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My Lifelong Love Affair With Ancient Beads

5/30/2013

"There's nothing you can do that can't be done..." ~ Beatles

From the moment I was able to hold a book in my hands I have been fascinated with history, more specifically the history of how mankind had this deep need to create beauty and adornment for themselves and their community. As bead makers and jewelry artists we are always thinking "what if..." and trying to create something no one has attempted before. We feel like we are pushing the envelope with each new trend. The trend that is my personal favorite though is the faux look. There are several excellent tutorials to achieve the faux look. If you are interested a good place to start is the free tutorials on Youtube and progress to places like etsy for more in depth ones.
Recently I have been making beads with a faux ceramic appearance and have some of my results for sale on etsy. I also have been playing around with faux faience and what I am (tongue in cheek) calling "Fauxnician". Phoenician beads are clay or glass and have a very distinctive look to them. For this look I simply googled pictures and then set about making them as close as possible. Of course to get that old look you need to distress them quite a bit; staining with acrylic paint gives them that "buried in the ground" look. Surprisingly many of the really old beads are still vibrant in color so I made several of mine bright, and several with a more rough finish.

Picture source http://sadighgallery.wordpress.com/2012/07/12/glass-beads-from-ancient-world/

Picture source "Ancient Beads and Artifacts" Blog

I am sure the trained eye will have no trouble telling the real from the fakes here; what about you, which do you think are real and which are my "Fauxnicians"?The original beads have a child-like quality about them, due to the bright colors and simple designs, and that's what I attempted to duplicate in my beads.
Now off to research finished jewelry using these beads. Probably a simple stringing would show them off to the best advantage. So while the original beads may strain your budget, I can enjoy these fakes as a colorful substitute. And who knows? Maybe someday, some one will find these stashed away and "rediscover" them all over again.

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More Cute Things From The Iris Mischly Tutorials..

5/26/2013

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Here are my latest projects from Iris Mischly's latest tutorial...House Beads and House Pendants. This is an easy to follow, fun to make tute that really got me going. They are Iris's instructions but my "take" on her theme. I always like my things a bit "funkier" and so they are!

They will soon be make into necklaces and bracelets to go onto my etsy site. Thanks for looking!

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Do You Remember "The Summer Of Love"....

5/23/2013

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If you can remember the Summer Of Love you are most likely getting Medicare benefits. That year, 1967, was the beginning of the end for hippies, free love and psychedelia. Sure it limped along for a few years after that but it was not as fresh and bright, it seemed tarnished somehow. Kids wanted something different and the punk movement was lurking in the wings. But at that magical time there was such a flourishing of new ideas and art, clothing was a wild departure from the Mad Men era of the 50's, making our parents think we had gone totally mad ourselves. I remember my mom meeting me in town (stogy Cincinnati-we're always 10yrs behind) after an extended stay in Chicago. She was so horrified at my outfit that she barely slowed the car down to pick me up. I simply looked different , and back then that was enough for censure.
The next generation of course rebelled against their hippie parents, not wanting to be like them in any way. It wasn't until the grandchildren rediscovered the subculture that we started seeing the tie-dye, long hair freaks again. So becoming kind of nostalgic over the 60's gave me my next inspiration for jewelry, the tie-dye pendant. If you are interested in them, you will find them at my etsy store.
Peace!

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☆.。.:☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆. De-Stash Bash!☆.。.:☆。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆

5/17/2013

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I have lots of "orphan" beads from other projects, necklaces, bracelets and so on. I have held onto them for awhile thinking I would come up with another project in which I could use them. But alas! My ADHD has pushed me onto different projects. But my orphans could find a home in one of your projects, and at a discounted price. I will be putting these on etsy today in the "Supplies" section. Since they are deeply discounted they will be on a first come, first served basis.I'm sorry but I can't put these on reserve. Each listing will be for 10 beads for $5, my pick but will be from the ones pictured. Unless you have a strong preference, then convo me to see if it is available. Check them out, my loss is your gain!

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Food, Glorious Food!

5/10/2013

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Today I am not thinking about diets or whole grain anything. No South Beach or Atkins. Today is decadence with lots of nice cookies and tasty things to eat. What does that have to do with jewelry you ask? Well, a girl has to have a treat after working hard all day, doesn't she? And this treasury is on my etsy site where I sell all that hard work. Have a look because etsy is not just jewelry-they have lots of wonderful shops! So click on here to see this treasury collection; I have others so you might want to check them out as well. I did include a gluten free product and one vegan.

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Barefootin'

5/8/2013

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Summer will be here before we know it; the cool days of spring turning hot and sear. When I was a kid a favorite spot was this mossy little hill in the woods near my home. I spent many days in the woods gathering bits and pieces that I would later turn into some wild creation. But I have always had a soft spot in my heart for the cool,springy moss of that hill, and still can remember what it felt like to bury my toes in its cool deliciousness.
So when I started curating a Treasury List on Etsy I naturally thought of moss. I found so many good shops that have all sorts of things relating to moss-terrariums, home decor, and even jewelry using live moss!
If you want a pretty reminder of the softer side of summer check out this lovely collection of all things moss. And be sure to visit each shop in it for some wonderful additions to your barefoot life.