More Beadwoven Goodies!

Has it been three months since I last posted?  Really?!!!!  Wow, well there's a lot to catch up on!

Here's a few of my new creations:

1.

 

 

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/166865915/asymmetrical-bracelet-beaded-turquoise?

The bracelet above was inspired by the new two-hole twin beads (the ones in turquoise and gold/coppery tones).  I had to see what I could do with them.  So after a little playing around, this bracelet emerged!  The main part is all beadwoven.  The toggle was a portion of a viking knit necklace I had made, and I hammered and wire wrapped the circular part to compliment the beadwoven section of the bracelet.  (I can't help but think that it looks like a fun little ferris wheel!  :-D)  I finished it up with my own hand-stamped tag with my logo.  But if you'd like to personalize it with your own tag, you can - for yourself or as a gift!  This asymmetrical, rustic, bracelet is great for every-day wear or even something a touch more fancy!

2.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/167943762/galaxy-earrings-beadwoven-in-blue-brown?

These fun earrings, I like to call my Galaxy Earrings, have been entered into Etsy Beadweaver's Challenge for December.  So if you'd like to look at all the entries, go to this link between December 9 - 15, 2013:  http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/.  I'm sure you're going to see lot's of beaded beauties!  These earrings feature a focal bead made of ceramic.  I loved the swirling colors of the beads - and that's where the name from - it's like a swirling galaxy.  I suspended them from a copper chain and and my own hand formed and hammered ear wires.  The fun part was the beaded fringe that radiates from the bottom in shimmering blues!  So much fun!  These would be great with jeans!!!

3. 

 

 

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/169882796/celtic-princess-necklace-beadwoven?

 

 

This Celtic Princess necklace was inspired by the tiny, organic looking cube beads, and two holed lentil beads I had just gotten.  Then I also saw a movie where the actress was wearing a very striking necklace that had this basic shape.  So I created the viking knit cord and attached it to the beaded portion with includes a large Swarovski Crystal!   The golden hued, mottled texture of the beads reminds me of a mosaic, and exudes old-world charm!  This one-of-a-kind necklace can be personalized with your monogram too!  Just check out the listing in my shop (link above)!     And that brings me to number four.

 

4.  The necklace just had to have earrings!  So I created a similar shape with the beads, added a small crystal, and 14-karat gold-plated chain and french hooks to create these matching earrings!  

 

 

 

It's been fun creating these pieces!  I hope you find some inspiration here as well!  Also, don't forget to follow me on my facebook page (www.facebook.com/TerahsClassicCreationsStudio) to keep up with SALES and to get up-to-the-moment insider information!  Yes, there may just be a sale going right now!  :-)

 

 

Have fun!!!!

 

Sincerely,

 

Terah

TerahClassyCreations.etsy.com

http://twitter.com/TerahsClassicCr

http://www.pinterest.com/terahsclassics



It's funny how things develop.  Sometimes I just let my projects make themselves.  Here's what I mean.  I started working on a beading project - it was going to have a geometric element to it - that's all I knew.  So I started to make an open-beaded square.  But then one side ended up shorter than the other, but it was kind of interesting!  So I decided to repeat it again - accomplished.  That's when the ideas started flowing.

I got out of my stash some cubic zirconium pieces that I've had a while.  I positioned the off-sided squares on either side of a pear-shaped cubic zirconium, and viola!!!  It looked like a bow!

And that's where the idea for this necklace came from!

As you probably know, I've also been intrigued with viking knit.  So I made the supporting structure of the necklace in a sturdy 22-gauge wire which I formed into a viking knit rope.

At this point in writing, I have yet to finish it.  The viking knit rope is done, I've worked the custom clasp.  Now it's time to assemble.  The moment of truth!!!!

Here's the finished product!!!!!!!  (I love these beads - so shimmery.  Not too over the top, they almost look vintage to me.  Kind of a nice shimmer.

I love the look so much that I actually will tough through the technical issues with them, i.e., bead breakage while working with them, and their ability to cut through average beading line with their edges.  So it takes a while to work with them in an especially sturdy, fray resistant material.  Also, it takes lots of patience to make sure the delicate beads don't break.  But the good news is if the beads can stand the pressure they get while beading, they will stand the wear afterwards!  And their absolutely stunning!  (I also made my Calla Lily Necklace and Earrings with these type of beads.  I love this finish!!!)

Well, I plan on entering this necklace into the Etsy Beadweavers Challenge for January.  So if anyone wants to drop by and take a look, here's their site:  http://www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/.  (Between 9 - 15th of January 2013 you can vote for your favorite entry.)  I don't mind if you feel like voting for my entry either!!!  :-D

P.S.  This will be available in my shop - if you'd like to visit it, see the link below!!!  :-D

Until next time, have fun!!!

Terah
TerahClassyCreations.etsy.com

Venturing Out to New Things!

For some reason, the last few weeks I've been in one of my learn everything binges.  I've been engrossed in the viking knit technique.  It's really pretty, and I've been wanting to learn it for a few years.  I finally decided to go for it!    This necklace is the result.

There's actually more of a story to this necklace.  The pendant is something I found on a spur-of-the-moment girls-day-out I had a while ago with my Mom.  It was so memorable for a couple of reasons.  It was really nice because I went to Sonora (a cute little town in the foothills of California with lots of quaint little shops).

We decided to look around a little and went to a park area, and believe it or not I actually ran into some people I hadn't seen in years!  It was a family that my husband and I had stayed with in Panama a few years ago on vacation.  They happened to be in the area only briefly and had decided to go to Sonora that day!  What an AMAZING coincidence!  So there's some really good memories associated with this necklace.

It was a great little vacation day, and I finally put it all together to make this cottage-chic style necklace.  I call it my "Rose Garden" necklace because of the pearls that I added to the pendant.  They look like rose buds to me that are climbing up a pearlescent wall.  (Incidentally this pendant is a shell that has pearls captured in the surface - also called a Blister Pearl.)

So then I added a ribbon to the back of the necklace.  It clasps on the side using an "S-hook" style clasp.  On the other side is a little bow - to add just a touch of sweetness. . . .




So - you thought I was done?  Ha!  Well later this week I also decided to tackle a project that has been a long time in the making. 


I've actually been a crocheter and knitter for a while in addition to my jewelry fetish.  My grandma taught me the basics of crochet when I was young and I wanted to expand my skills.  So I started a project that was quite large - a blanket! 

I've actually been working on this big blanket for a while.  It had been tucked away, and I thought it was a good time to take it out again.  I was pleasantly surprised.  I thought I had a lot farther to go, but it was almost done. (It had been with me on a few vacations over a few years - something to do on long road trips.) 

So this week it was completed!  Ahhh!  As many of you creative types probably know - it seems like there's always a few projects that sit half done for a while.  I love the feeling of going back to it, and finally putting the finishing touches on it - it's SO satisfying.  The result is this cozy number.  

By the way, the ribbing on this blanket came from how my grandma taught me to crochet. It's a variation on the regular technique.  I learned later that most crocheted fabric doesn't have this effect.  (It comes from inserting the hook through one loop instead of two when starting the stitch.)  Since, I love ribbing, AND this is a direct result of my grandma's teaching, it makes me love it even more.

ALSO, this is my first addition to my shop that includes fiber work - something I plan to include more of in the future as I have also gone crazy for lace knitting!

Both the necklace and the blanket are available in my shop:  www.TerahClassyCreations.Etsy.com!

So next time. . will it be jewelry?  Will it be fiber-work?  Mmmm....you'll have to wait and see!  ;-)

As always, HAVE FUN!

Sincerely,

Terah
Terahs Classic Creations, a.k.a.
TerahClassyCreations.Etsy.com

Sunshine in Darkness

Recently a friend that was an essential part of my life growing up, specifically in my teenage years, is suddenly gone.  I still can't believe that it happened.  He was an innocent civilian that was doing his job, when someone gunned him down out of nowhere.  I still can't believe it.

The day of his memorial was surreal, and I can only imagine what his family must be feeling.

Of course, as it is part of my way of coping, I had to escape.  This little flower offered to brighten my day - a little bit of yellow sunshine on a dark day.  The result is this necklace.  Instead of my usual project that takes a VERY long time to create, I needed something different.

This necklace seems to be a little symbolic somehow - the dark obstacles that life sends our way, but how eventually the sun will come out, and everything will eventually be put to right (Rev. 21:4).  Hope out of darkness.

Spray of Leaves Necklace

It's been a while since I've posted - sorry to have taken so long.  Summer is such a busy time!!  (But I have to say something about teals and aqua blues just say summer time over and over again.)

I went to my friend's day spa and she mentioned that she likes greens and blues, and it got me thinking. . . Yeah, green is so natural and earthy and blue is so cool and soothing!  So right away I bought some big blue (more like teal) circular shells and started digging through my stash!  I came upon these great Czech beads I had bought for another project that I had long ago given up on.  (They weren't uniform enough in size for what I was working on at that time.)  For this project, they were perfect!

Paired with the copper spacers and clasp, I think the metallic green and blue of these leaves look fancy, but yet still organic.  I worked the leaves randomly in different sizes and then arranged them much like a florist would the greenery in a bouquet.  When I found what I thought was the perfect "arrangement" I stitched them together and added touches of pearls to mimic a milky little raindrop nestled in among them.  (I must give the credit for the leaf technique to the book by Diane Fitzgerald, The Beaded Garden.  If you like flowers, and you like to bead, you'll love this book!)

So this is what I ended up with - the Spray of Leaves Necklace!!

As a thank you for the inspiration she gave me, this necklace and the matching bracelet & earrings will be available at my friends shop, Studio 12 Urban Day Spa!! SOLD

 P.S. - My monitor is on the fritz right now, so I can't tell which picture is the best (which is why I added so many).  I would love feedback on which picture everyone prefers!

Bubbly Blue Beadwork Adventure Necklace

Who doesn't love electric blue?  Even better when it's electric, capri blue!

But I digress - This one began with a little adventure!  You see, at the last minute, my boss asked me to take a little road trip (only about 2 hours away) to do an errand for the office.  (Which, if you know me, is an adventure in itself because I am a little directionally challenged.  Thank goodness for G.P.S!)  Well, when I found myself in Sacramento, and at lunch-time to boot, I could not help myself!  I had to visit this awesome bead shop, U Bead It!!!  I've only been able to go there a few times, but it is definitely BEAD PARADISE!  So I quickly gobbled up my lunch and spent the rest of my lunch hour excitedly and hurriedly doing some bead shopping!!! Yay!!!

I found these beautiful capri-blue, long Magatamas that I've been wanting to try for SOOO long!  You see, my local bead shops don't carry these, so I thought I'd try just one little vial-full.  MISTAKE!!  I should have bought at least two or more - oh well!!!  And this is where the necklace escapade began . . .

I thought, okay, I will make some earrings.  I finished one and started on the other, but realized I didn't have enough Magatamas to finish the second earring!!!  That is the moment this became a necklace!!  I attached the second unfinished "earring" to the top of the first, added some crystal rondelles and bugle beads, and commenced the actual necklace portion using my favorite stitch, twisted herringbone (or Ndebele).  

The difference between bead sizes in the herringbone rope and the tension used, created this great little zig-zag sway in the necklace!  

To finish I used one of the ideas from the video I blogged about a while back: "Architecting A Clasp."  I hid a magnetic clasp in the back, so that you can create more of a twist or less of a twist simply by how much each side is rotated before the magnets are connected!!  

I think the electric-capri-blue, the spiky Magatamas, and the waviness of the necklace as a whole capture the last-minute excitement of that quick trip to Sacramento!!  (Sometimes it really is fun when there's a hitch in the creative-road and you find a way to go around it and make something completely different from what you'd planned!!)

Have you ever started in one creative direction, and ended in another?  I'd love to hear your stories too!!!

Lemon Drop Necklace

Here it is!!!  The Lemon Drop Necklace!! (Thanks to my husband for the nice name.)

I had mentioned that I wanted to do more with the buckle idea.  I had been toying with the idea of a buckle necklace, and I went through many different possibilities including making the buckle double as a clasp.  But I went with a different shaped buckle - a diamond instead of a rectangle.  This time I studded it with hematite rounds (as you can see) adding some visual as well as physical weight. 

I love assymetrical design and thought that it would lend itself well to this design.  So I made the  triangular "buckle"  center stage, but put it off to the side.  The 3-D triangle is the springboard for the three tiers of chain that flow from it.

(By the way, the necklace coloring was inspired by a black and yellow dress I have that also has flowing lines - here's a picture of the fabric.)

Then to add to the femininity, I added the yellow and black striped lentil beads as dangles punctuated by hematite rounds.  It finishes with a sterling plated toggle clasp that I've been eyeing for a while!! 

So it's kind of a fun piece that adds a dramatic and bold punch!!  Hope everyone likes it!!  Two styles of matching earrings are to follow soon. . .!!!  :-)

Just curious, does anyone have any other ideas for jewelry/accesories that could include buckles?

Bliss

Looking at this takes me to a tropical paradise where the waters are clear and refreshing!  Sometimes you just need a little vacation - even if it is just in your jewelry!  This set came from the crystals that are showcased in the center of the earrings and necklace.  The myriad of colors that they reflect just took me in and wouldn't let me go!  I decided to make individual "settings" in which to showcase the crystals (using brick stitch).  From there, the necklace just seemed to dictate to me which way it wanted to go!  The framework is done in St. Petersburg chain - I love how it looks like a fern!   The design slightly resembles a paisley pattern that is fun and graceful at the same time!  (The hand-crafted clasp is pure silver and the earring hooks are sterling plated.)**NECKLACE SOLD - EARRINGS AVAILABLE**

Trillium Trio

I hope you enjoy this necklace - yet another adventure in asymmetrical design! It was inspired by the Labradorite rondelles I found at my local Gem Faire. Once I got them home, I rummaged through some books to start up the idea process, and again the book Shaped Beadwork by Diane Fitzgerald did it for me. The project for Trilliums (the little flower in the necklace) really inspired me. It's very fun and fast to create. (Relatively - as fast as seed-beading can get!) I added the Russian Leaf off the side to offset the three Trilliums, and the pendant was off a necklace that I've loved for years! The metal components are sterling silver plated. Of special note is the clasp which is the vintage-style design (which works like a box clasp, but in an orb shape). This would be the perfect something old (recycled pendant), something new, something borrowed (maybe not), something blue (definitely!) for that special wedding!
***Available***

Hanging Gardens

This set captures the feel of a summer garden full blooms and vines! It was so much fun to create! It started with the flower - a project showcased in one of my favorite beading magazines. From there the design gradually unfolded. I went to the local Gem Faire in Turlock and found some beautiful tourmaline rondelles (The colors that naturally occur in this stone - a gradual change from mauve to green -just happened to match perfectly!) Then I found the cubic zirconia briolette that is at the bottom of the necklace. From there it just happened. The pearls and garnets just seemed to want to "drip" off the necklace. The floral toggle-style clasp is off-center in front - another escapade in asymmetrical design! (The french hooks on the earrings are gold-plated.) Perfect for a Garden Wedding!! **AVAILABLE**

Into the Mist

The pendant reminds me of mist rising from the ocean. I was discovering how fun it is to mix colors with polymer clay and made a few donut pendants. Then I added the peyote swirl (which is a lot of fun, and easy to do), which culminates in a cascading chain of glass drops. The metal components are entirely copper to keep the brown and blue color-scheme. The clasp is a filigree-toggle design that makes the length of the necklace adjustable - just drop the "T" part of the toggle through whichever part of the chain you like! SOLD.  (If anyone wants one of these, I still have one more pendant like this and can make another necklace - special order.)