I wanted to make a beadwoven piece that would not just include the Muse but would totally involve the Muse. I bezelled the Muse in peyote stitch added pearls and crystals to the edge and embellished with lush fringe, which incorporated pearls and crystals.I then added more fringe to spill out of the center of the muse. I finished off with a bail of peyote stitch and the multi-colored ribbon is the perfect necklace.

See more of my beadwork here.

The title says a lot. I had just gotten the package of beads. It was late at night so i decided to put the beads down and go to sleep. I was not capable of sleeping because all these beads kept moving around in my head. And then suddenly i saw the necklace in my mind. I drew it out really quickly and figured I would get more ideas and then decide, but I did not get more ideas. I was meant to make this specific one. And it came out just as i hoped it would.

Here are a few other things I have created

I love patterns, lines, swirls, dots, etc, so the LillyPilly pendant spoke to me. I wanted to highlight the blue in the swirls and went with the majority of the beads in this color. I used the gold accents to compliment the mother of pearl. Very simple...but I tend to keep my designs this way.

My inspiration for my design was the swirl pattern on the muse. I used different ways to create a necklace with curves and colors. I wanted a piece that was wearer friendly but offered splashes of color and movement. This was a great experience for me and I named my design after my Grandaughter, Abby. She is my beading buddy and has great talent for an 11 year old. That is why I named my design after her. Beading is in my soul and heart. Thank You.

When I first got the kit, I immediately thought of using the Muse piece as part of a closure for the necklace I would make. While I was making some beaded beads, the results started to remind me of "story wheel" necklaces I have seen in magazines. So, using pattern ideas from Marcia DeCoster and Diane Fitzgerald, I created the beaded beads for the necklace. The silk cord was also too pretty to pass up, so I wrapped it into the chain to add a little something. After adding a few dangles, this necklace is the end result.

Katie's Blog

See my entry from USE THE USE I

STORY: The sea had a magnificent moon reflection. Drawn closer to the scene; it was the pearl muse! The swaying so gently was the blue silk ribbon sea weed, against the sparkling Swarovski crystal grains on the sea bed. Swarovski pearls were rising as air bubbles from a most lovely, red haired mermaid with a seed beaded body. The sudden splash, then she was gone. Was this only a dream? Techniques: Double spiral rope, R.A.W. with embellishments, Peyote stitch on bow and toggle with adjustable clasp.

The Muse arrived just as I was reading a biography of Marie Antoinette. The elegance of the Muse reminded me of the grandeur of Marie's era. My goal was to combine that style with modern influences to make a piece that is very wearable now, but with the opulent feel of royal jewels.

This is my first entry in a beading contest. At first, I had a hard time listening to the muse and had many false starts before being led to the final design. The muse is surrounded by apache leaf beads adorned with crystals and pearls attached to a base of circular square stitch. The piece is entitled “Muse in Bloom” because of cabbage rose petals in the center. I used beaded pearls and crystals as slides, and tied the ribbon cord ends around them, then covered the tails of the knots with size 15 seeds done in circular peyote stitch.

The etched pendant immediately brought to mind thoughts of the caribbean, so I wanted to create a whimsical piece that truly looks like a treasure from the sea. I twirled the stunning silk ribbon with two playful, asymmetrical strands of freshwater pearls, seed beads and swarovski crystals. The lilypilly pendant is simply, yet beautifully accented with an azure swarovski crystal on a handmade silver headpin. The adjustable chain is finished with a duo of crystals that gracefully sway on the back of the neck.

I love the rich color of the beads and they remind me of all the deep shades of blue on a clear moonlit night. The swirls in the pendant reminded me of spirals so that is where I began. I made a spiral rope embellished with lots of pearls, Swarovski’s and the raku beads. I wrapped the spiral with the beautiful ribbon and then reverse wrapped both with a single strand of seeds, pearls and crystals. The pendant I encased with seeds and embellished with crystals and pearls and suspended it from the spiral rope with an embellished peyote bail.

NLP Bead Designs

As I looked at my first Muse entry, I got thinking about how else I could highlight the Muse in a piece of jewelry. The idea of a centerpiece for a cuff came to mind. I started with a 2-drop peyote base, embellished it with pearls & crystals and connected the Muse with (4) 2-drop peyote straps. I added the cording along each edge that extended a little way onto each strap holding the Muse. I found a great button in my stash to use as a closure that I felt captured the essence of the Muse.

http://stores.lulu.com/nlpbeaddesign

I was thrilled to open the package and see the muse. I love shells. Organic materials like shells have a way of echoing through time. I strove for an ancient elegance; something fit to adorn a muse, perhaps Clio, muse of history, her attribute was the scroll, which I tried to capture in the piece. It was a challenge for me; having never made a choker before. Inspired by the colors of the muse and the kit I chose fresh water pearls, shells, apatite, kyanite, and a touch of sapphire, mixing gold and silver from my own work bench.

see more of my work here

"My imagination tends toward Art Nouveau and fantasy themes. The ethereal blend of colors in this kit played into my daydreams, and the Lillypilly muse served as the perfect full moon. For the background I created a watercolor painting reminiscent of batik fabric. I transferred the painting to polymer clay, mounted the muse, then embellished it with a polymer dragonfly, a faceted amethyst, and a bouquet of beads and sterling silver ivy leaves. The curving framework is sterling silver wire woven with beads from the kit, along with kyanite ovals to bring the silk ribbon and the focal piece together."

This is my first beading contest ever so I was not sure what to do with the kit. I was inspired by the shades of blue and thought of the ocean back in Florida when I used to live there. I tried to use up all the beads in the kit as well as several of my own extra beads and silver links. I really enjoyed the challenge. Thank you for this fun contest!

I tried to create something here that I normally would not have made. The Lillypilly pendant gave me the inspiration to create something mystical. I have tried to make the colors and textures flow, and for this I drew inspiration from Nature- the high seas. Hope you will like it.

Check out my Mystic muse!

“ I am a woman upon the land, I am a selchie in the sea…” The power of transformation, the lure of the sea, the magic of the selchie… In creating this talisman I began by altering the Muse - adding, with resin, a starfish and a piece of antique text. The back reads: “…serene, dreaming…wistful eye…mysterious skies…at sea…” Dangling below – a vial of shells. I selected sea glass and river stone echoing the Muse’s colors, drilling each to be wire wrapped with pearls, amazonite, kyanite and crystals. The selchie herself is a carved Ojime bead.

Jenny's Blog

The Muse gave me visions of Victorian lace and a serene afternoon sky with rays of sun coming through the clouds. Because of the peaceful elegance of the Muse, I kept this design very simple and easy. Nothing about the Muse was complicated or detail oriented. My necklace tried to capture the quiet calm of the Muse.

The muse was so beautiful and elegant, it needed a dramatic setting to let it sing out. Lariats have an amazing amount of style and playfulness (wear it up, wear it down, wrap a knot, hang it straight, hang it off center, hang it down your back, etc), it seemed like the muse was simply meant to be used like this. Of course, it's hard not to be dramatic when you are keeping company with Swarovskis. In the end the muse, the kit, and the contest helped stretch my abilities as an artist/artisan. So, thank you for the inspiration, Scarlett.

When the kit arrived I was immediately drawn to the swirling pattern on the muse and knew that I wanted to complement that pattern. I love working with seed beads and am drawing to romantic and delicate patterns using seed beads, crystals, and Czech glass. Although I did try to incorporate more of the other beads included in the kit I eventually settled on a softer color pallet from my own stash. Once I saw the ribbon I knew that I had to use it and decided to use it to tie the necklace on and therefore it is adjustable.

I wanted to keep this design simple but still emphasize the soft beauty of the muse. I created this piece by adding additional silk ribbon colors and braiding those three together. I then twisted and twirled emerald green wirework around the braid. The flowers for the vines were created from pearls and Swarovski crystals along with Vintage flower shaped beads from my personal treasure trove. I used the seed beads and more crystals to echo the trails of the green wirework. The beads are sewn into the braid or attached to the wirework with simple loops.

The Muse presented a problem: how to show off its delicate beauty without overwhelming it – how not to gild the lily! I recreated a pendant motif in tubular herringbone and suspended the pendant from it, forming the focal element. The necklace cord, also in tubular herringbone, includes changes in bead size and colour giving a beaded bead effect. A tone-on-tone peyote clasp and simple fringe are subtle embellishments, while connecting loops again reflect the pendant design. I used shades of slate blue with cream, grey and violet in seed beads, crystals and pearls from your kit and my stash.

Maddy's Blog

I love the artistic qualities of Winter. Waking on a crisp winter morning to see the sparkly etchings Jack Frost created while I slept; catching a crystallized snowflake in the palm of my hand to enjoy three seconds of design perfection, fill me with awe and wonder, every time. These are the secret treasures of Winter that the "Muse" made me remember, though it's mid-July. I used mother of pearl carved snowflakes, Swarovski Crystals, pearls, freshwater pearls, sterling findings, and chain. Wire wrapping technique, choosing colors that reminded me of a frosty winter.

What a surprise to open the Muse package and find my favorite colors! I used a pinch bale to hold the Muse to be the center of attention like Mother Nature, herself! The dangles on the bottom are crystals and a Tibetan charm, like roots towards the Earth. The agates represent butterflies rising to the sky. The upside down silver cones represent flower pots with twisting vines bursting with a bounty of flowers. The flowers are Moonstones, crystals, pearls, fiber and silver.

PARTICIPANT'S CHOICE AWARD

My new found passion is the hunt for vintage pieces that I incorporate into my beadwork. This piece started with one vintage pearl button that I attached to the Muse, then layered it onto another Lillypilly shell to give dimension. Plentiful pearls, crystals and vintage drops were lovingly wrapped with silver. They cascade to the centerpiece to create a Victorian lace collar look. The smoky gray pearls compliment my focal piece perfectly, while contrasting topaz jewels pull out the background of the Muse. Finally, hues of blue seed beads polka dot the collar with color. I used the Muse!

Vintage Muse on Sale Here after "The Big Reveal"

The denim seed beads remind me of my favorite jeans. As soon as I saw those beads I knew I they would be a major player. The pearls and crystals brighten up the necklace. The silk ribbon feels wonderful while giving it all a laid back unfussy look. It is just right for Casual Fridays. My comfort zone includes stringing and wire work. I ventured by making this project entirely woven without a single crimp or wire. The front “V” is an embellished right angle weave. I am most proud of the pendant’s adornment which mimics the muse’s swirls.

The second I opened the box containing the collection of beads, the first theme I thought of was elegance and beauty of the moon sparkling through the midnight sky. As a result of loving all the beads, I decided to use most of the beads while adding silver seed beads, chain, and a crystal clasp. I created a multi strand necklace because they add interest and volume to the piece. In order to have the “muse” stand out, I used several strands of silver chain and added single beads to the strands to tie the whole piece together.

My intent in creating this piece was to honor Lillypilly’s beautiful and quietly intricate shell creation. The etched design felt somewhat architectural to me – like ironwork on gates and I knew I wanted to create a structure from which to suspend it. I started with a sterling silver bar encasing it with a strip of square stitch. I added crystals and other beads as embellishments. A second layer of square stitch was used to create a loop for stringing the pendant and attaching the muse. The necklace was made primarily from beads in the kit.

The Bead Dreamer's Blog

The design and color of the muse inspired me to use a freeform cab that my husband had cut for me. The cab was bezeled with peyote stitch and hung through the hole in the muse. The three beads on the ribbon were done in tubular herringbone, while the toggle clasp was done with peyote in the round.

Mad Chiwawa Designs

See my entry from USE THE MUSE I

The Muse reminded me of the ocean, so I decided to make something simple that could be worn with beach wear. I found two glass pearls in my stash that matched the colors, and then married that up with Delica seed beads in the same hue to make the beaded beads. Having it in a lariat lets me decide how long or short I want to wear it.

The muse is so beautiful that I wanted simplicity. I made two chains in a spiral variant each with a different type of added bugles and seed beads from the kit, each ending with interrupted RAW. I added a bail, also in RAW, using the seeds and smaller crystals from the kit. Then I added a drop of pearls from the kit and a tanzanite briolette. The chains can be worn separately or together so they loop and droop. I may later add ends to the ribbon so that it can be worn with the smaller chain for another variation.

I was truly inspired by the Muse and ribbon for this project. The heart motif demanded another heart somewhere in the piece, and the scrollwork design plus the silk ribbon made me think of bead embroidery. I used almost all the kit contents plus a few crystals from the blogger reward prize I won and some sterling silver chain & heart. A matching mother-of-pearl button w/beaded detail and a loop on the other side finishes the necklace. I had a few things left over so I made a matching pair of earrings on sterling wire.

Jeni Smathers Artisan Studio

When I saw the Muse kit, I was so excited about the components, but I wanted to challenge myself to incorporate different colors since I often work with blue hues. I happened upon the copper chain while on vacation and knew that rich color was the direction this piece called for. The rope is a right angle spiral embellished with copper and dark bronze. I’ve done very little stitching, so the rope itself with the twist that changes direction in the center was quite a challenge all by itself. I wanted to create something artistic, but also accessible and wearable.

Janeen's Daily Picture Blog

When the Muse II kit came the following words immediately came to mind: elegant, simple and softness. Using "O" nymo and fireline I made spiral rope and peyote stitch components to construct my piece and illustrate my interpretation of what "Muse II" means to me.

I received my inspiration through the Muse herself. The colour,delicate scrolling and individual components inspired my piece.My creativity came through the work I am currently doing with cancer survivors. Each segment, each link and the scrolls in the muse take on their own "pattern" but all come together as one in the "finished piece". Just as life hands us segments and pieces, we must use them as tools to pave our own path in life. Through it all, we come out as survivors. The earrings represent the "bumps" in that path; and this project using the bigger components.

chose wire crochet for my entry since it is the jewelry making technique into which I have niched myself because of two generations of a crocheting legacy left by my maternal grandmother and my paternal grandmother and great-grandmother. (In other words-it's kind of in my blood!) I used 26 gauge silverplated wire to create this piece. The crocheting lends itself to the scrolling effect found throughout-from the muse to the sterling cones (which, besides the wire,were the only items not included in the Muse kit) and all are tied together with the lovely hand dyed silk ribbon.

Jayne's Website

I live in an area surrounded by saltwater. I love to go down to the sound at night and watch the moonlight sparkle and ripple on the water. These colors reflect my favorite spot, and the shape and colors of the muse remind me of a full moon. The challenge for me was to attach the muse in a way as to be secure, but to not obscure the delicate heart-shaped scrolling on the piece. The bottom portion of the necklace is freeform/peyote, while the upper portion is a modified version of Dustin Wedekind's "Chains of Love" found in Beadwork (Feb.-Mar. '08). The clasp is attached to brass fishing swivels, which look right and function really well when the necklace is worn.

I'm inspired by the designs of Victorian/Art Noveau eras and I love Lily Pily pendants for that reason. Because of the swirls in the Muse, I decided to use an organic, random stitch as opposed to something symmetrical. I chose to use sage green with a luster of gold as the main color to compliment the subtle background of the muse and the various shades of steely blues. The peach accent color was added to bring out the irridesence of the mother-of-pearl. The piece is accented with peacock colored freshwater pearls, Montana and Pacific Opal Swarovski crystals.

I let the color of the Muse take me to a cooler place and time. Blue Mist is a ground-breaker for me, I've never completed a micro-macrame' piece before this one.

I was inspired by walk on the beach gazing at clouds scudding over a windy ocean. Foam is rolling over the sand with little treasures captured in the bubbles. The long necklace is light for summer wear and the silky ribbon is soft against your neck. The crystals sparkle like light playing off water. The chain is silver plated copper with a hand-hammered look.

See my entry from USE THE MUSE I

As soon as I saw The Muse, I was reminded of those beautiful silk gowns worn by aristocratic ladies for ceremonies at court or elegant balls. Once that image was imprinted in my mind I envisioned The Muse surrounded by classical pearls which inspired me to create this necklace. I created this piece by bead-embroidering hundreds of Swarovski pearls around The Muse. I wanted to keep the palette relatively monochromatic not to detract from the beauty and the pattern of The Muse. The necklace is strung and finished off with two complimentary bead-woven caps and a bead-woven toggle.

Beading Mania - Triz Designs

A silky purple ribbon weaves around moonbeam pearls and silver flowers, setting off the beautiful etched focal bead like the stars surround the moon. Components made up of triads of pearls strung on sterling silver wire alternate with bali silver flower connectors are attached to the ribbon with sterling silver rings where the ribbon knots around the focal bead. An added accent of seed beads and Swarovski crystal beads complete this dream of a necklace. As an old-fashioned touch, the necklace ties round your neck with a knot or bow – a beautiful statement coming or going!

Read more about realizing the 'dream'!

When making Ocean’s Bride, a story arose about a nymph who is a soon-to-be bride. Unfortunately she steals a pearl from a powerful enchantress and is caught. Her punishment is to wander the beaches endlessly, never to wed, and to wear the pearl as a symbol of her shame. Over time, the nymph sees the pearl less as a stigma, but as the thing of beauty it is. She finds bits of flotsam and jetsam to embellish the necklace and makes it her own – her truly unique bridal necklace for her constant companion, the sea.

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton

Bead embroidery piece that grew out of me thinking, "What Can I do with this?" I looked through my stash and these pieces seemed to want to be together. My new component was to use Friedo and embed the tiny marbles and crystal to fill the center of the muse. I used sizes 15, 8, 11, Delicas, and square beads and nibbletts or pearls in the addition to the the ones that came with the kit. I love the design and having hints of lavender and SBO's.

See more of Mary T's current work

“Forever June” combines wintery blue seed beads and swarovski crystals, with the summery Muse pendant and beaded flowers. The Lillypilly pendant is held in place at the base of a V-style St. Petersburg chain with a 6 petal seed bead and pearl flower. Below the pendant, a light bead and crystal fringe peeks through, adding even more sparkle. A 7 petal beaded flower with peyote stitch backing makes up one half of the button-and-loop closure. The contrasting themes make this a necklace that can be cool in summer, and warm in winter.

Mortira's Inspirational Beading

My necklace is the beach life in San Diego; very traditional with unexpected sparkles. The 11/0 and 15/0 seed beads are the color of the summer sky. The tan pearls the beach and the fuchsia Swarovski crystals are surprises in a San Diego summer. Can you tell I live at the beach and love it?

My inspiration for this piece got me when I opened the package! I had been at the Bead & Button Show the day the package arrived. Somehow I had purchased the identical "muse" piece from Heidi Viau that same day in another color! I also purchased the silk cord which I used on this very piece. Amazing, all I could think of was sand, ocean and beach. I love the starfish that I made. I could picture it on a white t-shirt with denim capris. Easy, simple, flowing and light with lots of Swarovskis and pearls, of course!

Firstly, I was attracted by the wonderful shades of blue, but when I received the kit I thought of the sea and the beautiful treasures there. I love texture so I incorporated some mother of pearl chips and fresh water pearls. The patterns in the small ‘Boro’ lampwork bead reminded me of the sea. I have also used a mixture of seed beads from my collection. The necklace is mainly stitched in variations of the spiral rope; the medallion echoes the muse and is in brick stitch.

Artist and teacher

The deep blues and purples of the summer evening are captured by the MUSE, dangling from a bezel woven from the pearls and cubes from the kit. Seed beads and crystals twinkle from the strands of fibers and the hand dyed ribbon, linked by a silvertone heart toggle clasp. Moon Sea perfectly reflects the colors of the night sky and the feelings of walking in the surf of a tranquil beach.

Designs by Anna

See my entry from USE THE MUSE I

This piece was inspired by the Lily Pily centerpiece, aka "the muse." It was my motivating factor to purchase the kit and enter the contest. The flowers in the necklace were made using peyote stitch. The pearl balls are made with embellished right angle weave. This is my first contest entry and I'm looking forward to seeing the other entries.

Read more about Heather's other work here.

One of my favorite things to do is sit outside at 8,600 feet in Tuolumne Meadows in the high country of Yosemite. When I look up at the dark night sky and see thousands of stars sparkling, I feel a peaceful joy. Of course, beautiful crystals sparkle like the stars in the night sky, and I include crystals in the pieces I create. The earth, represented by the muse, has stars, the crystals, above it. All parts of the necklace (beaded beads, stars, strap, and muse) include crystals.

As a jewelry artist, I enjoy designing and creating one-of-a-kind pieces that tell stories, convey ideas, and transport the wearer to another moment in time. This contest offered me an opportunity to work with beads that I normally would not select, challenge my skills, and discover the fun of “using the Muse”. “Seatime” was inspired by the cool blue hues of the beads, the timeless beauty of pearls—one of the ocean’s greatest treasures, and the swirling design on the Muse which reminded me of ocean waves crashing on the shore. Techniques utilized: wire wrapping and bead stringing.

Christine's Website featuring pieces of her handmade jewelry

When I opened the kit, I knew immediately that I wanted to use every bead included. I’m a sucker for fringe and thought that the swirls on the Muse would be complimented by both the seed bead fringe and black agate donuts that I incorporated. I included some gray AB Czech seed beads from my stash, as well as the silk ribbon included, embroidering the pearls, square beads and seed beads up the length of the silk. I think this piece works well with casual as well as dressy outfits!

Ramblings of an ADD Jewelry Designer

Many years ago I studied Middle eastern dance. One of the dances that captured me was the Kajar dance from 18th century Persia. The colors in the Muse reminded me of one of the elaborate costumes that I had seen.

see more of Kat's work here

Crystals and pearls, iridescent blues, compelling colors, textures and finishes create a dreamy abstraction. My Muse. I once had a random globe of twisted, leftover wire. Seemed useless but I couldn't waste it. So I covered it with beads. When I saw the Muse I knew what to do. Voila- a unique pendant!

The pattern on the muse immediately brought to mind the Moorish architecture I saw on a trip to Spain two years ago. At the Alhambra, I took photos of the wall tiles and reliefs for future inspiration, and one of those photos is used here, transferred to a piece of polymer clay and joined with the muse for the pendant. The necklace is formed by vinyl tubing with memory wire running through, covered with the fabric ribbon and peyote stitched seed beads. A hook clasp attached to the memory wire provides secure closure.

Cyndy's Blog

I received my kit the day before I left for a week at the beach so inspiration was easy...the colors were right in front of me; the water. What I wanted to do with it was harder but the title explains alot. One side is the ocean, one side the sand, the muse is a found treasure, at the water's edge (where it meets the sand)and it is used as the closure (i.e. lariate style) of the piece. Because of its fullness it looks more like a lei of jewels than it does a necklace so that explains the "Lei". There are seed beads, pearls as well as semi precious stones and shell used in this lei.

Charlotte Area Jewelry Artists ( A group of beaders I belong to)

As I held and played with the pearly Muse, visions of mermaids came to. A beautiful creation of pearly shells with seaweed from the deepest waters was what I sought to produce. The old legends of the Selkies – seals that became beautiful women on dry land – fit the bill to a ‘T’! I could SEE a Selkie, proudly adorned with the beauty of the sea in the form of this wondrous necklace of pearls, shells and seaweed. The Spiral Rope increases in size toward the center, and the individual links of the chains are made with two colors of 15’s.

See more of my beady adventures here

See my entry from USE THE MUSE I

When I received my kit and saw the Muse my first impression was to create a soft and simple design in keeping with the delicacy of the Lillypilly Shell. I went to my Swarovski Crystal stash and chose cream pearls and indicolite crystals. I strung the first strand using 8mm pearls and 4mm crystals. using a clear apoxy I added 4mm pearls to the center of the Muse and attached a simple sterling silver bail. The second strand is 6mm pearls strung choker length. Completed with sterling silver beads and toggle clasp. Overall length is 20 inches.

Gemstone Designs by Hazel

When I saw the serene and lovely Lillypilly focal, I wanted to emphasize the effect of the carved swirls and the pretty colors of the piece. I thought that the way to do this was to accentuate the intricate carvings by using the fun and varied selection of beads you all had chosen, and also with a secondary piece which had similarities in shape and carvings however would not overwhelm the Big Reveal Lilypilly piece. I wound wire in a classic style, using 26 guage, in a method which I had learned very early on in my career from a tape (!--much of my learning is from home), and I added the toggle, particularly to show clouds upon clouds, under blue skies. This is the way you see them from an airplane. I thought of words from the song: "Nothing but blue skies, from now on!"--as it goes!

art jewelry with a blog by author designer Jean Yates

I was thrilled when I got my kit and saw how wonderful the Muse is. I knew right away that it would make a very interesting bracelet. I used all of the beads included in the kit and only added a clasp, some silver wire, and two silver Bali beads that echo the design within the Muse. This creation includes much more "bling" then I would normally use so hence the name. This was so much fun to make. Thanks so much for the challenge!

Bei Mondi Blog