• About

All Sparkled Up

~ Like dew hanging from the tip of a leaf, a single bead or word adds sparkle where there was none. BE the bright!

All Sparkled Up

Category Archives: jewelry making

Finished the Leaf and Stone Necklace

08 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by Julia Monroe in crafts, jewelry making

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

crafts, jewelry, jewelry making

It turned out better than I hoped. Lots of vintage beads with crystals and a cut geode. The beads match the color of the geode crystals.

Leaf and Stone Necklace

Leaf and Stone Necklace

Leaf and Stone Necklace 5
I love surprises so this necklace has the cut side of the geode facing in. Only the wearer will know about that extra special glitter that no one else sees on the outside.
Leaf and Stone Necklace 6

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

On my worktable – Leaf and Stone Necklace

11 Tuesday Jun 2013

Posted by Julia Monroe in All Sparkled Up, beading, crafts, jewelry making, On my Worktable

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

crafts, geode, jewelry, jewelry making, necklace, stone

This will be a gift.
The stones are jasper and peridot and turquoise.
The leaves are Czech glass and vintage pearl.
But the best part is the geode.
On the outside, it is cold and hard.

Leaf and Stone Necklace in progress

Leaf and Stone Necklace in progress


But inside is where the treasure is, all glittery and stunning in beauty.
Inside the geode - a secret treasure of stunning light

Inside the geode – a secret treasure of stunning light


It makes me wonder how many people I have met that I didn’t take the time to find the treasure inside. And that cold and hard exterior was just there to keep them safe.
Today I’m going to smile more at people, no matter how angry or disconnected they seem. You never know what’s inside. And maybe it’s the kindnesses we give away that actually make those crystal interiors all the more brave and shiny.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

The Moss Rose Bracelet is finished

07 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by Julia Monroe in All Sparkled Up, beading, crafts, jewelry making, projects, sparkling, tea time, tutorial

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

beading, beads, crafts, flower beads, jewelry, jewelry making, Moss Rose, moss rose bracelet, tutorial, vintage beads

The Moss Rose Bracelet, inspired by an antique tea set from my Grandma, is finished and I love it! It turned out even better than I expected. ..happy smile…

Moss Rose Bracelet, inspired by a vintage teacup from my Grandma.

Moss Rose Bracelet, inspired by an antique tea set from my Grandma.

There are three things special about this bracelet. First, the colors truly say Moss Rose.
I was working from my stash of beads from French General, A Gilded Life and vintage beads and wasn’t sure I had all the right colors. Without intention, my love of Moss Rose must have influenced my purchase of beads over the years because I just happened to have the right colors. How cool is that! I had dark mossy greens, deep pinks and the perfect little dusty lavender cone flower beads. I was most particular about the white beads, which had to look like old white china. I didn’t have any rose beads but that was ok since all I really needed was the impression of a rose. I used Lucite trumpet flower beads with a bead calyx and that worked well.

Moss Rose Bracelet components

Moss Rose Bracelet components

Second was the movement of the bracelet. Necklaces lay fairly still around the neck but bracelets have to move. They need shimmy and jingle, drape and sway, elegant like ballet. Bracelets need movement just distracting enough to be noticed. The Moss Rose Bracelet does exactly what I hoped it would do; the roses and leaves drip down and sway gently against my arm.

I love how loose and draping the leaves are on this bracelet.

I love how loose and draping the leaves are on this bracelet.

Third and best is how much the bracelet makes me think of my Grandma and my mom. Some of the beautiful china-white beads are from a broken necklace that belonged to my mom. So special. ♥

Even though I’m making a few of these bracelets to sell in my Etsy shop, I want to share how I made some of the components. I have not included directions for making the small clusters of purple flowers because some Moss Rose patterns do not have these flowers. But you can see how they were constructed by looking closely at the photos.

Make the “roses”
To make a rose, prepare the wires for the flower centers.
1. Bend 1/4″ at the end of a 2 1/2″ piece of jewelry wire.
2. Hold the bent part of the wire in round nose pliers.
3. Coil the wire using the round nose pliers. As the coil is formed, you will have to move the bent tail out of the way until a full coil is formed. It’s hard to explain but you’ll see what I mean as you bend the wire.
4. The finished coil, ready for seed beads.

Prepare the wires for the rose centers.

Prepare the wires for the rose centers.

Add about 8 seed beads to the wire.

1. Slide the beads onto the wire and into the coil.
2. Make sure all the beads are in the coil and then bend the tail of the wire over.
3. Use needle nose pliers to fold the tail tightly around the wire as shown. Cut off the short tail close to the center wire using flush cutters.

Add beads to the flower center wire loop.

Secure seed beads to the flower center wire loop.

Shown here are all the steps to make a flower center.
Moss Rose Bracelet Tutorial 3

Prepare the beaded Calyx wires.
Start with a 1 1/4″ piece of wire.You can use head pins for this but I didn’t have enough so I made my own by tightly folding in 1/16″ of wire at the end. Two calyx wires are used for each rose and one for each rose bud. I varied the length of these to make the mossy roses and buds more realistic and natural looking. The color of green seed beads are placed in a light to dark to light pattern on each wire.
[NOTE: The photos show the way I made the wires first. But I had a few broken seed beads when I twisted the center of each calyx wire after the seed beads had been added. The better way would be to form the center loop first, then slide beads onto each side, and then fold the tip of the wire in to secure the beads. I don’t have photos of bending the wires that way but these photos will give you an idea of the finished product.]

Secure green seed beads on wires to use for the calyx.

Secure green seed beads on wires to use for the calyx.

The components to make a rose are two calyx wires, a trumpet bead flower and a round beaded wire center.

Components used in making a "rose".

Components used in making a “rose”.

Insert the flower center into a flower bead.  Slide the green beads apart at the center and bend the calyx wires in half.

Insert the flower center into a flower bead. Using round nose pliers, bend the calyx wires in half and then bend until you have a tiny loop.

Two beaded wires ready to place on the flower wire.

Two beaded wires ready to place on the flower wire.

Moss Rose Bracelet Tutorial 8
Slide the calyx wires one at a time down over the flower. Twist a little tighter to make the calyx secure. That’s ok if they move a little. Remember, if you twist too tight, you might break some of the seed beads. It might be easier to make these directly on the flower wire so as to avoid any seed beads breaking. I will probably try that next time although this worked well enough.
Moss Rose Bracelet Tutorial 9

Moss Rose Bracelet Tutorial 10
I finished some of the flowers with just a wire wrapped loop. But others I added seed beads to make a slightly longer stem before finishing with a wire wrapped loop.

Make the rose buds
1. Make Calyxes as above, one per rose bud.
2. Slide a pink seed bead and then a 4 mm round pink bead on a 2″ wire with folded end or use a head pin. Then add a dark green seed bead. Slide the prepared beaded calyx wire over the round bead as you did for the flowers.
3. Add more seed beads to the wire and finish with a wire wrapped loop. I slightly spiraled the calyx wires around the 4mm bead.
Moss Rose Bracelet Tutorial 11

Make the rose leaf clusters
Oh my goodness, I got so excited the night I figured out how to wire these! I was shutting down for the night and was staring at my work table, not seeing the beads. I was actually praying for some family members in distress and not even thinking of beading. Then all of a sudden I figured out how to wire the leaves together so they would dangle the way I hoped. God is so cool to give us ideas when we least expect it.
1. Prepare the center bead by sliding a seed bead, then a pressed glass leaf bead, then another seed bead on a 2″ wire with folded end or head pin. Finish with a wire-wrapped loop and set aside.
2. Cut a 3″ piece of wire and bend at a 90 degree angle as shown.
Slide the center bead you made down to the angle in the 3″ wire.
Slide a leaf bead on each side of the center bead.
Fold the wires toward the center of the two beads. The wires will cross over. Where the wires cross over, twist the wires together at the top, as in photo 3. Be careful you don’t twist too tight or you may shatter the leaf beads. I didn’t break any but I know that’s a possibility if you make the twist too tight.
3. Cut one of the wires with a flush cutter as shown so you have a single wire remaining. The twist should be tight so that it will fit inside a bead in the next step. Click on the photo and then click the number link at the upper left of the photo to view the original size image to see a close up of the construction.
4. Slide a larger bead with a hole big enough to cover the twisted wires. Add a couple more seed beads on the remaining wire. Finish with a wire wrapped loop.
Moss Rose Bracelet Tutorial 12

Gilding
The Moss Rose tea set I have has a delicate border of gold, much of it worn off by age. I duplicated that touch of gold by using Rub n Buff and a stiff brush to add a touch of gold to the some of the white beads and wire findings on the bracelet components.
Moss Rose Bracelet Tutorial 13
Here are the beads all ready for assembly. I moved them around on the table a bit until I came up with a design I liked. I ended up not using the little white doughnut beads but it was fun to have options.

Moss Rose Bracelet Tutorial 14
The bracelet is finally assembled using jump rings to attach all the pieces together.
Moss Rose Bracelet Tutorial 15

Moss Rose Bracelet Tutorial 17

Moss Rose Bracelet Tutorial 18

Thank you for visiting my blog. I truly appreciate it! Blog readers get just little glimpses into our lives; they see splashes of color, tangles of wire, components lined up but not always connected. I really appreciate your faithfulness as I figure out how to make this blog better for you.

In the beginning of this blog, I didn’t have any readers at all but merrily posted away like a little bird chirping in a forest. Then I went through a rough time after breaking my back and getting major surgery, with its months of medicated pain management. Over the past year my posts weren’t always happy. But I have come to value life and the beautiful people in it more than ever.

This blog is for you. Like tending a garden of roses, I’ve done some weeding and deleting here. What is left are posts I hope have value, and the ones written when I did my best to be brave. I’m learning how important it is to stay true to the sparkling things in life and share the best. I guess we all grow in grace like that. I want to give you something good because your presence here reading my blog is a gift of pure grace. Thank you.

May grace adorn your life, with all the splendor you hoped for.
Love to you, my dear readers!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

On my worktable… Moss Rose Bracelet

04 Tuesday Jun 2013

Posted by Julia Monroe in All Sparkled Up, beading, crafts, jewelry making, On my Worktable, tea time

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

All Sparkled Up, beading, beads, child's tea set, crafts, jewelry making, Moss Rose, Moss Rose china, vintage beads

One of my favorite china patterns is Moss Rose, with its lovely dark pink roses and characteristic mossy ferns and leaves. The Moss Rose pattern has been used to decorate china since the early 1800’s. I wish I knew the history of this child-size Moss Rose tea set that belonged to my grandmother.

The inspiration for the project on my table - a vintage child's tea set in Moss Rose pattern that belonged to my grandmother.

The inspiration for the project on my table – a vintage child’s tea set in Moss Rose pattern that belonged to my grandmother.


Inspired by the colors and pattern of the tea set, I gathered beads to make a Moss Rose Bracelet.
Possible beads to use in the bracelet.

Possible beads to use in the bracelet – Czech glass leaves and flowers, seed beads, vintage white glass beads that were from a broken necklace that belonged to my Mom in the 50’s, Mother of Pearl beads, vintage plastica flowers and glass pearl drops, and others.


The greenery is prominent in a Moss Rose pattern so I wanted to feature the greens more than the pink. I didn’t have any rose beads so was able to give the impression of a rose by adding a calyx to pink beads.
The calyx is made of two tiny wires of green beads, twisted around a central wire.

The calyx is made of two tiny wires of green beads, twisted around a central wire.


My stock of head pins is limited so I had to make my own. I learned how to make make several styles of head pins by following a terrific Craftsy.com class online – Make Your Own Wirework Findings, taught by Lisa Niven Kelly.
All the completed jewelry components are sorted and ready for assembly.

All the completed jewelry components are sorted and ready for assembly.


I played with jewelry components, moving them around on my work surface until I came up with several possible configurations.
One way the Moss Rose bracelet components can be assembled together.

One way the Moss Rose bracelet components can be assembled together.


I haven’t finished the bracelet yet because I haven’t decided what to do next. Just placing the leaf clusters on the bracelet looks complete, especially to someone who loves greenery as much as I do. I will probably finish the bracelet as planned but will save this idea to make another bracelet with a profusion of leaves.
The sections of white beads are attached and the leaf clusters have been added. I love the bracelet just the way it is here!

The sections of white beads are attached and the leaf clusters and vintage pearl drops have been added. I love the bracelet just the way it is here!


I will post a photo after the bracelet is complete, perhaps tomorrow.
In the meantime, I’m already gathering supplies to make a vintage all-white and pearl bracelet using the beading techniques I made up for this bracelet.
I have too many bracelet ideas! I’ll just have to make some and sell them in my Etsy shop – All Sparkled Up.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Little Wood Houses

23 Saturday Feb 2013

Posted by Julia Monroe in crafts, jewelry making, miniature, mixed media, projects

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Blue Moon Scrapbooking, craft supplies, crafts, scrapbooking embellishments, wood houses

I got a new craft supply in the mail today –Prima WOOD EMBELLISHMENTS House And Building Icons, from Blue Moon Scrapbooking.
As soon as I saw them, I thought of several uses for them. Tied onto gifts as tags, glued into scrapbooks, perched in indoor planters, glued around a picture frame… I’m sure I’ll figure out more.

Tiny laser-cut wood houses. These are about 1 1/8" in height.

Tiny laser-cut wood houses. These are about 1 1/8″ in height.

…placed in the corner of a window, glued on a mixed media canvas, used as a cover for a tiny accordion fold book, painted and dangled from a chain for a necklace…

Little wood houses, all in a row.

Little wood houses, all in a row.

But before they become a project, I’ll let my granddaughter mix and sort them and play a while. That will probably be my favorite use of them.

Little Wood Houses.

Little Wood Houses.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Love playing with beads

28 Wednesday Mar 2012

Posted by Julia Monroe in All Sparkled Up, beading, crafts, Gilded Girls, jewelry making, words

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

All Sparkled Up, beads, crafts, jewelry, words

I really ought to stop playing with the beads. But once they become a bracelet, they will never again live an alternate life as Words.

Love.

The beads are not glued down. One breath or tiny bump to the table sends all the round ones scrambling. Such a challenge to patience! The position is so fleeting. Then I brush them back into the bins and the surface is once again bare.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Sometimes we just need to be reminded to…

27 Tuesday Mar 2012

Posted by Julia Monroe in beading, crafts, Gilded Girls, Inspirational, jewelry making, sparkling, words

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

beads, Gilded Girls, inspirational, jewelry, sparkling

…shine.

Shine!

These beads are from a bracelet kit from Gilded Girls. I looked at the pile of beads and wires and felt there was more to it than just a bracelet. Maybe it was the wing that gave me pause.
Don’t forget to slow down and shine.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Craft Fail! Corks and Chains

07 Tuesday Feb 2012

Posted by Julia Monroe in Craft Fail, jewelry making

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

chain, cork, craft fail, jewelry

Some of my short lengths of jewelry chain were getting tangled up in the box so I decided to wrap them around something. Great use for the wine corks, I thought. I drilled one hole through the middle of the cork and then another hole from the top center to the side of the cork.
I dropped an inch of chain through the center hole and then secured it by wrapping chain around the cork. Then I put the remaining end of chain up through the side hole and out the top of the cork.
Looks great!
But then when you lift the cork, the chain falls right off the bottom of the cork! Ha ha!
Back to the drawing board on this design.

Craft Fail - Jewelry Chain keeper. The chain falls right off the bottom!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

If you are a non-WordPress follower, enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Tags

allsparkledup All Sparkled Up altered book art baking beach beads bird bread breakfast cake candy carving cat cats chocolate Christmas Christmas tree cookies craft crafts dessert DIY Easter Easter eggs eggs egg tree encouragement fabric family figs flowers food funny gardening Gilded Girls God granddaughter grandkids heart home decor hope inspiration inspirational jewelry jewelry making joconde light Little Plastic Bears miniature miniatures mixed media mousse nature painting PB & J pets photo photography projects recipe roses salad Scoliosis scripture sewing snow sparkling Spoonflower sunlight sunset Sunset Beach surgery tablescape tea tree tutorial Valentine's Day vintage book words

Archived Posts

Top Posts & Pages

Sourdough Breadstick Cobras
Marble window sills
Sfogliatelle
The Day the Baby Hawks Learned to Fly
Woven Tortillas
We made up a new recipe - PB & Jam Joconde Cake - Part 3
Sugar Bonnets
A Welded Valentine!
Angel Curtain Treatment

Recent Posts

  • Sfogliatelle
  • Blue Willow Toile
  • The Kitchen tea towel
  • The little cake she decorated
  • Icing flowers
  • Matthew 11:28
  • Christmas at Sea Tablescape
  • Gratitude
  • The Hot Air Balloon mobile has lights
  • Journaling in Coloring Books
  • The Light is still here.
  • A Hot Air Balloon decoration for my granddaughter’s room
  • Coco’s new favorite hangout
  • My kitten is growing
  • English roses fabric

Post Categories

All Sparkled Up allsparkledup altered books American Girl Dolls art baking Baking for Neighbors ballet beach beading BFN birthday books cake decorating calligraphy candy cats Christmas color community cooking Craft Fail crafts DIY dolls drawing Easter encouragement Etsy fabric family fashion design Favorite Childhood Books flowers food Free Idea funny gardening Gilded Girls Gilded Life God granddaughter grandkids handmade books holiday home home decor Inspirational jewelry making journals lighting Little Plastic Bears Mexican miniature mixed media music nature New Years On my Worktable painting party pets photography Princess doll projects recipe Scoliosis Scripture sewing sketchbook sparkling Spoonflower sunlight sunset tea time Thanksgiving The cats time tools travel tutorial Uncategorized Valentine's Day water wedding woodwork words wreath
Follow All Sparkled Up on WordPress.com

Blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • All Sparkled Up
    • Join 289 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • All Sparkled Up
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: