Banana Fiber is YUMMY!!

Okay - I'm totally hooked on ribbons and yarns from "Darn Good Yarn"! Especially their Banana Fiber Yarn!  It's so YUMMY and SOFT!

 

I created some bangles with this super cool yarn and wrapped it up with some .925 Sterling Silver Wire and sporadically added some Turquoise bead dangles for movement and fun!

Funky, fun, soft, and FLUFFY – these bangles are your ticket to WILD!

You can find these cool bangles hanging out in my Etsy Shop.

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Funky Fibers!!

Cheers,

~Shel~ 

P.S. Check out this cool "Peace Baby" necklace I also created with some super soft Banana Fiber Yarn.  This one was donated to a cancer benefit being held next month for a young woman who's standing up to Brain Cancer, but various ones will be up in my Etsy shop in June!

Yummy Pearls for Review!

When Szarka over at Magpie Gemstones allowed me to do a pearl review here on my blog - I was jumping for joy!  (You know me and my pearls, baby!!)


She sent this super yummy and delicious strand of freshwater cultured white stick pearls and once they arrived it was hard to stop drooling!
These beauties have a great luster and rose overtones (rainbow effect) and the nacre on them is very thick and clean. They're approximately 17 to 22 mm and their soft glow is superb!

I thought these would be the perfect pearls to hand knot with some Swarovski Crystals and a few other freshwater cultured pearls to create a necklace that could be worn with jeans and a "T" or dressed up for a night out on the town!


Here's what I created. What do you think?  This particular necklace is being donated to put in a silent auction for a caner benefit being held this summer.  I think someone's going to feel really good wearing these pearls.  First, knowing they've helped raise funds for a family in need and second, just because they're so darn beautful!!

Thanks Szarka and Magpie Gemstones for allowing me to do this pearl review - your gemstones ROCK!

Until Next Time,
Peace, Love and "Pearls Baby"
Cheers,
~Shel~

FTC compliance disclosure: the Magpie Gemstones items mentioned in this post were provided free of charge for review/design purpose only.

MiShel Designs Keshi Pearl Dangle Earrings in the latest issue of BeadStyle Magazine!

Thank you BeadStyle Magazine for making my Keshi Pearl Dangle Earrings look so amazing!  (And for including them on the front cover - you ROCK!!)

Grab the July issue of BeadStyle Magazine which hits new stands on May 31st and you can see my Keshi Pearl Dangle Earrings on Page 80!

Also, I'm really lovin' the Pearl Necklace for the June Birthstone section on page 20 by DonnaMarie Bates - Gorgeous!!

I'm also fascinated with the "Tiny Treasures Eearrings" by Lori Mendenhall on page 34 - she makes me want to pour resin over some of my pearls!!

And, you gotta see the "Newfangled Bangle" project on page 44 by Sherri Haab - Simply YUMMY!! 

Okay - go check out BeadStyle magazine yourself for all the cool projects and designs they've got jam packed into the July issue! 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Happy Summer Beading!!

Cheers,

~Shel~

 

Something Old is NEW Again

Anyone who’s spent any time with me at all has probably heard me ramble on about my favorite hotel on the planet – the Hotel Queen Mary over in Long Beach, California.

You are immediately rushed back in a time bursting with history and culture as you walk on board with Fred Astaire and instrumental jazz music playing softly in the background. Beautiful, rich wood and chrome details are a delight to the eyes and the Art Deco paintings set your mind a whirl as the excitement of what it must have been like to sail on this amazing ship engulfs you! (I could go on gushing for days,…so I’ll just stop now, K?)

This pearl and gold tassel was in a bag of vintage goodies that my niece picked up at a yard sale in the mountains of Arizona. It always reminded me grand opulence (hence, the Queen Mary!) so when it came time for the new Artbeads Blogging Challenge, “Something Old is New Again”, I knew exactly what I wanted to create!

I worked and re-worked this piece a few different times, first with two different chains like what it was attached to when it was given to me. I added, subtracted, added, subtracted Swarovski pearls, crystals, bead caps, more chain,….urggghhhh,…nothing looked right and nothing felt like the sleek sophistication that was befitting the Queen Mary or the elegant women who graced those magical ballrooms and suites.

“Simple is Best” kept whispering in my ear, (just like the ghosts of the Queen Mary herself!) and I reconstructed everything once more, adding only a few pearls to the bottom of the tassel, keeping the chain that more closely resembled the 1940’s period and ditching the art-deco looking chain - although it would have been very fitting, it was way too "gold looking" and bright for this specific piece.

I alternated different sizes of Swarovski Pearls and gold plated bead caps and finished it off with a simple hook clasp; very befitting the time period. Earrings were created that would compliment, but not distract, from this elegant necklace and I finished them with my own handcrafted 14K gold filled earring wires. All was now perfect!

I imagine myself wearing this stunning and timeless set while sipping a cocktail on the aft deck of the Queen Mary; soft music playing in the background and the cool, ocean air dancing lightly on my skin as I sail, like royalty, across the ocean!

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Something Old is Definitely New Again!

Cheers,

~Shel~

FTC compliance disclosure: the Artbeads.com items mentioned in this post were provided as a promotional gift as part of the Blogging for Beaders Program. These items are for review or design purposes.

Color Blind!

Okay, so over at Lark Crafts they're asking about colors and I wanted to share my colorful stash of fabric colors with you and see what you think?

What's the dominant color here?  Blues?  Or is it really more pinks/fusia/purples in this mix?  It's hard to tell when they're all mixed together.


But boy do they look yummy and they're so fun to use and play with! 

And yesterday, another batch from Darn Good Yarn came in the mail - Woo Hoo - now there's even more colors in there!

Don't forget to tell me what color you think is the prominent one here and also tell me what's in your "Color Stash", too!

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Color Me Happy! (with soft, yummy ribbons and yarns!!)

Cheers,

~Shel~

Inside the Studio

Okay - so I've been letting things go lately and haven't kept up my nice, neat, clean and very organized studio the way I used to.

I saw Lorelei's blog post last wednesday of her work bench along with Erin Siegel's pics she posted of her new studio space and how that's coming along and they both prompted me to "take inventory", if you will.

I completely understand what Lorelei wrote about feeling "discombobulated" when things get a bit out of control and spread out all over the place.  And, I'd love my studio space to resemble that of Erin's - it's gorgeous and so clean and neat - I love it!  (It's along the lines of what I aspire to have in the near future!)

With just  two bedrooms and a den (Mike's Man Cave!) I am 'sharing' some space now, so to speak, and nothing can "live" out in the open.  Everything (and I mean everything), has to be put away each time I'm done working for the day, or even 'pausing' for awhile as I do my daily duties of helping my husband run our family company.  (Otherwise I cannot reach my computer in order to work!)

Lately, I am feeling the need to 'spread out' and take over a room - a room that I don't have (yet!).  But, I wanted to share the views from "Inside My Studio" with you because I feel that if I "put it out there" then I'll be motivated to straighten it up again and organize things back to a more manageable level.

PLUS, although my space is limited and everything has to 'hide' right now, I'm super blessed to have an amazing view from my 'studio' window! (Which is super inspirational, by the way!)

I can hear the fountain running in our backyard, hear the birds singing, see the beautiful roses in our rose garden blooming, smell the lovely blooms of the grapefruit trees and see the lake, the palm trees, the green grasss - oh,...it's so wonderful! It definitely makes the 'space' issue completely fine! (for now!)

So, here's a glimpse around,....and heres wishing that everyone's "Dream Studio" comes true! 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Counting My Blessings!

Cheers,

~Shelly~

Ribbons of Hope

I'm not sure if I can actually call my handcrafted ribbons I designed "Ribbons of Hope" as that name seems to be take (by several individuals and companies!) but I'm calling them Ribbons of Hope because they started out as commemoration ribbons; ribbons to commemorate awareness for things such as motorcyclists on our freeways, and various cancers, too and they actually do represent hope. 

Many of my friends and clients asked if I could please duplicate my design for them, only using colors that coordinated with the types of causes, cancers, diseases, and awareness that meant something to them and were close to their hearts - so I have begun the process.  And what a rewarding proccess it is!

So, listed here in this post are the beginnings of some of the designs. These first pics are of the original design with blackened sterling silver ribbons that have been hand forged, textured and wire wrapped and adorned with saltwater and/or freshwater cultured pearls (of course they have pearls - you guys know me well enough to know that!!).

One of the ribbons in these pictures is going to be given to a young woman who's father and I attended school together. This young woman has been diagnosed with brain cancer.  Her necklace will have a gray ribbon attached to it for brain cancer awareness and I'm donating more jewelry items that will go into a silent auction at a benefit that will be held this summer for her. With out mentioning their names or anything (to protect everyone's privacy), I'd like to ask you to send your warmest wishes and prayers to this young lady and her entire family - there is definitely strength in numbers when it comes to 'postive vibes' that go out into the Universe! Thank you - I really appreciate it and I'm sure she and her family will as well.

The other ribbons in this collection that I'm creating will have various colored gemstones and ribbons associated with the different types of awareness causes such as pink for breast cancer, gray for brain cancer, yellow for our troops and their families, teal for Hodgkins Lymphoma, light blue for child abuse, red for your "heart health" and many more.  There are also plans for various types of metals to be used such as gold, copper, brass, etc. making these handcrafted metal ribbons adaptable to any cause which needs awareness and education. I'm also going to be donating a percentage of the proceeds of these ribbons to various causes as well - I just have to work out all those details first, before folks can start placing orders!

I welcome your thoughts and comments on these - so feel free to post something to this blog or shoot me an email or leave me a message on facebook.

He's my MiShel Designs Facebook Page so you can leave a message there if you'd like.

Until Next Time,
Peace, Lots of Love and Awareness!
Cheers,
~Shel~







P.S. - Someone asked and I looked it up - GRAY is how it's spelled in the America's and GREY is how they spell it in Europe and just about everywhere else in the world,...so they are both acceptable and both correct. I prefer grey for some reason,...don't ask my why! However, I made sure I corrected my use here in this post to the 'American' version but I still have it listed as GREY on my FB page!  :)

2 Feet of Wire!

The theme for Week 12 of Year of Jewelry Projects 2011 was "2 Feet of Wire" and what a challenge it was, too.  I never really thought about it until I forced myself to stay within the '2 feet' limit and I found that the things I usually create take much less or much more wire.  I did pretty good and only cut minimal pieces off when I was ready to secure my wire wrappings - so I possibly have a smidge under 2 Feet.

So, here's the measurements:

Swirl Earring Wires - 4 inches of 20g. sterling silver round dead soft wire = 8 inches - Forged, hammered/textured.

Wire Wrappings - 2 pieces of 2 inches each of 26gauge s/s round dead soft wire to secure the loops = 4 inches

Wire Wrapped Pearls - 2 pieces of 6 inches each 26gauge s/s round dead soft wire to wire wrap these gorgeous greenish/grey freshwater cultured pearls = 12 inches

So, there you have it - 2 Feet of Wire!  And pearls, of course!

Known as the 'stone of sincerity,' pearls symbolize purity and represent faith, charity and innocence.  As the most widely used gemstone in weddings, pearls are believed to bestow the power of love, (and money, too).

They are thought to bring luck and to offer protection for the wearer, especially to children. Royalty often valued pearls above all other gemtsones and you know this "Pearl Girl" loves her pearls!! 

With Easter, Mother's day, Prom and Graduation, not to mention all the Spring and Summer Weddings that are popping up amongst your friends and family, you can bet you'll be seeing these gorgeous and versatile gemstones every where!

To find out more about these fantastic gemstones, jump on over to our website and check out our pearls page!

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and 2 Feet of Wire (Adorned with Pearls!)

Cheers,

~Shel~

Irish Eyes Are Smiling

St. Patrick's day finds us once again over in California and will be having a traditional cornbeef and cabbage dinner at my Niece's house with her and her family. It's always a fun time, only usually my sis is there - snapping away with her camera - catching us all in our green clothes, jewelry and funny glasses - but this isn't the case this year.  I guess we'll have to take our own pics!!

Okay, so last week, after fighting with my tumbler and pulling items from it in every imaginable color - except the bright, shiny silver I was trying for - I decided to bench the silly thing and just go with this beautiful, shiny copper just the way it was! Although it would have been really cool looking had it been oxidized with LOS and them polished up - but, it is what it is!

Week 10 of YOJP 2011 had a theme of "Irish Eyes Are Smiling".  I was inspired to try a design I saw in the Fall issue of Belle ( page 48 - Intention Earrings) but I varied the design slightly as I did not hand stamp any 'intention words' into the hammered copper sheet that I wire wrapped with recycled sari silk ribbon.  I did wire wrap some small new jade roundelles and attach them on the ends so they could dangle freely, adding to the movement of they "Eye Catching" earrings!  I completed the look with my own handcrafted, artisan earring wires in my 'Signature Style' and now that everything is finished, I'm quite pleased with the end result.

You should skip on over to the YOJP 2011 Website and check out all the fabulous designs that folks are making - they're amazing!! 

I hope your St. Patrick's Day is filled with all the green things you can handle (and handle responsibly!!) and that you have a wonderful time with family and friends.

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Cheers,

~Shel~

Winter Enchantment – Windswept Dreams Necklace

Our assignment this time around for the Artbeads.com blogging challenge, was the theme “Winter Enchantment” and I found some nice items to try – and boy are they cool!

This project, by the way, is also doubling as my YOJP 2011 Week 9 Entry this week – with the theme being “Windswept”.

I had a ball with this cause I was really jazzed to try out some of the Swarovski Crystal beaded yarns. Here’s what I got:

• Swarovski Crystal 3mm Crystal Beads White Cashmere Yarn

• Swarovski Crystal 3mm Jet Beads Black Cotton Yarn

• Swarovski Light Grey Mohair Yarn with 3mm light grey pearls (ya knew there be pearls in there somewhere, didn’t cha!!?)

• Swarovski Crystal Hematite Mohair Yarn with 3mm hematite beads.

These were really fun to work with. All were soft, and the mohair and cashmere ones are really ‘fuzzy’ and remind me of nice, warm winter sweaters! They would be great to make little “Barbie” necklaces with. Yes, I even make jewelry for Barbie once in a while….I’m such a dork!

I really am a dork, because I forgot to snap my ‘before’ pics when I take all my goodies out of the bag and you get to see everything lined up before I start creating – sorry about that.


For my necklace focal bead I chose a 28mm Jet Swarovski Crystal Twist Pendant – boy does this have some heft to it! LOVE IT! And, the toggle I chose - since I was doubling this for my windswept theme for Week 9 of YOJP 2011 – was this spiral (swirly wind!) Tierracast Spiral Toggle Clasp.

I like the Tierracast toggle design and since it’s light weight (it’s silver plated not true sterling) it feels nice on the back of your next and doesn’t press down on your neck bones in the back. I know that sounds weird,…but trust me,…it’s important!

I gathered up these lovely little, fabulously fuzzy yarns with their tiny little beads and wire wrapped the ends, sliding them into some plain sterling silver cones that I purchased from my friends over at BeadWorld here in Glendale. I also got the nice sterling silver bail that’s holding the Swarovski Crystal pendant on at BeadWorld as well!

I added the pendant and the toggle clasp to the layers of Swarovski yarns and ‘Ta-da’ – it’s a “Winter Enchantment, Windswept Dream!” (it’s more of a little winter enchantment, fluffy, fuzzy looking type of dream necklace than any windswept necklace, but whatcha gonna do!?!) But, it still looks rather ‘Winter-ish’, don’t you think?

I’m really thankful to the folks over at Artbeads.com. I’ve been ordering from them for over 5 or 6 years now and their items are really great, shipping is fast, and their prices are some of the best around. You definitely can’t beat that these days – that’s for sure!

Until Next Time,
Peace, Love, Winter Enchantment and Windswept Dreams of Spring Coming Soon!!
Cheers,

~Shel~

FTC compliance disclosure: the Artbeads.com items mentioned in this post were provided as a promotional gift as part of the Blogging for Beaders Program. These items are for review or design purposes.