My pearls

[eolian pearls]

OMG Charlotta these are amazing!!! You have outdone yourself here!!!!
They remind me of a Kojima strand that is on my wishlist for when I will have a big birthday.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE how beautifully the different pearls compliment each other and show off each others glow and colors... Absolutely stunning! I LOVE your neckshots and wristshots so much too!!!!


Here si the Kojima necklace, I found it on this forum some years ago and have been dreaming about it since. I hope it is OK to repost the pics here, I do not remeber the original thread they come from...

 

[Charlotta]

Thank you CortezPearls and eolian pearls. CortezPearls, on monday my vacation is over and I can no longer spend an entire day playing with my pearls. Well most of the day anyway. I was a bit tired when I was done since I also did restring 4 strands the day before, to liberate pearls and shorten the strands to 20 inches. The strands are much better now. But I did have so much fun.
eolian pearls, is that the Grace rope? I think that it's in the 100 inches long rope challange tread that maybe Pattye started if it indeed is the Grace rope. That one is amazing. I tried to make one a couple of years ago, but I didn't really have that many good pearls. My rope was totally fine but since my leftover pile then mostly had dull and rather blemished tahitians, likewise south sea pearls and some pretty boring ripples and a lot of off round freshwater pearls. It didn't look like the Grace rope. I had totally forgotten about that rope. I use to look at that tread quite often, it was before I learnt how to download photos or take screenshots. You can start collecting pearls for one now. Since I am thinking about starting collecting pearls for a tahitian strand, like your Tahitian love strand. Could be fun.

 

[Charlotta]

My beading boards are still a mess. Not-husband thought that the cats had been playing with the pearls, but I had to say that the mess had nothing to do with the cats...it was all me...
These pretty south sea pearls from Druzydesign could make a pretty bracelet if I make a bigger drillhole in one pearls.

Then I have 11,5 inches of smallish darkish 7-8mm tahitians from Druzydesign left. I have no idea of what to do with them. They could be a pretty necklace with another 7-8 inches of pearls. Or a bracelet. Or a mixed sizes strand...

Then I want to do something with that pair of carved abalone (I think) shell oak leaves. They don't really go with any of my pearls, too vibrante blues and greens. They don't look good with my blue tahitians.
Then I have the off round freshwater pearls from Pearllunar. Maybe I can do a bracelet with these pink ones and a pink ripple pearl?

And the peachy coppery ones. I have rather many of these. More than enough for a strand. But do I want a strand? They don't look all that good with my complexion. Another bracelet with a peachy ripple maybe.

I also have a bunch of these silvery blue akoyas from Pearlescence. Probably not enough for a strand. Here with a bluish ripple pearl and a carved azurite skull.

Then I have my ombre white to black tahitian keshi endless rope that I made with pearls from Druzydesign. I haven't really used it all that much. But I can wear it as a quadrupled bracelet.

Maybe I should make it a wee bit shorter with a clasp to wear with my pendants and enhancers? I was thinking maybe 23 inches long or so with that vermeil clasp from Pearlescence that looks good with the findings on some of my pendants. Then I could wear the enhancers just clipped on and svivel it around to attatch the pendants onto the clasp. This is the clasp with a carved apricot trumpet shell scarab. That rope is long gone. Was attacked by the scissors...

I haven't used the carved octopus pendants with gemstone eyes all that much

They are rather cute.

So I have some cleaning to do...and if I want to make bracelets out of those small pearls I may have to make the drillholes larger.

 

[eolian pearls]

Yes Charlotta you are right! It is the Grace rope!

My first purchase - Kojima Pearls

These are my first pearls, purchased recently from Kojima pearls. I have always admired and loved pearls, but needed to educate myself and this forum has been a total Godsend! Between PearlGuide and Pricescope, it made me more comfortable making my purchase through an online retailer that has...

www.pearl-guide.com

As for collecting pearls for a Tahitian strand... Well, I do LOVE that strand and I know every single pearl, you point and I ‘ll tell you from which vendor it is... I have been searching special colors and adding them along... It all started with the Tahitian strand that I bought - it was a compromise for me beautiful colors but baroque shapes for a reasonable price...but I soon realized that I really really much preferred drop/oval shapes...So I started to buy pearls from Jac, Druzy, Wen and slowly replaced the more baroque shapes. It’s been fun to be on a perpetual pearl lookout but I guess it is much more cost-effective to buy a full strand of multicolors with your specified favorite colors from one of the recommended vendors...That said I will be looking forward to the pearls you will collect and your creations with them

 

[Charlotta]

Probably would be more cost effective to buy a ready made strand, problem is I don't know what I want. I already have my rikitea strand from Cees for example, and my blue tahitian strand from Pearlescence. And others...buy it's fun collecting pearls for a project as well. Mostly I have been buying circled south sea pearls for the last half a year and circled south seas and tahitians for 11/2 years. I might need to buy some other types of pearls. That's why I bought the edison pearls and the arutua tahitians recently. I thought that I could collect them over time...well that didn't happen...mostly my slowly gathered pearls get used in some other project...I haven't gotten any patience at all, sigh. Those edisons had the prettiest colors. I might need more of those as well.
I love oval shaped pearls as well, well I love all pearl shapes really. I think that I could maybe start with a bracelet of some shape other than circled, maybe drops or ovals or something. And what size? I do love around 10-11mm.

 

[Charlotta]

I got an idea this morning. I could maybe combine those small dark tahitians with the white and golden south sea pearls and make another Pelosi like strand. Only smaller. These ones

Might be pretty. This is my other one. It's been a favorite for a long time and I have never remade it.

When I made that one I discovered that it's difficult to combine white and deep golden south sea pearls with tahitians. It requires some pretty dark tahitians. That's funny because white and golden south sea pearls looks lovely together. As do white south sea pearls and tahitians. If this looks good I have another Pelosi like strand. A pair of them. I have made a lot of pairs lately. First the dark tahitian and white strands. For some reason they are quite easy to photograph

Then of course the blue tahitian pair

And my Sunset and night rope/strands

 

[Happy Huku]

And some neckshots and armshots
I didn't realise that the extenders were a good lenght for a bracelet until after I made them. I usually use 7 pearls for extenders, well I used 8 in one of them because I wanted them to have the same lenght.
I know that the extenders could really be any pearls leftover, you probably woun't see them anyway. Well I like to make them fun anyway

Charlotta, I have had to log in specifically to comment on the beauty of your sunset and night strands and how stunning they look together on your arm or around your neck. That night strand really captures night, even down in the southern hemisphere - it does get very dark here but then so clear and bright on a full moon. And of course sunsets are always splendid, love the sunset flower bed too...

 

[Charlotta]

I am totally smitten with my new Sunset and night strands/rope. Especially the sunset part. Those colors makes me smile. I had some difficulties combining them. I didn't want to make it a true ombre strand, but when I tried mixing the colors it didn't look good either. So I grouped the colors together. Like one does in flower bed arrangment so it doesn't looks to busy. I guess the eyes needs something to rest upon. I had no problem mixing the night strand, even though odid colorgroup the pearls to some extent. Some more photos of the pretties. The components

Then I can pretty much assembler them as I want, like lego. I loved lego when I was a child, so fun, and I played with lego with my children a lot when they were small. It's helpful with a vivid imagintion like mine. I remember once building a haunted castle with my son. Complete with hidden passages, trapdoors and a ghost. We didn't use a set or anything, just the loose pieces. We did however had a ghost...

I know, probably will be lots of photos of these ones, but the colors. For me the colors and the luster is the most important. Then I reread Wendys book again and it said that in the US it's really important for the pearls to be round. Generally speaking of course. It's not that I don't like round pearls (rainbow strand, ombre tahitian and blue tahitian strand), they are totally gorgeous. I just don't care enough and sometimes don't even register the shape much when I buy them, unless I look for circled that is. For example, when I buy the ministrands I do look for the colors that makes me smile first. I was totally surprised to find a perfectly round south sea strand in one of my circled ministrands from Druzydesign ones. I don't know why really since it was there all the time. I didn't use that one in my circled south sea rope, but I did use it in the night strand.

There is this one metallic bronzey edison pearl that is tapered in the ends just like that french bread I don't remember the name for. And the purple edison (not the beadnucleated round ones from the too purple lot), it has the prettiest barrel shape and is purple in one end and more blue green in the other. Such interesting pearls.

 

[Charlotta]

Thank you Happy Huku , the shades gets all bluish at night right? It's like when I take a photo too late and everything is bluish.
I fiddled around some with the tahitians and south seas whilst finishing my breakfast tea.

Removed that big peacock tahitian, me and peacocks.... It made the balance all wrong.

The other beading board is still a mess

And what to do with these carved oak leaves.

 

[SurfnSci]

Charlotta Your creations are always so incredible...but your new sunset strand is one of the most gorgeous strands I have ever seen - just...wow!!!! It is a work of art!

 

[Charlotta]

Thank you SurfnSci. I am very pleased with it. I just love sunset colors. Once me and my grandmother did weave sunset fabric to use as curtains in my room. Must have been 35 years ago. I did choose red, orange and yellow yarn and purple brown to use as occational accents in them. My grandmother had been gone for years. My curtains is with my daughter now. You can't see any age on them at all. I don't remember what type of yarn (it might have another word) we did use. Could have been linen or wool. I have never liked syntetic yarn for anything. Also haven't used a loom for ages. I did make some ragrugs once. We didn't keep the looms after my grandmothers death. Very big, just the one took up an entré bedroom.

 

[Charlotta]

I didn't make the "pelosi" like strand after all. It didn't speak to me. Can't explain it otherwise. I did shorten that tahitian keshi rope down to 22 inches with the vermeil clasp. I have some pendants that looks great with that clasp. The extenders I can just attatche to the strand anyway. I made it ombre again but added two golden tahitian keshis at the pale silver end.

My deep golden south sea enhancer from Pearlescence

I haven't planned on wearing both pendants at once...and selfie

I deliberately made it a little longer so that the pendant don't end up in the middle of the strand if I want to layer the pearls. I have been thinking about remaking these keshis for a while. I do have 3 different lenghts of tiny ivory off round freshwater strands and one lavender rose freshwater rope. But I also wanted something darker. I do infact have pearls for a short pearl chain loose as well. They are slightly less pink than the lavender rose one. Have to put them on wire.

I haven't tried the new keshistrand with my tassels. I have to do that.The tahitian keshis are all from Druzydesign.

 

[Charlotta]

I do have some inches of tahitian keshis left to add to my leftover pile (that is really sorted in a fishing gear box). Mostly really tiny ones. Maybe for a bracelet or something. I could mix them with the smallish tahitians but the keshis are very small, best for use in a pearl chain maybe. The tahitian keshis I used in the tassel are somewhat bigger and smoother. I really do prefer the more even ones, but then I could just buy some small oval or drop tahitians one might think.

 

[CortezPearls]

I am totally smitten with my new Sunset and night strands/rope. Especially the sunset part. Those colors makes me smile. I had some difficulties combining them. I didn't want to make it a true ombre strand, but when I tried mixing the colors it didn't look good either. So I grouped the colors together. Like one does in flower bed arrangment so it doesn't looks to busy. I guess the eyes needs something to rest upon. I had no problem mixing the night strand, even though odid colorgroup the pearls to some extent. Some more photos of the pretties. The components

I am too! I'm so in LOVE with these...

 

[Charlotta]

Thank you CortezPearls. Love those colors

 

[Charlotta]

So I have a night strand and a sunset strand, well and a lots of strands really. I wonder what a day strand would look like then. What colors to choose. Probably some green for trees and maybe a tad blue for the sky. I don't want it to be like a box of crayons though. Not that I mind crayon colors, but I sort of have that with my Happy bracelets.
Any ideas?

 

[CortezPearls]

I like the idea. I would have blues and whites mixed for the sky, greens for grass and trees, grays for streets? Or maybe tiny colorful keshi or freshi for birds and flowers?

 

[Charlotta]

Yes, that's a good idea CortezPearls. Smallish colorful ones

 

[Charlotta]

I recieved my other tahitian order from Druzydesign that I ordered roughly the same time as those colorful edisons. So more arutua tahitians and some silvery tahitian keshis. I haven't accually decided what to do with them all just yet. I could make a multicolored tahitian strand with the arutua, but I already have my rikitea strand from Cees. So I made a tahitian stretch bracelet with the colors that I like most. I used the roundish ones.

And a mixed south sea and tahitian bracelet with the more oval ones

These are temp bracelets, well they are just like any bracelet really, only not meant to stay like this forever. Not that forever often happens with my pearls. They are very pretty together.

The keshi have been put aside for now. I was playing some with them and those oval pearls but I didn't love that. Then I have a bunch of darker tahitians. I knotted them up with my leftover pearls to a 18 inches long strand. It's also a tempstrand...

They are as you can see very pretty and very dark. Lovely colors but they need something more. I have ordered some more edisons to play with. Those pearls were lovely. I have avoided edisons since I bought that very purple beadnucleated freshwater pearl strand. They were too purple and had wierd surface, I have used them in creations, only not all at once. My newest edisons, that I used in my sunset strand are so amazing that I just had to buy some more. I ordered a few circled golden south sea pearls as well and a 4 inches long ministrand of lighter arutua tahitians for my tahitian strand a la eolian pearls. I like those colors the most unless the tahitians have a nice dark blue or green color, any dark color that haven't gotten that pinkish overtone to them. Me and peacocks...I am wierd that way.

 

[CortezPearls]

We are all weird in one way or another...it just allows us to be more creative I think!
Would love to see more Edisons in your creative expressions