Black Lotus

Before we got kids, my hubby was playing quite a bit of Magic - The Gathering online (he's actually really good in that stuff). It is sort of a computer game you play with other gamers (darn, almost wrote "nerds" - sorry, guys - no offence!), it involved magic and cards with different abilities.
One of such cards is the Black Lotus - an old and very powerful card. I have not seen the original version of it online, but it has been re-printed into newer sets of Magic cards.
Anyhow, there is a bautiful flower of a black lotus on it.

And I have decided to make one for myself.


It is soutache emboirdery (again). This time, the focal is a gorgeous labradorite, shining in all shades of blue, yellow, purple and pink.

I think it is a keeper ;)

My first tutorial. Ever...

Making tutorials is lots of work, ppl. Now I know that.
Think of a design. Sketch. Make a mock-up. Make the real thing and take pictures of the process. Process the pictures, re-take the bad ones. Write a description. Put the stuff together. Proof-read. Make the .pdf. Try to compress it yourself. Swear, swallow your pride and ask the hubby (aka Mr. Computer Genius) to help out. Watch how he fixes the problem in two minutes. Yeah... 23 hours of non-stop fun, straight up!

Buuuuuut, as a result I got my first tutorial that has already managed to sell thrice! YAY!

Here it is, blue and silver pendant called by name of my great office-mate, Cissi. She does not know yet ;) As fas as I am aware of, this is the first and the only soutache-tutorial available on Etsy.
And here is another pendant, called Hope. Just a little purple thing. I'll list it on Etsy tomorrow, now it is time to go to bed.



Hugs!
Olga

Soutache - again!

I am supposed to give a workshop on soutache embroidery on PUSS beading convention in Stockholm in October. Yesterday, I woke up with a nightmare - dreaming that I have arrived there but have forgotten all the kits and my tutorial was not ready. What a NIGHTMARE indeed ;)

It was a good kick to finish one of old projects in that technique. Voilá - meet my new soutache pendant, Helen.
The cab is Russian Sunstone, with a very nice sparkle in it. All the soutache colors I've used can be found in it.

Soon in my Etsy store - I have not added any new items for ages...

Free-form for Monica

Who is the best client in our business? The on who gives us free hands! :)

This necklace is a commission piece for a person with a great personality - Monica from Uppsala.
Was FUN to make! I got instructions for only what colors to use and what shape it was supposed to be. The rest is free form ;)

In the basis is a simple netted collar, embellished with freeform herringbone and peyote, as well as some coralling. The net is made using 9/0, and the embellishment is 50:50 mix of 11/0 Czech and Japanese seed beads.

Many thanks to Angelica Motzkin for the explanations about the freeform herringbone, and Ludmila Gubinova for the idea with those swirling & dangling peyote stripes that I hung on both sides of the necklace for the ballance ;)

Enjoy your summer!

1st prize in Fashion Colorworks - UN-BE-LI-VA-BLE!

http://www.mylovelybeads.com/contest/2010/winner.php

Pinch me, someone...

FINALIST of Fashion Colorworks!

Un-Be-Li-Va-Ble, the Legends of Lothlórien is in the finals. Out of more than a hundred of AMAZING entries!

To see them all, please follow this link.

Here you can vote for the favorite among finalists.

And here you can see more pictures of my finalist entry.

What a honor....

Summertime for Artbeads.com

Summer... What is Summer for you? Well, if you live in Sweden, it is rain. And strawberries ;) But say, if you lived in Spain? Blistering sun, siesta & sangria. Instead of buying expensive plane tickets, I decided to bead Spain in summer. It is ruby-red & passionate. With golds, brass ad bronzes.



Who are the main players in this necklace? The GORGEOUS brass filigree focal, not the cheapest bead but totally worth every cent. Then, there are stunning Swarovski beads and more brass. Finally, there are Czech firepolished beauties for accents. And, of course, seed beads: Toho and Jablonex.


Peter Sewel said couple of days ago something about the beads being the main players in our beadwork, we just put them together. So true, dear Beadsage!

Just look at those gorgeous beads!

Swarovski know how to make those crystals to sparkle!




The color of the bicones is Garnet and Red Magma, they are in fact a bit darker in real life, then on pictures.




Well, I wrote once that I lost some weight (50 lbs/25 kg at the moment)... It feels great, but now there is a problem: the collar brass blank seems to be too big for me! I have two options: to invent a clasp or to sell the necklace ;) Will think about it... So far - that's how it looks on a humble model ;) The picture is taken by my loving hubby just couple of hours ago.

Thanks for the beads, dear sponsors!

This necklace featured in this post is partly made of beads supplied by Artbeads.com free of charge. The opinion stated in this blog post is my own & my precioussssss.