Two Goals

Tags

Bead Gallery, Erin Prais-Hintz, Free Art Friday, Halcraft, JoAnn's, Lorelei Eurto, Michael's

I have let my bead table get a bit messy again.  Not like it was, but enough to blunt my creativity a little.  (It doesn’t take much.) So one goal for this week is to clean up my table.  It is mostly that I took things apart and never put the beads I didn’t use away.  I have a method for that – bag them up and put them in the “to be put away” bowl.  I think I will put little bags in the bowl to be even more at the ready to do that after I’m done with a project.  Even having to locate the right size bag is a deterrent to cleaning up.

What do I do any time my creativity is waning?  Make something for Free Art Friday!  Here are some earrings I made.  Everything I used except the head pins were things sitting out on my bead table.  So that means fewer things to put away when I clean!

Another goal I have is to be more creative in the way that I see beads.  I want to think outside the box.  That is not my forte.  I so admire artists who can make something beautiful not only from another work of art, like art beads, but also from something more mundane, like mass produced beads that can be found at one’s local craft store.  Two artists who excel at this are Lorelei Eurto and Erin Prais-Hintz.  Lorelei has done several blog hop challenges involving beads from Michael’s.  Lorelei and participants have come up with so many wonderful designs.  Erin is a part of the Design Team for Halcraft.  Their beads are available at stores like Michael’s and JoAnn’s.  The designs she creates for them are amazing.

Even my mother makes these great necklaces, and when I ask her where she got the beads or pendant, she will often say, “Michael’s.”  I think, well I never see that kind of thing at my Michael’s.  That’s just it.  I never see it, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there.  So now it is my intention to go into craft stores whenever I get the chance and try to see things my eyes and mind pass over because they aren’t art beads or necessary supplies.  So while I was out shopping for shoes the other day (ugh!) I noticed a Michael’s and went inside. This is what I bought.

I especially love to get things on clearance!  Two of my four things were clearance items.  One of the full price items I got 40% off.  I had a coupon even though I didn’t plan on going to Michael’s that day because I get them on my phone!  Two bits of technology I love lately are phone coupons and email receipts.  I appreciate saving money on craft store beads so I have more to spend on handmade art beads!  I will work to be able to combine the two and create something unique and beautiful.

Memory Wire

Tags

Art Bead Scene, Free Art Friday, Malin de Koning, memory wire, studioRenee

I’ve seen some really cute memory wire bracelets.  I love these with peanut beads from the Art Bead Scene Blog and this one by Malin de Koning.  I also really like this one by studioRenee using copper spacers.

So with all of these in mind, I set to work with some peanut beads I had purchased for another project.  I did not come up with the finished product that I wanted, but I learned a lot.

1)  I need to figure out how to space my colors better so several rows of the same color don’t end up right next to each other.  I thought I was doing that, but it turns out that I wasn’t doing it well enough.

2)  I loved the metal spacers studioRenee used with the beads.  I didn’t have any, so I used some Beadalon tubing.  I think that worked out well as an alternative.

3)  Memory wire is really difficult to bend.  I don’t like how my ends turned out.  My intention was to put charms and wire wrapped beads on the ends, but I did not want to call more attention to them.  When I’ve had more practice, I will do that or perhaps use other methods as described in this video such as memory wire end caps.

4)  Memory wire might not be for me.  It’s very, very round.  My wrist is more rondelle shaped, so such a round bracelet feels a bit tight.  I like my bracelets to be a little loose, or I feel like they are choking me.  Because the wire has such a good memory, I don’t think it will be possible to bend it a little to a more comfortable shape.  I’ve seen tips that you can stretch it a small amount, but that can leave it looking, well, stretched out.

I am glad I tried it.  I have more wire and the memory wire cutters, so I will try it again.  Even if I decide the bracelets are not for me, when I improve my ends, I think they would be a fun Free Art Friday creation since there are so many cute ways to make them.

Inspired Earrings

Tags

Erin Siegel, Free Art Friday

I made these earrings today.

They were inspired by this earring project from Erin Siegel.  I have a couple of other projects in the works, but I’m frustrated by some construction issues. When that happens, I always fall back on earrings.  I made this pair for me.

Here is a pair I made for Free Art Friday.

Recently I find myself rejecting drop spots I otherwise thought would be good because I worry how people will react to an unexpected package – like the airport.  I’d like to drop these someplace young people congregate because I think they look like something a young person would enjoy.  I’ll contemplate my choices during the week.

New Beads and Free Art Friday

Tags

Free Art Friday, Heather Wynn Millican, Nancy Schindler Adams, Round Rabbit, Swoondimples

I have been ordering quite a few beads lately; some fun packages are coming my way.  I think a bead holiday might be in order while I use some of what I have!  But that will have to be after the first of the year.  Nancy Schindler Adams of Round Rabbit is having her last update of the year on December 27th. I’m not going to be able to resist that!

One package I already received was from Heather Wynn Millican of Swoondimples. She has been on my rather long list of bead artists I want to order from since I first saw her stuff. She recently had a very nice sale.  I happened to find out about it before everything was gone, so I could order just a couple of things.  I love that serendipity.

These beads are beautiful, and I also love the message because I am both lucky and grateful.

I made a pair of earrings with pearls and moonstone for a Free Art Friday drop while I am visiting family.  It is always fun to drop in another town.

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!

What Has Been Happening

Tags

Free Art Friday, Orly Fuchs Galchen, White Swan Illuminations

I have an idea for a fabulous bracelet, but I haven’t made it yet.  There is a bit of prep work I have to do on some of the beads I hope to use in it, so that is for another post.  However, I have been busy with other things.

Here are some earrings for Free Art Friday.

A little bling for someone to find on Friday.  I have another idea for earrings based on something I saw recently.  I can’t call it to mind right this minute, but I’ll look around and remember it.  I’d like to make a little stock for Free Art Friday because I’m going to be in other towns for a couple of Fridays this month, and it will be nice to take things with me to drop.  I enjoy dropping in other cities and states when I get the chance.

I also finished a necklace that has been in the works for a long time.  It is so simple you might wonder why.  Well, I’ll tell you.

I work at the bus company in my city.  Last year (yes 2012 – that long ago!) we won an industry award as best transit system of our size.  It was pretty exciting.  When people are outside of something, often they can only see the problems and flaws.  As a rider, I know we are not perfect.  But on the inside, I can see how hard everyone works to make ours the best transit system it can be.  One of the things all the employees got was a pin.  I wanted something more wearable, so I had my dad shave the pin off the back so I could make it into a pendant.  In fact, this is the second pin he modified.  The first one is somewhere but I absolutely have not been able to find it.  I was lucky that there were extra pins at work!

Here are some beautiful beads I got recently from Orly Fuchs Galchen.  She makes these gorgeous polymer clay beads.  They are hollow, so although they are on the large side, they are not heavy.  Clever, right?  After I fell in love with her colors, I saw her list some beautiful black and white beads.  Now I will save for those!  She sells not only the beads, but tutorials about how to make them!  Check out her etsy store.

Another artist’s work I have become enamored of lately is Gina of White Swan Illuminations.  She makes beautiful pendants and beads.  I clearly have a thing for birds, but she has a wider range of subjects and shapes than I have here.  She also makes gorgeous ornaments, cups, plates and other ceramic items.  You can buy from her directly on Facebook.

One of the bird pendants will be winging its way to my mom.  Hi, Mom!  Here is a preview of your pendant:

Thanks for joining me today.  See you next time for more beady goodness!

Flood the Streets With Art!

Tags

anti-consumerism, art, Flood the Streets with Art, Free Art Friday, Freecycle, handmade, Keith O'Connor, random acts of kindness, Scott Wong, The Story of Stuff Project

I have written several times about Free Art Friday.  I have a lot of fun creating jewelry to drop in the community and leave for someone to find and keep.  Well, now here is an even cooler idea – Free Art Friday with another dimension.  Scott Wong, the artist behind Free Art Friday – Wisconsin, has created the event FLOOD the Streets with ART!  The idea is an expansion on Free Art Friday – do a random act of kindness by dropping a free piece of art somewhere in public on November 29, 2013.  Art is defined as anything at all you create; don’t get hung up on whether or not you call yourself an artist.

Earrings I will drop for a member of the public to find on November 29th.  Swirl beads by Keith O’Connor.

I don’t know if this is true in other countries, but in the United States, there is a very overt kind of commercial consumerism that asserts itself on November 29th each year called Black Friday.  Stores open at all hours, interrupting and shortening the family time of their workers, in order to entice consumers into the stores for “deals”.  There are increasing stories each year of fights and people getting crushed in a stampede of greedy shoppers.  I’m not saying everyone is like this.  I know some people enjoy going shopping together at this time, but in general this whole Black Friday thing leaves me cold.  I’m not a huge shopper to begin with (beads aside) and after Thanksgiving I try not to go into stores altogether.  It’s too frightening.

So I love the idea of people all over the world taking whatever they create and sharing it on what here has become the biggest shopping day of the year. To me it speaks of things I care about like art, handmade, local, acts of kindness and thinking in different ways to make the world a better place. Kindness makes the world a better place.  Creativity makes the world a better place.  Not a cheap flat screen TV.  Recently, I became aware of The Story of Stuff Project.  The ideas in their video, including that of sharing stuff – a la Freecycle – is great.

I’m in no way perfect in the pursuit of less consumerism and less commercialism.  But if there are ways I can work toward that, then I want to explore them.  I believe a wonderful way is to spread the word about FLOOD the Streets with ART!  If you create something and are so inclined, please join us on November 29th wherever you are.

There’s Always Free Art Friday

Tags

Free Art Friday

I have these large beads, and I’ve had an idea for using them in what is a relatively simple necklace for a long time.  But I have not been able to find the right pendant.  The beads are pretty large, and all the pendants I have tried have been too small.  I think I might have finally found the right pendant, and I took it to my workroom to get started.

I could not find those beads anywhere.  I looked and looked and no dice. What the heck?  Where could they have gone?  They are big!  It’s amazing how I manage to lose the things I want to use when I want to use them. Those beads were hanging around in my face for the longest time.  I’m sure I put them somewhere “safe” which is always a mistake.

However, all was not lost.  I am having a lot of fun with my drops for Free Art Friday, so I took the opportunity to make some earrings for this week.

I like that Free Art Friday always gives me something fun to do.  Also, I tried a messy wrap on the lower dangle of the earrings, and it turned out pretty well.  That’s something I’ve been wanting to master.  I’ll have to continue to practice, but I feel good  that it is decent enough that I didn’t take them apart. These will be finding a new home on Friday.

It’s Spring Somewhere

Tags

Angel Whisperer, Birgitta Lejonklou, Ex Post Facto jewelry, Free Art Friday, Heidi Post, Nancy Schindler Adams, Round Rabbit

I got this butterfly pendant by Nancy Schindler Adams of Round Rabbit in the spring.  Although it’s not spring here anymore, it’s spring somewhere.  And this butterfly pendant has been crying out to be made into a necklace.

Pendant by Nancy Schindler Adams of Round Rabbit

I had started one that I really liked, but it just wasn’t working out.  Some other good ideas involved techniques I still have to practice, and I did not want to wait.  So I thought of two things I saw recently.  One is a necklace that Birgitta Lejonklou of Angel Whisperer made for the October Art Bead Scene Challenge.  She said sometimes simple is better, and her beautiful necklace certainly bears this out.

I also had in my mind a necklace I saw last year and haven’t forgotten since because I love it.  This necklace by Heidi Post of Ex Post Facto Jewelry uses a beautiful Round Rabbit heart pendant with beaded chain.  I didn’t look at it before making my necklace, and I like her chunkier beads.  But I’m still fairly pleased with how mine came out.

Just before making this necklace, I decided to make some earrings for Free Art Friday because I had so much fun dropping a pair yesterday.  Usually, all pressure of making something “perfect” eases when I’m making earrings for Free Art Friday, but today I tried two pair before I made something I liked.  I think it was because I had something in mind, but couldn’t find one bead I needed.  It threw me off.  In the end, I made these earrings that I really love!

This is also a remake, although true to form I forgot to take a before picture.  It was just a very plain bracelet made of these three sizes of beads, but there were more colors.  I really like these beads; they remind me of vintage holiday ornaments.  I hope someone finds these and wears them to a fabulous party!

I hope you are having a springtime moment no matter what the weather is where you are.

How I Goose My Inspiration

Tags

Free Art Friday

I haven’t been feeling inspired lately.  That’s not a big deal since I don’t have to get ready for a show or anything, but I miss that feeling of creativity, and the concentration that comes with trying to make something come to life.  It never feels good to be at loose ends.

Luckily, I know what to do about it!  There is always something at least a bit creative I can do.  I have written before about how messy my craft room is. The desk, the paper crafts table and the jewelry making table are all covered and not in an organized way.  It has also become my “I don’t know what to do with it so throw it in here” room.  Bad.  Part of being inspired, at least for me, is having a clean, organized space and being able to see and find my materials.  So, that room is part of my problem.  It’s not something I can solve in one day if for no other reason than I don’t have the attention span for that.  However, starting and keeping with it will get the job done.

I went and did a bunch of organizing today, and then I found myself inspired to make a pair of earrings for Free Art Friday.  Being organized and doing some small creative thing – like making a simple pair of earrings – can keep my creativity from stagnating too long.  It always makes me feel better.

It’s also fun to have my little secret all week that I’ll be dropping these earrings for someone to find on Friday.  I had a bit of a crabby week last week and promised myself (and others) I would give myself an attitude adjustment this weekend.  This can only help.

I hope you have a great week.  I plan to!

 

Vacation Jewelry

Tags

Brooklyn Flea, Contents Jewelry, Free Art Friday, JeraLunaDesigns, Vintaj, WoolyWire

This post is going up while I am on vacation in New York visiting my sister and her girlfriend.  I’ve been looking forward to this trip.  I go every year, but this year I’m going a bit earlier than usual and that allows me to do things like go to the Brooklyn Flea Market, which is usually closed by the time I get there.

I had decided it would be fun to make something for Free Art Friday and drop it in New York.  I made some earrings.  Someone in Bushwick will get and enjoy these, I hope!

I also was thinking about what jewelry to take with me.  I like to travel light, but I like to wear jewelry every day.  I decided to make a simple necklace that would go with anything that I could wear while I was there.  Problem solved!

I’ve seen this style of necklace many times, and it is deceptively simple looking.  The pieces kept blocking each other and not hanging right.  I think I’ve got a good combination now, but I have greatly renewed respect for people who excel at this style.  I used a leaf by Contents Jewelry, a lovely rustic bead by JeraLunaDesigns (with a Vintaj bead cap) and a little WoolyWire drop.  I’m pretty in love with WoolyWire, and if I have any vacation money left when I get home, I think it will be going to the WoolyWire store because this used up most of my dwindling stock.

I dream of finding some great beading stuff at the flea market, but I know that doesn’t always happen.  If not, I can take solace in the food carts!  By the time I get home, it won’t quite officially be fall (that is September 22nd) but for many of us, post-Labor Day seems like the start of the season.  I had a wonderful summer; I hope you did too!