Confessions of a Crystal Hoarder Blog

Perhaps I got a little carried away with the vintage plastic beads in the June club box. But I think that in the end, that’s a fine thing. I’ve become quite geeky about vintage plastics over the last 6 months or so. Before that I’d have just called myself appreciative of vintage plastics. 

It may seem odd to some that this has coincided with an obsession with 3d printing, but the two are closely related. The newness and possibilities of 3d printing intrigue me to no end, and I think that same sense of material adventure made early plastics a wonder material. Here was a family of substances that could be used to make things that were difficult or impossible before.

Today plastic is generally regarded as cheap, disposable, and wasteful. But what could be greener than re-elevating plastic to a cherished art form to take away its disposable connotation?

And at least at my house, plastic beads do not head to landfills…even if that’s what it looks like on my table at times!

I made this necklace while in Milwaukee earlier this month. I wanted to create a series of stacking chevrons. I made two. They were quick cubic right angle weave units, perfect for the small gaps between activities.

The chunky white enameled chain balances the large beaded v’s, and guarantees that this necklace will never be a serious and somber piece.

Once home I started this yellow necklace that had been a while in the making. I’ve collected these yellow pieces over the last 18 months from AGOS. (And yes, I’m very sad that I had to miss the Charlotte IBS last weekend where I could have add to the miniature Bead Hoard at my house.) The yellow Lucite balls were my first acquisition. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with them, but I liked them all the same. About a year later I found the rings. I’m glad I have a good color memory, because it could have been awkward if they hadn’t really been a match. These hex beads could be a great addition to my remaining stockpile #19139

When the yellow beads arrived in my plastic pack I knew I had the last piece of the puzzle. With all that roundness I got to try out my new square wire wrapping pliers for some contrasting links.

Sometimes designs work better in my head than on the stand. Since the acrylic beads are lightweight, I figured I’d make something really visually heavy. Plus it would give me an opportunity to use some 4-hole spacers I’d picked up.

Alas…the match just was not working. Perhaps if I’d used wire in lieu of beading wire for the strands, and a neck wire for support (yup, even necklaces need underwires sometimes to keep from getting droopy!) it wouldn’t be all wonky. I may take it apart and try again. For now, it heads into the abyss of my UFO drawer.

That will not be the fate for these chandelier earrings! When I spied those green briolettes in my box they reminded me of watermelons. And, I just happened to have pink faceted acrylic beads (#17353) in my stock. FYI, our almost non-stop rain here forced me to take the photo inside (boo).

In crystal, these earrings would become uncomfortable in a flash. In plastic they’re good to go all day long. Perfect for a long, hot, summer day. Ok, I cheated a little- the 4mms are glass firepolish.

I tried taking a photo where they were backlit…I’m sure that if my neighbors were watching they’d wonder why I kept grabbing my windowshades.

There was a Jewelry Making Daily blog a while back lamenting earring photography where Tammy jones suggested using fruit…but I didn’t have any watermelon handy.

Next week I’m traveling to a family wedding…and much of the jewelry comes from our beloved Hoard. I’ll be sure to get loads of photos so you can see the Hoard in ac