Creativity In A Nutshell

Hello readers!
I am sorry I have been so absent lately. As many of you know, I am a full-time college student, with a couple jobs on campus - so time has been really short.
Today I want to share this great blog with you. The blogger is a fellow college student - in fact she is in one of my classes! Her blog is fantastic, interesting and tastey! Check it out!

So guess what readers?! I got some new beautiful beads from Artbeads.com! They are so fantastic and I am so excited to make necklaces with them - which I will share with you all!

Look at all of the wonderful Czech glass beads they have! And I love the olivine swarovski beads... and, well, you already know about my weakness for brass...

I wanted to share this beautiful treasury with you all:

Check out this lovely vintage style pendant:
What's the Plan, Stan?
I used it to create this fantastic and beautiful necklace - and here's a tutorial to show you how to make it too!
Check out some of the other lovely Valentines Day beads and findings over at Artbeads.com

Ingredients:

• 24 Dyed jade 6mm red rounds (I got these from Artbeads.com in their great beads for bloggers program, but they don't seem to be available any more)
• 24 Brass eyepins
• Brass chain
• Brass birds pendant
• Brass grape leaf drop
• Brass lobster clasp

Tools Of The Trade:

• Chain nose pliers
• Wire Cutters
• Round nose pliers

Process:

• First, start by placing the 24 jade beads on eye pins. Finish with a wrapped loop.

• Next, begin the actual necklace. For the first part, both halves will be the same:
• 1 inch chain, 1 jade, 5 chain links, 1 jade, 1 chain link, 1 jade, 1 chain link, 1 jade

• At this point, the sides are different.
• Right Side: 2 chain links, grape leaf connector, 3 chain links
• Left Side: 14 chain links ( you will want the left side to match the length of the new section on the right side - the number of links may not exactly match this tutorial, depending upon the size of the chain you are working with)
• From here on, the sides are the same again: 1 jade, 1 chain, 1 jade, 1 inch chain, 1 jade, 4 chain links, 1 jade, 3 chain links, 1 jade, 2 chain links, 1 jade, 3 chain links, 1 jade, 4 chain links, 1 jade, 5 chain links. End with the clasp.

• As a final touch, connect an extra length of chain, about 5 inches long to the link under the brass grape leaf connector, and the link above the corresponding jade link on the opposite side (the fourth jade link from the pendant)

C'est Fin!


Ohhhh Pssssst! Guess what? My earrings and necklace tutorials are featured in the Artbead facebook Valentine's Day Blogger Gallery of Designs
*I have received these products free of charge from Artbeads.com to honestly review in this blog. I have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received*

I was perusing through Borders the other day when I found this book on the sales rack: Bead Tempted by Vigdis Mo Johansen

It's a book of beading idea and inspiration, and while there are some nifty things in there, like crocheting copper wire bracelets, it's a book that is perfect for a beginning jewelry maker, rather than a more advanced or experienced one.

Check it out on Google Books
Buy it on Amazon

Hello Ladies and Gents!
Life has a way of getting away with me - and carrying me off in its currents. Luckily for us all I managed to snatch some time back! Here is a picture of some lovely scrabble tiles, which have already been magically transformed into earrings. These earrings will soon debut on my blog, and then in my Etsy shop! Yay!

I wanted to let you all know about a sale over at Artbeads.com
5% off orders of $25
10% off orders of $50
15% off orders of $75

I got to select some new goodies to make some great tutorials for you all via Artbeads - check out some of the stuff I chose:
Antique Brass Pendant
Some Pretty Swarovski Stuff

I was waiting for my class to continue this afternoon and had a spare moment to check my email. Guess what fantastic readers? I won Erin's contest for her lovely necklace over at Every Heart Crafts! I am giddy as a school girl! Thanks Erin - can't wait until I get it in the mail :D

• 
  
  13 Brass Eyepins
• 
  
  Antinque Vintage Brass-plated Pewter Leaf and Flower Hook and Eye Clasp
• 
  
  13 Red Czech Glass Roundels
• 
  
  Antique Brass Vined Heart Link
• 
  
  14 6mm brass jumprings
• 
  
  Brass cable chain

• 
  
  Chain nose pliers
• 
  
  Round nose pliers
• 
  
  Wire Cutters

Process:



Step One: First, place all the roundells on the eyepins. Then, end them with a wrapped loop.

Step Two: Now that your beads are ready, start by creating the pendant. Attach two 6mm jumprings to the Vined Heart Link. Then, attach a 6mm jumpring to the bottom. To this jumpring, connect about 1 inch of chain. Connect the end loop of the chain to the base loop of a glass bead section.
Step Three: Now it's time to move on to the rest of the necklace. I'll give you the pattern for the entire right side, then the left. Remember, it's an asymmetrical necklace, so the sides aren't going to match :)

• Connect one glass bead to the jumpring. Add a 6mm jumpring to the end, connected to 4 brass chain links, 1 6mm jumpring, 1brass chain link, 1 6mm jumpring
• Add one glass bead, then 1 6mm jumpring to the end, 4 brass chain links, 1 6mm jumpring
• Add one glass bead, 2 brass chain links
• Add one glass bead, 2 brass chain links
• Add one glass bead, about 1 1/8 inches of brass chain
• Add one glass bead, about 3 1/4 inches of brass chain, 1 half of the flower clasp

Step Four: One half down, second half to go!

• Connect about 1 inch of brass chain to the jumpring, add 1 6mm jumpring
• Add a glass bead, 4 brass chain links
• Add one glass bead, 1 brass chain link, 1 6mm jumpring, 2 brass chain links
• Add one glass bead, 2 brass chain links
• Add one glass bead, 2 brass chain links, 1 6mm jumpring, brass chain link
• Add one glass bead, 3 brass chain links
• Add one glass bead, 4 brass chain links, 1 6mm jumpring, 3 1/4 inches of brass chain, second half of the flower clasp

Remember this sneak peak?



What's The Plan, Stan?
I'm so excited to share this tutorial with you, using some great Valentines Day Beads and Components from Artbeads.com. I love these earrings, and I know you will to.

Ingredients:

• 2 8mm Swarovski faceted rounds
• 2 Copper headpins
• 2 Copper earwires
• 2 Copper Plated Heart Key Charms
• 2 Copper 10 mm open jumprings

Tools Of The Trade:

• Wire cutters
• Chain nose pliers
• Round nose pliers

Process:

• First, place your swarovski crystals on the headpins. Finish with a wrapped loop.
• Next, open your jumpring, and add one swarovski crystal loop to each jumpring.
• Place the copper key charms on each jumpring, on either side. 
• Add the earwires.

C'est Fin!

*I have recieved these products free of charge from Artbeads.com to honestly review in this blog. I have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received*

I had so much fun making these sweet scrabble tile earrings for my friend Olivia: Love on the Rocks


I really like the earrings, and think they came out great. I will be listing something quite similar in my Etsy shop soon, so stay posted! You can have some Love on the Rocks earrings of your own!

**Today is the first day of the Valentines Day Sale at Callie's Creations!**
Be My Valentine Earrings Just $10.50
With Love Scrabble Tile Necklace Just $19.00
Hearts of Porcelain Set Just $16.00
Key To My Heart Set Just $20.00
Je t'aime Scrabble Tile Pendant Just $6.00

It seems like I have been waiting for ages to receive my package of goodies from Artbeads.com ! Well, today I got it, and let me tell you, these beauties are just fantastic!

What's The Plan, Stan?
I sadly forgot my wire snips at home :( so I could not get started on all the beautiful projects I had planned tonight. Instead, I will tease you with photographs of some of these darling beads n things, with links where you can find 'em.
** Sweetheart Sale: You can save 15% on orders of $60 or more RIGHT NOW at Artbeads.com - it's a pretty good deal, especially with free shipping. They have lots of great Valentines Day Beads and Findings to peruse through.





NECKLACE GIVE AWAY:
I also wanted to let you know about this great Valentines Day necklace giveaway over at Every Heart Crafts

C'est Fin!

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