Beautifully Broken Me

Bead Soup: Sneak Peek

2012-01-31T05:00:00.000-07:00

I am so happy to be one of the fortunate 200 who were picked to participate in this Spring's Bead Soup swap hosted by the AMAZING Lori Anderson!

This time I am paired up with an unbelievable artist, Melinda Orr of Melinda Orr Designs. I am definitely intimidated to be paired up with such a talented woman who likes to work with many of the same materials that I like to work with. Because of this, I have really been trying to come up with a bead soup that would be a bit different but still allow her to put her signature style into the design, and I think I've succeeded.

Here's a sneak peek of what I'm sending Melinda:

You'll have to come back after Melinda has received her beads and I'll show you a real picture of the beads I'm sending. In the meantime, check out Melinda's blog to see what I mean when I say talented!

Poppy Challenge with Daisychain Designs

2012-01-30T13:14:00.002-07:00

I am so excited! I am one of 5 artists whose names were picked out of the entries by Jo of Daisychain Designs to participate in her Poppy Challenge!

Jo makes these beautiful poppy headpins, and has challenged us to make a piece of jewelry and post about it and our process making it for the blog hop.

The other participants are:

Jo Tinley: Daisychain Designs

Marissa: Sea Flowers Studios

Kristi: Curiosities by K

Fiona: Tizduster

Jennifer Cameron: Glass Addictions

I'm really looking forward to this hop - make sure you come back and check out our completed jewelry!

Echo Creative Club!

2012-01-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

As an artist, it is such a great feeling to be able to feature other artists and their artistic handiwork. Jeannie Dukic of Jewelry By Jeannie is a very talented bead maker and jewelry artist who decided to put together a design team to feature her handmade beads, and I'm one of the fortunate ones who is in this group of artists called the "Echo Creative Club". I am joined in this club by Jeannie herself and these very talented artists:

Lori Anderson
Courtney Bruel

Beth Emery
Malin de Koning

Kristen Stevens

Lola Surwillo

Why did Jeannie name it the Echo Creative Club? In her own words:

"What does the name, Echo Creative mean? Echo is something you put out there and it comes back. I put my beads out there and they come back in a creative design from you."

This is the first month of participation, and I received one of Jeannie's beautiful Gin Blossom pendants to work with:

I have had this beautiful pendant on my workshop table for a few weeks now, and have been deciding how to feature it in a design. Last week, I received these paper beads from Sweet Paper Love on etsy, and I knew I had the other piece of my design:

So I added some wire wraps to the paper beads and made some rustic handmade links:

...attached a coiled clasp and some bell flower charms:

and a piece of bougainvillea branch for a bail, and voila:

my first Echo Creative Club piece!

I was really going for a rustic and organic feel in this design, and am really pleased with the results. Thanks so much, Jeannie, for including me in this creative venture!

To see what other creative club members have made, check out the Echo Creative Club Flickr Group!

Life is a participation sport...

2012-01-23T15:28:00.000-07:00

Photo From Pinterest

Does it ever feel like you are running in place on a treadmill instead of moving forward?

Do you sometimes feel like you just plain can't move because you are afraid that, whatever choices you make, you will make the wrong one?

Or that there are just so many options in front of you that you are simply overwhelmed by the choices and therefore don't make any choice at all?

Or are you at a place in your life where you are numb - apathetic in regards to everything?

Maybe you get up every day, pretending to be someone you are not, hoping that no one discovers the real you, because you aren't very excited about that person.

I think everyone has been in one of these positions at one time in their life. The stress of living in any one of these situations is enormous and can seem insurmountable at times - absolutely impossible to overcome.

What I have to say first is that you are not alone. In fact, you would be surprised at how many people are in the same place you are right now, and just won't let it show behind the shiny veneer they put up.

The second thing I have to say is that in spite of how you are feeling at this moment, you are alive, and that your life is a participation sport. There are no sidelines. You are in the middle of the game, whether you want to be or not, and you are a key player - an MVP in fact - in your very own championship game.

Regardless of how you view it, you are actually moving forward each and every day. You are making progress, becoming the person you were created to be. You can't stop it from happening, regardless of how hard you try to sit out.

Each person you meet - each situation you find yourself in - changes you. It has to. Each second is unique unto itself and can never be reclaimed, and therefore must transform you in some small or great way, for better or worse, just because you lived through it.

Each change brought on by each second you breathe this air means that you are never the same as you were before.

Moving forward.

Changing.

Transforming.

What's more, even though you don't always control the game time or the plays that are called, you do control the way the game is played. You choose how to respond to the plays - the circumstances - that are happening around you. You choose to be on the offense or defense, and you choose how the game is won.

Because the game will be won. No matter what. And you can't lose, because as long as you are alive, you are winning.

So the question becomes this: how are you going to choose to play the game?

This second,

this minute,

this hour,

this day,

this week,

this year,

this lifetime?

Because life is a participation sport.

And there are no sidelines.

____________________________

What are you overcoming or have you overcome in your life?

Leave me a comment and let me know:

Learning...

2012-01-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

I've been teaching myself bead embroidery and bead weaving, and having a great time. I finally finished my first big piece, and I definitely learned a lot from the experience:

I used an antique watch face that I got at Vintage Supply Company and some domed discs that I made out of an antique floral tin as the focal pieces, and then designed around them.

Here's what I learned:

- it is really hard to keep your beads looking like a circle as you embroider

- there must be a little bit of a margin between bead rows to allow for said beads to form a circle

- this kind of beading takes a really, really long time

- i'll never make enough to cover the time and materials for a project like this

- i absolutely love the zen state my brain goes into when I am working on this kind of project

- i have an even greater appreciation for seed bead artists

I think I'll stick to the smaller bead weaving projects for now, and incorporate metalworking and wire work with the seed beading techniques into my new pieces.

What new techniques have you been working with?

Happy Birthday To My Hubby

2012-01-11T11:44:00.002-07:00

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband!

Shawn, you are the most amazing friend and hubby I could ever ask for, and I love you more than I can express.

I hope today is fantastic for you, and that you are blessed beyond belief this coming year!

What I've Been Doing Instead Of Putting Away Christmas Decorations...

2012-01-06T15:49:00.002-07:00

I hate putting away Christmas decorations, and therefore have been finding all manner of distractions to keep me away from that monumental task (my collection of 80+ Santas alone takes forever to box up!).

So...here's what I've been doing instead:

Making lots of these:

So I can make lots of these:

What are you working on this week?

While you ponder that question, pop on over to Grateful Living to see what Jan Thomason from The Polkadot Barn and Cat Kerr from In The Light Of The Moon have shared this week!

New Favorite Funny Blog: Beaded Laughter

2012-01-04T18:42:00.003-07:00

OK...so my hubby totally doesn't get why this site is funny...but I bet that my beading and jewelry-making friends will:

Beaded Laughter

Sylvie Lansdowne is a bead artist who totally gets what makes bead artists tick, and she has a little fun with that. Here's a sample post:

I just had to share it with you - you'll want to start following it too!

While you are at it, check out Sylvie's other blog as well:

Sylviebead Journal

New Year's Resolutions

2012-01-03T14:14:00.005-07:00

Instead of resolutions this year, I am going to be a little more realistic.

For me, resolutions only last a few weeks, and I feel guilty when they aren't followed through with, which leads to more unrealistic re-resoluting, and more unmet resolution guilt. This vicious circle can and will continue until I simply walk away from them.

The problem with this is that many of my resolutions are things that will benefit me in the long run, improving things in my overall quality of life.

So I'm changing my mindset this year.

I've got specific things that I want to do better, and I know that I can do them better, so that's what I'm focusing on instead.

I want to end the year ahead of where I began the year in regards to these specific things, and not stand still or complacent because I set unrealistic goals for myself that I cannot hope to accomplish.

And because accountability is a good thing when it comes to non-resolutions, I'm going to share with you some of the things I want to do better with this year:

- To read my Bible more consistently

- To pray more

- To eat less processed sugar

- To eat more healthily

- To be more active

- To communicate better with my extended family

- To use more of what I already have

- To buy less

- To be better at accounting for my business

- To cook more

- To laugh more

- To be less touchy

- To take less offense

- To love more

- To be grateful more

Just a few of the things I am going to work on, guilt-free.

And, hopefully, by the end of the year I will have moved forward and will not have given them up because of unnecessary guilt over unrealistic unmet goals.

So, what are you working on this year?

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas from my home to yours!

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Luke 2:11-14 NIV

Winter 2011 Belle Armoire Jewelry

2011-12-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

I FINALLY picked up the newest copy of Belle Armoire Jewelry, and all I have to say is...WOW!!! This has got to be one of my most favorite issues of all time. The talent is extraordinary, and so many wonderful artists are included, that I just had to share a few:

- Check out that gorgeous cover art from Mary Feliciano - beautiful!

- Maire Dodd has an AMAZING trio of resin and wire pieces, one of which she featured on the Love My Art Jewelry blog:

- Cat Kerr of In the Light Of The Moon has the most amazing Trinket Nest necklaces that tell absolutely beautiful stories:

- Maryann Carroll of Artisan Beads Plus features her signature handmade porcelain beads in stunning wireworked designs

- Lisa Weber of Silver Vine Jewelry has some of the most beautiful sterling and stone pieces

- One of my all-time favorite artists and people is Diane Cook of Rosa & Josie's. Her newest feature called "Framed", and it is beautiful:

- Teresa Smith of T Smith Designs shows how to use recycled glass in a super-cool bezel setting that I am going to be trying out soon!

These are just a few that stuck out to me, but there are SO many other artists featured, so be sure to pick up your copy soon!

Art Bead Scene December Challenge

2011-12-09T12:50:00.000-07:00

I was able to find some time at the beginning of the month this time for the ABS Monthly Challenge. This month, our inspiration is the Chrysler Building:

What struck me about this challenge is the repetition of pattern and the prominence of texture that are so evident in the terraced crown of the building, so that's what I focused on in my design:

I made the beads from domed discs that I cut from etched copper sheet and then soldered together. I attempted to echo the repetitive triangular pattern from the building's face in the herringbone wirework in the focal and the three accent beads.

A close-up view of the necklace also shows handmade beads made from copper gears that I also domed and soldered. For some reason, I always get a steampunk-ish vibe whenever I think of the 1920's and 30's. I envision an underground sub-culture of strange and wonderful machines and people meeting clandestinely to share their futuristic common interests. I realize that I am off by a few decades, but the gears felt like they belonged in this design:

To echo the mirror-like appearance of the windows, I have hung little charms made from 4mm bicone beads in a hematite finish and in a clear/no-finish, as well as adding a tiny pop of color with charms made from enameled headpins.

As always, thanks go out to Art Bead Scene for generously hosting this challenge every month. Check out the other beautiful entries for this month's challenge at the ABS Flicker site.

Ornaments!!!

2011-12-07T15:49:00.001-07:00

I just finished listing all of my 2011 mosaic ornaments:

They are already starting to sell, so get yours soon! You can find them in my Etsy shop!

Challenge of Color Blog Hop

2011-11-30T01:00:00.000-07:00

A big thank you goes out to Erin of Tesori Trovati Jewelry and Treasures Found: Inspiration is Everywhere blog fame for hosting a fabulous blog hop today. Each of us were given a specific color palette to work within to design a piece of jewelry.

I chose "Brown" as my general color choice, and here is the palette Erin chose for me:

Palette courtesy of: Design Seeds

Aren't those colors just so rich and beautiful? Here's what I made:

I love the earthy feel of the colors, and was able to pull in some gorgeous river rock beads, beautiful Picasso-finish Czech roundels and small wood rounds to combine with antiqued copper wire and handmade copper headpins. I made the mosaic focal specially to match this color palette, using stained glass and a pre-made bezel.

The colors of the beads and rocks compliment the stained glass mosaic focal beautifully and the little dangly charms and lucite leaf add whimsical elements to the design.

Take a few minutes and check out the other participants' blogs to see what they did with their own palettes:

1 Norma Turvey ~ Teal ~ Color Crave

2 Jeannie Dukic ~ Green ~ Mineral Tones

3 Mary McGraw ~ Teal ~ Embellished Hues

4 Jo Tinley ~ Red ~ Decadent Tones

5 Rebecca Anderson ~ Pink ~ Tulip Tones

6 Kristi Jaro ~ Red ~ Temple Entrance

7 Stephani Gorman ~ Green ~ Dew Tones

8 Melissa Meman ~ Green ~ Fruit Star

9 Kathleen Lange Klik ~ Teal ~ Silk Hues

10 Cynthia Riggs ~ Red ~ Autumn Comfort

11 Heidi Post ~ Teal ~ Flora Bright

12 Cece Cormier ~ Teal ~ Merino Teal

13 Amy Freeland ~ Gray ~ Cultured Tones

14 Alice Peterson ~ Blue ~ Island Play

15 Rose Noble ~ Gray ~ Autumn Stacked

16 Kristina Johansson ~ Yellow ~ Sunny Flower

17 Kirsi Luostarinen ~ Teal ~ Dragon Hues

18 Tari Kahrs ~ Orange ~ Citrus Tones

19 Mallory Hoffman ~ Purple ~ Petaled Dark

20 Molly Alexander ~ Brown ~ Peppered Tones

21 Regina Santerre ~ Red ~ Frosted Berry

22 Emanda Johnson ~ Teal ~ Color Purl

23 Amy Severino ~ Orange ~ Winged Tones

24 Bobbie Rafferty ~ Teal ~ Lime Hues

25 Tanya Goodwin ~ Gray ~ Pecked Tones

26 Lisa Lodge ~ Blue ~ Nocturnal Tones

27 Hope Smitherman ~ Blue ~ Bloom Tones

28 Linda Landig ~ Green ~ Cacti Dark

29 Ambra Gostoli ~ Teal ~ Perched Autumn

30 Lori Bowring-Michaud ~ Blue ~ Sharpened Blue

31 Pippa Chandler ~ Teal ~ Hungarian Hues

32 Keirsten Giles ~ Purple ~ Mineral Brights

33 Jennifer Justman ~ Blue ~ Autumn Rays

34 Sandy Richardson ~ Purple ~ Moroccan Brights

35 CJ Bauschka ~ Teal ~ Teal Air

36 Shaiha Williams ~ Teal ~ Sushi Hues

37 Kay Thomerson ~ Purple ~ Autumn Spectrum

38 Sally Russick ~ Purple ~ Golden Gate Tones

39 Cilla Watkins ~ Purple ~ Autumn Infused

40 Shirley Moore ~ Purple ~ Frozen Heather

41 Jenni Connolly ~ Gray ~ Paw Tones

42 Tamara Soper ~ Green ~ Field Tones

43 Sharyl McMillian-Nelson ~ Blue ~ Nested Blues

44 Jen Velasquez ~ Pink ~ Sweetened Tints

45 Maria Grimes ~ Red ~ Bright Bloom

46 Elisabeth Auld ~ Gray ~ Petaled Tints

47 Susan Kennedy ~ Pink ~ Zinnia Tones

48 Shannon Chomanczuk ~ Gray ~ Autumn Leaf

49 Holly Westfall ~ Yellow ~ Sprinkled Tones

50 Patty Gasparino ~ Red ~ Color Carton

51 Angela Little ~ Pink ~ Singapore Brights

52 Lizzie Zawinski ~ Green ~ Budding Hues

53 Kristen Stevens ~ Pink ~ Scooped Tones

54 Dawn Doucette ~ Brown ~ Jarred Tones

November ABS Challenge

2011-11-28T10:21:00.001-07:00

The Way Of The Jealous Heart

The inspiration piece for this month's Art Bead Scene monthly design challenge is called "Madonna Pietra degli Scrovigni" by Marie Spartali Stillman (1844-1927). The woman is a character from the Italian poet Dante. She was described as a heartless lady dressed in green. In her hand she holds a crystal bowl reflecting the figures of Love and Dante:

As I was coming up with a design for this challenge, my mind kept going back to the green and the heartless woman wearing the green, and the words "jealous heart" kept coming up.

Jealous people are usually people who have had their heart broken so many times that it almost seems they are heartless. They have tried to mend their own beaten and broken hearts by building up walls and defenses.

From this frame of mind came "The Way Of The Jealous Heart":

The focal is made from brass pieces riveted on top of one another with the definition for "heartless" decoupaged into the heart shape. The brass heart falling from the cutout frame has been pierced, beaten and sewn up, leaving a long chasm in the middle of it.

The focal dangles from a chain made from beautiful art beads from http://www.firebabies.etsy.com, http://www.blueseraphim.etsy.com, http://mermaidglass.etsy.com and http://www.beadsofpassion.com, and the heart 'window' is from Rings and Things.

Check out the other beautiful entries for this month's challenge at the ABS Flicker site.

Giving Thanks...

2011-11-24T12:51:00.001-07:00

From my family to yours,

Happy Thanksgiving

Bead Table Wednesday: We Have A Winner!

2011-11-23T08:53:00.001-07:00

Last week I announced a giveaway for these beautiful Magpie Gemstones' beads:

Today I drew the winner:

Congratulations Elisabeth of Beads For Busy Gals! If you would e-mail me your mailing address, I will pop these beauties in the mail for you!

Thank you so much to everyone who entered and spread the word about this giveaway!

I hope you are all having a wonderful day! Take a few minutes to check out Jen Crossley's post on Grateful Living today!

Necessary Legal Stuff: I have received these beautiful beads free of charge from Magpie Gemstones, and I have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to them.

Vintage Beads

2011-11-18T17:07:00.001-07:00

I got an e-mail a few weeks ago from Vente at Vintage Beads asking if I would be willing to promote their site if they sent me some free beads to make jewelry from. Of course I said yes! I was so excited to get my little package in the mail from Europe and was even more excited to see what was inside it!

Here are a few pieces I made with their beautiful beads:

This first piece is a lariat-style necklace that can be worn either single-stranded or doubled:

I handmade "beaded beads" to make into links that I interspersed with links made from beautiful teal and clear vintage Lucite beads and links from a vintage chain I had in my stash.

The ends of the lariat each have different vintage beads: the first is made of silver-toned drops and the second is made with three frosted clear Lucite flowers.

Here's a close-up of the beautiful teal Lucite beads and the beaded beads.

The second project I made was a pair of earrings using vintage glass headpins, vintage crystals and silver heishi from my own stash:

The third project I made was another pair of drop earrings using vintage Lucite faceted pearl drops and vintage pink pressed glass flowers:

Thanks again to Vente for the fun beads she sent to me! If you get a chance, check out Vintage Beads' great selection of beads and findings!

Bead Table Wednesday: Magpie Gemstones Bead Giveaway!

2011-11-16T13:32:00.001-07:00

Are you ready for a giveaway? I received these beautiful beads from Magpie Gemstones as part of their Blog Buddy program, and have decided to use them as a giveaway for you!

How do you win you may ask?

Your name will be entered for doing any or all the following:

- One entry for leaving a comment on this blog

- One entry for following the Grateful Living blog

(let me know if you would like to be entered if you are already a GL follower)

- One entry for sharing about this giveaway on your blog

(let me know in your comments on this blog and leave a link to the post)

- One entry for sharing about this giveaway on Facebook

(let me know in your comments on this blog)

- One entry for sharing about this giveaway on Twitter

(let me know in your comments on this blog)

Simple!

You will receive all of the beads shown in this picture:

So what are you waiting for? Enter today! The drawing will be on next Wednesday, November 23rd!

You can see what all the other BTW participants are working on this week at the BTW Flickr site.

As always, thank you to our lovely hostess, Heather Powers of Humblebeads for hosting this weekly event.

Necessary Legal Stuff: I am honestly reviewing the products above which I have received free of charge from Magpie Gemstones, and I have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to them.

SUPER-DUPER PRE-CHRISTMAS BLOW-OUT SALE!!!

2011-11-12T18:13:00.001-07:00

As a

HUGE Thank-You

for everyone who has supported me in my artistic endeavors, starting at midnight tonight and running through midnight on November 30th, I am having a:

EVERYTHING in my Etsy shop will be marked down a whopping 25%!!!

And, if that wasn't enough, I am offering

FREE SHIPPING TO THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA!!!

If you've had your eye on anything or are looking for unique and affordable gifts, now is the time to pick them up!

Bead Table Wednesday

2011-11-09T11:50:00.002-07:00

Working on a few projects today, in addition to getting a magazine deadline finished. Here's what is on my bead table right now:

I'm working some beautiful vintage beads in with some new 'beaded beads' I finished yesterday to see what I can come up with.

We're also getting ready for Thanksgiving at our house, and I love the decorating part of that:

I hope you are all having a great week and enjoying this fabulous cooler weather!

You can see what all the other BTW participants are working on this week at the BTW Flickr site.

As always, thank you to our lovely hostess, Heather Powers of Humblebeads for hosting this weekly event.

If you get a chance, hop on over to Grateful Living to read the beautiful post from Diana Frey today!

Interview at Touch Jewelry

2011-11-06T13:49:00.002-07:00

I am honored to share an interview I did on Cathy Khoury's blog, Touch Jewelry.

Cathy was one of my Bead Soup partners, and has a passion for creating her jewelry, and describes her business this way:

"...Indeed, we aspire to work only with fairly traded beads, helping local artists as well as cooperatives around the world in order to create pieces that are prepared with care.

With this new and exciting vision in mind, Touch Jewelry aspires to connect women and artisans in the common goal of human touch and cooperation. By reaching out our hearts and minds through art and craft, we hope to do our part to unite all people in one common Touch, one human horizon."

When I sent Cathy her Bead Soup package, I included some handmade findings. She asked if she could order more of them, and feature me on her blog as well. Of course I said "Yes!"

You can read the article and learn more about Cathy's artwork here:

Meet Molly Alexander: TJ's Newest Supply Artist

Again, thank you so much Cathy!

Very Seedy: Bead Table Wednesday

2011-10-26T14:19:00.002-07:00

I'm still captivated by seed beads, and can't seem to stop working with them

(an intervention may be in order at this point)!

Here's what is on my bead table today:

The start of something fun, I think!

Also, if you haven't had a chance to check out the Grateful Living blog, you are missing out! We've had some beautiful, inspiring and funny stories shared by some amazing women. Take a few minutes and check it out!

As always, thank you Heather Powers for hosting Bead Table Wednesday! You can see what others are working on by checking out the Bead Table Wednesday Flickr Group!

Opulence...

2011-10-18T22:26:00.001-07:00

Deryn Mentock of Something Sublime is hosting a challenge: to create a piece of jewelry based on this photo and palette:

The first word that came to my mind when I saw it was...

Opulence

Such fantastic and exquisite glamour in the folds of the fabric, the antique mirror, the gilded frames...

I knew I had to create a piece that reflected the over-the-top excesses of this room, with great attention to detail, texture and color.

I pulled out an etched mother-of pearl focal I've been hoarding for such inspiration as this, and got to work:

I've been experimenting with beaded bezels, and this project seemed tailor-made for the intricate detailing I was looking for. I love how the fringe looks delicate and lacy around the edges of the focal.

To continue the intricate detailing, I made twelve beaded rings, each with the lacy fringe, originally intending them to be the chain for the necklace. When I put them together as the chain, however, they didn't have the impact I was looking for, so I decided to turn them into charms and space them evenly along the necklace:

On one side of the necklace, I added groupings of tiny tear-shaped olive beads to bulk up the chain and add more color.

On the opposite side of the necklace, I interspersed six handmade beaded silk roses in a rich burgundy red. The flowers keep the continuity of the colors and textures with the olive and bronze beads used in their centers:

I added a length of extender chain with another small grouping of the olive drop beads to the end for a bit of extra detail, and used a very simple brass clasp to complete the necklace:

Here is a look at the completed piece:

"Opulence"

And another view:

"Opulence"

I learned a lot about seed beading from the construction of this piece, and am looking forward to incorporating more of it into upcoming pieces as well.

A big thank you goes out to Deryn Mentock for hosting this challenge! To see the other entries you can head on over to her blog, Something Sublime.

Bead Table Wednesday: 4 Cool Things To Share Today

2011-10-12T16:53:00.002-07:00

Happy Wednesday To You! Today I've got 4 fun things to share with you!

1. Happy Birthday to my amazing Mother!

My Mom is such an inspiration to me. She sets the bar for character and integrity, and has taught me so much about how to be a mom, wife and woman. This past spring she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and has completely blown me away with the grace and dignity she has shown throughout diagnosis, surgery, treatment, and now as a healthy survivor. I am so proud of her, and so proud to be her daughter, and wanted to make her something very special for her birthday this year:

I know that pink is the Breast Cancer Awareness color, but when I think of her, I always picture her in cobalt blue for some reason. I had my friend Julianna Cannon of JulsBeads make up a gorgeous set of cobalt blue beads, including one of my favorite heart focals, and made Mom a set from my heart to hers. She didn't get the earrings, as somehow, in the 3 steps from the front porch where I took the pictures to the computer, I temporarily 'misplaced' one of them. Within 5 minutes of shipping off her gift, I (of course) found the other earring, so she will be getting a surprise post-birthday gift - lol!

2. Maire Dodd is today's Grateful Living contributor!

If you aren't familiar with Maire Dodd's writing and artwork, you are in for a treat. Her gift for sharing - both visually and in writing - is profound. Check it out!

And while you are there, take a look at the other contributiors' posts from the past couple of weeks; I guarantee you will have a smile in your heart after reading what these remarkable women are grateful for in their lives!

3. Deryn Mentock is having a Blog Challenge!

Deryn Mentock of Something Sublime is having a really cool blog challenge that incorporates the beautiful colors and feel from this photograph:

The reveal day is October 19th - you can read more about the challenge details here.

4. Oh right - it's Bead Table Wednesday!

Here's what is on my bead table today:

Yep - a little cryptic, but I don't want to spoil the surprise of what I'm making for Deryn's challenge!

You can see what all the other BTW participants are working on this week at the BTW Flickr site.

As always, thank you to our lovely hostess, Heather Powers of Humblebeads for hosting this weekly event.

Have a fantastic rest of your week!

What's Cookin'?

2011-10-09T20:38:00.000-07:00

Today I've been doing a lot of this:

To make a lot of these:

What did you work on this weekend?

Also, if you haven't had a chance, hop on over to Grateful Living to read Diane Cook's thoughts on sharing her passion!

Lorelei and Shannon's Lima Beads Blog Hop

2011-10-08T01:53:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of the beautiful beads that Lorelei and Shannon picked for their Lima Beads Blog Hop:

Aren't those just the most beautiful colors? I love the combination of colors and textures, and did my best to use as much of the kit as I could.

Without further ado, here's my necklace (please excuse the pictures - I had to use artificial light and couldn't find my light box anywhere!):

I really wanted to highlight the ribbon and the gorgeous glass drops, and still include most of the other elements without the design getting too fussy.

The three pressed glass flowers are wired to the brass filigree focal with copper wire.

I tried a new technique weaving seed beads around the glass beads, and I really like the effect.

Thanks for stopping by! For the links to the rest of the participants and some amazing eye candy, hop on over to Lorelei's blog here.

Bead Table Wednesday

2011-10-05T12:13:00.002-07:00

I don't have a whole lot of beads out on my table today, but I do want to share a quick project I did yesterday with you.

I am taking a Bible study right now, and one of the things we are doing is keeping a prayer journal. I am - quite possibly - the world's worst journal-keeper, so I've decided to make my journal more fun to keep.

I pulled out my well-worn copy of "Pretty Little Things" by Sally Jean Alexander for some inspiration, and, starting out with one of these:

...a plain old composition book...

...I turned it into this:

Front

Back

Definitely more fun - now I don't have any excuses!

On another note, if you haven't already, hop on over to Grateful Living to see what Patty Gasparino of My Life Under The Bus is grateful for today.

New (for me) Beading Techniques

2011-10-03T12:14:00.001-07:00

After going through (most of) the Bead Soup blogs, I was struck by the large number of seed bead artists are out there. I know this shouldn't surprise me, but I am, at heart, a wire and metal gal, and don't do a whole lot with seed beads, except to use them as accents in my wire and metal pieces.

I also love to fuse glass in my kiln, but, to me, there seems to be a limited amount of things I can do with my glass 'globs' once they are cooked.

Then I toured the blogs and realized that I can use seed beads to make bezels for my 'globs'. Inspiration! A light turned on in my brain, and I decided to teach myself how do do them.

I downloaded a great tutorial from Fusion Beads and was on my way! So...here is a picture of what I've been working on with my newly learned skill:

I've got lots of beads and glass to work with, and I'm excited to see what else I can learn - bead embroidering, for instance...

Now, have you had a chance to check out "Grateful Living" yet? Nellie Wortman of Early Morning Thoughts is today's contributor, and she wrote a beautiful piece speaking about being an optimist - well worth the read!

"Grateful Living" Is Up And Running!

2011-10-01T15:20:00.002-07:00

"Grateful Living"

Today Grateful Living has its first post called "What Is Grateful Living?" which you can read by clicking on the link or on the picture above.

I encourage you to check it out and stay tuned for posts from this wonderful group of contributors:

Rhonda Marinkovic

We will be posting 3 to 4 times a week with snippets of our lives that we are grateful for to share with you. Please join us on our journey!

New Blog: Grateful Living

2011-09-29T20:51:00.001-07:00

For a while now I have been wanting to create a forum for people to express thanksgiving for the blessings in their lives. To show that there are so many things to be thankful for; big and small, they are there, and all we need to do is take the time to stop, look around and recognize them.

So here it is:

"Grateful Living"

A blog devoted solely to expressing gratitude,
going live on October 1st.

A wonderful and talented group of contributors will be sharing pieces of their personal stories in hopes of inspiring readers to examine their own lives to discover big and life-changing as well as ordinary and every-day miracles in their own lives.

Please take some time to check it out, and if you like what you read, leave a comment, follow it, grab the button to put on your own blog or website.

Between us, maybe we can spread a bit of an "attitude of gratitude" together.

Grandma's Quilt: September Art Bead Scene and Love My Art Jewelry Monthly Challenges

2011-09-24T14:45:00.002-07:00

"Grandma's Quilt"

Art Bead Scene Inspiration Artwork
"Housetop" by Lillie Mae Pettway

My grandmother is one of my most favorite people I was blessed to have in my life. She taught me so many things, and was an incredible influence on my character - on the woman I am today. I wrote about her in a blog post called "Teapots" (which you can read here) where I spoke about my childhood and the wonderful times I spent with her.

When I saw this month's challenges for Art Bead Scene and for Love My Art Jewelry, I knew that I would be combining them into one piece called "Grandma's Quilt". She was the person who taught me to sew and to embroider. I'm not very good at all at either, but she was patient and persistent, and I loved the stories she would tell me as we sat together at the sewing machine or with our projects on our laps.

Her mother used to knit, and made the quilt squares these pictures were taken on that my grandmother crocheted together into a quilt. I've had it for my whole life, and someday I will pass it on to my grandchildren and tell them about the remarkable woman who gave it to me.

Glass Mosaic Micro-Mosaic Focal: Molly Alexander

Lampwork Beads: Blue Seraphim

Vintage buttons, beads, etc.

To see more of the Art Bead Scene entries, you can go to their Flickr group here and read more about the inspiration artwork here.

To see more of the Love My Art Jewelry Art Spark entries, you can go to their Flickr group here and read more about this month's challenge here.

Party On!

2011-09-17T00:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the September 2011 Bead Soup BlogParty!

What is a Bead Soup Blog Party?

Each beader was paired up with another jewelry designer and tasked with sending the following:

A focal

A special clasp (not just a lobster claw)

Some coordinating spacers or beads

Using the focal and the clasp was mandatory, but we could use anything from our own stash to round out the rest, and choose to use the coordinating beads or not.

Here is another picture of the beads I received from my fantastic Bead Soup partner, Magda Sikora of Poranna Gazetta Blog:

And here is the first piece I made:

I used the brown mother-of-pearl rectangles, baby shells, copper-colored glass pearls and the circular coiled clasp, and added beautiful amber chips (a gift from my mother from Poland), darker bronze glass pearls, brass headpins, antiqued brass chunky chain and antiqued brass bead caps for the shells, and I came up with this fun bracelet with a bazillion danglies.

I love the color variation in the brown and amber tones, and the shells are a perfect accent to lighten up the design.

And here is the second project I made with the rest of my soup ingredients:

I used the beautiful heart focal and accented it with the creamy mother-of-pearl rounds, the pressed glass leaves and the Swavorski crystals, and added deep purple glass pearls, vintage brass links, handmade brass bead caps and a hand-dyed silk ribbon from my personal stash to make this necklace and bracelet set.

The design of the necklace is asymmetrical, with the bead links, dangling leaves and crystals making up one side of the chain, while the ribbon ties to a vintage brass hoop to form the opposite end of the chain. I made the necklace long enough to slip on over my head, so I didn't need a clasp.

The design of the bracelet is an echo of the necklace, and showcases the gorgeous brass clasp from Magda.

I had so much fun in this Bead Soup blog Party, and want to send out extra special thank yous to Magda for my beautiful soup ingredients and to Lori Anderson for being the perfect hostess!

If you have a chance, take some time and check out these awesome bloggers and their fabulous 'soupy' creations!

__________________________________________________

The Hostess, Lori Anderson and her partner, ManuelaWutschke

1. Aimee Wheaton and Barbara York

2. Alice Craddick and Sandra Richardson

3. Alison Sachs and Amy Severino

4. Allison Scott and Cynthia Abner

5. Amanda Cargill Austin and Charlene Sevier

6. Amanda Davie and Patsy Evins

7. Amber Dawn and Kim Ballor

8. Ambra Gostoli and Christine Hansen

9. Amy Freeland and Christine Altmiller

10. Ana Krepel-Novak and Eleanor Snare

11. Andrea Morici and Hope Smitherman

12. Andrea Trank and Jayne Capps

13. Andrea Turini and Charlene Jacka

14. Angela May and Emanda Johnson

15. Anitra Gordy and Elizabeth Owens Dwy

16. Ann Rishell and Debbie Price

17. Ann Sherwood and Lynne Bowland

18. Anna Lear and Barbe Saint John

19. Anna Sabina and Erin Siegel

19. Nan Emmett and Erin Siegel

20. Astrid Boyce and Birgitta Lejonklou

21. B.R. Kuhlman and Deanna Chase

22. Barbara Bechtel and Bryna Lumb

23. Barbara Blaszczyk and DaviniaDesign

24. Barbara Judy and Holly Westfall

25. Barbara Lewis and Cathie Carroll

26. Barrie Edwards and Lyn Foley

27. Becky Fairclough and Jana Tarhala

28. Bella Borgouise and Gillian Lehman

29. Beth and Evie McCord and Erin Prais-Hintz

30. Beth Bricker and Heather Pyle

31. Beth Emery and Cassie Donlen

32. Bobbie Rafferty and Cindy Cima Edwards

33. Candice McGinnis and Sally Anderson

34. Carol Bradley and Cece Cormier

35. Cathy Khoury and Molly Alexander

36. Carol Tannahill and Hilary Frye

37. Carrie Tahquechi and Cris Peacock

38. Cat Pruitt and Cindy Gimbrone

39. Charlene Gary and Doris Stumpf

40. Charlotte Pevny and Kate Gardenghi

41. Cherrie Fick and Cathie Carroll

41. Claire Maunsell and Cherrie Fick

42. Cheryl Roe and Jenny Vidberg

43. Chris White and Norma Turvey

44. Christa Murphy and Kathy Alderfer

45. Christie Murrow and Dana James

46. Christina Miles and Collette Collins

47. Christine Brandel and Elizabeth Woodford

48. Christine Damm and Cynthia Deis

49. Christine Hendrickson and Debbie Goering

50. Christine Stonefield and Dee Wingrove-Smith

51. Cilla Watkins and Johanna Rhodes

52. Cindy Wimmer and Riki Schumacher

53. CJ Baushka and Cory Celaya

54. Courtney Breul and Joanna Matuszczyk

55. Cristi Clothier and Kathleen Robinson Young

56. Cryss Thain and Serena Trent

57. Cynthia Tucker and Kitty Durmaj

58. Dana Johnson Jones and Eva Sherman

59. Davinia Algeri and Janet McDonald

60. Deci Worland and Lara Lutrick

61. Diana Ptaszynski and Kristy Abner

62. Diane Cook and Kerry Bogert

63. Diane Hawkey and Jen Judd Velasquez

64. Dorcas Midkiff and Jill Harris

65. Doris Radlicki and Heather Goldsmith

66. Dot Lewallen and Gaea Cannaday

67. Elisabeth Auld and Jennifer Justman

68. Erin Fickert-Rowland and Geanina Grigore

69. Erin Grant and Julie Jones

70. Eszter Czibulyas and Helena Fritz

71. Fiona Christie and Michelle Heim

72. Gail Zwang and Genea Crivello-Knable

73. Geneva Collins and Jana Haag

74. Gretchen Nation and Heidi Post

75. Heather DeSimone and Karin Slaton

76. Heather Marley and Terry Carter

77. Ingrid McCue and Jennifer Pride

78. Jackie Ryan and Nicole Keller

79. Janna Harttgen and Joanne Tinley

80. Jean Yates and Lori Anderson

81. Jelveh Jaferian and Jenny Davies-Reazor

82. Jenni Connolly and Jennifer Heynen

83. Jennifer Cameron and Kristi Bowman

84. Jennifer Geldard and Lisa Liddy

85. Jennifer VanBenschoten and Kim Hora

86. Jess Italia Lincoln and Lori Greenberg

87. Jill MacKay and Lori Bergmann

88. JJ Jacobs and Karen Tremblay

89. Joyce Becker and Kathy Welsh

90. Judy Glende and Karen Sinkowski

91. Judy Riley and Kelly Morgan

92. JuLee Wolfe and Julie Bean

93. Julianna Cannon and Julianna Kis

94. Julie Nordine and Lesley Watt

95. K. Hutchinson and Shea Zukowski

96. Karen Firnberg and Karyn Bonfiglio

97. Karen Williams and Kimberly Roberts

98. Karen Zanco and Polly Barker

99. Kari Carrigan and Laura Twiford

100. Karin von Hoeren and Laura Blanck

101. Kate Richbourg and Lorelei Eurto

102. Kathleen Lange Klik and Maria Clark

103. Kathy Engstrom and Keri Lee Sereika

104. Kay Thomerson and Loretta Carstensen

105. Kelley Fogle and Laurel Bielec

106. Kelly Ramstack and Sally Anderson

107. Kim Stevens and Tiffany Long

108. Kristi Harrison and Mandy Williamson

109. Kristi Kyle and Lana Kinney

110. Kristina Johansson and Sue Hodgkinson

111. Kym Hunter and Laura Sanger

112. Laura Zeiner and Susan Kennedy

113. Laurel Steven and Mary McGraw

114. Laurie Hanna and Lisa Boucher

115. Lesley Weirand Liz DeLuca

116. Linda Djokic and Tracey Weiser

117. Linda Inhelder and Pam Brisse

118. Linda Landig and Lori Dorrington

119. Linda Murphy and Lisa Hamilton

119. Line Labrecque and Marianne Baxter

120. Lisa Lodge and Monica Johnson

121. Lois Moon and Melissa Muir

122. Lola Surwillo and Therese Frank

123. Lori Bowring Michaud and Marci Brooks

124. Lupe Meter and Mags Saari

125. Maggie Towne and Marge Beebe

126. Malin de Koning and Susie Hibdon

127. Mallory Hoffman and Shirley Moore

128. Marcie Abney and Patty Miller

129. Marcy Lamberson and Melissa Clarke

130. Margot Potter and Suzann Sladcik Wilson

131. Maria Grimes and Wendy Blum

132. Maria Horvath and Melinda Orr

133. Maria Rosa Sharrow and Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp

134. Marian Hertzog and Melissa Mesara

135. Marianna Boylan and Sandi Lee James

136. Marina Dobrynina and Michaela Pabeschitz

137. Marsha Neal and Miri Agassi

138. Mary Ellen Parker and Melissa Meman

139. Mary Elliott and Tamara Soper

140. Mary Hicks and Laurel Steven

141. Melissa Pynn and Michelle Buettner

142. Michelle Hardy and Niki Meiners

143. Michelle Mach and Moira McEvoy

144. Missy Rappaport and Norma Agron

145. Molly Alexander and Poranna

146. Mylene Hillam and Nicole Rennell

147. Nadezhda Parfyonova and Stacey Curry

148. Nan Emmett and Nancy Peterson

149. Nancy Boylan and Natalie McKenna

150. Natalie Monkivitch and Niky Sayers

151. Natasha Lutes and Pam Ferrari

152. Noemi Baena and Penny Ilagan

153. Pamela Petry and Rebecca Sirevaag

154. Pat Haight and Mary McGraw

155. Patty Gasparino and Vonna Maslanka

156. Penny Neville and Sandi Volpe

157. Pepita Bos and Wendy Chamberlain

158. Raida Disbrow and Rebecca Watkins

159. Rebecca Anderson and Sabrina Staub

160. Regina Santerre and Rose Binoya

161. Rhea Freitag and Tari Kahrs

162. Rochelle Brisson and Sheryl Stephen

163. Sally Russick and Tracy Bell

164. Sandra McGriff and Shay Williams

165. Sandra Wolberg and Sara Hardin

166. Sarah Elder and Salla Small

167. Saskia Kaffenberger and Sharon Gardner

168. Sharon Palac and Shannon Chomanczuk

169. Shay Stone and Suzette Bentley

170. Shiraz Biggie and Tammy Powley

171. Staci Smith and Tracy Stillman

172. Stacie Stamper and Tracy Martin

173. Stefanie Teufel and Vicky Taylor

174. Stephanie Dixon and Stephanie LaRosa

175. Stephanie Haussler and Valerie Norton

176. Suzanne Tate and Terri Wlaschin

177. Sweet Freedom Designs and Tammy Jones

178. Tania Spivey and Tari Sasser

179. Tara Plote and Terry Matuszyk

180. Terri Gauthier and Deana Hager

181. Theresa Fosdick and Tracey Nanstad

Bead Table Wednesday - I've Got My Soup Simmering!

2011-09-14T12:17:00.003-07:00

What's on my bead table today? Why Bead Soup, of course! Here's a sneaky peek at my finished projects:

Can't tell what they are? Then come back on Saturday to see the completed jewelry made from beads from my awesome Bead Soup partner, Magda of Poranna Recznie Zrobilia!

In the meantime, you can go to Lori Anderson's Pretty Things blog for more information on this most enormous of blog tours. We've got artists from 5 continents and 21 countries participating - crazy!

As always, thank you to Heather Powers of Humblebeads blog for hosting BTW!

Take a few minutes to see what others are working on by going out to the BTW Flickr site.

September 2011 Bead Trends

2011-09-09T16:08:00.000-07:00

A big thank you goes out to Tatia Meyer for the privilege of being Bead Trends' Featured Designer in this month's issue:

I was asked to send enough pieces of jewelry to fill approximately 10 pages, which, it turns out, is a tremendous amount of jewelry - whew! I tried to push myself in the design and construction of these pieces, and I was really pleased with the outcome.

The first set is called "Wind and Waves",
and features a beautiful bead and pendant set from Yolanda's Clay:

The second set is called "Caged", and features gorgeous slider rings from Beads of Passion:

The third set is called "Into the Fire", and features stunning lampwork beads from Blue Seraphim:

The fourth set is called "Endless River",

and features lovely lampwork beads from
Blue Seraphim
and Firebabies
:

There are many more fabulous designers in this issue, including my friend, Holly Westfall of SilverRose Designs, who has her first published piece of jewelry - yea! So pick up a copy and enjoy some eye candy!

Again, thank you so much Bead Trends for the fabulous photography and amazing opportunity!

Bead Table Wednesday (Evening)...

2011-09-07T19:14:00.001-07:00

I wanted to get this post finished much earlier, but the stuff of life got in the way - you know how it goes! We spent the 3-day weekend out in San Diego visiting colleges with our son, and my wonderful hubby let me stop by what I can only describe as the "Costco of beads" - South Sun (www.SouthSunProducts.com).

Wow - I was overwhelmed by a gazillion choices, and ended up with these beads, which are what are on my bead table today:

You would think that I would have ended up with more, but the choices were so mind-boggling, and I didn't go in with a game plan. I do, however, plan to spend more time there when we are visiting our son next year - hee hee!

As always, thank you to Heather Powers of the Humblebeads blog for hosting BTW.

Take a few minutes to see what others are working on by going out to the BTW Flickr site.

Thank You!

2011-08-30T07:25:00.002-07:00

What a fun thing to wake up to: Love My Art Jewelry has named my "Happiness" necklace their August Art Spark Monthly Winner!

Thank you so much - I am honored! Take a bit of time to check out all of the beautiful monthly entries at the LMAJ Flickr site!

What Soup Ingredients Did I Send?

2011-08-26T10:13:00.000-07:00

Now that I know my Bead Soup partner, Magda of Poranna Recznie Zrobilia has received her beads, I can share a picture of what I sent to her with you:

- Beautiful focal: Elizabeth Creations

- Hollow brown glass beads: Shimmering Light Creations

- Natural Hubei greenturquoise nuggets

- Yellow jade

- Clear rutilated quartz

- Handmade copper swirl chain (inspired by Kerry Bogert's "Totally Twisted" book)

- Copper spacers, jump rings, clasp and barbells

I can't wait to see what Magda makes with these!

My Bead Soup Ingredients Have Arrived

2011-08-25T11:26:00.001-07:00

I was so excited to open up my mailbox yesterday and find this:

Woo-hoo! My beads from Magda of Poranna Recznie Zrobilia had arrived!

Here is a postcard from her town of Lebork:

And under the postcard were these three little packages:

I couldn't wait to open them up, and here's what I found:

What fun ingredients for my soup! Magda made the polymer clay heart - her first attempt, and I must say that she did a fantastic job! She also made the clasps, and I already have some ideas on how to use them.

Thanks so much, Magda - I can't wait to get started!

And a gazillion thank yous go out to Lori Anderson of Pretty Things for the endless hours she has spent and will spend on hosting this unbelievable event that has a whopping 362 participants!

Bead Soup Blog Party Partner and a Sneak Peek!

2011-08-16T09:35:00.001-07:00

This is a quick post to give you a sneak peek of the soup I sent to my fantastically talented bead soup partner, Magda Sikora of Poranna Gazetta Blog:

I can't wait to see the soup she sent to me!

A Humble Thank You

2011-08-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

Wow - I am really overwhelmed this morning. I found out that I am the featured designer of the week at both Love My Art Jewelry and at Art Bead Scene.

Thank you so much - I am humbled and honored!

Take some time to check out both of these fantastic blogs featuring communities of uber-talented artists and fantastic tips and tutorials for jewelry makers.

What Makes You Happy? Love My Art Jewelry August Art Spark

2011-08-07T12:39:00.001-07:00

The color red.

I gravitate towards it without thinking.

It warms my heart and makes me smile. It makes me feel alive.

On days when I am down, I put on red lipstick and the world seems brighter.

A red sweater in the cold winter warms me despite the temperature.

My house has touches of it throughout, so I can go into any room and feel it radiating through me, lifting me up from where I am, despite circumstances.

Life and love.

Happiness.

The color red.

These beautiful poppy lampwork beads are from Tanya McGuire, and the pewter leaf is from Lynn Davis, and they hang from a soldered copper chain I made to go with them.

You can see other Art Spark entries on Flickr here, and learn more about this challenge here.

Art Bead Scene August Monthly Challenge

2011-08-05T12:51:00.001-07:00

It has been a long time since I've participated in the ABS monthly challenges. Life has slowed down a bit now with everyone back in school, and I've had time to create this week, which is a lovely change for me!

This month's challenge is based on this 1899 illustration for American Crescent Cycles by Frederick Winthrop Ramsdell (you can read more about this artist and the illustration here):

I wanted to play up the color palette from this month's challenge by pulling out the deep rich teal, gold, sienna and lichen.

These colors compliment the hand-etched and colored copper, and are reflected beautifully in the lampwork beads from Blue Seraphim.

I also added some industrial touches with forged and riveted links:

Take a few minutes to check out the other entries for this month's challenge at the ABS Flickr site.

Bead Table Wednesday

2011-08-03T09:39:00.000-07:00

I've spent the past couple of days playing in my studio and etching:

I've got some ideas about how I'm going to use these pieces, and I think some of the etched gears may go up in my Etsy shop.

To see what other artists are working on, check out the BTW Flickr site HERE, hosted by the fabulous Heather Powers of Humblebeads blog.

What are you working on today?

Some Treasury Love...

2011-08-02T08:43:00.000-07:00

Take some time to check out the wonderful artists included in these beautiful lists:

Thanks so much for including me in your treasuries!

Bead Soup Blog Party Sign-Ups!

2011-08-01T08:34:00.000-07:00

It's that time again! Lori Anderson of Pretty Things blog is once again hosting this fantastic event, and if you want to participate in this Fall's Bead Soup Blog Party, sign-ups are today, August 1st through August 3rd.

Click HERE for more information and to get registered!

Bead Table Wednesday

2011-07-27T16:36:00.000-07:00

Happy Wednesday Everyone! I'm working on some commissioned wedding jewelry, and I thought I 'd share a bit of the work in progress:

As always, thanks to Heather Powers of Humblebeads blog for hosting! Click on the picture below to go out to the Flickr group and see what others have going on today:

What are you working on?

Eye Candy With Bead Trends' July Issue

2011-07-11T07:00:00.003-07:00

If you haven’t had a chance yet, run on out and pick up July’s Bead Trends. As always, the photography is phenomenal, and this issue is chock full of eye candy.

The featured designer is Cherrie Fick of En La Lumie're, and her designs alone are worth picking up the issue, just to see them for yourself.

I have a couple of designs in this issue as well. I had originally created this necklace called Light As Air completely from scratch, fusing the focal and the chain using my torch:

Realizing that not everyone has a workshop where they can create their own chain and focals, I decided to challenge myself to re-create the necklace as closely as I could using store-bought elements:

Both necklaces turned out great, and I was satisfied with the look of the store-bought elements, although I personally prefer the handmade bits and pieces.

Enjoy the issue - there are some beautiful designs included!

Julsbeads Rocks!

2011-07-10T07:00:00.001-07:00

Over the past few months I have been collecting a lot of Julianna Cannon’s (aka Julsbeads) gorgeous beads. You know the kind of beads you buy that sit for a while on your workbench because you know that the piece you use them in needs to be extra-special to do them justice?

That’s the kind of beads Juls creates.

So…I’ve had these beads for a while, and have finally used them in a few designs that I wanted to share with you. This bangle/earring set features a gorgeous tangerine heart with companion beads that I’ve shared with you before:

I liked the tangerine set so much that I bought a second heart set in a deep red that I used in another bangle/earring set:

A couple of weeks ago, my Bead Table Wednesday post featured a stunning red/orange/cream/silver bead set that I have turned into this necklace/earring/bracelet set:

And finally, I pulled out my new Crafted Findings riveting tool from FDJ tools to rivet a cool chain featuring a Julsbeads focal:

If you are as obsessed with these beads as I am (and why wouldn’t you be – they are gorgeous!), hop on over to Juls’ Etsy shop to pick some up. And while you are hopping, you must check out her funny, inspiring blog!

** All of these pieces will be listed in my Etsy shop soon – happy shopping!

Last Cup Of Bead Soup

2011-07-09T21:25:00.002-07:00

As always, I am behind the eight ball on getting my posting done, so bear with me here! I wanted to share the final jewelry design that Lori Anderson has made with the Cup Of Bead Soup I sent her (you are in for a treat!):

I love the green and purple color combination, and Lori definitely outdid herself in these designs.

I want to thank Lori sooooooooo much for featuring my beads and my shop on her “Cup of Bead Soup” blog for the month of June. Keep visiting her to see some fantastic bead artists, and the beautiful designs Lori creates with them!

Bead Table Wednesday: What's On Your Table Today?

2011-06-29T15:18:00.000-07:00

Heather Powers of Humblebeads hosts "Bead Table Wednesday", allowing us to show off what we have going on in our workshops. Here's what is laid out on my work table today:

I've had these gorgeous beads from Juls Beads (who, incidentally, is having a 20% off sale in her etsy shop right now!), and am finally incorporating them into a couple of jewelry pieces.

So...what are you working on?

June Bead Trends

2011-06-25T11:47:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post about this month’s Bead Trends magazine. But first, if you haven’t had a chance yet, go out and check out May’s issue featuring the enormously talented Cindy Wimmer of Sweet Bead Studio as their monthly highlighted designer. In addition to her trademark wire work, Cindy features some beautiful vintage-inspired designs that are definitely worth your time!

June’s issue is also stunning, full of beautiful designs and featuring Judith Glende of Judith B. Designs. She includes unique jewelry full of etched metals, cold connections and wire work in varied styles.

I also have a set included in this month’s magazine called “Summer Skies”:

I used beautiful drawn copper cable and stunning dumortierite from Rings and Things and a lovely glass copper disc from Blueseraphim.

As always, thanks go out to Bead Trends for including me in their gorgeous magazine!

Collaboration…

2011-06-24T13:05:00.000-07:00

When I received an e-mail last October from my amazingly talented friend, Diane Cook, asking if I wanted to participate in a collaboration with her and five other women, I sent her an immediate resounding “YES!” So the seven of us started a journey called “With One Finding” that I’d like to share with you:

Diane’s idea was to give each of us the same starting point: the ‘Marianne’ focal piece from Brass Bouquet:

Using this beautiful focal, Diane unleashed our creativity, and it was remarkable to see the unique designs that each of us came up with that really showcased the personality of each designer.

Here is a picture of my design:

In addition to the ‘Marianne’ focal, I also purchased three different brass chains from the Brass Bouquet. After I decided on the structure of the necklace, I started adding (and adding, and adding, and adding) many different sizes and colors of glass pearls to the main chain, finishing the focal with another length of chain and pearls.

This design process pushed me a lot. I have to admit that I was a bit intimidated by the caliber of the other women participating, and I wanted to make sure my design could stand up with theirs. What I discovered was that, instead of worrying about what they were going to do and instead trusting my instincts, I was able to create a necklace that was uniquely my own.

The complete article is featured in the Summer 2011 issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry, and I highly recommend you pick it up! In it you will also see the stunning designs of all of the talented women: Diane Cook, Marie Dodd, Diana Frey, Julie Pishny, Riki Schumacher and Cindy Wimmer. Diane also has more pictures posted on her Flickr site.

Thanks so much, Diane, for including me in this fantastic collaboration!

Cup Of Bead Soup – Time For A Refill…

2011-06-19T08:50:00.000-07:00

In this post I told you about Lori Anderson’s “Cup Of Bead Soup”, where she features beads by individual artists in designs each month. Well, she has just come out with her second design using my enameled beads, and has hit it out of the park again:

* Photos courtesy of Lori Anderson

I absolutely love the summery feel to this piece, and the balance of the asymmetrical design is absolutely perfect.

For more details Lori’s creative process, hop on over to her blog, Pretty Things:

Have a Seat And Join Me for A Cup Of Bead Soup…

2011-06-15T21:28:00.000-07:00

In addition to the fabulous Bead Soup blog parties, Lori Anderson of Pretty Things blog fame also serves up a monthly Cup Of Bead Soup, where she takes beads from an individual bead artist and showcases them in her beautiful creations and then blogs about them. For the month of June, I have the honor of being her featured bead artist, and I couldn’t be more excited about it!

I sent Lori three sets of enameled beads and findings in different color combinations:

* Photos courtesy of Lori Anderson

And here is her first beautiful creation:

* Photo courtesy of Lori Anderson

For more description and information, I highly recommend you visit Lori’s blog, Pretty Things, and get to know this fantastic artist and writer.

Lori, thanks so much for letting me be a part of your “Cup of Bead Soup” – I love your first piece, and can’t wait to see what you make from the rest of the beads!

Visit the “Cup Of Bead Soup” blog here, and click on the blog button below to visit Lori’s Pretty Things blog:

Bead Table Wednesday

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I’m getting ready to start on some holiday sets with these gorgeous glass pearls from Sedona Stones:

What are you working on this week?