My First Commission!

I have finally received my first request to make a necklace for someone!  My cousin wants me to make something to match a shirt she bought, and she's already bought some beads she likes for it.  I haven't seen them yet, nor found out what she'd like it to look like, but I'm glad that someone's starting to trust me enough for this!  I hope I don't let her down!

I'll definitely take a picture and post it once it's done.

Idea Book

Last night I got a book chock-full of beading ideas for my birthday.  Didn't really look through it very well, but I suppose there are some nice designs in there.

It doesn't feel the same working from a plan that someone else designed, though, so if I do anything from the book, I'll probably change something up so it feels like it's my own thing instead of copying another person's idea.

What Next?

A little stuck on what I want to work on next.

I still have to work on that silvery pendant with the crystal in the middle, and I purchased a variety of clear and metal beads to go with it. After toying with them though, I think they're too small and I should buy bigger beads for it, and maybe use the smaller beads in a bracelet, maybe with some memory wire instead of a clasp.

Also, I have orange goldstone beads that I purchased around the same time I bought the snowflake obsidian ones, but I'd like to get a pendant to go with them, and that probably means another trip to Michaels, since Bead Rock, the bead store close to home doesn't have many.  I would probably need to get gold-toned beading wire and findings too, since it would look better with the stone, even though I don't like yellow-gold.

My LAST trip to Bead Rock gave me an idea to make rosaries too.  I'm not a religious person in any way shape or form, but my family members are, and I am sure I could give them away.  I bought 2 crucifixes and that little piece in the middle that connects the main string of beads, so it's a matter of reminding myself of how many beads I'll need, and picking them out.  I could go traditional, or I could even pick out some unconventional colours or patterns one wouldn't normally think of using.  I guess my lack of worry about offending the man in the sky would make me a little fearless in that sense.

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.