Bead in the New Year with Allegory Gallery – Week 2 Wrap Up

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#beadinthenewyear, Allegory Gallery, Allegory Gallery Design Challenges, Andrew Thornton, Artisticaos, Cynthia Thornton, Enchanted Adornments, Erin Prais-Hintz, Heather Powers, Humblebeads, Miss Fickle Media, Romeo and Juliet by Dire Straits, Sasha Crow, Staci Louise Smith, Terri DelSignore, William Jones

I am having so much fun and just bursting with creativity thanks to Bead in the New Year with Allegory Gallery. There are also some positive unintended consequences. I’m getting more things done. I tend to be tired and unmotivated after work. I often come home and plop on the couch not doing anything particularly productive. With #beadinthenewyear, I have projects to work on! I bead while watching TV, I bead while FaceTiming with my sister. I carry the necklaces all around my shadowy house looking for some light to take a decent picture, and since I’m up, I do the dishes in the sink. I feel so productive!

Day 7 – Use your favorite gemstone in a new piece

When it comes to gemstones, I get the most swoony over ruby nuggets. I had a few left over from a strand that I’ve slowly been using in special pieces. When I saw this prompt, I planned to use them together at the front of a simple necklace – sort of like the raw diamonds in the Carrie Bradshaw character’s necklace in the last episode of the Sex and the City TV series. But as I designed, it got even better. I used a large tin capped pearl headpin by Sasha Crow that I’ve been hoarding. (Points to me for being brave.) I also love (as you know if you read this blog) chain by Miss Fickle Media, and I combined severas short sections for this necklace. Putting together a number of very special elements doesn’t always guarantee a special piece of jewelry but for me, in this case, it did. I love this. It would not exist if not for Allegory Gallery‘s challenge.

Day 8 – Use a stringing material that you don’t normally use

I use a variety of stringing materials, but nothing more often than waxed linen. So I decided that anything I use other than that counts. I think my second most used material is Soft Flex beading wire. I thought about looking at some different cording I have, but before that happened, I had a design with leather pretty much done with this gorgeous pendant and bead set by Terri DelSignore of Artisticaos. I often find that leather doesn’t lay like I want, the knots make beads lay weird, I don’t have the right size closure, etc. But this just seemed to come together. Maybe I start out prejudiced and it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. I used 1.5 mm leather with horn tubes and small wood spacers. I used knotting and more spacers to make an adjustable closure. It all lays well and doesn’t seem skimpy like leather sometimes can to me. I’m very pleased.

Day 9 – Produce a piece using gemstone chips

Some people don’t like to work with chip beads, but they can look incredibly rich for a small price since most of us can’t always buy strands of large, fancier cut gemstone beads. I don’t know what type of stone this is, but I really love how it looks with these three beautiful glass beads by Andrew Thornton. (Another thing I’ve been using judiciously; I still have some left!) I finished it with large link copper chain I had in just the right length and a copper clasp by Miss Fickle Media. I love the rustic look of this piece, like a treasure from an archeological dig.

Day 10 – Challenge yourself by using sari silk ribbon

When I got this faux tin mitten charm from Heather Powers of Humblebeads, she included matching sari silk. I had already been trying to figure a way to use them together when this prompt came up. I don’t like the way sari silk feels on the back of my neck, but when I try to use it in the front, it sometimes feels too light and floppy. I settled on a cute little bit tied on the top of this pendant made with the mitten and a clear bead that reminds me of ice and gives the necklace some weight. The strand is made of peanut beads and lovely manik manik glass in the perfect color.

Day 11 – Share the work of a jewelry artist you admire

There are many, many jewelry artists I admire. But I followed the prompt and chose one for this purpose: Erin Prais-Hintz. I encourage you to look around her blog. Here are links to a few favorites:

Lies They Told Me

The Challenge of Travel: Nepal

Challenge of Music

Day 12 – Make a project from a craft book. 

I made a project inspired by Cynthia Thornton‘s book Enchanted Adornments. I had a heart pendant with a similar look to the one in the project (mine by Andrew Thornton) and i used it along with a variety of chain and beads to make a pretty necklace. I’m happy; it came out more similar to the project n the book than I thought it would!

Day 13 – Get inspired by music! Make a piece based off a song.

I wanted a song that had some visuals for me, so I was kind of listening through my iTunes list and came upon Romeo and Juliet by Dire Straits. It’s about a broken-hearted guy healing from a relationship. I used a repaired heart pendant (in the kintsugi style) by Staci Louise Smith. There is a line in the song “you can fall for chains of silver, you can fall for chains of gold” so I decided to use mixed metal chain. There is also a line, “You said ‘I love you like the stars above'”, and I used chain at the front with stardust beads, as well as a star charm near the clasp. This turned out so pretty! Another necklace that wouldn’t have come together like this without the prompt.

If you would like to see what others are making, you can visit the Allegory Gallery Design Challenges page.

 

WIP Finished and Sweet Pink

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Erin Prais-Hintz, Green Girl Studios, Nancy Adams, Round Rabbit, Tesori Trovati

I finally finished a long time work-in-progress that I talked about in this post. That was almost a year ago, and it had been around a while then! It features a pendant by Nancy Adams of Round Rabbit. Her focus has shifted from beads, but her shop still features her handmade items, so check it out. I love being surrounded by handmade. 

I used amethyst cubes and green Czech glass to compliment the pendant. I hadn’t really noticed the hole at the bottom until I worked with it. I wanted to add a new design element instead of just an item from the strand, so I chose this Swarovski crystal square. I really like how it looks!

Latish at night, I was working on another necklace which was about 75% finished when for some reason I suddenly decided the finish the above WIP. I wasn’t about to stand in the way of that! But early this morning I finished the other simple necklace. 

I’d had these vintage Czech glass beads on my table for a little while. I love pink, and I thought these sweet little rounds would be perfect with a simple, small pendant. I had considered my Green Girl Studios stash as well as a variety of other items, and then came upon this little charm that says “grace” by Erin Prais-Hintz of Tesori Trovati. This charm was included as a gift in an order. Sometimes I think it means so much to me to use those gifts because of the feeling behind them. Handmade already includes a lot of love and passion; a thank you gift has even more good feeling. Since it was also just the perfect complement to these beads I’d been wanting to use, it all came together. It will be lovely on its own as well as a great layering piece.

ABS July 2017

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Art Bead Scene, Erin Prais-Hintz, Green Girl Studios, Pam Wynn

I haven’t participated in an Art Bead Scene Challenge for quite a while – I think since last year – and I miss it.  Limited creative time and energy get in the way. This month’s challenge art is Tiger in a Tropical Storm by Henri Rousseau.

When I saw the challenge art this month, I had an idea for beads right away, but hadn’t gotten around to doing anything about it. I might not have except for seeing this post by Erin Prais-Hintz about her beads inspired by the art this month. Seeing her beautiful work and the gorgeous color palette again inspired me to get to work!

I had in mind a pendant from Green Girl Studios with a tiger on it and some black and orange striped African glass. I did end up using those, but I was surprised how many other beads I was choosing from without even looking very hard.

I love this polymer piece by Pam Wynn with what appears to be a tiger’s tail amongst the greenery and stormy winds. How perfect is that? I also did use some of those African glass beads, a long African bauxite bead and simple cut stitchtite nuggets.

I was happy to be able to bring in a little more of the bright orange with a plastic donut and some of the darker green with waxed linen. I feel like I’ve captured a little bit of the chaos in the painting with the mixed materials. Visit the Art Bead Scene Pinterest jewelry page and bead page to see more interpretations of this month’s challenge.

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Art Bead Scene Challenge – February

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Art Bead Scene, Artisan Clay, Erin Prais-Hintz, Kristie Ann Roeder, Tesori Trovati

The monthly Art Bead Scene Challenge offers a piece of art for participants to use as inspiration for making an art bead or something that contains an art bead.  The inspiration piece this month is the oil painting The Two Crowns by Sir Frank Dicksee.

The colors in this piece are so rich, and that’s what inspired my piece. I was first drawn to the white of the horse, and I thought I had a white clay and glass pendant by Kristie Ann Roeder of Artisan Clay. When I went to look, it was white and teal, which worked as well!

I also used a rosebud charm by Erin Prais-Hintz of Tesori Trovati, a gold flower connector, moonstone rondelles and some teal and rose colored Czech glass.  I kept trying to think of a design I liked using gold sari silk because the painting definitely brought that to mind. But they just didn’t work for me, so I used a little piece of it as a photo prop.

I think this necklace looks appropriately opulent (more so in person with the moonstone flash.)  I’m pleased with this necklace, and I love the Art Bead Scene challenges for encouraging me to use and combine materials I otherwise might not.

 

Earrings Everyday Reveal: Use Your Leftovers Challenge 2016

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Earrings Everyday, Erin Prais-Hintz, Use Your Leftovers Challenge

I was catching up on my blog reading when I saw the 2nd Annual Earrings Everyday Use Your Leftover Challenge.  I had so much fun joining this challenge last year with Erin Prais-Hintz that I was excited to see it and join in again.  I immediately went and took a picture of my craftermath.  This table has been clean at times in the intervening year, but here it is again in a very similar state.

So I look at the silver lining: much to choose from for my earring bonanza! Here is what I quickly put in my tray.

Because last year’s challenge re-started my earring making, I already had some nice bead pairs on the table from earrings I’d tried during the year that did not work out.  Now those beads are getting a second earring chance!  How nice.

I made a few pairs right away.  I’m not someone who enjoys working under pressure, so I didn’t want to wait to until the last minute and have nothing. I chose some of the easy earring supplies for these – charms and connectors.  If I wore earrings, the pearl and crystals would be my favorite of this lot.

I really love this next group. The middle ones with the Herkimer “diamonds” are my favs, but it’s not easy to pick.  All three pairs of these are very me.

I made all of the above earrings on the first day in two different sessions. Once I get going, it’s just so fun!  The middle earrings didn’t photograph very well – the black beads are lovely faceted numbers.

I found that once I got in the earring making mode, I wanted to continue.  So the next morning I made these two pairs soon after I woke up.  Using leftovers actually makes it easier to create; I’m not overwhelmed with choice.  In fact, when designing I often default to what is on my bead table.  There is more than one good design for any material, and why not use what is right in front of me? For example, I love these color shell stack earrings.  So easy!

Here is a different kind of leftover.  I didn’t make these with leftover materials (that I remember) but these are leftover earrings that were sitting on my bead table (already on a card!) I made these in January 2014 for myself based on a design by Erin Siegel. Almost three years these have been rattling around my house!  Ridiculous.  So I added them to the group.  I stopped wearing earrings soon after I made them due to sensitive ears and never wore them.  Let someone else enjoy these.

I like that it is easy to make so many different styles. I feel like I have a nice selection for a variety of people with different tastes which is good because I will be donating these to Ears to You.  They provide earrings to girls and women of all ages fighting cancer and accept donations of new handmade or store bought earrings.  (They have also branched out to helping boys and men with cancer too.)

My guess is that I spent less than two hours making all of the earrings you see here.  Great way to use leftovers and have something to show for it!  Thanks Erin and Earrings Everyday!  Go to the Earrings Everyday website to see what other people made with their craftermath, and subscribe to the blog if you want to see great earrings all year long!

Click here to see what other participants made:

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Ionu Owl Necklace

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Erin Prais-Hintz, Ionu owl pendant, Southern Poverty Law Center, Tesori Trovati

Recently I bought this fabulous Ionu (as in watchful eye) owl pendant by Erin Prais-Hintz of Tesori Trovati.  I have long admired Erin for the beautiful jewelry and components she makes, the way she branches out and challenges herself with new ideas and mediums, and the way she uses her art to inspire and bring positivity to the world.  Which brings us to these pendants.

Each one is different, and they are just cute as all get out.  I love how charming they are, how much personality they have.  But what I really love is the idea behind them.  Erin was feeling stuck because of the hatred, intolerance and fear in the world, and this is part of the way she unstuck herself.  Eighty percent of the purchase price of each pendant will be donated to the Southern Poverty Law Center.  They are dedicated to “fighting hate and bigotry and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society.” I think it’s easy to feel overwhelmed in the face of large problems, and I appreciate people who find ways around that to take action.  Read Erin’s very eloquent thoughts behind this pendant here.

I wanted to start wearing mine soon.  It makes me feel good. At first, I was planning to knot some manik-manik lampwork with it.  I picked out some beads, but they seemed too busy for the owl.  Then I was planning to look through my Czech glass, but on the way I spotted a box of glass pearls.  I first decided to use a bag of grey pearls, but then I was struck by a bag of mixed colors and sizes.  I combined the two. This is one of my go to styles – beads knotted 1/4″ apart on waxed linen.  So easy to wear.  And I like the idea of the mix of beads. Kind of like all people are beautiful pearls even though we are all different. (There’s even one freshwater pearl on there!)

It’s very snowy out here today, and there is too much glare for me to get a really good picture.  But I wanted to share this right away.  If you need a gift idea for someone and this would make them feel as good as it does me, check it out.  Or even just donate directly to SPLC.  Don’t get stuck.  There is always a way forward.

Reuse: Bead and Supply Storage

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Diana Ptaszynski, Erin Prais-Hintz, Gentle Breeze Honey, Potter's Crackers

Most of my beads and supplies are stored in plain cardboard boxes.  They are a great long, shallow shape, very utilitarian and stack well.  But when I envision my finished studio (always a work in progress) I want a little variety along with a bit of charm that I see in the studios I admire like Diana Ptaszynski’s and all these great ideas from Erin Prais-Hintz.

Lately, I’ve found that food packaging has started looking like good bead and supply storage, especially the higher quality packaging I find comes with local, hand made foods.

First up, I love Potter’s Crackers that are made right here in Madison, Wisconsin. (They are sold all over the country and online; I encourage you to try some.) My current favorite flavor is Apple Graham, which I’m pretty sure they were making the other day based on the delicious smell coming from their suite that happens to be just across the parking lot from my office.  I often pass by on my way to lunch.  Anyway, they have various packaging, and I had always bought flavors that come in cellophane. Recently, I bought some that came in a little wooden berry basket.  I just couldn’t throw it away, and I realized it was a nicer fit for my stringing wire than the cardboard box I had been using. It has the added benefit of easily seeing what I have.  Just looking at this picture I see a brand I don’t like that I should move to my practice stringing area as well as three (!) “but it might be enough for a bracelet” spools that, stored face down, fooled me into thinking I have more wire than I do.

About a month ago, I tried my hand at a bead weaving project.  I don’t generally do any bead weaving, so I had to get the needles and stringing material from my mom.  I needed a way to store the needles that would keep them (and me) safe and easy to find.  About that same time, I finished off a tin of Altoids Smalls mints.  The hinged tin is the perfect place to store needles. I can pop it in the drawer that houses my pilers and always know where to find it.

Next I finished a jar of spread (delicious on lightly salted rice cakes) from Gentle Breeze Honey made a little over 20 miles away in Mt. Horeb. I’m left with a sweet little mason-type jar too nice to throw in the recycle bin.  It is such a perfect small size and will be good for a slew of findings, pretty beads or buttons or materials for a project that can marinate together in the jar until they’re ready.

These are products, and therefore containers, I’ll be getting again.  I won’t always need to keep them, but I like the idea of at least considering ways to reuse sturdy containers rather than throwing them away or even recycling them. If I were a really crafty sort, I would even go further to making these pretty, like this idea I saw on Pinterest. Hmm…maybe I’ll have to make that one of our family craft projects.

Do you ever reuse everyday items (and anything creative) for bead, supply or jewelry storage?  Please let me know in the comments.  I’m always looking for ideas!

Hidden Cove Challenge Reveal

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Allegory Gallery, Andrew Thornton, Earrings Everyday, Erin Prais-Hintz, Hidden Cove Challenge, Miss Fickle Media, My Elements

Allegory Gallery hosts challenges with beautiful and inspiring kits curated by artist Andrew Thornton.  Today is the reveal for the Hidden Cove Challenge. Here is a picture of the kit from the blog post because I never remember any more to take my own.

There are so many beads I love in this kit! I used some of them, but I didn’t get to use the three wooden half rounds.  They are gorgeous and certain to be bound for a special project.  My first idea was to use the Mystery Component, a beautiful mermaid pendant handmade by Andrew, with lots of dangling blue beads to look like water, but nothing I tried in that vein worked out.  Instead, I used one of the beads I loved, the Czech glass square, to highlight the pendant along with chain from My Elements in that same bright, beautiful turquoise.

I feel I’ve almost got the look I was going for anyway with the way Andrew’s mermaid is floating up toward that blue.

Next, I used some fabulous sea glass beads. They didn’t seem like glass to me. Were they really faux glass made from polymer? They are absolutely beautiful and have a wonderful texture.  I built a little cairn with them.  I don’t think I knew that word before seeing the image and explanation of it on Erin Prais-Hintz’s Treasures Found blog post a few years ago. I love that image of the stacked stones and the fact that it means something, whether to mark a memory, site or parts of one’s life.

I used a few of the dangles I had originally thought of for the Mystery Component and put it on the wonderful cotton cord.  I wanted to show this full picture because I used a favorite swirl clasp from Miss Fickle Media. I wanted to also show a better close up of the pendant.

I also wanted to use the fabulous large vintage acrylic bead. I found a vintage pendant bar in my stash that I thought would help highlight it nicely.  I added a few more favorite beads from the kit as dangles and some vintage chain.

And last but not least, there were two blue organic rounds that seem like polymer that I loved and decided to make a rare pair of earrings with them.  A challenge over on Earrings Everyday got me making earrings again, so I might as well continue. I also used up the last two dangles I had already made.  I hate to waste a headpin!

I feel like the theme of this challenge influenced the style – simple for warm weather fun by the water.  I still have so many wonderful beads left to use in the future!  Thanks you Andrew and William of Allegory Gallery for another great challenge.  Visit the Facebook page to see what other people made with their kits.

Art Bead Scene – March Challenge

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Art Bead Scene, Erin Prais-Hintz, Green Girl Studios, Simple Truths Sampler Club

The Art Bead Scene blog challenges artists to use an inspiration artwork to make something with an art bead.  The March inspiration is the oil painting “Still Life with Pussy Willows” by Taisia K. Afonina.

I liked this painting immediately.  The colors are beautiful, the subject matter is really happy and comforting to me, and I had an easy time thinking of an art bead to use.  Quite a while ago I got a pussy willow pendant from Erin Prais-Hintz of Tesori Trovati.  Erin makes a piece every month inspired by the ABS artwork for her Simple Truths Sampler Club.  As a member of the club, I was thrilled that the March piece is a different pussy willow pendant. I love when I can use my art beads and have them too!

I had actually made this pendant into a necklace before, but I found I never wore it, and it was just waiting in my “take it apart” box to be made into something that would get more love.  The challenge was perfect! At first I tried to keep an element that I liked about the first necklace – tiny grey rice pearl dangles that echoed the pussy willows. When I finally stopped holding onto that, I was able to move forward with the necklace, inspired by this painting, the pendant was meant to be.

I used a silver bead with branches and leaves above the pendant.  Before I started looking at beads, I wanted to focus on the silver of the teapot and the blue of the cups (teal or cobalt depending on the device I’m looking at.)  When I was looking at my stash, I started to gravitate toward wood like the stalks of the pussy willow. To me, the scene could be very elegant or shabby chic.  That is left to the mind of the viewer.  I am more comfortable with a slightly more earthy interpretation, so I went with some sandalwood beaded chain, Czech glass knotted on waxed linen, including the teal I liked, and a Green Girl Studios floral clasp.

This is a very comfortable necklace to wear, and I love that this beautiful pendant will be seeing the light of day more often.  Check out what other designers made based on this inspiration painting on the Art Bead Scene Pinterest page.

We’re All Ears – December – Use Your Leftovers

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Earrings Everyday, Erin Prais-Hintz, We're All Ears

Erin Prais-Hintz, one of the contributors to the Earrings Everyday blog, had a fabulous idea for her monthly challenge, We’re All Ears, this December.  Usually she shares a visual inspiration, and participants make one or more pairs of earrings based on that and share on the third Friday of the month.  For this month, Erin challenged us to use leftovers hanging out on our work tables (go on, you know you’ve got some) to make earrings.  That sounded really good to me because I’ve had creative block for a while about making earrings. Erin laid out the challenge like this:

1.  Take a picture of the craftermath of your bead fest. I’m not scared to show my mess. I’ve done it before.  I live in my truth (and my mess).  So here it is.

At least I’ve managed to scrape off the front so I have a little work space.  Next step:

2.  Quickly organize sets of coordinated (or not) materials to work with.

I didn’t agonize.  I just picked up things I thought would work well and put them in the sections of this box. (I think it was originally a tea caddy.  But once you start beading, everything starts to look like bead storage.)

3.  CREATE! Erin suggested putting on some music (which I did) and making it fun. That sounds a bit obvious, but sometimes I go into my studio and just sort of stress myself out.  That’s no good!  So I just let it be fun.  I made three pairs of earrings during the first session.  I started to get antsy after that, so I thought I’d better let that be it.  I had a good time.  I only took apart one earring and redesigned because it wasn’t working.  Pretty good.  I’m happy with this first session.

Later the same day, I was writing this post and reviewing Erin’s suggestions. She said set your own pace – set a timer or make one pair a day – whatever works.  So I figured I’m always good for one pair.  I went back to the studio and made one more.

As an additional nicety of this process, I cleaned up a little.  In addition to using up some of the bits of my craftermath, as I dug around my bead table to supplement what I had put in the box, if I found finished pieces of jewelry, or whole, identifiable bunches of beads or art beads, I labeled them as necessary and put them away.  Yay!

Then I started to think, well, I could make one pair each day.  How hard is that? So here is the next day…and the next.

And then I made a few more on the weekend.

I got the hankering to really work on cleaning up my space, so I started to focus on that rather than making earrings, but while I was doing it, of course, I made one more pair with things I unearthed. All together, I made 12 pairs of earrings; I don’t think I’ve made that many in the past year, and here I’ve done it in less than a week.

I am so happy to be making earrings again.  I also loved using up some leftovers which often just languish.  Thank you, Erin and Earrings Everyday! I will donate most of these to Ears To You and save a couple to drop for art abandonment.

Go visit the We’re All Ears December reveal on Earrings Everyday and see what others made.