So, as I mentioned in my last blog I am going crazy planning a wedding; My wedding. We are getting married on the beach so naturally we are walking in the sand. I decided to wear these beautiful beaded, sole-less sandals to match my gown. Now, the picture that I am about to post doesn’t show how truly beautiful these beaded sandals are, but it’s the only picture I have at this time. When the professional photographer takes pics on the wedding day I’ll be sure to post some.
I will be making these soon, and adding them to the site. I think they are essential for any beach bride, and her bridal party. Surely you can see that these can be customized any way that you can imagine! Do you like fringe or don’t you? What colors are your favorite? The possibilities with these materials are endless, as Swarovski crystals, pearls and seed beads are available in a wide variety of shapes, colors, and finishes. Also I wanted to share with you a few other items that I purchased. Naturally they are all handmade, and I purchased them from some very talented artists who sell their products on Etsy. Here is a picture of my Guest sign in book with pen. It’s perfect for my beach theme wedding and made from top quality materials. I purchased this from CreativeBridal on Etsy…
I want to share one more item with you. It is my ring pillow. I LOVE this pillow. It is also a beach themed, handmade item of silk, seashells and Swarovski Crystals. I purchased this from BellesandCrystals on Etsy. It is the most unique ring pillow I have ever seen for a beach wedding. The addition of feathers is great, because there are also feathers in my bouquet (I’m not telling what kind. You have to wait and see!) It’ll be perfect for mine!
For those of you interested in learning the above stitch for beading sandlas, I found this very simplified video for creating a vertical netting pattern.
Before I introduce the new crystal pieces I want to preface this blog with one more glass bead necklace. For those of you who have been reading you know that lately I have been focusing on Lisa Atchison’s glass beads. As I’ve stated before they are remarkable, one-of-a-kind beads unlike anything that I have ever seen. In most cases the pictures do not do the beads justice. Please review previous blogs for my most recent creations. I will introduce one new piece to you where I used the combination of a copper mesh necklace along with one of Lisa’s electroformed leaf beads.
This necklace is comprised of fine, Italian brass mesh. There is a 3mm leatherette cord inserted into copper-colored brass mesh for durability. The necklace measures 18″ in length and is terminated with a lobster claw clasp. I used copper findings, and pure copper wire to make the handmade bail from which the beautiful, ocean-colored bead is suspended. As you view both photos of the bead itself, notice that the bead is only electroformed with a leaf on one side, which adds to its versatility.
Back of Bead
Front of Bead
OK, now for the crystal. First I’ll begin very quickly with the introduction of the “more classy” version of the Christmas tree earrings. I featured the classic-colored tree earrings in a previous blog, which was a green crystal tree accented in red and silver. This new pair is made using clear Swarovski® crystals along with an aurum 2x crystal topper and Colorado topaz base. They dangle from fancy gold-plated ear wires. These adorable creations can be worn all season long so get yours now!
Swarovski® crystal is the finest crystal in the world. I absolutely LOVE what Swarovski® has done this season with their new pendants. Of course these are perfect for any occasion, but hey, the winter season is upon us and in celebration of it I offer you a Swarovski® snowflake pendant necklace!
This sparkling creation has a flat table and faceted edges. The light reflects brilliantly from this classic pendant. I have attached a sterling silver teardrop bail to the snowflake, which dangles from a 20″ sterling silver textured loop chain. I terminated the chain with a sterling silver lobster claw clasp.
Also new this season is the 18mm flat-faced heart pendant. With the amazing sparkle only Swarovski® can create, the feminine heart drop has faceted, beveled edges and a smooth center. Stunning glacier blue color, the crystal ignites flashes of blue, green and yellow. I used a sterling silver ice pick heart bail, and attached it to a sterling silver Italian chain for instant elegance. Makes a fabulous gift for any occasion!
I have started working with a new medium. I am not sure if I like it yet as it is very new and extremely delicate, but I feel that the potential for creativeness using this product is just itching to burst through! This woven mesh originates as an extremely fine brass wire, loosely woven and anodized into a glorious color palette. It can be used to create a myriad of styles. Because this mesh is very fragile, it is recommended that it be used like a ribbon with beads strung on the outside only. However, I am a bit of a rebel and I decided to string beads, twist the mesh, and even fill the tube with pearls! (I feel like I just ripped off one of those “DO NOT REMOVE” mattress tags)
Close up of pearls in mesh
This is a David Christensen cane glass bead necklace with sterling silver accents and Swarovski® pearls strung on, and in the mesh tube. The black and white glass beads are from David’s “Sophisticate Collection”. These are the finest manufactured cane glass beads in the world. I featured his “Harvest Collection” beads on another necklace, which was featured in another blog a short while ago. This necklace is approximately 18″ in length and is terminated with a tube-like lobster claw clasp.
Clasp
That’s all for now. I am expecting the birth of our son on December 10th so I am trying to get as much completed and listed on my site, before he arrives! Happy Holidays to all
I am often asked how I get my inspiration. Beaded jewelry design is like any other art form–inspiration can come from almost anywhere.
One source of inspiration is the work of other designers, such as David Yurman. From his Bijoux collection, I like his use of asymmetry, in which the two sides of a necklace do not quite match. I also like the way he combines textured and smooth links in his chains. And I especially like the way he showcases special beads in his jewelry design.
Bijoux Necklace
My finished design is quite different from Yurman’s. But, you can see the combination of textured and smooth in the sterling and Hill Tribes silver, the asymmetry in the use of jade on one side of my central bead and pearl on the other, and the way I made the Grade A yellow/blue tiger-eye bead the focal point, setting it off with Swarovski® crystal rondelles.
Yellow/Blue Tiger Eye with Jade, crystal pearl and Hill Tribes silver
My beaded jewelry design often is inspired by nature. For example, I’ve interpreted the color of the sea, the sky and the coral reefs around Caribbean islands in this ring. The turquoise ranges from blue in the nuggets to blue-green in the smooth beads.
The coral is actually from Swarovski® — crystal coral-colored beads. I choose not to use real coral in my beaded jewelry design, because reefs are usually endangered habitats.
handmade components on Sterling ring
Another source of inspiration for beaded jewelry design comes from the beads themselves. When I look at a wonderful lampworked bead or a millefiori bead from Italy, I can draw inspiration from its colors and texture. I ask myself whether it calls for gold or silver findings and accents. What colors will bring out this or that color within the bead? Should I use a similar or a contrasting shade in my design?
Life itself inspires my beaded jewelry design, as in the Mommy bracelet I am designing to celebrate the coming birth of my second child. In fact, my jewelry design business began with my first child, Isabella Rose. She continues to be the wellspring of my creative spirit.
One of the things I love best about beaded jewelry design is using a variety of carefully chosen materials to create wearable art. If my designs never see the inside of a museum that’s OK, as long as my creations are eye catching and wearable!
If you have questions about beaded jewelry design, please ask. I’ll be happy to answer in this blog.
It took a while but we finally got our FREE GIFT drawing software in place. We thank everyone who has registered their E-mail address with us and registered to win a free gift. Isabella’s Beads would like to congratulate this month’s winner of our FREE GIFT drawing, Wanda Petchonka. Wanda will receive a free pair of our exclusive “Pearly Snowman” holiday earrings pictured below. These earrings have a retail value of $24.99! To be honest I was attempting to keep the free gifts $20 and under, but with the delay and the upcoming holidays a few nicer gifts will be awarded in the coming months.
For those who are interested, these earrings are also available for sale in our store. More holiday items will be added within the next few weeks. If you are interested in purchasing these earrings please click the photo to be directly connected to that item in our store. The easiest way to find holiday items will be to browse our Collections section. From there you can select the appropriate category (for him or for her) to see what is currently available. Please keep in mind that the site has been undergoing some major changes for Search Engine Optimization, and new items are being added all the time. So, if you don’t see something that catches your eye this time, please keep checking frequently!
If you have not registered your E-mail address with us you can Click Here to enter for your chance to win! We at Isabella’s Beads would like to wish you a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season!
My local PBS station recently aired a travelogue about Thailand’s Golden Triangle. As Rudy Maxa visited various Hill Tribes villages, I waited for him to show them making the silver beads I love so much.
If he showed it, I missed it.
But, I was inspired to learn more about the people who make Hill Tribes silver beads. There are seven main tribes and over a dozen smaller ones. They each have their own language, religion, culture, dances and costumes. Some come from Tibet, some from southern China, and some from as far away as Micronesia in the Pacific. They live in southern China, Burma, Laos and Vietnam, in mountainous regions.
The Hill Tribe people best known in the United States are the Hmong, who helped our fighting men during the war in Vietnam. Many of them have settled in the United States.
In Thailand, Hill Tribes such as the Karen have been able to maintain their lifestyle of subsistence agriculture and their animist religions. Most Hill Tribes silver beads imported to the United States are made by Karen craftsmen. Like all Thai silver, their beads have a higher silver content (95-99%)┬а than sterling (92.5%). The higher silver content means the metal is softer, easier to shape using their centuries-old traditional methods.
The Yao are among the best silversmiths. Raising opium poppies was their main source of income, but, because the Thai government has a program of destroying the poppy fields, they are now turning to other crops and other sources of income. The women do exquisite cross-stitch embroidery. I want a pair of their loose-fitting black trousers covered in brilliant stitchery. But I want Yao beads even more!
By far the most exotic-looking are the long-necked Paduang women, who add silver neck rings that gradually stretch their necks.
In Thailand, the government fears new migration of tribal people from neighboring countries, and does not grant citizenship to Hill Tribes people, though at least one tribe has lived there longer than the Thai themselves.
The Hill Tribes have been supplementing their traditional slash and burn agriculture with opium production. With the government crackdown, the lack of educational opportunities and without the benefit of citizenship, many Hill Tribes people live in dire poverty.
The sale of silver beads, pendants and findings is a source of much-needed income that enables them to continue their traditional lifestyle.
These are some of the ways I have used Hill Tribes beads recently…
Hill Tribes rope tube bracelet with Tanzanite Swarovski crystals
Hill Tribes decorative tube bead necklace with Swarovski Crystal
So, as I mentioned in my last blog I am going crazy planning a wedding; My wedding. We are getting married on the beach so naturally we are walking in the sand. I decided to wear these beautiful beaded, sole-less sandals to match my gown. Now, the picture that I am about to post doesn’t show how truly beautiful these beaded sandals are, but it’s the only picture I have at this time. When the professional photographer takes pics on the wedding day I’ll be sure to post some.
