"A blog dedicated to the art of making paper beads & paper bead jewelry...by Janice Mae"
Adorned Cockle Shells
The first time I heard of cockle shells from an old nursery rhyme, Mary Mary Quite Contrary and I didn’t even know what it means. Well for those of us whose memory needs to be nudged a little bit, it goes like this:
Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells, and cockle shells,
And pretty maids all in a row.
Although I grew up in a place where shells are abundant, I have never seen a cockle shell before. Legend has it, that this heart shaped bivalve is given by sailors to their sweet hearts waiting for them at home. I can imagine mermaids wearing them as adornment. It is very fragile, just like the sand dollar – a perfect gift and a reminder to someone you are giving it to: “to take special care not to break your fragile heart”. It’s the romantic in me again 🙂
They are pretty the way they are, but for some of us who loves our “bling”
I can imagine wearing this at a beach wedding, or when you are on a cruise……I have been doing a lot of wire crochet and the lacy effect of wire crochet makes it romantic and feminine, don’t you think so?
I waited a little bit in mailing out the kits for some of the other paper beads to arrive. We have received from seven participants today! I will be posting that tomorrow and the kits will all be mailed out starting Saturday. I am so happy with the response and all the beautiful paper beads…..
Free-Flowing Wire Wrap
I like anything free-form, don’t you? There is free form embroidery, free form crochet……..it implies freedom to do where your imagination takes you. I like the word free flowing even better, it suggests spontaneity. These last few days, I wire wrapped a lot of shells, taking some time off by the beach 🙂 I wanted to share with you how I did this and was hoping one video would do it. Well, I ended up with three videos, I hate leaving a few things out, so here it is.
It is called a 4 wire, wire wrapped because you would be using four wires. Some of the shells I painted them with glitter some, I left it in it’s natural color.
The materials you need: 28 gauge (small and lightweight like sea urchin), 26 gauge for most shells, 24 gauge for heavier objects. A round nose pliers for curling the excess wire and a flush cutter.
You can put beads like pearls or paper beads which what I did in some of the shells I wrapped. The second part of the video is making the bail and finishing off the ends.
They are great for pendants and for me a good accompaniment with paper beads. Why? Paper beads look a lot like shells, don’t you think?
I had fun taking pictures of them by the beach, and this little guy almost got away from me, I had to fish it out of the water 🙂
One of the things I did that came out really nice is the ammonite, I don’t know if I can part with it.
I experimented and crocheted at the base of this turbo shell, and I just love also the lacy effect of the crocheted wire – for crochet, you need to use the 28 gauge wire.
More Precious Parcels
We have received more paper beads for the Paper Bead Trade from Hilde and Tina. I know, that some of you is still in the process of mailing your beads, you will get your kit when I have received them. I promised those that were early in sending their beads that I will mail their kits out on the 15th 🙂 I had fun taking photos of Hilde and Tina’s paper beads today.
work of Hilde Debruyn
They remind me of crayons or colored pencil tips.
work of Hilde Debruyn
These are more earthy tones.
work of Hilde Debruyn
Hilde sent us a lovely card that I used as background in taking these pictures.
Hilde Debruyn
These are tubes which she then wrapped with a contrasting color.
work of Hilde Debruyn
Last but not least is from Tina Craig. She strung different paper beads that she and her daughter made. I especially love the blue from security envelopes and the speckled pink paper beads that look like pink animal print.
work of Tina Craig and daughter
Etsy Monday
I am listing three items of paper bead necklaces on etsy today. I got inspired by one of our readers Sanja, who incorporates shells in her jewelry making. I find free form wire wrapping to have really rewarding results and I have been doing a lot of wire wrap on shells which have irregular shapes.
Paper Beads can look like shells or wood beads and it looks pretty neat when paired with sea shells.
Do you know that Philippines has one of the most beautiful shells? It is also know as the “Pearl of the Orient”.
The wire wrap I did in these shells are really simple, just a bit of practice. I took a class once on wire wrapping and I just lost interest, it was so complicated and the heavy gauge wire is too hard for me to manipulate. I am still thinking of how I can shorten the video without cutting the important parts of it 🙂
Kayla and I will be busy the next few days putting those kits together.
Read MoreSaucer Shaped Paper Beads
These funky looking, saucer shaped, button like paper beads came from my sister Joann and will be including some in your kits. Yay! will be mailing the Paper Bead Trade kits on the 15th. She tightly rolled strips of magazine paper in different size and thickness.
There’s some really big ones.
Kayla, incorporated it in a necklace that can be worn off on one side or the middle.
On one side, three strands of olive shaped paper beads are holding the saucer bead and on one side is just one strand.
I have received Hilde and Tina’s paper beads for the trade yesterday and will be posting that, hopefully I will get the rest tomorrow and Tuesday.
Peek on upcoming post: Free form wire wrap with shells:
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