Maybe it's my heritage

....but I have definitely fallen in love with vintage German beads! I was minding my own business in a bead shop the other day (yeah, right, Ginny, we all know what that means - you were cruising to fall in love with yet more beads!), when I came across this stunning display of the most yummy colors imaginable. They were all vintage beads from Germany and Czechoslovakia from the 1940s and 1950s, and the colors were really what caught my eye first, and then I noticed all the crazy and fabulous shapes. I could not resist, as the prices were quite affordable as well. Now, I did not go absolutely crazy, and only bought enough for just a few pieces, the bracelet above being one. We'll see if others like the pieces I post well enough to buy....then I can buy some more!

I was wondering why these little beauties appealed to my eye so much, and then I ran across this web article by Dara Spiotto on The Beadin' Path which talks about the colors of vintage beads, and all became clear. Or colorful, the case turns out to be.

Purple Reign

Well, I did it, I finally created another wire-woven cuff like I created for the Spring 2007 Beads4You Challenge, except this time I upped the ante a bit by using semi-precious amethyst and freshwater pearls as the main beads involved. This cuff has over 250 beads handwoven with sterling silver wire over a flexible stainless steel frame. It would make such a glorious addition to anyone's wrist for a special occasion this fall. I may have to make a habit of creating these gems - they're fun to make and beautiful to boot!