99earrings’s Weblog

These slightly oversharpened beauties use beads made out of the seeds of the tagua nut. The material resembles ivory before it is dyed. They are fairly light and actually remind me more of Lucite. You can find more information about tagua nuts at One World Projects.

I’m on a green kick right now, don’t know why, but for some reason that is the first color I reach for these days. I guess it’s my new black. This pair features green glass beads with little millefioris finishing them off. So now you know what my spatula and my ladle look like. Kitchen implements are great for these shots I think. Hm, you think I should polish my stainless?

Some more wire. This time with earring stoppers. To get this kind of spiral you take a length of wire and fold it in half. Bend over the folded tip and start wrapping the wire around it shaping a spiral. When you have about an inch left, separate the doubled up wires and make loops at opposite ends of the spiral. Here, I used a 6 inch length of wire that rendered a .5 inch spiral. By the way, do you like the double jump rings?

For a brief moment in time and space there were two of us, but now after 72 hours I am alone. Why didn’t she secure us with some earring stoppers. Now I have to hang on this oversized martini glass surveying peoplekind without a mate. Great sadness.

As you can tell I’m in a wiry mood. I guess it makes sense. Once you learn how to string a bead you want to graduate to the lofty heights of wire work. It’s April and here is Number 10. Only 89 to go. Yikes!

I stumbled on this Pay It Forward Exchange on Sabrina’s blog Ranunkel and this is how it works:

The concept is based on the movie Pay It Forward where acts of kindness are performed without expecting anything in return in the hope that the recipients of these acts of kindness pass on the favor.
So, I will make and send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment to this post on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I do not know what that gift will be yet, and exactly when you’ll receive it, but I promise I will send it. In return YOU have to pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

I will now PAY IT FORWARD to you THREE, I wonder who you will be?!

Please, be a PIF! You will enjoy it just as much as we do!

By the way, these pretties are from the New York Whole Bead Spring Show. So many plans for this treasure and so little time.

Here is a variation on the blue glass drops. I like the little twirl at the end of a wrap. I noticed it on a bracelet I saw in Manhattan and all of the sudden I see it everywhere.

Isn’t it odd how until something is of interest to you, you don’t really notice it? For example, it wasn’t until I was pregnant that I suddenly noticed all these pregnant women and strollers. The angel has been on my bathroom wall for a while. I took it down to dust it for the “photo shoot” and discovered that it was a Fontanini angel from 1967, which of course didn’t mean anything to me until I googled it. My grandmother gave it to me a while ago and I’m sure she knows all about these things without the almighty Google engine.

Well, they aren’t quite diamonds, but they will do for now. These earrings feature a red millefiori bead and some small Swarovskis all chained together with some basic loops. I think this lineup would also make a great necklace. Now I just have to see if I have enough crystals. . .

P.S. The Monopoly game was my Valentine’s present to myself. It comes in this girly jewelry box looking box. The tokens are chihuahuas and movie star glasses and instead of houses you build malls. Just a little something to nurture consumerism in eight-year-old girls early on.