Gravitating towards color schemed bracelets

I haven't blogged for a while. And well, I have made more jewelry than these 4 bracelets over the last few weeks. And in different color schemes too. But yesterday, when I got about to take some photographs of some of my latest creations I just saw that a few of them shared this kind of color scheme with ivory, white, greens and yellows. And I thought it might be a nice idea to present them as a group.

Bracelet - Knotted 

• Ivory faceted geode ceramic bead - Gaea
• Green faceted ceramic bead - Diane Hawkey
• Chartreuse enameled round - BeadSwedeSupplies
• Yellow glass coins
• Orange shiny large seed beads
• Ivory shiny even larger seed beads
• Oxidized sterling silver clasp - BeadSwedeSupplies
• Lime green resin coin bead
• Yellow shiny large seed bead
• Green shiny large seed bead
• Yellow waxed linen cord

Bracelet - A White House

• White ceramic hispanic style house - Jubilee
• White flat oval glass beads
• Pale yellow  flat oval glass beads
• Stripy green and lime flat oval glass beads
• Copper lobster clasp and ring
• Nature white waxed linen cord

Bracelet - Macrame Yellow

• Peach pink ceramic bead - Gaea
• Bronze lined (black diamond) large seed beads
• Pale grey resin coin
• White glass bead
• White ceramic bead - Gaea
• Sea blue ceramic bead - Gaea
• Grey resin coin
• Dark yellow waxed cotton cord

Bracelet - Macrame Green

• Multi color resin coin
• Shiny ivory very large seed beads
• Green czech oval bead
• Shiny green large seed bead
• Green resin coin
• Transparent gold etched elongated acrylic bead
• Green waxed cotton cord

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

A Bracelet & a Ring

GLAD MIDSOMMAR till alla svenskar!!!!

Happy Midsummer's celebration to all Swedes! The peak of the summer is celebrated very traditionally here in Sweden. I love this holiday! I hope to tell you a bit more about it after the weekend.

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

Three Bracelets

Dearest blog followers,

Where have I been? You haven't seen or heard from me for a couple of weeks now. Mark said I should tell you I have been on secret missions. And, well, he is in fact slightly right about it. (Even if I was also a little ill for a few days.) A couple of them. And that's all I want to say for now. Tihi ;-). Things will be revealed both one very soon and another one in a few months, so ... 

Anyway, as I had completed my "missions" on Friday, I was craving to create some new bracelets. Two of them, both with a nature theme. And I have to admit that the apricot kernel one I made already in February. But I haven't had any good photographs of it until now. 

Forest Dreams

Clockwise order:

• Robins egg blue rustic etched lampworked glass disk/roundel/spacer by OutWest
• Newprint Jasper heishi
• Carnelian facetted roundel
• Cane glass heishi
• Silvery disk/roundel/spacer
• Pink Coconut heishi
• Bronze/whirls polymer clay disk/roundel/spacer by HumbleBeads
• Ivory Coconut heishi
• Mermaid color ceramic disk/roundel/spacer by Gaea
• Wood heishi
• Pink polymer clay glass disk/roundel/spacer by HumbleBeads
• Newprint Jasper heishi
• Carved Oxbone roundel
• Green Coconut heishi
• Violet rustic etched lampworked glass disk/roundel/spacer by OutWest
• Superlon thin cord

Meadow by the Sea

• Copper Daisy Toggle Clasp by Joanne Tinley of DaisyChain. (Her components are my latest addiction ... )
• Sunshine lampworked glass disk by Gardanne
• Teal/golden swirl spacer disk by HumbleBeads
• Robins egg blue lampworked borosilicate glass mini spacers by SpankysDesigns
• Copper leaf chain
• Facetted turquoise
• Facetted crab agate
• Hydro-grossular green grenade rounds
• Labradorite roundels

All Apricots

• Orange acrylic apricot kernels
• Wooden heishi
• Grey seed beads

All my best,

Malin

Chained ...

A new parcel from FusionBeads arrived last week. Like an unexpected present :-). It was 4 different chains this time. Antiqued brass plated base metal. Chains ... how refreshing I thought ... I used to use chain in my jewelry all the time before, but lately over the last few months or so I have kind of gone away from it. You know how it can be, you are into certain things during different periods. So, yes, it was a little refreshing kick in my butt so to speak. Today I will present two pieces using two of the chains. I will come back and show you what I did with the other two in the coming week or so.

And hey, look at that one! The really chunky ball chain. 4mm each ball. You know what. I have never ever used ball chain. I have never ever bought it either. I have just never ever been keen on it before. But oooohhhh, this one, that's something different. I didn't know ball chain could come in this chunky-ness. I just had to start with this one. I played around putting together clusters of wire wrapped beads and art beads hanging from a larger ring sort of. Until ...

... until my eyes fell on this ceramic leaf that I have had in my stash for a good while now. By Tracee Dock of ClassicBead and ClassicElements. I adore this leaf, but have never known how make it justice, or how I would like to incorporate it in a jewelry piece. But look at this. Just hanging like that on a long chain. So simple, so perfect. The proportions work really well. A marriage made in heaven. :-) And now I am hooked on ball chain for the future. But I think, for me it has to be this chunky kind.

Next up, the 10 mm round links chain. Combined with a macrame knotted section with enameled beads by Barbara Lewis of PaintingWithFire. Waxed cotton cord and a magnetic ball clasp.

Finally I just thought I would share with you Charlie, my cat, who really likes to work as a prop when I take photos of my jewelry.

All my best,

Malin

The chains used in the pieces above were provided as part of the FusionBeads Blog Affiliate Program. The author of this blog has not received any payment from above-mentioned company. The post above represents only personal opinion of the blog author.

Three casual bracelets and a little bit of pride :-)

Macrame with blue-grey waxed cotton cord and selection of glass and semiprecious stones in different colors. I made this one with a particular friend in mind. She can't wear any metal at all against her skin. I hope she will like it.

Macrame with orange waxed linen cord and a selection of glass, semi-precious stones, brass beads and three white ceramic beads by Gaea.

Here's a better photograph of the bracelet I wrote about in my previous post. Ceramic hank button made by Birgitta Lejonklou of AngelWhisperer, and a selection of rustic trade glass beads, semi-precious stones and natural material beads strung on beading wire.

Now check this out

The other day I got one of the nicest compliments ever. I am so proud (do you say you are proud as a cock/rooster in English?), and at the same time I blush. But my pride wins and I just have to share with you. Rebecca Anderson of SongBeads wrote (and this is just a cut-out from the whole post):

My 2012 jewellery resolution is to be more adventurous with colour. I so often stick to monochromatic colour schemes (or turquoise and red of course...!) and whilst i do love them, and the textural possibilities they offer, I want to branch out. Two people who I really admire for their colour choices are Malin and Lorelei. They put things together in such a beautiful way.

Thank you so much Rebecca! By the way, I don't really agree with you about you working mainly monochromatic, but maybe that's just me. I myself really really love to play around with and combine colors. And I here and there read about people struggling with color in one way or another. So I got this idea that I could write a post, or a few, on the topic of color theory and my own personal experiences and thoughts on working with color. It is a large topic, and I also have a few other ideas in pipeline for posts here on my blog, to be written during the next half a year or so. So we'll see when and if I get around actually doing it. I also have some kind of still very vague idea that it might work to make the post/posts about color in the form of vlog/vlogs. Any suggestions from you on these posts, I would gladly receive.

And as I mention suggestions, I am also interested in hearing if you have any ideas on what I could bring up at my next Swedish lesson. I haven't done one of those in a while now, and it's about time I think.

Please leave your comments, and I wish you all my best,

Malin

:-)

A ring, and I need your help

Hi, I hope your Christmas has been wonderful and jolly. Mine has been very nice, spent with my family and closest relatives, rather calm, but unfortunately without any snow. :-(

It is not unusual I make jewelry pieces, but for some reason I don't get around taking their picture and show them here. So now I have a fair little bunch of things I thought I would portion out to you over the coming days.

Here's a ring I made a few weeks ago. It has one of Michelle Johnston of ChelleV2's wonderful stoneware flower beads/bead caps in it. (I used a white one in the bangle bracelet I showed you a few days ago.) I also used waxed linen thread and a ring base which I demolished to fit my requirements. (And I ordered a new group from her again, the other day.)

Now, I need you help. I am asking for it. Check out this gorgeous gorgeous ceramic button/bead/disc by Lisa Peters. I made a macrame bracelet with black leather string and glass and wooden beads. I love the combo and the style in this bracelet. Everything comes together as if it was meant from the dawn of time. The button is supposed to work as a closure. Just the way I have seen so many others do. Many times. But when I get to the last bit, the one where I shall make the loop/hook/ring or whatever it should be, I don't know how to make it so that it looks good. If I make a loop it becomes big and so visible once the bracelet sits on. I do not like the look of it at all. Also the bracelet sort of sits too loosely on the wrist. I could attach a hook at the end to hook on under the button, but I feel it is not an elegant or congenial enough solution.
Help me, how do I get the loop perfectly big to allow the button to go through it, but small so to not create a big flappy loose unattractive hole area right next to the button when the bracelet is being worn? How shall I close the loop? Shall I use a loop at all? Shall I restring the whole thing so that the button is not at all used as the closure?

I just love how this bracelet will turn out. I can't give up on it. Please, offer me the magic solution.

Please check back again very soon, as I plan to post more finished pieces from my work desk. All my best,

Malin

BTW - I have a good life ...

... especially on a day like this. What else could you wish for? Sitting on your veranda on a lovely summers day making jewelry.

This is my Bead Table Wednesday for today.
Bracelet for my dear friend Caroline.
This is what I, at times, dream other designer's would do. So I thought I'd better give it a go myself. Hope I am starting a trend now. :-)More macrame bracelets.

All my best!

Two summery bracelets

Summer has arrived with unusually warm temperatures here in Sweden. It's lovely, and all I wanna wear is clothes that keep me cool. Like white cotton or linen clothes. Long skirts and loose sitting tops. Sandals on my feet and a sunhat on my head. So I think some casual macrame bracelets to go with that outfit are needed. I've made two over the last couple of days. I love the casual feel of this style of jewelry.

No 1.

Thin thin nylon cord in a light kaki color.

Brown/goldy sidedrilled cylindrical bead in polymer clay by myself.

Ceramic beads by Elaine Ray. One fern colored and one light blue.

Czech glass beads in various colors and shapes.

Brass beads.

Howlite flat egg shaped bead.

Bone round bead.

No.2

Light grey waxed cotton string.

A green ceramic rose and a tan round bead by Gaea.

Yellow lampwork spacer bead by Genea. I loooove the color on that one.

Tan macaroni bead by Elaine Ray.

Czech glass.

Brassy round beads with an eye/leaf pattern.

Check out this great tutorial from Ornamentea on a really clever and easy way to do macrame. I would like to call it 'free-hand macramé'. No board is needed, no clips, no pins, no extra things apart from the string and the beads. You can sit anywhere doing this.