Challenge Week 40

This week I’ve added a pair of earrings to the Treasure Island Collection and they are called Ocean’s Edge.  I used the blue-sand mix Czech glass beads and sterling silver heshi spacer beads all hanging from French hooks.  To me, these are very cool, soothing earrings.   They remind me of the ocean and the sand mixing together as the waves slip onto the beach.  The more I look at them the more I want my own pair.  I’m going to be strong though and put them in the store.  Then I’ll think about making a pair for myself.

I’m not sure if anyone looks for my blog each week, I guess I did this more as a challenge for myself than anything. But if you are out there reading and waiting each week for a new blog entry I just want to apologize for my being so lax these past few months.  I’ve had so much going on in my life that I can’t keep up with everything  and since I started this job in New York I really haven’t had much free time because commuting takes up so much of my time.  When I started this blog I was unemployed and had more time to create and blog and do craft shows, but I have to pay the bills and until I become a bigger presence on the internet and sell more jewelry I’m going to have to work for someone else.  So please be patient with me as I continue to blog as often as I can

You can find these earrings on my Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/listing/93942101/oceans-edge-earrings

Until next time…

Denise

Challenge Week 39

Hello, and welcome back.  This week I have another piece to add to my Treasure Island Collection.

This necklace is made from Czech Beads called Blue mixed with Sand and black faceted glass beads with gold color glass seed beads. It is 18" long and has a great clasp to finish it off that is a TierraCast antique silver bali-style toggle clasp.

This is the third piece in the collection and I will be adding more each week.  I'm very excited about making a collection because there are so many different configurations of these beads swirling around in my head, and it's such a great mix and match way to go. I hope you like this collection as much as I do.

I've placed it in my Etsy store with more pictures for you to see.

See you next week.

Challenge Week 38

This week I have started a new collection called Treasure Island.  This collection started because I had ordered some Czech glass beads called “Blue and Sand mix”. You know how each monitor shows color differently, if you go to a store with TVs you will see that the picture looks a little different on each set. So I didn’t pay much attention to the color of the beads when I ordered them. Then they arrived and I realized that blue and sand mixed together make green.  This is the basics of art class.  So these beads arrived looking like the manufacturer didn’t quite mix the color completely and you can see green, sand, and brown and sometimes hints of light blue.  I like them and think they are very unique, they remind me a little of camouflage but the facets and shine of the bead bring the style of the bead upscale from the casual style of camouflage.  Then I had to decide what other beads to use with them and of course I used black and a little gold seed bead, which brings out the sand in the Czech glass.

The purpose of this new collection is so you will be able to buy different pieces of jewelry that coordinate with each other but aren’t necessarily a matched set. I’m going to make different styles of earrings or bracelets or necklaces using beads from the collection.  This way you can choose a style that you like that goes with other pieces in the collection.  This is my first attempt at a collection and I hope that you like the concept.  Leave comments, tell me what you like or dislike about have a collection.  If you like it I will make other collections too.   I was thinking about a birthday collection for each month.  What do you think of that?

The first two pieces that I made with these beads are for this week’s challenge.  I started with a bracelet and added earrings.  The bracelet will fit a 7 inch wrist and I think will go with a lot of styles and outfits.  I can see it with a black suit and gold blouse for work, or with a pair of khakis and a polo for casual.  The earrings are 1 and ¾ inch long, hanging from silver plated French hooks.  Wear them with a black or tan top and a skirt or jeans and to complete your outfit.

Next week I have a necklace planned to add to the Treasure Island collection.

You can find both of these items in my Etsy store. 

See you next week.

Denise

Challenge Week 37

Yes, I’m late in submitting my challenge this week; I had family obligations that needed my full attention.  As I promised I have jewelry for Valentine’s Day this week.  I started with some wooden beads that I bought recently and wanted to use for the challenge. Then I thought “Is there a famous couple that I can use for my challenge this week?”

The hemp cord along with the wooden beads led me to Tarzan, vines and trees – get it. So I decided to use Tarzan and Jane for my Valentine couple for this challenge. I like the new macramé bracelets and made a his-and-hers set.

Tarzan’s of course is the wooden beads and hemp cord and for Jane’s I used glass beads that are robin egg blue with a black design on them and again hemp cord. I used the pretty blue beads for Jane to highlight her cultured background but continued the vine theme in her bracelet by using the hemp. Tarzan’s bracelet is about 7 ¼ “ at the smallest size and expands to 9 inches.  Jane’s bracelet at the smallest size is 6 ¼” and expands to 8 inches.

I hope you enjoyed the challenge this week and that you will come back for my next challenge.

Visit my website, McLachlan Design Studio, see more jewelry.

Challenge Week 36

Last week (week 35) I made a necklace that I called Shades of Grey and when I showed it to my sister she liked it and thought that I should make earrings to go with it.  I totally agreed with her because, well, it was such a great combination of beads I just couldn’t stop at a necklace.  Who knows, I may even make a bracelet.

The centerpiece of the earrings is the rectangle mother of pearl bead topped with a grey glass pearl.  I then added 2 leaves hanging from the bottom and in-between the pearl and the rectangle.  I took a picture of the necklace and earrings together (see below).  I think that whoever purchases these, either separately or together, is going to wear them a lot.  I’ve had them on display on my workroom table and can’t stop looking at them. 

Lately I’ve seen a lot of grey in the fashion magazines.  Even Elle Décor showed several rooms done in grey with either white or another color like turquoise or blue.  If you have been reading my posts you may remember that I moved in September.  I had decided to do my living room in black and white with a hint of color, I was thinking of the blue that Martha Stuart uses a lot of, but I couldn’t find the right pieces and ended up with grey and highlights of red.  So, maybe I’m just on a grey kick and everyone is going to think that I should just get over it and that this piece isn’t as great as I think it is.  Voice your opinion, leave me some comments and let me know what you think.

See you next week. And no I’m not going to make the matching bracelet, at least not this week.  I have something in mind for Valentine’s Day to do for next time.

You can see more pictures of this item in my Etsy store.

Have a good week,

Denise

Challenge Week 35

Happy New Year!  I hope the New Year brings you much peace, happiness, health and prosperity. 

For the challenge this week I got out my bead stash and decided to use some of the beads that I have been thinking about for a while.  I bought these rectangular shell beads a couple of months ago along with the leaf charms intending to make “something” with them.  The idea floating around in my head was either a necklace or some earrings.  When I put the beads on my bead board the necklace just seemed to fall into place.  I didn’t have to change it around, the way I placed the beads the first time is the necklace that is shown in the picture. That doesn't happen often.

Sometimes I struggle with a project, switching the beads around or adding or taking away beads, but this one was there the first time and the thing is I like it very much, I hope you do too.  The rectangles are mother of pearl, the pearls are glass beads, the leaves and the clasp are antiqued silver. The necklace is 18 inches long and drapes nicely when hanging.  The clasp is called “Del sol” and finishes off the necklace with flair.

This piece will be on my website within the next few days.  I will also be adding many pieces of jewelry to my website in the month of January.  Since my stock was depleted during the holidays my goal is to put a total of 30 new pieces up there, so check often.

Here is my web address www.jewelrybydm.com stop by and see if there is anything you want.

Have a great weekend!

Denise