Fruit de Mer
This is one of the projects I have been working on. We shipped out first batch of the paper bead kits, Kayla patiently sorted them out and made sure everyone got paper beads from all the 18 participants. The rest of them will ship tomorrow. You know the feeling when the party has almost come to an end and you did not want to part yet with your new found friends? Well, let’s just go party at another friend’s place, house, blog? In the mean time, you will see projects that I have been working on, and this is one of them. I call it Fruit de Mer, because to me that’s what it is, even with the red paper beads nestled inside the shell.
A great way to wear your paper bead creations is to mix and match with your other jewelry. This has a bail big enough for gold omega wire to go through and it looks nice layered with gem stone necklace.
What is nice about this kind of shell, it is reversible, the back is just as pretty as the front of the shell.
This will also look pretty hanging on an organza ribbon
Another day of turning ordinary to extraordinary!
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…..
Crocheted Filigree Hoops
The other thing I am most passionate about aside from paper bead making is crochet. I learned to crochet just from watching my aunts do it every single day when I was six years old. I collect old crochet books and old patterns. Recently, I discovered wire crochet and has been doing a lot of jewelry with wire. This is a big hoop, but then I love my jewelry to be big and bold.
Here’s Kayla trying it on. I think it looks good specially if you have long hair.
Filigree Bracelet Embellished w/paper beads
You can buy these filigree bracelet findings but you can also just make them or crochet them. If you already crochet then this would just come easy to you. It is same as crocheting yarn or thread except you are doing it with wire. The wire you will be using for wire crochet should be 28 gauge or higher if you are just a beginner or if you have delicate hands because the wire could be tough on your hands but not the 28 gauge or 30 gauge wire.
Crocheted wire bracelet with paper bead charms
I crocheted this with two 28 gauge wire held together, it holds up its shape more when you do it this way. This is a fairly simple design made with single crochet and double crochet.
These non tarnish wire comes in an array of colors but I prefer working with silver or gold. You can also make these in silver or gold filled wire but I advise you to practice first with craft wire.
This bracelet is made by making two strips of a simple chain with tiny paper beads and then I sewed the two strips together with seed beads.
I made this necklace (this is actually on my etsy shop), much like the one above except I braided three strips together.
My next post will be a tutorial on wire crochet.
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