Skip to main content

Bead Hoarders Blog Hop Reveal

So its time to reveal what I have been hoarding. Well this does not even touch the surface of things I have stashed away but its a start!

Let me begin by introducing fellow Stamford Artisans Guild member DL Designs of Rutland. Diz makes the most amazing jewellery, charms and lanyards in different types of cords and threads and I admire her work a lot. So about two years ago I bought a handmade hemp macramé cording knot necklace from DL Designs. And then I promptly put it in safe keeping because I wanted to make something special with it. And I have been hoarding it all this time.

I also had a beautiful Labradorite Cabochon cut and polished in house in our Lapidary workshop. This beautiful stone has a magnificent Labradorescence and I have had it on my board for almost 6 months! Because of the angle its been cut at it needed a special wrap on it for the colours to be seen in full glory. I have wrapped it a couple of times and then taken the wire off because the Labradorescence was hidden.

So last Saturday I finally sat down to use these two lovely treasures and make something. The only thought was it should be funky and a bit weird because I was in that sort of mood.

And that's how the Creature from the Deep was born! It looks like a fairly innocuous and boring grey stone until you wear it and then it flashes all kinds of blue-green-gold colours and glows!

Yes I know it is a bit odd... but then so is the habit of hoarding things for ever and ever!

But what is pleasing is that in hiding away a whole stash of lovely beads and components I am not alone! Here is a whole list of other jewellery artisans like me...

Lori Anderson, Pretty Things
Nancy Dale, NEDBeads
Roxanne Mendoza, Roxi Designs
Melissa Trudinger, beadrecipes
Rana Lea, Rana Lea Designs
Perri Jackson, Shaktipaj Designs
Rita Avila, Jewel School Friends
Linda Anderson, From the Bead Board
Erin Guest, Renlish
Joan Williams, lilruby jewelry
Diane Hawkey, Diane Hawkey
Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation
Sue Kennedy, SueBeads
Lisa Cone, Inspired Adornments
Kari Asbury, Hippie Chick Design
Nichole Byers, Nichole Byers
Lori Jean Poppe, Adventures in Creativity
Linda Landig, Linda's Bead Blog and Meanderings
Lori Schneider, Bead Addict
Molly Alexander, Beautifully Broken Me
Cece Cormier, The Beading Yogini
Niki Sayers, Silver Nik Nats
Elsie Deliz-Fonseca, Eliz-Eliz and All That Craft
Amber Dawn, Inventive Soul
Heather Powers, Humblebeads
Sarah Goode, Pookledo
Monique Urquhart, A Half-Baked Notion
JJ Jacobs, Coming Abstractions
Cheri Reed, Creative Designs by Cheri
Robyn, Museiddity
Catherine King, Catherine's Musings
Jacquie, Bead Gypsy
Janet McDonald, Singing Woods
Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreations
Tanty Sri Hartanti, TJewellicious by Tanti
Hannah Rosner, Good River Valley
Rochelle Brisson, A Creative Chelle
Nelly May, Smelly Nelly
Skylar Bre'z, Brising Beads
Beti Horvath, Stringing Fool
Christie Murrow, Charis Designs
Leanne Loftus, First Impression Design
Valerie Norton, Hot Art
Judy Riggs, Rigglettes
Crystal Thain, Here Bead Dragons
Terry Carter,  Tapping Flamingo
Sue, Mid-Life Great Expectations
Nan Smith, Wired Nan
Miranda Ackerley, MirandAck Arts
Marie Covert, Creating Interest
D'Arsie Manzella, This Here Now, Mamacita
Stephanie Haussler, Pixybug Designs
Lori Bergmann, Lori Bergmann Design
Johanna Nunez, The Lovely One Design
Mary Govaars, MLH Jewelry Designs
Becky Pancake, Becky Pancake Bead Designs
Alicia Marinache, All the Pretty Things
Debbie Rasmussen, A Little of This, A Little of That
Nat, Grubbi Ceramics
Marjorie Savill Linthwaite, Bennu Bird Rising
Cheryl McCloud, One Thing Leads to Another
Heather Otto, The Crafthopper
Candida Castleberry, Spun Sugar Beadworks
JuLee Wolfe, The Polymer Penguin
Ginger Bishop, Lil Mummy Likes
Karen Mitchell, Over the Moon Design
Jeannie Dukic, Jeannie's Blog
Dini Bruinsma, Angaza by Changes
Birgitta Lejonklou, Create With Spirit
Shalini Austin,That's ME!
Jayne Capps, Mama's Got to Doodle
Ile Ruzza, Ilenia's Unique Beaded Jewelry
Annita Wilson, AW Jewelry 
Sherri Stokey, Knot Just Macrame
Hannah Trost, PZ Designs
Linda Inhelder, Must Haves Jewelry
Miri Agassi, Beadwork
Hope Smitherman, Crafty Hope
Dyanne Cantrell, Dee-Liteful Jewelry Creations
Susan Bowie, Susan Nelson Bowie
Megan Milliken, MaeMaeMills
Menka Gupta, Menka's Jewelry

Ambra Gostoli, Chic and Frog
Lori Lochner, Bloghner
Gerda Jurimae, Gerda's Crafts Blog
Susan, Mistheword
MaryLou Holvenstot, MaryLou's time2cre8
Mary Shannon Hicks, falling into the sky
Karin King, The Sparklie Things Blog
Christa Murphy, Adventures of One Beady Woman
Jenny Davie-Reazor, Jenny Davies-Reazor
Donetta Farrington, Simply Gorgeous
Mallory Hoffman, Rosebud 101 - For the Love of Beads
Danielle Kelley, Imbue the Muse
Kym Hunter, Kym Hunter Designs
Dolores Rami, CraftyD's Creations
Marcia Dunne, 13 Alternatives
Marlene Cupo, Amazing Designs
Emma Todd, A Polymer Penchant
Wendy Holder, Jewelry by WendyLea
Michelle Escano, The Cabby Crafter
Louise Glazier, Lily and Jasmine Treasures
Dana Hickey, Wind Dancer Studios
Lennis Carter, windbent
Anne Betenson, Crystal River Beads
Audrey Belanger,  Dreams of an Absolution
Lisa Stukel, Carefree Jewelry by Lisa
Janine Lucas, Travel Stories
Claire Lockwood, Something to Do With Your Hands
Kathy Engstrom, Catherine's Dreams
Paula Hisel, Simply Beadiful
Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams
Mischelle Fanucchi, Micheladas Musings
Kim, Cianci Blue
Linda Sadler, Ida Louise Jewelry
Karen, Spokalulu
Jennifer LaVite, Dry Gulch Bead and Jewelry
Andrea Glick-Zenith, ZenithJade Creations
Karen Martinez, Fairies Market
Robin Reed, Artistry HCBD
Amy Bright, LABweorc
Jasvanti Patel, Jewels by Jasvanti
Tammie Everly, TTE Designs
Karin Slaton, Backstory Beads
Natalie Moten, Running Out of Thread
Sharyl McMillian-Nelson, Sharyl's Jewelry & Reflections
Jenny Kyrlach, Wonder and Whimsy
LiliKrist, Handmade by LilK
Jessica Klaaren, The Truth Space
Cynthia Abner, Created Treasures
Beth Emery, Stories by Indigo Heart
Heather Davis, Blissful Garden Beads
Jeanne, Gems by Jeanne Marie
Sandi Volpe, Sandi Volpe
Laren Dee Barton, Laren Dee Designs
Steph, Confessions of a Bead Hoarder
Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations
B. R. Kuhlman, Mixed Mayhem
Patty Miller, Cabari Beads
Elizabeth Bunn, Elizabeth Beads
Marianna Boylan, Pretty Shiny Things
Lizzie Clarke, The Need to Bead
Christina Miles, Wings 'n' Scales
Patricia, The Color of Dreams
Marde Lowe, Fancimar
Ev Shelby, Raindrop Creations
Sarah Small, By Salla
Perri Jackson, Shaktipaj Designs
Laurie Vyselaar, Lefthand Jewelry
Pam Traub, Klassy Joolz
Lisa Harrison, Daisy Meadow Studio
Anzia Parks, Anzi-Panzi's Work Shoppe
Ingrid, Lilisgems Handcrafted Jewelry Inspirations
Andra Weber, Andra's Joyful Journey
Kelly Hosford Patterson, The Traveling Side Show
Adlinah Kamsir, Dreamstruck Designs
Marci, That Nothing Be Wasted
Kris Lanae Binsfield,  Cherish Designs
Stephanie Perry, Mustard Bead
Birgit Klughardt, Gites Beads
Inge von Roos, Inge's Blog
Rebecca Sirevaag, Becca's Place
Sandy Markley, Gypsy Spirit Designs
Elena Adams, Lena's Beady Blog

Comments

  1. Oh what a fun "creature". Love your wire work on him/her/it? The cording is just the right touch too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Marlene :-) "it" is lovingly being called "The Thing" because we cannot arrive at a decision what type of creature it is!

      Delete
  2. A weirdly wonderful pendant and all-round amazing necklace! Love the originality of your creation.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love the pendant and your creativity!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh I love it! It looks like a grasshopper to me...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. :-) All suggestions on what it is welcome!

      A child asked at the craft show yesterday if it was a slug.

      Delete
  5. But we get to take them out from time to time to fondle them :D
    Great Creativity, labs are one of my fav stones!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My stash of Labs keeps growing. We polish them and then they never make it to the shop! I hide them in a little box...

      Delete
  6. I love your wire work, it's beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Beautiful necklace, love your wire wrapping and the macrame.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Dolores, I enjoyed making it, I mam so glad it came out the way it did and does credit to Diz's lovely macramé work :-)

      Delete
  8. Oh, I just love laboradite! Silver goes so well with it and the rest of your necklace makes it so awesomely unique. Very cool!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you :-)
      I confess! I am a labradorite hoarder! and proud of it ;-)

      Delete
  9. Ooh, I like it! Has kind of a funky 70s / beachy vibe.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Labradorite *u*

    *cough*

    It might be a little odd, but it's so lovely and unique ! I thought it was like a little fish when I looked at it first.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I said fish to start with... One of my friends called it a Stink insect, I have no idea what that is but sounds odd enough :-)

      Delete
  11. Shalini, this is indeed an unusual combination of elements, which I find most appealing. Judging from the name you have given your creation, your sense of irony is as valuable as your sense of style!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Monique :-)
      I love what I do because I can have fun with it. And if it makes people smile that's just wonderful!

      Delete
  12. Really love your beautiful wirework!

    ReplyDelete
  13. "Creature from the Deep" is the best name ever for this amazing piece of jewellery Shalini! It is so enchanting... the flashy labradorite makes it look gorgeous, it's one of my favourite stones :-)it's not odd, it's great!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww Thank you Dini, you are so kind. Glad you like it :-)

      Delete
  14. I think it's absolutely fantastic... your wire-work is extremely impressive, and the name makes me smile. You are very talented! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. Labradorite is too alive not to give it a fun name :-)

      Delete
  15. That is one super-funky piece. Beautiful knotwork, beautiful wire-work and hidden flashes of colour. Gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you :-)
      As soon as I have a few more pennies in my pocket I will be ordering more knotwork necklaces and bracelets from DL Designs to try a few new ideas.

      Delete
  16. I love your design it has life,movement and colors.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I am in love with labradorite and (of course) hoard it. I'm dragging out some in the near future! And the cording is creative and the wire wrapping amazing!

    (Thanks for being patient with my slow hopping -- please join me on another hop soon!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Lori. Very humbled at your lovely comment.
      I have been very slow in my hopping too and still not covered everyone. Life sometimes gets in the way of fun!
      Looking forward to more blog hops :-)

      Delete
  18. Beautiful focal with the wire wrapping, very nice!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Wow I bet your piece does shine when worn! I love it!!
    So funky and cool!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Janet :-)
      My apologies for responding so late, you must think me so rude! I have been neglecting this blog a bit recently. Sorry :-(

      Delete
  20. Love it! so funky and the wire wrap it wonderful to show the flash of the stone!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

I would love to hear from you so please do leave a comment :-)
Sorry comment moderation is ON because I have been getting too many spam comments from bots. I get notification for each comment left and I will publish all genuine messages.
Thanks! Shalini

Popular posts from this blog

3 Gorgeous Copper Leaf Sculptures

3 Gorgeous Copper Leaf Sculptures : I have added 3 gorgeous copper leaf sculptures to my online shop this week.

New Rustic Copper Earrings Now Available | Shalini Austin

New Rustic Copper Earrings Now Available | Shalini Austin :  A selection of rustic copper earrings, fold formed and air-chased, have been added to my online shop.

The Cabochons I made

Here is a picture of my first cabs :-) As I said before I am not 100% satisfied with them but it's a start. It's my first attempt and some of them have turned out all right. The others, well back to the grinding wheel again I guess. Here is a close up of the individual cabochons: These are the ones that definitely need more work! ------------------------------------------- These I am reasonably pleased with for a first attempt :-) They are a lot shinier than the pictures show ------------------------------------------- And this one was a bugger! Its a Porcelain Jasper with such beautiful patterns on it but try as I might it does not get an overall smooth finish. The different patterns all seem to have different properties and grind down differently. I'll think about this one a bit more. ------------------------------------------- And I am proud of this one!

Happy New Year Everyone!

Hope it is a wonderful year for you! 2012 had its ups and downs and at times it felt like downs were bigger than the ups but that is life. What matters is that We are still here ! The thing that personally affected me most in 2012 was Bullet. Sending our beautiful boy for his final sleep on 15 September will just be one of the worst days of my life. He gave us his love unconditionally from the first day we brought him home from the Rescue Centre near Wittering 11 years ago. He was around 14 and I think we did the right thing for him but it hurt a lot! BUT! There are a lot of good things that happened too! Taj is the newest member of our family. We brought him home from the  Animal Helpline Dog Rescue  (same place where Bullet and Millie were found) on 23rd December and he has been an absolute joy. He is settling in nicely and Millie does not seem too bothered by him. I am hoping they will become good friends as time goes by. He has only been here a few days! He does not

Greensleaves Florist…. All About Gorgeous Flowers!

It’s almost a year today since I first met Amanda Clarke who runs Greensleaves Florist in Stamford. And what a fantastic meeting that was! I made a friend. Amanda is an independent florist with years of experience about flowers and floristry. Her flower arrangements are just beautiful. What amazes me about Amanda is the passion she has for flowers and how much of her special touch she puts into each arrangement whether it’s a little posy or a big Wedding order. Amanda has a beautiful shop at the Stamford Garden Centre in Great Casterton and what a shop it is! You walk in and everything is so beautifully displayed, the shop just makes you feel so welcome. The fresh flower arrangements are really fresh and the silk displays so pretty. All created by Amanda. There is even a private little room where you can discuss your requirements of flowers for your Wedding Day, Birthday Party or that very sombre moment when you have to go in and discuss wreaths and tributes because a loved one