Preciosa Crystals

Nancy is one of the newest Red Panda customers.  She was having computer issues and was not able to get on my site, so she called me and placed her first order over the phone.  

We had a nice conversation and talked about our bead projects and preferences.  She asked if I could carry Preciosa 4mm Bicone Crystals.  She was having a hard time finding them.  I did some research and found a source for 135 colors.  Preciosa Crystals are from the Czech Republic and are considerably cheaper than Swarovski Crystals.  So far I've only added the four colors that Nancy wanted.  One of these colors is Aquamarine.  Since that is also my birthstone, and I wanted to work with the crystals to see how I liked them in comparison to Swarovski, I decided to make a bracelet using the Aquamarine crystals. 

I wanted to make the bracelet using crystals only, so I searched online and found instructions to do a Right-Angle Weave Crystal Bracelet by Katherine Kelly, an eHow Contributor.

This was my first attempt at RAW - I'm pleased with the way it turned out.

I chose to use a new product in the Red Panda store to string the bracelet.  Spiderwire has patented translucency technology that makes this line the nearest thing to clear and is invisible.  Since the crystals are so light, I did not want any thread to show through.  Also, Spiderwire is stronger, smoother and much more durable than other braided line, while still amazingly thin!  It is excellent for use with sharp edged beads which would normally damage other types of stringing material.  The bracelet is incredibly fluid having used the Spiderwire.  

I chose one of the newer Anti-Tarnish Clasps in the Red Panda store too.  I love the simple elegance to this hook and eye clasp.

I modified the clasp attachment a little, by choosing to use "french wire" to cover the Spiderwire when I attached the clasp.

French Wire protects the line as it wraps around the end of the clasp.  It also gives a much nicer finish to the clasp.

I also used my Thread Zap to do away with the extra ends after tying the knots - and since it melted the excess line, it helps to seal the knots.

Here is the finished bracelet.

Since I started out with a gross (144) of these crystals, I had plenty left over to make some earrings to match.

I used these 18mm Gold Filled Ear Wires to make the earrings.

I also took head pins and trimmed them to various lengths to get the desired effect.

Here you can see the earrings next to the hook end of the clasp of the bracelet.

The whole project took less than two hours and I'm very pleased with my new bracelet and earrings!  I am also very satisfied with the Preciosa Crystals and plan to start adding them to the Red Panda Beads inventory.

Happy Beading!

Betsy

RIP Chewie

It never occurred to me that Chewie would die when I first posted his pictures on my facebook page and this blog.  I know  none of us live forever and dogs have shorter lifespans than humans.  But the average toy poodle life expectancy is 12 years.  And if a dog is healthy and well cared for, they can live 14 or more years.  Somehow, I always expected Chewie to outlive the normal expectancy.  But that was when he was 9+ years old and before Thyroid cancer.  

We first noticed Chewie's bark starting to turn hoarse.  Then during his annual vet visit, the Dr noticed a slight thickening  in his throat.  Turns out that Thyroid cancer in dogs is very rare and most often strikes Beagles.  How my precious Chewie got it is a mystery.

He loved to play with everyday items as much or more than toys.  His favorites were empty water bottles and balloons. He would play "vollyball" with a balloon until it popped.  He was so obsessed with balloons that we reserved them for special occasions, like his birthday or Christmas.

When I made my office he was sure my chair was reserved just for  him!

Thyroid cancer is not only rare, but it is an aggressive and ugly cancer in dogs.  There is no cure.  The only treatment is to surgically remove as much of the tumor as possible, but know that they will not get it all.  Then chemo treatment to try to slow the metastases, but eventually it will metastasize and the dog will die.  Because this cancer is so rare, there are no qualified surgeons in our area - the closest one is hours away in another state.  Some dogs don't even survive the surgery.  If I had an aggressive cancer that I knew would kill me regardless of treatment, I would opt to forgo treatment to allow as much quality of life as possible in my last days.  I could do no less for Chewie.  So instead of invasive surgery and chemo, we opted to make his last days as comfortable and pleasant as possible.

He loved to spend time outside in the afternoon sun.  So we tried to spend a little time each day out there with him.

We took lots and lots of photos of him, while he still felt good.  

This is my favorite picture of him.  The dappled sun highlights his coat as he looks up to my husband.  Don't you just love the cute bushy tail in the foreground? 

Chewie was a lap dog, but he was always in control.  He chose the lap and he would always have just a tad of resistance as you held him.  He would put his paws on you with a gentle pressure to let you know he was holding you too.  

I knew the end was near, one day last week when Chewie wanted me to hold him.  This time he provided no resistance and only wanted to be cuddled and comforted.  

As Chewie's days came to an end, he struggled to eat and breathing became the final struggle.  I am very grateful that the Dr at the emergency vet hospital was kind enough to let me hold and comfort Chewie in my arms as he administered the lethal dose.  This cancer has been so uncontrollable it was comforting to at least be able to make his death as intimate and loving as possible.  I will never forget how finally peaceful his limp body was as I handled it over to the  doctor.  Thank goodness he is no longer suffering.

Rest in Peace, Chewie.  

9/11/00 - 2/13/11

Have a Heart.....

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and to honor this "heartfull" day Beth Gordon has done a line of Puffy Swarovski Crystal Heart Pendants and they are all available for purchase.  :)  She used 4mm Swarovski Bicone Crystals to make the hearts.  She has done one for every month of the year, so no matter when you were born, you can have your very own birthstone heart!  :)

January's Heart is made of Garnet crystals and they are very dark - so this is the best photo I could get of it.

February's Heart

March's Heart

April's Heart

May's Heart

June's Heart

July's Heart

August's Heart

September's Heart

October's Heart

November's Heart

December's Heart

Beth saw this unusual color and could not resist making a heart of it - the color is called Indicolite - very pretty!

Beth will even do custom hearts with crystals of your choice!  I had some extra of these Crystal 2AB and asked her to make a heart for me.  I love the rainbow effect the 2AB finish has on the heart!  I wasn't sure what I'd do with it - but now I know!  My grandmother's birthday is in April - so the crystal color is right on - and if I get it in the mail today, she should have it on Valentine's Day!  :)

If you would be interested in one of Beth's hearts, you can email her at:  banda@ntelos.net 

Thanks so much Beth, for sharing all your hearts, and for making mine!  :)

Happy Beading!

Betsy

Tine

Tuesday's Treat :)

Christine - or more informally known as Tine, is the subject of today's Tuesday's Treat blog post.  She is the first international beader to be featured in this series who also sells her work.  Tine is from Belgium.  

Currently Tine is really into making Peyote cuff bracelets with Delica size 11/0 beads.  She loves to search for her patterns on etsy - there are some stunning patterns for sale!

I tried to find these exact patterns for sale again, so that I could credit the artist, but could not find them.  So if you are the artist, or know who the artist is, please let me know and I'll update this post to include proper credit.  :)

Here are two of her most recent finished projects.  The first one uses an even count flat Peyote stitch.

The second one uses a 2-drop Peyote stitch.  Personally I prefer the multiple drop count stitches, they work up so much faster!  :)

I especially like the added detail of choosing the anti-tarnish flower clasp for this flower bracelet.  

Tine sells some of her work at the shop Oliv'hair in Grez-Doiceau, Belgium.  I added a link to the fan club on facebook for Oliv'hair since Tine does not have an online presence just yet.  Now you have an excuse to go to Belgium!  I'd love to see all her work close up and in real time  :)

Thanks so much Tine for sharing your work!  It's lovely!  :)

Happy Beading!

Betsy 

Let it snow, let it snow......

Here we are stuck in the depths of Winter with short days and long nights that can certainly make Winter depressing.  Add to that inclement weather that makes everyday activities miserable, it's no wonder people suffer the winter blues.

But not everything Wintery and snowy are ice cold!

These Snowmen Earrings were made using Swarovski crystals and add a little sparkle and fun to an otherwise cold and seemingly monotonous dreary end to Winter!

They come with colorful "scarves" - these have siam scarves.

These have amethyst scarves.

These have crystal scarves.

These have emerald scarves.

And lastly these have sapphire scarves.

These light hearted snowmen are fun to wear and with the various colored scarves, easy to match to your favorite outfit.  And they are guaranteed not to cause frostbite!  :)

Happy Beading!

Betsy  

d'Olivia Jewelry

 Tuesday's Treat :)

Diane is the owner of d'Olivia Jewelry.  She has an etsy store where she sells her jewelry creations. 

At first she took jewelry classes to try to repair store bought jewelry.  She was always a fan of beaded jewelry, but eventually noticed the mass-manufactured items fell apart after only a few wearings.  

She even had a beaded necklace virtually explode while on a date in a pub.  It was fairly embarrassing with both her and her date on the bar floor picking up beads.

So now she makes quality jewelry that will last.  She likes to mix textures, shapes and finishes to create her unique pieces.

She likes Miyuki seed beads for their uniformity and beautiful colors.

I never cease to be amazed at the various ways Red Panda customers use their Miyuki beads.  

As spacers, these seed beads really add an air of elegance  to this piece.  Their neutral color allow the rich tones in the green to stand out.

Using Miyuki beads as spacers also enhance the quality of her pieces.  

There are vast amount of sizes, shapes, colors and finishes available with Miyuki beads.  

Adding a Miyuki seed bead on either side of these pearls gives this piece a classic beauty with a twist!

And here you have it all summed up in her own words, 

"I use seed beads for color contrast, for spacing, for adding a sparkle, to echo a color, and to add variety to a piece.  I’ve found that Miyuki beads have great color, variety, and uniformity of shape."

Diane also has a blog, she is on facebook and twitter.

I've only put a few photos in this blog post, so you want to be sure and check out all her designs!  Thanks for sharing Diane!  I tried to pick one of these as my favorite - and I can't!  They are all so nice!  :)

Happy Beading!

Betsy

Beahobbi

Bea is a Red Panda customer from Hungary.  For Christmas she received a CD of Michael Bublé's music.  She loves his music!  In fact she loves it so much she wanted to create a bracelet in his honor.  She used her bead tool software to create a pattern.  She does not have a local resource for Miyuki Delica beads, so she ordered the beads from the Red Panda website.  In less than seven days, she received her beads!

But as fast as the beads were to travel, she was even faster to create this beautiful bracelet!

She is so pleased with the way this turned out, she is already planning her next piece!  I can't wait to see more photos!  :)

Bea also has a blog.   She made the cutest little angles for Christmas!  All her beadwork is gorgeous - you will definitely want to check out her blog!  :)  

Beautiful work Bea!  Thanks so much for sharing!

If you notice the clasp on the bracelet, it is  slide multi strand clasp.  What a coincidence!  These are the newest clasps that I have just added to the Red Panda website!  

Don't forget to enter the Red Panda Getting Your Beads Organized Package Sweepstakes!

Prize Details

In this package one lucky winner will receive:

1 ~ BeadSmith Tube Tower (holds 138 2"-3" tubes)
1 ~ Value Pack of 3" Tubes (50 tubes)
1 ~ BeadSmith Sticky Bead Mat
1 ~ BeadSmith Bead Mat Tray
1 ~ Ivory Bead Mat
1 ~ Tan Bead Mat
1 ~ BeadSmith Blue Mini Travel Box

All this makes this package worth $78.44

Here are your links to enter the contest:

Twitter

facebook

The contest ends January 31st and the lucky winner will be announced February 1st.  So don't delay, enter today!

Happy Beading!

Betsy