Inspired by People

Inspiration can come from inanimate objects like fashion, or even plants and nature, but the most fun inspiration comes from people!  A friend of mine recently asked me to make her a pair of earrings to match a dress she just bought (So I guess the inspiration did partly come from fashion).  I LOVE it when friends give me a chance to make something especially for them!  She allowed me creative Carte Blanche, which was amazing!

Here is a swatch of the fabric patterning at the bottom of the dress:

I loved the gold embroidered curving lines with the reddish pink sunburst in the center!  Very Bollywood! So I immediately thought of using a Swarovski Crystal rivoli in the center that would slightly hint at the red and blue colors.  I then used brass to create the swirls to mimic the curves of the gold in the fabric.

There were only two stipulations I had to follow when making earrings to match:  1.  Not too fancy.  2.  Not too long.

After beadweaving the Swarovsky Crystal in  silvery white beads (to mirror the small silvery sequins on the fabric) and hot pink hex beads (to pick up more of the main color), and many tiny wraps of brass, and a little hammering for strength and aesthetics, this is what I came up with:

After it was all said and done, I added a little darkening to the wire wraps to enhance the details of these earrings.  These earrings are a good example of what I aim to make more of in the future - pieces that incorporate bead-weaving and wire-work. They were so much fun to make - especially because I knew they'd have a good home in the end!  People truly are the best inspiration!

I'm thinking of making more earrings like this very soon for my shop!   So if you'd like something like this for yourself, stop by my shop.  If you don't already see something there you just have to have, drop me a line, and I can make a custom piece just for you!

P.S.  AND, you could even have a little brass tag with your initials stamped on it - for even further personalization!  Wouldn't that be unique and fun!

Sincerely,

Terah
TerahClassyCreations.etsy.com
Facebook.com/TerahsClassicCreationsStudio

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

Make a Statement . . . Bracelet - Coming Soon

I'm pretty excited about this bracelet!  It's a very wide version of the Marquis Buckle Bracelet (Here's the original version:  http://terahsclassiccreations.blogspot.com/2012/04/heres-lookin-at-you.html).  It's actually a whole other pattern for the band that I was trying out.  I designed it and decided to double the width of the band just for fun!

It took quite a while from design stages to actual finished product.  But I just finished it today, and couldn't wait to tell you about it!  The color is a vibrant turquoise/teal color.  The band has matte, shiny, and ceylon finishes in a swirly pattern.  I don't know why, I just love little swirls - they're so free, but classy at the same time.

I paired it with my newly-designed Marquis Buckle that I actually created while writing my tutorial for the Marquis Buckle Bracelet.  (If your interested in that, here it is:



http://www.etsy.com/listing/104092298/pdf-pattern-beadwoven-marquis-buckle)

I will hopefully have the pattern up for this bracelet in a while.  In the meantime, I'm sending it off to a professional photographer.  (Yay!  This is a first.  I'm sending a few other new pieces off along with this one.  I can't wait to see how they turn out!)  For now, you'll have to settle for my pictures of it.  :-)  So. . this will be coming soon to a TerahClassyCreations near you!

Oh yeah!  and I included some pictures of it in-progress on my new "About" page in my shop!  http://www.etsy.com/shop/TerahClassyCreations/about/

Enjoy!  And as always, have fun!

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