I snagged some of Katie Hacker's new Katiedids components while at a bead show last month. I've been itching to try them and finally had some free time. (Okay, it wasn't really free time, but I think my eyes might have fallen out of my head if I did one more minute of editing.)
Ocean Waves Pendant
I bought these tiny teardrop beads (also sometimes called fringe drops or magatama) while waiting in line at a bead show a couple of years ago. That's always a dangerous time for me, waiting to pay for my purchases. It's impossible not to look at anything while I'm standing there and somehow something always ends up in my shopping basket. Pretty mixes of colors like these blues/greens are especially tempting.
I created a circle of teardrops with size 11 seed beads for spacers and a chain dangle using 4mm jump rings. I originally wanted to hang a charm in the center, but I couldn't find an ocean-themed charm that I liked that was small enough to fit. So instead I hung a glass lentil from the center. I think this summery pendant would look great on a simple silver chain.
Get Happy Pendant
Lately I've been obsessed with painting metal. I chose yellow, purple, and white to paint the pendant. For the inside, I used a combination of black (size 15) and ivory (size 11) seed beads to create a graphic design. I'm thinking of doming the middle with resin and stringing the finished pendant on black cord. What do you think?
I found these components fun to play with—thank goodness they come five to a pack!
Be sure to check out Katie Hacker's blog for more ideas. I especially like her polymer clay earrings—easy to make and a nice pop of color.