Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

and

Happy New Year

Capitola Girl will return to her jewelry blog on January 2, 2008

Merry Christmas

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Beading the Odds and Ends

Beading the Odds and Ends

Yesterday, Capitola Girl started the arduous task of straightening up the beading studio. What a mess! But, in the process of tidying up, she found some odd wood beads and decided to mix them with the end of her current supply of Bead for Life beads. Using odds and ends in your collection can sometimes result in some pretty surprising jewelry, and that's the story behind today's necklace. Capitola Girl was just beading the odds and ends.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Beading the Odds and Ends

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Red

Red

I have a billion new pair of earrings to photograph, but haven't gotten around to it, so today's simple red and blue earrings with bright copper accents is what you get. Christmas is three days away, so I'm going shopping!

Happy Saturday!

Red

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Recycled

Recycled

I love using the recycled magazine paper beads that I bought this year from Beads for Life. They go with everything. They add color. They are handmade. They benefit a cause that I'm fond of. And, no matter what material I manage to combine them with, they always turn the piece into something wonderful. It must have been the Christmas Spirit that compelled me to work with green last night, which is why today's necklace features green and gold india glass, gold seed beads, and recycled magazine paper.

Recycled

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It's All About the Gingerbread

It's All About the Gingerbread

Gingerbread Night at the Fogbank is a little-known event that is attended by a small but close-knit group of Capitola village locals and regular "kids." And, last night twas' the week before Christmas, so down in the village some elfin magic happened once again. Capitola Girl (often accused of being the biggest kid of them all) likes to enter this annual contest with her very creative and crafty friends.

This year, we had some stiff competition (no whipping pun intended). But after losing our title last year, we were prepared to beat the frosting out of the team that created the legendary Gingerbread Bus in 2006. That bus won two local competitions. So, in an effort to get prepared, Capitola Girl started her candy shopping early, and this team of Strong Frosters got their best game faces on to build a Gingerbread Treehouse. Although the "official" winners have yet to be announced, we did our best. So, if you happen to drop by the Fogbank this week, all of the houses are still out. Be sure to check out our Gingerbread Treehouse.

At this year's event there were:

A lotta fun people...

Gifts, Gifts, and Gifts...

The Gingerbread Treehouse!!

And who do ya think is gonna win?

Oh Yes!!

You can watch the Capitola Girl's dance at:
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1615253356

It's All About the Gingerbread

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Super Swarovski

Super Swarovski

Capitola Girl planned to bring you pictures from the Annual Gingerbread House Contest at the Fogbank today, but due to technical difficulties with the memory card on her digi cam, the Gingerbread will have to wait. In light of that, Capitola Girl decided to bead up this pair of pearl and crystal earrings, so that she could show you some sassy new USB gadgets instead. What do her pearl and crystal earrings have in common with a USB gadget? Well in a word, Swarovski.

If you're looking for the perfect gift for a jewelry fanatic, look no further than the famous crystal maker who has teamed up with Phillips this year to make super duper crystallized USB drives and headsets. Even if your not a tech geek like Capitola Girl, you'll have to admit that these jeweled USB drives and headsets are gorgeous. So, when Santa Claus gets to town this year, she's hoping he'll arrive with one of these little pretties in his bag of gifts:

Active Crystals USB Drive (see article on Engadget)

Active Crystals Headset (see article on Engadget)

Super Swarovski

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Copper Falls

Copper Falls

Well, the price of Copper may have fallen to a 9-month low yesterday, but the demand for metal and metallic beads haven't dwindled at Capitola Girl's studio. Capitola Girl is crazy for all things that are copper and gold, and this new design is one that she's particularly happy with.

This pair, appropriately named Copper Falls for the dip in the base metal market, features copper-colored beads that look a lot like Goldstone and dark brown crystals with gold seed bead accents. The chain onto which the beads are wrapped are some simple goldtone links on goldtone earhooks. She plans to make these with the real stuff one day soon.

Happy Wednesday!

Copper Falls

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Free Jewelry Patterns

Free Jewelry Patterns

(from Capitola Girl)

As you know, Capitola Girl is a writer by trade and she recently submitted a few project ideas to the beading magazines. Being familiar with publishing, you can't always expect that every idea you submit will be a publishing success. So, rather than let her efforts go to waste, she's decided to share some of her "no-projects" as free patterns with her fans. To make this happen, all Capitola Girl had to do was to setup a Google document space. This will allow you to view her patterns from your Web-browser. For the moment, she plans to add new patterns to the area as her schedule and time permits.

Her first project is a beginning level bead-stringing pattern featuring Alexendrite Swarovski Crystals and Frosty White Murano Glass. To view her first stab and writing a jewelry pattern, check out this Fresh Lavender Frost necklace and earring treat.

Enjoy!

Free Jewelry Patterns

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Basic Blue

Basic Blue

Capitola Girl was busying herself updating the look-and-feel of her blog today, she's also been slammed with work. So, to fight off the I-bring-home-the-bacon-blues, she made these basic blue earrings featuring cobalt blue glass, light blue chinese crystals, and copper accents. Too bad its shaping up to be a rainy day, because these earrings really deserved pictures in bright sunlight. Until we share another pair (of earrings, that is), have a Terrific Tuesday!

Basic Blue

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White Christmas Earrings

White Christmas Earrings

Are you dreaming of a White Christmas? Well, here on the Central California Coast, a White Christmas almost never happens, so we have to do our best with what we have. Capitola Girl created these simple glass earings with silver beadcaps and off-white glass beads with silver accents. More earrings to come tomorrow. Happy Monday!

White Christmas Earrings

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Lovely Lapis

Lovely Lapis

What do you make for the girl who has everything? As Capitola Girl likes to respond, "More Earrings!" These earrings feature antique copper-colored hoops and the dangly strands are beaded with picture jasper rounds, grey cat's eye beads, Swarovski crystal and blue lapis rounds. Why? Well, Capitola Girl loves earrings and she loves lapis.

P.S. I added Digg It to my blog site, so if you want to start digging, scroll down the page and then click the Digg It link on the left-side of the page.

Lovely Lapis

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This Bracelet Rocks

This Bracelet Rocks!

This bracelet and earring features black glass beads, iridescent gray freshwater pearls and jasper gemstones that remind Capitola Girl of the pebbles and rocks you see in a riverbed. So the next time Capitola Girl tells you to go wear a rock, remember that truly she means it.

This Bracelet Rocks

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Great Glass

Great Glass!

It's Almost Christmas!

This week, Friday couldn't get here soon enough! With only two shopping weekends between now and Christmas, Capitola Girl has some busy days ahead. So, to take the edge off from a hard weekend's shop, she crafted a few little beaded surprises. This bracelet features purple etched glass art beads and clear Chinese crystals. Happy Friday!

Great Glass

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Natural Geometry

Natural Geometry

Ok... so in addition to having a really busy day that did not allow for our regularly scheduled daily blog post, the geometric shapes in this necklace are about as close to math as Capitola Girl plans to get. The puffed squares are jasper, the circles are glass pearls, and the trapezoids are a gemstone of gosh-knows-what. It's been one of those days, so stay tuned tomorrow for another jewelry post.

Natural Geometry

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Simplicity Earrings

Simplicity

Today's earrings are an example of what you can do with those spare beads from your more complicated projects. If you make jewelry, you know the beads Capitola Girl is talking about... they are those spare ones that somehow find themselves decorating tables and floors in your work area. The ones that eventually pile up until you are overwhelmed by the number of disorganized beads needing to be put back into their proper bead bin or cube?

These simple silver and pearl earrings are respresentive of purity, beauty, and how sometimes the most uncomplicated solution to a problem is the best one. Capitola Girl couldn't find a pair of earrings to match her outfit this morning, so the simplest thing to do was to make a pearly pair.

Simplicity Earrings

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The Road to Getting Published

Capitola Girl's on the Road Again...

In addition to one day starting her own jewelry business, another one of Capitola Girl's beading goals is to work up enough courage and skills to get one of her beading projects published. She's been tossing around some ideas and designs in her head, and has finally created some instructions to go with them. Now, she's just working up the confidence to send it off in an email and hear her first big NO from a magazine editor. It may take some time to see Capitola Girl designs in a magazine, but Capitola Girl is excited for the first time she hears an editor say YES. It's gonna happen one day, because she really wants it and if anything, she can be persistent.

Below is a picture of her first experiment in pattern publishing, which is currently being proofread by a good friend before its big email send off. It's a fairly easy beginners pattern, which seemed to be the most appropriate first step. As Capitola Girl likes to say, "Start small, and work up to the harder stuff!"

Wish Capitola Girl luck, she definately feels like she might need some!

The Road to Getting Published

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Earring Experiments

Earring Experiments

Capitola Girl has been fiddling around in her jewelry lab with some new styles, so in her spare time this weekend she busted out some recently purchased bead hoops. Since she likes to practice on less expensive materials first, these earrings are all strung on inexpensive gold tone.

Once she settles on the materials and colors that she wants to use in her production pieces, she is thinking she might up the ante and go for the real good hoops. But in the mean time, here are the results of some of her experiments...

The experimental pair above features orange miracle beads, yellow and gold Czech seed beads, and dyed orange shell focal points.

These experimental earrings feature pale green cat eye beads with dark green shells on goldtone beadhoops.



This experimental pair of goldtone bead hoops feature green ceramic beads with wood.

Stay tuned, there will be more experiments tomorrow!

Earring Experiments

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Ice Castle Necklace

Ice Castle Necklace

Yesterday's floating illusion necklace now has a companion piece, so Capitola Girl is picturing them both on this blog post. Today's necklace (pictured on the right) uses a multi-strand technique that transitions from a four-to-single strand. The pendant is wrapped with sterling silver wire and white seed beads, and looks like it came straight from the Snow Miser's castle itself. So, although this may look like the year without a Santa Claus at Capitola Girl's house, there will be plenty frosty good jewelry taking the chill from the air.

Ice Castle Necklace

Ice Castle Necklace

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Pale Blue Christmas

And I'll Have a Pale Blue Christmas...

The house lights are up and the tree is lit, so now gems are quickly becoming holiday jewels at Capitola Girl's house. As she started counting the days advent-style, some ideas for a Blue Christmas collection came into her mind. With only 17 days to go, making jewelry isn't just a way for her to pass the time, its about spreading the jewelry love Capitola girl-style.

Pale Blue Christmas Necklace by Capitola Girl

The gems and jewels on this holiday-inspired illusion necklace float on sterling silver wire closed with hammered silvertone toggle clasp. It features pale blue amazonite rounds, clear chinese crystal bicones, and gorgeous silvertone filigree cones.

Merry Blue Christmas!

Pale Blue Christmas

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Crazy About Chysoprase

Crazy About Chysoprase

Capitola Girl heard that its been rumored that during the Middle Ages it was thought, if you placed a piece of Chysoprase in your mouth, you'd become invisible. Capitola Girl's not sure what happens when you wear this necklace, but....if you decide to wear it and then turn into Wonder Woman's airplane, its not really her fault. To be on the safe side, Capitola Girl thinks that you better just pin your hopes on having dinner with an invisible friend tonight. She's wearing this baby out!

This is a Chysoprase and Jasper gemstone necklace highlighted by delicate silvertone metal accents. Enjoy your Friday and stay visible, we like you better that way.

Crazy About Chysoprase

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Sunshine Daze Bracelet

Sunshine Daze Bracelet

Happy days are here again and Capitola Girl is back on a beading frenzy. Yesterday was a sunny day, both in Capitola and for her jewelry making! If you don't know why she was feeling so happy, check out the Holiday Gallery in Beading Daily. Since it was the first time she's seen a Capitola Girl necklace on someone else's blog, she was pretty stoked about it. She also became a Contributor on Talent Database. So, to celebrate her first honorable mention in the world of jewelry making, she whipped up this Sunshine Daze bracelet. A sunny reminder that if she continues with her creative efforts, the best days are yet to come.

This bracelet was created with lime-green frosted glass, chysoprase, cat's eye, and miracle beads. It is wrapped by the sun by a single school bus yellow seed bead strand. and held in place by a random sterling silver wrapping technique. Yes, her technique is still a little rough, but on a sunshine day..who's counting? She's just happy to be beading.

Sunshine Daze Bracelet

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The Girl with The Pearls

"Every Girl Has a Story, and So Should Her Jewelry"

-- Capitola Girl

Like the Mona Lisa of the North, Capitola Girl knows that every girl has a story. And since she strongly believes that a girl's jewelry should have a story too, she made this pair from a girl on film inspiration.

For those of you who haven't read the book or seen the movie, these earrings were inspired by the colors of Vermeer's art studio in the film version of Tracy Chevalier's book, The Girl with the Pearl Earring. This is one of Capitola Girl's favorite stories, a fictionalized history of The Girl with the Pearl Earring seen in Johannes Vermeer's famous painting. If you haven't seen or read it, its totally recommended ;)

Feeling a little bit sad for the poor little Dutch girl, Griet, for whom one pearl earring caused so much trouble between her and Vermeer's wife, Capitola Girl decided to create her a full set. These earrings use copper findings, and features soft blue, ecru, and eggshell white glass pearls, and some beautiful brown freshwater ones. The accents are copper and copper-colored brass metals. Now the girl has plenty of pearls. Anyhoo, as they say in Dutch, "Dank je wel" for visiting Capitola Girl's blog and we'll hopefully see you again tomorrow!

The Girl with The Pearls

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Running Waters Necklace

The Running Waters Necklace

Once of Capitola Girl's favorite stones in Mookaite. She learned it comes from a sedimentary rock formation known as Windalia Radiolarite, but the stone is called Mookaite because of where its mined... Mooka Creek in Australia. In aborignal language, Mooka means "running waters" which is how this necklace got its name.

This choker-length necklace was created with red fossil beads, gray swarovski crystals, yellow mookaite beads with silver seed bead accents. Well, its a rainy day in Capitola, so Capitola Girl better hit the shower and get ready to enjoy those running waters because for the rest of the morning, she'll be sitting in hideous traffic. Enjoy this necklace and have a great day!

Running Waters Necklace

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The Steamin Angries

A Pair of the Steamin' Angries

Have you ever noticed that when something negative happens, the easiest thing for the offending party to do is to blow off and blame the very person that you should actually be apologizing to? OK. Capitola Girl is often guilty of expecting too much from people. She's also got a sharp tongue when she feels backed into a corner, and she knows it makes things worse. So, when the offending party decides to retreat and withhold, she doesn't get how apologizing could possibly make things worse.

Another question...when did saying "I'm sorry" become equated with weakness? The wrong choice has already been done, but last she checked, she thought the apology was still considered strong. Capitola Girl doesn't like eating crow anymore than the next person, but she'd eat a truckload if it meant sparing the feelings of someone that she once led to believe was special to her. But then again, since she can't seem to get an apology from the offender, maybe she is just being mistakenly confused with Mom.

From where Capitola Girl sits, she's pretty sure the apology she's been waiting for is not going to come. So, while she twiddles her thumbs and accepts that hard fact, she beaded up these dangly heart-shaped chandelier earrings, because beading is theraputic for her. They feature dark red fossil beads, clear crystals, and silver colored findings. And though she like to tell a better story about these earrings, the sole reason she made these was to blow the last of the steam off.

The Steamin Angries

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Clarity from the San

Clarity from the Sand Necklace

Capitola Girl finally let go of something important today and to celebrate, she made this pink art bead glass necklace which features frosted silver beads on a silver seed bead strand. She learned some valuable lessons this month, and what started out as a genuinely heartfelt connection between two Squeeze fans, turned out to be less than it could have been, because his house was built on sand.

The main ingredient in these beautiful glass beads is sand, and fortunately the finest sand can be turned into something solid. You just need to sift the good sand from the bad, and with a shovel and excessive heat of a furnace, the best sand can be turned into something beautiful and lasting -- like this clarity necklace which reminds Capitola Girl that she is always evolving.

Clarity from the San

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Earthy Blue Necklace

An Earthy Blue Necklace

When it comes to jewelry-making, turquoise is one of the oldest materials used for decoration in the world. The simple, unadorned appeal of this ornamental stone has been mined since around 6000 B.C. and used for both carvings and jewelry. It blends the blue of the sky with the copper of the earth.

This silver necklace features a bevy of robins-egg blue turquoise rounds, betel nut tubes, brown Czech seed beads and african bone beads.

Earthy Blue Necklace

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