Color Challenge

My friend Brandi at Brandi Girl Blog issued a color challenge a while back. Click HERE for the specific post. I should have thought to post this earlier, but there's still time to enter. It's open through July 10.

I used seed beads and a simple herringbone weave to create my entries for the challenge. The first bracelet I made followed color palette #2 from Brandi's choices. Admittedly not a color combination I would have chosen on my own, while I worked on the piece I grew to love it!

Next, I chose color palette # 5. This one turned out too red/white/blue looking and I chose not to submit it for the challenge, hence no photos.

Lastly, I tackled color palette #1, which I like to call Mixed Lettuce.

This one, I love!!

More Spring Inspired Jewelry

The rest of my package of goodies from Artbeads was a bunch of Hill Tribe Silver Beadcaps.  I've used these before and I'm in love with them for the way they dress up any old bead.  The ones I chose have a floral motif engraved on them -- so perfect for spring.

I made this bracelet (yes, I'm keeping it for myself!) using white and peachy-pink freshwater pearls.  These beadcaps don't make a tight fit on the pearls I chose, but that's ok.  It gives the bracelet a more casual look.

If you are a regular blog reader, you already know that I like asymmetrical designs.  This bracelet embraces that.  I have included a small section of chain, from which I dangled a bunch of smaller white freshwater pearls.  I think the effect is lovely.

And here's a photo of the entire bracelet, which I finished with a simple toggle clasp.

Disclosure: Artbeads invited me to join their blogging community. I receive these products free of charge in return for honest reviews. I have not been paid for doing this.

All Silver . Bracelet of Mixed Chains

I've posted here several times about the mixed chain bracelets that I make. They are excellent sellers for me -- both at craft shows and in galleries. I've even sold a few on etsy over the past couple of years. I make them with all sorts of color drops, but the best sellers are the ones where I use all silver beads and charms.

I recently listed one of the all silver variety in my etsy shop. This one features some Thai Hill Tribe beads. Click on the photo to go directly to the listing.

Free worldwide shipping continues through December 31!

Holiday Party Bracelet

This bracelet is festive, but also great for everyday wear. The colors are a great mixture of blues, greens and purples.

It starts with a modified right-angle-weave stitch for the base. I then add lots and lots of tiny fringe to the top surface. The fringe consists of seed beads and interestingly shaped pressed glass beads.

This bracelet is finished with a vintage glass button, which makes for a very easy clasp to do by yourself.

The best part? It's on sale. Originally $125, the bracelet is now on sale for $98. And, FREE SHIPPING continues through year end.

Click on the photo to go directly to the listing in my etsy shop and see some more close up photos and one of the entire bracelet.

Sea of Hope - Artisan Beaders Bracelet Auction!

The Artisan Beaders Street Team I belong to has just begun a new fundraising effort. As a team, we created a sea themed charm bracelet. On our team blog, we are conducting an auction to raise money for an extremely worthy charity: RAINN.


The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network is the nation's largest anti-sexual assault organization. RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1.800.656.HOPE and the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline at rainn.org, and publicizes the hotline's free, confidential services; educates the public about sexual assault; and leads national efforts to prevent sexual assault, improve services to victims and ensure that rapists are brought to justice.


Please be sure to visit the team blog and read about our efforts and to make a bid on this awesome and meaningful piece of jewelry.

Ancient Ivory

For the past 12 years, I have sold many pieces of jewelry containing ivory. The ivory I use comes from a reputable source who manufactures beads from fossilized mammoth ivory. It is not raw ivory harvested from living creatures, resulting in the death of the creatures. Mammoth are an extinct species, and are not protected by US Wildlife Law. See this link for more information.

Much of the ivory jewelry I sell is represented on my website, Orion Designs, and not in my etsy shop. It has a wide appeal to Alaskans and visitors to the state who are looking for a "piece of Alaska" to take home with them. The jewelry is very wearable, mainly because of the neutral color of the ivory beads.

This bracelet is the only ivory piece I have currently listed in my etsy shop. It is classic in styling, yet quite modern. By combining the ivory with Bali sterling silver beads, the past and the present meet in this very wearable bracelet.

The Jewelry Box - Lovely Jewelry by Brenda

Brenda is another of my teammates on the Artisan Beaders Street Team. Her etsy shop is chock full of delightfully romantic and feminine jewelry designs.

This lovely bracelet is joyful and full of different greens ... perfect for spring. The greens include prehnite and peridot and adorable little butterflies ... all in a well balanced design that makes this piece of jewelry so easy to wear.

Brenda also knows how to keep it simple and classic. The earrings below feature luminous tiger eye briolettes and very special brass earwires.


This next pair of earrings epitomizes Brenda's romantic style. I love the way she combined the intricate filigree with delicate beaded drops.Be sure to visit Brenda's etsy shop and don't miss her shop on 1000Markets!

The Bracelet is Complete!

I have finished the custom bracelet I was working on. I think it turned out lovely and very bridal. Oh, I recently learned that my customer will wear this bracelet and the earrings on her wedding day. They are having a beach wedding at a secluded resort in Vietnam. The love story that envelops this couple is truly amazing and I'm honored to be part of their special day.

I think this bracelet will look fabulous with the earrings!

Progress on the Bracelet

Now that I've completed the base of the bracelet (see yesterday's post), it's time to consider the surface embellishment.

I start with some headpins to help me figure out what the "short stacks" (aka surface embellishment) should look like. Keeping the earrings close by for reference, I experiment with different combinations of beads, including the keshi pearls and the textured silver beads found in the earring clusters. I work from a small flat bowl to keep those pesky seed beads contained!

I finally decided to use some silver lined crystal rainbow and beige lined crystal seed beads, both size 11. The combination of these most closely matches the creamy ivory color of the large pearls in the earrings. This close up photo shows the final results of the embellishment decision. I will use size 15 white seed beads as the topper for the 3 different stacks. Also included are some 2 mm sterling silver round beads, which look just like the ball ends of the head pins used in the earrings. I'm happy with the continuity.I hook the loop end of the clasp to the gizmo Rick made for me many years ago. It makes working on the bracelet so much easier than working on a flat surface.This last photo shows the resulting texture on the surface of the bracelet from adding the "short stacks".

Custom Bracelet

I started on a custom order today for a woven bracelet. The lovely customer wants to purchase these earrings. She ordered a bracelet to match. After several convos between us, she decided on a bracelet of the style shown below, utilizing the keshi pearls and some of the silver beads.

I chose a vintage mother-of-pearl button for the closure, as I felt that would be a nice complement to the pearls in the earrings.
The base of the bracelet is modified right-angle-weave. The photo on the left shows a simple right-angle-weave using pearly white glass seed beads. The photo on the right shows the variation on the stitch. This variation provides for a wider base upon which to attach the many short fringe elements that will come next.

A(nother) Bracelet for Every Day

Today's feature is a mother of pearl bracelet with lots of little drops. These mother of pearl rectangles are creamy on one side and golden on the other.

In between each rectangle, I've added dangles of freshwater pearls of neutral colors and Swarovski crystals in the same range of colors.

This is another easy to wear bracelet that will work with so many outfits. It is for sale in my etsy shop.

Woven and Fringed Bracelets

I've been making these intricate bracelets for several years. They don't sell quickly or often (I sell about 2-3 per year), but they always get lots of oohs and aahs. There are currently 3 listed in my etsy shop. While they may not look the same to you, all 3 were created using the same technique.

I start with a modified right-angle-weave base. This flat, flexible stitch ensures comfort when wearing. The top is then embellished with lots of short fringe -- 3-4 seed beads maximum. I usually add some beads of differing shapes for interest. These could be small lentil beads, spear shaped beads or small sterling silver beads. This gives the bracelets an organic look. I finish these bracelets with decorative buttons, sometimes metal, sometimes vintage glass.

These bracelets are labor intensive, but so much fun to create. Be sure to sign up for my etsy shop newsletter to receive information on specials and sales.
The

Artisan Beaders - Secret Santa Gifts

The street team I belong to on etsy, Artisan Beaders, decided it would be fun to exchange gifts this holiday season. I received the most gorgeous bracelet from Deb of Crysallis Creations. She used a generous number of tiny seed pearls, some beautiful turquoise beads, amethyst and a lovely faceted cubic zirconia in a pale peach color. I adore this bracelet with all of its intricate wire wrapping. Thank you Deb for being such a great partner and friend!

Freeform Wire Wrapping

These "messy" (aka freeform) wire wrapped bracelets are fun to make. I start with lots and lots of 20 ga dead soft sterling silver wire and create the wrapped elements. I oxidize them and sand them by hand with 800 grit sand paper to highlight just a small amount of the shiny silver.

The elements are connected with jump rings and decorative dangles are added in between. Voila, a bracelet is born!

I currently have 2 of these bracelets listed in my etsy shop. To receive special offers and news, please sign up for my etsy shop newsletter.

A Bracelet for Every Day

This new bracelet I've recently listed in my etsy shop is so perfect for everyday wear. It's all silver and is extremely textural. Most of the beads are Bali silver, but I used some Hill Tribe (Thailand) silver as well. The repeat pattern are I used in this bracelet is visually interesting.

Bracelets are subject to a different kind of wear than necklaces or earrings. We use our hands constantly, putting bracelets in some precarious situations! For this reason, I choose to finish this type of bracelet with a super-secure sterling silver foldover clasp.

Mixed Chain Bracelets

When I first introduced these bracelets, towards the end of 2007, I was using up some short, left-over sections of a variety of sterling silver chains. The few I offered at my shows sold quickly and I consigned the remainder to some of my regular art galleries. They sold quickly at those places too.

Now, I've purchased more of those chain styles because this has become one of my hottest products! At my last 2 shows, I've sold 11 of them. A couple have sold on etsy this year as well.

The photos here are of the bracelet available in my etsy shop. I plan to list more within the next few weeks. If there's a certain color combination you're looking for, just let me know.