Art Jewelry Elements Guest Artist Reveal Featuring Francesca Watson Handcrafted Glass

¡HOLA!

 Today I'm one of three guest artists who, along with the Art Jewelry Elements team, will be revealing work using glass cabs created by Francesca Watson for the July art component challenge. 

In addition to me, artists Deb Fortin of Studio 24 and Carol Briody of A Beads Life are also guests with the Art Jewelry Elements team today. The designs are certain to be inspiring and lovely with Francesca Watson's cabs! We all received one of the cabs pictured above. Aren't they amazing? 

For me, getting to participate in my first AJE challenge is as wonderful a gift as is Francesca's glass cab! This was certainly a fun and happy Holiday in July. Here is the amazing art glass focal I received:

Francesca offered the cabs drilled or undrilled, our choice, and I asked for an undrilled beauty, of course, since working with cabs is one of my favorite design elements.

                                                                                                                                                                                                           Warning: Lots of bezel eye candy ahead, so if looking at cabs and bezels makes you do a happy dance as it does me, enjoy! If not, feel free to jump ahead.

 I love creating chain maille bezels, beadwork bezels, wire wrapping, wire weaving. 

I thought and thought of ways to use the gorgeous focal! What to do?

Wire wrapping? 

Wire wrapping & beadwork? 

A beadwork bezel?

My favorite, chainmaille bezels? 

Wire woven with reversible beadwork?

Wire weaving? 

I finally decided on a wire woven reversible beadwork bezel with beaded chainmaille. Creating this bezel design gave me many ways to reflect the rich colors within the cab, while keeping the handcrafted glass focal very secure. Since a chainmaille bezel would not be quite as secure as a  reversible wire woven & beaded one, I was happy to incorporate some of my beloved maille into the necklace chain instead.

And, reversed: 

The woven bezel is made of Vintaj & Artistic antique copper wire (I would have used copper & LOS, but was having health issues that made me stay away from chemicals. I did use plain copper & my tumbler for some maille rings), with Czech seed beads & crystal rondelles for the wire frame (Delica for the embroidery technique bezel), embellished with Swarovski bicone dangles. The bail is made with a copper daisy, a chainmaille mobius, and handcrafted lampwork BHB by Tiffany Smith of Southern Gals Designs. 

The reverse side is beadwoven, and finished with a copper splash.

I coordinated the celtic variation chainmaille and beaded RAW to compliment each side of the cab.

So, the beadmaille chain reverses too, with RAW teal silvered seedbeads on one side and matte navy on the other, nestled braided antique brass rings, copper rings, glass drops, and sari silk.

I'm so grateful for the exquisite handcrafted glass cab, and love Francesca's art! 

Gracias! Thank you so much Francesca Watson and Art Jewelry Elements! 

 Guest Designers

Deb Fortin - www.studiok24.blogspot.ca

Toltec Jewels - www.JewelSchoolFriends.com

Carol Briody - cbriody.blogspot.com

The AJE Team

Caroline Dewison - blueberribeads.blogspot.co.uk

Susan Kennedy - www.suebeads.blogspot.com

Melissa Meman - melissameman.blogspot.com

Jenny Davies-Reazor - www.jdaviesreazor.com/blog

Kristen Stevens - kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.com

 Our star artist, Francesca Watson  - www.francescawatson.com

Toltec Jewels is an author by day, jewelry maker by night. Her literary work is housed by the San Francisco MOMA and is published internationally in popular magazines, literary quarterlies, and university publications. She has won a number of awards for both her literary and jewelry arts. She is happiest making handcrafted jewelry with her entire family, snuggling with her doggies and grandkids, sewing, singing, and learning more jewelry techniques.  She hosts regular design challenges and blog hops featuring community bead artists, and is currently sharing a free chainmaille tutorial series on her blog.

Pine Ridge Treasures Gemstone and Metal Blog Hop

Looking for Michael's Design Challenge & Blog Hop? Here it is :) 

 Welcome to another Pine Ridge Treasures Blog Hop! 

This challenge, participants purchased surprise gemstone and metal bead mixes.

I received simply wonderful picture jasper. Faceted rounds, faceted barrels, and daggers were my design gems, along with rich antique brass findings -- my favorite! 

I've been so sick all week, with a sore throat and virus that makes me want to sleep and sleep, yet the gorgeous picture jasper has called to me and made me so excited to create soft, neutral colorways and design with long held treasures of my own: four picture jasper focals, rounds in various sizes, Czech glass in creams and tans, wood, ceramics by Naos.

My spouse even came home from work ill yesterday -- which is very rare for Lee who just does not miss work unless very ill or hurt -- and now today I have another illness: the same migraine and nausea that sent Lee home from work. It's either very bad pollen counts, chemicals a new lawn worker sprayed (unknown to us until later, to our horror as chemicals make me super ill) or another virus!I don't usually talk about being ill, but...
My apologies for posting in parts. I'm struggling but trying to hang in there online with you all.
I love our hops!

So....
My first design is a new chainmaille weave in a bracelet. It's so simple -- a combination of mobius (flowers) and beads -- but the implementation is ingenious (a Scott David Plumlee weave tutorial I tweaked with different ring sizes) and I enjoyed every moment of weaving the rings, shaping the Vintaj wire loops with my mandrel, touching and arranging the gemstones with gratitude and awe for the pretty patterns and faceting.

This chainmaille weave spirals -- longer, it would make a neat spiral necklace too!

Love knot chainmaille bracelet in anodized aluminum with picture jasper rounds, Vintaj findings, antique brass clasp.

And, I'm so excited to have made earrings with beadfreaky lamas that I hold dear because they remind me of my good friend (and Bead Soup 7 partner) Nan Smith who sent me this lama photo to cheer me up. Aren't they adorable?? I laugh out loud and love them!

So... here are coordinating earrings:
Naos ceramic discs & bone discs, beadfreaky ceramics, Vintaj brass wire & brass findings.

beadfreaky ceramic lamas, Naos ceramic discs, bone discs, Vintaj & antique brass & copper findings.

As I write, I have several more projects of picture jasper set out on paper plates, ready to go. I have about 4 picture jasper focals in my stash, and so I'm happy to create with them finally! I enjoyed this mix immensely, and hope to make all I can with  the inspiration of the lovely gems and metals Lisa so brilliantly put together.

And I'm also excited with Shai Williams' link shared on FB showing the latest jewelry trends from Jewelry Making Daily, inspiring me to try a ladder design and swag focal, two "hot" elements in design right now.


 Update: I finished the ladder necklace this morning, and I'm really liking the look! I used the filigree swag Lisa sent along to create a metal focal with my own smaller picture jasper rounds, and added the faceted barrels and metal beads to Vintaj chain to create the "ladder" part of the design.

Antique brass filigreeswag, picture jasper rounds, Czech glass, faceted picture jasper barrels ladder with Vintaj chain.

Thank you Lisa for a wonderful mix! I love being so inspired I have lots to make yet! :)

I can't wait to see the gemstone and metal mixes everyone received and all the jewelry created!

xxoo Rita

Pine Ridge Treasures Gemstone and Metal Blog Hop Reveal

 Welcome to another Pine Ridge Treasures Blog Hop! 

This challenge, participants purchased surprise gemstone and metal bead mixes.

I received simply wonderful picture jasper. Faceted rounds, faceted barrels, and daggers were my design gems, along with rich antique brass findings -- my favorite! 

I've been so sick all week, with a sore throat and virus that makes me want to sleep and sleep, yet the gorgeous picture jasper has called to me and made me so excited to create soft, neutral colorways and design with long held treasures of my own: four picture jasper focals, rounds in various sizes, Czech glass in creams and tans, wood, ceramics by Naos.

My spouse even came home from work ill yesterday -- which is very rare for Lee who just does not miss work unless very ill or hurt -- and now today I have another illness: the same migraine and nausea that sent Lee home from work. It's either very bad pollen counts, chemicals a new lawn worker sprayed (unknown to us until later, to our horror as chemicals make me super ill) or another virus!I don't usually talk about being ill, but...
My apologies for posting in parts. I'm struggling but trying to hang in there online with you all.
I love our hops!

So....
My first design is a new chainmaille weave in a bracelet. It's so simple -- a combination of mobius (flowers) and beads -- but the implementation is ingenious (a Scott David Plumlee weave tutorial I tweaked with different ring sizes) and I enjoyed every moment of weaving the rings, shaping the Vintaj wire loops with my mandrel, touching and arranging the gemstones with gratitude and awe for the pretty patterns and faceting.

This chainmaille weave spirals -- longer, it would make a neat spiral necklace too!

Love knot chainmaille bracelet in anodized aluminum with picture jasper rounds, Vintaj findings, antique brass clasp.

And, I'm so excited to have made earrings with beadfreaky lamas that I hold dear because they remind me of my good friend (and Bead Soup 7 partner) Nan Smith who sent me this lama photo to cheer me up. Aren't they adorable?? I laugh out loud and love them!

So... here are coordinating earrings:
Naos ceramic discs & bone discs, beadfreaky ceramics, Vintaj brass wire & brass findings.

beadfreaky ceramic lamas, Naos ceramic discs, bone discs, Vintaj & antique brass & copper findings.

As I write, I have several more projects of picture jasper set out on paper plates, ready to go. I have about 4 picture jasper focals in my stash, and so I'm happy to create with them finally! I enjoyed this mix immensely, and hope to make all I can with  the inspiration of the lovely gems and metals Lisa so brilliantly put together.

And I'm also excited with Shai Williams' link shared on FB showing the latest jewelry trends from Jewelry Making Daily, inspiring me to try a ladder design and swag focal, two "hot" elements in design right now.


 Update: I finished the ladder necklace this morning, and I'm really liking the look! I used the filigree swag Lisa sent along to create a metal focal with my own smaller picture jasper rounds, and added the faceted barrels and metal beads to Vintaj chain to create the "ladder" part of the design.

Antique brass filigreeswag, picture jasper rounds, Czech glass, faceted picture jasper barrels ladder with Vintaj chain.

Thank you Lisa for a wonderful mix! I love being so inspired I have lots to make yet! :)

I can't wait to see the gemstone and metal mixes everyone received and all the jewelry created!

xxoo Rita

Michael's Beading Challenge Blog Hop Co-Hosted By Lorelei Eurto & Heather Powers

When I read that Lorelei Eurto of Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio and Heather Powers of Humblebeads were co-hosting a design challenge and blog hop, I was so excited to join in!! Participants simply purchase the following Michael's beads and design away:

Round Cut Horn Beads 91920

Aqua 9.5 x 10mm Table Cut Glass 55809

Purple Glass Round 6mm 80842

Green Ceramic 12mm Round 92927

Aqua Opaque Table Cut Glass 99069

Bone Amber Rectangle 12 x 20mm 93294

Reconstituted Turquoise White Rondel 93741

I found most of the beads! 

Heather made the bead choices based on fabric that inspired her: 

Preparing for our hop, I was inspired to buy this beautiful ceramic focal from Spain. 

The focal is by Mari Carmen Rodriguez Martinez of MAJOYOAL. 

Won't it be luscious to design with when it arrives? 

Focal by Mari Carmen Rodriguez Martinez of MAJOYOAL. 

 And, another boon! My sweet spouse finally found the elusive & mysterious "purple" 

glass 6 mm rounds on one last trip to Michael's Sunday night.  

                                                         Tada! Thank you Lee! :) 

On Monday I became sick with a burning sore throat. 

The illness made me want to sleep & sleep... but I've kept going.

SUMMER GARDEN

Laurie Ament of Isinglass Design Lampwork with brass flower, glass rounds, ceramic & wood beads.

青花  (BLUE FLOWERS)

Swarovski bicones, Chinese glass & howlite rondelle beads, ceramics, wood.

WINDWOOD 

I created a pendant focal from a Swarovski  pear drop (necklace still in progress), and was delighted

 to discover three sided teal & metallic beads in my stash that matched the Michael's window glass.

I made Inca Puño chainmaille links with antiqued copper & turquoise rings for the teal glass items,  and decided to use a beautiful copper focal made by Krist Bowman given to me by Jennifer Cameron. 

Windwood 

Inca Puño Chainmaille Earrings

And another surprise: in a swap box for BeadSwap USA, there were

two teal & gunmetal coordinating glass hearts! I made a second pair of earrings. 

Windwood Bracelet

Copper focal by Krist Bowman, with teal & metalic glass windows, Swarovski bicones, copper chain & clasp.

Visit Lorelei Eurto & Heather Powers to hop the other blogs in the Michael's challenge.

Thank you both for co-hosting the blog hop. It was great to discover that Michael's has some very cool beads and great to design with them! I can't wait to see how others used their beads in designs! 

Toltec Jewels is an author by day, jewelry maker by night. Her literary work is housed by the San Francisco MOMA and is published internationally in popular magazines, literary quarterlies, and university publications. She has won a number of awards for both her literary and jewelry arts. She is happiest making handcrafted jewelry with her entire family, snuggling with her doggies and grandkids, sewing, singing, reading, and learning more jewelry techniques.