Filigree Garden



The time is going by so quickly this summer.  I've been away from the blog for a long time and I realized I need to post  pictures of the things I've been working on during our intense heat wave.  I thought I'd start with one of my newer designs, the Filigree Garden! 

Filigree is available in so many different components now and I love it.  I like to layer it and use beads with it.  I know that's not surprising to anyone who knows me, but I thought I'd mention it anyway!  I've discovered that a lot of people think that the only thing you can do to embellish filigree it to glue rivolis to it.  But, actually, there are a lot of different things you can do.  With very some finer gauge wire and odds and ends of beads you can create something like this.  I just sorted through my stash of flower beads and crystals, threw in a few drop beads and started working.  I used fine gauge wire to wire the beads to the pieces of filigree and then used jump rings to attach it all together.  I thought it needed some leaves to finish it off, so I made some dangles with some leaf beads.  The butterfly was to add some interest and break up all the sameness.  I just used a few seed beads wrapped around his body. 

This was a quick and easy project that is fun to wear, goes with everything and is like wearing a garden on your wrist!  I've beaded filigree before and I've got an idea for fall that I'm anxious to work on.  Can't believe I'm thinking fall already!!!

Here are few close ups. 

The butterfly in a rather dark picture, along with one of the leaf dangles.

I attached each flower center with different beads or crystals, and using different attachment techniques.

I hope your summer is going well.  After intense heat and powerful storms, we seem to be in a lull right now.  Hopefully, it'll continue!  Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by the blog.

Tila Beads

I don't know why, but those of us who find our bliss creating are always excited by, and have to have, the newest products on the market.  When you love, and create, in several different mediums, that could add considerably to the stash!  Whether it's the latest fabric for fabric art, or the newest, most wonderful yarn for knitting, or the greatest new ink for paper arts, there's always something that I just have to try.  Well, beads aren't any different!  The newest thing in the beading world are the Tila beads.  They are manufactured by Miyuki, who makes the Delica beads.  Tila beads are flat beads with two holes instead on one.  That makes them different, but it's the colors and finishes that really attracted me.  I'm a sucker for colors and finishes.  And, Tila beads  come in gorgeous colors.  I really had a hard time deciding which ones I wanted to take home with me when I found that Leslie of http://www.twistedsistahbeads.com/ had them.  So, I fell back on my old stand by, green.  Actually, they were Mettalic Malachite Green Iris!  That sounds so much better than saying I got the green ones! 

I let my beautiful beads sit on my table for a while, trying to decide what I wanted to do with them.  One day I was checking out Whimbeads.com and discovered that they have a  pattern in the classroom section of their website that uses the Tila beads.  There are some great patterns that are free and available for download on the site.  The newest pattern is for a RAW bracelet with fringe using the Tila beads.  I downloaded it and started trying to decide what colors to use with my wonderful beads.  I've been using a lot of gray lately, so I finally chose pewter 11's and 15's, black diamond crystal bicones,and for an accent color I chose peacock 15's and Pacific opal bicones.  I'm so very pleased with the results.

I've fallen in love with fringe made using the new beads!  I know I'll be using them for fringe again.  If you want to try something different these are the beads to try.  They aren't inexpensive, but I think they're worth the cost. 

Thank you for spending some time reading the blog today.  I hope you have a wonderful, and creative day.