Here I am...

See? I didn't fall off the planet, even though it probably seems like it.

Since Christmas, it's been a bunch of rushing here and there, getting stuff done, getting a routine back after the holidays, all that stuff. I've been enjoying my kiln thoroughly, and I've been making beads like crazy lately!

See?

I do have a bit of (hopefully) interesting news and general stuff to share, so here we go, in bullet points for brevity:

* I started an undergraduate-level class in Art History. First step on the path to graduate school and possibly a new career. So far, I LOVE it. LOVE love love. I've never been so happy to write a paper before!

* My application to Arts In The Park was accepted, and I will be a vendor there for the first time this year! It's a huge two-day show at the beginning of May in Byrd Park in the city of Richmond. Maybe this will be the year I upgrade my torch!

* I am working out a schedule of creating enough stock for this show -- and I'm terrified I won't have enough. Ack!

* OOH!! I'm going to take a class from Richard Salley this May!! ArtBliss is coming up again, and I. Am. Going. (At least in May...) I am beyond thrilled that I will finally be able to stop trying to teach myself how to rivet and solder. Mastery of those skills will. be. mine. Plus, RICHARD SALLEY. He seems so awesome, and his work is fabulous!

* My oldest daughter has applied to the local arts magnet high school in visual art. I am hoping against hope she gets accepted, but I am worried her portfolio is going to be a little short. I can't get her to stop drawing dragons and mythical creatures!

* I am almost done knitting the Doctor Who scarf I started back in November as a gift for my oldest daughter. That thing is easy-peasy, but BORRRRRING! That's what's hanging me up -- boredom. I promised myself NO new knitting projects til this one is done. I have enough UFO's of all kinds already.

* This so-called "winter" is making me very unhappy. No snow, and a change to spring every three days is annoying.

* I am going out on Friday night!!! (just thought I'd throw that in there)

* Been playing around with baking soda as a way to make new, funky beads. I haven't totally figured it out yet (and I'm sure if I actually read something about the technique, I could master it), but so far, my experiments look pretty good.

* I'm also playing around with a way to try out different color combinations using paint chip samples. Sometimes I can't decide what to make, and then I sit at the torch and make a bunch of junk. Maybe preselecting my palettes will help me branch out, and also avoid getting stuck.

Hmm....I think that might be it for now. I'm NOT participating in Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party this go-'round, and although I admit to a brief twinge of "Aw, I didn't get picked!", I'm actually relieved to not have been chosen this time. I just can't fit one more thing on my plate at this time, and I'm happy to let someone new play! I'm looking forward to the big reveal in March!

Okay, I have to get to the museum and photograph some works for my paper. Glad to be back after my long break, and I hope all of you are enjoying the start of 2012!

Ta - DAAAA!!!!

As my contribution to the Bead Soup Blog Party 2011, I give you...

Washed Ashore

While I admit to being a class-A procrastinator sometimes, this particular project sparked ideas immediately upon receiving the bead soup. For a few weeks, I toyed around with a variety of ideas, auditioning countless methods for achieving the end product I had in mind. Finally, FINALLY, late on Wednesday evening, the week of the Hop, I came to grips with exactly how I was going to execute this design.

It was a challenge. I never use fiber in my designs hardly anymore. But I knew I wanted a look of something tossed up on the shore of a beach after a storm (fitting, given the recent hurricane here). I think I achieved it.

So, after you have enjoyed my post, please go and visit my partner, Elizabeth Woodford, and see the beautiful necklace and earrings she created with the soup I sent her!

And then, after you've done that, start making your way around the Hop and check out ALL the fabulous work! There are over 300 participants, so it will not be a quick hop, but you will enjoy it. Here is the list, on hostess Lori Anderson's page.

Enjoy!!

Bead Soup is simmering...

I *just* finished my Bead Soup piece, and I am SO. excited. to show it to you! (nothing like waiting til the last minute, huh?)

However, I haven't photographed it yet, and I am going to be out all morning at a local farm market.

SO.

Come back here after about 2pm EST to see the piece I made. :)

Countdown beginning....

Watch this space!

On Saturday, September 17, I will reveal the piece(s) I have made for the Bead Soup Blog Party!

Go here to read about the BSBP.

And as a reminder, here is the 'soup' I am working with....pretty darn tasty!

And I canNOT wait to see what my partner, Elizabeth Woodford, comes up with!!

Bead Soup has arrived!

I love getting packages in the mail, especially when they contain such wonderful goodies as what my Bead Soup Blog Party partner, Elizabeth, sent me!

Check THIS out:

There are SO many gorgeous beads in this Soup!! Beads made from recycled glass in Tanzania, a gorgeous focal from a fellow Virginia glassworker, Linda Campbell, freshwater pearls, shells, glass beads with gorgeous finishes....the minute I opened the box and saw the beautiful goodies, I immediately had about a zillion ideas! I'm working out the logistics on the vision in my head right now.

I certainly hope the Soup I sent to Elizabeth is inspiring to her, too. Here's what I sent:

Elizabeth and I live about an hour apart, so probably by the time she sees this post, her package will have arrived. At least, I hope so!

This is going to be SO MUCH FUN!!!

Bead Soup, Baby!!

It's time for the Bead Soup Blog Party to get going! I got my partner, and I'm pretty excited about it!

Elizabeth Woodford is going to be my partner for this dance!

I looooove what I have been seeing of Elizabeth's work on her blog and Facebook page, and I know whatever she sends me is going to be a lot of fun to work with. I have already been at the torch making a set of beads for her.

Soon, she and I will be posting our bead soups and working on our creations. You'll just have to hang on til September 17th to see what we make with each other's soups!

A Catch-Up Post

The time just gets away from me! I can't believe it's been almost a week since I last posted.

So, let's catch up.....

I will be part of Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party again! She is an amazing woman, and even more so to put this whole thing together. Over three hundred people are swapping beads and making a jewelry piece with their partner's beads. The last go-around was so much fun, and it's astonishing the creativity that people possess! Stay tuned, because I'll be posting more as time goes on.

I had a dismal sales day at the market this past weekend, which was funny because the market was busy and the weather was fabulous! Oh well. The good part is that I had a great time, chatting with other vendors and talking to folks attending the market. Every day can't be a zillion dollar day.

My enamels order from Fundametals came in and it was like Christmas! Jeanette is a wonderful person to do business with, and I highly recommend her shop for enamel, mixed-media, and metalwork supplies and tools. I got transparent and opaque enamels, and some Klyr-Fire. I had to wait til yesterday (Sunday) to play with everything, but it was SO worth it! I remembered most things from Melissa Manley's Hard Candy class at ArtBliss last year, and I made some nice enameled discs for pendants and earrings.

Apparently, yesterday was a Muse day, because somehow I made five new bracelets, one after the other. Awesome. I love it when that happens! Effortless creativity, using materials that have been sitting there all along, but finally decided to show me how they come together!

Some copper was etched, and this is the unfinished result....starting work on Halloween stuff, too.

Oh, and my shop has been updated with some more pieces. I'm trying to get my stock up before holiday shopping, so look to my Facebook page for updates!

I think that's it for the catch-up....for now, anyway!

Have a great week, everyone, and I hope to have more to show you in a few days!

Fairy Tale Blog Hop!!

I know, I know....I'm late to the party. *hides*

I received such an amazing stash from my partner, Tara Plote, of Newbie Beader, and I was able to make three pieces with the beads she sent. ALL of the beads were 'challenge' beads for me, as I don't really "do" shiny or sparkly or precious. *grin*

I was stumped for a long time as to what I should make....I kept thinking silver was the only metal I could use, because the beads were so light in color and more dainty than what I typically use. Also, I am completely out of silver (what with it being so costly), but then it hit me! I can use my old favorite copper and make some gorgeous things with an unexpected bead and metal combination. So, here is what I made...

For The Faerie Queen

Night Garden

A Midsummer Night's Dream

I feel like I made some successful pieces, and I really like the way they came out for several reasons: One, since I NEVER use any kind of faceted, sparkly bead, much less one with an aurora borealis coating, I was pleased with how easily I could integrate them with my 'signature' metal, copper. I'd never really considered the more dainty, sparkly look with earthy copper. Another thing I like is my use of fiber in the Midsummer bracelet. I have not really used ribbons in any of my work, much for the same reasons as I didn't use "sparkly". But I really like the eclectic look of that bangle and how the beads and charms mingle with the ribbons and the forged copper bangle.

You'll have to check out Tara's page for what she made with the beads I sent her....but she has broken a finger on her dominant hand, so it may be a few more days before she can get her creations done. I hope you enjoy the rest of the hop, though. See below for links!

Lori Anderson, Pretty Things

Rebecca Anderson, Song Beads

Courtney Breul, Beads By Breul

Loretta Carstensen, Designs by Loretta

Evelyn Hall, Dragon Lady Evelyn

Sandy Richardson, Sandy's Coloring Box

Dana James, Dana's Jewelry Design

Tara Plote, Newbie Beader (My partner!)

Christine Brandel, A Hot Piece of Glass (You are here!)

Lisa Sittniewski, Alterity Art

Joanna Matuszczyk, Filcowe

Jenni Connolly, Jenni Bead

Geneva Collins, Torque Story

Elisabeth Auld, Beads For Busy Gals

Sally Russick, Wireworked

Mary McGraw, MK's Creative Musings

Norma Turvey, Moonlit Fantaseas

Erin Prais-Hintz, Treasures Found

Stephanie Haussler, Pixybug Designs

Shai Williams, Shaia's Ramblings

Johanna Rhodes, Fire Phoenix Creations

Sandi Lee James, Do Be Do Bead Do

Sweet Addy Designs

Valerie Norton, Hot Fused Glass

LAST CALL!!!

Today is the final day for the Bead Soup Blog Party. What a party it has been! So much to see and so many new people to virtually meet! It's bee really great, and thank you SO much to Lori Anderson, of Pretty Things, for all her work putting this together! I had a great time, and now I want to do even more collaborative work like this in the future!

So here are the last of the party people....go visit!

85. Melissa, One-Eared Pig Beads

86. Rebecca, 2SistersBeadwork

87. Karyn, Releases by Rufydoof

88. Denise, Bling on the Blog

89. Doris, Glaszwerg

90. Megan, Churchy & Her Sailor

91. Jo, Daisychain Designs

92. Jen, VanBeads Jewelry and Design

93. Kristie, Artisan Clay

94. Jess, Vintaj

95. Suzann, Beadphoria

96. Sharon, Sharon's Jewelry Garden

97. Michelle, bMichelle

And on the Seventh Day....there was MORE SOUP!

The owl necklace, 'Wise In The Ways' is going to a lovely home in Ohio tomorrow! Thanks, Kate!

'Reach' is still available....the earrings come with it, too!


Day Seven, you guys! Check it out!

72. Cindy, Cindy Dolezal Designs

73. Valerie, Hot Art

74. Courtney, Beads by Breul

75. Johanna, Fire Phoenix Creations

76. Shea, gr8findings

77. Julie, Pryce Designs
78. Jeannie, Jeannie's Blog

79. Patricia, Verre Design

80. Christa, Adventures of One Beady Woman

81. Heather, My Muse

82. Susan, Night Beader at Large

83. Sonja, Drachenei

84. Jennifer, Glass Addictions by Jennifer

They're Up!

The frog necklace, 'Reach' is now up in the Etsy shop.

So is 'Wise In The Ways', the owl necklace.

**Purchase 'Reach', and you will also receive the matching earrings!**

On the Sixth Day of Bead Soup....

For those of you who are interested, my Bead Soup pieces will be listed in my Etsy shop on Friday!


And the hits just keep on coming! Here's today's fresh batch of soup....eat up!

60. Carol, Carol Bradley Designs

61. Wanda, A Frayed of Fibers

62. Diana, Vintage Blue Studio

63. Marieke, Marieke's Blog

64. KJ, Silver Parrot

65. Maire, Maire Dodd

66. Shannon, Miss Fickle Media

67. Dana, Dana's Jewelry Designs

68. Charlene, The Bead Dreamer

69. Elisabeth, Beads for Busy Gals

70. Cathryn, Chile Cats

71. Missy, Melissa Rappaport

And we're on Day 5 of Bead Soup!

**EDITED TO ADD.....The three Bead Soup pieces, 'Reach' and the matching earrings, and 'Wise In The Ways' will ALL be listed in my Etsy shop by the end of the week. See my shop link on the sidebar ----->


This stuff never goes stale! Check out the list of today's yummy and fresh soup designs, all served up virtually -- no calories, no guilt, and always ready to serve!

48. Nan, Spirit Rattles

49. Amy, Copper Diem

50. Malin, Beading by Malin de Koning

51. Anne, Gardanne Glass Lampwork

52. Alice, Alice's Beads and Baubles

53. Barbara, Second Surf

54. Amanda, Articulations

55. Heather, Humble Beads

56. Melissa, Melissa Meman, Art, Life, Love

57. Kate, Organic Odysseys

58. Patti, PJ Clark Designs

59. Stefanie, Stefanie's Sammelsurium

____________________________________________________________

I promised you guys some of my own new work, besides the Bead Soup pieces. Well, here I am to deliver....I picked up the new issue of Easy Wire (which, if you don't own it, you should go get it). In that issue, there are a number of pieces by one of my very favorite jewelry artists, Cindy Wimmer. She even had one of her pieces on the cover! I love that wire rose necklace so much that I went ahead and made one for myself!

I also made myself some earrings to go with the necklace.....

There's a bracelet, but I have not finished it to my satisfaction as yet....still experimenting with design ideas using the wire rose pieces. Of course, working with Cindy's ideas sparked all kinds of new ideas for me, which is awesome! I love when that happens!

With my necklace, I'm not especially in love with the ribbons, although I loved the ones Cindy used on her necklace. I'm thinking of adding some strung seed beads, or maybe a larger piece of ribbon or something. I also used a copper chain as opposed to a silver one. I do like the contrast between metals, but I just didn't have any silver chain available when the need to make this necklace came over me. :)

Anyway, that's what I have been up to lately! How about you? What's up in your neck of the woods?

Unbelievable Generosity.....and....MORE SOUP!

Go immediately to check out Denise Yezbak Moore's blog for the details on how to enter her amazing giveaway. She is giving away a HUGE stash of beads to a lucky artist. It's incredible, and I hope you (*I*) win it! :) Seriously, LOOK at all the beady goodness! *drool*

Speaking of unbelievable generosity, thank you everyone who left me such inspiring and loving comments about my Bead Soup creations yesterday. You all are terrific, and you have no idea just how much you made my day. Thank you all so very much!

And without further ado.....check out today's special on the menu....Tuesday Bead Soup!!

37. Filomena, Pink Velvet Bird

38. Lyn, Lyn Foley

39. Tari, Pearl and Pebble

40. Rebecca, Song Beads

41. Regina, Regina's Writings

42. Nancy, The Rabbit Muse

43. Whitney, Whitney Lassini

44. Maria, Garden Path Beads

45. Michelle, Life in the Bead Lane

46. Ann, My Critical Eye

47. Lisa, Lucid Moon Studio


There are SO many beautiful and yummy creations being cooked up....you are really missing out if you don't go see them!

Stay tuned for some new work from me later on today (...hopefully...)!

Hey, Hey, The Party's HERE!!

Okay, so I got an amazing collection of fantastic beads from my Bead Soup partners, Beth and Evie McCord, of EB Bead and Metal Works. At first, I didn’t know what the heck to do with the big enameled frog, but after a little while of sitting with the beads and playing with them, and looking at the gorgeous enameling job on that frog (not to mention the seriously good sawing!) the design came to me.

Ta-DAAAA!

The first of my three projects is this one….called ‘Reach’.

Rather than hang the frog from a necklace, I wired it to a piece of heavy-gauge copper wire that I bent into a branch-like shape. Then I made a length of braided and beaded cord and combined it with copper chain. I added the green beads as accents on one side and to, along with the green beaded cord, suggest leaves or rainforest trees. That’s what I had in mind, anyway.

They had sent me a silver toggle clasp, but I didn’t like it for this design, so I made my own. It’s a toggle of 18g copper wire with a copper washer I stamped. I added the copper tag to the bottom of the necklace, attached to the loop on the ‘tree branch’, and stamped it with the word ‘reach’. I thought it kinda looked like the frog was reaching for the next branch, and it seems a good sentiment to have on your person as you go about your day.

The whole necklace fits over your head, so you don’t really need the clasp, but I liked it as a design feature anyway.

The next piece is a pair of earrings to go with ‘Reach’. Nothing terribly fancy here; I wanted them to be simple, so you could wear the necklace and a pair of coordinating earrings without feeling like you were totally draping yourself in jewelry. Two lampwork beads, each hung from a short section of the same chain in the necklace, and finished with copper earwires I made myself.

For the last piece, I used the remaining set of beads and the silver toggle clasp that I couldn’t put into the first piece. This necklace is called ‘Wise In The Ways'.

I strung the beads on a length of silver 18g half-hard wire (hey, it was all I had on hand! Remind me to never buy half-hard wire again…). I made simple loops on each end, then hammered them slightly to flatten. I cut a long piece of hand-dyed silk ribbon in half (I bought it from JamnGlass), and looped it through the silver bar with the beads, then sewed it to the toggle clasp. Finally, I wired up one of my white owl beads and made him the centerpiece of the work. These earthy beads just reminded me so much of woodland areas, and the layered dot patterns on them reminded me of an owl’s feathers, so I think this is a fitting piece to use these beads in, overall.

This has been so much fun! I feel like I stretched beyond my usual style a little bit, and really got into trying to make a piece that was not only wearable, but different, and captured the essence of the beads and other goodies I was given. I know my partners TOTALLY rocked their design with my beads!

I think I might try to do another swap or soup party again.

This party goes on all week, so there’s still lots more to see! Here is today’s list of blogs to visit. I’ll post the day’s list every day of the Blog Hop!

27. Lisa, Alterity
28. Dale, Dales' Flights of Fancy
29. Melanie, Kookie Designs
30. Christine, A Hot Piece of Glass (MEEEE!)
31. Nancy, Beading From the Heart
32. Laurel, Rue's Daftique
33. Sandi, Do Be Do Bead Do
34. Nicki, Nicki's Reef
35. Virginie, ViviBijoux
36. Janeen, Wild Vanilla

More soup!

It's Day Two of the Bead Soup Blog Party!
I know you haven't had enough of the yummy beady goodness yet, so go on and check out today's reveals:

14. Jen, Jen Judd Rocks

15. Kella, Me But a Little More In Depth

16. Emanda, Artemisia Studio

17. Marie, Skye Jewels

18. Loretta, Designs By Loretta

19. Stacy, Sissy and Jack's

20. Joanna, Filcowe

21. Diane, Diane Hawkey

22. Marianna, Pretty Shiny Things

23. Anna, The Laughing Raven

24. Marcie, La Bella Joya

25. Lois, Que Onda Q'town?

26. Jayne, Mama's Got To Doodle


I'll be posting my work with beads from my soup party partner tomorrow! Can't wait!

Soup's On!

Here is the list of the first round of chefs in the Bead Soup Blog Party....go check out the goodness!

1. Lori, Pretty Things

2. Lorelei, Lorelei1141

3. Norma, Moonlit Fantaseas

4. Beth, EB Bead and Metalworks

5. Katie, KatieBead

6. Kimberly, Bahama Dawn

7. Debbie, Prairie Emporium

8. Lisa, Joolz by Lisa

9. Kate, Tropical Blonde

10. Janet, Singing Woods

11. Julianna, Juls Beads

12. Erin, Treasures Found

Everyone has got some simply STUNNING work...definitely drool-worthy!

My partner is in the first group -- Beth and Evie McCord of EB Bead and Metal Works. They are number 4 on the above list, and you MUST go there NOW to see the amazing thing they did with the bead soup I sent them. OMG, I can't believe my beads could look so good!

I'll be posting my work with their beads and a cool focal piece on Monday, so definitely be back here then to see what I made!

Bead Soup Blog Party is almost here!

Okay, you guys....my work from the Bead Soup Blog Party will be displayed right here on this very blog on MONDAY, JUNE 21st!

Stay tuned and don't forget to check back here on Monday to see the THREE creations I have made using my soup goodies! (yes, I said three...I had some good ideas....)

See you Monday!

Sneaky

I can't show you the WHOLE THING yet, but here is a sneak preview of ONE of the pieces I am making for the Bead Soup Blog Party kicking off this month!

I had enough materials to make two pieces, so I am working out the design for the second one right now....

This is going to be so much fun!

Soup Goodies!

Okay, so I wrote before about how I am participating in Lori Anderson's Bead Soup party this time around. I've made up my package of goodies and sent it off to it's new home in Indiana, and MY package from my party-partners arrived the other day!

Check this out!
I got TWO sets of yummy lampwork beads:


and the most awesome enameled frog shape, done in beautiful red-browns and yellows and greens:

Oh, and a silver toggle clasp, too!

Now, I have to be honest, at first I thought...hmmm...a frog. A frog? Not really in line with what I normally do. But, this is all about the challenge, right? And it is a beautiful piece and I just knew if I thought about it for a while, I'd come up with something that was spectacular.

The idea is in my head....and almost in my sketchbook....and about to be made into something real....

And I'm not sharing! Nope, not yet!

You'll have to hang on til the start of the party....which is the week of June 19th.

Stay tuned! There are going to be so many just amazing and beautiful works to be seen, I can hardly wait! I'm just dying to see what else everyone is doing!