I'm not even a "Lowly Beader"...yet...

[imanit]

Maybe it?s presumptuous of me to want to show my creations to all of you, but I?m pretty proud of my ?masterpieces?, especially that my first necklace was ?executed? ( in all different sense of this word) in October 2006. I?M A NEWBEE !!!!
I?m really ?hooked?. I don?t know much about pearls, but I love them. It?s a new love. Dates to September 06 when I got my Freshadamas from Jeremy?.Now I buy them whenever and wherever I find something that I might have fun to work with. Here they are: (feel free to criticize ? I need constructive criticism!!!)

Ivona

 

[imanit]

next batch:

 

[imanit]

and another....

 

[jshepherd]

I do not see anything that says "newbee" about those designs. They are very intricate and artisitic. You must be a master wire wrapper!

 

[Caitlin]

Hi Ivona,
Welcome to the club, but I am not sure you qualify as a "lowly" beader. Your creations are quite classy. My goodness! You take the club to another level. You have such an eye that you must have done something before you emerged as a beader full blown out of the scallop shell..... I like the sense of rhythm in all of your pieces; it is complex and nuanced.

Now you must tell us about your work. How did you do the ones with wire? Are they pre-made chains or did you make all those links? If so, what is the background on that? Are those seed beads in the first pictures, tiny moonstones or tiny pearls?

Also I wish you would put the pictures one at a time into many posts, so we can see them laid out on the page and don't have to click between them to see one at a time.

Nice to see the club growing like this.

 

[sleight]

wow! Congratulations on your awesome designs. They must elicit many compliments every time they're worn. No doubt you'll have offers to buy them straight off you. That's when this pearl addiction really spirals out of control...

 

[Valeria101]

Ok... so where is the 'newbie' stuff again?

I like everything and fell head over hills for THIS one in particular: it makes the pearls look like wearable winter frost...

Congratulations by all means!


For a while, I've been wondering how long until someone takes 'Freshadama' over the edge of the tame white string form Have you ever been tempted to put them to alternative use, so to speak ?

 

[imanit]

Wow !!!! Wow again to all of you?. I did not expect such praise.
Yes, I get lots of complements from my friends an co-workers, but friends being friends and co-workers being ?lower on corporate ladder?, I kind of took their complements as? kissing my, you know what?
I?m ?a little bit artistically inclined?, but till now, I never tried even to restring any old / broken necklace. I wanted a string of pearls, but I?m not really a type to wear a ?classic necklace?. I bought one anyway and then I started dreaming of something more ?me?.
No, Valeria101, I did not dare yet to play with Freshadamas. I think that every woman should have at least one ?good string of pearls? in a classic form. It doesn?t mean that I won?t buy another one to adapt it to my style?.
I learned basic wire wrapping techniques from a book and from internet ( you can find everything here). I work with pearls, semi precious stones and silver.
The one that Valeria 101 likes the most was my first one. Just pearls, silver wire and links. For next ones I tried to use chain ( I buy it in bulk and cut it). I liked long rope of Tahitians on Amanda?s site, but I wanted longer, more and bigger pearls ( mine are 12-13mm) and with more detail in silverwork ? so I made it !!.
My personal favorite is keshi with moonstones and rock crystal. I love how it shimmers?.
Yesterday I ?improved? my latest acquisition.
Before:
https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=802&stc=1&d=1167918614
And this is what I "did to it":
I tried to make it more elaborate, but I started "loosing" those big irregular pearls...

Thanks again for your kind comments.

 

[imanit]

How do I attach pictures so they show directly on the page ???? I tries three different ways and all I get are links .....Please explain...

 

[imanit]

To answer Caitlin question: In this necklace moonstones are rectangular. The rest = pearls 8-10mm keshi.

Here I hung two necklaces : the one from the picture above and the second one that is more delicate : keshi are 5-6mm and moonstone aye 10mm drops. I added some quartz to it. I wear then together. There is an endless way how to tie them on my neck?.
hey... I managed to glue on the pictures....!!!!..

 

[imanit]

Now I have so much fun with attaching pictures that I am using my newly found skill to shoe you my "no pearls" work:
labradorite and quartz bracelet ( I have a necklace to go with it):


lapis & swarovski rope:



ok....I finished. I don't want you to get bored......

 

[Valeria101]

..Here I hung two necklaces : the one from the picture above and the second one that is more delicate : keshi are 5-6mm and moonstone aye 10mm drops. I added some quartz to it. I wear then together. There is an endless way how to tie them on my neck?.

Those should make a cascade of a necklace! Any chance to see them being worn...

 

[Caitlin]

Hi Ivona
That was great! Now tell me how you got more than one picture to a post.
Seems like I saw a few pearls in your non-pearls stuff.....

I now see that those are small chains in the first two pictures. They looked like tiny beads at first. I have some aurora borealis seed beads that would be nice on the first 2 necklaces as a variation on the chains.

Are those crimp beads you are using? If so you can get covers for them.

 

[imanit]

That was great! Now tell me how you got more than one picture to a post.
>>>>you can upload up to 5 pictures per post and then you can add them one by one by clicking on "paperclip" and on the picture, or you can add them all ( option in the botton of the little window that opens when you click on paperclip<<<<<
Seems like I saw a few pearls in your non-pearls stuff.....
>>>> you cought me....can't do without them.....<<
I have some aurora borealis seed beads that would be nice on the first 2 necklaces as a variation on the chains. >>>> that is an excelent idea - I'll try it...

 

[imanit]

Are those crimp beads you are using? If so you can get covers for them.[/quote]
???? what do you mean ???

 

[Caitlin]

The shape of the bead closest to the clasp in the enclosed picture looks like it was crimped.

Crimp beads are used to fasten a wire or wire thread to a clasp. You use a pair of crimping pliers to assure getting the best crimp. In part 1 of a good crimp, the pliers have a special notch which crimps one side of a little tube bead into a concave shape against the other side holding the wire thread tightly. It makes a kind of crescent moon shape at this stage. Then part 2 of the climping pliers squeeze the edges together tightly. It is a very secure way to attach a clasp, but it leaves a line on one side. It isn't all that pretty. So you can cover it with a special open bead called a crimp bead cover. You put it over the crimped bead and gently squeeze it closed. The bead now looks like a round silver bead next to the clasp.

 

[Caitlin]

Here is a picture of a crimp bead cover.
Go here to see illustation of a crimp bead with and w/o cover. Also a pair of crimping pliers on this page.

 

[imanit]

The shape of the bead closest to the clasp in the enclosed picture looks like it was crimped.

You are right. Those are just "uncovered" crimps and yes, I should finish it better. I even think that I have some of those crimp covers - forgot about them... Thanks for pointing it out !!! I'll "fix" it tonight.

 

[imanit]

Here is a picture of a crimp bead cover.
Go here to see illustation of a crimp bead with and w/o cover. Also a pair of crimping pliers on this page.

>>>>> Artbeads - my favorite store !!!!
Do you know any good suppliers of pearls ?? From the pictures I posted you can see that I use a lot of different sizes - shapes - colors. Most of my stuff came from Treasure island, but lately Stephanie forgets to ship what was ordered and paid for and I have to beg her to do it sending her zillion emails....they mostly stay unanswered. I'm looking for more reliable but equaly versatile seller.....

 

[Joan A]

Great work! These are really wonderful. You have a good eye.. I especially like the colored ones, the bronze & the last creation. They look like candy. YUM!

Thanks for sharing!