Thursday, April 30, 2009

Filigree Drops

Today's bead is a filigree drop from Fire Mountain Gems. I received two of them for free several months ago as a special gift with my order, but haven't decided how I want to use them yet.

I didn't realize until taking the photo that there were holes on either side of the long ends. Of course, that made me want to use it as a focal bead in a bracelet! It's the perfect size!

I haven't seen many examples of pieces made from filigree wire. If you have any ideas for this or you know of some great examples, please let me know!

In the mean time, I'm thinking of just picking out my favorite crystals and wiring them on for some great sparkle.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Sparkly Circular Pendants

Hello! I mentioned yesterday that I was experimenting with the graduated swarovski drop pendant from Artbeads.com by connecting it to a circle pendant that I found at Michael's. It didn't dawn on me yesterday that it would be easier to see if I posted it!! :)

So, today's beads are two different sizes of circular pendants from Michael's. These are made by Plaid as part of their "Faux Show" line. The package calls these circles "enhancers". The swarovski drop is hanging inside the smaller circle. There are some pretty cool art deco style pieces in the Faux Show collection that were hard to resist! Lots of clear sparkles and silver along with beads in the black/white combination.

The more I look at the circular pendant with the drop inside, the more I like it. The black or pink graduated drop would be cute too! You could even place the circle with the drop inside the larger circle! It would make a nice, bold statement if that's what you were aiming for.

I might do a trial run by wearing one of them to work tomorrow. If so, I'll let you know how it goes. I guess that's the up-side to working in a building with LOTS of people, it's like having access to an instant focus group just by riding the elevator!

I hope you are having a nice week!

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Swarovski Graduated Drop

Today's bead is a 20.4mm swarovski crystal, silver-plated graduated drop...phew! That's a lot of information! I recently looked through the Artbeads.com site during their $1 sale and came across their swarovski graduated drops and links. I have never used these before and thought it would be fun to try.

I've been experimenting with hanging the drop from the middle of a large crystal encrusted circle bead from Michael's (from the "faux show" collection by Plaid). I like the look of all the clear crystals together, but I'm wondering if it's just a tad boring.

I'll keep working on it, but in the mean time, here are some of the other drops and links I bought during the $1 sale. Needless to say, I was pretty excited when I saw all of this in one little package!

Monday, April 27, 2009

Silvery White Charm Bracelet

I found this bracelet chain recently at the craft store and hesitated about buying it for a few minutes. However, I hadn't seen it before and sometimes if you don't buy a new product when you see it the first time, it might never be available there again.

This is a product made by the Plaid company and it has some kind of finish on it that gives it a white silver appearance. I am working on making some interesting and unique charm bracelets and thought this would work perfectly for showcasing some unique pieces. The heart dangle was just like the icing on the cake!

I can't wait to get started on my bracelet and hope to have something to show you in the near future. I hope your week is off to a good start!

Take care!!

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Indian Pink Swarovski

What a great job it would be to make up new colors for swarovski crystals!! How do you determine that there is a gap in the swarovski color catalog somewhere? Why add a shade of pink? Were there focus groups where beaders were polled to find out what color they'd like to see? Did someone receive some divine intervention during a meditative session? Is there a list of "beads in waiting" that patiently sit still on the side lines awaiting approval year after year? Are there scientific methods for identifying color matches or contrasts for the new beads to make sure they will "fit in" with the existing swarovski colors?

Hmm... While I'd really be interested in finding out the answers to those questions, I don't really NEED to know in order to appreciate their selections! One of the new swarovski colors pictured here is the indian pink bicone. I had photographed it next to the 2xab capri blue bicone recently and liked the combination so I left them in the background just for fun!

I received the indian pink bicones from Rings&Things recently and now I'm wondering if they have any inside info on how new colors are developed at Swarovski. If Dave R. from Rings & Things stops by in the near future, hopefully he'll let us all know.

Here's hoping that you all have a great new week!!

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Just the Right Amount of Sparkle!

It's a gorgeous day in this neck of the woods, so I sure hope everyone else out there is having nice weather too! We have waited so long...

I took the photo of this week's project outside and I gotta say this bracelet just looks so happy to be out in the sunshine!

I made this yesterday morning before work when I was supposed to be exercising, but that's another story! I had very little time, so I just put it together and figured it out as I went. The peace signs just happened because they were in the little baggie with the jump rings. I am very happy with them and even though they are on the ends of the bracelet, they did not go unnoticed! I used the flat bar clasp that I mentioned recently and it is so easy and nice to wear that I will be sure to buy some of these in the future!

Due to the sparkly nature of this bracelet, I received quite a few comments on it yesterday, including the peace signs. They brought a smile in every case, which made me smile too! I had asked whether using the swarovski disks AND the capri blue 2xab bicones would be too much and the answer I can confidently say is NOPE, it's not too much! In fact, it's just RIGHT!

I had also made earrings to match, but gave them away to a co-worker/friend who commented on them and had forgotten to bring any for herself. Oops, that reminds me, I need to make another pair!

Hope you are having a sparkly day! It's drive-in night, so I am posting a tad early. Have a good one!!

Friday, April 24, 2009

Featured Designer: Be-Jeweled by Jana, Wire Crochet!

Friday, yay! I am so glad it's time to share a new jewelry designer with you!!

This week's featured designer is from "Be-jeweled by Jana". I was so excited to come across this blog because I felt the same way when I learned wire crochet!! I was completely hooked! It's been a while since I have done a wire crochet piece, but every time I look at this blog, it makes me want to get the crochet hook out!!

I had a kindred-spirit-moment when I saw this wire crochet design entitled, "70's Style". The peace sign was the perfect touch. I also loved the fact the beads were purchased at a garage sale, a great example of bead recycling!

I have included a couple of the designer's other pieces so anyone who has not attempted wire crochet can see the different variations that can be made.

The best part of bead crochet for me is loading ALL the beads on the wire first. As you need the beads, you just pull them up the wire and crochet them in...VERY COOL!!

Have a great and crafty weekend! If you try any bead crochet, I hope you will let me and Jana know.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

The Goodness of Capri Blue 2Xab

If you are a beader, you might understand when I say there are times that I come across beads and I want to eat them up. There would be absolutely no way I could pass them by...

Well, that happened AGAIN recently!

I've had capri blue bicones before, but never with the 2xab finish. Just in case you aren't familiar with the "ab" finish, it means the metallic finish that is applied to the bead so it reflects light in different colors depending on the angle. It is intended to resemble the aurora borealis which is a luminous display of various forms and colors seen in the night sky. It is caused by high-speed electrons and protons from the sun, which are trapped in the above the earth and channeled toward the polar regions by the earth's magnetic field.

The original ab finish is only applied to one half of the bead, the 2xab finish means it is applied to the entire bead. You get the pleasure of using your favorite swarovski color, but with the added metallic effect.

Some of the swarovski colors were just cut out to have the 2xab finish. I'd include blue capri in that category. The rainbow of colors created by this metallic finish works perfectly with the capri blue color. I'm wondering if it would be "too much" to use these with the swarovski discs and rainbow gem that I posted yesterday????

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Swarovski Disc (#5100)

Today's bead is a swarovski disc (#5100) in vitrail. I discovered a while back that vitrail isn't actually a particular color, but a type of metallic coating. So, two interesting things in just one bead (the shape and color)!!

I wasn't sure what this shape was called, so I searched on the term "swarovski spaceship" since that is what I thought it looked like and found some sites that referenced the actual style number (#5100) and name.

I discovered this bead last week at a local bead shop in central Ohio, Byzantium. Always a fun experience, but you have to keep your blinders on a bit or else...Well, you know the story!

I thought these vitrail discs might be fun to use between those beads I found at Joann's recently, the Rainbow Silver Back Gem. I'd love to hear any other ideas you have for these, they are just adorable!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Fire New Jade

Today's beads are 13x6mm "Fire New Jade" according to the label. From what I understand this is a version of serpentine jade: A variety of the mineral serpentine resembling jade in appearance and used as an ornamental stone.

I like the light tones in these beads and would like to use them in the same piece of jewelry for an earthy, summery vibe. A double strand bracelet made with these would showcase the contrasts between the beads. I'd like to find some small matte gold seed beads to place in between them. I think this might actually be my opportunity to use some light colored sea glass in a piece of jewelry.

I received a small jar of sea glass from a sister in-law a couple years ago, who had brought it back from Maine, and have had thoughts of using it, but never really knew how. I happened to come across a great blog of a fellow jewelry designer/crafter at Kokopelli Design in Germany who is also starting to work with sea glass. While reading her blog, I discovered there is a social network for sea glass artists. I'm going to have to study up a bit, but will keep you posted.

Have a great evening!

Monday, April 20, 2009

Mini Works of Art

I wish I could send you all a strand of these gorgeous stones. The tag just reads "mother of pearl". I almost hate to seperate them, they look so pretty all strung together.

The thing is, I think each one could be showcased as a mini work of art. As a matter of fact, I learned quite a bit about mini works of art during the Artiscape event I attended recently. I didn't realize the popularity of creating journals and artist trading cards.

Looking through the showroom/studio at European Papers was quite an eye opener. There were so many interesting and cool tools and supplies that I had never seen before. There was a tiny little artist canvas probably 2 inches square that could be displayed on a little easel.

Wouldn't it be fun to display a cool bead on an easel as a miniature work of art. I'm thinking I should have bought one of those easels so I could convert it to a display piece for a single bead!! What do you think? I'm sure someone will let me know when I've crossed the line!!

Have a good one!!

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Lava Stones & Kreative Blog Awards

I'm working on keeping my blinders on so I forget the work week will begin again in the very near future! One of the things that usually helps keep me in a fun and creative weekend mode is, of course, making jewelry!!

I wanted to share this bracelet with you that is made with two different sizes and shapes of Lava Stones from Rings & Things. Upon receipt of these beads, I knew I wanted to pair them with the color red. I thought about including bits of turquoise too, but that didn't work out in this design. I'd still like to try that combination.

I love the focal stone and wasn't sure if a bracelet could contain such a large piece, but I am glad I tried because I think it works perfectly! I used a sort of right angle weave to bring the wave of red beads into the mix. I used softflex econoflex black beading wire since it was going to be visible here and there throughout the design. I had it on for a while earlier this evening and it has a fun and festive island vibe to it.

As always, let me know what you think and if you have other ideas I can try. I have a few more of these and love experimenting!

I also wanted to take a few minutes to thank Pearl of The Beading Gem's Journal for so kindly nominating me for the "Kreative Award" on her blog along with several others who she finds inspirational. I was very excited and surprised when I found out she mentioned me. THANK YOU PEARL!! If you haven't already followed or signed up for email updates from her blog, I highly recommend it. She covers a wide range of topics in her blog posts from jewelry and bead history as well as cutting edge products (like the crystal encrusted flash drive bracelet that I am a proud owner of)!

These are the rules of the Kreative blog award:1. The winner may put this award on their blog.2. Please put a link to the person that presented you for this award.3. Nominate 5 blogs.4. Put links to all their blogs.5. Leave a message for your nominees. As this one is all about creativity, I am selecting these blogs for their inspirational and highly creative streaks.

I would like to mention 7 educational, fun and KREATIVE blogs today, even though I could go on and on, I thought I better draw the line somewhere! Have a great week!!

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Plexiglass Heart Bracelet

This week's jewelry project is the plexiglass heart bracelet I made in class at Artiscape yesterday. Tonia Davenport, author of "Plexi-class: Cutting Edge Projects in Plastic", taught the class personally.
In preparation for the class, I packed a bag that included a borrowed dremel tool, an anvil and metal files, a jeweler's saw and bench pin. I had never used any of these tools prior to yesterday's class, so I was excited and nervous about being able to successfully make any cool, artistic plexiglass projects.

It was a lot of fun to have a friend and a fellow blogger (Nancy, from "never enough time") in class as well as some new friends and multi-talented crafters! There was quite a bit of laughing and silliness going on in class as well as a flow of great ideas and artistic talent!

In hindsight, I would have taken some photos of classmates and finished projects. Even though we all started out making a simple plexiglass heart necklace, each person's project took on a life of its own and became a unique work of art. LOTS of fun! As you can see from this photo, mine turned into a bracelet with a shrink plastic dangle with the word "smile" rubber stamped on it. I also added a little piece of "jewelry" to my plexi heart just for fun.

By the way, did you know you could use a heat gun on shrink plastic? And, thanks to Nancy's ingenuity, we also heated up our finished plexiglass hearts with the heat gun to get a little bend in them. I got a little carried away with it and melted my plexi a bit, but the effect was pretty cool! It made it appear as though it was glass with bubbles in it. Plastic is a versatile medium for jewelry making!

I hope you are all having a great weekend!! I see that Nancy also posted her plexiglass heart project on her blog, so make sure you pop over there if you get a minute! If any of the others in the class are reading this, send me your pics and I'll add them here too.

THANKS for a great class Tonia!

Friday, April 17, 2009

Featured Designer: Dawno

YAY!! It's the weekend! That's my gratitude statement for the next 48 hours!! It's a wonderful feeling to know you are free for a couple days to wander aimlessly, to create endlessly or to just BE!

I wanted to share a favorite jewelry designer with you today who provides a great deal of information about her experiences in bead hunting, jewelry designing as well as both the online and craft show jewelry business. You may know her as "Dawno's Beaded Badge Lanyards", but she creates much more than badge lanyards these days.

I have two recent favorites from her collection. One is the "red magma necklace" The large donut-shaped swarovski bead is just gorgeous mixed with this chain which is a perfect compliment to the sparkliness of the bead.

The other is the moonstone jewelry set which includes a lanyard, necklace, earrings and (my absolute favorite) the dangly bracelet pictured to the right.

For anyone in need of beaded badge lanyards, check out Dawno's Etsy shop! For other creations in general, take a look in her ArtFire shop!!

Thanks to Dawno for allowing me to mention her work!

Have a great evening!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Silver Plated Bar Clasp

Today's bead is a silver plated bar clasp which is another of the many cool bead-related gifts I received in a care package recently.

I have never purchased clasps like this, but I'm not sure why! They are very secure and have a nice low profile. The bracelet blanks I worked with recently had a clasp similar to this one. The other nice feature is you can hook the clasp without assistance.

This clasp would work perfectly on silver plated chain. I'd like to find a light-weight, but large focal piece in silver that could be used with chain as long as the chain fit tightly on the wrist so the pendant wouldn't slide around. This clasp would work very well since it's easy to connect.

I hope everyone is having a nice week so far!! One more day till the weekend AND until I get to learn how to make plexi-glass jewelry!!

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Spin Art Bead

Today's bead reminded me of spin-art! Do you remember the little plastic "machine" that had a spinning disk that you clipped a piece of paper to? Once the spinner was turned on, you could begin adding drops of paint.

The fun part was squeezing the paint from high above the spinner and watching it get pulled into the centrifical force!

Even though the designs were all rather similar, it didn't really matter. It was more about the individual experience each time you placed a piece of paper on the spinner. What a fun game!! I am pretty sure I have one stored in a closet here somewhere, I might have to dig it out for the weekend.

Hope you're having a great week!!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Versatile Wooden Disc

Today's bead came in a package of 8 which was labeled, "Beyond Beautiful, 8pc 3+6 Hole Wood Disc". I thought they would be extremely versatile and had several ideas just as I was walking up to look more closely at them. I didn't understand what the "3+6" part of the label meant until just this very moment.

Now that I have taken them off the package to play with, I see that 3 of the wood discs have 6 holes along one side with 1 hole on the opposite side. The other 5 discs have 3 holes on one side with 1 hole on the opposite side...interesting.

The funny thing is my first thought was using them as earrings. If only 3 of them have 6 holes, one will be the odd bead out. Maybe they aren't meant to be used as earrings. I would love to hear your theories on this.

I also thought it would be fun to use two of the discs on a choker with the 6 holes facing each other about an inch apart. Lacing them up with beads would make an interesting focal piece.



Please share any thoughts you might have on this, I would greatly appreciate it!!

(Is it just me or do these look like yummy gingerbread cookies? I keep thinking they would be great with a little frosting on them :)

Have a nice evening!

Monday, April 13, 2009

Spiral Home for Happy Beads

Hello! You are probably wondering why this "spiral home for happy beads" looks just like a spiral bead cage... Well, for some reason, the word "cage" seems sort of like "prison". I don't want to put any of my beads in prison, but I would love to provide them all with a nice, shiny home.

So, for today, this is a "spiral home for happy beads". This is another fun gift I received in the care package I mentioned in yesterday's post. As usual, my first thoughts are of pearls and crystals!

One of these colorful pearls I posted last year would be adorable housed inside! I'm thinking of using it as a focal bead for a dainty necklace and wire wrapping several crystals on either side.

I'm torn between the turquoise blue and the lavender...what do you think?

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Preciosa Crystal

Have you ever had a feeling that some of your life has been spent under a rock or in a self imposed bubble? Can you really know about everything out there in the world at one time? What fun would that be, if you knew everything there was to know? I suppose you have to have something to look forward to.

That's my excuse for having no awareness of Preciosa Crystal...it was an exciting "discovery"! A fellow beader, who happens to be my Dad, sent me a care package from Florida last week. He mentioned it was on its way, but didn't mention what it contained. Since my parents are avid garage sale fans, I thought it might be a new stash of "vintage" pieces.

Well, as luck would have it, his favorite bead store, the Anderson's Bead Room, in Port Charlotte has just relocated to a larger building and increased their inventory. They have also opened up an online shop. Since my Dad teaches beading classes throughout the winter while in Florida it's not unusual to find him perusing their inventory.

One of the items he sent was a pair of 6mm "Preciosa" cube/setting. As I was thinking about all the different things I could make with these cubes, I was wondering what the word "Preciosa" meant. I thought it was some new shade of clear that I hadn't heard of so I went in search of more information.

I discovered, very naively, that Preciosa is the name of a company which specializes in the production of machine cut beads, etc. For any of you who have also been living innocently in a secure little bubble, here is some additional info taken directly from their website:

"Preciosa is a world leading producer of cut crystal, specializing mainly in the production of machine cut chatons, beads and other fashion jewelry stones of top quality and in a broad variety of shapes, colors and sizes. The company’s headquarters are in Jablonec nad Nisou (Northern Bohemia), in a region with hundreds of years of glass making tradition.

Kamenický Šenov is a town where Preciosa produces crystal trimming chandeliers as well as contemporary decorative lighting fixtures. It also prepares custom-made lighting fixtures for a wide range of prestigious buildings such as theaters, hotels and luxury palaces. The chandelier making tradition dates back to 1724.

In addition to fashion jewelry components and chandeliers, Preciosa also exports fashion jewelry stones of cubic zirconia, exclusive fashion jewelry, crystal figurines and gifts to many countries worldwide."

What a great web site with lots of gorgeous sparkles to wrap up the weekend!

Saturday, April 11, 2009

This Week's Jewelry: Artiscape Necklace

This week's jewelry project is a necklace made with a variety pack of fresh water pearls that I received from Rings & Things. The package included these pearly x-shaped pieces, creamy tan colored swirly rounds and many other small rounds in a multitude of colors. I had a lot of fun admiring these and was anxious to work them into a project for the upcoming Artiscape event I mentioned recently.

All participants at this event were provided a skeleton key and have the option to make any type of handmade item, using the key, to place in a silent auction for charity on the last day. The theme for the event is "The Age of Innocence" - "The rustle of silk and glitter of diamonds". The event is being held in the "Discovery District" which is full of victorian mansions, ornate wrought iron and a topiary garden.

I thought these pearls would work well in a victorian inspired necklace and wanted to use the x-shaped pieces as a focal point. Yes, they literally have points on them! I wasn't sure about the focal pearls, but I just couldn't bring myself to remove them, they are so pretty and unique. I used the black jump rings and 24 gauge black craft wire to represent the wrought iron popular during that time period.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Featured Designer: Blue Nostalgia

Aren't weekends great?!! For me, a Friday night seems to bring with it a sense of freedom...an opportunity to step away from the flow of things and revel in the moment!

When I came across these blue bird earrings in a fellow Ohioan's Etsy shop, I felt a similar sense of freedom. I'm not sure if that happened as a result of a lifetime of hearing the phrase "free as a bird" or if it was the calming blue color....maybe it was a combination of both.

They seemed like the perfect fit for a Friday night "featured designer" post, so here you go! I hope you get that momentary sense of freedom from these too!

The Etsy shop is called "Blue Nostalgia". The designer mentioned she obtained these birds with a hand-patina finish from another Etsy seller. That's one of the benefits of participating in the large arts and crafts online community. You don't have to look far for inspiration or for the perfect pieces and parts to bring your designs to life.

I also wanted to mention the adorable boxes this designer uses to package her jewelry pieces. The brown and light blue make a sweet color combination! The personalized stamp in light blue is a very nice touch!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great evening!!

Thursday, April 9, 2009

I WON A LAMPWORK PENDANT!

Guess what I received in the mail today....a gorgeous lampwork pendant!! I found out that I won the giveaway a few days ago and had the chance to pick one of the beads up for grabs. I liked the contrasting pinks on this bead and the black dots gave it a bit of a 1950's flair. It caught my eye immediately!

The designer is Rebecca Werner whose studio is called Fira Marina. After looking through her flickr pages where there are more than a thousand gorgeous lampwork beads posted...my head is spinning! There are many different styles and color combinations. I picked out a few other favorites to share with you below. FUN!!

Thanks Rebecca for the sweet card and adorable packaging with my new pendant!!









Wednesday, April 8, 2009

16-Loop Bangle

I noticed this 16-loop bangle at a craft store recently and since I have never had the patience to complete a cha-cha bracelet with all of those dangles, I thought I might have a chance at finishing one of these. I haven't thought much about what I want to attach to the bangle loops yet, but I am pretty sure crystals and maybe pearls will be involved!

Since spring is hopefully right around the corner, it would be nice to use some bright pastels. I was just thinking it might be cute with some tiny little chain attached in some way too.

Please let me know if you have any interesting ideas!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Rainbow Silver Back Gem

Today's bead is so colorful I just couldn't resist it this time, it was calling my name!

I have seen it many times before at the local Michael's store, but always resisted because I didn't have anything in the works that I needed it for. Well...today I saw it at Joann's and I am going to blame it on the lighting! Seriously though, it does seem to be brighter in the bead section there.

Now that I have it home I can't believe I fought it for so long. I feel like breaking into a little Elizabeth Barrett Browning..."How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height -My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight -For the ends of being and ideal grace.I love thee to the level of every day's -Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light..." :)

That might be laying it on just a bit thick, but it has so many great qualities. The unique shape, the multiple colors that change constantly as the light hits it and the holes on each side of the bead which give it a vintage look...just to name a few!

Have a nice and sparkly evening!

Monday, April 6, 2009

Handmade Fiber Beads


Hi there! I hope your week got off to a good start!! If not, once you see these fiber beads, you'll forget all about it! The colors and fun to read captions will turn any frown upside down!

I came across these fiber beads through mention on twitter and once I visited this etsy site, I must have spent a good 45 minutes there! There are 17 pages of items for sale, all fiber beads in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and textures. Wow!

I had a chance to communicate with the creator of these fiber beads, Eleanor, and learned that they are made from natural and synthetic materials. She said when she finds a fiber or two she likes to try to 'marry' them and see how they work together. She has seen her fiber creations used by artists in a variety of ways including jewelry, dreads, wallhangings, as buttons on purses and clothing. She mentioned that some even found a home among pearls on a reproduction Ann Boleyn dress from the tudor era.

Eleanor also mentioned the beads are sturdy and washable and if they are wool, they will felt with washing. How fun!

Sunday, April 5, 2009

FOUND: Pacific Opal Component (in my own stash!)

Question: Is it possible to forget you had a really great bead in only two months time?

Answer: I'm sorry to report, YES, it certainly is possible!

The only explanation I can find is that I posted the other swarovski component within a few days of purchasing them and must have been interrupted or distracted for a few days. When I found this one today it was already halfway beaded on some wire to make a ring. Wow, the power of the mind to focus on something new is amazing! I suppose that's the upside to this situation. The fact I was able to put everything else out of my mind to work on something new could possibly be thought of as a positive! Right?...

I hope you all had a memorable weekend and hope you enjoy this newly discovered pacific opal swarovski component as much as I have!

(In case you are interested here's the other one I posted a couple months ago.)

Saturday, April 4, 2009

This Week's Jewelry: Art Deco Choker

This week's jewelry piece is an "art deco" choker made with the 27mm black Swarovski rivoli from Artbeads.com. The reason I wanted to use these rivoli's was due to their art deco vibe.

I first learned something about art deco when I started searching out antique stores and flea markets for kitschy pieces from the 1950's. While these two styles are vastly different, you can still see the art deco influence in the styles of the 50's. It's in everything from the double decker lamp shades to the plastic salt and pepper shakers. Interestingly, this design style began appearing in the 1920's and was greatly influenced by Egyptian design due to the fact that King Tut's tomb was discovered in 1922.

Since I mentioned these rivoli's in Thursday's post, I've had lots of ideas for incorporating them, but this is the one I liked the most. It is made on two strands of choker memory wire, with both strands going through the back of the rivoli's.

Let me know what you think! Have a great evening!