Sue Beads

This month, Jenny Davies-Reazor provided us with amulets for the Component of the Month Challenge!  Yep, forgot to take a photo of the one I got before I used it, but here's what she made! Here's the one I received.  Notice the bottom of the amulet - so awesome! I chose the stone Angelite to go with the amulet I received.  I've always been attracted to this stone and have a small hoard of it.  Little did I know that Angelite really speaks to me!  Here's why: Angelite is associated with the Throat Chakra.  It so happens that I am a thyroid cancer survivor.  Angelite is also a stone for creative people!  Angelite helps the wearer raise conscious awareness and promotes peace.  You can see more about Angelite on Caryl Haxwoth's page - very interesting! So here's what I made.  I chose to keep it simple on purpose.  I was going to try and fashion some sort of "lid" for the amulet out of a silver disc, or go to Michaels a...

As another month rolls around, so does the AJE Component of the Month challenge - this month was a theme challenge and Lindsay Starr is our host - theme is EYE.  I hope you go back and read Lindsay's original post, as it is very interesting.  I won't rehash what she already elegantly explained about the symbology of the eye.  I'll just get on with my post!  Incidentally, Michael's happened to have TONS of eye-themed components this month!  Lindsay must be right on trend!  Here are some photos I took! I also wanted to show you the little tiny evil eye charm I picked up in Greece about 10 years ago - I was going to use it in this project, but just couldn't bring myself to use it up!  Then I wouldn't really be able to hold it and fondle it lol! I also meant to make some lampwork evil eyes, and may still, but didn't really get the chance to do that! For my project, Kristie Roeder, a ceramist, was offering some great evil eye cab...

In case you still come by here occasionally, I have some headpins available in the SueBeads etsy store, and more to come this week! 

I said I'd do it and I did!  I actually finished my byzantine chainmaille weave for Diana's February AJE Component of the Month - here it is! Here's a detail of the weave.  I used aluminum rings, this necklace is very lightweight.  They go very well with Diana's component.  This is the first time I made byzantine weave for some reason - I started out harder when I made chainmaille before - I have done japanese flower and mobius.   This is a fun necklace! Thanks for stopping back!

It's the end of February already, hard to believe.  Time for another Component of the Month challenge.  This month, Diana Ptaszynski made us components - it's called a Phaedra! She did such an excellent job with this, as they are very fiddly to make! And so I'm the loser this month because I didn't have time to get mine ready.  I was away for a week from the middle of the month, and before that crazy busy with work.  Then, when I got home from my trip to St. Maarten, I got the stomach flu and was not able to complete my design.  I'm still posting today because I do have an idea. I'm going to take my Phaedra and make it the centerpiece in between two pieces of chainmaille in the Byzantine pattern.  Here's a photo of what the Byzantine pattern looks like: I think the pattern will go well with Diana's component.  So when I finish it, I will post back here with a photo! Thanks for looking at my idea - please look and see what everyone else did!...

This month, Jenny Davies-Reazor is the host of the January AJE Component of the Month - the theme is use your stash.  I had high hopes of getting a lot done, but between work and other life stuff, I only was able to complete one piece.  Here it is! It's actually not completed yet because I need to make a strap for it.  But it's almost done!  I used one of  Jenny's pendant pieces and bezeled it with pretty purple delicas and red seed beads.  Then I added the czech flowers, with a stop bead, and the row of 8s with a stop bead as well.  Finally, I finished the edge with a picot edging.  I like it a lot. I wish I had time to complete more pieces, but I'm glad I at least got one done! Please visit with everyone else and see what they made!  Thanks for stopping by! AJE team: Lesley Watt Lindsay Starr Caroline Dewison Jennifer Cameron Jenny Davies-Reazor Susan Kennedy Niky Sayers   Guests:  Terri -  Terrr...

For those of you who still read this blog occasionally (I am SOOOOO bad at posting anymore since I write for AJE) I have been selling some big hole beads on a Big Hole Bead group on facebook!  Here are some of the pretties you could pick up!