botanicals and beginnings

stopping in

2012-02-16T05:00:00.000-05:00

This Horse Mint lives on a sand dune next to Lake Michigan.

This week is a full one, and all good stuff. Just wanted to stop in to say hi and I hope you're having a great week!

valentine wish

2012-02-14T05:00:00.000-05:00

I hope your day includes a bit of chocolate or maybe a cupcake with pink frosting and red sprinkles. I hope you'll use today as a good excuse to wear more red and pink together than you might ordinarily wear. I hope your day includes a smile, or a hug, or a phone call shared with a sibling, friend, parent, child, or significant other. I hope your day includes the free time and good sense to skip cooking and make this an evening to put your feet up, watch some reruns and order take out....unless, of course, you have a hot date tonight, in which case, be sure to tell us all about it tomorrow! Happy Valentine's Day!

weekend wrap-up

2012-02-12T15:45:00.002-05:00

I'm working on a few different projects lately, each of which is taking plenty of time on its own. As a result, I worked a lot again this weekend, but it all involves good stuff--writing, taking photos, working with beads, or teaching classes.

Saturday was a bead class teaching day. It was the first time I'd met the women in the class, and several of them were meeting one another for the first time. Their interests, the type of work they do and their ages were varied, and they hit it off so well. The conversation was flying as fast as the beads were going on headpins.

J's work shift ended after suppertime, but still early enough in the evening on Saturday that there was still time to take a break and go out to eat. We splurged and ordered the big salad and the giant pizza. There hadn't been much time to talk during the week, so we chatted and ate pizza until we were all talked out and the pizza was a mere skeleton of its former self.

One of my volunteer jobs includes taking photos of parks in our area. Sunday afternoon, the sun was out, the wind was stiff, and while it was pretty darn chilly on the beach and dunes, the scenery was awesome, and the short hike felt great.

I hope your weekend was wonderful! I have some great new beads to show you this week, so please stop back.

bling bracelet

2012-02-09T05:00:00.000-05:00

This Saturday, I'm teaching a class on how to make this Bling bracelet. The class is hosted by a museum showcasing an exhibit of sparkly jewelry from the early 20th century, and a Bling bracelet class seems to fit right in.

The bracelet is constructed with an 8-inch long base chain, the chain has approximately 4x6mm oval links, with a lobster claw clasp attached to one end. The beads are fed onto 20 gauge headpins (yep, 20 gauge, so pretty thick). The headpins are cut, a simple loop is formed (no wire wrap), and the loop is attached to the bracelet. There is one beaded drop per link of chain, so it takes 40 - 50 beads. I've made this bracelet using 8x5mm rondelles for a full, blingy effect. The sample pictured here was constructed using 6x4mm beads.

beaded mobile day

2012-02-08T05:00:00.000-05:00

This afternoon, I get to spend some time coaching a great group of folks through the process of making a beaded mobile. I'm looking forward to it!

beady idea: the jonquil bracelet

2012-02-07T05:00:00.000-05:00

This bracelet is asymmetrical, about two thirds of it is strung beads, and the remainder is beaded-drop-filled chain.

The beaded segment was strung on 21-strand Softflex wire. I used an 8 inch piece of wire to start with, and the finished beaded segment is about 5 inches long. The chain underneath all those beaded drops is about a 4x6mm link. I used 2x2mm sterling silver crimp tubes to crimp the strung portion of the piece to the lobster claw clasp, and to the 2.5 inch-long piece of chain.

As I designed the bracelet, I needed to adjust the length. I tried making the chain portion longer, and didn't care for half strung and half charm bracelet look. I liked the 2/3 - 1/3 proportions better with the beads I was using, so I added more beads to the strung section. Of course, if you use this beady idea with you own bead stash, you can adjust the length however you wish--the beads you choose and the finished look you are after will affect your design choices.

The lower row of head pins are the drops that are attached to the chain. The upper group of five head pins are wire wrapped to form a loop, then all five attached to one open oval jump ring. The jump ring is placed over the crimp bead that connects the beaded section to the chain, adding visual interest and providing an attractive cover for the crimp bead.

The beaded drops with large flowers are put on the chain two per link. All of the other drops get their own individual link on the chain.

There is a limited edition kit for The Jonquil Bracelet available in the Beads by C from beads and botanicals Etsy shop. Don't forget--there is a free shipping coupon code in the February Newsletter. Click on the tab at the top of this page to find it.

Happy beading!

sunny sunday

2012-02-05T18:39:00.001-05:00

The day was sparkly, the temp was in the 40s, I had the afternoon off, and my camera batteries were charged. How could I not go hiking?

beady idea: beaded mobile

2012-02-02T05:00:00.000-05:00

This is the beady project I'll be making with a group of folks next week. The group includes both men and women, so I needed to come up with a project design that suited both genders.

I started with a 1x1 inch piece of wood from a scrap pack I got at the craft store. Next, I drilled a hole in each corner, but not too close to the corner, because the wood splits easily. (Guess how I figured that out? I'd suggest having some extra wood pieces on hand, just in case.) The bare wood was dry and rough, so I gave it a quick coat of furniture polish. I was short on time to design the prototype, otherwise I think I may have preferred to seal or paint the piece of wood.

Next, I tied a 2+ foot piece of fishing line to each hole, and added beads from my stash of leftovers and beads I was going to do something with someday, but can no longer recall what it was. (Thanks, J, for the 14 lb test spool of line that was in your tackle box.) To the end of each piece of fishing line, I tied a beach stone bead, crafted by the lovely and talented proprietress of KMMenagerie. The finished project would also be cute with brass washers or hex nuts at the ends of each string of beads. Or, simply secure a larger (heavier) bead to the end of each piece of fishing line.

Using waxed cotton 1mm cord (any cord or fiber that fits the drill holes will do nicely), I ran a 8-inch length through two of the holes on one side of the wood, and then another 8-inch length through the two holes on the other side of the wood square. I brought them all together at the top evenly and tied a knot.

sneak peek

2012-02-01T05:00:00.000-05:00

Here's a sneak peek at the beady idea and kit that will post here on February 21.

The Port Orleans Bracelet.

sneak peek

2012-01-31T05:00:00.000-05:00

Here's a sneak peek at the beady project idea and kit scheduled for February 7.

The Jonquil Bracelet.

february newsletter

2012-01-30T05:00:00.000-05:00

February Dates

Thursday, February 2

Beady Idea: Beaded Mobile

Tuesday, February 7

Beady Idea and Kit
(I have a sneak peek of this project to show you tomorrow.)

Tuesday, February 21

Beady Idea and Kit

February 1 - February 29 A Coupon Code Just for You

If you are shopping in the Beads by C from beads and botanicals Etsy shop and your merchandise total (before shipping is added) is $15 or more, enter coupon code VALSHIP14 at checkout for Free First Class US Mail shipping on your order.

Letter from Carla

Dear Friends,

It has been a mild winter here inwest Michigan. The lack of snow makes everyday tasks easier, and has been a blessing for friends with a long commute to work. There’s only been enough snow to take my snow shoes out for a spinonce or twice this winter. Fortunately, there have been plenty of otherinteresting things going on--and lots of great new beads--to keep these cold-weather months fun.

The online photography class Istarted in January has been a great experience. The most challenging part has been making myself schedule time to do the reading and assignments. The class continues through February, with a final exam at the end ofthe month. The course is offered through a nearby community college inpartnership with a world-wide organization called Ed2Go. If you’d like to seewhat kinds of courses are available in your area, click here, enter your zipcode and ta-da!, you’ll see a list of nearby schools that offer Ed2Go classes.

Mid-month, I’m scheduled to teach a workshopon low-cost marketing methods for a regional group of non-profit organizations. It's been a couple of years since I last presented this material, so I've been busy updating and fine-tuning the information for the group I'll be working with that day.

In February, I get to work with two differentgroups on beady projects, and am scheduled to teach a beaded charm braceletclass here in my hometown. I’ll be showing one of the groups howto make a beaded hanging mobile. I’ll post that idea here on the blog onFebruary 2 in case it’s something you’re interested in too. I’ll post two beadyideas with kits this month, and as always, I’ll keep you posted on newarrivals, and beady mixes.

Thank you for visiting me here. Ihope you have an awesome February.

Happy Beading,

Carla

my pool pal

2012-01-27T05:00:00.000-05:00

Most geckos I see walk on two legs, talk, and sell insurance. It was fun to see one doing ordinary gecko stuff, like soaking up a poolside sunbeam.

p.s. I'm not sure this little guy IS technically a gecko. Do you know what kind of lizard creature he/she is?

I hope you have a great weekend!

beady scenery

2012-01-26T05:00:00.000-05:00

While I was away, the Czech beads I ordered a week or two ago arrived.

Several were restocks of items that had been strong sellers and I liked having around.

There are several colors/styles of new beads too. I got quite a few added to the shop yesterday, and have a half dozen or so more to photo and list, hopefully yet this week.

When all the new beads are listed, I'll start working on some sampler packs of the new selections. I'll keep you posted.

the code

2012-01-25T08:03:00.001-05:00

If you're bead shopping at Beads by C from beads and botanicals in January, enter coupon code JANSHIP31 at checkout for free First Class US Mail shipping on your order. Expires 1/31/2012.

a sunny weekend

2012-01-24T22:58:00.001-05:00

My sister has a milestone birthday this year, and to celebrate, Mom, K (my sister), and I went to Disney World for a four-day weekend. Mom and K are experienced Disney go-ers. It was my first visit.

Magnolia Terrace at The Port Orleans Riverside

We stayed at one of Disney's many resorts, The Port Orleans Riverside.

Musical Theater Production: Festival of the Lion King

We enjoyed musical theater productions, including The Festival of the Lion King, and Finding Nemo-The Musical.

Finding Nemo-The Musical

at Yak and Yeti, inside Animal Kingdom

My favorite food experience was this dish, created especially for me (and my annoyingly long list of food allergies) by the chef at Yak and Yeti, a restaurant with Tibet-themed decor and a pan-Asian menu. The chef is a delightful woman who received her chef training at Le Cordon Bleu school of culinary arts. Let me tell you, that plate of veggies was delicious!

inside Epcot, Disney World

My parents have always told me I'd like the international section of Epcot. They were right.

Reticulated Giraffe, Wild Kingdom, Disney World

This beautiful creature strode along side of the vehicle we rode on through the wildlife area in the Animal Kingdom theme park. The tree, below, lives not too far from where the giraffe, above, lives.

inside Wild Kingdom, Disney World

The weather was gorgeous, upper 70s, low 80s and plenty of sun, perfect for an afternoon siesta spent poolside.

Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL.

out of the office

2012-01-20T05:00:00.000-05:00

Hi,

I'm out of the office for a long weekend. The Beads by C from beads and botanicals Etsy shop will be closed today (Friday) through Tuesday. I'll re-open the shop and be back at my desk on Wednesday, January 25.

When I return, I'll share sneak peeks for February beady ideas, and have a new shipment of beautiful Czech beads to show you. I'm looking forward to it!

Carla

back to school

2012-01-18T17:18:00.003-05:00

New: North Beach Dune II Czech Bead Sampler

I started my photography class this week. It's been years since I've taken a class with tests and final exams and all that jazz. To give you some historical perspective Whitney Houston's version of "I Will Always Love You" was number one on the charts when I took my last final exam for my masters degree. Britney Spears would have just celebrated her 12th birthday. Yep. It's been awhile.

tree pic I took last weekend and then experimented on with photo software

I woke up feeling all nostalgic on my first day of class. With butterflies in my stomach, and thoughts like "am I nuts for adding this to my to-do list during an extra-busy couple of months?" and "am I smart enough to handle all this internet classroom stuff?" I pulled the registration and orientation paperwork from my file marked Photography Course Winter 2012 Our Town Community College. I followed the instructions for logging in. I read the introduction. The professor seems nice, and in that photo of her, she appears well put together, friendly and competent. I'll never know what she sounds like, or if she makes any quirky gestures as she lectures, or hear the enthusiasm in her voice for the subject matter. I'm still not sure I like that part about it.

Way back in the day, somewhere around the time the movie Top Gun was a big deal, I had a professor from an African country who pointed to the chalk board with his middle finger (yepper, we had chalk boards). In his culture, that was your pointing finger. When you're 19 and observing that during a class lecture, it's extremely memorable. He was (is!) a brilliant teacher. His command of the English language was far better than most of us sitting in that classroom. His knowledge on the topics of diplomacy and international relations was astounding, and his ability to make the material interesting was amazing. He spoke with an accent so thick you had to pay close attention to understand what he was talking about.

I can still remember the words Dr. A said that my midwestern ears couldn't understand at first. "Lihb-AHHHH-tea" was liberty. He rarely used the term "war." He usually used the term "border skirmishes." It sounded something like "bohd-ah SKEER-mish." He called on you during lecture, you never knew when. I worked three jobs, totalling 40+ hours a week and took a full course load. I always sat at the back of the lecture hall, and probably looked pretty rough most days. He knew I loved the subject matter though, and he knew if he called on me, I'd say something. I can still hear him, "and now we will heah frohm da blond-eh lady at dee back." He taught several of the courses I needed for my major, so I was The Blonde Lady at the Back for at least three semesters.

New: C's Garden Czech Bead Sampler

As for my new class, I logged in, glanced through the two lessons for this week. I printed the pages to read later, since I'm still pretty old school and sometimes it's nice to look at paper instead of a screen. I saw some interesting stuff, and picked up a great pointer for photo composition just skimming the pages as they printed. The material looks great, and I have SO much to learn. Taking a class alone feels weird, but not having to drive to class on icy roads is definitely a plus. The interesting part? By 9:00 a.m. the first day of the course, I had an email reminding me to log in to the "classroom" for the first day of the class. Times have definitely changed since Britney was 12.

beady scenery

2012-01-17T05:00:00.000-05:00

6mm Czech rhinestone wheels

Pine Bend Trail Czech glass bead mix

a winter weekend

2012-01-16T05:00:00.000-05:00

The snow kept falling this weekend. I'd read the forecast online and then giggle. It was snowing like crazy when my favorite weather website was reporting a 60% chance of snow showers, and from there, the predicted snowfall amounts kept changing, and changing again, while it kept snowing and snowing. A couple of inches here, another inch or so there.

Sunday, J and I went snow shoeing and hiking at a couple of area parks. I took bunches of photos. The snow was beautiful; the trees appeared coated in cotton.

snow

2012-01-13T18:34:00.003-05:00

It snowed. In fact, it's still snowing. Today was trash day. While I was working at my computer, I heard the snow plow coming and realized I better get the trash dumpster out of the way. I grabbed my camera as I ran outside. When the dumpster was out of the plow's way and today's bead orders had been handed to the mail carrier, I tramped out into the knee high snow to take a few quick pics.

a note to you

2012-01-12T15:44:00.002-05:00

Hi,

Suddenly it's Thursday afternoon. I'm not sure how that happened so fast. I have one more meeting today, a re-organizational meeting for a committee I am affiliated with in an around-the-edges sort of way. It is the committee that oversees the committee I'm on for a holiday fundraiser. It seems like it was just Sunday afternoon ten minutes ago, and J and I were hiking along Lake Michigan.

This week, I purchased my very own copy of the software Photoshop Elements 10. It was on my planned purchases list for 2012, and I didn't waste any time completing that transaction. I'm not sure I'm smart enough to use all the features just yet, but because of that software, my dependence on the weather and light conditions for photographing beads has already been greatly reduced. It's awesome! Imagine how thrilled I will be when I figure out what all the software can do.

Thanks for your support and enthusiasm for the Sunshine bracelet kit. There are still a few left if you'd like one. In my e-mail conversations with two beady friends I've had the blessing to know for several years now, I received wonderful suggestions and encouragement that inspired me to get busy mixing up some Czech beads for the Etsy shop. I greatly appreciated that!

Tomorrow, I get to meet with the group of new beaders I mentioned earlier in the week. The tools, supplies and beads are packed. The handy-dandy worksheet with tips and tricks for gathering supplies and finishing the project is written and printed.

The weather forecasters have predicted "snowmageddon," for tonight and tomorrow. It has been raining so far today. The snow just started a few minutes ago. I like the snow, and at the same time, I have friends who have a long commute to work in the mornings. I worry about them when the roads aren't good. Maybe the snow could time itself so that the road crews can get things cleaned up before the morning commute? The folks who make their livings plowing snow, and in businesses based on winter recreation have been doing a snow dance. They've had such a slow year so far. They'll be glad to see the white stuff coming down so they can get some green stuff in their pockets.

It's about time to clean up my work bench, find my pencil and notebook and head for the meeting. We'll have homemade pizza tonight for supper when I get home.

Speaking of supper menus, Heather over at Summerstead has a great tutorial for a menu board project. Click here to check it out.

I hope you've had a great week so far, and I wish you an awesome Friday, Carla

beady idea: sunshine bracelet

2012-01-10T05:00:00.000-05:00

This post took a little longer to write than most. My "inner iPod" was busy playing, "I'm walking on Sunshine ohhh ohhh, walking on sunshine...." and I kept getting stuck and starting over because I only know two lines of the song: line 1: I'm walking on sunshine, and line 2: ohh ohh.

Who isn't ready for a little sunshine this time of year? I wanted to create a design for a bracelet that had a variety of bright colors, with enough deeper tones to work well with the darker-hued-clothes of wintertime.

the charm looks bright silver in the photo, in "real life" it is an antiqued silver tone

Have a coworker with a contagious case of doldrums? Clip this bracelet on your wrist on the way out the door, and you'll have some sunshiney color to look at when the office isn't quite so sunny. Find yourself being way too serious about things? Put the bracelet on with a seriously dark outfit for an instant bright spot. I think it would be cute with basic black, with jeans, or about anything you'd like to wear it with. The color scheme will slide right into spring and summer when the sunshine is so bright any thoughts of winter have faced away.

The techniques for construction:
1. Stringing
The beaded portion is strung on Softflex 49 strand beading wire. (Nope, I'm not advertising for Softflex, I just like the product a lot.)

2. Crimping
Even though I used base metal components in the design, I used sterling silver crimp tubes for their durability and ease of use.

3. Making a beaded drop (dangle)
I used 22 gauge, two inch silver plated brass headpins. Pliable, easy to work with, bright silver color, easy on the bead budget.

4. Attaching a jump ring
I'm not sure if they are any more durable than round, but I find oval-shape jump rings very easy to use. They are easy to grasp with a pliers, they retain their shape nicely after a few opens and closes. 5x7mm is my go-to size for oval jump rings, and what I used in this bracelet.

There are Sunshine Bracelet supplies kits in the Beads by C from beads and botanicals Etsy shop. Happy beading!

bead storage ideas?

2012-01-08T17:19:00.002-05:00

Later this week, I have an opportunity to spend part of an afternoon beading with a group of women who are in the process of making big changes in their lives.

I enjoy meeting new people, and the idea of relaxing and creating beaded jewelry with a group of women sounds like so much fun! I'm bringing along a few pounds of orphan beads from my stash, and a extra-large spool of elastic stringing material. Can't you already hear the sounds of chit chat as hands begin sifting and sorting through trays full of mixed beads? It's going to be a blast!

Anytime anybody makes big changes in their lives, there is bound to be some expense. I'd like to show up prepared to offer some ideas for low-cost beading, so that any who might like to continue beading after our get-together can round up supplies to enjoy the craft at minimal expense.

When I teach a class to beginning beaders, I suggest shopping thrift stores, garage sales and clearance racks for discarded, slightly damaged, or not-so-pretty necklaces and bracelets as sources for economical beads. I'll be showing the group how to make elastic bracelets, and elastic stringing material is economical. I think learning to make a durable stretch elastic bracelet, and mastering the skills to tie and seal knot that holds well, is an important beading skill to have. Besides, elastic bracelets are a great project for chit chatting and enjoying time with each other and the beads.

I cleaned out a kitchen cupboard or two this weekend, I found some empty spice jars that will work for bead storage. I'll take the jars along with me to show how nicely they work. I'm sure there are other easy-to-find free containers that work well for bead storage. Do you have any suggestions for free storage and organizer containers?

when the moon hits your eye

2012-01-05T05:00:00.000-05:00

This pizza recently came out of the oven in my kitchen. I jokingly refer to the stove as "the big white hot thing in the kitchen, with coils on top." Over the past few years, I've learned I have a multitude of food allergies, and while I'm very fortunate they affect my skin and respiratory system and not my digestive system, avoiding a long list of foods has made mealtimes a bit of a challenge. As a result, I don't use that big white hot thing as often as I used to.

There is a take and bake pizza chain that makes a pizza that I really like to eat, and don't have significant reactions. Needless to say, we've been eating a lot of it. One of my goals for the New Year was to see if I could find a way to reproduce a similar pizza, using ingredients that are on my "okay to eat" list. While the take and bake chain offers excellent quality and super economical prices, making it at home sometimes could be a money saver. Besides, we have the big white hot thing with coils on top, I should probably use it from time to time. The results were pretty tasty, and considering the whole works was made from scratch, it wasn't all that time consuming.

Pizza: Creamy Garlic Sauce with Zucchini and Mushroom

Preheat Oven to 400

No Yeast Pizza Crust
Adapted from a recipe by Terry H on Cooks.com

2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 3/4 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 - 1 cup water

Mix dry ingredients. Add 3/4 cup water and oil, and stir. If dough is too dry, add more water. Turn dough onto floured surface and knead for about 4 minutes.

Then I stretched out the dough like they do in the movies and on TV. Disclaimer: I did not toss it up in the air while singing an Italian aria. I did not toss it in the air at all. Then I pressed it onto a round metal pizza pan that had been sprayed with cooking spray.

When I make this again, I'm going to experiment with using less flour and less baking powder to see if I can make a "thin and crisp" style pizza crust.

Creamy Garlic Sauce
Adapted from several recipes on the 'net

1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (use one clove if you would like a milder sauce)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/8 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (on my do not eat list, so I omitted this ingredient and my sauce wasn't as thick)
A couple shakes of red pepper flakes (optional)

Melt butter and olive oil together over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for 30 - 60 seconds. Turn heat down to medium low or low. (I didn't get the heat turned down fast enough and my garlic and butter burned the first time I tried). Add cream, salt and pepper(s). Stir until mixture thickens a bit (will still be very runny). Add Parmesan if you wish, stirring it in a bit at a time so it melts gradually and doesn't clump up.

Spread the garlic sauce over the crust. Without the Parmesan cheese, the sauce will be very runny....I was pleasantly surprised that it worked well anyway.

Toppings
You could use whatever you wanted to here. I used...

Three cup package shredded Mozzarella cheese
One small zucchini, very finely sliced
1/2 box fresh button mushrooms, very finely sliced

Spread half the package of cheese over the sauce. Add toppings, then spread as much of the remaining cheese over the top of the toppings as you would like. I had about 1/3 cup of cheese left in the bag when I was finished.

Bake pizza 20 - 30 minutes until crust is lightly browned on the bottom and cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown.

beady scenery

2012-01-04T05:00:00.000-05:00

Here are a few of my favorites in the shipment of Czech beads that arrived last week.

snow

2012-01-03T05:00:00.000-05:00

Snow. January 1 and 2 brought our first significant snowfall of this winter season. Yesterday, I added a bunch of new Czech beads to the Etsy shop and packed orders that came in over the weekend. When quitting time came, I pulled my snow shoes out of the storage shelves in the basement and took them out for a spin around the yard and neighborhood.

beady idea: make your own word beads

2012-01-02T05:00:00.002-05:00

Last Friday, I was working on a project design idea for a beading class I'll be teaching early in the year. I needed a source of (extremely) inexpensive beads with inspiring words on them. After thinking through the possibilities for making them myself, maybe with clay, fabric, or paper....yes! Paper! A few minutes of internet searching later, I found a blog post with the instructions for these word beads that can be made for pennies, or less, each.

This project uses Mod Podge and ordinary computer paper. The most high tech supply involved? A paintbrush, or maybe the toothpicks. Imagine the possibilities for these beads created by someone who has the patience to roll the paper carefully and slowly, and someone who has the patience to wait for the glaze to dry before touching the beads! (I am SO not that girl.)

I used the instructions from Inferrantly Creative, here. There's also a ton of wonderful inspiration for paper beads ideas on Paperbeads, here.

sneak peek

2011-12-31T10:57:00.004-05:00

Here's a sneak peek of a project I'll show you Monday, January 2, here on the blog.

The Fed Ex man (I really need to learn his name) brought a box of twenty-one new colors/styles of Czech beads today, and the sun is bright enough to get good pics. You only need one guess to figure out what I'm working on today. Taking photos of fabulous new beads!

Wishing you a wonderful New Year's Eve and a very Happy New Year! Hope to see you back here on Monday.

new duds

2011-12-29T05:00:00.006-05:00

I don't have kids. I tell people that I simply forgot to have any. J has children and grandchildren, all of whom are very dear to me. Two summers ago, I had the opportunity to share Lake Michigan beach time with some of J's grandkids. The highlights included showing them how to ride boogie boards, which they took to in a snap, and we had a blast.

Recently, I received two very special gifts from those kids. One was a t-shirt from one of the grandkid's ball teams. It's awesome. The other gift is a winter hat with Nebraska Huskers logos on it. J and I lived in Nebraska for many years, and much of his family lives there, as do many friends. While they know (and graciously accept) that my first allegiance is to Michigan State, Nebraska is definitely my #2 team. Even better, the hat reminds me of them, and I love that about it.

january newsletter

2011-12-27T05:00:00.011-05:00

Beady Combo Idea: Czech glass in 6mm Opaque Rose Gold Picasso flat squares, 4mm Champagne Opaque druk, and 6mm Opaque Pink Topaz Luster druk beads

Dear Friends,

My calendar says January will be a full month. Traditionally, I use the first week of January to finalize the business records from the year before and finish taking inventory. While it probably isn’t the most exciting task in the world, it seems to get the bead stock storage areas and file cabinet freshened up and ready for a new year. I like that feeling.

This year, I was given a special opportunity to go south for a few days in January for some fun in the sun with my mom and sister. I will close the shop at the end of the day on January 20, and reopen no later than first thing in the morning on January 27.

January will include my first experience in taking a course online. I’m registered for a six-week course in digital photography. You know how much I enjoy taking pictures (the author of a book I’m reading says it is called making pictures). I hope to gain a better understanding of mechanics of a camera, and fine tune my photo making skills. It probably shows my age, but I’ve always taken classes “in-person-style.” I like to meet my classmates and professors in real time, and appreciate the environment of a classroom. At the same time, online courses seem to be the way of today and I’m eager to learn more about taking or making pictures.

As for beady ideas, since I’ll be away from work for almost a week, I’m going to schedule one project idea and kit for January, and I’ll plan to post additional beady ideas here and there during the month.

Did you notice that you can follow this blog by email? The sign up feature is on the upper right side of the page. Usually, if I post in the morning, the email version arrives I my in-box by afternoon. It’s a handy way to stay in touch.

Happy New Year and Happy Beading,

Carla

January Dates of Note

Tuesday, January 10
Beady Idea and Kit, posted here on the blog
additional beady ideas will be posted on the blog throughout the month

Friday, January 20 – Thursday, January 26
Shop closed for vacation

Friday, January 27

Shop reopens and coupon code posted on the blog for FREE shipping, good through January 31, 2012

This newsletter will be available here during the month of January.

here it is

2011-12-26T07:30:00.012-05:00

I dug up a snowy photo from last winter. We've had no accumulations of snow yet this year to speak of. That's rather odd for west Michigan in December...

Today, December 26, through Wednesday, December 28 at 6 p.m. eastern time, use coupon code SNOWANDHOLLY25 to get 25% off your entire order in the Beads by C from beads and botanicals Etsy shop.

New to coupon codes? Enter the coupon code in the box on the Etsy shopping cart screen, and watch to see that the discount is applied, before going to Paypal to complete the transaction. If you have questions, please let me know.

my wish for you

2011-12-23T05:00:00.004-05:00

I hope today and the coming days are filled with peace, joy, and time shared with those who mean most to you.

I'll see you back here on Monday.

tis the season

2011-12-22T05:00:00.010-05:00

I'll be closing down the Etsy shop today at 5:00 p.m. eastern time to enjoy time with family and friends this weekend.

The shop will reopen at 7:30 a.m. eastern time on Monday, December 26. At the same time the shop reopens, I will post a coupon code here on the blog for 25% off anything and everything in the Beads by C from beads and botanicals Etsy shop. The coupon code will be active December 26, 27 and 28. The more beads go to new homes, the fewer beads I'll have to count when I start taking inventory after the sale. One little bead, two little beads, three little beads....you get the idea.

bracelet idea

2011-12-21T05:00:00.001-05:00

This beady idea uses three styles of beads, a large (9mm), a medium size (6mm) and a small size (4mm), with 4mm silver tone spacers for accents. The center of the bracelet uses 5 of the large beads, and from there, the large and medium beads are used in groups of three.

I used a combination of Czech glass beads from the shop: 6x9mm Opaque Beige Full Coat Picasso rondelles (12 beads), 4mm Pink Purple Bronze Luster Iris fire polish round (7 beads), 6mm Opaque Turquoise Picasso Renaissance Cathedral Firepolish (13 beads). The charm, toggle clasp and base metal silver spacers were taken from my stash of spacers and findings that I use for kits.

evergreen

2011-12-20T05:00:00.012-05:00

On Sunday the sun came out for awhile. In this part of the country, the sun can be quite shy this time of year, so a sunny afternoon is a welcome addition to any week. I took a short hike, and probably spent more time taking pictures than I did hiking. The sunlight danced off the leaves and needles of the trees, as the wind moved them about. I took a lot of pictures of one of my favorite kinds of trees, the Eastern Hemlock (pictured above and below). The needles are soft, and the sound of the wind as it blows through the needles is so soothing. When the sun hits the branches, the needles appear nearly lime green. In the shade, the green is rich and dark. I recently learned that Eastern Hemlock trees can continue to grow for 250 - 300 years, and live as long as 800 years. Wow.

for the birds

2011-12-18T13:17:00.004-05:00

After paging through the gift idea section of my most recent issue of Birds and Blooms, I was inspired by some bird seed cakes I saw. A quick search on the 'net and I was set to go with several similar recipes to make them. While the bird cookie/cakes in the magazine are much prettier than my home-made version, I hope the feathered crew that stops at the tree outside the kitchen window will enjoy them.

Ingredients
1 packet/envelope plain Gelatine (found in the jello section of the grocery store)
3 Tbsp light corn syrup
3/4 cup flour or corn starch (I used flour)
1/2 cup water
4 cups bird seed
Cooking spray (Pam or equivalent)

Supplies
Straws (used to make the holes for hanging the finished bird seed cakes)
Muffin tins or other molds (cookie cutters, etc.)
Cookie sheets
Waxed paper

In a large mixing bowl, combine gelatine, water, corn syrup and flour. I combined all at room temperature. Some recipes call for warming the water in the microwave, dissolving the gelatin in the warm water, and then adding the other ingredients. I think I'm going to try that on my next batch. Stir in bird seed until it is well coated.

Spray muffin tins with cooking spray. Spoon mixture into muffin tins (about 1/3 - 1/2 full), and then using a cooking-spray coated bottom of a glass or measuring cup, press and flatten the mixture firmly into the tin. Cut a drinking straw into 3 - 4 sections, and place one section into the flattened mixture to create a hole to hang the cake from. (Many of the recipes I saw used cookie cutters for forms, which added fun and interesting shapes to the finished product.)

Let the cakes, still in the muffin tins of other forms, dry at room temperature for 2 - 3 hours until quite firm. Turn over onto waxed paper lined cookie sheets and let dry overnight.

When dry, add twine, yarn or ribbon, and hang the cookies for the birds to enjoy.

getting closer

2011-12-15T18:59:00.002-05:00

Last weekend, J took my picture next to a pine tree while we were out on a hike. Standing next to that tree for the picture is the closest I've gotten to putting up a Christmas tree so far this year. The weather has been so mild, and December has gone by so quickly, a tree just hasn't happened at our house yet. Earlier today, I stopped in at my folks place and took a picture of their tree. I'm getting closer. Stay tuned...

sunday hike

2011-12-13T05:00:00.005-05:00

I took these pics when J and I went hiking on Sunday. The water on the wetland (above) was just barely frozen and looked like a thin layer of frosted glass.

Above: hardwood trees along a creek that runs into the Grand River. Below: logs ready for use to refurbish an old log cabin that sits on county park land.

Below: this log cabin is being refurbished to use as a multi-purpose building at a county park.

A tree and me.

beady idea: party bracelet

2011-12-12T06:24:00.000-05:00

By this time of the year, I like projects that can be completed in a hurry. A few minutes of time spent beading is very relaxing, and having a little something new to wear is always nice too. This project is designed to provide both.

While you could easily add a clasp to this design, I chose to work with stretch elastic for simplicity, and because without a metal clasp, the beads are certain to be the stars of the show.

I began with a 12 inch piece of stretch elastic stringing material. Stretch Magic .8mm is my go-to stringing material lately. The .7mm size of Stretch Magic will work too, and it is a size more commonly available in big box craft supply stores. If the only thickness you can find is .5mm (very thin), use two lengths of it, and run a double thickness though your beads to assure you have the beads strung on a base that will be durable through multiple wears.

For this bracelet, I used

6mm round fire polish beads in Jet Black Bronze Picasso
3x4mm Metallic Silver Tiaria crystal rondelles
6mm Czech rondelles, black finish metal, crystal clear ab rhinestones
6mm Transparent Gold Topaz Luster renaissance shape Czech glass beads

To create the bracelet, place a stopper at the end of the piece of Stretch Magic. Then I strung beads in the pattern pictured below.

Strung as pictured, the result is a 7.5 inch bracelet. To make the bracelet a different size, add or subtract beads where there are groups of the black/bronze beads. You could make ever other section of black beads a 2 count or a 4 count, depending on whether you are sizing up or down.

To finish, tie a series of knots in the stretch elastic and pull the knot so tight that when you put the bracelet down on your work surface, the knot doesn't "creep" open. Then coat the knot with a craft glue like E6000 or GS Hypo Cement. Don't have those handy? Any white craft glue or glazing adhesive should work. I try to avoid using clear nail polish and super glue for coating the knots. Both of them contain a chemical that make the elastic brittle and prone to breakage.

This project is quick, easy and there is a super-nicely priced kit in the Etsy shop. The kit is available in the two color options, Golden Topaz Luster and Amethyst Luster, as shown in the top photo. Click here to visit the Etsy shop.

Happy beading.

bonus beady idea: wish bracelet

2011-12-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

One of my volunteer jobs has me working kitchen, hostess and greeter duty for some larger events at our local museum this week. I need to look nice, but not so dressy I can't get any work done, so I went on the hunt for a fun holiday apron to wear over basic black. I found one--in red, with a holly pattern, then decided it needed a bracelet.

After a few minutes in my favorite area of the inventory, the Czech glass, I found a few things to put together: 4mm fire polish in Ruby Celsian, a garnet color picasso rondelle, a larger three petal flower, a baby bell flower, a couple of base metal daisy spacers, and some 4mm fire polish accent beads. I've had a small stash of Wish charms that I've been eager to use, and this seemed like the place to use one.

If you're interested, have a kit like this listed in the Etsy shop.

Last Minute Wish Bracelet

Assembly time? About 15 minutes, then it went on my wrist and I went out the door.

Wishing you a great weekend! Please stop back on Monday for another beady idea, The Party Bracelet.

red sky in the morning

2011-12-08T08:41:00.001-05:00

This a bit of the view from my window this morning. The colors were so pretty.

beady idea: plain to sparkly in 5 minutes

2011-12-07T05:00:00.000-05:00

I started with an ordinary glass Christmas ornament, 22 gauge craft wire (24 gauge would work too), some 1/4 inch Offray ribbon, and a handful of Tiaria crystal faceted rondelles.

With enough beads on a length of the wire to go around the neck of the glass globe, I twisted the wire to secure the ring of beads in place. Next, I added a ribbon and tied a bow.

beady earring idea

2011-12-06T05:00:00.000-05:00

I posted this pic yesterday on the Beads by C from beads and botanicals Facebook page. Click here to go there and see more detail on the beads used in this project.

Tomorrow, here on the blog, I'll post a project for taking a plain round holiday tree ornament and turning into a personalized, sparkly decoration or gift. The best part? Once you've selected your beads, the project takes about five minutes to make.

discovering color treasure

2011-12-04T17:14:00.002-05:00

J and I went hiking today on a trail that was new to us. At first glance, the woods and riverbed grasslands looked like a study in cool grays and soft browns. After we walked awhile, we began to see the wonderfully bold bits of color in the landscape. These are some of my pics from our hike.

photo credit: J

beady idea: ornament, sun catcher, package decoration

2011-12-02T08:00:00.005-05:00

Tree Ornament

This quick and easy project as several possibilities for use. You can use them as holiday ornaments, hang one in the window as a sun catcher, or use them to decorate gift packages. To tell you the true story, the first version of this I created was a bit larger in circumference, and turned into a bangle bracelet.

I started with an assortment of colors of 22 gauge craft wire. I found this Darice brand wire at JoAnn Fabric and Crafts, $2.49 per roll, and the day I shopped, the wire was 40% off.

The wire to form the circle-shaped base is about a 14 gauge. I wanted a more casual, rustic look, so I used some old fence wire we had on a spool in the garage.

I cut a 6 inch piece of thick wire and formed the circle frame with a 2 inch diameter. Leaving a 1 inch overlap of wire where the circle closes, I cut away any excess wire.With a piece of 22-gauge wire about 2 feet long, I wrapped the overlapping part of the circle to hold it closed. Then, I strung a bead on the wire. As I experimented, I found I preferred beads that were 6mm and smaller for this project. The green beads are 6mm Peridot Picasso Renaissance Cathedral, the red beads are a 4x3mm Tiaria crystal faceted rondelle in Cherry Berry AB.

Sun catcher

With a bead strung on the 22 gauge wire, I wrapped the wire twice around the frame, and then added another bead. Another two wraps, another bead, until I got back to where I began. To finish, I wrapped the wire a few times to secure, cut away the excess, and pinched in any rough edges with a chain nose (needle nose) pliers.

The hanger is a 8-inch piece of 22-gauge wire, folded in half. The beaded circle hangs in the fold of the piece of hanger wire. I threaded an 8x5mm faceted rondelle over the doubled wire, and then shaped the wire into a hook-style hanger.

view of the overlapped frame wire secured with 22 gauge wire

The version of this project that turned into a bangle bracelet is made using the same steps, without the hanger. The inside diameter of the bangle bracelet is about 3 inches. The beads are 4x3mm Tiaria faceted rondelles in Cherry Berry AB from guess where? Yepper, Beads by C from beads and botanicals.

the accidental bracelet

easy peasy peppermint candy

2011-12-01T13:09:00.002-05:00

I adapted this from a candy recipe in my trusty Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook. Well, it's not so new....the copyright date on my copy is 1996.

Easy Peasy Peppermint Candy

Ingredients

1/3 cup chocolate mint candy pieces or semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Andes mint pieces)
1 pound vanilla flavored candy coating (Michigan readers, Meijer's CandiQuick works well)
6 candy canes, finely crushed, enough for 3/4 cup

Directions

Line a cookie sheet with foil and set aside.

Unwrap 6 regular size candy canes and place in zip-style plastic freezer bag. Using a hammer, gently pound the candy canes until they are in fine pieces about the same size as uncooked oatmeal.

In microwave safe bowl, heat the chocolate mint pieces on full power for 30 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir. Heat more as needed, 15 seconds at a time, until thoroughly melted. Set aside.

In large (2 quart or more) microwave safe bowl, heat the vanilla candy coating on full power for 60 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir. Heat more as needed, 60 seconds at a time, until thoroughly melted.

Stir candy cane pieces into melted vanilla candy coating, and pour all onto the foil lined baking sheet. Spread with a rubber spatula until mixture is 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick. (This quantity of mixture is not enough to cover the entire baking sheet.)

Drizzle melted chocolate mint over the top, then use a thin metal spatula or knife to cut through the melted chocolate mint to create a marbled look (or create whatever appearance you'd like it to have).

Place cookie sheet in the fridge for 30 minutes until candy is firm. When firm, remove foil from cookie sheet and carefully break the finished peppermint candy into pieces.

Please stop back tomorrow for a new beady idea.

beady idea

2011-11-29T05:00:00.008-05:00

These earrings were made with some of my current favorite beads in the shop: 4x6mm Czech glass baby bell flower beads in siam ruby vega, and 6mm renaissance cathedral beads in crystal clear celsian (celsian is a golden color ab-style finish).

The bottom section is five flower bead drops linked together, with the middle drop of the five connected to the bottom of a drop with a single renaissance cathedral bead.

Happy beading.

december calendar

2011-11-27T17:08:00.006-05:00

Blogger has changed the way it handles pictures, so when I post a calendar here, there doesn't seem to be an easy way to enlarge it so you can read what it says. I'll post this list on the Carla's December Calendar page too (see tabs above) so you'll have it to refer to if you'd like.

December Calendar Highlights

(Tuesday, November 29, I'll post some pics of an earring project)

Friday, December 2
I'll post a beady idea here on the blog. This easy-to-make project works well as a holiday tree ornament, a gift embellishment, or as a sun catcher.

Monday, December 12
I'll post a beady idea here on the blog for a holiday party bracelet idea, and have a kit available in the Etsy shop.

Thursday, December 15
Out of the office today. Orders received will ship the next day.

Friday, December 23 - Sunday, December 25
Our house hosts a few days of festivities, so I'll be closing the Beads by C from beads and botanicals Etsy shop for a few days to enjoy time with family.

Monday, December 26
The Etsy shop re-opens and I'll post a 25% off coupon code to use on December 27 and 28

Tuesday, December 27 and Wednesday, December 28
Use the coupon code posted on 12/26 for 25% off in the Beads by C from beads and botanicals Etsy shop

beady idea

2011-11-25T12:58:00.000-05:00

I've shown you this idea a time or two before, and here it is again with some new combination ideas. I like this idea for several reasons: it showcases beads that I like a lot and want to use in a way that doesn't let them get lost in a design, it is economical to make, the result is high quality and very durable, and because there is some give to the size, it makes a great gift.

I start with three 12-inch lengths of Stretch Magic elastic stringing material. I like .8 mm size, and .7, which is more commonly available in craft supply stores, also works well. Then, I string 8 inches of beads on each of the lengths of elastic. I generally modify the length by 1/2 inch increments at a time depending on the build of the woman I'm making the gift for.

To tie, I use a couple of square knots tied on top of one another, and then pull the knot so tight you'd think the elastic would break. The knots shrink down to a size where they are hard to see, and when you set the bracelet down on your work surface, the knots don't creep open. (If they creep pull the knot tighter.) Then I cat the knot with craft glue, any type of craft clue that dries clear and is free of acetone, a chemical that causes the elastic to become brittle and the knot to break. I use E6000 (available at fabric and craft supply stores), Diamond Glaze (also available at some craft stores), or GS Hypo Cement (available in some craft supply stores and easy to find online.

I link each strand to the next before knotting, forming a linked chain that keeps the strands grouped together when the bracelet is worn.

The design time for this project is short because once I choose the beads to use for the bracelet, the design work is over. Each strand is a length of one type of bead.

The bracelet in the top photo uses 5x7 Opaque Jet Black Full Picasso (50 pcs), 4mm Golden Sage Luster (50 pcs), and 4mm Soft Aqua Stone Luster (50 pcs, out of stock, but will be getting more).

The combinations above are

1. 6mm Beige Picasso Flat Square (50 pcs, you'll have some left over), 6mm Aquamarine Renaissance Picasso (50 pcs, you'll have some left over, but 25 pcs isn't enough), and 4mm Golden Sage Luster (50 pcs).

2. 4mm Pink Purple Bronze Luster (50 pcs), 6mm Crystal Celsian Renaissance Picasso (50 pcs, you'll have some left over, but 25 pcs isn't enough), and 4mm Brown Picasso druk (100 pcs, you'll have quite a few left over, and these are very versatile beads that could be used for other projects.)

3. 4mm Black Silver Picasso (50 pcs), 6mm Brown Iris Flat Square (50 pcs, you'll have some left over), 6x4mm Tiaria Crystal Jet Black Rondelle (48 pcs).

Happy beading!

the code

2011-11-25T05:00:00.003-05:00

If you have shopping to do this weekend at Beads by C from beads and botanicals, enter 1STCLASSFREE11 in the coupon code box at the Etsy checkout to activate shipping on your order. The code is active from now until the end of the day on Sunday.

the last bouquet

2011-11-23T13:46:00.000-05:00

I'm guessing this will be the last flower bouquet from this year's garden. I gathered these stems from the row of daylilies that grows along the east edge.

I am thankful for the time you share with me here. Happy Thanksgiving.

First thing Friday morning, I'll post a free shipping coupon code here to use Friday through Sunday in the Beads by C from beads and botanicals Etsy shop.

beady idea: Ottawa Dunes Necklace

2011-11-21T05:00:00.001-05:00

This project is a wonderful way to use up odds and ends from your bead stash. And of course, if you'd like to make one just like this, there are kits available in the Etsy shop.

I started with a piece of 49-strand Softflex beading wire. The wire had been used for a longer necklace project, and I didn't discover a mistake in that necklace until after I crimped the crimp beads. This beady idea calls for an 8-inch piece of Softflex, making it a nice place to use wire left from other projects that didn't go quite right.

It's no big secret that Czech glass beads most definitely have my attention. The unique finishes work well in earthy and casual designs, and Czech glass beads offer a wide variety of colors and shapes.

From my Czech glass bead stash, I chose the 8mm baroque shape cut-thru beads to be the stars of the show. I used one in each of five colors, dusty pink, green, blue, orange and garnet. To tell you the truth, deciding which of those five beads would be positioned where was the part of the design that took me more time than any other part of the project. If you prefer symmetry in your project, you could find a focal bead to use at the center, and then evenly space two matching beads on either side of it.

I beaded the center section on the Softflex wire, and ended up with about 4.5 inches of strung beads. I attached each end of the beaded segment to an 8-inch piece of chain. I used a 3mm base metal antique brass tone unsoldered round link chain. Since many base metal chains are unsoldered, I used extra care when pulling the beads snug on the beading wire while I was crimping the wire to the chain.

The clasp is a base metal lobster claw attached to the chain with a 4x7mm oval jump ring. I used the same size oval jump ring on the other side to serve as the loop for the lobster claw to clasp to.

These photos are of the hiking trails at Ottawa Dunes, the place that inspired the natural style of the necklace.

I took these photos only five weeks ago. Look at all those green leaves on the trees!

Happy beading.

november beach and weekend wish

2011-11-18T05:00:00.003-05:00

Here are a few photos from a hike at a county park.

I wish you a wonderful weekend. See you back here next week.

schedule change: ottawa dunes necklace

2011-11-17T14:24:00.000-05:00

It sounds like there are some beaders who would like to start working on this beady idea over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. It makes me smile to know folks are looking forward to it!

The Ottawa Dunes Necklace beady idea will appear here on Monday, November 21, instead of November 30 as the calendar says. Kits will be available beginning November 21 too.

the beady photo process

2011-11-16T05:00:00.017-05:00

Natural light seems to work best for taking photos of beads, so this time of year, when clear sunny day comes along, it's time to re-arrange the schedule as much as possible to make time to take photos of newly arrived beads.

Where I set up to take photos depends on the time of year and time of day. On a sunny morning in November, the "Little Yard," an area of the yard we have fenced for the dogs to enjoy the sunshine, serves as the photo studio.

The door from our garage into the house is the most used entrance to our house. I head up the stairs from my "garden level" office, and out through the back garage door to the Little Yard.

Beads gathered, tables set up, tray with ruler and penny for size reference, and my trusty white Fiestaware two-part plate handy (the plate is supposed to go under the cream pitcher and sugar bowl), it's time to get started.

If the bead is a new size and style, I'll take quite a few photos of it from different angles. If the bead is a size and shape I've carried in the shop before, I'll take about four shots, two shots from two different angles.

Once the photos are taken, I download my work to the computer, select the shots that look best, crop and edit them, reduce the file sizes, and add labels or watermarks where needed.

Ta-da! A picture of beads, ready for the Etsy shop.

beads of the day

2011-11-15T07:07:00.001-05:00

This is the second Bead of the Day day we've had in November. This time, I thought I'd select a group of beads that could be combined with each other. All four would work together in a design, or a combination of two or three. These beads are 50% off in the Etsy shop today only. Look for listings that say BODT. I'll place them at the top of the page for easy locating, and will restock them while supplies last.

sunday evening

2011-11-13T20:27:00.008-05:00

I'm at my desk this evening getting ready for the week ahead. New beads arrived on Friday, more are on the way, and I'm placing yet another order tomorrow. Here's hoping for some sunshine this week so I can get photos of all the new beads!

Beads have been going to their new homes at a rapid pace. The parts of my desk and office that I am fussy about keeping organized have a distinctly "worked-in" look to them. It creates a happy blend of feeling a bit frazzled and mostly giddy with gratitude for wonderful customers and strong and steady sales. In my daydreams, I'll get my paperwork and bead processing areas tidied up, and my calendar and to-do list neatly organized yet this evening. Conflicting daydreams include baggy yoga pants, a comfy sweatshirt, a cup of Tazo's Calm tea and a half hour or so in front of a syndicated sitcom. Maybe I'll do both?

Tuesday, November 15th is Bead of the Day day. I'll be marking one or more styles of beads 50% off for that day only and will give you the scoop here on the blog.

old mittens

2011-11-10T05:00:00.003-05:00

Every once in awhile I purchase something that becomes near and dear to me, long after its expected length of use has expired. These mittens came from Herbergers, which means I was living in Nebraska when I bought them. I think my total investment was $12.99. From my best guestimates, I purchased them between 8 and 10 years ago.

By four years ago, I had burned (melted) a golf ball size hole in the palm of one of the right mitten, forgetting to use a pot holder when I reached for the grill basket one winter evening. The inside of the thumbs had gone threadbare and had worn through in several places. Fortunately, these mittens had a thin inside lining and continued to do their best to keep the cold and snow at bay.

My old mittens became my grown-up, wintertime security blanket. Softer with every year I wore them, they warmed my chilled hands after a long day at work, and kept my fingers toasty when they grasped the handle of the snowblower or pulled on my snowboots for a trip to the grocery store on a dark January evening.

The holes and threadbare fabric allowed more and more cold air and snow inside them. I received a gift certificate about three Christmases ago to a sports gear store and bought two new wonderful pairs of mittens. I wore the new ones in public and like them a lot....and never could pitch the old pair. I kept wearing them, hoping nobody would notice the condition of my old mittens.

Last year, I tried again. J and I went to a winter sports shop full of high-quality clothes and sporting gear. We splurged and bought our snowshoes, and I purchased what I hoped would be my next favorite pair of, this time, gloves. Before we left the shop, I realized I didn't have my favorite old mittens in my pocket. I considered leaving them behind for a moment. Had they been turned in, I didn't know if I'd have the courage to tell the classy sales person the mittens that looked like they'd been eaten by someone's puppy, then run through a paper shredder, dropped in a puddle of gray slushy snow, and finally run over by a car, were mine. And I loved them. I asked. No one had turned in my old mittens. I felt sick. We took our newly-purchased snowshoes and my intended favorite new gloves to the car. We unlocked the car and there they were. My old mittens!

I wore the new gloves a few times, they were big, bulky and didn't make me feel all better the way my old mittens did. Fortunately, I still had my old mittens.

Last Spring, I put my old mittens away with the rest of the winter gear. This fall, when the weather stared to cool off and I needed something to keep my hands warm one day, my trusty old mittens were at the top of the storage tote. Why dig further for the ones without holes?

Knowing I could no longer get away with wearing these mittens in public places if I needed people to believe that I have some sense of a tidy appearance, the lightbulb went on. The answer was simple! Why hadn't I thought of it before?? Art mittens!

A 1/4 yard of bright-print polar fleece and some size 5 DMC floss later, my old mittens were enhanced to their wild and crazy new glory. To make the whole thing look "planned," I stitched a bit of the fabric onto the back of one mitten too.

I adore my old mittens. And I'm most pleased that they are ready to go with me into another winter.

beady idea: winter garden bracelet

2011-11-09T07:29:00.002-05:00

This project idea was inspired by the beads below, and those beads didn't end up in the final design. Funny how that works. I liked the subtle pinks in that bead, and had them in mind when I was placing an order for new Czech beads. The new beads arrived, and the bits of amethyst purple in the beads I started with didn't work into the design as well as I had thought, so I set them aside to use in another project, another time.

I liked the idea of using both white (silver) and yellow (antique brass) metal. It gives the bracelet some texture, and for those who like to match their jewelry metals, it makes it easy to wear the bracelet with other jewelry in silver or gold. Since it is a time of year where many folks have gift giving in mind, a subtle color palette and the mixed metal colors would add versatility to the finished bracelet. The charm bracelet style is another feature that makes this project well suited for gift giving--the wearer can adjust the length to her size.

the kit

The technique is basic drop beading: beads are placed on a thick head pin, the pin cut to a shorter length, and a round nose pliers used to create a loop for connecting the drop (dangle) to the base chain. I limited myself to three general colors when I selected the beads: sage greens, earthy browns, and dusty pinks. I wanted a hodge-podge of texture with bits of visual interest, like the words, acorn, bird and bee charms, with a specific color scheme to pull it all together.

This is a photo for the instruction sheet.
I enhanced the colors in this photo to make bead sorting easier for
those working with the kit.
(The photo in the kit is MUCH larger than this one.)

Another photo from the instruction sheet that goes with the kit.

I evenly spaced the charms, love, believe, a bee, acrorns, and a bird, at five points along the bracelet. I added the larger drops and the drops made from Czech glass baby bell flowers in a sequence on every other link of the bracelet. When I was finished with those, I alternated drops made from the Czech glass square beads in dusty pink and a sage green on the links of the bracelet that were still empty. The end result is a bracelet that has something on every link of the chain.

The Winter Garden Bracelet

There is a limited quantity of kits for this bracelet available in the beadsandbotanicals Etsy shop.

This kit took by far the most time to develop of any of the beady ideas and kits that have appeared here this fall, and I've enjoyed every minute of it. I hope you like it too.

Happy beading!

from the oven

2011-11-06T15:22:00.000-05:00

Mom and my sister K spent the weekend with me. J was traveling, so it was a perfect time for a girls weekend. We had a blast, and spent a good part of Saturday afternoon making goodies for upcoming gatherings and a bake sale. The weather was beautiful, so we took our bowls full of Rolos and Hershey's Hugs out to the deck and soaked up some sunshine while we unwrapped the candies for the pretzel treats.

winter garden

2011-11-04T12:09:00.004-04:00

The garden is tucked in for the winter. I may yet add some leaves to the soil in the vegetable area, and there is one feisty plant that insists on blooming with bold purple flowers long after all the rest of the posies have called it quits for this year. The solar lights that line the paths are stashed away in well-worn galvanized buckets in the basement storage room, the rusty woven-wire tomato cages are stacked along the cedar picket fence, and the gold finches are working harder to find the last of the Black Eyed Susan seeds. The mornings are frosty, and this morning, I noticed the arrival of dark-eyed Juncos at the bird feeder.

This summer I became very attached to my garden. After two seasons of digging, dividing, weeding and wondering if I'd ever restore it to its former keeper's beautiful design, this third season was finally time for me to add paths, and place an arbor that J and I built in the garage one rainy afternoon.

I still grin when I think of the spectacle it must have been for neighbors to watch he and me carry the finished arbor, 6-feet tall and made of recently treated lumber, from the garage to the garden, two steps, then put it down and rest, two more steps, and another rest. The rain was chilly, the garden soil was muddy, and generously, J helped me get that arbor installed anyway. He cheerfully endured the usual, "No, a little to the south, no, maybe it needs to move a few inches toward the road. Okay. It looks good right there. Well, maybe the left side needs to shift toward the east....."

This year I mustered the courage to dig out more and more plants to make room for the paths, and make room for the remaining plants to breathe fresh air. I dug out so much I wondered if anything would grow. By June, the plants that stayed put on their best blossom show ever, and they seemed to grow by the minute. There were a lot of long hot days digging and weeding, with my Ipod blaring tunes I'd never admit to listening to, at volumes I'm sure scientists and health practitioners would disapprove of. I'd have to come out of my music and weeding zen from time to time to be sure I wasn't doing some sort of middle-aged-woman-grooving-to-tunes dance moves out there in the middle of the yard.

This time of year, the garden still hints at shades of green, and occasional sun- and wind-bleached Coneflower blossoms add soft pinkish purple color to the backdrop of sandy browns. I still feel compelled to go to the garden every few days and walk along the paths. I admire those perennial clumps of sandy brown and gray-green foliage with feelings similar to looking at a photo of beloved friends. The feeling surprises me for a minute, then makes me think (yet again) that I'm a little odd. Soon the memories of the flowers, and thoughts of days digging in the dirt under the sun are too pleasant to think about anything else.

I placed an order from a new-to-me vendor that specializes in Czech glass beads, planning to use some of the beads in a November project idea design that was inspired by the garden. I wasn't sure the beads would arrive in time, but the friendly Fed Ex guy did his part, and delivered the beads last evening. I finished the project sample this morning, and couldn't wait to show you the pictures. The how-to-make-it details will post here on the blog on Wednesday, November 9.

Winter Garden Bracelet

This morning's heavy frost has melted away, the birds are singing, and the sunshine is beautiful. I think I'll go take a walk in the garden.

Happy weekend.

sneak peek

2011-11-03T08:13:00.000-04:00

Ottawa Dunes Necklace

November's beady ideas are designed with gift giving in mind, and you may want to make one for yourself too. Both projects, one is a bracelet, the other, this necklace, are constructed to offer the wearer adjustable sizing.

I'm waiting for a new order of Czech beads to arrive to complete the example of the other project. I hope those will arrive today (because I can't wait to see them in person!) so I'll have a sneak peek of the second project here sometime soon.

November's beady ideas and kits will post on November 9 and November 30.

wild wednesday

2011-11-02T06:38:00.001-04:00

Update: The next discounted bead(s) of the day will appear here and in the Etsy shop on Terrific Tuesday, November 15.

As the November calendar says, November 2 is Wild Wednesday. That means there is a Bead of the Day in the Etsy shop. Actually, there are four beads of the day marked 50% off until 10 p.m. eastern time today, while supplies last. I'll keep them at the top of the front page of the Beads by C from beads and botanicals Etsy shop so they are easier to find. Look for listings that say BOTD.

deck the halls

2011-11-01T09:15:00.000-04:00

before

I help with a holiday-time fundraiser at our local museum. One of the several events is a silent auction of door decorations, table top centerpieces, and mantle decorations. The silent auction begins in mid-November. Last Saturday afternoon was wonderfully sunny, so I took my sticks and twigs project out to the table on the deck to enjoy plenty of space to work, and the sunshine and fresh air too.

after

apple cake

2011-10-30T21:52:00.004-04:00

There is a family-owned apple orchard a 30 minute drive from our house. This farm sells apples by the crate- and truck-load to the grocery market. Close to the main house on the farm, there is a lovely little barn open for retail sales of apples, squash and fresh cider. The prices are crazy low, the apples are beautiful, and there is a wonderful variety of apples for baking, eating fresh, and making sauce.

We eat a lot of fresh fruit at our house, so most apples are cut into pieces, tossed into a bowl and go on the table at meal time. Every once in awhile, the apples make it into something baked. Here's a recipe I've used several times this fall. It's quick and easy and it gets eaten up quickly. I've seen several versions of this cake recipe. A friend shared a similar recipe with me several years ago, and I lost track of it. This recipe is adapted from one that appeared on Taste of Home's website.

Apple Cake

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2 1/2 cups chopped, peeled tart apples*
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

*I don't measure the apples. Instead, I peel and chop two large apples and use whatever quantity that turns out to be. I've been using Pippin apples, they are green, and not quite as tart as a Granny Smith apple. Any apple suitable for baking will work nicely.

Preheat oven to 350

With a mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in egg, then flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add apples and walnuts, and mix until the apples start to break up, creating enough moisture to make a lumpy batter.

Spread into greased 8x8 inch pan. Bake 30 - 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serve plain, with ice cream, or for an extra-delicious dessert, serve with caramel sauce drizzled over the top.

week in review

2011-10-28T11:56:00.004-04:00

I began the week by saying farewell to dear friends who had driven many miles to spend a long weekend with us. We had a wonderful time and I miss them already. (This rose was one of a few still blooming at the botanical gardens we visited last weekend.)

A new shipment of Czech beads arrived late the week before, and Monday's light conditions were excellent for getting photos of the new beads. Took and edited lots of pics and listed the new beads in the Etsy shop.

On Wednesday, J and I celebrated our 10th anniversary. As we like to do, we kept it low key and casual. We purchased new storm windows for the basement (the year before, we bought a generator, at my request--exciting, huh?), and ordered take out pizza for dinner.

On Thursday, I was thrilled with the wonderful feedback about the Pigeon River Bracelet kit. The first stock of them sold out in a hurry, and once I got caught up with packing orders, I worked on a revised version of the kit to include spacers I still have in stock.

I had many opportunities to take pictures this week. I took zillions (a rough estimate) of pics of beads for my regular job, and I have a new volunteer job one morning a week where I get to take pictures of the outdoors. Luv it!

I finished up the November calendar and posted it on the calendar page of this blog. I started working on some prototypes for November's beady ideas, and restocked and added more new beads to the Etsy shop.

A few weeks ago, my application to purchase beads from a specialized Czech glass bead wholesaler was approved. I placed my first order with them this week and can't wait to get the new beads. I'm hoping they will arrive soon, because there are some I'd like to include in a November beady idea.

Friends and family, beads, plenty of work to do and many opportunities to take pictures. That's what I call a good week! I hope yours has been a good one too.

Happy weekend!

beady idea: pigeon river bracelet

2011-10-27T07:44:00.002-04:00

This Pigeon River bracelet is made with basic stringing techniques. The base wire is 49-strand Softflex beading wire. The bracelet is finished with a silver plated lobster claw clasp, a sterling silver soldered jump ring, and sterling silver 2x2mm crimp tubes.

I chose that particular beading wire for durability and strength on a bracelet I'll probably wear frequently, and in outdoor activity settings.

I chose the silver plated base metal clasp to avoid the higher cost of a sterling silver lobster claw clasp, and I've been happy with the quality of this particular base metal clasp. I chose a sterling silver soldered jump ring because I've not had luck finding a soldered base metal jump ring. An unsoldered jump ring used in a clasp application often comes loose from the bracelet wire after being worn a few times.

Sterling silver crimp tubes are nearly always my choice, because sterling silver is a strong, easy-to-work with metal. Base metal crimp tubes often become brittle and shatter when, or soon after, being crimped.

The Pigeon River

All of the beads in this design are Czech glass. The rondelles are 3x5mm, 4x7mm, and 8x5mm. The round beads are 4 mm, and the daisy spacers have a 4 mm diameter.

The spacers are a base metal daisy spacer. I am willing to pay for higher priced base metal beads to get a product I can count on to last. When I was designing this project, I purchased two quality levels of daisy spacers to consider for the kit. Then, I put the spacers through my version of durability testing. Using two pairs of needle nose pliers, I see how easy it is to damage the product. With the higher priced base metal daisy spacers (which are in the kit), I was able to bend the spacer only by using a pliers in each hand and applying significant pressure to the spacer. Even when the daisy spacer began to bend, the "petals" did not break off. With the lower priced daisy spacers (which are now in the trash), a small amount of pressure from the pliers caused the daisy "petals" to come off.

The color selection and design took time. I began with shades of brown and green. Then I added turquoise, pumpkin, and a bit of golden yellow to accent the earth tones. Then expermented with some other options that might add one more pop of color to the design, and chose some deep purple rondelles.

To place the beads in the design, I focused on whether the bead looked nice with the bead immediately next to it. When it came time to place the purple bead, I wasn't quite sure where to add it. Turquoise and purple are fairly close neighbors on the color wheel (analogous colors), so I made them neighbors on the bracelet, and liked the results.

If you like this specific design, there are kits available in the Etsy shop. Or, use the idea to the idea to inspire a creation from beads in your stash.

Happy beading!

The Pigeon River

Pigeon River Bracelet

birds and beads

2011-10-25T05:00:00.003-04:00

Saw this handsome creature in the tropical conservatory at Meijer Gardens.

New color of 6x4mm Tiaria crystals added to the shop: Peacock Teal Blue.

This amazing bird was in one of the ponds in the outdoor botanical and sculpture gardens at Meijer Gardens.

New 5x8mm Czech marbled green Picasso rondelles, added to the Etsy shop yesterday.

weekend wrap-up

2011-10-24T07:43:00.002-04:00

J and I spent the weekend with dear friends. They drove a long way to visit us, and we appreciate it so much. We hadn't seen each other for a year, yet when we got together again, it was like we were never apart. It was a wonderful few days filled with fun and laughter, pumpkin carving, long walks in the woods, and a vist to the sculpture and botanicals gardens.

The Etsy shop is re-opened after being closed for a few days off. This week, I'll be taking photos and listing the new Czech and crystal beads that arrived late last week, and getting the next beady idea, the Pigeon River Bracelet, ready to show you on Thursday.

I hope you have a great Monday.

schedule notes for the shop

2011-10-19T08:17:00.002-04:00

I'm taking a few days off to enjoy a visit from dear friends. Here's the shop schedule through the first of next week. For a larger view, click on the leaf.

I'll be back next week with a beady idea, new crystal and Czech beads, and more.

green

2011-10-18T08:09:00.000-04:00

This time of year, I like to admire the forest floor. The delicate ferns don't often make it past the first frost, so the tiniest of plants shine green above the blanket of fallen autumn leaves and the gray-brown logs where they build their homes.

This is a new shade of 4mm green Czech Firepolish bead I added to the shop yesterday. The supplier calls it a turquoise green, but I see it as a moss green. Either way, it is beautiful.

Check out the detail in these tiny little plants. The pine needles look large in comparison. Amazing.

Schedule note: I'll be closing the Etsy shop for a few days to enjoy a visit from dear friends. I'll put the shop into "vacation mode" Wednesday, October 19th at about 5 p.m. eastern time and reopen first thing Monday morning, October 24.

weekend wrap up

2011-10-16T23:22:00.002-04:00

the show venue, during set up time

Saturday was a work day. I was wonderfully busy with customers all day, and had a blast talking with people about their creative work, whether jewelry making, weaving, or collage fiber arts.

my table

My fabulous day at the bead show was followed by an interesting adventure. On my drive home, I got a flat tire on about the worst stretch of interstate a girl could get stranded on, by herself, daylight waning, with a bunch of bead show cash in the car. Worse, the compact lug nut wrench that came with my car wasn't enough to free the lug nuts so I could change the tire. I was in a pickle for sure.

Then a little miracle happened. A few minutes after I realized I was stuck with no way to change the tire, a speedy little burgundy European station wagon was pulled over by a State Trooper, not far from where I was stranded. When the Trooper finished with the traffic stop, he took the time to change my tire for me. I was stunned, and so very, very grateful. He was patient, courteous, and when the wheel wouldn't come free from the car, he was resourceful. He said he wished he had a hammer, but he didn't. So instead, he went to the cruiser and came back with a fire fighter's axe. One well-aimed strike with the axe and the wheel came off easily so he could put the spare tire on. (I've written a letter to his commanding officer. I want to be sure Trooper W's work doesn't go unnoticed.)

Sunday included church, errands, paperwork, unpacking from the show, and J and I took a couple of hours during the afternoon to hike some trails we'd not walked before.

We chose a hike that was about three miles long. The fresh air and the beautiful scenery did the trick. We came home refreshed and ready to tackle the new week.

gratitude

2011-10-14T07:58:00.000-04:00

I am so thankful for flowers and trees and leaves and water. They inspire me. A little time outdoors re-charges my creative battery and refreshes my perspective. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to walk along the Pigeon River. During my walk, and a quick look through a reference book or two at the nature center, I learned a lot.

I learned that watching a leaf float downstream is a wonderful way to detatch from the hustle and bustle of every day life.

I learned that during World War II, people collected the "fluff" from milkweed, and even began growing it, to use the white fuzzy stuff to fill life preservers and flight suits. Apparently, it is lighter in weight than wool, and since it grows wild, it was an inexpensive and useful resource.

I learned that while I adore Lake Michigan, I'm becoming awfully fond of the Pigeon River.

I learned that the Witch Hazel tree is unusual in two ways. First, these yellow flowers bloom in late fall and early winter, instead of spring, when most trees bloom. Second, this tree doesn't just drop seeds to assure that new trees grow, a Witch Hazel tree has the ability to shoot out seeds up to 30 feet away to be sure that there is plenty of space for the new trees too. I think I'd like to see that sometime.

Happy weekend.

beady idea: harvest necklace

2011-10-13T07:50:00.001-04:00

While the holidays still seem like a long way off, it can't hurt to start thinking about some easy-to-make gifts. This Harvest Necklace project can be easily adapted to the beads you have in your stash to create a pendant necklace in any color scheme.

This necklace uses basic stringing technique, and as I've mentioned before, 49 strand Softflex is my very favorite multi-purpose stringing material. For this necklace, I used the bronze color Softflex to coordinate with the findings.

I started with a 24 inch piece of Softflex and about 120 4mm Czech druk (round glass) beads. To keep things simple, I selected druk beads in five different shades, strung one in each color, then repeated the same pattern of five beads through the necklace. You could keep the necklace super-simple and use one color of small bead.

For the pendant on this Harvest Necklace, and the kits for it that I made for the Etsy shop, I took a photo, printed it on quality photo paper, cut it out, and glazed it into a pendant tray topped with glass. It was a technique I've been learning a bit about, and I thought it would be fun to have a custom-created pendant made specifically for this kit. Any pendant will work. You might also prefer to use an interesting focal bead at the center, instead of a pendant. The picture in the pumpkin pendant has softer edges because of the glaze and glass, it almost looks more like an illustration than a photo.

Since necklace length preferences and fit are different from person to person, an extender chain is a handy touch for a necklace given as a gift. Extenders are easy to do. Attach the lobster claw clasp on one end of the necklace, as usual, and then on the other end, instead of a jump ring, crimp the beading wire to a piece of chain, about 2 inches long. A link size of 4x6mm works well with most lobster claw clasps. To give the chain an extra finishing touch, a beaded dangle can be added to the end of the extender chain.

I made my Harvest Neklace 18 inches long plus the 2 inch extender for when I want to wear it longer, over a sweater or something like that. The kit has enough beads to make the necklace 20 - 21 inches long before adding the 2 inch extender chain.

Would you like to see the kit? Click here to stop in the Beads by C from beads and botanicals Etsy shop.

Happy beading!

bead show

2011-10-11T15:40:00.000-04:00

One of this week's projects is to finish getting ready for this Saturday's bead show. I think I'm making good progress, and there is still plenty do to. This is the first big city bead show I've done since moving to Michigan, so I'm excited to see what is is like. The picture is of some of the gemstone and crystal mixes I'm making up for the show.

autumn

2011-10-07T17:01:00.002-04:00

The leaves are starting to turn, the red and gold among the green offer a preview of the autumn color yet to come. The weather has been beautiful. After a fast-moving, busy week, I'm looking forward to some weekend time outdoors.

Happy weekend.

beady idea: spooktacular bracelet

2011-10-06T07:50:00.002-04:00

This Spooktacular bracelet is the first of the three October beady ideas and kits. Feel free to use this idea with beads and supplies from your own stash, or stop in the Etsy shop for a kit to make one just like this. (If you get to the Etsy shop and they are sold out, please contact me. I may have supplies for more kits.)

This bracelet uses a base chain in antique silver tone base metal. The oval-shape links are about 6 x 4 mm. Attached to the chain is a 5x7mm silver tone jump ring to connect the 7x11mm antique silver tone lobster claw clasp to the chain.

The beads

8x5mm Jet Black Tiaria crystal rondelle
8x5mm Bittersweet Orange Tiaria crystal rondelle
6x4mm Jet Black Tiaria crystal rondelle
3x5mm Hyacinth Orange AB Czech glass rondelle
4x3mm Metallic Purple Tiaria crystal rondelle
4x3mm Opaque Caution Orange Tiaria crystal rondelle

16 of each type of bead should be plenty to make this bracelet in the most common bracelet sizes (6.75 inches- 8.5 inches)

For this project, I used a basic drop beading technique to form a loop at the top of a thick headpin instead of a full wire wrapped loop. For a drop beading tutorial posted on this blog, click here.

If you look at the picture above, you'll see four headpins with beads. Beginning closest to the clasp, I added beads to the chain as follows: the first drop went on the first chain link, the second drop went on the second chain link, the third AND fourth drops, went on the third chain link. Then I repeated the pattern to the desired bracelet length.

Since I was using Halloween colors, I added a Jack-o-lantern charm using a 5x7mm jump ring.

Happy beading!

sunflowers

2011-10-05T15:33:00.004-04:00

A long-time dear friend called me today on her lunch hour. I was recategorizing inventory in the shop, so the call was a welcome break. She was struggling with some challenging situations in her life. During the course of our conversation, a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt came up. It reminded me of how much I enjoy the former First Lady's quotes and wisdom. Here are two quotes among many, attributed to E.R., I like a lot.

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.

~Eleanor Roosevelt~

I'll be back here tomorrow with the first October project idea.

october beady idea schedule

2011-10-03T15:25:00.001-04:00

Here's the schedule for October's beady project ideas and kits. On the dates listed, these project ideas are scheduled to appear on the blog, and kits with general instructions will be ready to go and available in the Etsy shop.

Another October Schedule Note the Beads by C from beads and botanicals Etsy shop will be closed from 5:00 p.m. Wednesday October 19 through first thing Monday morning, October 24.

Project idea dates are noted below each photo. I hope you'll stop in to check them out.

Spooktacular Bracelet

Spooktacular Bracelet: Thursday, October 6

Harvest Necklace

Harvest Necklace: Thursday, October 13

Pigeon River Bracelet

Pigeon River Bracelet: Thursday, October 27

CROP walk

2011-10-02T20:00:00.001-04:00

I participated in a CROP Walk today. Since I'm not always very courageous about asking people for donations, I decided to make a necklace, and break the ice by asking people if they'd donate to have their name on a wild necklace I would make to wear when I walked.

The necklace project began with each donor's first name printed on a square shape with pumpkin illustration on it. Next, the squares were cut and glued to pre-cut wood squares from the craft supply store. Then, I used a glaze (like Mod Podge or Diamond Glaze) to coat the top surface and let that dry. (If you know me, you know that I'm not terribly patient about some things, so one or two squares were botched up because I just had to touch them to see how they were coming along. Fortunately, another layer of glaze fixed it.)

When the glaze had dried 24 hours, I drilled a hole at the top and bottom of the square. Then I put a quick coat of acrylic paint on the back.

To assemble, I used base metal jump rings to connect the front portion of the necklace, and used a base metal chain to make the part that would rest behind my neck. Then, each connecting jump ring was tied with either orange ribbon or narrow bright green rick rack.

Necklace assembled, I was ready for the walk.

The weather was beautiful, there was a wonderful group of people to walk and chat with, and 25% of the funds raised go directly to a food pantry right here in our own community. The rest of the funds raised go to national and international efforts to fight hunger and poverty.

It was a great way to get some exercise, spend time with awesome people, and try to do a little bit to help those in need. CROP Walk 2011.

good morning, October

2011-10-01T09:19:00.000-04:00

I like October. A lot. Fresh apple cider, the changing leaves, tucking the garden in for its wintertime nap, woodland hikes, pumpkin carving...it's a cozy, friendly, pleasant time of year.

This October began with a trip to the farmer's market. Unseasonably chilly this morning (supposed to be sunny and 70s midweek), so the vendors had their fingerless gloves and hats on.

On the way home, I made my way through the "under (de)struction" roads that lead to the beach and lighthouse. It was worth finding my way through the orange barrel and blockade maze that will hopefully be out of the way before too long. The sun on the lighthouses was so pretty, the lake was calm, and the beach was smooth and quiet. There were a few fisher folk, a few campers, a runner here and there. What a beautiful morning.

a friday project

2011-09-30T12:06:00.001-04:00

I'm working on an earring class proposal to get it ready to submit early next week. I had lots of fun taking and editing the pictures of the samples. Now, on to the writing part. That part can be pretty enjoyable too.

Happy weekend!

sneak peek part 2

2011-09-28T09:25:00.002-04:00

The Pigeon River Bracelet

When I'm designing project ideas for the shop, the end result is often a surprise to me. Often, I'll begin with a particular color scheme idea, or a theme, or decide the piece will be a bracelet, or necklace or something else quite specific. This multi-color bracelet started out as a blue and purple zipper pull project. After designing and re-designing and re-designing some more, I had a group of beads that looked like they'd work well in a versatile, casual bracelet.

That's one of the best things about the creative process: sometimes the path it takes you on can turn out completely different than you expected. Sometimes, when I'm trying to create something very specific, that winding creative road can be a frustration. Most of the time, when I'm open to whatever might happen in the process, the results can be a pleasant surprise.

This Pigeon River Bracelet project idea and kit will be one of the three project ideas posted in October. I named it after a winding river near one of my favorite hiking trails.

sneak peek

2011-09-27T14:34:00.001-04:00

Two out of the three October beady idea projects are finished; here's a sneak peek. The above is a Spooktacular Halloween Bracelet, featuring orange, black and a touch of metallic purple Tiaria crystals, and some bold orange AB Czech glass beads. The very cute antique silver-tone jack-o-lantern charms that will go on these bracelets should be arriving very early next week--just in time.

The Harvest Necklace uses Czech druk beads in four colors, and a pendant I made from the photo I showed you in the last post. The photo is glazed under glass in an antique brass tone pendant base. The pendant-making process is new for me, and I think it will be a nice way to combine my interest in taking pictures and my interest in creating beaded jewelry. The glaze under the glass softens the edges of the picture, and adds occasional very tiny bubbles on the picture, depending on the angle you look at it. I like the look a lot--I made a few extra glaze and glass covered pumpkin pictures and attached them to magnets for the fridge.

october is almost here

2011-09-26T10:35:00.001-04:00

I like October. Newly harvested pears, apples, fresh pressed cider, pumpkins, and gourds fill the farm markets. I'm a big fan of carving jack-o-lanters with friends, and creating beady projects in the colors of Halloween and autumn. As the weather gets cooler, I like to find a weekend afternoon to dig out the box of autumn decorations and place them around the house. It's cozy, the trees are beautiful, and the stock pot comes out of the cupboard to kick off the homemade soup season.

Thank you for your wonderful support and encouragement for September calendar, project ideas and kits. October's calendar is posted. To find it, click the yellow tab at the top of this page that says "carla's october calendar." When you get there, click on the calendar for better view, and from there, you can print it, if you'd like.

There will be three project ideas and kits in October. I have a good start on all three, and hope to show them to you yet this week.

The photo above was the starting point for one October project. The pumpkin is from a scrapbook embellishment pack, the queen anne's lace blossom from the vacant lot behind the house, and the driftwood is from the little collection I keep stashed in a terra cotta pot. The photo is being created into a necklace pendant that will be part of an October kit. I'm looking forward to showing it to you when it's ready--should be in the next day or two.

back in the saddle

2011-09-24T14:03:00.002-04:00

A nearby museum is currently featuring an exhibit of sparkly costume jewelry from the early 20th century. Back in June, I had been invited to submit a class proposal for the fall class schedule to go along with the exhibit, and was thrilled and grateful the class was selected to be offered. Today was the day, and I had such a great time!

I'd been out of the class-teaching saddle for more than two years, and was a little nervous that I'd be rusty. Once the class began, things fell into place and I was too busy enjoying the process to worry about rust. All of the women who signed up for the class were so pleasant and friendly--what a wonderful group!

The class was full; I usually cap registrations at 12 people. With a larger class than that, it is difficult to provide one on one attention if class participants run into any challenges. Most were beginners to jewelry making, so we spent some time reviewing the uses of each tool that was set at each place, we reviewed the handouts that talked about the tools and supplies for the project, and the handout with photos of the steps to make a beaded drop. Then we spent a few minutes talking about how to be a savvy shopper when purchasing beading supplies.

Using the tennis ball "beads" I showed you earlier in the week, we went over the steps to making a beaded drop. Each place at the table had a "Practice Pack" of a few headpins and beads so we could go over the basic steps before beginning on the project. We practiced two different techniques so each could find the method that worked best for her.

Then the real fun began. Class participants selected from among 26 colors to make their bracelets. Some made bracelets in one color, and some used two colors, alternating each as they added beaded dangles to the base chain. Participants could choose from bright silver, antiqued silver, or antiqued brass chain and headpins. There was a variety of color combnations selected--all of which were lovely. Neutrals, especially black, charcoal, shades of brown, gray, and champagne were popular. Dark purple was popular--some combined it with black or gray, others combined it with a vintage rose pink. Bracelets in a lighter and darker shade of the same color were also a popular choice--turquoise and light aqua, kelly green with light emerald green, amethyst purple with lilac. Another fun combination was the bittersweet orange with black for a Halloween bracelet.

The supplies table had all the essentials. Beads to choose from, packages of chains with clasps, heapins, extra zippies for storing leftover beads and headpins, and organza bags for storing finished bracelets. Chocolate is an essential beading supply, isn't it?

tennis balls or beads?

2011-09-22T07:34:00.000-04:00

I've been busy getting ready to teach a beading class this weekend. Two years ago, as we were preparing for our move to our current hometown, I sold all of the tools I used to teach classes at our bead shop in our former hometown. So, I've been getting restocked on tools, creating formats for handout and instructions sheets, and other odds and ends. It's been fun to get back into the bead class groove.

My friend M is a very skilled teacher. She kindly agreed to be my "practice" student to be sure I was teaching the drop beading technique in a way that is easy to understand, and suggested that I have a larger visual to use, since a tiny bead and headpin is too small for a group to see.

I tried to think about what we might have around the house that is shaped like a bead. I thought about going to the bait shop to see about a giant fishing bobber, but hoped I could find something already on hand. Then I remembered the supply of league-used tennis balls my Dad brings for our big dog to play with. Beads. Near where those tennis balls are kept, on my little potting bench in the garage, were some metal wire and copper tag plant markers that were no longer in use. The plant markers have a thick wire. Headpins.

After locating my drill and bolt cutter, I got to work. Drilling the tennis balls was more of a challenge than I anticipated, since they are designed to resist impact. Before long, I had my three example "beads with headpins" for demonstrating the steps of making beaded drops.

Fortunately Big Dog was sleeping behind the couch and didn't notice me in his tennis ball collection. He still has his bowl full of favorites, so I think it will work out quite nicely.

project idea: haystack bracelet

2011-09-21T07:56:00.000-04:00

Earlier this month, I posted about bracelet stacks, the current bracelet-wearing trend that makes wearing multiple bracelets, matched or mis-matched, as fashionable as it is fun. This project incorporates five strands of beads that create a color coordinated look, with an easy layered look. Use your own beads using the information provided here. There is a kit with the beads used in bracelet pictured, available while supplies last, in the beadsandbotanicals Etsy shop.

The Haystack Bracelet Kit, available while supplies last, at beadsandbotanicals on Etsy.

Supplies

Enough beads to string five strands of beads, each about 7.5 inches long.
I used 4mm druk beads, 2x4mm wheel-shaped Czech glass beads, 6mm Swarovski glass pearls, and 4mm Tiaria crystal bicone beads.

Stretch elastic stringing material
I like Stretch Magic brand, in the .7 or .8 mm thickness. 1.0mm seems too thick for this project, and .5 isn't strong enough to hold up and maintain the bracelet's shape.

Glue for coating the knots tied to close off the elastic bracelet strands.
I like E6000 or GS Hypo Cement. You may wish to avoid clear nail polish and super/crazy glue products. They both contain a chemical that causes the elastic to become brittle and break.

Steps

Put a stopper on the end of a 12-inch piece of Stretch Magic elastic stringing material. You may wish to use a clamp, or piece of tape, folded over the end of the elastic. If you use a clamp, place the clamp at the very end of the stringing material to avoid damaging the elastic where beads will be strung.

String beads on the first strand. Check length for fit, add or subtract beads as needed. Then measure the length of the beaded section of this strand; you may wish to use that for reference as you string the additional strands.

Tie the elastic to form the bracelet. Tie two or three square knots (or similar) pulling the elastic tightly to secure the knot. If you put the bracelet down and the knot begins to “creep” open, pull the knot tighter. Coat the knot with craft glue.

Clamp or tape the end of another piece of elastic and string beads. Check for fit and adjust as needed. BEFORE you tie this strand, link it through the strand before it, then tie and glue.

Continue until you have a "chain" of five elastic bracelets.

Allow glue to dry for a few hours or overnight. Trim the “tails” of the knots.

The Haystack Bracelet kit is now available in the the Etsy shop. Swarovski pearls are on order and should be in stock later this week.

a visitor

2011-09-19T17:21:00.002-04:00

Goldfinch

I was walking through the house on my way to the front porch to take some pictures for this Wednesday's project idea post, and noticed this pretty girl on the ornamental grasses outside the kitchen window. She seemed interested to know if the tassel-like blooms that have recently opened up on the plants contained tasty seeds. I hope she found some so she'll stop by for a visit again.

how many beads do I need?

2011-09-15T17:09:00.011-04:00

Carpenters and other folks who work with lumber regularly know a 2x4 isn't really a 2x4. The accurate measurement is closer to 1 3/4 x 3 3/4. The 2x4 measurement applies to the piece of wood when it is first cut, and hasn't been dried down yet. The drying process shrinks the lumber to the smaller dimensions. I don't work with lumber often enough to have that information in my memory bank when I go to the store to get wood for a yard or garden project. I wish they'd have a sticker on the boards that tells me what size they really are. But who wants to say, "today I framed-in the new shed with 1 3/4s by 3 3/4s?" I guess I can see why the 2x4 name sticks.

Beads can be similar in that regard. When is a 6x4mm rondelle truly 6x4mm in size? After nearly 9 years in the bead business, I believe I can answer that question with a great deal of confidence. The answer? Sometimes.

New in the shop: Czech Glass Browns Trio

I attribute the range of variation to the large number of factories, all over the world, that process and manufacture beads. A Chinese-manufactured 8x5mm glass rondelle can be (not always) a tiny bit bigger than a Czech glass 8x6mm bead manufactured somewhere in what once was the Czech Republic. I've purchased Czech glass beads that were sold as 7x5mm and they measure a definite 8x5, almost 8x6mm. Semiprecious gemstone beads can vary a lot. The other day, I went to the back stock to pull out two strands of 4mm round Riverstone gemstone beads for a customer. These were two strands, from the same supplier, purchased at the same time, and one strand had 92 beads that were pretty darn close to 4 mm in size, according to my caliper. The other strand had nearly 100 beads, and the beads were a lot closer to 3 mm. What difference does one millimeter make?

Over the course of 100 beads, if 10 millimeters equals a centimeter, and 2 and a half or so centimeters equals an inch, it adds up to nearly 4 inches. While this is an extreme case example, that's nearly the equivalent of a half of a standard-size bracelet. While these beads were sold on the same-length strands (about 15.5 inches), if the actual bead count is important for a particular beading project, it helps to know about these potential variations, and that they are quite common...and normal. Most of the time, these differences in a millimeter are no big deal.

New in the shop: Czech Glass Greens Trio

Fortunately, beads are pretty enough and interesting enough and inspiring enough that I can overlook their little quirks. It is challenging though when you want to figure out how many beads to purchase to make a specific project.

"Hey, I like those beads," I say as I'm looking at some lovely beads online, "but how many makes a necklace?" I don't know about you, but those conversion charts (it takes this many 4 mm beads to make an inch) drive me batty. There must be an easier way.

There is. Sort of. At least for the types of beads I sell in my Etsy shop. Below, there's a bead shopping reference sheet that I hope won't require you to reach for a calculator, and I hope will make your bead shopping a bit easier. Click on it for an enlarged view, and then print it if you'd like. It's always easier to have a few extra beads than too few, so err on the side of getting a too many for your project. You can always make earrings or another coordinating piece of jewelry.

I usually remove posts after about 2 - 3 months.

heirloom rose garden bracelet

2011-09-14T07:55:00.000-04:00

Ths project uses an assortment of beads in similar color shades. I chose pinks, warm browns, peach-champagne, and cranberry. Of course, the project would work with whatever color combination you choose.

The chain is a base metal (costume jewelry) chain, in an antiqued brass finish. The links are about 6 x 4 mm in size. Again, any chain would work, you may wish to select your beads and chain together to find a visual balance that you like. The sections of chain I used in the center of the braclet is an inch long. The end piece of chain is about 1.5 - 2 inches in length, depending on the desired size of the bracelet.

To begin, I attached a lobster claw clasp to a 6-inch piece of 49-strand Softflex beading wire (tiger tail beading wire, also available in other brand names like Beadalon and Accuflex). Since the wire would show a bit where it is attached to the chain, I used a bronze color Softflex and bronze color crimp beads. A bronze color crimp bead cover over a sterling crimp tube would work nicely too.

Then I strung about 2.5 inches of beads. From there, I attached a 1 inch piece of chain to the strung beaded section, without crimping the crimp bead.

I attached another 6-inch piece of Softflex beading wire to the other end of that 1 inch piece of chain, again, not crimping yet. From there, I strung a group of beads to about 1.5 inches in length. I attached that wire to a 2 inch piece of chain, again not crimping.

Very carefully, since most of the crimp beads were only positioned and not crimped, I tried on the bracelet for size. Since the crimp beads weren't crimped, it was easy to pull apart one beaded section or the other to adjust the length or arrangement of the beads. When I had the bracelet sized, I double checked the crimp beads for placement and to see if the beads needed snugged up again, and then crimped the crimp beads.

Next, I added beaded drops (also called dangles) and a charm. I added two beaded drops (a bead or two stacked on a headpin) to the center chain portion of the bracelet, hooking the headpin to the chain before completing the wire wrap on the headpin. I used a 5x7mm oval jump ring to attach the charm. I'm partial to 5x7mm oval jump rings for their versatile size and ease of use. If you prefer a split ring or a different size shape or size of jump ring, that will work equally well.

I added one beaded drop to the chain at the end of the bracelet. I placed it next to the bead section attached to that chain. It might also be very pretty to attach that drop (dangle) to the end of that chain closer to the clasp.

If you'd like to make a bracelet like this using the same beads and supplies I did, there is a kit in the beadsandbotanicals Etsy shop. The Heirloom Rose Garden Bracelet.

beachy sunday

2011-09-11T22:29:00.002-04:00

The weather has been beautiful lately. Daytime temps in the mid 70s, evenings in the 60s and plenty of gorgeous sunshine.

After church, J and I went to the beach. The morning had been very, very foggy, and at the shore, the fog was still thick in the early afternoon. Recent winds and weather changes have cooled the lake water temperature to the low 50s. (The lake water temperature can vary as much as 20 degrees within just a few days. The swimming is nice once the water temp gets into the 70s--and a week ago, the water was that warm.) With a chilly lake and warm air and sunshine on top of it, the fog can get thick.

It was fascinating to watch wisps of fog breeze up the dunes.

I pointed my camera down the beach to try to get a picture of how foggy it was. When I took the picture, I could barely make out the two beach chairs in the distance. It wasn't until I got home and loaded the pictures onto my computer that I saw the the couple in the background.

This bunch of gulls had been swimming in the Lake and came in to take advantage of the summery weather on the beach. Dozens of them stood in a group and preened themselves in the warm sunshine.

Ahhhh, such a fine way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

project idea schedule

2011-09-08T15:35:00.000-04:00

I've finished the September project idea samples, and scheduled the dates they'll appear on the blog and in the shop. The scoop is on the calendar page of this blog, and includes pics of the projects. If you'd like to check it out, please click the Carla's September Calendar button on the yellow bar above this post.

project idea: oak leaf wrap bracelet

2011-09-07T08:00:00.001-04:00

Oak Leaf Wrap Bracelet

As I've mentioned before, I'll post (at least) three project ideas on the blog in September. These posts are intended to provide ideas for you to adapt as you wish using your own bead stash. For those who are interested, this project idea (and two more this month) is accompanied by a bead kit that is available beginning today, while supplies last, in the Etsy shop or by contacting me by email. This Oak Leaf Wrap Bracelet is the first of the three September projects.

This bracelet was created with Czech glass beads in various colors and finshes. Any glass or stone bead will work. As I experimented wih the design, I discovered that the bracelet wraps and drapes nicely when most of the bracelet is made with 4 mm beads. The accent beads I added range from 3 x 5mm to 5x8mm. I used costume jewerly quality spacers and oak leaf charm, by Terra Cast, a U.S.-based metal bead making company that has been in the industry for decades.

I began with a 24 inch piece of 21 strand Softflex (tigertail) beading wire. Using a sterling silver crimp tube, I attached a shank-style button, just as you would attach any other clasp to a strung bracelet.

With the button attached, working as a stopper for the rest of the beads, I began stringing. If you click on the illustration below, you can see more information about bead counts in various parts of the bracelet.

You'll notice that the small brown beads have 10-count groups in some places and 7-count groups in other places. If your brown bead sections are all the same bead count, the larger accent beads will line up, stacking on top of one another when the bracelet is wrapped. When the bead counts are unevenly spaced as they are in this pattern, it places the accent beads to create a balanced spacing when the bracelet is on.

Once the beads are strung, string on a crimp tube, followed by enough size 11 seed beads to form a loop that will fit over the button easily, but not too loosely. Feed the wire end back down through the crimp bead to form a loop of seed beads. Then, very, very carefully, try on the bracelet to be sure it fits. When you have the length adjusted to a fit you like, crimp that second crimp bead.

Tips:

1. Be sure to leave a little bit of slack between the beads in the bracelet before crimping the second crimp bead. If the beads are snugged together tightly, the bracelet will be stiff and not wrap easily.

2. This bracelet, as pictured is just over 14 inches long (that measurement includes the button and loop closure), and wraps twice around the wrist. I wear a 6.75 -7 inch bracelet. By adding or subtracting small beads before making the seed-bead button loop, you can adjust the size as needed.

The pictures below provide more detail on a button clasp construction. Questions? Please let me know. Thanks and happy beading!

evening pics

2011-09-06T09:01:00.000-04:00

The MV Cuyahoga, coming into the channel

J and I drove down to the pier last night for a walk. As usual, I had a great time taking pics. Posting a few here to show you.

If you haven't had a chance to check out yesterday's post, there is a beady idea for a quick and easy bracelet project. Tomorrow (Wednesday) I'll post the first September project idea, The Oak Leaf Wrap Bracelet.

There was a cool north breeze

The breeze splashed waves up and over the pier. I liked the way the water reflected the setting sun.

I think I have roughly a zillion pictues of waves splashing on the pier. They are tons of fun to take, so I keep taking them. :)

bracelet stacks

2011-09-05T11:59:00.003-04:00

Every once in awhile, a fashion trend comes around that I really, really like. It seems that stacks of bracelets (called, appropriately, "stacks")--mixed and matched, and mostly mis-matched, are being seen everywhere from haute couture fashion houses to high school and college age young women casually dressed for summer to all ages and styles in between. The trend is also being seen on men, with high-end summertime sportswear, rugged outdoorsy looks, and more. Metal, porcelain, fabric, even climber's rope with giant fish hook closures--the variety out there is wonderful! Better yet, there is no shortage of beads in these wrist-worn stacks of texture and color,

Wrap bracelets help a stack add up quickly, and look great on their own. While there are plenty of complex, multi-media versions out there, I created a super-simple design that I'm looking forward to creating in several colors to wear this fall and winter.

This design is created with:

21 strand Softflex wire (tigertail)

A shank-style button (I used one that is 1/2 inch in diameter)

Size 11 seed beads

130 - 150 4mm beads (I used some of the awesome new Czech druk beads in the Etsy shop. I think this design would be very pretty using 4mm Firepolish beads too)

Two crimp tubes

To make the bracelet, I crimped on the button first, leaving enough room in the wire for the button to move freely. Then I strung beads, checking for fit on my wrist as I beaded. Then, strung on a crimp tube, enough seed beads to form a loop that fits easily but not too loosely over the button, fed the wire back down through the crimp bead, tried on for size and then crimped the second crimp tube.

Tip: Since this bracelet will wrap three times, the wire will need room to curve. You may not want to snug the beads as tightly as you would a single strand bracelet. In fact, my finished bracelet, when stretched out straight, has about 4 mm of bare wire showing--enough of a gap to accommodate the several curves the wrapped piece has to make.

Another thing I like about this design is its versatility--unwrapped, the bracelet is long enough to wear as a necklace.

I have a couple of extra buttons like those pictured here, so if you'd like more info on a supplies kit for this project, please email me or message me through Etsy's contact seller feature.

inside scoop

2011-09-02T11:39:00.002-04:00

If you will be bead shopping this weekend at Beads by C from beads and botanicals on Etsy, enter coupon code FREESHIPLDW at checkout to receive free First Class US Mail shipping on your order.

Orders received Friday - Monday (September 2 - 5) will ship on Tuesday, September 6.

The coupon code is active and will work until 10 p.m. eastern time on Monday, September 5.

Happy weekend!

sneak peek

2011-09-01T14:14:00.003-04:00

Good grief I'm chatty/bloggy this week! Probably because I'm really fired up about the new Czech beads that have been arriving, and the project ideas and kits for September. I have two of the "prototype" projects for September finished now. This is a sneak peek at them.

I'm off to get started on project number 3.

p.s. I'll be posting a free shipping coupon code for the Etsy shop on Friday, 9/2, sometime late morning or early afternoon eastern time. The code will work all weekend.

the bluebird story continues

2011-08-31T07:25:00.002-04:00

Not long ago, I told you about the piece of bluebird-pattern dinnerware I found in the garden. From there, I researched the pattern, found a wonderful little shop on Etsy, and purchased four saucers in the pattern.

Yesterday, I got out my trusty camera, took a photo of one of the bluebird dishes, digitally enhanced the colors of the photo, and then selected a portion of the photo to use as an illustration in a pendant. I printed the photo onto a high quality glossy paper, carefully cut it to fit inside the pedant tray, sealed it with a specialized glaze, topped with domed glass. I added a chain to make it a ready-to-wear piece, and those who wish to use the pendant in their own jewelry creations can simply remove the chain.

I made a limited number of them, took a deep breath (because I'm not always very courageous about putting my finished work for sale online--I'm much more comfortable doing that in person at shows, etc. ), and created a listing in the Etsy shop for them.

For a vintage or shabby chic look, it might be pretty to add some pearl, soft pink, blue or yellow beaded links to the chain.

tutorial: making beaded drops

2011-08-30T07:30:00.001-04:00

This technique is fairly simple once you get the hang of it. Like anything else, it may take a few practice tries before you feel like you are ready to begin working on a project. This technique is very economical to practice and use in your beaded jewelry creations if you use base metal (costume jewelry quality) headpins. This technique works best with a thicker headpin; I like to use 21 or 22 gage.

You may find a technique that works well for you, but doesn't use the very same steps described here. That's a-okay! As you may have heard me say on many occasions, with wirework, if you are pleased with the appearance and the project is holding together, you've done it correctly.

Looking for more tutorials on this technique? Go to YouTube and enter search terms like "drop beading," "loops and headpins," and "making beaded charm bracelets."

tools and supplies

load the headpin

cut the head pin at 1/4 inch above the bead

bend the wire to form a right angle

curl the wire, from the tip in toward the bead

view of loop

adjust the loop to center

attach the loop to the chain

To see an example of a finished charm bracelet, please stop by the

August 21st post on this blog.