First stringing attempts

[ksinger3]

Hi all. I'm making my first foray into "beading". I've done wire stuff before - mostly earrings and chain-type necklaces - but not beading, not anything using thread. I have NO idea what I'm doing but hey! that's usually how I end up doing stuff: diving in. I'm studying the wealth of expertise here, and realize that I'm missing a few items, like gimp and a few others.

I wanted to get out this weekend to one of the local bead shops for supplies, but have sprained an ankle SO badly that I couldn't even make it to my car to go to WORK for 2 days, and have been down for the count most of the weekend. I can't afford to NOT heal as fast as possible, since I'm burning leave. Grrr..! Anyhow, I decided to play at it even though I will have to re-do the stringing. No knots yet for me, but I still think it looks good. These are platinum silvery keshis, 4mm Swarovski rounds in Moonlight, and some dark iridescent-y delicas. The hand shot is to get an idea of size.

 

[GemGeek]

I see no photos and I want to see photos! Try again and let us know if you need help.

 

[ksinger3]

Technical difficulties. Let's see if it let's me post the pics this time....

 

[GemGeek]

Very pretty! You have a great eye. I expect you are going to have lots of fun and lots of compliments.

 

[ksinger3]

Thanks Gemgeek. I did think about going darker but the whole thing just screamed silver and crystal and going darker would have taken away from that, I think. My photos don't do justice to how glittery the thing really is...

Here's one of the wire-wrap and chain necklaces I've done in the past, just so you can see why I don't know what to do with real thread!

I need to get back into the jewelry stuff much more. I've got a...."stash"? Isn't that the right word? That needs to be used!

 

[barbie biggs]

Very nice Karen:

I love the way the delicas color brings out the color of the keshi. Or is it the other way around? Anyway, nice choice. Nice wire wrapping skills too. What kind of green stone is that? It's pretty.

I totally love delicas for their incredible color and sometimes use 22kg plated delicas when I haven't got the money for gold spacers. That way I can make up a project, get a feel for how it will look and wear it until I can afford the gold.

Isn't it amazing how camera shy orient is?

barbie

 

[ksinger3]

Very nice Karen:

I love the way the delicas color brings out the color of the keshi. Or is it the other way around? Anyway, nice choice. Nice wire wrapping skills too. What kind of green stone is that? It's pretty.

I totally love delicas for their incredible color and sometimes use 22kg plated delicas when I haven't got the money for gold spacers. That way I can make up a project, get a feel for how it will look and wear it until I can afford the gold.

Isn't it amazing how camera shy orient is?

barbie

Thanks Barbie. I actually bought 3 different delicas, not knowing which would be best. (It's just an excuse, I know, for adding to "the stash") I have some that are more silvery, and some that were just crystal-ish. Neither had quite the oomph as the ones I used.

Thanks for the nice comments on the wire wrapping. Alas, I've forgotten what that stone is. I has an interesting silky iridescent graining to it. I picked up the stones in a little bead shop in Santa Fe a couple of years ago, and still have 2 of the smaller ones that need to be made into earrings. I should have saved to bag that had the stone variety written on it. Duh. Those round beads on there are some kind of wooden bead. Again, did I save or recall the type of wood? HECK no!

 

[pattye]

Karen,

Those necklaces are lovely! The bluish stones with iridescence could be kyanite--it comes in colors from green to blue.

Aren't keishi pearls wonderful!!!???

 

[GemGeek]

It's aventurine quartz! The glittering mica inclusions cause the effect called "aventurescence". Great color combination.

 

[barbie biggs]

Dear Karen:
Well, LOL, I guess we know what the stones are now! I do the same thing. Purchase something incredible. Put it in a safe place and (if I don't forget where the safe place is) then I later have no idea what the name was. I keep telling myself to make a file and put receipts in it. Along with the receipts it would take, what, 3 seconds to write down trivia like the names of things.

By the way, did you know that 'trivia' is Latin for three roads? In ancient Rome, in places where three roads came together, the equivalent of billboards would spring up. Advertisements for jobs needed, things for sale, etc.

And that's exactly how I forget to write things down. Think of something new and jump to do it. File receipts, nah.

In addition to great wire working skills, you have great taste in color.
Thanks Gem Geek for the info.
And Pattye, yes keshi are the best.

barbie

 

[GemGeek]

Sorry, it was probably rude of me to jump in there and make a definitive proclamation! Many are the moments of error=humiliation in my life!

 

[ksinger3]

Sorry, it was probably rude of me to jump in there and make a definitive proclamation! Many are the moments of error=humiliation in my life!

GemGeek: Not rude at all, fear not! I appreciate the info. And impressed by your knowledge about stones. Are you a rockhound too, in addition to pearl fanatic?

And Barbie, I too always vow to write stuff down, or file it properly, but rarely do. Alas, I'm not a filer, I'm a piler, and I too get distracted. Although not as distracted as a friend of mine. Another mutal friend wanted to get him a T-shirt that said, "Some people think I'm ADD, but I think they're just Oh LOOK! A chicken!" Because a sprained ankle forced inactivity upon me this weekend, I did get a bit of computer organization done. Apparently it takes an injury to make me honest though. Sheesh.

Thanks too for the compliment about my color sense. I probably got it from my mother, who was an excellent artist. I'll tell ya though, even though they are complementary colors (blue/orange on the colorwheel I think) that sky/turquoise-y blue and brown was a color combo that had to grow on me for several years. I like it now, but didn't when it first came into vogue. I'm definitely NOT a blue girl. I'm a redhead and gravitate towards the warms tones and reds almost always.

 

[GemGeek]

Yes, I'm a Rockhound from childhood and a serious pearl addict.

 

[pearl guide]

A genuine Beader! Yeaaay! (Increase that stash, including pearls!)

Your work is great, keep showing us. I love brown and turquoise because the inclusions/matrix or veins are always brown.

 

[kelluvpearls]

Lovely wiring work, I wish my loops look this good.

 

[Kaywal]

Very cool Karen!