Echo Creative Club - September

Every month Jeannie K Dukic creates a bunch of beads that she sends out to the participants who have signed up to be in the Echo Creative Club for 2012. Some of us are in every month, some, like myself, are in only a few of the months. We choose that ourselves. We get the beads for free, then we create something of our own choice with those beads, and then we blog about it on the 25th of that month. It's a jolly neat arrangement I think. A sort of win win concept that I am very happy to be a part of :-) .

Below you can see the beads I got for September. They are 13mm in diameter.

Here in Sweden we have a chocolate bar called Fransk Nougat (French Nougat), made by Marabou , the biggest chocolate company in Sweden. These beads immediately made me think of that bar. :-)

My idea was to emphasize the chocolaty feeling of the beads. And hence, here is the necklace I made. Matinee length.

Two tones of seed beads of size 8/0 strung on beading wire. Antiqued copper lobster clasp and findings. Between each polymer clay bead by Jeannie also sits an 11/0 seed bead for a slight spacer effect.

Don't miss out on checking the other participants for this month:

• Jeannie K Dukic - our hostess
• Kristen Stevens
• Cindy Cima Edwards
• Michelle Buettner
• Shannon Chomanczuk
• Malin de Koning - you're already here!
• Charlie Jacka

All my best,

Malin

I came back yesterday from Savannah, Georgia ...

I came back yesterday from Savannah, Georgia ...

... and look what I found there, and brought back with me. 

A new bracelet:

• Ceramic round star-flower bead by RoundRabbit. 
• Wood, glass, copper and silvery beads knotted on pale blue waxed cotton cord.

But in fact, no, I have never been to Savannah, Georgia for real. This is only how I imagine that it feels to be there. To walk under those very special trees with the spanish moss hanging from them. To pass  the old houses with their front gardens. We are in the south, so lots of sunlight bleaches any strong colors. A general atmosphere of older, past times. A very interesting place that I would love to visit one day. 

Of course my imagination is strongly colored by the book "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" by John Berendt. The book way much more than the film. Even visually from my inner visions. The book is always so much better than any film in my opinion. I did like the film too. But the book is sooooo much richer. It must be around 15-17 years since I read it. It's about time I do it again. I'd like to listen to it as an audiobook in English, so if anyone knows of a good reading, please let me know. 

It's funny how a design of a bracelet can take you on such a journey. Totally unexpected for me. Very pleasant though. It only came about as I was going to name the piece for the Etsy listing, ($49).

All my best,

Malin

Video Tutorial - Earrings with waxed linen cord

Hi there,
Another video tutorial by me. This time on how you can use waxed linen cording when making earrings (or other jewelry pieces). Referring to a couple of earrings that I showed you in the post before this one. This video tutorial is much shorter than the last one I did (on beaded beads), and I have placed the camera closer to my hands. So I hope I am slowly getting there becoming a better tutor :-).



Please let me know if you have any questions, or if something is unclear.

Oh, and the ending of the vides does come a little bit abruptly, simply because the camera ran out of space. So here's an image just to show where I placed the knot on the Boat Link earrings:




All my best,
Malin

3 new pairs of Earrings

I have had a great time creating these three pairs of earrings. Using fantastic/stunning components by a few of my favorite Art Bead makers. And also coming up with some, for me, new designs or ways of assembling. I really like to use waxed linen cording together with ceramic and metal components in earrings (or any jewelry for that matter). And I've been longing to make tassel earrings for a long time. It worked so well with MissFickleMedia's thin patinated chains.

These 3 new earrings are now for sale in my Etsy Shop.

• Painted beach pebbles by Plymouth Rocks.
• Ceramic round discs with green/yellow edge by Jubilee.
• Dark grey waxed linen cord.
• Brass findings from Vintaj.
• $40

• Stunning orange splatter lamp worked round glass beads by Gardanne.
• Verdigris patinated thin chain by MissFickleMedia.
• Brass head pin handmade by SupplyDiva.
• Brass findings and ear hooks from Vintaj.
• $40

• Red ceramic boat shaped links by Karen Totten of Starry Road Studio.
• Verdigris patinated thin chain by MissFickleMedia.
• Blue waxed linen cord.
• Brass findings and ear hooks by Vintaj.
• $40

All my best,
Malin

New bracelet

Vintage german pale blue bicone glass beads

Nut beads

Clear gold patterned lucite long bead

6/0 seed beads

Vintage bakelite button

Brass button

Knotted waxed linen cord

All my best,

Malin

Aftermaths (as in the meaning of a second harvest)

Aftermaths of the Bead Soup Blog Party #6. As you might remember I got a huge amount of beads and more from my partner Marsha Neal. Check back to the post to update your memory if you need to.

Now I have made two more bracelets almost entirely with things from her soup.

Bumpy lampwork beads by Nikki Thornburg Lannigan, large triangular seed beads, waxed cotton cord, magnetic ball clasp.

Handpainted silk strands from Marsha Neal's shop, mood/miracle beads, toggle clasp in antiqued silver color.

All my best,

Malin

Echo Creative Club beads for September

September month, and I am participating again in the Echo Creative Club by Jeannie Dukic. This time she sent me these 4 13mm chocolate colored crackle beads. On the 25th I will blog about what I made with the beads I got. And so will the other participants. Make sure to check back then.

Thank you so much Jeannie!!! They are very yummy, and I do really look forward to use them. My instant sort of idea when I saw them was (of course?) to create something where I really use the chocolate feeling and work on that theme. I think of yummy deserts, or sweets/candy. Well, I guess we'll see what I end up doing. 

All my best,
Malin

Some recent shopping :-)

Hi,
I thought I'd share with you a few of the things I've been shopping lately. Some has already arrived. Some have not. I also have written a little about each bead or component, how I came about to find them, and/or who has inspired me. A big thank you to everyone out there who so generously share their sources of beautiful things for jewelry making. I love our community!

From top left:

• Peacock Bracelet Link in bronze - TheaToo - this is a new type of component for me, I just couldn't resist it. It is so beautiful. Looking so much forward to put it to use.
• Handmade Paper Beads Japanese style - DeeAnn7 - I found them via Tracy Stillman's blog post on Make Bracelets.
• Painted Beach Pebble Beads - Plymouth Rocks - I found her shop via Lorelei Eurto. She's used painted pebbles in a few great looking earrings over the last months. And look at this bracelet she just made. I LOOOOVE it!!! 

• Crystal Connector - Smitten Beads - wonderful bling of a kind you haven't seen in my jewelry before. Heidi Post is a great inspiration for me ending up buying these. 
• Bronze Oval Connectors - TheaToo - not only did I place an order with Lesley about two weeks ago (see peacock link), I was also so lucky to win a giveaway on her blog. I picked these among some other things. Exciting!
• Copper Bezel Wire 3mm handmade - Supply Diva - I've been eye-ing this for quite some time :-). I'm excited to play with it finally. I also bought a brass 7mm one, and one more which was hammered. Possibilities!

• More Painted Beach Pebble Beads - Plymouth Rocks - rainbow collection
• Huge Vintage India Brass Bicone Beads - Omekit - I bought two. They really are crazy huge. And I know exactly what I am gonna use them for. :-)
• Bronze Square Toggle Clasp - TheaToo - this clasp is soooo me.

• Handmade Paper Beads, Ferns and Dragonflies - DeeAnn7 - Oh, they look so nice. I long for them to arrive!
• Dark Antiqued Brass Flower Bead Caps - Fallen Angel Brass - yum!

• 2-tone Large Fat Donuts, fake bone - Smitten Beads - super nice they are!
• Facetted Ball Beads in a soft metallic goldy color - Smitten Beads - so lovely and fun.
• Small Bead Caps - Fallen Angel Brass - so useful.

• Bronze Bead Caps - TheaToo - I don't think I can have too many of Lesley's bead caps.
• Handmade Green Embroidered Fibre Fabric Beads - Nells Embroidery - I saw them last Sunday on Show Me Sunday on Art Bead Scene. How gorgeous can some beads look? I fell completely in love. I was floored. Had to have them.

As a part of my new found passion for making beaded beads, (see a few of my recent posts here on my blog), I need more of many many many many seed beads in fantastic colors and finishes. Sizes 11/0, 8/0 and 6/0. There are so many places where you can buy seed beads really. This time I've used two online shops. ParlTorget is a Swedish one with a good range of beads. And delivery is of course super fast when I buy from a Swedish shop. Bonus for me! Another place I have bought from is NyStudio88 on Etsy.

Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did!

All my best,

Malin