Too Much Free Time...

Like pretty much every member of my generation, I grew up playing Mario Brothers games. Even though I am in my late 20s now, they still have not lost their charm for me...you can still find me playing some variation of Super Mario on the weekends. This is my beaded homage to the games that have taken up hours of my life. This piece was especially fun to make not only because it is a Mario mushroom, but also because the smile on my husband's face was priceless when he realized what I was making.



This project was a long time in the making. I got the idea after examining the pixelated images and realizing they would transfer very well into a square stitch graph pattern. I got out my handy-dandy Rhodia graph notepad and sketched out a basic design. (Rhodia notepads are truly THE BEST when designing square or ladder stitch designs, but I digress). After sketching it out, the design languished in my notebook for lack of time to actually begin working on it in real life. About a year after I made the original sketch, I finally started working on it involuntary wisdom tooth vacation. I used 4mm Miyuki cubes and it was done in no time. The finished product measures approximately 2.5" by 3" and will probably end up being a fridge magnet. If a few more rows of boarder are added to each side, it could easily become a coaster.

I sense a series of Nintendo-themed beaded projects in my future as soon as I have some more free time to work on them!

Easy Earrings

I started out my lazy weekend by making two pair of easy-peasy earrings. The pair on the right were simple to make, but it doesn't make them any less beautiful! I've been really into dangly chain earrings lately. When I found these prepackaged sterling silver posts with the chain attached and was eager to use them. I knew I wanted a very simple design, but sometimes the simplest designs are the most difficult to put together. There were so many beads I could have used with these! After considering fire red quartz teardrops and blue opal hexagons, I opted for these beautiful snow white freshwater pearls. I used headpins with a tiny silver bead to give them a bit of extra shine. I am a firm believer that every woman needs a pair of pearl earrings in her jewelry collection and I had that notion in mind when I pieced these together. They would also make a perfect set of bridal earrings!

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I recently bought these crisp faceted white mother-of-pearl ovals and wanted to put them to good use. For the second pair of earrings I made, I paired the beautiful white MOP with similar, smaller faceted black shell ovals. I love the range of colors in the black shell...when the light hits it just right, you see greens, purples, pinks and blues. These earrings are a great pair of everyday earrings because the color combo is basic and the design is simple. One of my main goals when I make earrings is to ensure that they will go with many different outfits...I think these fit the bill!

My Tray Runneth Over

Over the last three days, I have finished more projects than I have in the last three weeks...all at the expense of my dearly departed wisdom teeth. I expected to be out of commission for the duration of the weekend, so I made sure to stock up on "couch project" supplies (seen left). I consider a "couch project" to be anything that I can half pay attention to while I watch inane television to dull the pain in my jaw. I use Miyuki beads so much that I could practically stitch them together in my sleep. Therefore, most of my bead store booty consisted of cubes, rounds and Tilas.


This bracelet follows a similar pattern to one of the Tila bracelets I featured in a previous post. I used 4mm matte lilac cubes and surrounded them with matte merlot-colored bugles. I lined the large cubes and bugles with 1.8mm matte iris cubes. To finish the bracelet, I used the square stitch for the toggle....easy as pie!

In addition to this project, I finished three pairs of earrings, two PMC pieces, a diagonal stitched Tila bracelet, and a freshwater pearl memory wire bracelet that I am donating for a charity auction. Over the next few days, I expect to update my blog frequently...it's not like I have anything better to do! I guess you win some, you lose some - I can't eat solid foods but I can make a million pieces of jewelry with my new found down-time!

Summer Vacation

This summer, I have found myself outside more often than I have been seated at my workbench...I'm almost excited for winter so I can hibernate with my beads! I did, however, find a little bit of time to make this neat little cuff!

I love black and white checkerboard patterns. I made this one with Miyuki Tilas (my favorite!), stitching the beads together using a simple ladder stitch. It took about 1.5 tubes of each color of Tilas to finish this bracelet.


On the bracelet, I left out a little window for a toggle to fit though. I made toggle using 1.8mm Miyuki cube beads paired with the Tilas. It was attached using a few of the matte black cube beads. And there you have a very easy closure! The finished product fits like a glove and is very comfortable to wear.

I probably should rename this blog to tilabeads.blogspot.com! I think I am their biggest cheerleader!

Tourmaline Stackers

The universe has aligned in such a way for me to find super-high quality beads for super low prices. I love it when that happens! Call me cheap, but I hate paying full price for anything. When a sale comes up at one of my favorite bead stores, the debit card comes out and I tend to go a little crazy...

I found these incredible tourmaline discs at a very reasonable price. After I made the bracelet, I thought it looked a little lonely on my wrist, so I made a friend for it using Swarovski Elements in khaki, jet and fuchsia. The colors compliment one another perfectly...the set looks like a little slice of watermelon on my arm.

I also got a great deal on these 15/0 Miyuki seed beads. To keep with the watermelon theme, I selected pink and olive AB to coordinate with the tourmaline and Swarovski crystal. This one is still in progress. I am using a simple netting stitch and will finish the bracelet using a little snap on the ends. Once I am finished, I will have a pretty stackable set that will be a fantastic addition to my summer accessory wardrobe!

The Coolest Thing I Ever Made...

...well, maybe not. But pretty cool nonetheless. I make SO much stuff (probably too much) and it's hard to pick favorites. This design just seemed to work particularly well.

I'm really into science and space (read: nerd) and many of my pieces reflect that interest. These remind me of an icy moon with a lot of craters. To make the silver charms, I rolled a lump of PMC over a textured plate, sanded them to a smooth finish, torch fired them, and then applied a liver of sulfer patina. The discs are a deep blue kyanite, my new favorite stone. Kyanite is similar to mica or talc, but it doesn't flake as easily so it works better in jewelry designs. It's so pretty to look at because of it's unique shine.

Depending on their complexity, PMC charms usually take me a few hours from start to finish, but the end product is worth the effort. I just love these earrings!!!

Finishing Touches

I'm lucky to have several hobbies and I'm even luckier that I can use my skills in conjunction with one another. Clearly, I love making jewelry but sometimes it can frustrate me (especially when I spill teeny-tiny seed beads all over the floor!). At such times, it's nice to have something else to occupy me. These are the times that I turn to paper-crafting.

During the holiday season, a friend of mine invited me to make cards with her and that's pretty much all it took for me to fall in love with all things paper related. Since then, I have been stocking up my arsenal which is (almost) beginning to rival my bead collection. I've purchased all sorts of cardstock, embossing powders, glues, embellishments, etc.... With all of my new supplies, I have been experimenting with different ways to incorporate my new found love of paper-crafting with my old favorite, jewelry making. It didn't take long before I came up with these...

When selling wares online, or even in a brick and mortar store, competition can be stiff. Even if your designs are fresh and unique, presentation is very important to make your creations stand out. I started making these earring cards to compliment the colors in my designs and to make my pieces stand out. Two words: BRIGHT COLORS!!! I love these earring cards because they really help bring attention to my creations. Plus, they are super fun to make!




Another welcome addition are these handmade "Thank You" cards. I like to include these whenever I make a sale on Etsy. I think this is a nice touch to set your shop apart from others and also to help the buyer remember you. These are super fun to make, too!

With the handmade marketplace, it's all about the details. It's important to find a way to make the details as fun as your primary craft!

PMC Weekend

I love working with precious metal clay but projects are so time consuming! By the time I get home from my day job on weekdays, I am too tired (or lazy) to set up all of my PMC supplies and get to work. As such, my weekends are usually comprised of two PMC "workshops" where I complete a few projects at a time.

Unfortunately, this weekend I had about five other projects that I wanted to complete, so I was only able to churn out one pair of PMC earrings. They are cute though!

Unfinished, unsanded earrings
















Finished product - Honeybee Honeycombs

The Tila Obsession Continues...

Every time I sit down at my desk to work, I keep gravitating toward my ever-expanding collection of Miyuki Tila beads. If my other beads had feelings, they would be jealous.

My most recent project served two purposes - 1) learn the single needle right angle weave stitch and 2) continue experimenting with Tilas (of course). This pattern isn't a Boxcar Annie original - I found it here:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_G7MtClOvc7c/TIuKLKVA8uI/AAAAAAAACXE/UIwr2vClaxE/s1600/Cube+Delight+Bracelet+by+Smadar%27s+Treasure+with+Tila+Beads.jpg

The instructions are really easy to follow and the end result is fantastic! I used 11/0 seed beads to surround the Tila squares, which were a perfect size. The cuff ended up being about an inch in width. Typically, I favor skinnier bracelets, but the three rows of RAW units work very well.




I also incorporated a hand-stitched Tila toggle: I would recommend this project to anyone who is trying to learn RAW - the Tila beads are perfect for this stitch and I was able to navigate the project without too many errors. Also, it was quick! I was able to finish in two evenings.

Hopefully, I will be able to break away from my Tila collection for long enough to work on a project that doesn't involve seed beads...my poor eyes are tired from squinting at tiny beads!

Love at First Sight

One of the advantages of living two blocks away from the local bead store is being able to peruse all of the new inventory as it is received. I'll never forget the day I first laid eyes on the new Miyuki Tila beads...I loved everything about them! They come in a variety of finishes including matte, AB, and opaque and the neutral colors will work with nearly anything you can come up with. Pictured left are the Tila beads in Antique Ivory Pearl Ceylon.

I'm an equally enthusiastic fan of the 1.8 and 4 mm Miyuki cube beads. For a spell, I was including them in virtually all of my stitched designs. The first Tila design I came up incorporated all three of my favorites: a "ribbon" of silver 4 mm cubes are surrounded by 1.8 mm blue matte cubes. A row of Tilas on either side finish the piece.


This has easily become my favorite and most worn bracelet in my collection. To attach all of the layers, I used a ladder stitch - one of the easiest (in my opinion). I began with one Tila bead - shown here in Matte Oyster Luster - stitched the two cubes on top of it (one cube for each hole of the Tila bead), pulled the thread through one 4 mm Miyuki cube, and repeated the process for the other half of the unit. It's not at all difficult once you get the hang of it and you end up with a great finished product.

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This is my most recent design. I just completed it this evening and, I must say, I love wearing it! After some experimenting, I have found that the 3 mm Toho bugle bead works very well with the shape and size of the Tila. A unit of two bugle beads with a 15/0 Miyuki seed bead at each end is roughly the same size as a Tila. Again, I used the ladder stitch to combine the units.

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It's safe to say that I have purchased nearly every color of Tila, so more designs will follow. I'm off to a good start and can't wait to find more ways to incorporate this wonderfully versatile bead in my designs!

No News Here

I can only breathe through one of my nostrils while my husband is out having a fun night on the town. For several months, I have dreamed of starting an informational jewelry blog. Since I am incapable of engaging in anything this evening that doesn't involve sitting on the couch, I might as well start a blog that may (or may not) be helpful to others.

In the future, I hope to have updates on projects I'm working on, design ideas and possibly tutorials. For now, there is nothing because my cold is preventing me from forming cohesive thoughts.

Stay tuned for real content! Real content!