"Hidden treasures" - Earrings

Slowly my stash of these old and worn silver beads gets smaller. One bracelet was all I had from them. I have seven beads of this size left. Seven... huh... But I try to use my precious stash (regardless if we talk about beads, fabric or something else). There is nothing special about hoarding your beloved and special items so that the only collect dust. They should be used and adored ^^ If someone buys earrings made with them, they should be loved! If fabric tears from use than also just because it was loved. If I used a found object that is completely unique than also my creation is unique. It took me a long time to let go of my precious stah.. and yes, some items are still hard to part with (parting as in using not as in giving away or even selling, that is another topic ^^) but I am getting better and better doing this. Why should I use "ordinary" things if I could use these special items? Quite often I kept things just for "the special project" not realizing that I could make every single project special just by using an item I fell in love with! 

I learned that the silver beads are actually real silver beads (seeing the patina and how they work during a gentle cleaning I already guessed). A thin layer of silver sheet is formed and filled inside with a kind of resin. I love there worn and torn (yes, had to use these words together!) look, there aged outside, the story they tell... Probably not every one can understand the beauty I can see in this beads especially because they show that they are old and used, because of every dent and scratch. I personally just completely adore them!

The glass beads are from the curiosity kit "Jacaranda" (from Rebeccas "The Curious Bead Shop"). It is a simple stacking of beads and this time also on one head pin (so no movement in between, just with the hook). It is a kind of colour gradient but also the shades of light and dark purple go well together with the aged silver. 

You see the colour now? I tried to capture the rich and lush purple. In the evening the flowers look dark nearly black but as soon as you got a little bit of sunlight the colour just shines :)

PS: I just had a last view over this blog entry before I want to set the time to publish it. Normally I take all my pictures at one day and then start editing my blog entries and if possible already set them in advance (put in "try" ^^). Honestly I am a little bit astonished how much I can write about a pair of earrings. I could even go on and on, why the colours speak to me, how I love the unusual but organic shape the combined beads have, why weight of beads is important for their movement... and on and on... But it also shows me why my own work is special to me. My work (with polymer clay, with jewelery, with other media...) evolved and developed over time. I can see how much let alone my earrings change from year to year (and still curious where I will go!). But especially for the last year (plus / minus), I know that in every single pair of earrings went a lot of thought. Nothing is "just combined" because of the colours or shapes or sizes but rather more had a story or an image for me that I wanted to show. Every single pieces shows a little bit of me and yeah, realizing this, that feels good :)

"Daisy mine" - Earrings

The little czech glass flowers and the tiny keys were part of the last curiosity kit "Jacaranda" (from Rebeccas "The Curious Bead Shop"). Even while I managed to integrate the name from the last kit in the names of the created earrings ("Whispers"), I have to admit I didn't find any way to do the same with "Jacaranda". 

I used a small leftover from waxed linen cord I had. This was used by Rebecca to hold some wire together... but it went so well with the turquoise and bronze, I tried to use it. It was really hard, I even had to tale a tweezer to make the knots. ^^After this I frayed the ends more that it got a worn and irregular look. 

"Tribal keepsakes" - Earrings

The ammonites are art beads made from polymer clay (some of mine ^^) combined with the beaded beads (yes, I like how that sounds, childish as that this might be!) made by Rebecca. I got them as well as the daggers as part of her curiosity kit (beads from "Jacaranda" and the daggers from "Whispers" - all the kits have names!). 

It seems that I always make batches of beads (could also be due to the fact that I am easily bored with repetitions...). Have a look here at the other polymer clay beads I made along with these ammonites. :)

The bigger - the better! Wrapped loop earrings

Not that I don't have things to show... just my camera and me... *sighs* You know the hard times close to the end of a relationship? You know, it is over, but you still can't take the last step? That is my camera and me at the moment... 

I made this earrings already weeks ago and just wanted to make new pictures because both of them are not showing all details and the intensity of the colour. But also... my blog is so quiet! Therefor I decided that I would show you them even without perfect pictures ;)

Recycled/Upcycled loops wrapped with handwoven silk from thailand and cotton thread with a lot of jump rings and beads to dangle. The loops are really big (see the comparison with my hands above?) but still surprisingly light weighted. 

I am still wrapping jewelery with silk, it just has such a beautiful effect!

Macrame bracelet - from Lachafa

Since I am wearing it right at the moment I thought I should also show this bracelet to you. This was made by my little sister for me. She has a knack for knots ^^ Be it crochet, knitting or macrame. Mostly she is not using any pattern at all and even more, seeing a finished item, she can adapt a pattern for this by just looking at it :)

"Another time" - Earrings and buttons!

I spend a day sorting through my room (work and crafting room). It is chaotic, still not even sorted completely from our move (1 and a half year ago... uhm...), overfull... *sighs* A day is not enough but that was all energy I could invest. I got rid of a lot of things... some in the trash and more to friends. I also gave old buttons and crochet lace away (I asked in facebook who would like to have some for their work). I still have a lot more crafting stuff to give away... and even more to sort out... we will see.

But even while I sorted out a lot of buttons... there were some I kept. Like these tiny mother-of-pearl buttons. Really old and just beautiful... and since my rule is: If I want to keep it I also have to use it (no too precious stash anymore! ...or at least... not soooo big...). 

So here we go. 

 One of my biggest problem was: Which side of the buttons shall I use? Have a look at the (also original) back side: You can see the rest of the shell! How absolutely stunning are these buttons to see where they come from?

It is always a little bit difficult to catch the sparkle of glass beads in the sun with all the high contrast and dark shadows. Still the earrings look especially beautiful in the sunlight so here I tried to catch at least an impression :)

The clear beads as well as the blue and green reminds me of water... so fitting for mother-of-pearl buttons...

...and again a contrast that I also love, the perfect facetted czech glass beads and the old rough pressed glass beads...

Both earring pairs make me smile and seem to have a story of their own. This feeling... a little bit vintage, colourful bohemian and playful steampunk... just a little bit of all combined...

Beaded strings for USB sticks - Never get lost in the handbag ^^

The upper two usb sticks were for my family. It was not for the usb stick but rather for the scanned pictures inside of them. They are quite big with 32 GB. Also I chose sticks that were water resistant and shock proof. But the most important part: The added beaded string! This was not my idea but from my stepmother (what a gruesome word... still want to have another better one) who has beads hanging on her mobile so she can easily grap it out of her handbag. The mobile is always in a small side pocket inside her handbag with the beads hanging outside. 

This one is mine. I made it after I already gave the other two away and thinking: Hey, I also need/want one! ^^ I used the recycled old and worn silver beads I love so much. Will be a problem as soon as I run out of them! But I don't want to stash anything anymore but use it! 

The string is waxed linen. I used a combination of single beads I had at hand. I prefer the colourful combination other the blue one that is for me but truth is: I run out of this kind of beads ^^

Some swarowski and czech glass beads at the end to add some more colour accents! These beaded strings are easy and fast to make and are useful as well as beautiful :)

"Just a touch" - Earrings

I was thinking about the name... and this is what came in my mind over and over again. Just a touch of... rose, flowers, flowing... all the different but subtle impressions in the polymer clay beads. But also just a touch itself, it is fitting all the feelings I have looking at them :)

And please bare with me: More pictures! The czech glass beads are a subtle rose and even while the beads are mainly in shades of blue there is a little bit of rose and purple inside. This make the glass beads so fitting.

They are romantic, maybe even going into the bohemian style with the flow and combination. *sighs* But I just have one pair of polymer clay beads left I made in this style. Finally I managed to use them (took me about one to two years... you know how it is with beads you hold precious ^^).

"Golden whisper" - Earrings

Simple ones but glowing in the light! I was sorting through my stash and trying to organize some things a little bit more and stumbled over the two metal things I had. I added my two big leftover beads from "The Curiosity Kit" from "The Curious Bead Shop". The bead set was called whispers therefore... yes... I try to get the name into all the things I made with these beads. ^^

On top is a tiny bronze bead to close the metal things. They have their weight and dangle lovely due to this but they are not too heavy. 

More of jewelery I made with beads from the kit whispers you can see here :)

Tentacles just for me!

Mine! 

Mh... maybe not a really grown up way to start a blog entry but... a true one! ;) 

If you are following my blog a little it longer you may now how much I love the work of Christi Friesen. I have all of her polymer clay books and always enjoy her playful style! I think she is also a very good example of how you can teach your tips and tricks and knowledge but not for people learning to copy you but to develop their own style. 

The most important things I learned from her are: More is sometimes also more and embrace your thumb prints on the clay! This may not sound much but it was something really important for me. It took away my fear of wasting material and just to try and play. 

I have my own style with polymer clay. One I believe you can recognize (maybe not with all but with a lot of my beads and jewelery ^^ but I am also still growing). But maybe you can understand how much it means to me to have something in my hand made by Christi.

She put up a pinterest challenge some time ago where she posted inspirational pictures taken by her and asked to come up with ideas and inspirations coming to our mind seeing them. The one inspiring her she would use to create a heart and send it to the person having the idea. Yes, that was me! ^^

May I say it again? Mine! :)

I am not sure what I will make with the heart but my first idea was to use it as an ornament. I still have not finished a blog entry from last christmas (just reminding myself now ^^) about an ornament I made. I promise you it will be weird. But I have the idea to have one day a lot of weird and odd ornaments as well as children... and every evening during christmas time one can choose an ornament and we will think of a good night story inspired by the ornament. Yes... it will also be a weird and odd story, has to be! ^^