Button Brooch Projects

I have been busy using my stash of vintage buttons.
Which is hard because I just love them all.
I love how this one came out and lucky for me I have 3 more of the buttons.

The Antique Gold freshwater pearls match the button pretty well in my opinion. And I love the spiral pattern. A throw back to the Art Nouveau era. 

The back is a work of art as well with the beaded whip stitch.

I also Like my Triangle 4 button Brooch.

I hope you like them!!

Ice Crystal Necklace Inspired by The Great Gatsby and Oz the Great and Powerful

I finished the Ice Crystal necklace and just love how it came out.  

I was inspired by the trend of Art Deco that is the theme of costumes in the movies The Great Gatsby, and OZ the Great and Powerful. 

As I mentioned in the last post I surrounded the crystal with beads. 

Then I added a net chain with a variety of white beads. the joining beads in the net have a gilt finish it gives it an elegant twist.

I love the way the clasp came out. I used a gold plated bead for a pop of color. 

Art Deco has come to Town

Art Deco Is in Folks. You have to admit that some of the best dresses this year at the Oscars were Art Deco. From Halle Berry,  Catherine Zeta-Jones, to Jessica Chastain Beaded and grand is back.

Don't forget the movies that have an Art Deco theme OZ the Great and Powerful, and The Great Gatsby. The optics in these movies is stunning.

So with that in mind I have been happily beading in the theme of Art Deco
Above is a Swarovski Crystal pendant Necklace. I surrounded the crystal with 3 sizes of beads and added a Spiral chain of two colors of seed beads.
The clasps is a peyote ring and toggle hand made by yours truly.

I also made a similar necklace with a great neon button. The necklaces are somewhat different in that the button is actually the clasp and is front and center.
I also used a peacock variegated green seed bead for the spiral.

I have more to come so stop back later. Better yet why not follow me?
 

Join me in a Peyote Beading Class

Join me in a Beading class at Raspberry Junction in Niantic, CT.
 I have been beading for 43 years.

Peyote is a versatile beading stitch, Change the size and shape of the beads and you have a very different piece.

Participants in the class will begin on large beads to learn the technique. Written and oral directions will be combined to help all to learn the stitch.

You will need to bring any magnifying glasses you need. ( I buy mine at the dollar store) If you find you need a work lamp feel free to bring one.

The peyote class is scheduled on April, 6th 12:00PM and will last for 2 hours. 

The cost of $25.00 includes thread, needle, and beads to complete the pendant pictured.   Practice beads will also be provided.

My Etsy Shop is Getting Ready for Valentine's Day

Maybe it is a bit early. But I have started beading for Valentine's Day.

I did a beading demo at Raspberry Junction on Sunday. 

It took me awhile to decide what to bead. I decided that the hearts cuff was a good choice.

I also need to make more of the net heart necklaces.

 I have several variations of that.

New Christmas Ornaments

My latest project is to make Christmas Ornaments to sell in the Holly Berry Court at Raspberry Junction in Niantic, CT. If you are in the area check it out. They have 100% American Made Handmade Crafts.
My ornaments start with a white cotton fabric backed with wonderunder and stitch and tear stabilizer. I then used a rotary cutter to cut the shapes. I have 2 sizes. 2 inches and 1inch.

 

Then there are 2 choices I can bead the 3 sides first or stitch them together first. Here is the small one during the stitching.

 

Here is a photo of the larger one beaded before joining the sides.

Here is the large one beaded and joined.
I still have to decide how to add the fringe and loop.
I hope you like them. Please let me know in the comments below.

 

My Seashore Embroidery Hoop Art in my Etsy Shop

My newest addition to my shop is another Beach scene in a mixed media.

I used buttons and stones for the jetty.

I like the crab in the sea grass too.
And the high tide line on the beach with the egg casing. Have you ever opened one of those? They are full of tiny seashells.
On the dunes is a wind fence and the sea birds have taken wing.
I hope you like it. Let me know what you would like to see in the next one.

Etsy Purple Color Block Beaded Bracelet

I bought the materials for this bracelet on a trip to relocate my daughter in St Louis. With some time to kill we looked up the bead stores in town and came across Lady Bug Beads. It was a nice bead store. I found the color block stones there and some of the seed beads.

I used 4 sizes of seed beads to make the rings in a 1 inch circle.

I made 4 rings and strung the stones and rings in a alternate pattern.

Color Block Purple Beaded Bracelet

Beach Path Hoop Art in 4 inch Hoop

Here is the first in my line of mini hoop art in the theme of my show piece.

Hoop Art Beach Path Mixed Media

I paper quilted the background. A process that has you piece the fabric on a paper pattern. 

Then I added embroidery thread to accent the areas.

Then I added bugle beads to make the wind fence and thick thread to join them as a fence.

I added sea birds in the sky and plant beads in the dunes.

To hold the white interface backing I stitched around the piece adding a ring of small beads around the piece.

 

Mini Embroidery Hoop Landscape Themes

My latest projects are Mini Embroidery Hoop Landscape Themes.

I am using the same techniques   I used for the giant hoop I made for the beading contest entry.
I start with piecing fabrics together to make the background.

It is a process that is called paper quilting. You add the fabrics in stages on the paper and then rip the paper off.
You then add the hoop.

I should have photos of the new items soon. Check back later.

My Contest Piece Close up

 

My crab is in the seaweed. 

       

  My Lobster is in the rocks.

      

  I have quite a few starfish and two sand dollars.

 

It is pretty busy but you get judged on using as many of the beads as possible. 

It was great fun I can't wait to see what everyone else made.

Do you have a favorite part?

Orange and Turquoise Bib Necklace

My Orange and Turquoise Bib Necklace is finally finished. I took some time off to work on the contest piece. 

I started with a heavy weight interfacing and added the stones.

then the pattern of filling in the background. 
Then I added a tan leather backing and trimmed the edge with a tiny orange bead whip stitch.

Then I added 18 inches of orange ribbon on both sides.

Follow my Quest to Win the Beading Contest

My favorite bead store has a contest every year for their Anniversary. It is always great fun to see the different things people make.
They always give us something to struggle with "How do I put this into the project?" Usually it is something to surround. There were quite a few of those this time. They can be quite slippery and I am one of those beaders that doesn't believe in glue. Lately they have been adding a fiber or a fabric. This time they added the flossy threads. I haven't used something like that before.So I started right away with the hard parts of the project and had quite a collection.
   
I decided on a Beach theme. The idea came to me as soon as I saw the beads.
You can only use the beads provided and you are judged by how well you use all of them.
I really enjoy working with items I have never used. It opens my eyes to new avenues that I would not have gone down.  

I made a Lobster and a Crab they are a bit large for the piece but if Grandma Moses can get away with "artistic proscriptive" I guess I can too.

I had to come up with a way of bringing all the pieces together. I have always been intrigued by Paper Quilting. So I gave that a try. It took two tries to get something I liked. Now to add all the components.

Let me know what you think so far.

Bracelet Final Product in Orange and Turquoise

The bracelet came out great. 

As I told you in the previous post I started with the Turquoise and Orange stones.

I then made peyote rings that are 1 inch across in 3 colors of 4 sizes. 

 

The last ring is the clasp with a peyote toggle. 

 

So check it out on my Etsy Shop.

New Project in Turquoise and Orange

My latest Project starts with the purchase of two stands of stones. The first is a 15mm round Turquoise and the second is an oval 20mm by 15mm Orange. 

 

Then I had to collect the beads for the project. I needed them in at least 4 different sizes and I have 4 colors picked. I am not sure if I will stay with 4 maybe 3.

 

I plan on making a bib necklace like my cheetah choker and a bracelet like my Green Rings of Tranquility   

 

 

I hope you follow my Blog to check-in on the progress.

 http://emptynesteggbeading.blogspot.com/