Fall Colors for Caramel's Claws Necklace in Cinnamon

I was asked for kits in both the Sage and Cinnamon colorways, and have been out of them for ages.  It's really hard to find viable focals, but I have a set of each colorway now, and I am happy with the choices I have gathered together.  Here's a quick rundown in a larger scale than I can show you on Etsy.  These will go live in my ETsy shop tomorrow, Sunday, March 12th,  at noon CST.

Some deep jade greens, with cinnamon swirled throughout.  Deep and mysterious.

The most old-school Red Creek Jasper in the group.  Spectacular, and the last of its kind that I can find.

Also quite a classic collection of Red Creek markings and colors.  

Predominately cinnamon, with golds, greens, and deep, dark veining.

Nut brown with jagged deep green veining, and just a few hints of gold.

Various shades of brown and copper with a quartzy lightning strike.

The simplest of the group, in deep rich chocolate.  

This focal would feature the pretty curves and details in the bezel.

Some interesting dark inclusions in this focal bead, with creamy highlights.

The dark tones in this focal are almost purple, maybe best described as midnight.  

It has a petrified wood quality.  Unique and unusual.

For this week, I will leave these kits priced as they are at $52.  A kind of sale, because as I calculate my kit cost each time, it seems to go up, just like the cost of housing and groceries.  Then, on the 18th, they will go up to $55, so if you are interested, grab your favorite by St. Patrick's Day, to take advantage of the old pricing.  Caramel's ancestors demand to be fed, and the cost of peanuts has gone up...

Fall Colors for Caramel's Claws Necklace in Sage

 Three different people have recently requested kits for the original colors of the Caramel's Claws Necklace.  I have Berries and Honey, but Cinnamon and Sage have been sold out for quite a while.  So I decided it was time to try and make a final few more of each colorway.

The SAGE kits are done, and will be posted in my Etsy shop tomorrow, March 8th at noon.  It's a challenge finding respectable focal beads, as the Red Creek Jasper vein appears to have been mined out, but I am happy with my choices, and hope you will be too.  So without further ado...

I love the markings on focal A.  Those slash marks have their own highlights!

Dark and dreamy.  And it looks as though it has been dipped in chocolate.  

Would really feature the bezel nicely, as do all those with darker markings.

Focal C has two interesting curved markings and they mesh nicely with the bezel curves.  

Each focal has two sides, and sometimes I like both, despite mild pitting.  

Which side to use is always your choice.

Similar to focal C, this D focal has a dark ground with lighter shadowy markings, 

so also simpatico with the bezel.

Focal E is soft, milky green-grey, with warm caramel.  An interesting stone.

Focal F has three distinct zones, and the warm chocolate brown relates nicely to the wood beads.

If only I had turned the G stone the other way, you might have seen a Mocha Frappuccino with a hint of mint! And this mocha also compliments the beads, and the hints of gold 

in the bezel edge of Oceanic Metallic 15/0 beads.

I also have a final set of Cinnamon kits underway.  I am waiting on a few final beads, 

and I'll keep you posted.

Find this listing at the link I will post here tomorrow.  For now, it's just a link to my Etsy shop.  

https://www.etsy.com/shop/HauteIceBeadwork

Blueberries in Season!

Holy Cow, my second post in a single day?  I have been working all week to collect supplies for more requested Blueberry Kits for the Caramel's Claws Necklace.  They are listed in my shop, although the last couple kits are still a few beads short.  Hopefully they do not sell out fast!  A reminder of the piece and a link below to the kit listing.

Link:  https://www.etsy.com/listing/564817224/kit-only-caramels-claws-necklace

In any case, I wanted to use this space to post the focal photos, so you can take a good look and fall in love.  This time I have kitted with both the Polished AND Matte focal beads.  You can also choose whether you want a Blue Laguna acorn bead, or a Copper one, which would look very acorn-y indeed.

Here are the polished focals!

A nice soft blue with a little cloudy grey.  A small pit on the second side. SOLD OUT!

Great texture on the first side and a sweet little color ombre on side 2.  SOLD OUT!

Soft color with a cool fracture line.

Nice textural blend of light and deeper blues. Like an arial view of waterways. SOLD OUT!

Storm clouds rolling in.  Maybe that fracture line is lightning?   SOLD OUT!

And now the MATTE Focals.  I've not used these before.  

The colors are really vibrant and YUMMY!

OMGee it's just so pretty.  That patterning!  I'd have a hard time choosing a side.  

There is a little geode-ish pitting in the dark areas

Subtle patterning would allow the coppery prong setting to really shine.  SOLD OUT!

I love the swath of turquoise on side one.  Maybe I am beach lusting? Tide pool craving?

Deeper, richer royal blues here, with interesting patterns on both sides.

This last one has awesome patterning, but there is a little ding missing on the right side,

 near the drill hole.  I believe the bezel would fill it out without a problem.  

I've worked with similar pieces.  I may steal it for myself!

Enjoy!

Red Porcelain Jasper

I have had a quiet week after my South Dakota Black Hills vacation.  It really put me in mind of Autumn, seeing the beautiful colors and feeling the nip in the air.

I have had some requests for more Caramel's Claws kits, and bought some more of the oval beads that serve as the focal.  I found a Jasper suited to a Pomegranate colorway, and want to finish off the last bundles of acorn melon beads, so I made up a sample, and liked it.

The Pomegranate melon bead is translucent, very much like a pomegranate seed.  The Red Porcelain Jasper is sometimes brick, sometimes burgundy red.  The stone reminded me of a favorite pair of red suede boots that are so neutral I can manage to wear almost any red with them.

I chose the most brick-like color for my sample, as always, trying to save the very best focals for you. I cannot get the color to display quite exactly as it is, REDS ARE HARD FOR ME TO GET PHOTOGRAPHICALLY PERFECT! so let me just say these are redder than brown for sure.  Here is the new Pomegranate, (with it's brick focal) next to the original bronzy-brown Cinnamon colorway.

Taking all of the ovals into consideration, I designed a pretty neutral red frame and neckstrap. Some of them have quite a bit of creamy pattern, some are mostly red, and some, mostly porcelain, which I think would look spectacular displayed in this red frame on a winter white sweater.  So without further ado...

Dark with subtle shading

Smooth and deeply colored

A bit of landscape patterning.

Dark with a lighter marking.

This focal bead is Apple Jasper, a slightly more true red with woodgrain markings.  A thinner bead which will display a bit more of the bezel against the surface of the focal.

Interesting markings nicely placed.

I love the landscape rock look of this piece.

Reminds me of Picasso cubism.

Deep burgundy wine hints, and lots of creamy softness.

For some reason, this one reminds me of a calico cat!

Neutral beige with hints of grey and cream.  Reminds me of marble.

Love this one!  If no one claims it, I will make it up for myself! Porcelain indeed.

Having beads set aside for (or left over from) a kit project sitting around in my stash does no one any good.  So this week I am working on getting what I have into kits that you can use.  I know some of you already own more than one colorway of this design.  Please do not feel obligated to make a purchase.  Some of my clients are SO supportive, and I truly appreciate you all!  I''ll put these, and whatever else I manage to get kitted this week, in my Etsy shop on Saturday around noon CST.

I am working on a new icy, wintery piece featuring mother of pearl for you.  I have a final dancewear project to finish first, and the holidays to prepare for and enjoy, but please, know it's coming!