Friday, November 30, 2012

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!

 


Monday, November 26, 2012

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)
 


Saturday, November 10, 2012

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.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

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.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

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.