Blue Bayou

Another crocheted rope, this one swirling around like a whirlpool.  Or maybe it’s a conga line with maracas rattling a snappy beat.  Either way, it’s blue, it’s green and it’s lively!

Size 6 seed beads in solid colors of blue and several greens with a blue and white stripe thrown in for contrast.  The end cones are annodized aluminum accented with small lime green seed beads.  The clasp a gunmetal lobster claw accented with lime green rondelles.

Wouldn’t it look great at the beach?  Or on a cruise?  Perhaps sunning at St. Bart’s for Mardi Gras.

Tres Jolie!

Mossy

Relaxing colors of moss and lichen, with a hint of gold dust

Another bead crochet necklace with an Italian pendant for pizzaz.  These colors are a bit more subdued than the other pieces I’ve finished, but all the better for that, I think.  After all, a person does have to slow down and catch one’s breath every now and then.  I am reminded of shady trees and calm pools by the side of a trail.

Size 6 matte seed beads, strung green / brown / green to make the rope.  Opposite colored beads  in a shiny finish are added randomly for visual interest and continuity between the large-colored swaths.  The clasp is set off with shiny brown rondelles and matte green cubes.  I looked all over to find some dark gold 6s, thinking they would add some sparkle to the brown section, but there were not to be found.  No great loss though, as now that the necklace is finished, I don’t think they are needed.

Raucous

When wearing this necklace, you know you’re in for a raucous time of partying.  You’ll shake!  You’ll shimmy!  You’ll kick up your heels with delight, grinning from ear to ear like a Cheshire cat.  After all, how can something so bright and lively fail to imbue it’s wearer with lifted spirits?

Another bead crochet necklace, guaranteed to put a smile on one’s face.  The body is a mix of purple, red and aqua size 6 seed beads; the sum of the colors becoming more than their parts.

The ends are finished with colorful anodized aluminum caps, complemented by decorative lavender seed beads.  The whole closes with a lobster claw clasp.

Ooh La La!

Peachy Keen

Sometimes you just need to break out of the box and do something sassy.  This necklace is slinky, smooth and confetti-esque.  It’s bright.  It’s bold.  Dare I say, it’s beautiful!  Wear this lovely, and you’ll take up salsa dancing.  Rhumba anyone?

The peach and apricot colorway is accented with copper end pieces and clasp.  The body is a mix of size 6 beads – some matte, some shiny, some striped.  The whole strung then crocheted in the round.

I used vibrant, orange colored wire, making wrapped loops to attach the toggle clasp.  Red rondelles and orange druks set the clasp off.  Cha!  Cha!  Cha!

White Queen

Something sparkly for the White Queen

I imagine Anne Hathaway wearing this, while playing the White Queen in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland.  Regal, sparkly, but just a little unusual.  Maybe even a tad off-kilter.

Another bead crochet necklace, this time with a special something to set it off.  The pendant is hand blown glass from Italy, though I don’t know if it’s from the Murano region.  Still pretty, all the same.

The necklace itself is comprised of matte white and aqua size 6 seed beads.  First the beads are all strung, then crocheted in the round.  Flexible and substantial at the same time.

I tried my hand at a little wire working on this piece, using colored wire.  The aqua wrapped loops set things off quite nicely, giving a little more color than plain jump rings would.  I am very pleased with the way this necklace came together.

Steampunkery

These bracelets are a nod to Steampunk style.  They don’t adhere to the absolute tenets of the Steampunk Manifesto but I think the mix of metals, shiny and matte surfaces and bead sizes certainly follow that theme.  Truly though, I don’t even know if Steampunk style has such a thing as a manifesto, though styles certainly do manifest.

The clasps are magnetic, which makes an easy on, easy off wearability.  The copper beads are size 8º crocheted ropes, the whole set off with a hand blown focal.  Black glass rondelles serve as an accent.

These are part of my efforts to complete unfinished projects.  The copper beads have been strung, but unstitched for over a year, though they were more than happy sitting in their little crochet tin.  Happier now that they are incorporated into a piece of jewelry, and get to see the light of day.

How long to make these was definitely an exercise in trial and error.  Luckily, one of them is, as Goldilocks would say, “Juuust Right” so it will be staying with me.  The others are 7 1/2 and 8 1/4 inches respectively.  Too large for my wrist.

Bead crochet jewelry is lovely to wear.  The ropes have a fluidity that feels very nice on the skin.  I’m very pleased with how these turned out.  Every so often, what you envision in you mind comes to fruition.  This is one of those times.