Stuff in my Stash

I haven't got any new jewelry pieces to show you at the moment. But I do have a bunch of yummie things in my stash that are just waiting to be used. Some bought very recently, some have been waiting for a bit longer. In my current situation (I'm going through a bit of a rough period with my health) at least I can dream and fantasize about what I could do with them. Don't you also just love to dream away like that.

Please note that since I've made a collage of images from the sellers/artists the scale is all wrong, and the sizes are not at all to be compared with each other.

1. Daisy Toggle Clasp, Oxidized Sterling Silver, by DaisyChainExtra
2. Porcelain Earrings by RoundRabbit This was an early Christmas present for myself from myself. I looooove them!
3. Two little owls, lamp worked beads by AngelaSermoneta
4. Sterling Silver Handmade Earwires by JNicLoft
5. Gin Blossoms, large polymer clay link by Jeannie Dukic
6. Gin Blossoms, large polymer clay link by Jeannie Dukic
7. Porcelain Spiral Shells and Charms by MarlasMud
8. Bee Hollow Porcelain pillow bead by RoundRabbit
9. Triple Drop Pendant by Jade Scott
10. Sage Leaf pair, polymer clay by Floridity
11. Dimpled Rounds Stoneware by ChelleV2
12. Ocean Blue Chai Pendant by MissFickleMedia

All my best,

Malin

Two Announcements

I am back home from the hospital again! YAY! It feels so great! It's funny how fantastic it feels to be in your own house and environment, with your own family and animal beings around you. Your own furniture, your own cups of tea, the sounds, the smells and the textures. Everything familiar and homely just the way you like it and are used to. The last few days has been like a roller coaster for me, concerning both my physical and emotional well-being. But last night I saw the latest news on Lori's blog, and they put me in a much better mood.

Lori Anderson has finally announced the cover for her long longed for book based on the same idea as her popular Bead Soup Blog Parties. Read more about it on Lori's blog Pretty Things. But you gotta check out the list of participants first! Yes look, my name is on that list, as one of the designers/tutorial participants. And I have to say that I am so very proud to be in such amazing company.

Bead donors:

Melanie Brooks

Barbara Bechtel

Stephanie Sersich

Christine Damm

Joanna Matuszczyk

Rebecca Anderson

ArtBeads.com

Golem Studio

Urban Maille

Ad/Adornments

Lori also used beads from her own stash from:

Summers Studio

Diane Hawkey

Designers/tutorial participants:

Zachary Anderson

Kerry Bogert

Jennifer Cameron

Diane Cook

Malin de Koning

Cassie Donlen

Jeannie Dukic

Nan Emmett

Lyn Foley

Brandi Hussey

Libby Leuchtman

Shannon LeVart

Barbara Lewis

Melissa Meman

Sharon Palac

Heather Powers

Erin Prais-Hintz

Stefanie Teufel

Cindy Wimmer

All my bestest best,

Malin

x

Bead Table Sunday - and feeling a bit better today

Some of you might know that I am in hospital since Thursday. I've been treated for a MS relapse with Cortison-Steroids. It is not a serious or bad relapse, I have not lost any major functions like my ability to walk or so, but still it needed treatment. The treatment itself can make you feel bad, and yesterday was not a good day for me, and I was very down and low. I wasn't prepared that I would have to stay here for so long, for several days, so that also got me down a bit on an emotional level. Today I feel a bit better again, and it looks like I will be able to come home tomorrow. Everyone, please keep your fingers crossed for me.I just wanted to share with you that I am still able to do a little beadwork here and there whilst here. This is a type of rings I have made a few of over the last few weeks, in different color constellations. Peyote Stitch with 11/0 Delicas. So I thought I'd continue making a few more whilst in hospital, it was easy enough to pack my bag with the bits before I left home. These two are rather wide.
When I get back home I plan to gather all the rings I made over the last few weeks, in this series, and take a group photo for you.

So, as a conclusion for now, things are looking brighter for the nearest future. I'll keep you posted as good as I can. :-)

All my best and lots of love,

Malin

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!!!

:-)

The little bird

I got the little ceramic birdie charm made by Jangles from LimaBeads just the other week. It inspired me to make this bracelet. I have honestly never before made a multi-stranded design like this ending it up with cones. It caused me problems at first, because I didn't know how to cleverly go about it. At times like that I find it fantastic with all the different online tutorial recourses we so easily can access. I found and used this one from FusionBeads and this one from BeadAholique.

I am so very happy and pleased with this design. I know there is nothing unique about it in any way, but all the colors, beads and components come together so nicely. The color scheme feels very fresh and sort of crisp. So now I am hooked, and so in the mood to make more multiple stranded designs with cones and a little charm near the clasp. And I also really want more of Jangles super cute birdies.

Materials I used are:

• Ceramic bird charm by Jangles
• Brass swirl clasp set from Vintaj
• Brass flower spacer beads from Vintaj
• Spring green ceramic bead from Gaea
• Green magnesite drop bead
• Silvery cones
• Czech glass
• Other seed beads and glass beads

All my best,

Malin

All Mod Cons - for my friend

Ring made in square stitch.

The bracelet is made in two drop peyote.

The symbol of the mod 'movement' from the sixties, concentric circles in red white and blue. A super nice watch from Lambretta. My friend Kata has one. The Jam played around with the symbol as they were associated with the music style even though they were around later. Album and song All Mod Cons title also referring to a typical phrase in English real estate adverts. Short for All Modern Conveniences.

I also got me this one from Round Rabbit. Bzzzzzzzz! :-)

All my best,

Malin

Three casual bracelets and a little bit of pride :-)

Macrame with blue-grey waxed cotton cord and selection of glass and semiprecious stones in different colors. I made this one with a particular friend in mind. She can't wear any metal at all against her skin. I hope she will like it.

Macrame with orange waxed linen cord and a selection of glass, semi-precious stones, brass beads and three white ceramic beads by Gaea.

Here's a better photograph of the bracelet I wrote about in my previous post. Ceramic hank button made by Birgitta Lejonklou of AngelWhisperer, and a selection of rustic trade glass beads, semi-precious stones and natural material beads strung on beading wire.

Now check this out

The other day I got one of the nicest compliments ever. I am so proud (do you say you are proud as a cock/rooster in English?), and at the same time I blush. But my pride wins and I just have to share with you. Rebecca Anderson of SongBeads wrote (and this is just a cut-out from the whole post):

My 2012 jewellery resolution is to be more adventurous with colour. I so often stick to monochromatic colour schemes (or turquoise and red of course...!) and whilst i do love them, and the textural possibilities they offer, I want to branch out. Two people who I really admire for their colour choices are Malin and Lorelei. They put things together in such a beautiful way.

Thank you so much Rebecca! By the way, I don't really agree with you about you working mainly monochromatic, but maybe that's just me. I myself really really love to play around with and combine colors. And I here and there read about people struggling with color in one way or another. So I got this idea that I could write a post, or a few, on the topic of color theory and my own personal experiences and thoughts on working with color. It is a large topic, and I also have a few other ideas in pipeline for posts here on my blog, to be written during the next half a year or so. So we'll see when and if I get around actually doing it. I also have some kind of still very vague idea that it might work to make the post/posts about color in the form of vlog/vlogs. Any suggestions from you on these posts, I would gladly receive.

And as I mention suggestions, I am also interested in hearing if you have any ideas on what I could bring up at my next Swedish lesson. I haven't done one of those in a while now, and it's about time I think.

Please leave your comments, and I wish you all my best,

Malin

:-)

Coinciding color schemes and magical connections?

Last week I bought a gorgeous Sea Fossil focal bead in ceramic from Birgitta Lejonklou. And I got some extra goodies with the parcel. Thank you so much Birgitta! One of the goodies was the button which I immediately wanted to use in a bracelet. So yesterday I pulled together a soup of beads, which you can see the remains of in the box. Today I had literally just finished off the bracelet only about 30 minutes before Mark came home and had picked up the post. In it was a package from Keirsten Giles, with an awesomely yummy mix of beads of which you see about less than half here, in the piles on the surface. (It's part of a little friendly exchange we currently are pursuing.) I love what you sent me Keirsten. Thank you so much!

(Sorry for the bad photo quality. It is evening here now and I took the picture in electrical light.)

I love it when patterns and colors happen to coincide like this. From far away and near, and now there is just a wonderful connection between the three of us. Birgitta, Keirsten and Malin - BKM. At least that is how I feel. Sort of magical in a lovely way. Even if I don't believe in such things myself really. Keirsten doesn't either ... or that's what I think at least (based just on my own general perception of her/you, sorry if I am mistaken Keirsten). But Birgitta does :-). She even works conciously with things to do with the spiritual world. So perhaps this is all her doing ... or ... ? (Is it, Birgitta?)

Anyway, coincidence or not, it has certainly added an extra dimension to my day today. I think about if Birgitta and Keirsten was packing their parcels at the exact same time, or? Which is very likely in fact. And also, how come I was so inspired to firstly use that particular button out of Birgittas goodies? And how come I did put together the soup I did? In that color scheme. I gotta name that bracelet something along the lines of Three Graces or something. BKM Magic.

And what do YOU think about it all?

Two earrings and a bracelet

Oh, I can't help it. How I love to make this kind of jewelry! It's fun fun fun. Like painting on a huuuge canvas (like I used to love to do when I was younger and not effected by MS). An expressionistic wild mix of bead types, seemingly randomly distributed, but no ... there is a slight pattern there ...

Not long ago I couldn't dream of using un-oxidized copper. Now I think it is awesome. Isn't that great. And beads that have been resting in my stash for years come to use finally. Like those copper bicones at each end. And the eye pins. The ear wires are a new purchase, hand made by MetalFuze on Etsy. Previously called Higher Chakra for any of you who like me have been missing her for a good while. I really really like her components.

Another pair of earrings on copper. This color combo is called Santa Fe by Americans if I am not mistaken. Anyway it is so YUM! All czech glass beads apart from the same copper components as in the earrings above.

I call this one Winter Solstice. Very pale and coolish. White facetted beads made out of resin. Speckled glass nuggets that I bought at my last visit to England in 2010, either in Leeds, YumYum Beads, or in York at the BeadHive. Copper daisy spacers. Copper toggle clasp.

Finally, I couldn't resist ordering a few of these ones today. From LimaBeads. I thought I had said I would do a big de-stash, and then focus on using up my current beads!?! IF I was going to buy new things it would be more findings stuff and such things, or any totally awesome Art Beads I would happen to come across, not any normal beads as such. What happened? The power of seduction I guess ... I am weak weak weak ... and I am quite happy about it :-)

How about you then? I wanna hear all about it!