Summer Colors

You would think everything would be done and I would be counting down the days before the cruise. I am waiting for some last minute supplies for my kits until than I shall bead. This set goes with a shirt and pair of capri I am wearing on the cruise. I bought the lampwork bead from "The Fire Goddess" Last year at the AKS Gem show at the Ponchatrain Center. They will be here this weekend for the Spring Gem Show April 1st and 2nd. Click here for a coupon to get in free. I am off to bead. I have a bracelet to finish for the cruise swap.

Accents For Your Attire

Beauty of the Bead I try to create pieces of beadart which will accent your attire. Sometimes you buy an outfit and look for that perfect piece of jewelry to show it off. Other times you find the perfect piece of beadwork and have to look for the outfit to wear it with. Last year for my birthday my friend Sally gifted me with this wonderful lampwork pendant. The colors explode from within and were hard to capture in a picture. The bead required something substantial that would not take away from it's beauty. I crocheted the rope using black 4mm puffy faceted rondells with a hint of bronze on the ends. It adds to the sparkle and gives the rope a vintage look which I think matches perfectly with the dress.

Its all in the Cuff

Lately I have had a hard time beading. I start projects only to leave them unfinished on my beading table. Last week I saw the April 2006 issue of Bead & Button at Beads R Us in Alexanderia, LA. On the front cover were these gorgeous cuff bracelets. Kriss showed me the one she made. I just fell in love with it. It's big, its bold and it says "look at me" when you wear it. The green and orange pops with vivbrant color. Kriss gifted me with the one she made. I have been sporting it around New Orleans showing it off to my friends. Thank you so much Kriss. I treasure the bracelet and can't wait to wear it on the cruise. I had to buy the magazine and make one in my favorite colors. Blacks and bronze iris cut seed beads. The pattern is by Karmen Schmidt. The article states it can be a time comsuming project. It took me two days to make the peyote band and three days to add the embellishments on the top. The clasp became my biggest obstacle in completing the bracelet. I had a 3 loop sterling silver slide clasp. I took it out of the container and one of the loops fell off. I thought I would have to wait to finish the bracelet when I could purchase another clasp. I discovered they used a four loop clasp and I had one!! Its all in the cuff and the clasp is attached ready to wear with my black skirt and new T-shirt.