“Minted” Paper Beads-day 20

Posted on Jan 20, 2011 in 365 Paper Bead Creations | 15 comments

I painted the big round paper beads with a soft green, love the refreshing color of mint.  The lightness of paper beads goes so well with vintage beads and when put together just spells playful and fun.  I must have desert on my mind when I made these, the paper beads reminds me cream di menthe.

The bead board is a necessary tool for me, it makes putting colors together and deciding on how long your necklace is going to be so much easier.

I wish you could try this on, they are so light and feels smooth on the skin.  I just love the chocolate brown speckled oval beads.

Definitely casual chic!

I am thinking of having another swap with painted paper beads, what do you think?

Vintage Red-day 19

Posted on Jan 19, 2011 in 365 Paper Bead Creations | 5 comments

One of the fun things Kayla and I like to do on a week end is check out garage sales in our area for some beads that we can “rehab” and incorporate with paper beads.  This is one of our finds, vintage red beads with embossed flower and leaves design.  The designs on the beads is we think Asian inspired and black and gold would look nice with it.  Take a look:

We were debating on something with red paper beads or black paper beads.

Black, red and gold somehow spells Asian! Don’t you think ?

Gold daisy spacers just give it the right accent.

The vintage beads cost us a whole $0.25 for six beads, love garage sales and thrift stores!

Petite Pink Flowers- day 18

Posted on Jan 18, 2011 in 365 Paper Bead Creations | 4 comments

I thought if I wear this, I could somehow coax the little flowers to come early.  Enough of cold and snow!  I am so ready for spring don’t you?  Well, here is thinking ahead; I mixed tiny vintage flowers with just the perfect pink paper beads with a touch of lavender and made bracelets and earrings.  Take a look:

I seldom make something for young girls or teenagers but this one would be perfect within that each group, although I wouldn’t hesitate wearing it myself.

The two bracelets and the pair of earrings used up one strand of small round paper beads with 3 beads left over.  You can of course substitute, the flowers with something else.

Speckled Eggs Vintage-day 17

Posted on Jan 17, 2011 in Paper Bead Creations | 3 comments

I visited an antique shop just around our corner last year and picked up just this one thing: brass chain, old and badly needed some luster but it holds really pretty glass beads that reminded me of speckled eggs.  I would love to revisit this post come Easter because this would just be so appropriate.  I wanted to just entirely take it apart but the clasp though very old is still quite sturdy and the little brassy chains is well made, how else was it able to withstand time?  An image below of speckled eggs reminds me of these beads.

I love the mottled colors that appeared to be flecked on the beads.

I chose Robin’s eggs color paper beads with a smattering of lavender and green, I thought they complement each other really well.

The brass water lily pendant completes the look.

Clustered Paper Beads Bracelet

Posted on Jan 16, 2011 in 365 Paper Bead Creations | 5 comments

Day 16th of 365 Paper Bead Creations!  I love the look of these clustered paper beads using 14mm blank findings, they look like little fruit desserts.  I used diamond glaze to hold them all together and 5mm round paper beads, the more colors the better.

Let me show you how……

This is a good way to display your small paper beads.

I think this will even look better if you add little seed beads to the mix.

All my tutorials use paper beads because this is a blog about paper beads after all, but you can substitute paper beads with other beads that you have.