Bead Porn - Guaranteed to be 100% Squeak Free

Yep, I am wearing a pair of cheap-ass Payless sandals today...but...they ARE squeak-free. For now anyway.

Funny story about these shoes - I bought them for a trip to Vegas a few years ago and I wore them to go shopping with my Mom while we were there. I can't afford anything in the designer stores, of course, but I like to look anyway. Particularly at shoes. I am almost as bad about shoes as I am about beads.

Anyway, Mom didn't know who Jimmy Choo was so I dragged her into the store to check out the amazing shoes. Because that is how I roll, yo. I style the Payless while IN the Jimmy Choo store.

While we were there, the two sales girls went ga-ga over my silly sandals. And I found it hilarious that these girls WORK at Jimmy Choo and can't recognize a cheap-ass Payless sandal for what it is.

I still get more compliments on these sandals than on a lot of my more expensive shoes. They are pretty cute, I have to admit.

I wonder if Jimmy Choo shoes ever squeak? I mean, seems to me if you're gonna drop $800 on a pair of shoes, they ought to come with a lifetime squeak-free guarantee, right?

Okay, enough of that. On to the bead porn (with one small stop to mention that I have given up trying to be all artsy with the picture placement. Blogger has been so lame-assed about picture posting lately that it's just not worth the fight any more. So, large, centered pics are all you're gonna get now):

I bought this cheery clay pendant from Littlecup on Etsy - just because the colors made me happy. I love the purple flower and the happy little sun.

This is one of Humblebeads' new toggle pendant designs. I had to have it when I saw it posted on her blog and then on Etsy. Not only is it right smack dab in my color palette, but the detailed artwork she has done on these is truly astounding. Each one of these is an original work of art you can wear around your neck - and I think that's way cooler than a painting hanging on some old wall where you have to invite people over (and probably feed them) to show it off. This way, your art can travel with you wherever you go ;-)

Riiiiiight. As if I could be content with just one. Have you even READ this blog?

Vintage rose gold glass melon beads - I just thought these had great potential as "filler" beads for various designs because the colors are so scrumptious.

I'm a sucker for these pretty lucite flower beads. And now - this gal is DYEING them! In two different colors! AND, she lives near where I do, so the shipping is SUPER FAST.

Welcome to the lush garden of Bella's Beads on Etsy!

The great thing about these is that you can get quite a lot for not very much $. And did I mention that they are sooooo pretty? 'Cuz they are.

I think the dual coloring will give designs done with these so much more dimension and life than single-color Lucite flowers (which are still gorgeous - don't get me wrong - this just adds another element)

Bella's Beads also had these nifty-cool brass link connector elements. I loved the curved shape and the loops on either end - makes them really versatile.

If you saw yesterday's post, then you've already seen the first design I did using some of Missficklemedia's lovely patinated chain and components. Here's another chain I purchased from her and I can't wait to use it. Such lovely colors!

And I got the beads to match...of course! I dunno how she gets all these AMAZING colors, but I seriously heart them!

I am a total sucker for anything with a pansy on it. Which explains why I bought these beautiful maple wood pendants from Fashion Refined without bothering to read the part of the description where it talks about size.

Because these babies? They are HUGE!

I am not exactly sure what I'm going to do with them other than just admire the pretty. Because they are really, REALLY B-I-G!

Because I already have so much lampwork (ugh...did I just say that out loud?), I'm really TRYING to stick to only purchasing things that are truly outstanding or unusual in some way. This boro glass pendant fits that particular requirement. It can just be used as a regular pendant, OR, because of the large hole at the top, it will make a great toggle or loop for a lariat-style design. Lots of possibilities and the colors are just stunning. I got this from Jasio.

Another amazing lampwork focal. This one is from Outwest and I thought the colors in this one were so unusual and yet still such a perfect blend. And the etched finish was absolutely the right thing to do on this one - really looks like a stone!

I made two splurge purchases back in March when I got my bonus check and this set from Loupiac was one of them. I defy anyone to not like these colors. They are simply yummy - rich, deep and delicious - together. I'm saving these for a (hopefully) very special design. Uhh...as soon as I think of one LOL!

Does anyone else get intimidated by the gorgeousness of the beads? Sometimes I find it hard to walk that line between showing them off appropriately but not letting the design be TOO simple, either. I really don't like it when I see a wonderful set of lampwork buried in what is (to me) an overdone design, but you also don't wanna just sling the beads on a chain and call it done, either.

Oddly, the more outstanding the lampwork beads are, the more difficult I find this challenge to be.

And speaking of beautiful...here's my other "splurge" set. This one is from Pinocean - lampwork disks that have been etched and sanded to look like sea glass. This was love at first sight when I found it on her Etsy page. Thank goodness for bonus checks ;-) Now this one? I think I already know what I'm doing with it - assuming the other beads decide to cooperate and play nicely.

Okay, that's it for this week. I'm headed to a bead show tomorrow while the kid is at the Cub Scout Space Derby with his Dad for the day. And then I'm seriously contemplating a bead diet for a while. Next show isn't until July so it's a good time.

I mean, really, it's not like I don't have enough goodies to play with for now LOL!

Have a good weekend, everyone!

KJ