Thursday, August 11, 2011

Etsy Treasury

What a great way to start the day - an email from a fellow Etsyan who has included one of my peyote-stitched bracelets in a Treasury.

TheBeadedbead (curator of this Treasury) selected all peyote-stitched items, in aqua/teal/turquoise and lime green. It's a beautiful looking page with yummy items from great beaders on Etsy.
Really shows the versatility of peyote stitch - from flat to tubular to sculptural...
It goes from simple
...to complex and it is still the same great stitch.

Check it out and visit the various shops of these talented beadweavers.


Monday, August 8, 2011

Noir Fleur - the Black Flower

I love buying old "junk" jewelry and recently found an Etsy shop that sells great stuff - do not know how many hours a day this vendor must spend sorting, or where she finds her "finds" - but I'm addicted.

I first found Savage Attic when searching for rhinestone jewelry for a friends' wedding in May....now I visit her shop nearly every day. Recently, a lot of black beaded jewelry caught my eye and soon it was on its way to my studio. Combined with other black and gold beads, pins, findings and brooches already hiding in my stash, last week my vision came together as Noir Fleur.

This piece is comfortable (I'm actually wearing it now!), not too heavy and could be worn with something very classy  - your best LBD. It would also work great with a crisp white shirt and a little black leather jacket.
Gold metal (brass and some gold-plate) brooches and chain, black glass and acrylic beads and brooch, a large black/gray/cream stone bead of unknown pedigree, rhinestones and glass pearls, a couple old earrings and some found metal pieces and dangles.


Clasp is also re-purposed...and matches perfectly.


My current fave is the "statement necklace" - ever since seeing Mrs. Obama where a fab Tom Binns necklace at the Kennedy Center Honors....
So great - wonder how he attaches those old pieces together??? Or maybe they are NOT vintage pieces, but new ones??? Anyway, that's what I like, in case you want to get me something for my birthday.....
but for now, guess I'm content making up my own creations.