Two new bracelets

Purple glass ring by OutWest

Beaded bead by Malin de Koning

Pink/purple facetted Erudite bead by Floridity

Purple/pink ceramic round by Gaea

White/crystal lucite disks

Purple czech glass flower

Patinated chain by MissFickleMedia

Copper toggle by Malin de Koning

Waxed linen

Mushroom charm by HumbleBeads

Matte light blue seed beads

Gold wooden beads

Oxidized copper wire

Memory wire

All my best,

Malin de Koning

Two new Earrings

Pearls, glass trade beads, Vintaj brass links, silk cord. Vintaj brass ear hooks.




Polymer clay faceted chunky beads by Barbara Bechtel of Floridity or Second Surf. Oxidized copper wire. Oxidized copper ear hooks.


All my best,
Malin

Wood'N'Chunks and Charlie as a prop

• Carved wooden beads
• Facetted Erudite polymer clay bead by Floridity
• 2 gorgeous round lampwork beads by Gardanne
• Black large ceramic bead by EarthButterStudio
• Teal ceramic bead by Gaea
• Magnetic ball clasp in antiqued brass
• Knotted teal waxed cotton cord

And I also want to share with you a little film/slide show about what was going on on the side as I was taking the photographs of the bracelet earlier today. It's a flickr slide show. So you can turn on full screen mode if you want to, and also walk through the images one by one in your own pace.

In this slide show you will also get a glimpse of some of the beloved surroundings around my home which I was illustrating in the loooong necklace in the previous post. And ... yes, our garden is a bit scruffy at the mo, I know ... And I actually kinda like it! :-) 

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

Barbara Bechtel on Polymer Clay

I just have to share this with you! Today I saw the first lesson/vlog in a coming series by my friend Barbara Bechtel. On the blog Love My Art Jewelry she will be sharing her knowledge and personal tips on good ways to work with polymer clay. Lesson one promises a great great general approach by Barbara. And further more great stuff to come with lots of good hints and advice.

"You have to get inside the head/the mind of the material you work with. Like a psychologist or therapist."

(Quoted freely by me)

I love that. It is so true.

Here's the direct link to the post with Barbara's first lesson.

Besides making great tutorials Barbara makes the most wonderful work in polymer clay. Beads I personally can't resist to buy. And beads that I love to use in my own work. Barbara is a true original artist. She has created many new styles and concepts. Styles I have seen copied by other bead makers at times. But Barbara is the original. And if you are looking for top quality you don't have to look further.

It is a good idea to go check her shop Floridity on Etsy often, because she updates with new beads and new styles kind of irregularly. I was lucky to get my hands on all of these beauties above just the other day. Oh, I am greedy, I know ;-). Now I am impatiently waiting for them to arrive in my mail box. All the way from Florida, over the Atlantic ocean they will travel. And end up in one of my jewelry pieces in a not too far future. And hopefully finally be sitting on some cool person walking the streets of Stockholm. Isn't that a truly beautiful collaboration over boundaries?

And here's another little tip from me to you. I like to look into the section of what's already been sold in a shop on Etsy. Because there you can get an idea of more things that might be available again in the future. It's not always what you see for sale in the shop, at the current time, that will show you the full capability of that particular artist. It's likely that the most unique or awesome pieces of a bead artist will sell quickly, because there is a fair bunch of people out there who are just as obsessive about art beads as I am. ;-)

Finally, here are a few of my own pieces that include beads by Barbara.

All my best,

Malin

Coincidental surprises and a Sign of Longing

I have a few new things to present in the week to come. And during my preparations supplies and beads have been moved back and forth on my table. Check that vintage red button. It was an early possibility for the Challenge of Music, but it ended up not being used. Don't you agree it is very very yummie. Then last Friday an order I had made from Guldpaddan.se arrived in the mail. Included was a gift. Those large Czech Tri-cut red beads. Super nice, and especially so as I don't think I would have thought about buying them myself. I really like nice surprises of that kind. "Oh, they make me want to make a bracelet!"

I have a feeling I am longing very much for spring now. Bird tweeting, flowers, leaf buds, colors, sunshine, and driving around in a white vintage cabriolet Mercedes with red interior and a red stearing wheel.

Yellow flower by ChelleV2, bird by Floridity, spring green round by Gaea, czech glass, vintage plastic button, seed beads and FireLine.

Please check back for Echo Creative Club blog hop on Saturday, Challenge of Music blog hop on the 29th of February and my FusionBeads Affiliate Blog Partner project on the 1st of March.

All my best,

Malin

New Bracelet - Rodgersia

Another multi strand bracelet. I call it Rodgersia, because I feel like I am walking around in the shadowy region of a lush garden. Unfortunately I don't have such a one in my own garden, but I wish I would. I would definitely have a few of these plants. And other versions of Rodgersia with their huge leaves. And do you see the little primula at the bottom. So cute.

Materials:

• Stamped resin bead by Susan K. Nestor
• Facetted Erudite nugget bead by Floridity
• Wing Ding lampwork bead by Genea
• Lampwork spacer bead by Genea
• Leaf charm by Karen Totten
• Silk cord, waxed linen, butterfly charm, seed seads, czech glass, Vintaj clasp

All my best,

Malin

3 new pieces, 3 different styles

• Polymer clay button used for closure by Barbara Bechtel of Floridty.
• Various glass beads.
• Copper mini rounds.
• Strung on waxed linen cord.

• Color Drenched chain by MissFickleMedia.
• Toggle clasp by Higher Chakra formerly. Now her shop is called MetalFuze.
• Stones knotted on waxed linen string. I don't remember the name of the stones right now. And I don't have access to my shopping records, because my own computer is not here at the moment (it's been sent to the repairer for the rubber sheet/piece at the bottom has become all bumpy and out of shape, we'll see if they can fix it within the warranty), so I am currently working on my hub's one.

• Resin bicones from Happy Mango Beads
• Silver ear hooks by E2SSupplies
• Rustic metal discs

I might want to add clothes styles with my jewelry images. Just like Lorelei Eurto and Earrings Everyday do here and there. I really like that touch. I often think like that myself, about my own pieces. 'When and with what would you wear this?' Do you? And what kind of outfits do you see my pieces today being worn with?

All my best,

Malin

Art Bead Scene November Challenge

ABS Monthly Challenge for November. Madonna Pietra degli Scrovigni, by Marie Spartali Stillman. A painting in the style of the British Pre-Raphaelite movement, which in turn was inspired by the Rennaissance and also the Post-Rennaissance movement called Mannierism. The Pre-Raphaelites were around in the second half of the 19th century. Spartali Stillman was considered the greatest female artist of that movement (I just read up on that).

Apart from feeling very Pre-Raphaelite I definately get a Rennaissance feeling from this painting. Mona-Lisa clearly comes to mind. And Botticelli's The Birth of Venus. But if I take away all my art history connotations and just look at the picture I think of words like noble, elevated, serene, class, stillness, gossamer (the white flowers) contrasting with density (the fabric in her dress, and an overall somewhat mystical air, you don't really get close to that woman do you. Then I look at the colors also. Hm, very interesting, not my common scheme. Olive green, ochre, rusty brown, wine red, lime green, white sprinkles, and the more blue-ish colors in the background landscape.

So ... how about my own creation then? Well, it contains all the elements I mentioned above, in the parts. But as a whole composition it is far more robust, and maybe even rustic, than the feeling you get from the paiting. And that's something I like about it. A feel of today, but inspired by and connected to something in the past. I am very happy with this piece. :-)

About the beads I used

Art Beads:

• I just very recently got the golden swirly shell-ly beads from MissFickleMedia. I had thought to use them in a pair of earrings ...
• The dark metallic green facetted nuggets are made by Floridity, from her Erudite collection.

They marry so well those two! Don't you agree.

Other beads and components are:

• Waxed linen
• Magnetic ball clasp
• Hydro Grossular Grenade rounds
• Rainbow Moonstone facetted Heishi
• Carneol roundels
• Twisted Hex Miyuki white on gilt beads

The bracelet is sitting just a little little too tight on my own wrist. I can wear it, but ... I would like another half a centimeter. I might get around re-stringing it. Unless I make sure to sell it soon to someone more thin-wristed. I think it is a perfect piece to wear for the season coming up.

All my best,

Malin

BTW - recent arrivals AND a question to you

Vaseline Beads and Cornerless Cubes from the BeadChest. I won a voucher to be used in their shop over at Claire Maunsell's blog some months ago. (The Next Bend/StillPointWorks). I have not been able to choose which beads in their shop to go for until now. There are a lot of lovelies there I tell you. I am happy with my pick.

A pair of Tronex Round nose pliers. I am planning to update my tools gradually over the coming period. One new tool a month is my idea. I am not good at all with good quality tools. So far that is. It is gonna be a big change there I tell you. I need the good stuff. I wonder if it is gonna do anything to how my jewelry making evolves from now on?

You saw Rebecca Anderson's, SongBead, all lovely tools just casually thrown in her bag? If not you have to go and check out her wonderful vlog immediately. Well worth seeing for a lot of reasons.

What more? Grey Griffon Silk of a thicker kind, hopefully perfect for a project which been waiting in a muffin form for a while now, waiting for the right silk. Some cute green czech glass flowers. Oh how I love those.

From Barbara Bechtel, Floridity, a good bunch of goodies. She's gone wild lately with all her new awesome designs that I can't resist. I can hardly go visit her shop anymore. The Erudite line and lots of other stuff too. I could get everything from her shop really. Pretty pretty pretty!

Now:

A question to all you beaders out there. On your round nose pliers, do the jaws come together completely when they are closed, or is there a little gap/space there. If so, is it even all the way or is it growing gradually towards the back of the jaws? Hope you understand what I mean! If you have experience of using differently designed pliers in that aspect, what kind do you prefer, and why? Please feel free to also leave any thoughts on the subject of round nose pliers.

Thank you very much!

A few new items

Earrings - Roses Garden.

Flowery tin bead caps by Lorelei Eurto on Tin Snippets. Rose quartz facetted round beads. Paddle head pins in copper by SpunSugarBeads. Oxidized copper ear hooks by HigherChakra (sorry, I can't link to her shop on Etsy at the moment).

Earrings - Rothko's Gone Circular.

Stoneware clay charms by Kristie Roeder of ArtisanClay. Oxidized Sterling Silver almond shaped ear hooks by E2SSupplies.

Earrings - Kyoto Noodles.

Ceramic beads by Elaine Ray. Oxidized copper ear hooks by E2SSupplies. Paddle head pins in copper by SpunSugarBeads.

Macrame bracelet - Barefoot On The Beach.

Ceramic beads by Gaea. Polymer clay ivory swirl by Floridity. Wood imitating toggle bead by myself. Beautiful facetted Prehnite nugget. Various other beads and thin Superlon cord

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Thank you so much for all the congratulations I got on my birthday the other day.

Floridity Give Away on Pretty Thing's Blog

Can you believe it! Just the other day I was looking at these beads in Floridity's shop on Etsy. I marked them as favourites, to hopefully be able to purchase when I get in to some money. And now Lori Andersson of Pretty Things has a give away for these beauties. Go to Lori's blog and find out what you should do to have a chance to win. Floridity is Barbara Bechtel, and her blog is called Second Surf.