EBWC The Secret Garden- Lilac Dream Garden

This month Etsy Beadweavers hosted another monthly challenge, which was announced by June's winner, multi talented artist and wonderful person Ileana from enchantedbeads.
"She writes:

Thinking of a summer theme for our July Challenge, I am obsessing with beautiful flowers, magical gardens, sunny landscapes. Every artist has a secret garden, real or imaginary. A garden full of colors! Birds, butterflies, lizards could be guests as well. I am inviting you to stir up your imagination and to introduce your own secret garden to us. It would be even more exciting if you accompany your beautiful beadwoven creation with a picture that inspired you. Happy beading!You may start your entry today and must complete and list it by midnight Etsy time, July 5, 2010!"
( http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/2010/05/july-challenge-theme-secret-garden.html )
Today is the last day of voting, so browse and vote for your favorite there are some magical and clever designs CLICK

So my entry was a mini garden in lilac colour palette. (Getting to sort all the beads I was collecting for Fashion Colorworks Beading Contest)
Lilac Dream Garden was created in a week or so. The design was changed due to weaving the necklace and turned out the better way it planned, the focal flower is a total improvisation and I could hardly repeat the exact one.
I used just few techniques:
The flowers - peyote 1x1
The cabochon-bead embroidery
and for the base - net, which was slightly embroidered
Stringing for supportive connectors ( lower part with cabochons and where net attaches the clasp)
I used mix of Japanese beads, mostly from Matsuno bead manufacturer, because of lovely colour shades, some Toho (purple , gold lilac for the cabochons), Miyuki (for the net) beads and bugles and Czech 8/0 for the stringing part.
Lilac dyed freshwater beads,
two cabochons :Serpentine in Stichite and dyed purple Marble
24 carat gold filled clasp

EST weekly challenge- Out of the Space

Last week's EST (European Street Team)challenge theme was Out of the Space hosted by SoleDeVita
My Entry was this funky neck piece.
At last, I thought, I'll get read of black Matsuno beads I had for over 2 years now and purple Toho mix and got this year but is quite big quantity.
I practice my netting and embroidering it.
Nets are so technically convenient but look worth a lot of money in finished piece.
My inspiration came from night sky, billions of stars far away, crating constellations , Milky way...
The central par of the necklace inspired by man made Satellites, their shiny "wings".

And the picture-inspiration from http://www.telespace.org

Monday Mood

My Monday mood picks from European Street Team members ' handmade creations.White pink cream beige OOK handmade bridal necklace
Victorian romantic white summer dress
White salmon laced wrist cuff
Lemon Citrine/Quartz wire wrapped earrings
Pearl Necklace and Earring Set
Ivory and mint organza and lace corsage flower brooch

Folds - ETS weekly challenge and my Rock Wheel cuff

This week's European Street Team on Etsy challenge theme is "Folds". The theme was given by florigamigirl the previous challenge winner. My entry This time is leather crafted, embroidered with bead and weaved all over with free formed seed beaded net ROCK WHEEL CUFF
All lovely entries you can see in gr8 jewellery blog because flori has not got one for now.
And the winner will be announced later on Monday.
Now about my cuff.
It was quite a challenge to make it, as I did not work with leather for a while.
Inspired again by my Megapolis Chaos cuff (when I at last write a post about this cuff I don't know :D).The Rock Wheel made of natural cow's leather dyed in red (leather not cow), I used a lot of E6000 glue to connect all the part together. Large freshwater carved shell in the centre surrounded and weaved around with 11/0 and 8/0 metallic (hematite) seed beads, 6 mm gemstone hematite beads and bugle.
The clasp is a little leather "croissant".
And obviously the Folds are on the sides of cuff 3 each side.

Result is a blister on my finger, 5 broken needles and sore wrist off thinning the leather with the knife.

More felting!!

I continue to make felted flower pins using wet felting technique.
Yesterday I bought set of felting needles. Cannot wait them to arrive and learn dry needle felting.
But for now three new flowers. Two reds, one brown-orange.
All of them made out of British merino wool.

The Tulip - EST Weekly challenge

Last week's European Street Team on Etsy challenge theme was "the Tulip". The theme was given by ZsBcreations the previous challenge winner.My little entry was this red tulip felted brooch. Unfortunately could not finish my big bead woven tulip necklace I was dreaming of for about 6-7 months, but at least I've started it :)
All lovely entries you can see in ZsBcreations blog

EBW April Challenge - Light as a Breeze

The April challenge on Etsy Bead-weavers started today April 9th 2010 and the votes for entries are accepted till 15th this month.
The Theme was "Light as a Breeze"
Here are all the entries EBW came up with. http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/2010/04/april-challenge-light-as-breeze.html

My entry was little delicate bracelet called " Spring Breeze".

Just before making my entry having a walk in the park with mychildren I saw 2 butterflies (on 23th of March) and thought it's bit early for them, specially in cold England. But it brought spring in my heart and hope for the warm weather. And my decision was made - butterfly!

I had for a quite a while 4 carved aventurine butterflies. They were quite chunky but their colour was so soft and it required a delicate solution I could not come up with. The shell pendant, seed beads,and pearls have all been in my craft box for a while. I never thought to put them all together. My Megapolis Chaos cuff gave me the idea to combine shells and free form.

Making this urban cuff using free form I loved one element in it and I decided to save the idea to create another cuff, in free form but more symmetrical and lacy.
Natural shell was used as a base for aventurine butterfly, both sanded and glued with E6000.
I used Toho seed beads here : Sea foam green 11/0 and silver galvanised 11/0; aventurine 4 mm beads, 6-7 mm saltwater pearls; two shell pendants (one as a base, another as a clasp), and as I said aventurine butterfly.
I think it was more of a bridal/wedding look, but could be great with a nice summer outfit for those who love silver and pearls.
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Megapolis Chaos