A few new pieces

Hi,
I am very much behind with taking photographs of my pieces since a couple or more months. I go through these patches at times. Perhaps it's related to the darkness of this time of the year. So now I have a lot of catching up to do. Anyway, here are three previously not shown pieces. (No the bracelet I mentioned on FaceBook the other day is not here, just in case you wonder.)

Necklace - Peace & Camping

• Happy Camper, ceramic pendant - Gaea ceramics
• Heart charm, hammered oxidized silver - DaisyChainExtra
• Peace-Love-Hope-Faith sterling silver charm - HipChick
• Dark pink ceramic round - Gaea
• Green ceramic round - Gaea
• Stoneware Espresso ceramic beads - Barbara Hanselman of BHClaySmith
• Matte dark grey 6/0 seed beads
• Charcoal grey waxed linen cord
• Chain

Bracelet - Magenta Copper Grey

• Copper rice beads
• Ruby Moonstone AB irregular facetted
• Clear glass tubes
• Matte dark pink 8/0 seed beads
• Natural Aquamarine AB square facetted
• Amazon bluegreen ceramic round - Elaine Ray
• Dark bronze ceramic round - Gaea
• Grey india glass bulky drops
• Grey AB glass rectangulars
• Waxed linen cord in pink and magenta
• Copper double stranded clasp

Bracelet - Pineapple Express

• Poppy oxidized copper clasp - DaisyChainExtra
• Lampwork glass bead - CheekyCherub
• Peach ceramic round - Gaea
• Smoky Teal AB facetted rondelles 
• Pineapple copper bead
• Coral buri seeds beads
• Copper heishi rings
• Tassel from copper leaf chain
• Coral waxed linen cord 7-ply

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All my jewelry pieces are available for purchasing, even though I might not yet have listed them in my Etsy Shop. Please let me know if you are interested in any of them. Contact me at: malindekoning[at]hotmail.com

All my best,

Malin

4 more bracelets of June 2013

I am going through a very productive period when it comes to making jewelry. It seems the designs comes to me so easily, and with such pleasure and joy. I just love it, and it is fun fun fun all the time. Very satisfying. If anything holds me back it is a lack of time and mainly an ability to work undisturbed during the day. It is just one of those periods. And I AM frustrated about it.  But still, I find I am very much into the actual designing and making of the jewelry pieces, whereas the rest of it I find quite a bit less fun. I am talking about taking photos, blogging, listing on Etsy and such things. It's like once I have finished one piece all I want to do is to make a new other one. I really wish I could have an assistant that could take care of the rest of the work on my behalf. I constantly miss the deadline dates for submissions to various magazines. So hence I hardly take part in any such things since a little while back. I do wish to be more active in that field of course, but it is like it is at the moment. Anyway, today I show you 4 new bracelets that I made during June. Hope you enjoy! :-)

Bracelet - For the Love Of Daisies
Copper Daisy clasp - Joanne Tinley of DaisyChainExtra
Verdigris green patinated chain - Shannon LeVart of MissFickleMedia
Copper Leaf Chain
Orange-red large somewhat irregular seed beads
Orange waxed linen cording

Bracelet - Blue Lace

Ceramic focal in pale yellow and with a blue flower pattern - Nancy Schindler of RoundRabbit

Blue glass nuggets
Dark brown wooden ring

Brass toggle bar from Vintaj
Seed beads and brass findings
Blue waxed linen cording

Bracelet - Ivory and Purple disks
Copper swirly clasp with glass detail - Genea
Copper jump ring
Ivory and Purple glass disks
Purple waxed linen cording

Bracelet - A Heart Of Green
Brass Heart charm - Lesley Watt of Thea Too
Purple enameled Head Pin - Barbara Lewis of PaintingWith Fire
Verdigris green patinated Leaves Bead cap - Patina Queen
Ivory Glass Round
Brass Heishi ring bead
Matte Green Irregular large seed beads
Orange-red large somewhat irregular seed beads
Golden colored cocoanut heishi beads
Matte ivory white irregular glass
Memory wire

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All my jewelry pieces are available for purchasing, even though I might not yet have listed them in my Etsy Shop. Please let me know if you are interested in any of them. Contact me at: malindekoning[at]hotmail.com

All my best,

Malin

Love, passion and thrill (and a necklace and a bracelet)

It feels to me like I haven't been all that productive with my jewelry making over the last couple of months. That is not all true, I know, because I HAVE made pieces here and there, but I haven't been at all as productive as I would have been if I hadn't had a few distractions going on around me in my life. I have missed my jewelry making. Big time actually. I have still had my hands occupied with making beaded beads, tons of them actually ... but more about that in another post coming up soon(-ish).

I have missed my beads, I have missed to just be looking at them, fondling them, combining them and so on. Communicating with them, and via them. You know what I mean, don't you. I realize what an extraordinary strong love affair I have with my beads. Serious serious love. And an addiction. Now again I feel so content, so stimulated and so lustful. Passionate. And still lusting for more.

Over the last few days I have been finding myself spending more and more time in my beading studio again. I mean not just popping in there every now and then, but sessions going on for many hours. I made a smaller clean up of my messy work area, and I sorted a lot of the beads just laying around in different piles previously created as a result of how my ideas processes work.

I have so many wonderful wonderful beads in my stash. And I guess it in a way sometimes might be good to not hang with them for a while, because when you meet up again, you sort of re-discover them with a clean mind. That is how I feel now at least.

Look at those large shell beads in the necklace below! They are about 22 mm across, but not heavy at all. I bought them about 6 months ago. From HappyMangoBeads. I thought they were a bit on the expensive side for me to be honest, I mean for what you get. And I hesitated for more than a week before I finally made up my mind. Oh, how glad I am that they ended up with me. They are simply absolutely gorgeous, worth every penny. My idea at the time was that they would end up in a chunky and summery bracelet. But look at that necklace I made the other day instead. It was one of those you know, that sort of designs itself and your hands seem to be simply just a tool for some higher power. May I say myself that I adore it? It looks absolutely fantastic on (sorry I don't have a good picture of that yet.) And it is also packed with a bunch of art beads and components from some of my favorite bead artisans. I think it has a strong wintery holiday feel to it. What do you think?

It will be for sale in my Etsy shop in a not too far future. (Or you are very welcome to contact me already now if you are interested in buying it.)

• Verdigris Loop 'T' Loop by Staci Louise of SLArtisanAccents
• Kiwi green ceramic round by Elaine Ray
• Dark green erudite facetted polymer clay nuggets by Barbara Bechtel of SecondSurf
• White cylindrical ceramic bead from EarthButterStudio
• Aqua blue green crackle glaze large ceramic round from EarthButterStudio
• Green ceramic wheel disc by Round Rabbit
• Shell beads from Happy Mango Beads
• Round rosey copper link by E2SSupplies
• Orange waxed linen cord
• Chocolate brown silk ribbon

And a humble(-ish) bracelet with facetted oval glass beads with some sort of coating that make them sparkle a bit more and look a little milky too, and a copper leaf link by Joanne Tinley of DaisyChains. It also has a winter holiday feel to it, don't you think. This one will also turn up in my Etsy shop very soon.

• Oxidized copper leaf link from DaisyChainExtra
• Facetted oval glass bead crystal clear with a coating
• Round pearl coated white bead
• Green enameled bead caps
• Red round small glass bead
• Copper hook
• Pale cellery green waxed linen cord

All my best,Malin de Koning

Necklace

Loooooong necklace (over 1 meter) packed with art beads and other goodies. It is telling the story about my house with its immediate surroundings. Our garden, the tiny little wood next to it, and then the field with horses beyond it. It is MY necklace about a place on earth that I really love and that means so much to me. And with loads of gorgeous beads that I love so much. I want to be able to carry it with me when I am away somewhere. 

Cord is a thin nylon cord (Superlon). See photo below for the bead artists. The macramé gives a wonderful casual feel, and softness. Sort of an intimate feel kind of, like friendship bracelets. I have worked on it a little here and there, for about two months, when I haven't had anything else going on. BTW, I do free hand macramé á la this Ornamentea tutorial. No tools or attachements needed. Perfect for in-front-of-the-TV crafting.

Art beads by: ChelleV2, Elaine Ray, Floridity, Gaea, Humblebeads, Jubilee, Mary Harding, Sue Beads, Susan K Nestor and TreeWingStudio.

And now ... 
... here's one of the reveals I promised you the other day: the necklace is one of the projects in the gallery section of Joanne Tinley's, of Daisy Chain Designs, new E-Book about using macramé in jewelry. 

Seriously, this book is absolutely fantastic! And I am not saying that just because I am in it ;-). So packed with information, ideas and inspiration. I know I will come back to it many many times, and use what Joanne teaches in the projects. Many ways are new to me, so I am all excited and eager to try them out. I can truly recommend it to everyone!

The book is available through Joanne's website, or her DaisyChainExtra Etsy shop.


All my best,
Malin

Am I childish?

You should see my face right now. I look just stupid happy. Like a big child I can't hold back. I need to share with you and the world.

Some time ago I was contacted by Joanne Tinley of DaisyChainDesigns. She is a regular contributor to Beads & Beyond magazine of United Kingdom. Would I be interested in having my blog featured in the magazine? Well, what do you think I answered ...

I loooove what Joanne wrote about me! I did not involve myself, and I have not known what she would say, wanting it to be a surprise. Oh, I feel so honored! Thank you Joanne!

I knew the feature was gonna be in the January issue. But when would it be out in the shops? So today I was contacted by a lovely English lady by the name of Anna, who had received her copy today since she is a subscriber, and had found out about my blog via the feature. She then also kindly sent me the photo above. Isn't that just the kindest. I have to mention also that Anna runs an online bead shop by the name of Big Bead Little Bead. I've looked around. And hey, you do not want to miss it. And especially not the art beads section. I am definitely gonna roam around there soon.

And here's a little secret also, or not really actually ... I have sent off a few pieces to submit to a particular magazine today. 6 different pieces it was, to be more exact. That is way exciting for me. First time actually. I am really happy with them all, and I am kind of dying to show them to you, because I am so childlessly proud again. But you know, that is a no no, until I know if they are accepted. And if they are, until the magazine is published.

All my best,

Malin "de Childish" ;-)

Bead Soup Party #2 - My Release

Hi,

today it is my turn to release what I have done with the exciting and inspiring soup of beads that Joanne Tinley of DaisyChainDesign in England sent to me. I have looked around at what everone who has had their releases so far, has done. And I am stunned about some of the things you have done with your soups, so many beautiful and inspiring things. So now I am a little bit nervous. Will I be able to match that? Especially since I have noticed that most of you have done ONE main piece of jewellery. I don't know if that is supposed to be, if it is, I am sorry but I have missed out on that detail. I have finished 3 pieces so far with a fourth one almost done. And I believe I will also be able to do a fifth one aswell, hopefully a pair of earrings. The fourth and the fifth I will post at a later date.

My first reaction when I saw my soup was of course WOW! Lot's of beauty here.

And then I had it digesting for a couple of weeks, just looking at it every day. I didn't get a strong idea where I could use all the ingredients in the same "dish". And to be honest, as late as this last weekend I didn't have a clue what I would do overall, just a few sparks of details. I thought the pendant by Lisa Stevens of C-Urchin was the most difficult one to see in a piece, (don't get me wrong, I love it, I just didn't SEE how I would use it), so I started with that one. And I don't really know what happened, but suddenly within 5 minutes or so I had created that pendant with the rolo chain aswell. Something new for me, but I liiiiike it a lot. I gave you a sneak peek a few days ago. And here is the whole thing. I named it "Lisa" after Lisa Stevens, who's work I admire so.

So now there was the "Rounds" theme concept created, easily of course together with Joanne's hammered copper rounds. And then it just continued from there.

I had thought I would do something with the hammered copper together with the lilac Swarowskies (such a great colour combination there Joanne!). Different ideas with them put together as a chain, like they ended up doing, but for longer necklaces and assymetrical. How about a short necklace. A symmetrical one. Yes, that sits nicely around the neck.

Dangles - now I wanted to make dangles. But didn't have any good material to use so that it would look the way I wanted. So I ended up just squeezing the wire for that paddle and stopper effect. I like it a lot, it allows the crystals to sparkle without being outmanouvered by a too dominant finding.

The "BP" bracelet came to me easily. I have already used that way of putting beads on jumprings before. And I really like the effect. I came up with the name just now. The oily ones and the green ones. What else can you think of than that horrible oil floating on the top of the water in the Carribbean Sea? That catastrophy is so so sad! Perhaps it is good to name your jewellery after bad events also sometimes, as reminders for history. I don't know ...

There is a bracelet with the wonderful vintage buttons on its way too. I thought I would name it something "Royal ... ". And I still have a bunch of Swarowskys left over. I thought of earrings for them.

Joanne! It had been such a pleasure to work with your soup! A good and fun challenge for me! Thank you soooooo much for everything. I have enjoyed it big big time! And how amazingly nice it was of you to send me a piece of work by Lisa Stevens. Now let's just wish for England to win the World cup!

Here are all today's releases for the Bead Soip Party:

48. Nan, Spirit Rattles
49. Amy, Copper Diem
50. Malin, Beading by Malin de Koning - that's me, that is! :-)
51. Anne, Gardanne Glass Lampwork
52. Alice, Alice's Beads and Baubles
53. Barbara, Second Surf
54. Amanda, Articulations
55. Heather, Humble Beads
56. Melissa, Melissa Meman, Art, Life, Love
57. Kate, Organic Odysseys
58. Patti, PJ Clark Designs
59. Stefanie, Stefanie's Sammelsurium

Bead Soup Party ... what I sent ... the lot

Bead Soup Party Teaser #1

I am participating for the first time. And here is just a tiny little teasing glimpse of what I have sent to Joanne in England. She is my Bead Soup Party Swap Partner (BSP-SP). I plan to reveal a little more over the following days. And I am soooooo excited to see what she has sent to me. She does the most beautiful things in silver, and also in other materials.