About three weeks ago, I got an email from Artbeads.com saying how much they like my beadwork and asking if I would accept some beads in exchange for blogging about them.  The told me I could write whatever I wanted, good, bad or indifferent.

Since, unbeknownst to them, they are my favorite site for bugle beads for my beadwork pieces, I was delighted to accept their offer.

They asked that I choose Swarovski crystals since September is for Swarovski, and make something with them.

This piece is 3"wide by 2" high.  I used the bulk of the beads I ordered including: square burgundy buttons, 4mm light amethyst AB faceted rounds, 4mm silver-plated smoked topaz 1ring Channels, 4mm light colorado topaz diagonal cubes,4mm silver plated amethyst 1 ring channels, 12x8mm cubist burgundy (drops), 6mm burgundy faceted bicones and a 17x9mm burgundy keystone bead – all Swarovski products  that I had never used before (except the bicones, which I use all the time) and wanted to try. I added in some Swarovski bicones I had on hand, and garnets for the necklace piece.  It’s very sparkly!

I enjoyed browsing Artbeads.com website looking for exciting pieces.  As you can see, they have a wide assortment of Swarovski products (this piece represents only a few of them).  The colors run true to the way they showed on my screen and I am delighted to recommend them for your bead shopping pleasure.  Back to the reason I use them on my own:  they have the best selection of bugle beads I have found on the web, and I’ve looked a lot.

 The next piece includes a 13x7mm crystal copper keystone Swarovski for it’s drop.  I already had the main focal ready to finish when I got the crystals from Artbeads.com and it was such a lovely match I couldn’t resist adding it. 

I have been busily making focals the last few days and will add the necklace pieces on Thursday.  These are all for the AnnMarie Garden’s Artsfest this weekend, where I am showing only jewelry, a first show for only jewelry for me, and I was really happy Artbeads.com quick delivery got the beads here in time for me to work them into pieces for that show.

The earrings I made to go with this piece are shown below and include 12mm Cosmic Crystal Copper beads as the dangles with topaz 1-ring channels as the end/stoppers.  Love the copper colors with copper metal…all warm and autumny. (and boy did that picture turn out large!  Wonder what I did differently?!)

Finally, here are two other pieces I’ve been working on.  None of the necklaces have the necklace part yet except the top piece.  My favorite thing in the world is putting these focals together (right now).  It’s very soothing and methodical and makes me happy.  It’s slow going:  no fast work here.  And that demands that I stop worrying about time and money and enjoy the process (much like clay, actually).

So here are the other pieces for your enjoyment.  The last piece has some bugle beads (they’re the long skinny ones) and the 1-ring channel beads.

thought for the day: 

…I am an eagle.  In my mouth I/hold a golden fish that/speaks my name.  I let/it go and it becomes a yellow/comet with an orange tail/that trails a word I cannot/read.  I fly into the sun and//through and find/I am a woman who/has been sleeping-//and knows//it’s time to wake.  Tammy Vitale