Greyscale

I asked my favorite couple (our go-to co-Halloweeners) what their Christmas colors were this year, and after some thought, they decided upon greyscale.

Weird.

And fun!

And a bit of a challenge!

How to use blacks and greys, but being translatable to other multi-color years...hmmmm

First a quick dip into the beads. I had some silver 4mm, and 6mm rounds, some pewter colored plastic roses in 6ish aand 8ish mm, some smokey grey bicones, and black 11/0s and 15/0s.

I found a pattern for a pendant in an old Beadwork(the issue has a large brownish beaded basket on the front)

Using the roses this way, obviously not intentionally sideways, took away a bit of their obvious plasticity, and made them grow up just a hair.

I harnessed them to the ornament in a pretty simple manner, and stuck the thing on a matte white ornament.  I think I accomplished the task at hand, as it looks the same in black and white.  The above photo is not black and white, but it could be!

 

Creamsicle Florette

I used this color scheme-Orange, pearly white, etc, last year, and I liked it then.  It follows that when the beads leapt forth from my stash this year in that same colorway, that I would like them again.  And I did.

 

 

I used Smadar's pattern Sparkly Wreaths but omitted the steps for the back of the pendant, as I didn't want the medallion to poke out quite so far. 

 



 

 

I used silver lined orange Delicas, orange mettallic 11/0s, peachy-orange pearls, gold lined white translucent 11/0s, fire opal Swarovski 4mm bicones, and paprika? rivolis. There are also some bronze AB 15/0 for distinction. 

 

I'm pretty happy with it.  Also, that's my finger in the corner...oops :o)

 



House of cards

There is a superintendant where I work who goes by the name of Frank.

He is my favorite superintendant.

He is also a big fan of cards, dice, and slots. 

I was wandering around Walmart one day and found a keychain that had 5 card shaped charms on it. They were the 10, J, Q, K, A of spades.

EUREKA! Thought I.

I'll use these on Frank's ornament!!

Now for a pattern...hmmmm

Karen DeSousa's Exotic Ornaments "Festival" seemed to fit the bill. I wanted almost a harlequin look, so I chose black and white.  Then I threw in some red to keep with the card theme.

It was working really well, I didn't have to buy any beads, save the charms.

I began beading this as an on-the-plane ornament(I fly a LOT don't I...jeeeeeeez)

Well, we got to our destination and as I was just hanging out later, I decided to bead some more.

I left the book on the plane.

I left the book ON THE PLANE

ON. THE. PLANE.

CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP.

There were no bead stores where we were. I had no backup beadwork with me. The only time in the history of beads where I don't have a backup project, and I need it.

I got desperate, and crafty. I pulled up the picture of the ornament from her website, and as I had packed only the necessary beads, I was able to figure out something close to the orignal. It isn't perfect, but it looks really nice, and I'm happy with it.

I learned a valuable lesson. Make a copy of the pattern and take that instead of the book.

Now I have to go buy another copy.

Oh well, hopefully someone picks up the book from the plane and a new beader is born.

 

This ornament uses black 15/0, 11/0, 3mm bugles, jet Swarovski 4mm bicones, and black 4-sh mm firepolished crystals, white 15/0s, 11/0s, silver 3mm rounds, silver lined red 3mm bugles and light siam 4mm Swarovski bicones.

Let's build a snowman!

Let's build a snowman
We could make it tall, or we could make it not so tall!
A snowman!
It could have a happy face, a happy smile, a happy point of view.
If you build me a snowman then I'll build one for you!
Sooooo let's build a snowman we could make it our best friend.
We could name Bob, or we could name it.....Balewolf!
We could make it tall or we could make it not so tall. A snowman!

Big into for simple ornament!

This one was done in bronze colored 11/0s, red 11/0s, and white 11/0s.  It has bronzey snowan charms and a few pearls, for zest.

The northern lights, in old age

This is another of those droopy Victorian ornaments. I make one every year.  Every year since the first, they fail to meet my expectations.  It's like an addict forever chasing that first high.

However, they give me a reason to buy the seed bead mixes from Hobby Lobby.

The mix I couldn't live without is a mix of black, clear, pale blue, gold lined light blue, hematite, clear grey, etc.

 

I used clear Tilas for the ladder stacked supports, which I actually prefer to the traditional bugles. I also used AB clear bugles as the other half of the swag.



I definitely prefer this ornament to 2010's not so great swaggy ornament.  The colors work pretty well.  I might have to do another ornament in this colorway seeing as how I have an enormous amount of beads left over.