Quick Update!

Sorry to any of you who actually followed this blog with blog with the hopes of me actually keeping up with it. I started this over my winter break at school and once I went back after break, this project just kinda got left behind at home.

But now, I'm home for the summer, and I've also transferred colleges to one that I can live at home and commute to, so hopefully I'll be able to keep up with this blog this time!

I have lots of new projects in mind that I'll be eager to make and post for you guys. And hopefully I'll be able to get my Etsy shop up and running too!

-Rachel

Project #5- Textured Segmented Necklace

Materials Used:

1. White, round seed beads
2. 11 Focus beads (I used the teal, rectangular stone ones)
3. 8 smaller square teal beads
4. 18 silver seed beads
5. 34 silver tone eye pins
6. 1 silver tone head pin
7. 8 silver tone jump rings
8. 1 lobster clasp

Though it definitely had it's challenges, mostly with trying to find enough beads in my stash that had more than 1 matching component, I did enjoy this project and the final outcome. I absolutely LOVE these teal stone beads. Luckily I have enough to maybe make a bracelet or a pair of earrings out of the remaining beads :)

Difficulty: 3/5

Project # 4- Double Triangle Earrings

This pair of earrings was made to match the bracelet that I made earlier this week. The exact same materials and beads were used, so there's no point in making a huge long list for this one when you can just look at the post below and see :)

I promise I'll make more interesting things, I just have to go supply shopping :)
Critiques and comments are always liked! If you have something you want to see me make, leave it in the comments! :)

Project #3- Double Triangle Bracelet

Materials Used:

1. 24 silver eye pins
2. 16 sparkly copper-toned beads
3. 4 green and gold sphere beads
4. 8 green seed beads
5. 4 black sphere beads
6. 4 silver jump rings
7. 1 lobster claw clasp

This project was definitely a challenge. Between going through my bead stashes and looking for something to make to make anything other than earrings, I found myself to be very stumped. It took me a good while to finally come up with this combination of beads, while they may not be my first pick of beads to match together, I think the final product came out fairly well. This was my first time making a bracelet like this; linking eye-pins together. It was definitely a challenge, but I accepted the challenge and did my best! 

Difficulty: 3/5

I hope you all are enjoying this blog. Please feel free to leave comments about what you would like to see next! I'd love to hear your input :)

Project #2- Simple Drop Earring

Materials Used:
1) 2 silver toned French ear hooks
3) 2 silver toned head pins
4) 2 large, tiger-striped turquoise beads
5) 4 turquoise seed beads
6) 2 silver spacer beads

I needed to find a quick project to do today because I was going over to my Dad's house today to stay for the weekend, so I did the very first and simplest project in the book, and simple, single drop earring. All you need to do is put the beads on the head pin the way you want, then take a pair of round nose pliers to create a loop with the remaining part of the head pin so you can open the earring and connect the two. Definitely a very quick and simple project!

Difficulty: 1/5

Project #1- Interlocking Jump Ring Earrings

So after going through my remaining bead supplies and comparing what I had to the materials needed for some of the projects, the options for what I should make as my first project were rather slim. Luckily, I had an abundance of jump rings to use, so most of my first projects may be rather focused on jump rings.

Materials Used:
1) 24 silver-toned 6.5mm jump rings
2) 2 Silver toned French ear hooks
3) 2 silver toned head pins
4) Two beautiful beads of your choice :) (I used a textured rectangular bead that has a bit of a twist in the outer glass, with a black inside and a sparkly, copper swirl mixed in. Not sure where I got them, but it was probably years and years ago)

Looking at the picture of the project in my book, it didn't look too difficult, especially since I had worked with jump rings before. Though if you haven't worked with jump rings before, you may find it frustrating at first trying to open and close them, and to interlock so many! It definitely gave me a headache. This is a fairly simple project to make a nice, simple pair of earrings for someone who doesn't have a lot of beading experience, not to mention, fairly inexpensive to make as well.

Difficultly level: 2/5

Hello There!

Welcome to my blog! My name is Rachel and I'll be keeping this blog as a journal to document my progress as I take on a 52 week-like challenge. I'm going to be doing two beading projects a week out of my "Bead and Jewelry 101" book I got for Christmas a couple of years ago. I'll take on two projects every week for the entire year. As I make things, I'll also be posting them on my Etsy shop, incase you like my projects so much that you want to buy them (which would be SO awesome! I'll try to see where I can post the link to my Etsy shop to make it easily accessible to everyone)

I started my interest in jewelry over one summer, probably when I was in middle school, when I would spend weeks at my Grandmother's house while I wasn't at camp. Every week at her house, there was usually a theme for the week, whether it was planned or not. Some weeks we'd make things out of polymer clay, other weeks we'd paint those little wooden trinkets you find at craft stores, one time we even made soaps! But the one that I feel like I loved the most was when we got to start a bead project. Since then, I used to make family members and friends necklaces, bracelets, and earrings for Christmas and birthdays, until I realized that my friends didn't really wear them. That was when I stopped. I'm finally going to start making jewelry again because I miss it. I loved the whole creative process and satisfaction that came along with making something, giving it to someone, and having them love it. So I'm picking it back up again through this challenge!

I'm going to start my first project sometime this week because the first of the new year is on Tuesday! Hope that whoever finds this blog finds it to be fun and possibly an insperation to try your own 52 week project!