More of the new ideas I have been working . . wire wrapping strung beads

Digging around in my stash, I find a project box full of ideas . . . well, it did have a purpose but now I have just forgotten or just dropped the idea out of the important list.   But it gives me fun things to try.   I must use the stash for something.

Like these beads: 

some glass beads of various shapes along with some round cracked glass and plastic faceted beads.  Oh, the possibilities.

Just trying out some ideas with the different colors of wire: gold, silver and copper.

The silver on this one is ok.  I think I could have done it with a smaller gauge wire and double wrapped.  I could do another one.  Maybe???

Not sure what I was doing to the one on the left.  I strung the beads than wrapped them but the uneven shape of the beads made the wire uneven too.  Then I had a harebrained idea to take a really. small gauge (28?) to bind it in the middle.  hmmmm, not so great. Took a 24 gauge wire and worked it around in a circular fashion like weaving,  Still sort of a mess.  Not sure I like it but if I let it sit it might be OK.  The one on the right looks more like an ornament.  I used copper and rose gold wire

I have some more beads I can try different takes on this idea.   But I have other things I am trying to learn and/or perfect.  

It is an endless process.

Lots of new ideas . . . Part Three

I have found so many tutorials through Pinterest that I have to try some of them.   I think it will take me awhile to get around to all of them.   Here are some of the results from two of them.

I found this cute idea for a charm pendant.   I made it first in a lighter weight gauge of silver then went to the heavier gauge of copper.  Not bad for first efforts but I do need more practice.

I decided to show how the charm pendants can be used.  Here I used some stitch markers as charms.  I think it is a great idea for a way to carry around stitch markers if you are a crochet or knitting person.   

I did a bit of tweaking on the copper charm pendant and it looks a bit better.   I have added a couple of items to show off its use.   I like it.  Maybe someone else will like having one of these.

Another tutorial that I found was another wire wrapping style.   This one takes beads that have been drilled and strings them in a circle shape then wraps wire around them.   Of course, I tried one with 6 of the same beads as in the first example  Then I made another and another.   Why not??   The tutorial suggested trying different sizes and different numbers of beads together.

The one of the right is the first one I made.   The one on the left is two different styles/colors of fresh water pearls which I have had in my stash for awhile (of course).  A bit lopsided but the more I look at it, the more I like it.

This next one is a blue tiger eye stone in the middle surrounded by blue tiger eye beads.  Not sure I like it but someone might.   If not, I can always take it apart and do something different with the stone and beads.

This last one was a thought that popped out of my stash when I was looking for other beads.  Just big plastic shiny beads that I had not remembered.   They make up nicely for a decoration/ornament and I have some colored wires that have been languishing in my wire stash.  I think they turned out well.   Too bad I don't have more of those big plastic beads.  I could have made a lot more of them to give as gifts.

Kumihimo - inside technique using leather

I found a video that shows the technique for adding the beads so that they are inside the braiding media.   In the video, leather is used to braid and string the beads.   I've been using leather a bit so decided to give it a try.   The video uses 6/0 beads with 1mm leather.

I followed the bead stringing pattern that was used in the video but I don't think I got it right.   Not sure it even matters since the beads are harder to see with the leather on the outside.   I think it turned out quite well, but for me, it is a bit big for my arm.

I also tried one with 8/0 beads with .5mm leather.   I like the mix of beads I used on this one.   I didn't use a particular pattern as I had two different mixes of beads to use up and i just alternated the stringing of the beads on strands.

I have a couple more I have done but haven't finished them as I am trying to decide how to finish them.   I had some other rectangle/square shaped beads so I tried those out too.   I finished out the kumihimo section and am now adding beads for a necklace.

This is showing some tryout samples for the completion.   I have changed it up now to include some silver circles.   This is using .5mm grey leather.   I am thinking to add some smaller pink beads to the plain braided sections.

Examples of more leather wrapped bracelets I have created.  These were all done before I took off for Egypt,   I bought some great beads to add to the stash while I was in Cairo.  More bracelets and other beading to come.

Blue Khamsa Project - start to finish

 

Colorful khamsa project . . .

This is one of the khamsas I brought back from Morocco.    How lucky I am that my bead stash has lots of blue beads to pair with it.   This will probably end up on a nice long strand of blue beads but I do have some others I might try to pair with it.

Colorful metallics!!!

I found these fun metallic beads and jump rings then I dug out a copper chain necklace.   I think I'll put some of this together.   Soon.  Stay tuned.

Wearing the red . . .

I hope you can get an idea of how these turned out as showing on my arm.   The orange one is also made by me :-)

Red beads again . . . another idea.

I do believe I have come up with one design for a bracelet using those red beads. Mixing it up with some silvery stuff for the grey on the edges and the small seed beads blend in quite well.

Note the stretchy bracelet above. Those magatama beads didn't look right with the other red beads even though they are a color match. I found the silver skull when I was hunting around for something else so I had to try it.

Re-doing a couple of stretchy bracelets

I bought these 2 stretchy bracelets at a small shop in Giza (just a bit down from that guest house I don't plan to go back to again,lol). As all stretchy bracelets eventually do, some of the stretch was too much and one popped. I replaced the elastic yesterday but now I am thinking I will put them on some memory wire instead.

 What the 2 stretchy bracelets look like converted to a memory wire with dangles😊

Carnelian and Red Tiger Eye Memory Wire Bangle

I put all the bits together this morning by adding some silver beads as spacers between the different strands then using some silver beads with red tiger eye beads as dangles on the end.

I am not sure about the results so will ponder whether to make changes.   Meanwhile, I am posting here to show the current work for consideration.  :-)

Beads, Beads, Beads . . . .

And for the fans of my trips to Egypt . . . here are those beads I got at the Khan el Khalili in October 2015.   I have a lot of travel photos on Facebook that I should probably include on my blog.  Time is of the essence.



of course, that didn't stop me from going by the Rock Barrel in January 2016 . .  jusst for a small peak :-)

A couple of years ago, I got interested in doing some other things with beads like crocheting with them.   But I had a hard time getting it to work right.

Then I found kumihimo work and tried that out.  I finally put a clasp on it and am wearing it right now.   I have to make more of these too.  :-)

I took a bead loom class a week ago.   I am going to do more of the looming and have been busy pinning items on pinterest to give me inspiration.   But my first effort wasn't too bad.