A Farewell to Winter

Even though my last fall and winter were very busy with the development of my new permanent studio in the Torpedo Factory Art Center (Alexandria, VA), I couldn't miss this season and not to create another winter piece. I didn't have enough time to design something like Lone Snowflake Necklace:



that made the First place in Ice Queen Challenge held by Bead Mavens, and idea to create a smaller necklace came to me. So, I went to Artbeads.com...


Then I narrowed my search to pendants... Good choice! But I had to go further, and my search for pendant crystals gave me the result I was in need of.


I decided, just two sorts of beads: TOHO 11/0 clear transparent and TOHO 15/0 black. In addition to that, amazing coral-like Coral Crystal pendants by Swarovski I found out on Artbeads.com became a perfect match to "coral brunches" woven using seed beads.



What about focal? I continued my search and discovered on the site a beautiful Flat Baroque Pendant Crystal by Swarovski, that looked like a flower, frozen in ice! Done! I believe you can guess the name of the necklace: Flower, Frozen in Ice.

Disclosure. Being a reviewer of Artbeads.com products and a participant of its blogging program I received Swarovski crystal pendants free of charge. This post reflects my honest opinion; and Artbeads.com is not compensating me for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received and reviewed.

Indian summer at the door!

It's already autumn outside... the grass is getting yellow... the leaves turn to red, brown and yellow... Some people can say, the nature is dying, I say it's falling asleep, and it makes us enjoy with its fantastic, cheerful and festive colors - Indian summer at the door!


When the sun rises, autumn colors flash out showing fall beauty, and water drops after night rain sparkle like diamonds! I like this season, and once I've already created the Autumn Splendor Necklace. This year the spring was pretty long and cold - but the fall is warm and beautiful, that's why I returned to the autumn theme.


Remembering my Tropical Blossom Necklace, I decided to use Swarovski pendants again, and that brought me to Artbeads.com. My husband said, "Good choice!" I have no idea what he meant, whether Artbeads.com or beautiful pendants they sell. In general, it doesn't matter, I found out what I was looking for.


I received red magma, olivine, light topaz, and copper Swarovski crystal pendants, and bought silk ribbons of bright autumn colors at the closest craft shop. Appropriate Czech glass teardrop and leaf accent beads, and TOHO 15/0 yellow and green seed beads should have been good much to my staff.


I wrapped up memory wire blank necklace and used it as the base of my piece, and embellished it with Czech beads; then I wound it with bead strings and made fringes with crystal pendants. The last touch was the brass leaf closure. The necklace could be named Autumn Wreath, but I call it Indian Summer, because Indian summer is outside!

Disclosure. Being a reviewer of Artbeads.com products and a participant of its blogging program I received Swarovski crystal pendants free of charge. This post reflects my honest opinion; and Artbeads.com is not compensating me for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received and reviewed.

Hot copper warms me up!

Is it Russia? Is it Siberia? Oh, no! That's Alexandria, VA, on February 6. In D.C. metro area a snowstorm totals around 1.5 to 2 feet are common, with some places up to and past 30" or 36". Unbelievable! And I'm glad, that these severe days I'm warmed up with the stuff I received from from Artbeads.com.


For sure, Valentine’s Day beads and components can make happy any beadworker because of coming holiday, but copper elements did warm me up this weekend when I worked!

Don't wonder please, as a focal of my first copper necklace I used Copper Heart Toggle Clasp; and I added a mix of copper beads, bright and dark copper color seed beads, copper coins from oriental countries, jasper donuts and leopard skin jasper rounds, some other elements, and I'm done! Hot Copper Mix Necklace is ready.


Close-up of Hot Copper Mix Necklace.


The focal of my second necklace is a regular Copper Heart Shaped Leaf Pendant; Delica beads and teardrop beads with AB coating were a nice addition, they helped me create Copper Heart Leaf Necklace.


Close-up of Copper Heart Leaf Necklace.

Disclosure. Being a reviewer of Artbeads.com products and a participant of its blogging program I received all Copper Heart components free of charge. This post reflects my honest opinion; and Artbeads.com is not compensating me for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received and reviewed.

Russian Pendants

The story with The Dream by Pablo Picasso will continue! Last week I bought seven more Russian pendants!


Birthday, by Marc Chagall


The Painter: To the Moon, by Marc Chagall


Judith, by Gustav Klimt


The Kiss, by Gustav Klimt


The Virgins, by Gustav Klimt


Winter, by Alfons Mucha


Renaissance - Mask Your Face

Picasso's Dream Necklace

Not in a couple of days, but the necklace with the Russian pendant featuring The Dream by Picasso is finished! It was a pleasure to play with colors and texture. I decided not to round angles you can see in my previous post on the base of my necklace, because the pendant is rectangular and I wanted to keep the common shapes. I've tried to use the same colors as on the miniature, but without big bright spots, just to accent the beauty of the pendant. By the way, I used in my work seed beads I bought on sale at Artbeads.com. I hope people will like my new beadwork. Thank you, Artbeads.com!


Here is the finished necklace live, I mean here is how it looks on. It seems to be pretty, and my model looks great wearing the necklace. Top secret: this girl is also Russian!

Incorporating Art

Once I've already written, that I added Artbeads.com to my list of on-line stores where I buy jewelry supplies. Surfing that website for some interesting things in June, I noticed the word "Russian". Hmmm... I wondered, what about Russia and Russians was there? I opened a page - OMG! Try to imagine: I found pendants replicated portions of famous paintings from artists such as Chagall, Mucha, Klimt, Botticelli, Matisse and Picasso, handpainted by Russian artisans! These Russian pendants feature just a small piece of the whole paintings, but in doing so, the essence of the artistry is captured!


For sure, my customers and I would love to wear a true piece of art with one of these gorgeous masterpieces, and I grabbed one pendant featuring The Dream by Picasso, first of all because I'm a fan of Picasso's talent. It doesn't mean I don't like the artworks of Chagall or Klimt, but The Dream reminds me of the traditional Russian folk art - Palekh lacquer miniatures.

The backing of the pendant is a piece of black onyx, and the pendant is drilled from top to bottom. It's great for a wide range of stringing opportunities but not for beadweaving. If we had those pendants drilled on top from side to side, it would add much more opportunities for beadworkers. Anyway, I found how I can incorporate a piece of art into my jewelry piece! I haven't finished my beadwork yet, it's in process, we'll see the result in a couple of days...

I tried Artbeads.com

I understand that jumping from one media to another, from one style to another, or even from one supplier to another is not in favor of my business, but I cannot sometimes resist if I see something unusual and interesting, and want to try new materials and beading supplies. Recently my attention was attracted by canvas on wood pendant from Artbeads.com. I found a lot of such pendants, but the red-almost-black seemed to me the best one.

Though I've never used such pendants I decided to play with that one, moreover I had in my trunk matching polymer clay beads (I made them a few years ago but had no idea where to use them) and bright red coral beads. Carmen! That's the name of my future necklace that came to me! I was a simple string, that I accented it with the narrow golden ribbon.


In a couple of days I continued my research, and created another version of Carmen: the same polymer clay and coral beads, and seed beads. I decided to let the strings go where they want, and it turned out to be a free-form necklace.


I guess, my first try of pendants from Artbeads.com is successful, it was great to play with colors and materials to focus the pendant! The only thing I don't like is that the silver-color bail doesn't match the pendant color palette, yellowish bail would be better I think.