DIY Bead/Gem and Gold Wire Bar Necklaces

I don't know if I should actually call this post about DIY bead/gem and gold wire bar necklaces a tutorial, it's so simple that you really don't need more than a few basic instructions!

First, pick out some fairly thick gold wire. I used 40 gauge. Use something thick enough that it will hold its shape and not get bent easily with wear. Then select matching gold (either real, gold-plated, or gold tone - your choice!) chain. Make sure the links are wide enough to slip onto the wire.

Cut a length of wire with the wire-cutting part of your pliers. I usually do about three inches, leaving myself extra that I can cut off later. Take a pair of needle-nose pliers, and form a loop at one end, as shown. Slip the chain onto the loop, and tighten the loop to close it.

Then just add your beads! Make sure their openings are wide enough to fit onto the wire. In the first picture here, you can see I used some diamond shaped green glass beads and then irregular white quartz ones. Put on as many or as few beads as you wish. I made my line of beads about 2 - 2.5 inches long. Leave a bit of wire to form a loop, then cut off the extra. Form your second loop, doing the best you can to make it match the shape of your first one (you can fiddle with both loops after to make them match, or just leave as is - to be honest, people probably won't notice!). Before you tighten it, slip on the other end of your chain. Then close the loop. That's it!

I like my necklaces long, so I used about 30 inches of chain. Since this makes it easy to slip the necklaces over my head, I didn't need a clasp. If you want a shorter necklace that needs a clasp, I'd cut two lengths of chain and slip one end of each onto each loop, and then add your clasps. When you do this part, remember that one side of the clasp (the one with the hook you open) will be longer than the other. So, make that section of chain just a bit shorter so that when you line up each piece of chain with your clasp pieces, the total lengths end up being equal. Is this clear? If not, let me know and I'll add a picture!

Since these bar necklaces have sparkle and shine, they'd be make great accessories for holiday parties. They also make inexpensive, easy Christmas and holiday gifts for your friends and family!

Dreamy Flower Photos by Grain and Silk

These dreamy flower lomography photos from Grain and Silk remind me of photos you see in magazines, with their soft colors and hazy light.

They'd be great hung singly in a pale blue bathroom, or together as a pair on a neutral-colored wall. The soft pinks in the roses at the beginning of this post and in the mountain laurel blossoms shown above complement each other perfectly. They're called Ophelia's Flowers II and Ophelia's Flowers I.

As much as I love the two blooms above, I think this photo - titled House of Green VII - is my favorite. I love how the very geometric lines of the greenhouse contrast with the rounded, irregular leaves and foliage. The greens really pop against the pale sky. I want a greenhouse of my own someday, even if it's just a tiny one in the backyard, so in the meantime I'd settle for a beautiful pic of one like this!

See more photos from Grain and Silk here.

Just a quick note on posting - I know posts have been a bit sparse this month, but we're moving! I should be able to post more frequently in another week or two, depending on when we get internet set up again. I've also been really busy adding prints to the shop in time for fall and winter. Check them out here if you'd like!

Hot Time, Summer in the City

I hope everyone in the U.S. had a lovely Independence Day! It was too hot in Boston - thanks to a string of sweltering 90+ days - to go see the fireworks. I could still hear them from my window, so I guess that's a small consolation.

The city's festivities reminded me of these vintage sparkler boxes that I found in a relative's basement years ago and finally scanned last summer. I love the starburst pattern of the fireworks, the small scattered stars, and the lettering. Simple but interesting! I thought you guys might enjoy it as well.

The main problem with the Fourth of July is that it's the last summer holiday. No more long weekends until Labor Day! July is the epitome of summer to me, but in a way the 4th also means that fall is on its way. I'm definitely looking forward to cooler days and nights. I just wilt in the heat!

What do you think - is there still plenty of summer left, or are you thinking of autumn already too?

Rose Hips and White Spider Mums

Just wanted to add a note to my earlier post about arranging rose hips for a simple late fall/winter table centerpiece.

I ended up adding in some inexpensive mums to mine after a couple weeks (the rose hips last forever!), and I really love the way the white mums pop against the deep reds of the rose hips. It's very Christmas-y without using the obvious evergreen and holly sprigs. The petals of the mums almost look like frosty icicles, don't you think?

Easy Thanksgiving Table Arrangement

The period between colorful fall leaves and Christmas greenery can be a bit bare when it comes to centerpieces. Stacks of gourds and fruits weren't really in the budget for Thanksgiving, so I decided to gather local berries and seed pods from our garden for my Thanksgiving table instead.

Here I combined two types of rose hips (wild and regular garden roses), a plumed stalk of dried grass, and sprigs of wild bittersweet. I put them in lanterns etched with fall leaves (see my earlier DIY post) and surrounded them with LED flickering candles, some of which were placed in mercury glass-like holders. I'll be posting a DIY for the holders this week!

What did you decorate your table with?

Curly Purly Pumpkin Pattern

How cute is this knit pumpkin from Curly Purly? It's perfect for Halloween, and seems to knit up very quickly. All you need are double pointed needles, yarn, and something to stuff in the middle!

Get the free pattern and spin-off ideas from Curly Purly here.

Wildflower Paintings by Cool Ranch Studio

Caroline Saganich uses such vivid colors in her "Wildflower" series paintings, on reclaimed cedar wood. She accents rich green and blue tones with splashes of metallic gold paint, as well as engraved and drilled details. I can see grouping two or three of these little masterpieces on a wall together, or on a mantel.

See more of her whimsical pieces here.

Gold-Plated Feather Pendants by Marge Hinge

Mid-August was made for basking in the waning warm, golden-glowed haze of summer by the light of day and for savoring the first cool, autumn-esque breezes by the dark velvet of night.

I've been taking some time off from the store and blog to do just that. I hope you caught the Perseid showers last week, in spite of the full moon! We watched a few spectacular meteors blaze down towards the horizon, past the flickering stars. Such marvels of nature put things in perspective. It's nice to feel small in the grand scheme of things sometimes, don't you think?

Back on the inspiration front, I'm completely in awe of these pendants by Marge Hinge. She's found a way to electroplate only the ends of natural feathers, combining the hardness of metallic edges with the softness of the vanes. I love the intense green and blue tones against the gold as well.

See more from Marge's Etsy store here!

London Neighborhood Prints by Little Gonzales

These London neighborhood prints by Little Gonzales, featuring the sights of the city's various areas, are so wonderful! He mixes witty phrases with classic British icons, all in bright colors.

I think the little bird above "Hampstead Heath" is my favorite detail. So clever and whimsical! See more of Little Gonzales' work here.

Ranunculus Season

It's ranunculus season! They look like miniature roses, but the petals almost have little ridges on the edges and they have little nubs in the center.

You can find them in various shades of red, orange, pink, and yellow but the white ones are my favorite! They add this bright freshness to a room - I glance at this lovely bouquet every time I pass through the kitchen.

DIY Terrariums, and A New Piece

I've been wanting more greenery around the house as the last of the leaves fall and the view from the window becomes brown and gray. Unfortunately, I'm not very good with indoor plants. (They never seem to get enough sun, and I don't always remember to water them regularly.) Terrariums seem to be a perfect solution, as they can self-water for days.

These diy versions from Katy Elliott and DesignSponge are easy to make and beautifully emerald, cushioned with moss and dotted with whatever you find in your own backyard!



On a side note, I've begun adding new prints to my store in time for the holidays. This is my most recent one, "Surround Yourself with Love", hand-drawn and then layered with color! I've also posted holiday deadlines.

Incredible Paintings by Leah Giberson

When I first saw Leah Giberson's paintings, I couldn't believe they weren't photographs. The amount of detail is incredible!

I'm especially amazed by how realistically she paints reflections. It's so hard to believe the trailers and windows are only paint and not actually metal or glass!

See more of her prints and paintings for yourself here.

Green Fields

To this city girl, hot summer days just scream for joyrides through the country, free from the blistering, simmering heat radiating off every swath of pavement and concrete.

I'm definitely looking forward to the cooler temps forecasted for this next two days! I hope all of you have wonderful (and cooler!) weekends as well.

(Photo: Moore Estates (West) by Matthew Moore on 20 x 200.)

Old Stone Walls

These lovely photos of old, worn stone walls by Wild Goose Chase remind me of the poem "Mending Wall" by Robert Frost:

Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,
And spills the upper boulders in the sun.

The poem is actually much longer, click here to read more. Happy Monday everyone!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day (or I like to sometimes call it, Stout Appreciation Day)! For all of you who are Irish, I hope you get to enjoy a pint of dark Irish beer and some delicious soda bread.

Slainte!

(Of course, be responsible and stay safe if you're going out tonight!)