2 New Bracelets & 1 "Older"

Howdy friends,

Lately I haven't been all that active in the online beading community as some of you might have noticed. I get like that sometimes, just need to keep to my self for a little while. However I do feel I have been in a very productive and creative period, even if I don't post here so very regularly. And I am keeping busy with jewelry making and making my beaded beads (I have quite a few more of them now to still list in my Etsy shop :-)). Today I'll show you two bracelets I made recently, and one bracelet I made back in April, which was published on a spread with instructions in the August issue of the great British beading magazine Beads & Beyond (my first spread with instructions ever, so I am mighty proud of that). 

I'd be very happy to read your opinions on all three of them, or just any.

1.

Lovely rustic indonesian glass beads made from recycled glass. Knotted on waxed cotton cord. Vintaj brass lobster clasp and etched jump ring for closure. I really like how it turned out with the three rings with the same colored beads sitting in the middle. This bracelet is super easy to wear.

2.

The clasp made by Amanda Davies I've had for ages, it was actually one of the first art bead components I ever bought. I have always loved it, but not been able to find a  suitable enough way of using it in a jewelry piece. The black large glass nugget beads I have also had for a long time without knowing how to do them justice. Knotted on teal waxed linen cord. I am very pleased with this combo. The bracelet looks so great on, I think.

3.

Lastly but not leastly a bracelet I made some time ago, which was one of the projects in Beads & Beyond August issue. It is packed with art beads, and it was the flower clasp in oxidized silver from DaisyChainExtra that sparked off the idea in the first place. I wanted to really enhance the flower aspect of it all, to get the feeling of walking around with my own pretty front garden as it looks in mid summer on my wrist. Remember it was April so I was longing with all my heart :-). 

I made a little flower group and combined the clasp with the two pink flowers I already had in my stash. I remember I was very happy to come up with that idea in the first place, because it felt quite different from what I normally do. Three flowers in three different materials, by three different artists. The ceramic flower bead cap from ChelleV2, and the polymer clay blossom from MissFickleMedia. Enameled head pin by PaintingWithFire, and all the larger ceramic beads by Gaea. Opal pale pink glass rounds, smaller blue green ceramic round beads, copper chain and findings, and one Swarovski bicone bead.

These three bracelets will be listed in my Etsy shop within the nearest few days.

All my best,

Malin

Chained ...

A new parcel from FusionBeads arrived last week. Like an unexpected present :-). It was 4 different chains this time. Antiqued brass plated base metal. Chains ... how refreshing I thought ... I used to use chain in my jewelry all the time before, but lately over the last few months or so I have kind of gone away from it. You know how it can be, you are into certain things during different periods. So, yes, it was a little refreshing kick in my butt so to speak. Today I will present two pieces using two of the chains. I will come back and show you what I did with the other two in the coming week or so.

And hey, look at that one! The really chunky ball chain. 4mm each ball. You know what. I have never ever used ball chain. I have never ever bought it either. I have just never ever been keen on it before. But oooohhhh, this one, that's something different. I didn't know ball chain could come in this chunky-ness. I just had to start with this one. I played around putting together clusters of wire wrapped beads and art beads hanging from a larger ring sort of. Until ...

... until my eyes fell on this ceramic leaf that I have had in my stash for a good while now. By Tracee Dock of ClassicBead and ClassicElements. I adore this leaf, but have never known how make it justice, or how I would like to incorporate it in a jewelry piece. But look at this. Just hanging like that on a long chain. So simple, so perfect. The proportions work really well. A marriage made in heaven. :-) And now I am hooked on ball chain for the future. But I think, for me it has to be this chunky kind.

Next up, the 10 mm round links chain. Combined with a macrame knotted section with enameled beads by Barbara Lewis of PaintingWithFire. Waxed cotton cord and a magnetic ball clasp.

Finally I just thought I would share with you Charlie, my cat, who really likes to work as a prop when I take photos of my jewelry.

All my best,

Malin

The chains used in the pieces above were provided as part of the FusionBeads Blog Affiliate Program. The author of this blog has not received any payment from above-mentioned company. The post above represents only personal opinion of the blog author.

Featured - Barbara Lewis - Art Saves -

Check out CrescendoArt Saves today. Barbara Lewis of Painting With Fire is their guest curator for the whole week. Today she is linking to me and how you do when you tell your spouse off ;-) . Barbara has a wicked sense of humor ... And I love her for it.

Check out her whole week at Art Saves and her own blog too.

Hurry, go now!!!!

NOW!!!

:-)

Wake Up With The Feeling Of That Love Is All Around

Hi,

I just thought I should inform you all that I am feeling well and good. I have not been posting here on my blog for a good while now, in fact for two whole weeks. That is a long break for me. The reason is that I simply have been very busy with a lot of stuff, AND that I have not felt I have anything really to write about or share with you here. I could always do a "wishful" post of course, but I just haven't gotten around to it.

So please hold on. I'll be back on my regular pace of posting, (which is about two or three times a week), within shortly.

I am producing jewelry things on a rather steady pace. However, I am currently in a state of seeking to discover new things, which means I try a lot of different and to me previously unknown stuff designwise and assemblywise. Most of my experiments turn out basically crap and not worth showing, but ... I gain knowledge anyway. And it is fun, and ... well ... necessary to me. You know the feeling when you NEED something new and fresh, coz everything you already know is too familiar and "seen it all before". Do you?

Check out the sort of fun and playful earrings I made the other day. I haven't got a clue if they really work, but they are the least crappy thing I've done lately, so I've decided to keep them. :-) I call them Wake Up With The Feeling Of That Love Is All Around.

The lovely quirky resin coin beads with print - Susan K. Nestor, also on Bead Trust

Purple enameled chain - Bead Trust

Purple enameled bead caps - Bumber Shoot Supplies

Enameled headpins - Barbara Lewis of Painting With Fire

Oh, and yes, I have cut my hair short. VERY short, that is! I will show you more soon.

Now, please, tell me! How do you go about when you feel you long for - need -change and new perspectives?

All my best,

Malin

Wow Give-Away by Barbara Lewis!

Just the color I am in love with right now. Acidic yellow-green! I wanna win them. If you do too, you should head over to Barbara Lewis's blog Painting With Fire and do what she asks you to. Good luck!

BTW - Bead Table Wednesday - 11th of May

Re-posting the pictures from my latest post that got lost in the recent blogger-trouble.

Gorgeous focal by Erin Prais-Hintz, alias Treasures Found, alias Tesori Trovati.

Idea for bracelet for ABS's May challenge. Porcelain Rings by RoundRabbit.

Enameled green beads by PaintingWithFire.

Time for Tea-Party #1

Hey! Didn't I say I would have my Teaparties on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays? Yes I did, because they start with a T. Today is Friday, and to be honest I don't give a toss about that it starts with an F. Beacause I long for you and I want to hang out with you - now today! I will bake these Date & Lime Slices from the book shown in the picture above, so we will have something nice to nibble on while we are drinking our tea and chatting about stuff.

So this means it is Time for Tea-Party #1. The first one ever. The person I am inviting to hang out with today is a person who will continue to be a honorary guest on all my Tea-Parties from now on. Simply because she has made a big difference for me in the beading world. She kind of drew me in in the first place, not to beading itself, but to this whole international scene with bloggers, flickr-friends, BeadSoupParties and so on. Who am I talking about? It is the lovely and wonderful Barbara Lewis of PaintingWithFire. The Enamel Queen. The Portobello cup from Villeroy & Boch, the one furthest up to the left in the top picture in this post will be reserved for you Barbara. I hope you will like it. I have one myself, got it on my 18th birthday, but today it has a crack in it so I never use it for tea. It also appeared in the Woody Allen film Hannah and Her Sisters.

Anyway, it all started back in January. Somehow (I can't remember how) I found out about this giveaway of some gorgeaus hand-enameled beads someone had on their blog. It was Barbara Lewis. I had never participated in anything like that before. I had to write a comment on her post, and also make a post about the give-away on my own blog. And oddly enough, only about three weeks before my husband had suggested to me to start blogging as a way of telling about my beading and jewellery. And he had helped me set up a blog for me (so easy really, but I needed a kick in my butt just to get it done). So I had my blog and could put a post there about Barbaras give-away. My first one ever actually! I also left a comment on Barbara's blog. I wrote:

"Hi,
If I would be one of the lucky ones, your absolutely wonderful beads will go on a journey all the way to Sweden. And they will end up being part of some great looking jewellery sitting on some supercool person walking the streets of Stockholm ...

I am a follower of you and I have posted on my own blog.

I so much hope to win."

I wrote that because that is how I think about beads. Like they have some kind of life, and go through different things in their life. All beads are kind of their own individuals with their own experiences. That's how I am. Barbara thought I was a funny one speaking about myself as the super-cool person (I didn't mean myself, but just any of my friends or their friends) and wrote back to me on my private mail, and from there it just went on. It just felt immediately like we would be great friends, with the same kind of little silly and quirky sense of humour.

You have always been very supportive, and I sometimes feel not worthy. But I must say it means a so much to me. Somehow you manage to give me confidence when I mostly need it. You were actually the first follower on my blog! You signed up even before my husband did! It was you, and Shannon LeVart, who supported me when I was considering starting my Etsy shop, but was a bit unshure if I really was on the level where I could start selling my things. You often make me laugh! And smile. You make the most gorgeaus beads! You are incredibly generous! I imagine you are a great teacher. When I finally end up going to the USA on my beads-odyssé (hopefully within 1-2 years) I wish you to be the first person I meet up with.

After we have had our tea and cakes I will take you on a walk in my neighbourhood. This is the view of our backgarden with the little wood next to it. Behind the wood is a paddock for horses and behind that again one for cows. I think my two cats Alice and Charlie will follow us on our walk. And when we get back in again we can have another cup of tea to warm us up.

The slide-show shows ome of Barbaras own work, and some work made by her students in the classes she has in enameling:

Find more photos like this on Painting with Fire

Did I say I just love what you are doing Barbara! Beads and jewellery!

Links to Barbara and PaintingWithFire:

Website PaintingWithFireArtWear - from here you can reach all of Barbaras other pages, her blog, her Etsy shop and so on.

Blog Awarded

I received this blog award from Barbara Lewis of PaintingWithFire. Thank you so much, Barbara!

Here are the rules:

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass the award along to 15 other bloggers who you recently discovered and think are fabulous.
4. Contact the bloggers you chose and let them know about the award!

7 things about myself:

1. I am very tall, 6 foot and 2 inches, or 184cm.
2. I have a rather childish/immature personality in some senses.
3. I used to be a real party animal in my younger days.
4. I am crazy for cheese, especially blue cheese like Stilton or Roquefort.
5. My husband is 9 years younger than I am (he is mature, I am immature, so we are mentally the same age...). And he is the love of my life. Big time.
6. I have MS - Multiple Sclerosis. Have had it sinse I was 20 at least, from what I know now, but I only got the diagnosis about 2 years ago, when I was 42. MS sucks!!!!!
7. I have never been to the USA ... yet ... But I have traveled for 6 months, backpacking style, through South America in 1990. A great experience.

Okay, here goes! I'd like to give this award to the following blogs:

• Kristina - Manekis ParlBlogg (It is in Swedish, unfortunately for all you english speaking out there, but an absolutely great blog packed with useful information about beading)
• Marina Rios - Fanciful Devices
• Nicki - NickisReef
• Claire Maunsell - The Next Bend
• Stefanie Teufel - Stefanies Sammelsurium
• Aja Vaz - Wandering Spirits Designs
• Sabella - Sabella

Oh, it ended up being only 7 in my list right now. Hope that is OK.

ABSJune - Bracelet "Shannon" (One-A-Day no2)

This month's inspiration painting for the ABS monthly Challenge by Toulouse-Lautrec had me creating right away. I just couldn't hold myself back. Such marvellous colours! And forms. The whole composition. The dancing lady's pink fluffy underskirts, her red hair, the flower in it, the different shades of greens, the rusty colours, the ivory arches in the background, the white socks of the bystander, the lilac twins ...

Materials:

3 pink flowers by Shannon Levart/MissFickleMedia, mounted on headpins and with black swarowskis.

Enameled greenish flowers by Barbara Lewis/PaintingWithFire.

Green patinated chain by Shannon Levart/MissFickleMedia.

Rusty Dupioni silk ribbon from Ornamentea,

White tubular porcelain beads from Africa.

Black and ivory facetted bone beads.

Turquise e-beads.

Carnelian roundels.

Lilac matte glass beads.

Leather cord.

Ginger patterned button in plastic.

Links:

ArtBeadScene June-Monthly-Challenge

Barbara Lewis of PaintingWith Fire

Shannon Levart of MissFickleMedia

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I was invited to go sailing today, on a catamaran. I brought my friend Linda, and it was all marvellously nice and relaxing. We sat/laid on the net in the front most of the time just

relaxing in the sun. Sailing is very good for the soul Linda and I concluded.

Bracelet - Can't Keep It In

Bracelet for my best friend Caroline. A passionate and wonderful woman. So wise, so good and so marvellous in all possible ways.

Materials:

Red silk strands from recycled saris - Objects & Elements

2 enameled flowers & 3 enameled round beads - Barbara Lewis, Painting with Fire

Green & bordeaux enameled shiny ceramic bead - Bijoux Beads

Black beach stone toggle - IhsBlack

Waxed linen cord & chain - Panduro Sweden

Some seed beads and antiqued metal beads

Cat Stevens - Can't Keep It In

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