Meet Mint!

 In my quest for replacement parts for Pineapple Blossom Necklace Kits, I stumbled across a source for some "S" Fancy Stones in colors I had not used before.  So, presented with an opportunity, I ordered some samples and jumped right in!  I hope you'll like the results!  Meet Mint!

I have to admit, I started here because I found a new sweater at the Soft Surroundings sale rack, in one of my favorite colors.  The color I thought (as a very young teen) all my bridesmaids would wear at some big church wedding.  SO I did tilt this piece toward cool summer icy blue greens, and that sweater.  Plus a closet full of other things I love. That is the new sweater, top and center.

My first efforts with Pineapple Blossom mostly were about the interplay between shiny metallic dark Toho Demi beads and their soft Semi-Glazed bead colors, plus the Sueded Gold and other matte Czech rounds.  I gradually used lighter metallics with the mattes, and this time, I have all-out, unabashed dazzle.  I loved the many colors in the Swarovski jewel, and teamed it with Toho Perma-finish metallics.

I used the beads in a gradation in the bezel itself, and mixed them together to use randomly in the rope.  I think my gradation is so subtle it's almost irrelevant, but I enjoyed doing it, so in the kit, the colors are separate.  YOU can decide when to mix them, or not.  

I ran short of the Czech beads for the last of my kits, so created a kit without a sample piece.  It will use Baby Blue Czech Pearls, instead of the Sueded Gold Light Teal in this version.  There is just the one.  And you have to gamble.  But I think it will be luscious.  If no one wants it, I get it for myself, lol! 

Here's a little idea of how it might look...

I think the pearl finish works really nicely with the metallics!  And blends nicely with the color mix.

So, the new kits will be live in my Etsy shop at noon this Sunday, April 24th.  There are 6 of the Mint, plus the one Baby Blue and I will put them all in one Mint listing, with the Baby Blue as a color choice.  

It's been quite a chilly spring in Minnesota, but there have been a couple "sweater only" days.  Guess which one I wore???  

Hoping your Spring has rainbows, and robin eggs, and a little sprouting fresh mint.  

To Tell the Truth...

... I was not really planning to kit a new color of my vertical ombre dragon necklace right now.  BUT... Dreamscape Dragon has a shiny new, wintery friend. Meet Paradise Dragon.

How does one end up with a new set of kits without planning to do this?  One of my buyers found mistakes in my text.  Again.  This was the last tutorial I released before the advent of Marie Weakland,  beader extraordinaire, who agreed to help me test my tutorials in early 2017.  I admired her complex projects and lovely technique, and asked her if she would be interested, and she has kindly, (and dramatically!), improved my tutorials with her intelligent suggestions, and wonderful editing.

So I set aside my new colorways for Caramel's Claws and instead worked my way through this tutorial in a new colorway I had been thinking about for long enough to already have scales.

A Paradise Shine Swarovski Fancy Stone provided all the color inspiration for this pretty gal, and while Dreamscape is vibrant and bright, I tried to give this version depth and darkness.  It's still an attention-getting neckpiece, but a little more subtle and rich.

In the photo above, you can see the vertical gradation in the rope, with teal outside edges that fade through turquoise to sapphire to violet at the inside edge against the neck.  I have kept the bezel simple in these dragons, to feature the pretty shapes in the dragons wings and tail, and the hand-painted color.  It also gives you a simple and workable bezel for this Swarovski jewel, which you could play with and embellish as you choose.

I believe I have sent every buyer of this tutorial a corrected copy via e-mail.  But if I missed anyone, please let me know, and I will send you a fresh copy right away, that also includes the materials list for Paradise Dragon.   I want my instructions to be right for you, and I am so sorry for mistakes!

I will post a set of kits for this Paradise Dragon Necklace on this Saturday, November 4th at 9am in my Etsy shop, and I will come back here and add a link.

NOTE:  If you own the Springtime Dragon tutorial, it is correct.  

But it is a 4 color gradation.  

It is light, warm green to dark, cool green in three steps, with a pink belly.  It looks like this in text: AA, BB, CC, DD.  Dreamscape and Paradise color shift much further.  Dreamscape moves from light yellow-orange to purple and Paradise moves from a green-blue to purple, and so I added a FIFTH color to the top side of the rope.  The text chart for these dragons is: AA, BC, DD, EE.

 If you have purchased the Springtime Dragon tutorial,

and want an upgrade to this new tutorial, 
I offer you a deal!

Convo me, from the receipt for your purchase of Springtime Dragon, and I will make you a Custom Listing for this new FIVE COLOR dragon tutorial at $5.00.  That is the only way I can do this quickly and expediently, so the deal is only good via that process.

Now, back to painting dragons!  I promise to get to work on the new colors for Caramel's Claws the second these kits are done.

Waiting for Spring

Maybe this post does not need many words.  The March Etsy Beadweavers challenge was titled "Are You Blue?  The answer for me was "YES!"  I am so thankful for the slightest warming outside, and the drip of snow melting off the roof.  We have such a long way to go to see the grass again, but every little bit is such a blessing, and goes a long way toward chasing away the blues of this very long, very icy cold, winter.

I had beautiful cabochons purchased from Kinga Nichols of crimsonfrog; blue leaves, captured in icy glass domes, and they were a perfect starting point.  The assignment was to use any or all of three shades of blue, represented by Aquamarine, Turquoise, and Tanzanite.  The leaves looked like Aquamarine to me.

I chose the deeper purply blue seed beads to represent Tanzanite, and Turquoise found it's way into the necklace in person.  One of the inspiration images provided on the blog of Raven Penna of tatooedraven, (the team member who chose our theme-you can read the entire challenge here as well) was a leafless tree, covered with pink spring blossoms, against a blue sky, and I found that very inspiring.

So, since the cabochons had a lovely peachy pink already on board, I amplified and embellished!

I am always a fan of the neat and cleanly finished back, to add value, beauty, and aesthetic appeal to my work.  I always like detail on the yoke of my work as well.

And fringe?  It is one of the reasons I so love beadweaving!! So I am Waiting for Spring!  How about you?  Please, visit our team blog at www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com, and choose your favorite entry.  I have to admit, if I had the cash to spare, I would buy this one, from Karin Houben of gypsyeyesjewelry.  Totally awesome!

 Hugs to my beady buddies.  I have to get back to finishing my Bead Dreams entry for 2014.  Ten and a half days until the due date and counting...

Painless Custom Design!

I recently read a post in Warren Feld's Jewelry Design Discussion Group on Facebook about doing commissioned custom design work.  I responded, and then, instantly a prospective client contacted me, as if to test my response.  I said I thought that successful custom work was all about communication, so, just for fun, here it is!

hello marsha
i would like to know if you ever create custom pieces, and if you might consider making a necklace for me. i have a very small piece of turquiose with a pre- drilled hole.
i would really love a piece of your artwork. it is absolutely beautiful! i would want something relatively small and simple and you could just incorporate the turquiose as your artistic ability sees fit.
thank you for your time. i hope to hear from you.
jennifer

Hello Jennifer,
I would certainly consider custom work for you. I would need to know if you have a time deadline, and if you have a price point in mind. I really appreciate the idea at you would just send me the turquoise and let me do with it whatever it tells me to do. :). I would also need to know the measurement of the base of your neck, and if you have a specific length in mind, let me know that as well. I am assuming that you want at least some bead weaving, since that is pretty much what I do.

Thank you so much for you interest in my work! How did you find me, if you don't mind my asking?
Marsha
(I have to admit, I was screening here. Part of doing effective custom design is having an appropriate client, and she was sounding good!)

hi marsha

thank you for getting back to me so quickly. i do not have a deadline of any kind. as far as price, if you were able to keep it under $150 that would be great. i do realize that there may be a custom order fee, so if you have to go a little above that then that would be ok.

yes, i would definitly want you to incorporate the turquoise into a bead woven piece. i love the beaded bezels, and started looking on etsy at bead weaving, thinking that it might suit the turquoise quite nicely. i find your art far superior to the others i've seen. your stitches are tight and uniform, and i love your expressive use of color. i feel as if you have a slightly modern take on a traditional art form.

i am out of town exhibiting at an art show. if you decide that this is indeed something you would be willing to do for me, i could send measurements next week.
thanks again for your consideration! jennifer

(I just loved it that the woman was an artist herself!!!  It seemed a good sign.  She has probably done custom work herself, and maybe has a sense of how challenging it can be, and I liked all her responses and her attitude.  I decided to do the project, and was very curious about her piece of turquoise!)

Dear Jennifer,

I will be delighted take on your project. When ever you are ready to begin, send me your piece of turquoise. I will make a listing for you for a custom project and you will pay $75 down before I begin. Then I will list the finished item and you can pay the remaining $75 when I am ready to ship to you, plus the shipping cost, usually $5. I do not have an extra charge for custom work. I just try to keep track of time and spend an appropriate amount of time for the expected cost. I promise to finish before Christmas, and probably sooner than that, but I have a full time job in addition to beadwork, and am also in the process of some remodeling, so my life is a little crazy this fall.

Your artwork is very cool, and quite steampunk-ish. Should your turquoise piece include a gear or key, maybe, or do you have a feeling I should keep in mind when I work??

My address is:
Marsha Wiest-Hines
2201 Windsor Lake Drive
Minnetonka, MN 55305
Thank you!  Marsha

(I assumed I would spend way, way too much time designing and wanted to have her be OK with the $150, so I proceeded as though that would be the cost.  She was anxious to move ahead.) 

yeah! i'm so excited.
i'd prefer it not look like steampunk. my art could probably be classified as such, although that was not my intent when i started about 4 or 5 years ago. I would rather it be more classic and timeless. I don't care for diagonal or zigzag lines. I have reddish-auburn hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. In clothing, i tend to stick with neutral colors. a lot of brown.
I am having trouble figuring length. the base of my neck measures about 15". I have an old rhinestone necklace. I put it on and will send a pic. the chain is 16.5" long. from the top of the focal stone to the bottom of the longest dangle is 2". I think the proportions look nice on me. I suppose it could go wider. it's up to you. whatever you think.

I will mail it on thurs or fri. whenever you create a listing, I will pay right away. if you need any more info, just let me know.

I can't wait to see what you and the little piece of turquoise "finger" out. I know it will be beautiful.

(I talk about "fingering things out" as I design in my shop statement.  She had gone to the trouble to read what I had written.  YAY!  And the information she sent was terrific.  Some of her requests popped out at me, and I have highlighted those.  They are the things I considered first as I designed.  I will keep her photo private, but it was a pretty simple piece and nicely proportioned. I decided it was a good thing she does not look at what I make for my dancers!!)

Hi Jennifer,

Pictures and measurements are always helpful and thank you for the personal info as well!

I was thinking to wait until I got the piece of turquoise to post the down payment listing, but I can do it now if that is your preference. I am not a steampunk queen, so while I think I could do it justice, I am just as glad that is not what you want. :)

I am really looking forward to seeing your stone and having it in my hands!

Thanks so much! Marsha

thank you. i have packaged the turquoise and will ship it today.

jennifer

Yay! Thank you! I am looking forward to working on your project. :)

Marsha

i am too :)

(I created the listing and she paid promptly. And a few days later, the turquoise arrived.  She was not exaggerating when she said very small. It was rectangular, about 1/4" wide and just under 3/8" tall, and had a slightly off center hole drilled through it, near one end.  One flat side had delicate carving.  I WISH I had taken a shot of the turquoise before I made the necklace, but here's a closeup, as it sits in the finished piece.

(I decided to feature the carving, which alternately reminds me of an elephant or maybe those things in the Pacman game that gobbled dots.  Maybe I should have asked about imagery and orientation, but I just liked the little carving and decided to feature it.  I think it is really a decent piece of turquoise, from it's texture and color, and I immediately wanted to honor it with other good quality materials.  And since she wanted a bezel, I needed a cabochon.)

Jennifer, I have your sweet little chip and will have time to think and design a little this week. Is it OK if I add another turquoise cabochon to it? It really is too small to be a focal by itself, but I imagine it can be like "jewelry" for a larger piece. Marsha

yes, definitly. i knew it would be too small to use as the focal piece. so, yes if it can just be incorporated somehow, that would be great. design with it and add whatever you wish. i so appreciate it, and by looking at all of your other pieces, i know whatever you come up with will be beautiful!

i look forward to seeing it. thanks again.
jennifer

(She is so civilized and realistic.  Feeling good about her really helps my ability to let go and let ideas flow.  I think there is as much a knack to commissioning work as there is to designing for clients, and she rocks the process!!!  Several days passed and after fiddling with several of shapes and colors from my stash of turquoise cabs, I chose and bezeled a teardrop of unstabilized Sleeping Beauty turquoise in Dark Gold 24k Miyuki delicas.  They are the "brownest" of the precious metal- plated cylinders and I love them with turquoise.  I thought the teardrop shape might look beautiful "wearing" the little rectangle piece as "jewelry" as I was imagining.  I also liked the color of the unstabilized stone with the little chip, and thought they could happily share focus, in terms of hue, value and intensity.

Then I roughed out a wrap of tiny 2mm darker turquoise rounds for the cab, transitioning to some yummy Kingman mine bronze infused 4mm rounds, and fiddled for a long time, finally managing a double needle process that held the chip the way I wanted it to lie, and reasonably straight, given the off center hole. Although I was not completely satisfied with the result, I thought it was the right idea, and wanted to get client feedback before moving ahead.  I did this as confidently as possible, while allowing her to say no if she was not happy.)  

Hi Jennifer,

I have an idea roughed out and ready to finish, but I want do show you before I go any further. I believe the proportions are about the same as the rhinestone necklace you showed me. I hope I have featured your little chip, while providing it substance and a beautiful framework. My plan is to finish the yoke with the beads I have used thus far. This finished piece has a really nice Sleeping Beauty mine turquoise teardrop cabochon, and some of the beads are from the Kingman mine, with a bronze infusion. I think your piece is real and probably Sleeping Beauty in origin, but it wanted to cover both the good sources, so it could feel "at home" in its new situation. I do have bigger " Chinese turquoise" beads that I could use in the yoke, or I could embellish it, but I am inclined to keep it simple and let the focal be the star of the work.

Do you like toggle style clasps, or do you prefer a lobster claw style with an extender chain?

If you do not like this, or wish it were different in any way, please feel free to say so.

This is a terrible photo, taken with my iPad and the color is not very real. It is better in person. :)

Waiting to hear, Marsha

Oh, I meant to say as well, if I finish it as I have suggested, I think the final price would be $120.00. Just FYI. Marsha

(It really was a terrible photo!!!  And perhaps I should have done better, but I didn't.  It is hard to understand scale from it.  Luckily it worked...)

oh marsha, it's beautiful! just perfect! i love it, so go ahead and finish it like you planned. i think i would prefer a lobster clasp, if that will work ok with it.

do you take etsy gift cards? i was going to use one for part of the payment. i know i have to use direct checkout instead of paypal, but i didn't see that option the first time. no big deal if you don't.

thanks!
jennifer

Oh good, Jennifer! I will get it finished up early next week.

I have to vend at a ballroom competition all day tomorrow. Lol, kind of like selling at an art fair, except with tons of makeup, false eyelashes and fake tans. You feel naked without mascara! So, much though I would love to finish it immediately, I will probably be ready to ship mid next week.

I take credit cards, debit cards, Etsy gift cards and paypal. Did you have trouble with checkout on any of those methods? If you do not mind, I would like to take good photos and list it in my shop, reserved just for you when I am done. I would also love to share it on fB and my blog, if that is ok. Once listed, you can pay when you are ready, and I will get it in the mail to you.

So glad I fingered out something you like!!

Marsha

(Hmmm... almost too easy.  I wanted to rework several things.  I thought the transition from small to larger beads in the surround connecting with the chip was pretty klunky and wanted to smooth it out by starting the larger beads one position higher and creating a nice, smoothly continuous edge.  Plus, I wasn't crazy about the top of my bezel.  So I ripped it apart entirely, and re-created with the improvements I had in mind.  And then I got another message from my client.)

hi marsha
my brain has been slowly clicking, and now i have a question, only if you haven't gone any farther........on the straight part, the yolk, i think, what if it was like it is now, but there were only 2 or 3 round turquoise beads on each side? then finished with the smaller beads that you have used, or something else a little smaller and more neutral. to my eye it would seem less formal. i want to feel comfortable with it so i can enjoy wearing it more often. if by chance you have already finished it, i do love it as is.

wow! you're good. you are correct about the origin of the piece i sent . it did come from the globe/superior, az area. as far as taking pics, yes, go right ahead. you can use them any way you wish. i would be honored to have it part of your blog. when you were talking about the square, blue ocean necklace, i found it very interesting that math came into play. (maybe that's why i don't bead) :)

let me know your thoughts on changing the necklace part. thanks!

jennifer

(Actually, the yoke was bothering me too.  I was pretty convinced about the beads, but willing to put in more of the seeds between them. What I was offended by was the lighter color some of the turquoise beads I was using.  I felt they were stealing focus from the cab and the carving.  I also thought maybe she was just asking for simpler, since she mentioned, "less formal" and "comfortable."  So I did two things.  First I waited at least a day before I did anything.  I know from my costume business that time to think is always a good thing.)

I will get back to you on Monday or Tuesday, going to bed so I can be up, load the van,and be off to my event before dawn. I think I understand what you want and will show you then. :)

(Then I strung a strap without the high contrast annoyance of the lighter colored beads on one side and more of the brown beads, although I didn't eliminate the turquoise beads.   I pinned on a simple chain on the other side after just a few of the beads, so she could say that was what she wanted, but with brown beads only.  And I sent her to look at photos of some similar pieces that I think are very relaxed, and yet quietly elegant.)

Hi Jennifer,

So finally I am ready to show you a couple options. I would like you to go and take a look at a page on my blog. Scroll down to the jasper necklaces. They are strung with semi-precious beads like the Kingman turquoise I have used on your necklace, and I want you to see that the end result is really not especially formal.www.hauteicebeadworks.blogspot.com/p/2010-gallery.html

On the other hand, this is your necklace, and I want you to love it. On the left side, I have spaced out the turquoise with more of the shiny metallic beads, which might be what you were thinking of. I would like to use at least some of the beads at the connection of the yoke to the pendant, so it can appear that the yoke just wraps around the pendant... That was my design idea here. But it could be just a few beads, enough to establish the idea, and then we could switch to vintag brass chain if you prefer.

Here's another not very good photo. What do you think?

Marsha

Above, The two new possibilities...

One of the stone bead yokes I thought was a good example of relaxed but elegant.

And the other, a yet more casual piece, without the crystal of the first.

hi marsha

yes, the second version with the beads is what i was thinking. after looking at both versions, i do prefer the original one. the second one loses something, or looks detached in some way. almost like they are 2 different necklaces.

so, i should have listened to your trained eye, because you are obviously very good at what you do. thank you for showing me the difference. now i won't be forever wondering.

i do love your original version. if you can finish it like you were thinking, that would be great. i love it!

thanks!
jennifer

(So finally, I took the information my client provided and my own opinions and aesthetic, and created a yoke that clearly delineated the idea of the strap wrapped around the bezel, using both the Kingman bronze infused 4mm beads and some slightly smaller solid deep cyan turquoise.  It was my best effort to meet all requirements and be pleased with the results myself as well.)

I like the sleek silhouette of the focal surround, and I am pleased with the beaded yoke as well, given the gradation I established and the alternating larger and smaller but deep turquoise color, which lets the chip and the cab be the stars of the show.  Everything else quietly assumes a colorful but subdued supporting role.

Jennifer, you have been so kind and trusting. Thank you. I am finished and will post the final results in my shop shortly, reserved for you, You can purchase it when you are ready and I will get it in the mail to you. I am working on a blog post and will send you a link when I am finished with it. If you find there is anything you are not happy with, please just let me know and I can adjust it for you. I am pleased, and hope you will be too. Since all the beads and tools were out, I made you a very simple pair of earrings I think will compliment the necklace as a gift for you. If I can ever be of service again, please let me know. It was a pleasure working for you!

Warmly, Marsha

Do you have strategies for successful custom work?  Special ways you like to work?  Please share!