Peyote doings

I don't often show this kind of work here. But now it's time. :-)

A wide cuff bracelet made in two drop peyote and 10/0 delicas. In order to avoid the clasp to possibly scratch against the skin on your wrist, I sewed the clasp on the outside and covered the attachment rings with pearls. That created a nice effect I think.

Two finger rings in peyote and 11/0 seed beads. I like to do these little quick pieces every now and then. They are meant to work as company rings for other pieces I am wearing. Sort of to enhance or dampen a color scale wished. I can turn them and they may pick up a color I for instance have in my earrings or somewhere else.

When the excellent Swedish shop Zionesse closed down earlier this year I purchased a big mixed soup with a variety of seed beads of different kinds. Within it were these large triangular beads of different colors. I created two color groups and made this bracelet in peyote recently. I like the effect of it being so rustic still, even though made with seed beads and peyote, which I don't associate with rustic-ness normally.

Hope you enjoyed!

All my best,

Malin

ABS June Challenge Necklace - Somewhere Down The Crazy River

My contribution for the June Challenge at Art Bead Scene became a necklace. It has undergone a few transformations on it's journey to the final piece. Started off as a bracelet with Gaea's green button as the clasp and center piece. 7 strands of waxed linen cord strung with Delica beads size 11/0. But I couldn't make the clasp solution look good. Gave up after trying about 10 different ways. Moody about it of course. I really like all those strands.
One of the first things I picked out from my stash when starting on the challenge piece was the multi-holed pendant from RoundRabbit. Hey, look at that. I can combine them! I like!!!!

Also tried quite a few different solutions for the chain/ribbon part. Ended up simplifying it more and more. Now it's only a chain and a leather ribbon. And I kept shortening it too. I generally don't make necklaces as short as this one. But with a pendant like this you want it to sit higher. And you want the fringy bit to hang by the clevage.
Here's another pathetic try by me to take a photograph with myself as the model. This was the least bad one anyway. I might have a new solution to this "show the piece on" problem. Will see tomorrow how it works. Now I must add a note to this paragraph. I just realized this particular photo wasn't taken by myself at all. My 7 year old daughter took it for me. I guess she didn't keep her hand all that steady either ... Sorry for being unclear.

Below is the art piece by Odilon Redon we are supposed to be inspired by. It's a lovely lovely painting/pastel. And it was very easy to be inspired by it. I do have some more things simmering on my bead table for more contributions. We'll see if I finish any more of them off.Here on flickr you can see some more contributions from other jewelry artists. More will be added through until the end of the month. So keep coming back if you are the curious kind.

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