20 to 24 inches to go with sweaters and my high neck tees and fleeces.

I decided to choose a focal from my box of gemstone leaves and settled on a gorgeous rich coloured carnelian piece I embellished it with gold wire and gave it a bale, I had a box of fire agate and crab fire agate, I liked the crab fire agate with it best as it didn't detract from the strong colour of the carnelian but harmonised but I did chose just two nuggets of the fire agate, I also used some feldspa for its soft neutral beige and brown.  I love the warm colours with the gold vermeil rondels and shepherds hook clasp, this necklace will work so well with lots of things in my wardrobe.
I shall certainly be making some more to go with other outfits!

    

New Nefertiti Necklace & A Walk in the Woods

Well I am still here for the time being hoping that blogger will fix the glitch that won't let me post to some blogs, so I thought I had better show you some new necklaces I have just put up for sale on our web site Kydo Jewellery with the help of my daughter and web master.

The first necklace I called Nefertiti. It came about this way, I was looking through one of my books on Ancient Egypt for a completely different reason and came across some lovely wall paintings of Nefertiti with flowers, which inspired me to create this necklace. I had recently bought some large and beautiful Lapis Lazuli cabochons in that lovely royal blue colour so out came the sketch book as usual. I decided on a lily shape with the central cab of the Lapis I added three Carnelian cabs and engraved a lily design into the gold clay. I used my only strand of lovely Lapis nuggets with Carnelian rounds and little gold plated rondels it closes with a little vermeil S hook. It is signed on the back as are all my Gold Collection pieces. I think it turned out rather well.

The second picture is of a fresh green and white necklace. I chose a leaf or teardrop shape which compliments the shape of the Agate cab I textured the background of the gold clay and added a round Turquoise cab, which kind of set the whole piece off nicely I think. I used some high quality white pearls and tree Agate rounds to string it with and a few gold vermeil flower spacers, the clasp is a gold plated lobster claw. I think it makes a refreshing change the green and white, I called it A Walk in the Woods, I can almost smell the leaves and ferns lol.

Hope you like them I would love it if you left me a message.

Florentine, New Boulder Opal Necklace

I thought it was about time I posted another of my gold collection necklaces this one has just gone on the web site, sadly I couldn't get a photo of the pin fire in the opal it is red and green. I  also cut the back away as the pin fire goes right through this piece of boulder Opal. The cabs are Carnelian and I strung the necklace with baby Agate nuggets and little peachy gold pearl nuggets!