Yay! The reveal for the Bead Peeps Swap and Hop has finally arrived. This hop is hosted by Linda Anderson and the Bead Peeps Facebook group. Participants for this blog hop were paired up and asked to exchange a selection of artisan beads and reveal their final handmade jewellery designs today!
My partner this time around is Robin Kae Reed of Artistry HCBD, a US jewellery designer who makes gorgeous pieces with lots of gemstone beads and lovely charms. I can’t wait to see what she has made using the beads I sent her!
Robin sent me a beautiful selection of clasps and gemstone beads along with lovely artisan buttons, including some letter “K” charms.
I was very happy with this lovely collection of gemstones, buttons and charms as I had just ordered and received a reel of my favourite chain and two quite large spools of vintage bronze wire that I was eager to use.
I sketched out my designs and “shopped” my stash for a few beads to compliment the gemstones that Robin sent and decided to wait for a nice child free day to assemble my pieces.
Of course, you can guess what happened, I misplaced my wire spools and couldn’t find the chain! I suppose I could have used copper but I really wanted that buttery caramel look you get from vintage bronze. I searched high and low, the real kind of search that we women do, not the “bloke-y look” that men looking for their keys tend to do.
I ended up not finding the wire and ran out of time so here are what I have today. 
I used a button from Robin and some thread and picasso seed beads to crochet a wrap bracelet. When I find my wire I intend to add some of the gemstone chips on jump rings along the length and some tiny key charms.
Here I wired some peacock freshwater pearls to another matching button and used my pliers to twist the wire to match the clasp, also from Robin. I threaded this pendant onto a leather necklace. I hope to make a beaded chain from the green (jasper I think?) gemstones and some blue grey agate I have.
Finally, at the last moment I just had to make a scarf pin from the green jasper disks. I think I might have to patina the copper though. This one is going to go to my Mum for Mother’s Day next week, along with one of my crochet cashmere scarves (not pictured) and some lotion bars I made last week.
Although the designs in my head didn’t eventuate they will be completed one way or another and I promise to show you updated versions of the pieces.
To see what the other participants in the #BeadPeepsSwap created please check out the list here on Linda’s blog.
