Fun with Owls & Lorelei

Okay, I am not peeking at a certain someone's blog until I get this posted!

A few weeks ago, I filled the 2 Green Girl Studios bezels I got at Bead & Button. I sanded down some tiny owl beads I had and hoped this project would turn out the way that I had imagined it. And it did! So now I had these 2 cool bezels, but designs did not pop into my head right away. So, I suggested to one of my fav designers - Lorelei - that we each design something with the bezels for each other. Today, we are revealing what we have made for each other and sending them off!

I made Lorelei a bracelet. I started with a Vintaj creative hoop that I also got at Bead & Button. The tricky thing about this hoop is that you have to find beads with holes large enough to fit on it. I had found a few that I liked, but was then bummed when the sterling silver letter cube beads I ordered from Art Beads (to spell "wise") were too small a size. I think if I would have ordered the larger ones, they would have worked.

I had already planned to wire wrap some rough faceted tourmaline onto the hoop, so when the "wise" beads didn't work I just added more of that. More tourmaline? Who would complain about more tourmaline? Not me! :-)

I also made 3 peyote stitched tube beads to "sew" around the hoop. These worked especially well because you can make them the size you need them to be, wrap it around your component, and then connect the ends together! Peyote is one of the first techniques I learned when I started beading about 10 years ago. I have let it fall to the side but I am glad to see that I can pick it up again, just like riding a bike! I love how these beads give so much texture to the piece.There are various other beads in silver, brass and wood. And of course the owl bezel! These beads are free to create movement in the bracelet. I tied the open end together with an antique looking ribbon, so that this bangle can be adjusted for Miss Lorelei. She can loosen or tighten the ribbon to her liking. Oh! And the coin! How could I forget the coin! It brought a smile to my face when I saw the bracelet Lorelei posted yesterday on her blog, which included a coin like this. I completed this bracelet on Sunday night, so I thought to myself how ironic that perhaps we were both working with coins at the same time! Lorelei had said her coin had been in her stash for quite some time - mine has too! Maybe it's fate that as she sends a coin out into the world, one is returning to her. It certainly worked in this design.Thanks for doing this with me Lorelei - it was tons of fun!!! Check out Lorelei's blog here to see what she made with the other bezel! I know that's where I'm heading!