Awestruck

 I am awestruck by how beautiful these images are! I knew that Sata and Rachel would be great at modeling, but I had no idea just how wonderful it would be to see so much of my jewelry being worn by fully-costumed dancers... Especially when photographed so professionally by Liora K!

Check out the Tribal Jewelry section of my shop for more images. I haven't added them all yet, but I'm working on it! Some of them will show up in other sections, too, because I couldn't resist throwing in some beadwoven pieces, like the herringbone rope that Rachel is wearing, layered with a Ganesh necklace.

Sneak Peek!

 I am so excited! Earlier this month I had a photo shoot with Liora K Photography! My dance friends Jen and Rachel served as my beautiful models, showcasing some of my tribal designs and some other jewelry that would also look great with dance costumes. All three women were so much fun to work with!

Soon I will be adding the images to my Etsy listings, and listing some new jewelry, but for now enjoy this cute picture of Jen and Rachel, and this sneak peek of the trays of necklaces!

I love bats

I don't understand how anyone can not like bats. Bats eat mosquitoes. Mosquitoes eat me. Every mosquito that gets eaten by a bat is one less mosquito that might nibble on my toe, right where my sandals will rub against it. If I could have a domesticated bat in my house, I would -- although I have a feeling that the chaos from two cats and two corgis chasing a bat would be a bit overwhelming.

The other night we went out to the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, because during the summer they have special Saturday evening programs. That particular Saturday was all about insects, which was super exciting. But we also got to have a very long conversation with one of the docents about BATS! She told us what species we have most commonly in Tucson, how many mosquitoes they can eat in an hour, and where and when to go if we want to see huge flocks of bats come swarming out from under a bridge. Unfortunately we didn't get to see any living bats, but there was a very cool bat skeleton. Their bones are so amazingly tiny and fine!

The bat bead in my Hanging Around Bat Necklace is so cute and detailed. It shows the friendlier side of bats, not the creepy black "turning into Dracula" stereotype. If you met this bat, you'd want to cuddle her! Maybe give her a high-five to thank her for eating so many insects.

A gift

After my friend Marilee bought the Orchid Rose bracelet, I decided I should make her a crystal bracelet to match. I had these new purple iris seed beads that I'd purchased at the gem show -- they look kind of blue in this photo, but they're actually a very dark purple. They're a great compliment to the Cyclamen Opal crystals, which are the same color as the ones I used as an accent in Orchid Rose. I topped it off with a hexagon-shaped pewter button.

In the meantime, I discovered a secret stash of crystal bracelets that has never been listed on my Etsy shop, so I should be photographing those on Monday.

Twee Tweeter

The Woodland Jewelry section of my shop has been a little neglected lately, but I did recently add these adorable Nesting Time earrings. The charms are of course from Green Girl. How cute are they? They even inspired me to break my usual rule of not making matching earrings. Of course, they're close enough to matching.

So the truth is I have a ridiculous amount of Green Girl components. I mean, I use a lot of them, but I buy even more than I use. Each one is just so sweet, I have to have them all! The fantasy-themed ones are of course my favorite, but I like to throw a few sparrows and owls in for those of you who like your jewelry with a bird on it.

Fun with Photography!

 I'm currently working on photographing some of my past work that has not made it onto Etsy yet. For instance, this Fire Dancer beaded lariat. My last attempt to get a decent set of photographs resulted in exactly 1 useful image. But yesterday I sat down to take some photos and I am really happy with them! In fact, the above picture is one of my favorites. Ever. It's just so nice! I am surprised that I took it.

Just for fun, here's a less-useful image. This is what happens when someone with zero formal photography training plays with the macro function on her digital camera.

Allegory Gallery Late for June

 My new goal is to tackle all of my monthly obligations early, instead of putting them off until the end and then suddenly not have time for everything. There's really no good reason for me to be posting my June project more than a week into July, so expect to see my July project next week rather than rushed in at the end of the month.

These chandelier earrings feature three types of beautiful beads from Allegory Gallery. First, the yummy translucent green AB leaves, which have the most delightful luster. Next, some tiny fire polished beads in a nice metal-lined medium emerald green. Finally, the cutest little vintage Japanese beads, which came on a looooong loop of the original thread, with the original Made in Japan sticker. It was hard to cut that strand! They were just so adorable as-is! I wanted to wear the strand like a long necklace, but it probably would have snapped some time when I was out to dinner, sending tiny green beads rolling under tables, perhaps even causing a waitress to slip and spill a tray. Any plan that involves injuries and lost beads is not a good one.

Anyway, I took all these sweet beads and I dangled them from a really cool pair of Sterling Silver chandelier findings that I've had forever, to make a simply gorgeous pair of earrings. I have plenty of beads leftover (especially the vintage ones), so I think I'll have to make a matching necklace.

 Disclaimer: Some items in this blog post were provided for promotional consideration by Allegory Gallery.

Belly Dancer

I made this Silver Siren belly dancer pendant a while ago, and put it on consignment at Plaza de Anaya. Sadly, it did not sell, and since I am no longer taking weekly classes in Tempe, I pulled my consignment to list it on Etsy instead. So now you, the general Etsy-shopping public, have your chance to own this very elegant beaded pendant! There will be more dancer pendants in other colors eventually. I really love these vintage dancer images.

As for dancing itself, I am still obsessed! I'm in classes at least three days a week, practicing all the time to stay on top of troupe choreographies and my own solos, and performing once or twice a month even in the heat of the Summer. I love it even more than beadwork, and that's saying something. If you want to know more about what I'm up to, it's best to follow my other blog, Confessions of a Dance Pants Addict.

Lots of new earrings!

 I'm on a quest to get my Etsy shop up to at least 100 items, and to keep it that way. I want my customers to have a great selection to choose from. To that end, I've been busy listing some new earrings in the shop. Above, Basalt Talisman, the latest in my line of Hamsa earrings.

 Tribal Bauble is made with some of the first Kashmiri beads I ever purchased. I've probably had these for about a decade now, maybe longer, and I've been jealously doling them out in small amounts. I think this is the last of them. A great accent to your favorite tribal necklace.

 Vampy Starlet goes perfectly with all of the red and black I've been featuring lately. The red beads are vintage! They're a really rich opaque red, like lipstick.

Since the hamsas have done so well, I decided to give these henna hand charms a try. Lovely Dancer Hands would be a great gift for a henna artist or belly dancer.

I really like using that little wooden box as a photo prop, by the way! It's so elegant and just the right size to display earrings, bracelets and anklets.

Allegory Gallery May Project

Whoops! I fell a little behind on Allegory Gallery projects. Well, in May I was supposed to create an item and write a tutorial for it. I chose to do one of my crystal bracelets because it's a good way to introduce people to beadweaving, it can be done in any color, and it has a button clasp for an extra special touch. However, Andrew decided to postpone the tutorials for now, so I can share the pictures in my blog instead.

I decided to get a little fancy playing with different angles, to get some nice artistic shots that say "gallery worthy" to me.

This bracelet uses Dark Turmaline Swarovski crystals from Allegory Gallery, woven together with brown Nymo beading thread also provided by the gallery. I added some Japanese seed beads from Beyond Beadery and a button that I picked up somewhere along the way. I buy buttons wherever I find them. I chose red-orange as my accent instead of going with a complimentary color, as I am forcing myself to work more with contrasts, and I have a skirt with these colors in it.

Disclaimer: Some items in this blog post were provided for promotional consideration by Allegory Gallery.

Yellow! Yes, Yellow!

For the past year or so I've been attempting to broaden my color horizons, both in my personal wardrobe and in the jewelry that I make to sell. Yellow is a color that I really struggle with. I use it as an accent sometimes, but in general I am not a big fan of it. Bohemian Summer Crystal Bracelet is my attempt to embrace yellow! I've accented the Swarovski crystals with some of those exciting new hybrid seed beads (Japanese seed beads with Czech coatings/effects on them) in brown-mottled turquoise green. I've seen a lot of this yellow and turquoise combo lately and I'm surprised by how much I like it!

I'm really happy to see boho styles maintaining popularity, too. Living in a hot climate, I really like to wear lightweight, flowing garments during the Summer, and the boho prints really go well with my collection of tribal jewelry and my long hair. Hanging out with a lot of belly dancers, I see a lot of creative ways of combining clothes that are in style, bits and bobs from our costume collections, and unique jewelry -- especially after a gig, when we've changed out of our costumes but we still have a few accessories hanging around!

More Red and Black

 I just listed The Hidden Heart on Etsy today. This necklace takes the popular red and black color combination and adds a bit of white for extra contrast. It's a gorgeous Gothic necklace that is ready to accompany you on a night at the club.

 If the focal pieces look familiar it's because I posted about them a while back as they were part of the package I received to use in the Earthenwood Studios Design Team. I knew that I wanted to use them for this necklace, it just took me a ridiculous amount of time to sit down and actually make it. I'm so happy with how it turned out, so I really wish I had made it sooner.

Speaking of things that are ridiculous, I am really surprised that Spiral Journey is still in my Etsy shop! Last week I made another anklet similar to it, but in black and blue instead, as a custom order. It's up to 34 admirers, so I know it's only a matter of time until someone makes it their own -- or asks me to make another custom version in different colors :)

Red and Black!

 This week is all about the Red and Black! I'll be listing some new items in this dramatic color scheme, and highlighting some old items, too. Today we have the recently-listed Vampire Blood crystal bracelet. I love the floral pattern on the button!

Bohemian Nightstalker ankle bracelet is a little Goth and a little Boho. The silver chain really makes the red and black bead dangles stand out.

Return of the Destash

Many members of FAETeam are working on tackling our supply stash this year. Whether it's using things up or selling them off, we'd all like a tidier work area and maybe more money to spend on new supplies (it's a vicious cycle). As such I am working on restock the Destash Beads section of my shop. Etsy has made it easier by now charging only 1 listing fee for multiples of an item, so I currently have three strands of these fun Czech Glass Spiral Beads available in my shop. Hopefully later this week I'll also get more leaf beads listed. I've never met a leaf beads that I didn't like, and I used to buy them by the hankful from Raven's Journey because I really, really wanted specific styles and colors.

Anyway, so far the destashing is not going amazingly. I have been making things with the beads I already have, but then I had all this trade credit from Beyond Beadery and they had new mini-spike beads. As if that wasn't bad enough, one day I went to Michael's when I was bored, just looking for some crystals to glue onto my face for belly dance, and I came out with $40 worth of miscellaneous bead stuff because there was a sale going on. I have a problem!

Orchid Rose

The other night I felt like making a new spiral rope bracelet. I decided to go for purple so I could use more of those gorgeous matte iridescent purple seed beads (which I previously used in the purple beetle for MZ). I also added some Cyclamen Opal Swarovski crystals, but most of them are hidden in this picture. Note to self: more crystals next time! I call it Orchid Rose, because the colors remind me of orchids, but the clasp is a rose carved from a shell. It's quite lovely and feminine!

Anklets!

Every year when the weather gets warmer, I start thinking about anklets. I make new ones, and I promote them all over the place, and no one buys them. This year I've been busy with beetles for MZ and bracelets for Kate, and I admittedly neglected my Etsy shop a bit. I was not promoting anklets or anything else. Naturally, those anklets started selling themselves when I wasn't looking.

Today I not only listed this Lime Blossoms Anklet but I also put all of the ankle bracelets* into their own Handmade Anklets section in my shop, so you no longer have to browse all of the sections to find them. I hope to make some more new ones this week, too, so keep your eyes open.

*I always call them anklets, but a lot of people search for ankle bracelet instead, or even anklet bracelet. Whatever name you use, I have 'em!

Dragon Queen's Cuff

Here's the other bracelet that I made to be included in Contemporary Geometric Beadwork. It's a series of "what-ifs" coming together to make a multi-layered, richly textured bracelet. The ribbon runs through a channel and can be removed and replaced with just about anything. I made it the perfect size to hold a crystal bracelet (like this one), but I could also make a peyote band, or a herrinbone rope, or a collection of chains. I could use Wire Lace and tease it into weird shapes. The possibilities are endless!

This bracelet also represents my attempts to start to play with my usual olivine and bronze color scheme. I used antique gold instead of bronze, and added some earthy yellow and a tiny pop of orange.

All of my Olives

Wow, I made this back before the gem show and I'm finally getting around to posting about it! This scrumptious bracelet is a slight variation on a design by Jean Power. The awesome thing about this design is everyone seems to do it a little differently. I chose to make each triangle one solid color, with a "spine" of one color that unified them all. Others choose to make each half of the triangle a different color. Some put patterns in the "spine." Some stick to a very simple color palette, others make every triangle a different color. Sadly I did not have quite enough shades of olive green Delicas to make every triangle different, but I did manage to get a good variety in there.

My main innovation with this pattern was the addition of 2mm Swarovski crystals! After using them as an accent on my triangle ring, and seeing this bracelet pattern, I began to daydream about a bracelet with 2mm crystals along the spine. When Kate McKinnon sent out an e-mail asking for test beaders to make variations on some of the designs that were going to be included in the upcoming Contemporary Geometric Beadwork book, I decided it was time to stop daydreaming and start creating!

So I am very excited about the fact that this bracelet, the coordinating ring, and another bracelet which I'll post tomorrow will all be shown as possible variations of the projects in the book. This is my first time having my work included in a book! Previous to this my only published beadwork was when a past LL-BFAC project was included in the article that Bead Unique did on the charity. And not only is it awesome to be included in a book, but it's a book that was largely dreamed up and created here in Tucson! I had some fun afternoons sitting in Kate's house or back yard, beading along with her, Jean Power, Gabriella van Diepen, and other lovely beaders who came to visit.

Allegory Gallery -- Waiting for the Key to Immortality

 It's Allegory Gallery Design Team time again! I created this beautiful necklace in my signature combination of olivine and bronze, using a mix of beads from the Gallery and things from my stash. The focal is a gorgeous escutcheon pendant by Melanie of Earthenwood Studio. I love the woodlands color scheme and stamped pattern. The swirled rice-shaped Czech glass beads from Allegory Gallery matched it perfectly.

 Allegory Gallery also provided the olivine square tab Czech glass beads, which nicely pull out the greens of the focal.

There are a lot of textures going on in this piece. I added some luscious golden baroque freshwater pearls from my most recent trip to New York (Ace Handicraft, I love you!), and some tiny Bronze Shade Swarovski crystals. I haven't decided yet how I feel about that color, it's kind of weird. But it's just the right shade to go with the focal.

Be sure to check out what the rest of the Design Team has been up to this month!

Peggy Li

Sally Russick

Penny Neville

Cindy Cima Edwards

Amy Cousin

Genea Crivello-Knable

Brenda Salzano

Shannon Chomanczuk

Charlene Sevier

Jessica Prill

Rebecca Anderson

Penny Young-Neville

Coleoptera Collection Conquers California

 I just handed these three pendants off to Margaret of MZ Glass so she can take them with her to LA. I'm pretty happy with all of them! I got a little bored of just using seed beads, so I threw some Swarovski crystal rhinestones in for extra sparkle. I wonder if any of them will find a new home in California?

A slightly different angle. Each one has a different bail and edging style, depending on what I thought would look best with the embroidery, and what I was in the mood to do.

Check back next week for more new beadwork!

Get your bids in!

My 2012 Layne's Legacy -- Beading For A Cure necklace "Orientale" is finally up for bids! Click here to visit the listing and possibly place a bid. As of the time that I'm writing the post, the current bid doesn't even really cover the cost of the LL-BFAC kit, Sandy Spivey cab, extra crystals and Green Girl shibiuchi clasp, not to mention the hours of time I spent embroidering and weaving beads. I'd really love for this necklace to raise a substantial donation for LL-BFAC. Remember, all of our proceeds go to the National Colorectal Cancer Research Association, in memory of my late friend Layne Shilling.

If Orientale isn't your thing, or it's out of your budget by the time you click the link, or even better, you'd like to buy multiple items, make sure to check out the rest of this week's auctions!

Allegory Gallery: Seelie Bracelet

 Spring is here, which means it's time for cute little sundresses! And cute little sundresses need fun, casual jewelry in Spring colors! Thankfully I had these funky bright green beads from Allegory Gallery, just waiting to be made into the perfect bracelet. They're some sort of glass with an interesting coated and drizzled effect. I haven't seen anything like them before and I'm curious to see how they'll hold up. Allegory Gallery also provided the silver-lined clear cube beads. I don't often use cubes in my beadweaving, but they make really cute spacers, especially since this bracelet has a rectangular focal.

And what a focal it is! The little charm is a pewter piece from Green Girl Studios. The back features a quote from a WB Yeats poem: "Come away oh human child, to the waters and the wild." I love the poem and I love the faerie. I have 3 or 4 of these charms, so since this is a bright Seelie bracelet for Spring and Summer, I think I'll make a dark Unseelie one for Fall and Winter.

 Little Swarovski crystal bicones in Light Olivine add just a touch of sparkle. The glass beads have large holes, so the 3mm crystals help keep everything lined up perfectly. Plus I really feel that a bracelet like this looks better with 3 types of beads than two.

Check out what the rest of the team is up to!

Peggy Li

Sally Russick

Penny Neville

Cindy Cima Edwards

AJ Reardon

Amy Cousin

Genea Crivello-Knable

Brenda Salzano

Shannon Chomanczuk

Charlene Sevier

Jess Prill

Rebecca Anderson

FTC disclaimer: Some beads in this post were provided for free in return for promotional consideration.

Spirals Every Day!

Just yesterday I finished this custom ankle bracelet called Spirals Every Day! The buyer loved my Spiral Journey Anklet but wanted something in black, silver and earthy colors for every day wear. Lucky for both of us that I happened to already have black and silver spiral beads!

I love this combination of black, silver, and antiqued bronze so much that I might use it for other projects, too. It's really elegant and versatile, you could wear it with pretty much everything. I think it would be lovely for a steampunk brooch. I should see what cabochons I have that would work for that, after I work my way through my long to-do list.

FAETeam Holiday Swap

 It's about time that I posted about the FAETeam secret holiday swap! I was assigned Aquariann as my secret fae, and since she likes pearls and Atlantean myths, I made her this necklace. The focal is a lampworked bead with a Green Girl mermaid bead hanging below it. Freshwater pearls, Czech glass and Swarovski crystals make up the main necklace.

And MY gift comes courtesy of Shannon from Gypsy Moon Art Studio! I love Shannon's wirework, so I'm really happy to own a custom-created necklace by her! She perfectly encapsulated my sense of style -- steampunk, tribal, and a little creepy, in copper and olivine green. It goes perfectly with a lot of my dance costumes, and as an added bonus, I already had crystal and eye earrings from Mermaiden that match it.

Bold Beetle

I've been quite the busy little beader while I've been quietly not blogging. This is just one of the pieces that I've made this year. If it looks vaguely familiar, it's because this is the second beetle pendant I've made in this color way -- and there's a third yet to come! MZ sold the first one, and she wants to keep this one, so a third one needs to be made up to sell. I also have a blue beetle, a pinky-purple beetle, and an orange butterfly all waiting to be pendantified, so I need to bead faster!

Unknown Taxonomy

 Remember when I bought that strand of jade cicadas? I finally created something with one of them! Of course, upon further thought I'm not sure if it's actually a cicada... maybe it's a firefly? Stone insects are so hard to identify!

 Have a closer look yourself. What's your vote for its species?

Here it is in the wild, being worn by me at the drum circle at the Arizona Renaissance Festival. I'm dancing with my friends Jen and Mary! Jen is also wearing a necklace that I made.

But the most exciting part is that this is my first piece as part of the Allegory Gallery Design Team! The two sizes of brown beads that I used in the necklace were provided by Allegory Gallery. They're very nice plastic. I don't normally use plastic at all, but I'm trying to overcome my snobbery. Besides, that stone pendant is SO heavy, it was nice to be able to cut down on the weight of the necklace by using lightweight beads. The plastic has a beautiful marbled appearance that makes it look like glass or stone from the distance; very classy.

In addition to the stone cicada (firefly?) and the plastic beads, I also used some antiqued jade beads to match the focal, some Afghani coins (including one that serves as a "clacker" turning the focal into a bell), a little Thai silver and a little red tiger's eye. I love it!

Working at Best Bead!

Please pardon my quietness, it's GEM SHOW TIME!!! I'm working at Best Bead and amassing a pile of new beads, too. If you want to come see me at work and also buy some awesome crystals and seed beads, you can find me at the Beyond Beadery booth, conveniently located in the dance and aerobics room.

Wintry Treasury

I was included in this beautiful treasury by Mermaiden! A lovely winter FAETeam collection.

Mysterious Package

I can't tell you what's inside of this package, or who sent it to me, until everyone who participated in the FAETeam holiday swap has received their gifts and we do the big reveal. But WOW just look at that pretty wrapping job! I love the feathers. I think I'll incorporate them into something to wear when I dance.

(Yes, I am still alive. No, I did not mean to take a 20 day hiatus from blogging. I just haven't been feeling particularly interesting)

New Year Treasuries

Hello there, blog readers! Sorry about the long hiatus. I got really busy getting ready for my last two belly dance performances of the year, as well as finishing up all of the holiday prep. Then I got really sick! Now that the holidays are behind me and I'm mostly healthy, it's really time to get some stuff done. Stuff like making treasuries!

And being included in them!

Happy holidays!

I decided to actually make a Christmas-themed treasury! What is the world coming to? I really don't like red and green together that much, but it's still pretty cute and there are a lot of awesome FAETeam items. Isn't the red yeti just adorable?

I was also included in a holiday-themed treasury by Mermaiden!



I like that we both included the same faerie door ornament but otherwise our treasuries are completely different :)

Holiday Deadlines

Soul Eater is the only red and green item in my shop. Somehow I don't think he quite exemplifies the holiday spirit, but he does illustrate how I feel after fighting holiday crowds in the stores.

Anyway, it is that wonderful time of year when you have to start wondering whether the things that you order will arrive in time for the holidays. Oh no! I'm here to tell you that if you are an international customer, I don't know if your order will arrive before Christmas if you order it now, but I'll be happy to ship it to you anyway. US customers, you should have no worries. However, I will stop shipping after December 15th and may even put my shop into vacation mode.

Local people: I can deliver! And if you're a personal friend or family member, you can even come to my house and shop for jewelry in person, although you will have to pay a horrible price -- you will get licked by the corgis.

One last thing. Sales have been picking up, and everything that I make is one of a kind, so if you have your eye on something don't hesitate! Seize the day!

Pouted too soon!

After a dry spell of treasury features, in the past two days I have been included in two holiday-themed treasuries! The above was created by FaerieKat to thank the curators who had included her work in their collections, and includes my beautiful white crystal necklace.

Christmas time in the FAE by wonderful costumer Rhonda features items from FAETeam -- and not all of them are holiday-themed, they just fit the lovely holiday color scheme. I am happy to have a pair of my chandelier earrings included.

When visiting these treasuries please remember to give the curators some love!

Magic for the Holidays

A collection of magical gifts from FAETeam.

Yet another week with no treasury features for me. I think I'm going to pout! Well, not really. Everyone's pretty busy getting ready for the holidays now. I almost didn't even make a treasury yesterday but I had a few spare minutes so I came up with an easy theme and it pretty much built itself.

Hard to photograph

I love these glass cabs with printed images, but they are so tricky to photograph! I always end up with lots of glare and reflection. I can't decide if I should list this one with the photos I already have or if I should try to get better ones.

Busy busy!

I'm busy making holiday presents, which of course I can't post here because then I might accidentally spoil some surprises. Instead, have a picture of Topher. Awww, such a fluffy kitty!

Winter has arrived early in Arizona, by the way. It's been cold and rainy, there's snow on the mountains, and I am ever so glad for my warm fuzzy robe, cuddly pets, and the vast amount of tea in my cabinet.

Remember the Muffin Tin?

I made this necklace as part of the Muffin Tin Challenge earlier this year and then never got it listed on Etsy. This was the only photo that turned out from the first batch so I had to take more. Then only one turned out from the second batch! So I'm still waiting to add a close-up to the listing, but if you like what you see from a distance you can make Green Guardian Dragon Necklace your very own.

And if you're wondering why I didn't keep this one, since I love olive green and bronze together, and I love dragons, the simple answer is that I already have necklaces in this color scheme that I like even better. It's pretty similar to my Garuda necklace, in fact, so I felt like it was best to put this one in the shop and let some other green-lover add it to her collection.

There she stands, this lovely creature

Treasury inspired by the Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds song Lovely Creature, and my attempts to work out a belly dance solo to it. Also inspired by items in my Etsy favorites, as you can tell from all the olive shades.