Season of the Witch

Sarah Lynne Bowman modeling Gothic-style
headdress and jewelry

It's great being back in Austin, for a whole multitude of reasons, but jewelry-wise, it's great being back among a network of friends who will model for me! This latest shoot features Sarah Lynne Bowman, whom I met years ago through other friends, and who's a LARP afficionado and fond of corsets, costumes, and fantasy. She was all too happy to don various outfits of a "witchy" sort, and showcase several of my headdresses and Gothic-style jewelry.


I posted an album of our shoot on Facebook; hopefully this link will work even for non-FBers:

Season of the Witch

Enjoy!

Beaded Beads

I recently discovered a new love: circular brick-stitch. It's a great way to use up leftover pairs of beads (round, preferably), and embellish them with seed beads. I was sick for a week and ended up making about 12 pairs of these, in a whole array of colors. They're fun, easy, and relatively quick.

I have to give props to my fellow Nomad and Etsian, Laura, and her "Some Enchanted Earrings" class; I had a peek at the handout to help get me started. She's even got some tutorials for even more intricate bracelet and necklace versions. I think I'll stick with the earrings for now... the beads are calling to me to make more!

Check out the link to the "Beadweaving" section of my Etsy site, where I have several of these beauties listed!

-Astra

Spider-Web Earrings

A couple years ago, we got these nifty "snowflake forms" in at the bead shop where I work. They're little steel frames that look like stars, with 6 points. The idea is that you stick beads and crystals on them to make "snowflake" ornaments for your tree (or to hang in your window, etc). Well, I thought they were pretty cool, but quickly devised another purpose. I used 'em to make spider-web earrings!

Using thin wire (26G tarnish-resistant silver craft wire), I wrapped the frame in a "spider web" pattern, basically until I got tired of wrapping. Then I added some beads, snipped the ends, and attached an ear-wire to one end and a little dangly spider charm off the other. Decorate it with some little red drop beads, and voila -- awesome spider-web earrings just in time for Halloween!



You can find these in my Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/listing/81173492/spider-web-earrings-red-black-with

Harlequin Series

No, I'm not talking about the romance novel, although when I taught this pattern at Nomadic Notions, I did draw a handout cover that looked remarkably like a trashy bodice-ripper, complete with a Fabio lookalike. That turned out to be a lot more fun than writing the handout itself!

In this particular case, I'm talking about a design for both earrings or a necklace, using chain to suspend little glass drops in a "diamond" pattern -- hence the name, Harlequin. I've got a whole series of these in a variety of colors; like my "Beadmail" pattern, it's an old standby that I never seem to tire of. The color combinations just seem endless, especially when you add in the chain/jump rings.

I retook my photos of a bunch of these yesterday; I think I'm slowly getting better at the picture-taking thing. That's such a big part of online selling. I suspect there's still plenty for me to learn. Just gotta keep plugging away, right?