Posted on

March Earrings Week #4

Here we are on day 4 of Earrings Week, featuring some components from Michael's Industrial Chic line. Today you get a two-fer!

I haven't purchased much of this line but these twisted links were interesting. I also like their bezeled rings which I have several of to fill with resin but in general this line is sadly not my style. Definitely interested to see what other people make of it, however! I am always surprised by how people use supplies differently. 

First up I used these long links for some lengthy earrings. The pale aqua Czech glass at the bottom are attached with ball headpins (my favorite, what can I say?). 

These earrings use some of my extremely precious and uber-hoarded pressed Czech glass leaves. I have a hard time parting with them. I'm not sure why, it's not like they're very expensive or anything. I just like to keep them! They are my precioussss, I guess. 

Next time: Fancy Filigree!

Posted on

BEAD SOUP BLOG PARTY! REVEALED!

Oh my goodness, it's time for the big reveal for the BEAD SOUP BLOG PARTY, graciously hosted and put together by Lori Anderson of Pretty Things. I think she deserves a huge round of applause for making this happen – 362 participants altogether, from all around the world!

My partner is the fabulous Michelle Buettner of MiShel Designs. She sent me a terrific array of beads in colors I normally don't work with, which was really exciting because I feel like I needed the challenge of neutral colors to counteract my penchant for, well, fluorescents (see previous resin entries, haha).


Look at that lovely bunch of beads! I thought and thought about what they wanted to be. I tried working in my current style, chains and headpins and dangles, but no, that didn't really want to happen (much).

So, I reached into my bucket of tricks and pulled out an oldie but a goodie: classic stringing. And came up with this:


The focal presented a challenge, as it is pretty long and even my long headpins were not *quite* long enough to run through it. So after a couple tries, I hit upon the idea of using dangles and bits and bobs to accentuate the focal – the beading wire is actually strung through the dangle and then both ends through the focal, creating an even longer pendant! I was able to use almost all the beads Michelle sent for the entire necklace – only adding in a few faceted opalites of my own. What a beautiful selection of beads!


I actually used a new-to-me technique (or trick, maybe) in making this – crimp caps! I love how the little weirdos cover up your crimps and look like a bead! Easy and yet totally streamlined. CONVERT.

Here's a close-up of the moonstone kind of glowing:


I finished the necklace a couple weeks ago, then this week decided on a whim that it needed earrings with the very few beads I had left.

And that's my bead soup! I had a blast! 😀

Here's the list of other participants if you want to check them out (behind the cut):

Continue reading “BEAD SOUP BLOG PARTY! REVEALED!”

Posted on

RESIN, part 2

When last we left the great RESIN-ING of 2011 I had admitted to making a full on crap-ton of resin pieces. And what does one DO with those resin bits? Why, she sits in her special chair in her TV den and hand drills holes into way too many of them and attaches bails she hella bought at Walmart, that's what one does with this shizzle:

I have a slight problem, I am willing to concede that point slightly.

I figured some of these pieces would look good wrapped in filigree… And they do….


Wrapping them in filigree seems to work better when the shapes are circular rather than oval, but that's okay, I was just experimenting.

I stopped by TAP Plastics on the way home from work on Monday and picked up a new mold that I tried out – more on those pieces later when ADVENTURES WITH RESIN returns after these messages (or rather, the Bead Soup Blog Party! Tune in tomorrow for results!)