Leslie @ Bei Mondi
Did you fall off the face of the earth or what?  Well, not exactly.  My time has really been sucked into the show that didn't happen.  Yep, it was canceled.  Why?  I guess 21 inches of snow got in the way.  We were expecting maybe 10 and we got way more.  In this case, more is NOT better.  So, the show was canceled, school has been closed for two days, and I don't think I'll be able to dig my car until next month.  Crazy!

So, I did make lots of pretties for the show which I will now put on the website and the Bei Mondi Etsy shop but I have the chore of taking pictures of all of them.  As you know, sometimes taking pictures and writing descriptions can take longer than making the piece itself.

I've also been playing around some on Etsy and finally got a Treasury in Etsy Treasury West.  Here's the photo and I'll leave the link if you want to check it out on Etsy.


So, now I am back to the grind.  Miss you girls and hope to get caught up soon.  New pictures coming!  Hugs!
Leslie @ Bei Mondi
Man, how time flies.  Has it really been over a week since I last posted on the blog?  You know what I'm busy doing, right? 

I Made It! Mine
It's actually pretty funny cause I have no clue what I'm doing.  I'm winging it for sure.  My table set up is coming together finally after cutting and sewing 24 feet of fabric.  Oh, and Wal-mart, not the best customer service.  They accidentally cut me 3 yards rather than 8 and it took my like 2 hours to get it resolved.  I guess that's what I get for being cheap!  I'll try to take a few pictures at the show so you gals can see how it all came together.
Here's a little preview of what you will see if you come to the show on Saturday and also in the Bei Mondi shop.
 
  
  
  
Well, I can't write for too long.  There is still so much to do and I'm starting to get nervous now.  Yikes!  You girls enjoy your Wednesday and stay warm!
Leslie @ Bei Mondi

Lampwork in blues and greens wire wrapped in sterling silver with fresh water pearls


And I promised more simplistic styles, right?  Rough cut amethyst on sterling silver chain.

Both in Bei Mondi shop shortly!
Leslie @ Bei Mondi
The Beading Gem has a great post about this upcoming classic revisited along with some intriguing jewelry creations!

Leslie @ Bei Mondi
I've been looking for a tutorial on how to make an interesting necklace display.  I didn't quite find what I was looking for on the internet so it was time to take measures into my own hands.  I knew I wanted to use an idea using a frame but how would I add hooks to hold the necklaces?  Hm...so this is my tutorial on how to make an inexpensive necklace display.



  • First go out to Micheals or JoAnne's and buy an 11 X 14 wood frame ($15).  Make sure it is wood because you'll be hammering into it later.  Also pick up some pins to use as your hooks.  I bought these corsage pins ($1.50) because I liked the shiny metal ends.

  • Now cut the pins to about an 1 1/4 inch long with wire cutters and mark about an inch or so on the inside edge of your frame to hammer these into.  I don't need to tell you at this point that you should have already taken the glass and back out of the frame, right? 

  • After placing your marks on the inside of the frame, take a pin and lightly hammer it into place with a rubber hammer.  Make sure to put the pin in the middle of the wood.  If you put the pin in to far to the edge it might split your wood.  If this happens you can always use some glue for repairs.  



  •  Hammer each pin into the wood approximately 1/4 inch deep leaving a portion of 3/4 inch remaining.  Oh, and keep your pins straight.  If they start getting all wiggly on you just take them out and straighten them.


  •  Now bend the pin over towards the front of the frame with your finger or pliers.  Come on, bring out those muscles.  You can do it!
After you've finished hammering in and bending all the pins, add a backboard piece ($2 each) made for frames that can be found in the framing section of the craft store.  Now add the back of the frame to secure it. 

The background pieces come already cut to fit the frame and in a huge selection of colors and textures.  Here's a few I bought.

 
 Khaki brown color with a suede texture - good for copper pieces.

 
 Rich gray color for blues or blacks

 
White with a tissue paper type effect - great for anything!

Now take your finished piece and set it on a frame display ($12) like the one shown in the picture and you are ready to rock and roll!  I originally made this to display my simple necklace designs and hopefully bring them up to the eye in an appealing presentation.  But I added bracelets in these pictures as well to show it can be used for either.

All the jewelry shown can be found at the Bei Mondi website.  Happy crafting!