A visitor came after lunch

This guy came to see me just after I had finished my lunch today. I don't know who he is, but he looks kind of upset.

Is he panicking? Is he in agony? Is he worried? Is he in need of help? Or is he just concerned on someone elses behalf? Why did he come to me? Maybe he is angry. No, I don't think so. I have been looking at him a lot. And I don't sense any aggression from him. Rather a will to help, or to point out something to me. He looks a mess, doesn't he. I want to take care of him. He needs me. But I think I also need him. I don't know why yet. It is just the strongest feeling. Really weird. It is not like me at all to have experiences like this, to see signs or things like that. It has happened, yes. But it has never been anything I have been searching for. Today he just came. Out of the blue. And I know it means something. I like him. The Bone-Man. I can look at him for ages, and it feels good. His eyes. I know I want him to stay with me for some time, maybe for very long. I am waiting to see what he is gonna tell me.

The Lejonklou and de Koning Challenge - part 2

I made a long necklace with the three squares creating a pendant with the Swarovskis dangling at the bottom of it. I was so happy to finally use the Crysocholla wavy beads, have had them for quite a while and I really really like them. And I think it turned out well to use them like this, as a central focal.

For the attachements on the sparkly green square I used loops with Delicas 11.The necklace is partially symmetrical and partial assymetrical. The two kinds of teardrop shaped beads, the pale green jade and the mother-of-pearl, are mirrored on one side each. Aswell as the circular golden toggle and the two cloisonne beads.

I took my photos after sunset today so I had to use electrical light, and I didn't really manage to get a good enough photo of the overall piece. But I hope you get the idea from the pictures I show here now. It is starting to get dark around 4.30. And on an overcast day, well you understand ...

Next wednesday you will see what I have come up with for the 3rd part of The Lejonklou & de Koning Challenge. I have yet not started to think about that one, unusual colours for me, but it will be great fun anyway. And I just love the chains Birgitta included (already used a bit of one of them).

Until then, all my best

P.S. Don't miss the little remain of my bright green nailvarnish, you can see on my thumb in the middle picture. Perfect colour to match this necklace actually.

To check out Birgitta Lejonklou's piece using the same beads go here.

Bracelet - Little Critter

Critter button by MissFickleMedia

Purple copper wire by MissFickleMedia

Drilled Stones from Lake Michigan by TideLine

Oxidized chain by Lejonklou

2 strands of recycled sari Silk

Red Agate/Carnelian

Carved honey quartz

Brown clay round

Yellow Opal rondelles

Prehnite irregular tabular bead

Military green glass beads from Indonesia

Man's Bracelet - The Lejonklou and de Koning Challenge

Here we go, this is what I made. A large unusually cut and dubble drilled black Agate makes the focal of this man's bracelet. Two thick black leather strings, triangular ivory glass beads and ghost white coloured copper wire by MissFickleMedia. I thought this task was so difficult, but now I am kind of hooked and maybe I will make a few more man's jewellery. We'll see ...

The last photos of the slide show shows my ever present assistant Charlie. He even worked as a backdrop for a few of the pictures ...

Wishful Wednesdays #8

I am craving for interesting pendants the last few days, after having seen all of Lejonklou's absolutely wonderful creations. I also wanna make jewellery that nice!!!! So I've been roaming around on the internet on a quest for pendants.

I went to Fusion Beads to check out the Artist's beads's section. Instead I, just by lucky chance, came over this wonderful large hand in bone (40x37 mm). Not at all an artist's bead, but oh so wantable! I just dream of hanging it on some lovely leather string with some nice rustic trade-like beads knotted on. Perhaps even a multistrand necklace. Hmmm ...

Next stop was of course Etsy. Is there ever one day I don't hang out there for quite some time? I like the character of this stone, it's yellow colour with black "dirtyness". The drilled little heart makes it all sweet, doesn't it. AllyBeans.

Sorry guys, but this one is already purchased - by moi. Porcelein pendant with dragonfly by FinnCreations.

The Male Piece - part 1 of the Lejonklou and de Koning challenge

Hello there, I was supposed to post my male jewellery today Wednesday. However it has been slightly delayed (due to health reasons). I hope to be able to make it tomorrow, photograph it and post it in the evening.

Until then I recommend you to go to Birgitta Lejonklou's Blog and see her wonderful contribution. Hurry now!

This is the Lejonklou and de Koning challenge:

1. Male jewellery - one piece. To be presented Wednesday 27th of October.
2. Party Necklace (think Christmas and/or New Years'). Made with beads picked by Malin de Koning from her own stash, and divided into two piles with the same beads in them. See which ones I picked here. Other beads or parts can be added, but the beads chosen has to be included. To be presented Wednesday 3rd of November.
3. Chain Necklace. Made with beads picked by Birgitta Lejonklou from her own stash, and divided into two piles with the same beads in them. See which ones she picked here. We have to use something black, something pink, something white, chain and silk (at least one inch). If it ends up being a lot of beads or lots of chain is a free choice. To be presented Wednesday 10th of November.

See you tomorrow!

Charlie - is he an assistant?

I am trying to sort out a lot of my bead stash at the moment. To get rid of things I got early in my beading "carreer" and that I believe I will never use. Here you can see a few bags at the bottom of a plastic box.

Hm, Charlie thought, after having tried to lay straight across the keyboard of my computer as I was working on it, and I didn´t let him. He just had to find another cozy spot, didn't he.

Hm, seems something is going on with this box here. And it seems small enough for me to do one of my famous squeeze-into-a-tiny-space tricks. Yes, it worked! I had to change position about ten times. And quite a bit of my body is hanging over the edge, but hey, there is a plastic cup I can rest my chin on. Do you see how perfectly comfortably my front legs are pushing against the wall of the box? Good thing it is transparent so you can actually see it.

The Lejonklou and de Koning Challenge

Lucky me! I have a new beading buddy - Birgitta Lejonklou, a Swedish lady who makes absolutely wonderful jewellery, check her beautiful stuff at these three places: Etsy, Website and Blog. I strongly recommend it. You will be VERY inspired.

We got in contact thanks to Lorelei's Michael's Challenge, which we both participated in. Thank you Lorelei! And now we have been mailing every day since. Yesterday we decided to have our own personal challenge just between the two of us. We settled on this set up, in three parts:

1. I pick out 2 piles of the same beads from my own stash for a "party piece" of jewellery (think christmas or new years). I send one of the piles to Birgitta. We make a piece each on the theme including the chosen beads, and present it on our blogs.
2. Birgitta picks 2 piles of the same beads and a chain/chains for a "chain necklace". She sends me one of the piles. Same as for the "party piece".
3. We shall make a piece of man's jewellery and present on Wednesday this week. We both find male jewellery difficult ... so it is a real challenge for both of us. And we chose a short deadline for this one to push ourselves.

Just realized we haven't decided on a deadline for piece 1 and 2 yet. I'll have to get back on that.

So today I picked these beads from my excisting stash, and I managed to get two exactly the same piles. Tomorrow I will send them to Birgitta.

2 Chrysophrase diagonally drilled wavy squares 20mm

1 square 20mm green facetted green glass sparkly Swarowsky style (or is it Swarowsky? I don't know.)

34 white Mother-of-Pearl rounds

9 white Mother-of-Pearl teardrops top drilled

4 white Mother-of-Pearl diagonally drilled squares

3 jade teardrops top drilled

2 Cloisonne rice fluted beads goldy, white and a dash of red

2 pale green pearly rounds

4 green faceted large glass beads

1 circular toggle clasp in gold colour

5 Swarowsky bicones

1 small beige picasso faceted glass rondelle

1 green and black picasso faceted glass rondelle

1 green Dupioni Silk ribbon 50 mm wide, 46 cm long (it could be cut into two thinner ribbons)

I am so much looking forward to see what Birgitta will send me. And I think I have a vague idea about what I will do for the man's jewellery. Please get back on Wednesday to see it.

All my best,

Malin

Great sale at Two-Scoops!

Hurry! Get some great deals. Two-Scoops have a 40% sale this weekend. And they do have some really interesting beads in their shop.