Perspire, Inspire

Good grief, but it's hotter than the surface of the sun around here! We've had temps in the I-kid-you-not 100's for the past week, with 45% humidity. I hate it. I lived in Miami for ten years when I was growing up, and as soon as I graduated from high school, I went as far from Miami as I could. Do not like excessive heat. We've been spending a lot of time finding indoor fun, and also going out for brief periods early in the morning for fun like this:
One of out local outdoor malls has a fountain and they let the kids play in it. It's like a little water park and it's so much fun! It's even better that there is a Starbuck's right next to it so Momma can have her weekly Java Chip Frappuccino while the kids play.

Because the heat has been so ridiculous, I haven't been able to make any beads!! It's just too hot to even THINK about sitting in front of a huge flame, sweating on my glass rods. Yuck. I wish I could say I have been churning out the jewelry pieces, too, but alas, not so much. I've had a lot of great ideas, and I have been playing around with new (for me) types of wire, but not a whole lot is coming together.

This is a tough time for spending a lot of solitary creative time. The little kids are off of preschool for a couple of weeks, so my days are full of managing them, spending fun time with them, and doing things that are not focused on jewelry or glass or business. I've also been working at my 'real' job (which I do about ten hours a week), and between that, and the kidlets, well, there hasn't been a whole lot of creative time.

So one of the things I have been doing is focusing on storing up images for color inspiration for later. I took these pictures at my kitchen window...
That is one of the zinnias from the kids' garden in our yard. I love cobalt blue glass and this bottle always sits on my windowsill. I think they make a very intense and mysterious combination. It makes me think of the deep end of the ocean, or summer twilight.

Playing with the cobalt blue and magenta zinna, I added in this:
The sheer green of the tomato and the bright orange of the washcloth...I like the blue-magenta-orange, and I like the green-orange-blue, but all of them together isn't doing it for me.
This, however, I like. The sheer green, with the olive green and the cobalt is just pretty.

I might have to see what I can come up with later this week. It's supposed to be-- gasp!--in the 80's for a few days! Woohoo! Time to set up the torch!

Okay, I promise, a new jewelry piece this week. I'm working on something right now as I type (yes, I multitask...I have three kids...).

For now, though, a picnic awaits...

How do you stay in touch with your creative-ness when you can't make art directly?

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

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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...)!