Showing posts with label swarovski buttons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label swarovski buttons. Show all posts

Saturday, January 29, 2011

winter Art Beads piece

For the winter Art Beads piece for the design partner program, we were allowed to choose any components that we wanted from the Art Beads site for a winter piece.  An idea came to mind for a winter piece about 24 hours after I got my e-mail.  I ordered my beads right away.  You can see the components that I used here.

As I mentioned in my post with the components, this piece is part of my new line.  I have to be honest: I am keeping this one.  But I am starting to list other pieces from the line in my shop.  I'll have a post about that and the pattern for the line later this week (or you can go to my shop now if you can't wait to see what's already available).  And as always, if anyone wants one with this particular color scheme, please let me know.  I'm always happy to do custom orders.

All of the beads that I selected for this piece are from the glass beads section of Art Beads.  I used Toho cube beads and Czech dagger beads.  The majority of the beads in the piece are from Art Beads with a few others from my personal collection thrown into the mix.  If you want to know any of the specific colors that I used, please let me know.  I'll be honest again: I DO order a lot of my Toho cubes from Art Beads.  I normally DON'T order my dagger beads from Art Beads.  I order them elsewhere in bulk.  But I watch for sales on Art Beads.  Throwing a few of their patterned daggers into a mix with solid color opaques and AB finishes can add a wonderful hint of detail.

I selected two "special" components for this piece.  Most of my dagger fringed bracelets won't have these, but I thought it would be a neat touch with this mix.  The first component is a button from their Swarovski collection.  As you know, I love all buttons.  The Swarovski buttons are pretty cool.  The second component is a sterling silver charm from their charm collection.  You can find that charm right here.  I normally order silver plated charms because they're considerably cheaper.  However, sometimes I like to splurge on some higher end pieces through the design program.  I'm a sucker for heart jewelry (such a cliche I know).  I don't go overboard with floral themes in my life because that would be pretty corny for obvious reasons, but I thought the rose here would be a subtle touch for this piece.

I love how the color theme came together for this piece.  I didn't make this at the same time as my winter leafy bracelet, but it has a very similar feel.  I still have a lot of the cubes left so I will most likely make something else with a similar color scheme at some point.

Here's a posed shot with the clasp showing so you can see how that comes together.

And here's a shot with it turned the way that you would normally wear it so you can see how the daggers will hang.

I am currently in the middle of writing the pattern for my dagger design with the cube base.  I'm hoping to release it around the same time that I start rolling out the new line on Etsy.

Disclosure - I received my ArtBead's products free of charge through their blogging program. I am honestly reviewing their products and have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to the products I received. 

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

June EBW Challenge winner, July EBW Challenge entry

Congratulations to LiciaBeads who won the June EBW Challenge: Humor with her awesome necklace Curiosity Killed the Cat! I seriously love that piece. Licia is also a fellow Awesome Chicks of Etsy member. :)


I listed my entry for the July EBW Challenge: Here Comes the Bride today. As some of you may remember, I got the Swarovski buttons that I used in the bracelet as part of my first set of items for the ArtBeads Blogging for Beads program. I still have a set of purple buttons to use at some point in the future, too.


I have had weddings on my mind most of this past year so this theme really could not have some at a more perfect time. As soon as I saw the theme, I knew that this was a challenge that I could not resist. I had a lot of fun with this piece and am really pleased with the result. :)

Please check out Art Beads for any beading supplies that you may need!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

exciting sale, Blogging for Beads

I had my first sale this weekend to someone that I don't know! All of my sales thus far have been to family and friends. I have traded to a few random people on Etsy but no sales until now. The women contacted me wanting a size adjustment to one of my button bracelets. After I'd made the adjustments, she also bought one of my button charm bracelets! Very cool. :)

I was invited to join the ArtBeads.com's Blogging for Beads program this past week, which was also very cool. Basically ArtBeads will send you one of their new products in exchange for you blogging about it. I chose some Swarovski Buttons. The order is being processed right now. Hopefully it will be shipped soon. I can't wait to see them!