It's been way too long.....

....Since my last post.  I wasn't feeling well for most of December and January so I didn't work on a bunch of new stuff.  So now I've been working like mad, but still have to take MORE pictures.  I've been trying out some new stuff so hope you enjoy!

I made a little "book" from Vintaj Blanks, Alcohol Inks and some texturing. I came home from the shop one Saturday and did the whole book in one sitting...although I did add some copper ink and re-worked the neckstrap.

Page 2 of the Metal Book--this one is my favorite page...the colors just worked out perfectly!

Page 3--a great sentiment of what we should all try artistically

Leap into experimenting with metal...my last page of my book pendant.

Thanks to Diane Fitzgerald's book Shaped Beadwork I've been playing with dimensional peyote.  This is SOOO addictive to do.  I'm going to eventually connect the Triangle, Rectangle & the Pentagon to make a pendant. 

I had to try my hand at polymer clay.  I made the pendant and the barrel beads in the neckstrap.  This was after making some candy heart charms.  I really need to retake this photo with better lighting. The colors are a twilight purple that fades to copper.  Then, after the pendant was baked, I added copper mica powder to the glaze to give it more shimmer.

This is just a small portion of the polymer clay heart charms that Mom & I made---over a 110 of them in all (that's just the large charms!)

I've been really hooked on making wire spirals.  I called this Spiralling Out of Control---hmmm...maybe I can mix some wire spirals with the dimensional peyote.

I couldn't get this pendant to come out really clear no matter how many times I tried to photograph it!  This design is by Deborah Roberti.  The crystals are Swarovski 4mm Ruby, Black 11/0, and Cream pearlized Fire Polish.  I said that this was my Twilight inspired heart.  I have since made a lovely Aqua Satin and Light Green Pearl heart.

I guess that's all for now.  I'll take some more pictures over the weekend (hopefully during the daylight hours instead of always at night) and post a few more finished pieces. 

Bead Creative and Bead Happy!

Practice, Practice

Ok...I've been practicing on my wiring.  Both of the earring styles are from Perfect Match:  Earring Designsfor Every Occasion by Sara Schwittek & Anita Lin.  Below is a simple pair of earrings using sterling and 8mm Amazonite rounds. 

This is another pair of earrings using sterling silver, lilac crystals, smokey quartz rounds and fluourite colored glass donuts. These were not as challenging as they look!

We had our It's Riveting Class on 11/14 and the students created pendants using Vintaj rivets and blanks.  Not only did they rivet their pendants, but they also played with some texture. 

These are Catherine's pendants (thanks to Catherine for taking and emailing me the photos).

Linda's Pendants.

Lindsey's Pendants...Lindsey did make one more pendant...but we didn't get a picture of that one.

Pam's Pendants.

Patty's Pendants.

We didn't get a picture of Theresa's Pendants.  She made 3 really nice ones as well.  All of the ladies did a great job and had fun making just a "little" noise pounding on the metal.

Hope you enjoyed the pics....let me know what you think!

New Projects, New Technique

I've been happily working on some wirework....this is something new for me.  The picture below was my very 1st project with the coiling/wrapping technique.  I used 16 gauge copper wire as my base and 26 gauge silver plated wire to coil and add on the 3mm Firepolish.  The outside dangles are dyed quartz rondelles and the large central dangles are vintage German gladd beads purchased in Portsmouth, NH.

These delicate little beauties were my 3rd attemp and were just me fooling around.  I was inspired by a trip to the local box store and their costume jewelry selection.  I used 22 gauge wire as my base and 26 gauge copper wire to wrap/coil.  The accents are ivory ceylon 8/0 seed beads and small rice-shaped freshwater pearls.  These were a bit trickier because the wire is soft and thin but so worth the delicate, airy look!

Hope you've enjoyed my practice runs at some wiring beyond the basic earring.

Bead Happy!

Michelle

What's been shakin'

Ok...it's been awhile since I've posted anything new.  I've been working on several things--Christmas Ornaments for our Ornament October classes (we had 3 new ornaments this year) and then I totally got hooked on the new rivets from Vintaj. 

Above are my samples that I played around with to try out the rivets. Of course I had to add a bit of sparkle to some.  Our class is full for this project on November 14, but don't worry, we will be having this class again after the 1st of the year!

We've gotten in a bunch of cool new books including Seed Bead Fusion by Rachel Nelson Smith.  Isn't this a cool bracelet.  I used Met. Gold Iris 8/0 & 11/0 and Matte Met. Green Iris 11/0 and fushia Swarovski crystals.  This is really an easy technique! 

One of her projects--the Shiloh necklace--was offered as a class at the Bead and Button Show this past summer.  I almost took this class it was sooo pretty!  Can't wait to try this project.  We've sold out of some of the books that we've gotten in over the last couple of weeks...but we will be getting more in time for the holidays.  So put some books on your holiday wish list!

There are some new holiday earring ideas that we will have out...Aren't these candle sticks adorable!?! 

Thread on a 10mm Swarovski 3700 (Margarita bead), 3 4mm bicones, 1 4mm Swarovksi Rondelle and a Swarovski 5500 (9x6 drop bead).  Create your wrapped loop or simple loop and attach to an earwire.  These cuties are about 1 inch long (not including the earwire).

And these little cuties...Christmas Lights!  Thread on (narrow side down) a Swarovski 5500 (9x6 drop), a 4mm rondelle and a 4mm round (Swarovski 5000).  Create your wrapped loop or simple loop and attach to the earwire. 

There have been other things that I've been toying around with...I've been trying to practice my wire skills so that I can teach more wire classes next year.  I've also been playing with some new weaving patterns and wire knitting on a spool. 

What new things have you been working on or reading?

Oh!  And if you didn't know...I had my hair all cut off!  Talk about change...I donated 10 inches to Pink Heart Funds which will accept hair donations of 6 inches or more.  The hair is used to make wigs for children AND adults who are in need!  So if you or someone you know would like to donate hair but do not have 10 inches to spare this is the organization to use.  I found this organization through AARP magazine. 

All for now and promise to post more often! 

Bead Happy!

Michelle

I'm on the Cover!!!!

We just received our copies of The Best of Stringing today and Michelle's project made it on the cover! That was a total surprise! Did not even know until we opened the box. How cool is that! We sold out of all of our copies...but we will be getting more copies in--hopefully next week! Michelle's project is the one in the middle.

Happy Beading.....

2, 4, 6, 8...100, 200.....

Ok...it's been awhile since the last post, but we've had lots of stuff going on--not just the physical inventory. We have it all counted (almost) for another year! 3, 6, 9, 12....5, 10, 15....100, 200... The boss...Zoe just had to check to make sure that everything was filled out just so! She just jumped up on the chair and posed--honest!

Pat...counting all those lovely, tangled jump rings! You can now buy those TierraCast rings in packs of 25!

Ellen & Marie (thanks Marie for the pictures)...the were in the Naughty corner...or is it the Sparkly Corner?

Michelle is just concentrating on getting those little buggers...um..beads...counted just right.

Thanks Syd for pitching in the last few hours of the last day! Ellen brought her hubby in to help us count!

We are glad that every last crystal, stone and jump ring has been counted! Just in time for the holidays.

More to come...some new projects in the works with wire and sterling and seed beads.......

Happy beading!

How do you Organize?

I've been reading a lot of blogs lately about organizing your "stash" and decided to share pictures of our home studio. Our studio is located in half of our basement. We painted the walls a soft creamy yellow (our piece of sunshine) and put down rubber floor tiles with some random carpets to be a bit of a buffer on the tootsies.



The studio is still a bit of a mess....most of the beads from our personal "collection" are now put away, but there are still some to be put away once I get more containers (office supplies and containers--love 'em!).

Just a small portion of beads. This is the best organizer! I love all the drawers and all my little containers. They are all organized by color--I used to have them organized by size then by color and type....but I had to dig through so many spaces to get to what I wanted. This way I can pull out a drawer (or 2 or 3) and all the beads that I have in that color family are right in front of me.

Larger beads and pendants are organized in trays.

Ok...talk about lack of organization....Do you have any UFO's (unfinished objects) lying around? This is a small portion of ours. These are some personal items that are a up to 3 years old! Maybe more. There are also some shop projects that need to be completed. Not organized at all! Some of them will be pulled apart and some will be finished (some day, some time).

And this is just what we have in our bead book library. And it's not all of what we have...there are a few books in the family room, my room and Pat's room. I am such a book and magazine junkie! There are so many ideas out there and I want to try them all...and I will....

And lastly, I'd like to thank the woman who dropped off these bags to us this week...we're not sure who you are...but we have ideas for these nuts....or are they beads....hmmm.....

Wishing you many beads and no knots!