I have wanted a ribbon necklace for quite a while, so I searched for a tutorial and found this one http://abeautifulmess.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/04/diy-spring-statement-necklace.html from A Beautiful Mess. It was really quick and easy to make and I love it! It will go perfectly with a new tunic that I bought just before Christmas, so I am very happy!
This is just a part of a very long necklace! I had the pack of different size grey pearls sitting there for some time before I got the idea to link them all together to make a necklace that I could wear double - one strand high around the neck with the second one long. I was really miffed to find that after all my hard work, the necklace just didn't sit right, the large pearls stand out from the smaller ones too much. I'm afraid it's off to the frog pond with this piece. At least I've got all the pearls to use in other projects and thankfully I used plated wire...
I love making tassel necklaces, so I broke up the original and used some of the beads in a little tassel pendant. Best of all I've still got lots to use up!
I've made some dodgy pieces in my time but this ring I found really is the pits! I fancied having a go at making a ring but I didn't have a proper mandrel, only an aluminium ring sizer with flat sides. I was so chuffed with it - mainly because it actually fitted - that I wore it quite a bit after I made it. But I can see now that it's a right old mess and I think that lovely big bead deserves much better, don't you?! Off to the frog pond with you!
Feel free to giggle now girls...
As everyone is going to be really busy in the run up to Christmas, we've decided to extend the current Monday Moodboard challenge until the end of the year. So if any of our lovely readers were thinking of joining in with this one you now have a lot more time to create your piece! Please send me your photos or add them to our Flickr pool and I'll post them on the blog as I receive them.
Maria is first up with these gorgeous teardrop shaped earrings!
This week's Monday Moodboard is a yummy combination of Green, brown and cream. Don't forget that you can use the images themselves, taking inspiration from the shapes and textures...
Clockwise from top-left: Girl, Kerzers2 101, Happy Birthday! Love, Mom, Saturation Telephone
We love to see your creations so either email them to me at liz@thecrimsonmoon.co.uk or add them to our Flickr group pool.
Hi, just a quick update on this week's Monday Moodboard. Jennifer Airs made this wonderful necklace with our yellow and grey theme. It's a fossil coral cab, encased in herringbone with two differently worked straps and a toning button. Jennifer, it's gorgeous! Thank you so much joining in with us this week :)
Delving into my jewellery box this morning I found this necklace I made some time ago. It hasn't had much of an outing since I made it, I have no idea why! I don't really do much with netting stitches but I remember that I enjoyed making this and it's much simpler to do than it looks. It's a Sandra Halpenny design which you can find for free here.
Definitely not one to frog, I'm wearing this when I go shopping this afternoon :)
Clockwise from top-left: Fashion shoot, Yellow on Grey, Intimidation, Embrace The World.
Another piece of jewellery inspired by our recent rainbow themed Monday Moodboard, Clair made this fab choker from safety pins, seed beads and a length of ribbon.
Welcome to the Monday Moodboard challenge! This week we have a slightly more unusual colour scheme for you to try, yellow and grey. Personally I love using grey beads but I've never tried combining them with yellow, so it'll be interesting to see what everyone comes up with for this challenge. There are many shades of yellow from zesty lemon to muted mustard and don't forget to use the textures, shapes and images from the mosaic for your inspiration.Clockwise from top-left: Fashion shoot, Yellow on Grey, Intimidation, Embrace The World.
We would love to see what you create using this moodboard and you can send your photos to me at liz@thecrimsonmoon.co.uk or add them to our Flickr group pool. Happy beading!
It's never too late to send in a photo for one of our challenges. A few weeks ago we had a rainbow theme and Maria has made these wonderful daisy chain earrings using seed beads. I love how they meander gently, as Maria says, just as life does.
I made this necklace for a challenge in Bead magazine and was really pleased with it at the time! I made the pendant using black polymer clay, stamping into it using a Tutankhamun rubber stamp before rubbing some gold acrylic onto the surface and rubbing off the excess.
The reason it's disappeared into the depths of my jewellery box is that it's a bit uncomfortable to wear due the strung matt beads which seem to pinch my neck. Also the pendant is very lightweight and would often disappear towards my shoulder - don't you just hate that?! So off to the frog pond it goes. I'll re-pot the beads and maybe use the pendant on a bookmark or something as I still love it :)
We've had four wonderful entries for our Monday Moodboard and all use different techniques. Before I reveal them, here's a recap of the mosaic from last week...
Clockwise from top-left: Octopus Babies, New Nice Threads, Le purple-keh, Garter.
Sarah made these wonderful peacock-like circular peyote earrings, using three sizes of seed beads...
For my necklace I made some felt beads from merino wool, dotted them with seed beads and combined them with sparkly Czech crystals and chain...
Maria created this sweet charm by combining amethyst, emerald and lapis chips, a lime green and purple pearl-coated bead and bugle beads...
And this week we have a beautiful entry from one of our readers, the very lovely Carol, who made this elegant bead embroidered heart...
Thanks for joining in with us Carol!
If you'd like to join in with this or any other Monday Moodboard challenge, it's very simple. Just add your photos to our Flickr group pool (you'll need to have a Flickr account and join our group before you can add to it) or alternatively send them to me at liz@thecrimsonmoon.co.uk
I could frog it and make it again, but I would really prefer to make myself a new one from some stash beads and give this to somebody else to wear. I have a few younger teenagers in the family so I think this will find it's way into the Christmas Bran Tub!Welcome to another Monday Moodboard! I hope you can find inspiration in this week's mosaic. Quite by accident I seem to have chosen images which have a craft theme! Don't forget that you can use the images themselves as inspiration for your project, maybe you have some crochet beads tucked away, like knitting with wire, or perhaps bead embroidery is your thing. Either way I can't wait to see what everyone makes with this combination of purple, blue and green...
Clockwise from top-left: Octopus Babies, New Nice Threads, Le purple-keh, Garter.
As always we'd love to see what you create so please do send your photos to us! Either add them to our Flickr group pool or email them to me at liz@thecrimsonmoon.co.uk and I'll show them on the blog.
A little different from the usual WWIOFI post as I found this choker in my 'for sale' box rather than in my personal jewellery stash. I made it quite a while ago with the intention of selling it, but as the flower was made from a pattern in The Beader's Floral book I wasn't comfortable doing this without the designer's permission. Sadly I never received a reply to my email so it's been sat in the box ever since.
Well as black and red is my favourite colour combination, I've decided that rather than taking it apart, I'm going keep it all for me and will wear it when I go out shopping tomorrow :)
Welcome to our Monday Moodboard Reveal! Before I show you what the team made, here's a recap of the mosaic I posted last week.
Clockwise from top-left: Taste The Rainbow, Urban Rainbow, Rainbow, Rainbow eyeshadow ben nye and m.a.c.
Two offerings from the team this time and both of them rings! Sarah made this beautiful Fiesta ring in circular peyote...
Strangely enough, I used circular peyote for my ring too! I made lots of tiny beaded beads and attached them to a looped ring with headpins...
If you've been inspired to create something, either by this or previous moodboards, why not send us a photo of your creation? It's easy, either add them to our Flickr group pool or email them to me at liz@thecrimsonmoon.co.uk and I'll show them on the blog :)
1. using your flat nosed pliers, open the loop one an earwire.
2. Thread through the end of a piece of chain.
6. Repeat for a second earring. 
Welcome to this week's Monday Moodboard! I hope you're all enjoying the moodboards that we've had so far. Summer is definitely over in the UK but that doesn't mean we can't have a splash of fun colour here on Operation Tackle That Bead Stash. I've chosen Rainbow as our colour scheme this week, which can be as vibrant or as subtle as you like. Go for bold bright primary colours or delicate pastels, the choice is yours! Don't forget that you can also take inspiration from the shapes and textures in the photos, although I wouldn't advice beading with cake ;)Clockwise from top-left: Taste The Rainbow, Urban Rainbow, Rainbow, Rainbow eyeshadow ben nye and m.a.c.
As always, we love to see your work. If you make anything in rainbow colours this week please send your photos to me a liz@thecrimsonmoon.co.uk, or you can add them to our Flickr group pool and I'll post them in next week's reveal. Happy beading!
You will need,
Today I found this pretty peacock feather bracelet that I made several years ago. The design was in an early issue of Beads & Beyond magazine, I fell in love with it straight away and just had to make it!
The pattern used cylinder beads and tiny size 15 seeds and although I'd already started my obsession with beadweaving by then, I only had size 11 beads in my stash. So that was the one and only time that I bought all the beads in the exact colours needed.
The cost of the beads plus the fact that I'd used a sterling silver clasp for the first time meant that I never wore it because I was afraid I'd lose it!! Of course I'll happily spend all my money on beads now, how times change! Definitely not one to frog, I'm going to be wearing this piece from now on ;)
I think the whole team has been excited this week, waiting to see what everyone else has made for the sassy pink & black Monday Moodboard. Well I know I have! Just before I reveal the beady gorgeousness, here's a recap of the mosaic I posted last week...
Clockwise from top-left: Pink gerbera with a heart of chocolate!, Dark, Antithesis, Cute in pink and black.
And here's what the team made. Sarah created this stunning spikey flower, inspired by the gerbera and the punky girl...
Maria made this wonderfully playful bracelet and earrings set, incorporating spikey beads and silver crosses into her design...
I chose to make a chunky cuff, turning a polymer clay face cab into a pretty flower attached to a herringbone base...
And this week we have something from one of our lovely readers, Jacky, who made a pair of beautiful bracelets using semi-precious gemstones...
Thank you so much for joining in with us this week Jacky!
If you've been inspired by this or previous Monday Moodboards then please drop me a line with your photos to liz@thecrimsonmoon.co.uk or alternatively add them to our Flickr group pool - we'd love to see your work!