Bead Soup!

I was finally able to photograph my bead soup that came this week from Terri of Terri’s Blooming Ideas. Terri sent me an interesting collection of earth toned beads and some silver components. A chunky silver toggle clasp, large resin rectangle beads, some large wood oval beads, and a variation of green/black square stone beads, and jasper rounds. The pendant is an antiqued silver Sun/Moon pendant- I think I’ll do something layered with a large pendant behind it.

I unfortunately didn’t get a chance to photograph the bead soup I sent to Terri, but SHE POSTED PICS  on her blog.
I am thinking of mixing it up and adding a bright jewel tone to these! Be sure to check back in to follow the Bead Soup blog hop starting February 26th!

Don’t forget the sale!

Just wanted to remind you about the sale that’s happening today through Sunday at My Mom Pattie: Use the coupon code MMP20 to receive 20% off your order!

Read more info about the sale here, at the blog My Mom Pattie

an inspirational photo

I took this photo from the train on our way to NYC. The sun was just coming up, and it was so beautiful and serene. Can’t believe this came from my phone.

NYC Beads/Ribbon put to work

I love having new beads to play with. Last night I put some of my new things to work in some pieces for my Etsy shop.

New Ribbon- Tinsel Trading Co.

This first necklace (above) : Beach house inspired necklace features a ceramic house Toggle-turned pendant from Earthenwood Studio. Dangling below is a handcrafted charm [95] from Zoa Art, and a Tree charm from Vintaj Brass Co. Beaded section incorporates Apatite, Ceramic beads from Elaine Ray, carved bone, wood, lava, ceramic round, etched lampwork from Outwest, lampwork from Gardanne Beads. Enameled rings from C-Koop Beads.
New ribbon from recent trip to Tinsel Trading Co. NYC. Ends were treated with Fray Check to eliminate fraying ribbon issues.

New Faceted metal glass rondelles

Colorful Enameled filigree rounds (Gardanne Beads) paired with brass washers, and bronze faceted glass rondelles beaded bracelet with Brass clasp- created from Brass leaf (hook) and ring.
SMALL size! – although it measures 8 inches end to end, it fits more like a 7 to 7-1/4 inches.

After we were done shopping on Saturday, at Tinsel Trading Co, Erin handed me a bag with 2 sets of these netted glass dangles as a gift. Aren’t they sweet! I also got a pair of red ones.

new faceted wood coins

Sweet Red Ceramic bird focal from Tasha McKelvy sits at one side of this beaded necklace. Earthy tones, faceted wood coins, large carved wood rounds, matte glass drop seed beads, bone,turquoise heishi, Czech glass nuggets, and small wood beads. Asymmetrical design with single beaded section above the bird, and then double strand below.
Antiqued silver swivel clasp attaches to a butter yellow enameled link from C-Koop beads.

 

New buttery soft leather

Soft teal leather cuff, with brass crimp ends, and small brass hook clasp. Focal, findings- from Vintaj Brass Co. Vintage button from my own collection. A funky addition to your jewelry collection- that is comfortable and can be dressed up or down!

A Sale at My Mom Pattie

If you didn’t know, I sell some of my jewelry at Marsha Neal’s Shop: My Mom Pattie. To read more about the goal of this shop, go here and read details at the side bar on the right.

some Lorelei Eurto pieces from the shop.

 Mark Your Calendars!    On Friday, January 28th you can use the coupon code “MMP20” to have 20% taken off your order (excluding shipping). The sale ends on Sunday January 30th.

Take advantage of this wonderful cause and SALE! 

 Oh, and just FYI – purchases through the MMP shop automatically get you entered into a drawing Marsha has over on the Marsha Neal Studio Specials Blog for January. AND! There’s MORE!

If you purchase something in my Etsy store that incorporates one of a Marsha’s Beads/Pendants, 

 Contact Marsha by the 12th and leave her a link and she’ll enter you in the drawing!

Delighted!

Basic bottom line- I am in love with this bracelet. The brass flowers and the ceramic Round Rabbit Focal- couldn’t have been a more perfect pairing! Look at that, the holes line right up in the most perfect way!
Fits nicely, like a cuff. I contemplated keeping it…….. for a long time……..

It’s listed, but if it sticks around long, it’s mine.

Spanish Trends in Jewelry

In a few weeks, I’ll be headed to Madrid for work. I am a bit nervous, but was so psyched to find out recently that one of my blog readers lives right in Madrid and she has kindly offered to show me around!
Last night, just for fun, I wanted to see what kind of jewelry trends are happening in Spain right now. What better place than to look through the Etsy sellers located there!  I found some really great designers! I picked some favorites to show you here.

 LesThings

 NiuTaller

 KUKLAstudio

 SarahRobinL

 Bishu

 Pupettas

Lunahoo

The Loot

 These are the ribbons I got from Tinsel Trading Co. I fell in love with so many, but tried to limit my choices to things I knew I would really use regularly. Below is a detail shot- love the little elephants!!

Next up, Gemstone strands! I picked medium sized stones- apatite, strawberry quartz, prehnite, mixed agate, coral, Ruby quartz, aventurine, lemon chrysoprase, and some large yellow turquoise rounds.

I stocked up on some Czech glass strands- rondelles and flowers- and some interesting metal looking beads( not metal though- they are really light weight)

Clearly I was on some sort of Spring holiday in my mind- and went a little crazy with various stone briolettes in Coral, Pink, Teal, lavender, yellow and blue.

The best deal ever, large bags of faceted glass beads in various colors! Got these at City Beads– awesome shop!

Stocked up on some seed beads, different shapes and sizes- gold, greens, reds, and teal colors.

 OH OH OH! the chain! Absolutely love it. I got a couple of yards of each- Hoping I don’t go through it too fast.

Sugary sugary lucite rounds- don’t they look like candies! Good enough to eat.

Some vintage goodies from Tinsel Trading, dyed buttons, vintage glass cabs, and brass findings.

Looking forward to going back! Now I know where to head next time for the best deals!

The Big Apple

What a trip! Saturday morning- Kelley Wenzel, Erin Siegel, Nancy Schindler and myself hopped on various modes of transportation and met up in the Big Apple.  On the agenda, SHOPPING! SHOPPING! SHOPPING! And boy did we ever! After we tracked everyone down in Penn Station, we headed to the hotel, checked in, ate some lunch, and headed out in the VEEERRRYYY cold streets of NY.

Times Square

I think we were frozen within minutes, but it was good to be there, regardless! We took in the sights and enjoyed the view and then hurried along….

Kelley

Our first stop was to Martha Stewart’s favorite trimmings store: Tinsel Trading Co. on W. 37th. Talk about Heaven on Earth. It was eye candy from floor to ceiling.  Although not a very big shop, this place housed what I had thought was one of the biggest trimming and ribbon selection I had seen. That was until later in the day when we went to M&J trimmings which was literally the Mack Daddy of trimmings shops. Didn’t get any pictures, they would have never done the place justice anyway.

See what  I mean? The place rocked- it was so visually appealing- I couldn’t stop taking pictures. I finally did get it out of my system and started shopping. They had some metal findings, vintage goodies, ribbon and trim. I bought a little bit of everything.

This was the cabinet of spendy treasures. There were several ribbons here that I wanted very badly but the price tags kept me away. One of the coolest things about this shop was the antique furnishings used to display the pieces.

More shots from Tinsel Trading. I can’t wait to show you some of the ribbon I found here!

All smiles after our purchases were made!

I can’t believe I didn’t get any pictures of any of the bead stores we went to. But we hit up several, and they were all really great. Lots of strands, stones, glass. We went to City Beads, Toho Shoji, Bead Center, and Phoenix Beads. I guess I got completely blinded by the bling and forgot about photographing anything.

 

Saturday night we had reservations for dinner at El Rio Grande- A wonderful Mexican Restaurant where we met up with the beautiful Lisa Peters Russ! It was my first time meeting Lisa, and I can tell you she is just as friendly and wonderful in person as she is online. We had a nice dinner and enjoyed several glasses of Sangria- talked beads, talked shopping- ya know- All the important stuff!

On Sunday we had breakfast out at a diner up the street from our hotel. We headed back out to do more shopping- hit up M & J Trimmings, and also went to Anthropologie! There was so much to look at! I’m always so inspired at that shop. Everything is so beautiful, the displays, the housewares, the clothing, the JEWELRY!

                                                             More shots from Anthropogie.

There will be a nice follow-up post to talk about the beads I came home with. Also, Nancy and I did a fun Flip video when we got home last night, where we talked a little bit about our favorite bead purchases. Once that’s uploaded, I’ll share links here.

Til next time,

Adios!

FusionBeads Reader Challenge: The Blog Hop

Welcome to my third Online Blog Reader challenge. This month we shopped at FusionBeads.com. I picked out the initial components to work from, you can see the shopping list here.  Everyone that participated used the components that they could get their hands on, and the rules were loose in that participants could use a focal of their choosing, and any additional beads could also be added. The skies the limit, in that participants can create a necklace, a bracelet, earrings, whatever their heart desires.
This is my finished necklace. As asymmetrical necklace where the owl toggle from Green Girl Studios is the main focal. Up the left side of the necklace I used the olive leather cording, and beaded 2 strands with the faceted glass rounds, and some Vintaj Brass filigree tube beads. Then at the back and down the right side, a double strand- beaded with the wood rounds, and seed beads, and pairs of lucite leaves at 4 intervals.  It’s not a really exciting design but it is definitely wearable, earthy and Nature inspired!

Here is Cilla Watkins’ designs using the Fusion Beads mix. She created a lovely bracelet and earrings set. Here’s what she had to say:

“These are not colours I would normally use but I did find others in my stash to match.

I couldn’t use the clasp I bought. The owl was sold out so I bought the butterflies instead.

I think the owl would  have worked well with the forest like them but the butterflies seemed too delicate.

So, I used a brass elephant clasp for a different feel that made me think of India. I bought the leather lace too and didn’t find a place for it.

Sometimes I feel you need to be able to edit yourself or you end up with bead “vomit” by trying too hard to used everything.”

Here is another emailed submission! Betty Stafford put togther a beautiful necklace.

She says:
“Loved the beads Lorelei chose, especially the colors.  I was constantly reminded of the wintry landscape out my windows as I worked on this piece.  I did find the drop seed beads a bit of a challenge to incorporate, but think they worked with the leather at the back of the neck.  I was unable to get the Lucite leaves, but added a small hill tribe silver leaf to the clasp with a bit of leather.  The fire polished beads, wooden beads and leather with the Green Girl owl clasp really worked together in my opinion to create a winter woodland theme.”
Thank you  Betty and Cilla for participating!

Now- Get to Hopping!
http://lorelei1141.blogspot.com/
http://erinsiegeljewelry.blogspot.com/

http://beadingbymalindekoning.blogspot.com/
http://beadhappytoday.blogspot.com/

http://thebeaddreamer.com/blog
http://dreamsomedesigns.blogspot.com/
http://fryestyle.blogspot.com/
http://www.madmaggiedesigns.blogspot.com/
http://reginaswritings.blogspot.com/


http://www.mylifeunderthebus.typepad.com/
http://jennibead.blogspot.com/
http://maryhardingjewelrybeadblog.blogspot.com/
http://silverrosedesigns.blogspot.com/
http://lindalandig.wordpress.com/


http://fireflymyst.blogspot.com/
http://www.awishandacloud.blogspot.com/
http://spiritrattles.blogspot.com/
http://formysweetdaughter.blogspot.com/


http://songbeads.blogspot.com/
http://beautifullybrokenme.blogspot.com
http://threeredbeads.blogspot.com/
http://christinec3.blogspot.com/

http://www.earthenwood-beads.blogspot.com/