Beads | Bead Happily Ever After

Friday Favorites – Pumpkin Pendant

Posted on September 4, 2009 by crystal

It’s Friday and you know what that means . . .

Yep, Friday Favorites! 😀

These are my favorite beads at the moment! (currently available in my shop).

They’re vintage lucite. Don’t they look like little pumpkins?

Of course I just had to make something with them right away, so I made a pair of earrings that will be next week’s giveaway! They’ll be the perfect accent for an autumn outfit.

Next, I made a dangling pendant . . .

Whether it’s worn up high on the neck or worn long – I’m thinking it looks best on a simple black cord.

Hope everyone has an absolutely delightful holiday weekend!

Have fun, relax, and stay safe!

I’ll be taking Labor Day off, but I’ll see you on Tuesday for the new giveaway (pumpkin earrings!) and the new questions! 😀

Rainbow City

Posted on September 3, 2009 by crystal

Well Kids, let me tell ya . . .

It’s been a wild and wooly ride trying to get a picture of this baby! I tried on three different occasions, and I don’t know whether to say, “third time’s the charm”, or “three strikes and you’re out’! 😉

No wonder Tiffany’s pays a fortune for photography! Taking pictures of sparkling stones and crystals is both an art and a science. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever be really good at it.

My first attempt was frustrating. It’s artsy maybe – but not sharp enough, even with photoshop . . .

Next try, a few days later, I was going for a soft “mood lighting” effect, but this was still not quite what I was hoping for . . .

Here’s one I took today. What can I say? This set is so much prettier in person!

Oh well, maybe with all three photos you can get an idea of how striking the bracelet and earrings truly are!

I used glittering Swarovski Aurora Borealis Crystals in multiple shapes and sizes, then added Swarovski “Squaredelles” to enhance the cube shaped crystals. The finished effect is absolutely mesmerizing – especially when the light hits just right.

Recently, I made a similar set for my sister to wear for her son’s wedding (the wedding I mentioned yesterday!). 🙂

OK then, it’s back to the tripod for me. There’s still some good sunlight out there and I need to take more pictures – but not of this set.

Maybe on another day . . . 😉

Giveaway – Falling Leaves Earrings

Posted on August 31, 2009 by crystal

Happy Monday and welcome to the weekly giveaway!

This week, I have a pretty pair of dangle earrings for all those who love gardens and trees and nature in general. 😀

They’re a gorgeous shade of peridot green and do they ever sparkle!

These “Falling Leaves” Earrings feature delicately etched Czech Glass Leaf beads, Vintage Swarovski peridot aurora borealis crystal teardrops, and contemporary Swarovski peridot crystals. Tiny goldtone beadcaps add a finishing touch, and the pretty earwires are 14k gold plated.

Measurements: Approximately 1-7/8″ long, including the earwires.

Contest Rules and How To Enter

This week, you will have up to four (4) chances to enter the weekly giveaway.

You can choose any or all of the following 4 ways to enter:

1st Chance:

Leave a comment answering the first weekly question:

Would you rather have free chocolate for one year or free pizza for life? If neither one, what would you choose instead?

2nd Chance:

Leave a comment answering the second weekly question:

Name a place that you consider to be the dream location to live when you retire!

3rd Chance:

Comment on any other post except this one. You can do it today or another day this week. You do not have to tell me that you left a “comment” on another post. The blog program shows me all of the “comments” as they come in – so I do not miss any of them! 😀

4th Chance:

Suggest a topic for a future blog post!

The Boring Stuff . . .
You must be 18 yrs. old. After the completion of the contest, the name of the winner will be listed here. The winner will also be notified by email. If no valid email address is given at time of entry, or if winner fails to respond to email within 3 days from the time notification email has been sent, the win will be null and void and a new winner will be chosen. The prize will be mailed by USPS First Class Mail.

All entries must be received by 9:00 p.m. EST on 09/06/09, and the winner will be selected on or about 09/07/09.

Giveaway – Swirls of Sage Pendant

Posted on August 24, 2009 by crystal

Hi there and welcome to my weekly giveaway!

This week I have a beautiful pendant by Cheryl Harris to inspire your creative spirit!

~Swirls of Sage Pendant~

If you believe that jewelry can be wearable art, then you will love the work of Cheryl Harris. She has an extraordinary ability to transform polymer clay into beautiful beads and pendants. With her rich palette of colors and her unique talent for adding detail to her creations, each of Cheryl’s pieces is truly a miniature work of art!

This round pendant is smooth as glass and features pretty swirls of sage green, pink, lavender, fuchsia, brown, and white. The pendant is pierced from side to side. The accent beads shown are included. Add your own touches and create something wonderful!

Whether you add beads to make a colorful necklace, or you simply string the pendant all by itself on a purchased piece of leather or silk cord, the compliments will be rolling in! 🙂

Material: Polymer Clay
Measurements: Approximately 34 mm

Contest Rules and How To Enter

This week, you will have up to four (4) chances to enter the weekly giveaway.

You can choose any or all of the following 4 ways to enter:

1st Chance:

Leave a comment answering the first weekly question:

Name something you are good at. C’mon, don’t be shy! Do you have an artistic talent? Maybe you have good people skills? Are you an excellent cook? Crossword puzzle whiz?

2nd Chance:

Leave a comment answering the second weekly question:

What is your favorite drink? It can be either alcoholic or non alcoholic. If it sounds delicious, you can be sure that we’ll all be wishing for the recipe too! 😉

3rd Chance:

Comment on any other post except this one. You can do it today or another day this week. You do not have to tell me that you left a “comment” on another post. The blog program shows me all of the “comments” as they come in – so I do not miss any of them! 😀

4th Chance:

Suggest a topic for a future blog post!

The Boring Stuff . . .
You must be 18 yrs. old. After the completion of the contest, the name of the winner will be listed here. The winner will also be notified by email. If no valid email address is given at time of entry, or if winner fails to respond to email within 3 days from the time notification email has been sent, the win will be null and void and a new winner will be chosen. The prize will be mailed by USPS First Class Mail.

All entries must be received by 9:00 p.m. EST on 08/30/09, and the winner will be selected on or about 08/31/09.

When the going gets hot…

Posted on August 20, 2009 by crystal

. . . the “hot” make jewelry! 😀

I know, I KNOW!!! You are sick and tired of hearing me complain about this heat wave. Good news though! Our weather guy says it will finally break tonight.

Can I get a yabba – dabba – doooooooo?!?!

Well, at least I was productive! 😉

I finished this . . .

I love the pendant on this set. It’s by polymer clay artist extraordinaire, Cheryl Harris. (You can see more of her work here.) To complement the pendant, I chose beads in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors – mostly vintage glass, Czech glass, and Swarovski crystals. I do hope the colors are as pretty on your screen as they actually are in person.

So many ideas . . . so little time!