Blush Rose inspired Bare Sandals

When I used to model for Ford Models I got to work with many different designers and photographers. The experiences weren't always the ones to "brag about", but overall it was an interesting time in my life. When I was about 17 I got booked to do a photo shoot for a wedding dress designer - Janell Berte. Janell was located in Lancaster, PA. I've modeled some wedding dresses before that but nothing came close to my first photo shoot with Janell.
We met an an old, abandoned factory and had a "Marie Antoinette" style photo shoot. I had huge hair, amazing dresses and the whole day was pretty amazing. Here is a picture from that first shoot:

Since the first shoot, Janell and I have kept in touch and even after I have stopped modeling "officially", she would still call me over for an occasional photo shoots or a show. Eventually, I got engaged and really did not even go on the typical "dress hunt" before my wedding. I walked into her salon, tried on two dresses and ended up getting one of the two that I tried on. That was it. 

During the 2012 NY Bridal Fashion Week, Janell designed a beautiful dresses that were very different. They were blush. The color was so elegant and so delicate, that they sure were a sell out. 

Here are some pictures of the blush rose gowns:

What I really liked about the gowns was that they were simple, classic and timeless. You truly felt like a princess wearing the gowns. This is exactly where I got my inspiration from for my next beading project. 

I wanted to create a "blush" barefoot sandals, which could be worn with a white, ivory and a blush dress. Since the color of Janell's dress was so delicate, I had to find the perfect beads to match. 

There's no better place to buy beading supplies than ETSY, so I ended up purchasing the tiny 15/0 seed beads from Tamara Scott Designs.  She had the perfect size, tiny beads that I was looking for and was able to get them to me in a record time. 

Next, was my hunt for the perfect "blush" pearls. I did not have to look too far.  A.C.Moore had just the right shade of pink I was looking for. 

I wanted to create a simple pair, but I wanted it to be different, unlike anything else in my store. So I  ended up creating a simple, cross stitched pattern of the sandals, but with a twist... The cross pattern was embedded with the tiny seed bead I had purchased from Tamara Scott Designs. 

The end result was perfect - 

I was so happy with the pair, that I couldn't wait to make more and ended up purchasing 8 more packages from Tamara's store.  

Please click on the following picture to find out more information about the pair, and how you can buy one of your own !

Thanks for reading! Until next time, Anna M :)

New Barefoot Jewelry items on Etsy

I have been extremely busy working my regular job and had very little time recently for blogging and spending some time on beads. But despite being swamped with standardized testing prep at school, coaching middle school track and jury duty, I somehow managed to add some new items in my shop.

The inspiration behind all of the items was, obviously, the upcoming summer.

I also decided to experiment with chained barefoot sandals. Even though, I absolutely LOVE working with beads and wouldn't give it up for the world, chained barefoot sandals are actually VERY fun to make as well. Not to mention they take 1/2 the time LESS to create.

Here are some of the newest items that are available for purchase in my ETSY shop. Please check them out and let me know what you think by commenting after the post. Any feedback would be great. I truly appreciate your suggestions and want to know about what items people love the most.

** Remember, if you would like to be in the running to receive a pair of your favorite earrings, rings or a bracelet, check out the previous blog post about how you can be in the running to win your favorite item. **

Bridal Soft Aqua Barefoot Sandals

 

Asymmetrical Bare Sandals 

Stunning purple and silver wire wrapped ring

Turquoise, purple and orange beaded sandals

First chained barefoot sandals pair ever! Peace and Lotus flower. 

Chained blue and coral barefoot sandals 

Surf beach wave chained barefoot sandals

Nautical Memory Wire 3 loop Bracelet

Bohemian Tribal Memory Wire 5 loop Bracelet

Minimalist stretch bracelets - set of 3

Again, please let me know what you think. I am constantly looking for ways to improve my designs and would love to hear your feedback!