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

Something Simple

Every once in a while it's nice to make something that doesn't take me days to create.  It kind of changes things up a bit.  So I broke out some of my shells and pearls and did some stringing with them.




This is what I came up with.  The name of it is the Coral Shell & Pearl Bracelet.  I also made some matching earrings.  The whole set will be off to Studio 12 Urban Day Spa in Modesto!





This is also to show everyone how I'm packaging my jewelry right now.  Since each piece I make is different, I make a custom card for each piece.  Bigger things like necklaces will come in boxes.  What do you think?  Any more packaging ideas out there?

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!

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**

Waterlilly

This set started with a rare, vintage swarovksi crystal I found at my local bead shop! (I love the way the cut of the crystal looks like the surface of a still pond - like there's some mystery hiding at the bottom.) I bezeled it with gold-plated delicas. From there, it "grew" leaves and became the slightly assymetrical necklace you see here. The dangles are fresh-water pearls in olivine and purple to set off the colors reflected in the center crystal. The gold-colored elements in the necklace and the earrings are all gold-plated. The bluish-purples and greens of this piece remind me of Monet's Waterlillies. **Available**

Golden Leaf

The inspiration for this necklace started with the lovely art-deco style leaf pendant made by swarovski. I went with simple stringing to accentuate the little pendant. It's strung with fresh-water pearls and swarovski crystal bicones, so even though it is more diminutive, it catches the light beautifully. The clasp detail continues the foliage theme. The earrings are a simple cascade of crystals hung from a gold-plated chain and french hook. **AVAILABLE**

Celtic Reflections

Talk about adventures in beading! This design was the real epiphany! I wondered if some traditional knitting cable-patterns could also be translated to beadwork with the new herringbone-cable technique. Excitedly, I tried it out, and voila!!.. This bracelet emerged! The waving edges are just a product of the technique. The same amount of beads are used throughout the width of the piece. I used cubes (1.5mm) for the background, matte triangle beads for the edges and size 8 two-cuts (I believe) for the rope pattern, and size 8 delicas for the end sections. I later added the berry-colored button pearls for a finishing touch. **AVAILABLE**

Moonlight Sonata

The colors of the pearls in this bracelet remind me of the moonlight - thus the name! The pearls and black goldstone chips (a deep purple, man-made stone with shiny flecks) are "caught" in a circular-netting of silver-colored seed beads. This is a very open feeling bracelet - the netting shifts and you can get a whole other view - sometimes goldstone sometimes pearls! **SOLD**

VICTORIAN PANORAMA PURSE

This is called the "Victorian Panorama Purse" despite the scene of a chinese bridge & almond blossoms because its overall style strikes me as more Victorian. The netted fringe is done in the style of a chandelier. It contains seed beads, glass drops, fresh-water pearls, fire-polished rondelles, garnet briolettes, and rose quarts. The body of this draw-string purse measures approximately 5"x6". It is lined with a chocolate-colored Shantung dotted with charlottes on the inside edge.

This little treasure took approximately 4 - 6 months to actually create (not including planning stages) and is probably one of the most extensive and challenging projects I've designed! The bead fabric was made using circular herringbone and was inspired by a scene found in a book at the local library. This particular project has a special place in my heart! Enjoy!

Starflower

This is the starflower set. It is made of coin-pearls, seed-beads, sterling silver findings, and swarovski crystals. The inspiration for this set were the coin pearls. The necklace is princess length, so it sits around the collar-bone. The pendant is reversable, so no matter which way you wear it, it always looks good!  **SOLD**

"Brendy"

I call this set Brendy because I ended up giving it to my friend, Brendy. This one is made up of delicas, and seed beads, and is embelished with a melange of various fresh-water pearls and glass beads.