English Garden

Valbeads wrote

on Jul 8, 2012 2:22 PM

This is one of my designs incorporating an Adorned Life focal from Nunn Designs.  Hope you like it.

yumemiru wrote

on Jul 8, 2012 2:55 PM

I love the way you broke up the chain with beads. :) Hate it when I see just a chain and a focal - it's like anyone could do that! Breaking the chain up, though, takes considerably more skill. :) Not to mention it also helps the piece flow better, at least to me.

D.M.Z wrote

on Jul 8, 2012 3:25 PM

I've never seen those focals before......Adorned Life..... but that has a really nice serene look to it. I like it and the chain and dingle dangles are cool too. It is nice and simple, but not "common".........good work. Donna

Valbeads wrote

on Jul 8, 2012 4:11 PM

I really like the Nunn Design pieces; they're quite lovely, and yes, simple without being common.  The Adorned Life series was a limited edition made exclusively for Michaels that came out around Christmas.  Needless to say, I went "nutsy-cuckoo" over them, as my mum would say!(lol)  Thanks, Donna!  and aw, shucks!

I frequently do that on some of my simpler designs, yumemiru.  It gives them that little extra oomph.  I don't know if you could tell, but I wire-wrap all the beads.  I think it looks nicer, and it strengthens the piece so the loops don't open by accident and the beads slip off.  Even if I'm using a pattern for inspiration and it calls for simple loops I'll still wrap them.  To me, that's the difference between a piece you can get in a store versus one of my handcrafted pieces.

Val

debbiela wrote

on Jul 8, 2012 6:26 PM

Very Pretty.  :) 

Valbeads wrote

on Jul 8, 2012 11:48 PM

Thank you, Ma'am!

Val( who needs to be toddling off to bed!)

yumemiru wrote

on Jul 9, 2012 8:33 PM

Valbeads:

I frequently do that on some of my simpler designs, yumemiru.  It gives them that little extra oomph.  I don't know if you could tell, but I wire-wrap all the beads.  I think it looks nicer, and it strengthens the piece so the loops don't open by accident and the beads slip off.  Even if I'm using a pattern for inspiration and it calls for simple loops I'll still wrap them.  To me, that's the difference between a piece you can get in a store versus one of my handcrafted pieces.

I just went back and looked at the picture closer; yes indeed those wrapped loops do look nice. :) They really give it a finished look, not like you were designing it on the fly and left it like that. I commend anybody who can make such pretty wrapped loops and do so willingly...wire and I have never gotten along that great. {Well, save for the one time I tried a Victorian beaded flower - without a pattern no less!}

~Katie {who really should make a signature, but is being lazy and waiting until after moving and setting up an online store}

Valbeads wrote

on Jul 9, 2012 10:03 PM

Katie,

I was lucky; when I took a beginning class at my local bead store, my instructor showed me a neat trick to doing both simple and wrapped loops.  Ever since, I always do wrapped loops, because the trick she showed me is actually easier than you see in books, and I can get a more consistent loop.  I want my pieces to last.  Though when I was finished with my "Partly Sunny" neclace, which you can see here in Readers' Showcase, I almost never wanted to do another wrapped loop again!(lol)  When you look at the piece, you'll see why!

Wow!  You did a beaded flower?  Good on you!

Val(who hasn't made a signature either, 'cos I like to change my message to reflect my mood!)

Kokopelli wrote

on Jul 10, 2012 12:32 AM

The beads/pearls and the chain are the perfect match for the pendant. Great piece!

Valbeads wrote

on Jul 10, 2012 11:27 AM

Thanks!

Those green teardrop shaped pearls have been sitting in my box for ages, waiting for just the right project to come along.  I'd say I found it.(g)

Val

KristieJ3 wrote

on Jul 11, 2012 8:41 AM

That is a beautiful necklace, love the focal and your pearl fringe!! Just awesome

And I totally agree with you on wrapped loops, they make the piece much more stronger and I think they make a piece look more polished as well. Much better quality work than you can find at the jewelry counter!!  

Valbeads wrote

on Jul 12, 2012 11:38 PM

Thank you so much!  Sorry for the delay in responding; I've been suffering from migraines all week and yesterday was the absolute worst!  Feeling a bit better today, though my head is still sore.  I'm grateful I don't get these severe migraines very often, but when I do.......

You know?  That's always been my thinking with the wrapped loops too.  Now, I might charge more for my pieces than what you'd buy in a store, but I value quality over quantity and my clientele can be assured the pieces aren't going to fall apart after only one or two wearings.  I've encountered that even in some of the higher-end department stores, but I'm not sure if you're allowed to mention names, so in that respect I'm trying to be careful.  When I was in England a couple years ago, I shopped for jewelry both in stores and at little independent stalls in outdoor markets.  Guess which pieces are still holding up?

Val(who's still nursing a sore head!)