Hand Dyed Silk Cords/Strings Revisited

Last week was such a busy week but there was some fun involved too.  :)  I am not complaining cause I like to stay busy but we all need a break once in a while right ?  So I think this coming week I'll slow down a bit.  Get caught up on some rest but do what needs to be done too. 

Ok so what kept me busy last week and actually the last 2 weeks - hand dyeing silk cords/strings.  Yes indeed.  I've gotten back into it once again.  Left doing that some time ago mainly because I had enough to keep me going for a while.  Recently, I looked at what I had left of those colors, I decided it was time once again to start dyeing.  :)  So far, I've done 30 skeins with more in mind.  I manage about 10 a day with single colors.  When I start painting the cords it will probably take longer.  Painting the cords can be fun too.  Still I want to expand on the single colors before I start painting them.  :)  What I managed to get done I have listed in my Etsy shop which you can see to the right of this.  Just click on any photo to go there and see all the colors.  More will be coming !  These cords are perfect for Kumihimo braiding.  You can use them on either the Marudai or the foam disk.  Either way works.  I use them on my Marudai which is what I'm use to using with fibers and keep my disk for beaded kumihimo. Also would be great using them in Friendship bracelets.  

Below are a couple of samples of the 8 strand braids using my silk cords.

The first one is a square braid using my sky blue silk cords and hand dyed satin cords.  The square shape is very distinctive.   

  
The second braid is made only with my hand dyed silk cords - Red and Black.  This one is available in my Etsy shop. 

I am anxious to try out some of my new colors just dyed.  They all look GREAT if I do say so myself.  lol ! 

I was able to finally finish up a couple of beaded Kumihimo braided necklaces as well.  I'll show those next post.  :)  I need to get back to work.

Thanks so much for coming by !  Come back again soon to see what's happening.    

Bead Addictions Can Be Costly !

I'm sure that's true for any addiction but at least with a bead addiction, it's fun, it's colorful, it can be creative.  :)  All of the afore mentioned is where it's at for me these last going on 10 years !  Wow !  I just now realized it's been 10 years on my bead journey.  Something I began 10 years ago has grown to include many things that branched out from beads.  Like Kumihimo, dyeing silk cords, Viking knit and the list goes on.  :)  But the real true love, the one I continue to always come back to that's deep in my heart is melting that glass into a pretty little bead.  :)  Doesn't matter the size, the outcome, the colors, it's ALL good.  :)  Yes, costly indeed.  :)  Still, I regret not one penny spent.  It has taken me to a place I had not known prior to the discovery - a place of knowing where I belong and what I was suppose to do for ME.  It took me a very long time to arrive.  I DID arrive there though and that's what it's all about.  :)  

For now, that glass melting is on hold due to weather and all that's keeping my mind preoccupied with family stuff.  Still, with the discovery of those fabulous Greek beads, I do get the opportunity to play a bit and make a piece or two of jewelry.  These beads just have my complete attention at this time !  This past week I put together a few more pieces using those beads.  :)  I was able to "test drive" a necklace and earrings I'm keeping last night and I loved how the necklace felt.  Lightweight and easy.  I purposely did not put a clasp on it since it's long enough to go over my head.  I prefer my own necklaces to be like that.  Anyway, it worked perfectly with my dark orange shirt and became the focal piece of what I was wearing.  That makes me happy.  :)  

So here's what I worked on this past week.  Two more sets pictured below.  The first set is very similar to the original set I made pictured in the previous post but has more earth tones & the necklace is longer.  The second set is much more earthy and organic in color, there are less beads used and a lot of the beads are smaller.  I left the bracelet unfinished so that whomever purchases it, I'll be able to fit it to their wrist.  :)  Both sets are in my Etsy Shop now.

 

That's all for this week.  Thanks so much for coming by.  I hope you come back again soon to see what's goin' on.  :)