Wednesday Worktable

Here is this morning's Worktable:

4 projects, which I'll show larger pics of below. And my iPad, streaming a Netflix movie. Couldn't make it through the day with some video entertainment! And speaking of making it through the day, there is my ubiquitous Diet Coke - this particular one is number 2 so far today.

So, from left to right, here's what I'm working on:

A blue and silver dragonscale (chainmaille) bracelet - almost done; about 3/4 inch to go!

A beaded cabochon - the beading itself is finished, but I need to glue the ultrasuede to the back and finish the edges.

More repairs, or as I now call them (thanks, Maggie!): Do Over Jewelry! I don't get good color when I take photos at my workbench, because the necklace on the left is made with beautiful, stop sign-red bamboo coral, yet it looks Halloween orange here. And the triple-strand necklace on the left is made with huge chunks of rose quartz (and freshwater pearls and Czech glass), and was simply too heavy for what it was originally strung on (as was the bamboo coral necklace, for that matter).

Once the Do Overs are dispatched, I can move on to my own projects.

Happy Wednesday!

Another look at the past

On Tuesday, I showed you the very first cab I ever beaded a bezel for.

Here is the second - made about a year later:

This was also made from one of my own pieces of dichroic glass, and I really love the colors.

Still working on the black and white jasper cab from yesterday...stitch, stitch....

Worktable Wednesday

Here's what's on the workbench today:

On the left: a 3-strand necklace repair I just completed for a customer - it is just waiting for me to call her to come pick it up. This one was a toughie - it had been originally strung on thread, which had broken. What I thought were size 15 seed beads (making up 2 of the 3 strands) were actually even smaller than 15s, and were seamed beads. The slightest pressure on these seamed beads, such as merely sliding them off the worn thread, caused the seams to pop open - so I have my fears for the longevity of this necklace. The equivalent of about 6 inches of these beads were lost due to this fragility, since once they popped open, they would no longer stay on any beading material.

On the right: a rectangular cab I am creating a beaded bezel for. I have never done anything other than an oval, so this will be a new challenge. Black and white is a favorite combo for me, and this stone is gorgeous. It is a deep snow white (opaque) and a deep opaque black, and I have absolutely no idea what the gemstone is. I'd love to know, if anyone has ideas. It is definitely not snowflake obsidian. It looks very similar to this picture I found on the www - called "black and white jasper." I am not familiar with this name, and wonder if perhaps there is another name for it. Any gemologists or geologists or gemstone wizards out there?

I am champing at the bit for a new issue of Bead & Button to arrive, so I can start a brand new weaving project - I really have a case of beadweaving fever right now!

What are you guys working on today?

Beaded Dichroic Glass Cab

I'm taking a bit of a stroll down memory lane this morning - I have never blogged this before, but I am so into beading bezels for cabs lately that I wanted to show you the very first one I ever did - way back in 2008.

The cabochon is a piece of my own dichroic glass, to which I added various delicas, and light sapphire AB Czech firepolish beads. I then beaded a peyote rope with the gold delicas.

The sentimental part of me wanted to hang on to this, but someone actually bought it right off my neck! Can't beat that!

Hot off the Worktable!

A new beaded cabochon:

And look what colors it is! Surprise! I keep working with these colors, over and over.

This pendant started with a gorgeous cab from my friend Mak, whose pieces are always so colorful, fun, and inspiring.

Here is the bezel in its early stages:

One side is higher than the other, so my finished bezel laps over the top on the lower side for a couple of rows (visible at the lower left, just to the left of the strip of matte copper seed beads crossing over the cab):

It's hardly noticeable, and certainly no big deal, but I know it's there!

After finishing the burgundy peyote weaving, I added the strip of matte copper seed beads across the top just for whimsy, and did a picot of slate gray and transparent copper seed beads around the top, and then a slate gray picot around the outer edges.

It had been awhile* since I wove a beaded bezel, and I kind of stumbled when I got to the backing, but I recovered nicely, if I do say so myself. And I enjoy this technique so much that I won't wait so long before I do another one, so my poor brain can't forget again. LOL.

This cabochon flashes so many gorgeous colors - burgundy and other reds, blue and slate gray, coppers - it is just yummy.

It would look great on a chain, or strung with complementary beads, or on a beadwoven rope.

And it is available now in my Etsy shop!

And since we are on the subject - here is the last cabochon I created a beaded bezel for:

*It has been a year, basically, since I did this piece - wow, where does the time go?
a) Look at the colors - there's my blue and burgundy, again
b) How can I forget how to do something I have done multiple times, and the last time was less than a year ago? A little scary...
c) This one is also available on Etsy!