A Gift From A Reader (And What I Did With It)
I’m slowly but surely working on my studio, and I hope to have progress to share with you tomorrow. But in the meantime, I wanted to share a wonderful gift that I received from a reader (who didn’t share her name!) that I got in the mail on Friday. If you follow my Instagram or Facebook stories, you’ve already seen these, but you haven’t seen what I did with them yet.
When I got home Friday evening and checked the mail, I found a package in the mailbox with a return address that I didn’t recognize. I didn’t remember ordering anything that size, so I was anxious to open it and see what it was. And when I opened it, I found a whole bag of beads. There were a couple of necklaces, some earrings, a few bracelets, and some loose beads. None of it was new. A couple of the bracelets were broken, and the necklaces and earrings had tarnished. But the beads! Oh my, there were beads! And I was so excited to go through them and see what was there, and dream about what I could do with them.
I won’t show y’all everything (I showed most everything on my stories), but I do want to share my three favorites and what I did with them.
First off, there was this necklace with large orange faceted glass pieces on it. At least, I think they’re glass. I actually didn’t do anything with this. It’s beautiful just as it is!
These next two were my absolute favorites. First up is this ombre-style orange necklace. I was so excited to see this! Those beads are so pretty, and I love that it has four shades of orange that go together so perfectly. I forgot to take a photo, so here’s a screenshot from my Instagram stories.
I basically redid it in the exact same style, but now it has shiny new chain, clasp, and head pins. I also rearranged the beads so that the darker ones were right in the middle, and the color gets progressively lighter on both sides. Y’all know how I am about my symmetry. 😀 This is one of my favorite necklaces I’ve made so far. I can’t wait to wear it!
And then this was my other favorite. It was sent to me as a bracelet, but I don’t wear bracelets. But oh my goodness, look at those beads!!! They are so sparkly and shimmery, and they’re the most gorgeous colors. I wish y’all could see these sparkle in the light!
Since I don’t wear bracelets, I knew it had to be a necklace so that I could use every last one of those beautiful beads in the most impactful way. So I turned it into this necklace. Oh my, the sparkle! I wish y’all could see it sparkle. This is probably my favorite necklace I’ve made so far, and I’ve made about 90 necklaces. So this being my favorite is quite extraordinary.
Anyway, I know I said I wouldn’t turn this into a beading blog, and I still have no intention of doing that. But when a reader gives me such a beautiful gift, I can’t help but share what I’ve made with y’all. So to my mystery bead benefactor, thank you! My two favorite necklaces came from your beautiful gift.
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
Such a thoughtful reader! You have developed a lovely community of followers.
The orange bracelet could possibly be Carnelian stones. Not particularly valuable but very pretty.
You see how important you are to us, out here in computer-land?
I was wondering if they were carnelian, too. They are lovely!
Also, if you get any gifts that have silver colored pieces, look for a sterling stamp on the larger pieces (clasps, etc.). You never know!
Oh WOW, what a thoughtful reader! And what beautiful necklaces you made!
As you have proven…beading is contagious. I loved it!!!!
That ombre-style orange necklace is The Best! And the sparkly one you made from a bracelet is most definitely YOU! That a thoughtful and generous reader.
Beautiful!!
I just love this!!
I love all your creations! The necklaces are beautiful and I love reading your blog.
I really like your new picture. You are an artist delux. Have a good day.
Completely agree—I love the photo!
Awesome. Kindness really matters.
What a lovely, thoughtful gift! And the beads are gorgeous—there’s nothing like vintage beads in my book 😊
What a thoughtful gift! 🙂
The necklaces are great, I for 1 don’t mind a mixture of DIY’s, you do a good job. Thanks for sharing.
Great job! Redoing all those headpins would make my head spin! LOL
How fun! Fun for you, and for us! And I love your new profile pic!
You give to your readers all the time, so it was so nice to see that gift given to you from a kind reader, and then what you created from that generosity. Kudos!
That bracelet-to-necklace is gorgeous! I love that orange ombre necklace as well. The first one looks remarkably similar to one I got from my mother, and I think it’s at least 60 years old, maybe older. I never saw her wear it, but it’s a treasure I keep because it was hers. You’re doing such beautiful work!
Just wonderful people in this world. It made my heart happy to read this. I’m glad you have an Angel looking out for you
Wow, what a sweet surprise for you…and a very nice thoughtful follower! I love what you made, and it seems they will be perfect to wear anytime. Enjoy! I never would mind whatever project you post. I loved the petri dishes and tiles you made. Now that your studio is getting done I was hoping you would share some crafts sometimes too!
Talented, creative people here love whatever you throw at us…even if it isn’t something we want to try, we love to see what someone else is making. Thanks for sharing.
I’m definitely planning to share some art projects once my studio is finished. I can’t wait!
What a wonderfully kind & thoughtful thing to do! There are still so many wonderful people in this world! We need more of these wonderful acts of kindness! Thanks for sharing this one with us, Kristi!
Kristi, What a wonderful surprise in the mail…and, ever so nice a follower sent it to you. Enjoy your new beading doing. This hobby just may be what can get you through the rough times when you need a break from DIYing your home. I think it’s a good thing to have another interest….for quite days and ‘need a break’ days.
I’m not particularly into beading but loved seeing what you did with these and would welcome seeing more in the future!
Very nice of that secret friend to send you her goodies! I can visualize you opening that package and squealing with excitement! What a wonderful gift!
That last necklace is just stunning. I have several sizes and variations of that wonderful colour that I couldn’t resist. Just haven’t made any beaded jewelry yet and I’ve had them for years. Difficult to do with arthritic fingers but they were so beautiful I had to have them. I’m a sucker for anything sparkling.