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Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Rocks Off On Hump Day...Late October

When I blogged last week after almost 4 months off, I didn't know I would be bringing myself back to the blog world with my Rocks Off post or that this week would be another one.  I have other bead projects that need to get done, but I just cannot keep my hands off the Rocks.  

Cell phone early morning on the bead table photo...maybe when I get the blog rolling, I will break out the good camera again.  For now, quick and convenient is how I need to do the photos.  Something had to give in order for me to start up again.  And taking good photos (or what I perceive are good) stresses me out!  Who needs stress when it comes to beading?!?  

So here's the latest :


The top two Rocks are from Lake Michigan.  The bottom one is a sand encrusted Sand Dollar from Monmouth Beach, New Jersey.  I don't know if you can see the dark green Rock good enough to see the light green line cutting through the center.  It is really cool!  The beadwork around all three were meant for three entirely different Rocks.  It happens more often than not when I bead around Rocks.  I get to a certain point in beading the mandala or bezel and it stops working for the Rock I picked out.  Instead of cutting it all apart, I hunt through my many many vases of Rocks until I find another one that will work with the weaving and pop it in.  It is a challenge finding the proper size/color/texture to go with the already existing beadwork. 
The freshwater pearls in that first Rock are a gift from Jasvanti Patel. She sent me these pearls and some gorgeous onyx cabs. They came quite a while ago when I took a break from beading.  I have beaded up the cabs several times but cut them all apart each time.  So far, they had brief lives as bracelets and earrings.  I keep them on the bead table at all times and feel like the final inspiration is so close I can feel it tickling me.  These pearls were earrings and bracelets, only to be cut cut cut.  I think this bezel and very very long chain (to be doubled) is a keeper.  Maybe the pearls will pass on their happy vibe to the cabs!  
If you haven't seen Jasvanti's work, you should!  Her beadwork is elegant and stunningly beautiful.  Jewelry by Jasvanti is your next stop!  
See you next week! 

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Rocks Off On Hump Day!!!!!

Yes, finally!!!  I am working on Rocks again and it just happens to be Wednesday ~ everything lined up nicely ~ Woo Hoo!!!  This is brief, as I am not supposed to be here right now, but I had the urge to blog...even if only for a brief moment.

I wanted to bead some rocks in a bit of a different way ~ a way that would cover almost the whole rock, yet let most of it still show.  Cover but be seen...how to go about that?  I also wanted the rock to remain rather loose in its beading, so it can spin a bit.  This particular Lake Michigan Rock doesn't spin as much as I was hoping, but all the rest of it turned out the way I imagined so I am leaving it.

I will make a chain for it later tonight or tomorrow over coffee.  But I wanted to get this posted now, because it is Wednesday...and Rocks Off on Thursday just doesn't have the same punch.  Excuse the photo ~ I took it on my phone because I didn't want to bother with the real camera when I knew I would never capture those bugle beads properly.  That finish is a bitch to photograph no matter what type of camera is used.

Hope you all are having a wonderful, Colorful, inspiring Fall!




I had to add the profile bugles to keep the mandala spikes evenly spaced, though they looked pretty good all free and doing their own spacing based on the contours of the rock.  Maybe I will let the next one go a little more wild.