Hello! I haven't posted in a while, despite my having composed posts in my head on several commutes home from work. At first I was a little disparaged that I hadn't physically typed anything up. But, the book I've been listening to, The Upside of Irrationality, had a good point--most blogs are written for and read by the writer and are seldom read by anyone else. Which, to me, means that it doesn't matter when I write because I'm writing for myself. =)
February wasn't too terribly busy--I started my second semester of grad school, and was only able to take one class as I had taken my other three required classes last semester and have to have all four finished to start in on the real classes. Taking one course is way less stressful! I now have time to make jewelry. Which is great because I have been spending excessive amounts of money on beads!
My newest bead source also happens to be a subscription box. I'm not even sure how I came across it earlier in February, but I am glad I did! Blueberry Cove Beads is a new monthly bead subscription box that sends out beads [loose and strung], findings, and pendants for $22 a month + $5 S&H. The box ships from Nova Scotia, Canada and I got my first one within a week. They also recently opened up the first [Woodland] and second [Art Deco] boxes for purchase for $30 [$25 + $5 S&H], and I had to get the Art Deco box.
The subscription box that arrived was a thin rectangular book-shaped piece containing a black silky bag with the Blueberry Cove logo etched on a wooden tag. I was very impressed by the presentation, and the info card [which I forgot to photograph] of several ladies sitting down to a tea party.
February's theme was Vintage Tea Party. I felt like there was this never-ending supply of items as I pulled each plastic wrapped parcel out of the bag. This month's box included:
I was very impressed by the curation! Most of these items I could see using right away, such as all the dishes and the flat pins. Though I'm not crazy about round pearls [I prefer the lumpy, freshwater variety] I still found some ideas to use them. The mini cakes aren't my style, so I think I'll give them to my nieces to use with their Lego sets. Finally, the lovely pink roses are more like a button, and I am not really sure how to use them because of the way the hole goes through the back. It seems like perhaps a topper for a ring or setting them into something might work.
Most exciting were the four filigree pieces. Three are triangular, and one shaped like a bow tie [though that one is incredibly thin and has several sharp points where it looks like the piece wasn't full formed]. I'd never used filigree before, but I had seen it in beading shops. Before getting this box I even asked a shop owner what people do with the delicate filigree pieces. Her response was that people painted them. I'm new to jewelry making, but that didn't sound right--the pieces looked strange and she didn't seem to do anything with them after. If you Google painted filigree, those actually look really cool--hers were more unique with random bits of paint all over the pieces.
I searched the internet more after getting this box, as use of a filigree piece was the challenge for the box, and finally came across a website dedicated to filigree entitled, Filigree Beading. After spending some time on the site looking at how the author incorporated layers of filigree pieces, I was inspired!
This piece was a lot of fun to make! I used a chain and one triangular filigree piece from Box #3, the black cubes from Box #2 [which sell for $1 each at Fusion Beads!!], pink stone and dark yellow stone beads from Michael's and Ben Franklin. I am honestly impressed by how this turned out! I have made a few other necklaces, and they all hang strangely, but this one looks nice enough to sell or give away.
I am looking forward to the March Blueberry Cove subscription box! Until I get it, I will be using more items from my boxes, as well as the plethora of other beads I have purchased lately [I had a Peyote beading class at Fusion Beads in Seattle yesterday, so now I've got a lot more fire polished beads]. Let's hope my zealous bead buying spree can wind down for a while!
Blogging the depths of the abyss,
[a]
February wasn't too terribly busy--I started my second semester of grad school, and was only able to take one class as I had taken my other three required classes last semester and have to have all four finished to start in on the real classes. Taking one course is way less stressful! I now have time to make jewelry. Which is great because I have been spending excessive amounts of money on beads!
My newest bead source also happens to be a subscription box. I'm not even sure how I came across it earlier in February, but I am glad I did! Blueberry Cove Beads is a new monthly bead subscription box that sends out beads [loose and strung], findings, and pendants for $22 a month + $5 S&H. The box ships from Nova Scotia, Canada and I got my first one within a week. They also recently opened up the first [Woodland] and second [Art Deco] boxes for purchase for $30 [$25 + $5 S&H], and I had to get the Art Deco box.
The subscription box that arrived was a thin rectangular book-shaped piece containing a black silky bag with the Blueberry Cove logo etched on a wooden tag. I was very impressed by the presentation, and the info card [which I forgot to photograph] of several ladies sitting down to a tea party.
February's theme was Vintage Tea Party. I felt like there was this never-ending supply of items as I pulled each plastic wrapped parcel out of the bag. This month's box included:
- 2 bronze necklace chains
- Antique bronze flat pins
- Three little cakes
- 3 triangle and one bow-tie shaped filigree pieces
- A tiny blue and yellow teapot set
- 6 antique bronze teapots
- 2 antique silver spoons
- An antique bronze clock
- 8 floral printed beads
- 2 strands of pearls, violet and white
- A collection of mini bronze spoons'
- 4 light pink rose beads
- A collection of little loop screws
I was very impressed by the curation! Most of these items I could see using right away, such as all the dishes and the flat pins. Though I'm not crazy about round pearls [I prefer the lumpy, freshwater variety] I still found some ideas to use them. The mini cakes aren't my style, so I think I'll give them to my nieces to use with their Lego sets. Finally, the lovely pink roses are more like a button, and I am not really sure how to use them because of the way the hole goes through the back. It seems like perhaps a topper for a ring or setting them into something might work.
Most exciting were the four filigree pieces. Three are triangular, and one shaped like a bow tie [though that one is incredibly thin and has several sharp points where it looks like the piece wasn't full formed]. I'd never used filigree before, but I had seen it in beading shops. Before getting this box I even asked a shop owner what people do with the delicate filigree pieces. Her response was that people painted them. I'm new to jewelry making, but that didn't sound right--the pieces looked strange and she didn't seem to do anything with them after. If you Google painted filigree, those actually look really cool--hers were more unique with random bits of paint all over the pieces.
I searched the internet more after getting this box, as use of a filigree piece was the challenge for the box, and finally came across a website dedicated to filigree entitled, Filigree Beading. After spending some time on the site looking at how the author incorporated layers of filigree pieces, I was inspired!
I am looking forward to the March Blueberry Cove subscription box! Until I get it, I will be using more items from my boxes, as well as the plethora of other beads I have purchased lately [I had a Peyote beading class at Fusion Beads in Seattle yesterday, so now I've got a lot more fire polished beads]. Let's hope my zealous bead buying spree can wind down for a while!
Blogging the depths of the abyss,
[a]
Ooh I love how you used the filigree like that, I never would have thought about that! Your necklace is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI checked that filigree site and they have great ideas. I need to get more filigrees now, hee-hee! :-)
Thanks, Chantal! I like the way you draped your chain from the two pieces--it really added to the loveliness. I keep looking at filigree as well, trying to think of cool ways to incorporate it into pieces. Let me know if you find anything you like!
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