Simple Beaded Loop Earring Pattern

I'm on a beading kick lately... and decided to expand my design collection to earrings.  I wanted to make something quick, easy but eye-catching - and this is what I came up with.  You will need:

26 gauge artistic wire in matching color

8 lime 4mm bicone Swarovski crystals

14 lime 4mm bicone Swarovski crystals

4 aqua 6mm bicone Swarovski crystals

2 silver plated findings

2 silver plated "fish hook" earring findings

You can use any color combination of crystals - this just happened to be what I had on-hand that matched the wire I had... so - in other words - you can go crazy and make dozens of these with no problem using just your current supplies.

Cut a piece of wire about 6" long. String the finding and crystals on the wire in this pattern: 1 finding, 1 aqua 4mm, 1 lime, 1 aqua 4mm, 1 aqua 6mm, 1 aqua 4mm, 1 lime, 1 aqua 4mm, 1 lime, 1 aqua 4mm, 1 aqua 6mm, 1 aqua 4mm, 1 lime and 1 aqua 4mm. 

Bring the end of the wire around and back through the finding. Pull the wire tight so the crystals form a "hoop" below the finding.

 

Thread the 2 wire ends through the earring wire. Bend the 2 wires and wrap around the bottom of the earring. Continue wrapping the wire neatly around the top until you have formed a slight "ball" of wrapped wire. Slide the tightener down the earring. If necessary trim excess wire and tuck ends into wrapped wire ball to prevent scratching. 

  Place a drop of jeweler's glue or clear nail polish near the ends of the wire that are tucked into the wrapped wire ball as an added precaution against scratching.  Then go out and let them sparkle in the sun. 

I actually liked them so much - I made a bunch to use as shade pulls for my windows. - very pretty.

~ Dani

Beaded Wild Woman Pin: Part 2

The Bead & Button Show was incredible.  While I wandered the aisle checking out the new handmade beads, oohing and ahhing over the incredible jewelry creations that are more like art than something wearable, and happily fondling the long strings of pearls and gemstones available, my mind was churning with new ideas and creative ways to update old ones.  I picked up some patterns (just because I had to!) and a kit or two (again, same reason), along with - you guessed it - even more beads and pearls to add to my stash.  It was so hard to wait until I got home to unwrap everything and start to play.

So - here I am playing with all the cool stuff I picked up - and what do you think I grab.  Yup - the good old Wild Woman design.  And - tell me - do I use the beads and neat stuff I just purchased - of course not.  I grab my box of leftover goodies and start to combine things.  I did come up with a new design - so I suppose that's a good thing - but come on.. why not use all the brand spanking new pearls and crystals I now have spread over my table!

Anyway - here she is.  She's more of a mixed media type "Woman" with the inclusion of some great quilting fabric I had and multiple layers of different textures of yarn for hair.  She's on a long hat pin so could be used for multiple things.   Not sure what to call her- any ideas?
~ Dani

Wild Woman Bead Pin

Ok - -so I know it's been a while since our last posting - and I do promise to get better - but life got in the way of creation.  Now that things have calmed down a bit, I started cleaning up my artsy workspace and once more ran my fingers through the piles of colorful glass and crystal beads.  This of course has nothing to do with the fact that the Bead & Button Show is being held this week in Milwaukee.  Uh uh - nope - nothing at all. ( http://www.beadandbuttonshow.com/)  

I decided, since I was playing anyway, to break out a couple of my old designs and see if I still remembered how to make them.  Sometimes you forget how much fun something was to make until you do it again.  I went back and re-created my Wild Women series.  How fun to create these great characters with their wiry hair flinging beads and crystals everywhere.  I also made a couple of Wild Child and Crazy Lady pins to break it up a bit. I'll be adding them to the store shortly, although I have put the pattern out there already.

Who knows what I'll come up with once I've been to the show.... like I really need more beads!  

~ Dani

Beaded Bracelet: Rainbow Pattern

I don't know about the rest of you... but I have a room-full of beads, buttons and other paraphernalia that just begs to be used for something incredible.  Looking at all of this wonderful color, I started running my fingers through the piles of beads and crystals looking for inspiration.  Something classic, yet reflected the springtime colors of the season.  Low and behold, what jumped out at me was a rainbow of crystals bordered by delicious creamy white seed pearls.  In just a short time, with a few materials, I created a springy bracelet looks great anytime.  (and no I won't make you one too! LOL)  I liked the bracelet so much, I wrote a pattern for it.  What could be better than making something from nothing at all!     ~ Dani
 http://www.etsy.com/listing/26612798/pattern-rainbows-and-pearls-bracelet