2 pieces for Art Bead Scene March Challenge

Art Bead Scene's Monthly Challenge for March is this painting by Marc Franz, called Deer in Forest.

I have made two pieces inspired by this painting. First off is a bracelet.

• Deer/fox by TreeWingStudio
• Saffron colored patinated chain by MissFickleMedia
• Dark blue colored patinated chain by MissFickleMedia
• Purple colored patinated toggle bar by MissFickleMedia
• Forest green metallic matte Magatama beads
• Rusty red metallic matte facetted czech glass beads

Isn't it a little bit funny that I all along have seen that creature as a deer. It was only when I was looking at the close-up photo belo, in my computer earlier today that I realized that it actually has a thick tail and that it instead of course is a FOX. It doesn't matter in the end. It is so sweet laying there all curled up. And foxes also lives in the woods.

And as I was going I suddenly found myself having made these earrings too. Sort of picking up, shape wise, on the swirly white lines in the painting, in which I kind of see the sound of the wind blowing through the tree leaves, and a just in general a magical and mystical atmosphere of the woods.

• The verdigris green patinated swirls by MissFickleMedia (there's three on either ear ring)
• Earwires and large jump rings from Vintaj
• Rusty red/brown seed beads
• Oxidized brass wire

Check out some more contributions in the ABS flickr group. There will be more of them coming until the end of the month.

All my best,
Malin

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

Button Swap - REVEAL!!!!!

So here is my reveal. I recieved 6 b e a u t i f u l buttons from Michelle Mach who so kindly offered to be my partner in the Button Swap.

From top left and clockwise:

• A cowboy hat button in plastic, kind of an extra treat coz of Michelle living in a Western-themed area.
• Wavy lines pewter button by MamacitaBeadWorks on Etsy. YUM!!!!
• Gunmetal mosaic button (plastic), coming from a set of two. The first one Michelle used in a piece published in Simply Beads. I am really honoured to get this one. It is soooooo cool!
• Massive black carved wooden button! Wow, I looove this one! Looooove!
• Green ceramic button. I will not have any problem finding a suitable place for this one! Very nice.
• Coconut patterned button. Another pretty pretty and fun button I will love to use.

Thank you so much Michelle! And thank you so much for arranging the swap. Very very nice thing. Hope there will be more of them.

OK, so I had totally mixed up the dates, and I have been without an internet connection for two days. Got it back 3 hours ago and I realized that the Button Swap blog hop is TODAY. Quick photographing session outdoors in the late hour and no extra work on the images in photoshop. So this is it.

Here is my first bracelet. I call it "Hybernation Time". It contains MamacitaBeadWorks' pewter button. And an adorable polymer clay bear bead by TreeWingsStudio. A saffron chain and a green drenched copper bead, by MissFickleMedia. Some gemstones, wooden cubes, seed beads and bright red nylon cord.

Perhaps this is more of an autumn piece considering the theme and the colours. But it made me really happy to make it. A lustful feeling coz I just went with what I felt like, pretty-wise. Kind of playing around. I purpously made it too big for myself, since I have very small wrists and I wish it to be possible to purchase for a larger group of people.

Bracelet number two is under way. How could I resist to do something with that fantastic wooden button? It is so stunning I decided to use it as a focal piece. I am working on a peyote "band" made from size 11 Delicas in a colour scheme I have put together myself. I wanted to enhance and lift forward the button as much as possible but still have an interesting back-drop. The band has a hole where I will attach the button which have a shank. A silver coloured clasp.

An odd detail about the peyote is that I have done it every other row one-drop and every other two-drop. This so I would reach 15 rows but still make it an even count peyote structure. I am a bit proud of that solution. I do not like to work odd-count peyote you see, and I wanted the band to fit precisely in the clasp.

Please visit all the button swap blogs!

1. Cat - Boo Beads
2. Cindy - Sweet Bead Studio
3. Cory - Art with Moxie
4. Cyndi - Beading Arts
5. Dita - Alankarshilpa

6. Donna, Marti, and Michelle - Beads & Books
7. Erin - Treasures Found
8. Hope - Crafty Hope
9. Inca - Zerenity Design
10. Katrine - Army of Sock Monsters

11. Krista - French Elegant Jewelry
12. Kristie - Artisan Clay
13. Linda D. - Lutka and Co.
14. Linda L. - Linda's Bead Blog
15. Lody - Lody's Beadworks

16. Lori - Pretty Things
17. Loretta - Loretta's Boutique
18. Malin - Beading by Malin de Koning - YOU ARE HERE
19. Mary - MK's Creative Musings
20. Maryanne - Zingala's Workshop

21. Melinda - Melinda Orr Metal & Clay Jewelry Designs
22. Saskia - Perlendistel
23. Shannon - For My Sweet Daughter
24. Shirley - Beads and Bread
25. Stephanie - Confessions of a Bead Hoader