Plans in the Works

Last night I visited Michael's (a craft store that has an extensive jewellery-making section) and went hog-wild.  I can't go there without spending tons of money (partly because their wares are a little pricey).

Anyhow, I purchased some more beading wire (the non-memory kind) so that I can re-do my Firstborn, and some bails, eye pins, and another roll of that clear plastic beading cord, because you can't have enough findings.

I also bought some beads to make a couple of necklaces I was planning.  I picked up some turquoise-dyed howlite and what I thought were carved dark wood beads but turned out to be black cinnabar, because I love the way those two colours look together.  I wanted a wood pendant, but they didn't have any I really liked, so I went with a turquoise-coloured shell with a peacock on it.  I think it matches rather well.  I have enough howlite left over to make some earrings to go with it, but I need to get some head-pins because using eye-pins will make them look incomplete.  I also picked up some clear glass beads and some more small silver round beads to complement a pretty silvery-rhinestone pendant I picked up earlier.  I'm still in the designing stages of that one though.

Another thing I want to do is maybe make some necklaces for my cousin's bridal party, if she likes my design.  I purchased some purple glass beads, but don't really have any ideas yet.  Michael's didn't really have a big selection of purple beads, so I may try the independent bead store near my house.

Behold My Firstborn

Today I made my first necklace.  I had a snowflake obsidian pendant that I bought a while ago that I wanted to do something with, so I bought some loose beads to match the stone, and made this.

It's pretty simple, nothing you can't find anywhere else, and I'll totally have to do it over since I used memory wire, and somehow I don't think that's what you're supposed to use.  I also forgot to put bead tips on before the crimp tubes, so I had to remove the tubes, and that was kind of hard, because the point of them is to stay on and keep the necklace together.  Oh well, we all have to learn from our mistakes to get better.

I have quite a few of these loose beads left, so I think I'll be making me some earrings to go with it.  Pictures of those to come.