Simple Weekend Makes

Tags

Candie Cooper, Humblebeads, Jes MaHarry

I don’t make a lot of holiday related jewelry. I usually forget to wear it and/or can’t find it. However, I really loved this beautiful crystal four leaf clover. Also, it does not have to be just for St. Patrick’s Day, although I will try to wear it this coming week. I need to get more v-neck or scoop neck clothing for some of my shorter necklaces.

I got a nice selection of pinch bails from Candie Cooper. I always want to have the right findings for projects, so I’ve been trying to increase the supply in my stash. I added chain and done.

I also made a bracelet. It was inspired by a Jes MaHarry bracelet, but I can’t find it on the website. I seem to always focus on things in the emails that aren’t on the website; they are just background! Anyway, everything on the website is eye candy, so take a look anyway. I’m probably attracted to the layering pieces because I can make something like them. I don’t have the high end materials to make something more like a Jes HaHarry piece. I really admire her style.

I used a couple of types of rosary chain and a little set glass charm. I’ve been wearing bracelet stacks lately, and this will fit right in.

I need to focus on cleaning my studio. It is really out of control. I have three surfaces. None are really workable. It makes it difficult to create. I got a baker’s cart with baking sheets to hold in progress projects, but I have to clean a surface to have a place to put a project sheet!

I know I am not alone. Heather Powers of Humblebeads had a contest that involved people posting pictures of their studios. But I know I will feel more creative and have more fun and enjoy my studio more if I get it under control. It’s an on-going process. I get it organized, and it gets messy again. This can be my spring cleaning project. I’m going to create an art wall as part of that process. Even if it is just cleaning, I enjoy being in my studio.

Humblebeads Seed Bead Frame Tutorial

Tags

Heather Powers, Humblebeads, The Great Bead Extravaganza

I watched a tutorial Heather Powers of Humblebeads shared on her Coffee Break segment on Friday 2/11/22. It is a simple way to make a frame for a pendant with small spacers or seed beads. It’s really effective to fancy up a pendant. I loved the look, so I tried it.

This is my second try. The first one was probably just one seed bead short and the pendant kept popping out of the frame. It’s just such a great technique! Heather showed it on a pendant that was a different shape. She said you could use it on any shape or even earring charms. I might try it on earrings charms.

I put the finished pendant on a medium jump ring I got from Creating Unkamen. I love their handmade jump rings. They are such high quality. I recommend their shop if you are looking for a variety of handmade jump rings. I got hooked on square wire handmade jump rings from Eden Art Glass. I highly recommend that shop as well.

I put it with honey moonglow beaded chain. I think it looks sweet and old fashioned. I’m sure I’ll use this technique again. Thanks to Heather for the tutorial!

I also bought Heather’s kit for The Great Bead Extravaganza – Tucson 2022 coming up next weekend. Previews are on Friday 2/18/22 and presentations are on 2/19 – 2/20/22. There are a variety of bead and jewelry artists who offer projects, tutorials, kits, sales, new products and all variety of wonderful things like a bead show, but it’s all online! Visit the page for more information.

Lots of Projects in the Works

Tags

Allegory Gallery, Ava Motherwell, Humblebeads, Nealay Patel, SilverSilk, Soft Flex, The Great Bead Extravaganza

I’m having fun with a bunch of jewelry and bead related things this weekend.

First off, my sister and her girlfriend sent me a box of fabulous goodies, each one better than the last. The first one I did something with was a sterling cuff bracelet circa 1989. It goes perfectly in a bracelet stack! It is the curvy one that has a design that looks like waves.

Last weekend I attended the online bead show The Great Bead Extravaganza. Seeing Nealay Patel‘s presentation with SilverSilk inspired me to get out some of my SilverSilk and make something.

This necklace uses the purple pearlesque SilverSilk (my photo doesn’t do the color justice) and dark rhodium ends. I also used Soft Flex beading wire and a Humblebeads leaf, two more small businesses that are part of The Great Bead Extravaganza (TGBE). The parts for this had been sitting on my beading table for a while as I tried to figure out how to construct my vision. It turned out a little different, but still good!

Allegory Gallery, also part of TGBE, recently added some fabulous multicolor vintage plastic beads to their shop. I could not resist. They reminded me of some black glass beads that fit together in a similar way that I used in a favorite necklace. I used them almost as soon as I got them. I loved how they all looked together, so I only added some tiny vintage German glass beads from Ava Motherwell as spacers to up the color quotient. I’m thrilled with it.

I was thinking I would make one more thing to add to this post, but I ran out of time and now the week is upon me, so I’m going to publish this post. I hope I get some creative time in the upcoming long weekend (and that you do too!)

Delicate Turquoise

Tags

Famous Vintage Bead Hoard Liquidation Destash, Gaea Handmade, Humblebeads, Suzanne Branca

When I think of turquoise, I often think of nuggets, particularly chunkier nuggets. However, I got some beautiful small turquoise heishi beads from Suzanne Branca. I decided to use these with a lovely polymer disc from Humblebeads.

I hung it from a copper hoop by Gaea and knotted between each bead with waxed linen. I wanted the necklace to be long enough to slip over my head, so I added vintage chain at the back. The color in this necklace packs a punch, but it is light, so it will be comfortable in hotter weather. It has been in the 90s a few days lately, so I have comfort in mind.

Vintaj VIP Subscription Box

Tags

Green Girl Studios, Heather Powers, Humblebeads, Swarovski, Vintaj

I decided to get myself the Vintaj VIP monthly subscription box. I had thought about it for a while, but hadn’t done it. You can get a good look at what type of things you will be getting because Heather Powers does an unboxing video and project every month on her Humblebeads Facebook page. That is what finally convinced me to get the box. I really wanted the box shown in the most recent video. I love the components and especially the gorgeous Swarovski. Also, they had a deal for half price the first month, so I took advantage of that.

The kits include finished design ideas for inspiration. Heather Powers makes something different in her video, so that gives you additional inspiration if you’d like.

Each box has beads, filigree, metal and special elements like something from Green Girl Studios and Swarovski.

Here are pictures of each of the packages closer.

Beads and cabochons. I especially love the two pairs of set glass in the front. They will look wonderful in an Apoxie Sculpt project.

Metal components. Vintaj has all types of finishes, which I love. They show great mixed metal projects. I like all finishes. I’ve turned over one in a couple of the pairs to show the textured side and smoother side. You could use them either way.

Green Girl Studios charm. It says Guardian Angel on the back.

Vintaj filigree. I’ve always wanted to work more with filigree. I buy it, but I often don’t know what to do with it. I’ve purchased a couple of Vintaj technique books, so those will be helpful, as will the kit inspiration sheets.

I don’t often make projects designed by other people, but I really loved the idea presented for the Swarovski piece on the Vintaj design ideas card, so I did make that with kit items and a vintage chain I had. Even the back is beautiful with the mirror finish on the crystal and the design on the filigree.

I think I will really enjoy these Vintaj boxes! There is still a lot of stuff to get through this year until there are more forms of support available (visiting family and friends in person, etc.) so I am continuing to find ways to engage in extra self-care.

SJ Designs Honey Do List – August 2020

Tags

Eric Wentling, Honey Do List Challenge, Humblebeads, Sarajo Wentling, SJ Designs Jewelry

Sarajo of SJ Designs Jewelry has a challenge on her blog every month. Her husband Eric, a great photographer, chooses a photo to inspire her jewelry making, and Sarajo invites us to play along.

Photo by Eric Wentling

This month is a burst of color with this summer scene. It is especially appropriate because Sarajo has been raising and releasing monarchs in recent months. I had the perfect pendant from Humblebeads, so I couldn’t resist joining in!

I used a vintage pinch bail to connect this polymer Humblebeads monarch pendant to a strand of rich orange, bright yellow and fresh green vintage glass beads. I feel like these beads capture the summer colors of the photo, almost like the monarch pendant has landed here to drink some nectar.

Thanks Sarajo and Eric for the great inspiration and challenge! If you would like to see what others have made, visit Sarajo’s blog post.

Heather Powers’ Fluttering Wings Summer Camp

Tags

Heather Powers, Humblebeads

I have wanted to learn to work with polymer clay for some time, but like many things, I put it off. Then I saw what looked like a wonderful opportunity: the Fluttering Wings Summer Camp with Heather Powers of Humblebeads. I already knew Heather was a good teacher; I had seen many of her free Bead Table Wednesday video tutorials. Here is a bracelet I love that I made based on one of them.

I was excited that not only did the summer camp include some polymer clay projects but also a metal etching lesson and some finished jewelry projects using what we made. The course is set up in three distinct parts, so I took three days off of work. I thought it would be too easy to put it off and say I would do it “later” if I didn’t. I was so glad I did. I found that the online format is great for me. There are written and video instructions that I could read/watch the day before and then get right into a project the next morning. I’m a morning person; it’s easy to lose my get up and go by the afternoon if I’m not already into it. I can go back and watch/read things as many times as necessary. I have lifetime access to the materials to try them again and again or use them as the springboard for other projects. There was also a Facebook group where we could share with others and ask questions. Although this is no longer available, there were a limited number of kits containing many of the course materials. I would highly recommend getting that if you ever take a course where that is an option. It was so helpful and beautifully organized.

My things turned out pretty well. (Although I have to bake my beads again because I didn’t use an oven thermometer.) When something didn’t go as planned, I was able to figure out why and knew how to fix it or re-do it based on the excellent course information and/or answers from Heather. Here are some of the beads in process.

Here are some practice ear wires and bezel pendants – one finished (blue) and one that needs a repair, rebake and finishing. The kit included sterling wire for finished earrings, but Heather even included some copper wire for practice. I made a couple of charms from scrap because I wanted to see how easy (or not) it was to embed wire in polymer. (It was easy.) 

Here are a couple of finished pieces using the etching. The earrings are a class project. I love the ear wires! 

The necklace is something extra I made.

I haven’t finished the rest of the jewelry projects yet because I got sick as things were winding down and decided to take it easy. I’m still recovering and will get to those projects when I am able. At the end of the course, Heather did a video showing even more great jewelry projects using the components (or versions thereof) that we made. A great bonus!

I have kind of a bad attitude toward learning new things. I’m always worried they won’t work out, I’ll feel like it’s all been a waste, and I won’t want to keep trying. I think I can change that outlook now. My mom and I have been doing resin experiments and on the whole, they have been turning out. When they don’t, I can figure out why and even want to try again. The same can be said of my work for these lessons. Everything was so much more doable and worked out so much better than I could have imagined. I loved it, and it was an incredibly positive experience. I am planning to take more of Heather’s online classes and have even looked at other polymer tutorials I bought and never used. It’s an exciting new way to explore my creativity.

Allegory Gallery July 2019 Design Prompts

Tags

A Grain of Sand, Allegory Gallery, Allegory Gallery Design Challenges, Artists for Animals Auction, Classic Elements, Cynthia Thornton, Fluttering Wings Summer Camp, Heather Powers, Humblebeads, Jesse James Beads, Patti Vanderbloemen, Vintaj

Allegory Gallery started my 2019 off right by having daily prompts in the month of January. I felt so creative and made some wonderful pieces. I was happy to see that they started weekly prompts in July. Here is what I made.

Week One – Make Earrings

These tensha beads from Jesse James Beads wanted to be earrings, so I wrapped them onto the ends of sections of vintage chain from A Grain of Sand – and done! These are shoulder dusters for sure. They will be available later in an Artists for Animals auction.

Week Two – Make Something Using Czech Glass

I had this wonderful kitty pendant from Classic Elements that I mixed with some beautiful Czech glass gifted to me by Patti Vanderbloemen and horn beads from Allegory Gallery. The coloration makes me happy.

Week Three – Use Gemstones

I had filled this Cynthia Thornton bezel with resin and glitter opals. I used it with peridot and green kyanite nuggets from Allegory Gallery. This feels very luxe to me.

Week Four – Make a Boho Design

This necklace was prompted by the Allegory Gallery Challenge and inspired by a wonderful necklace by Vintaj. I still want to get their component and make another one!

Week Five – Make Something Inspired by Nature

I just took the Fluttering Wings Summer Camp online workshop from Heather Powers of Humblebeads. It was the best experience! I found that things that had seemed way beyond my skill level weren’t! The online format was perfect for me. I often don’t have the energy or attention span to learn about something and then do it in the same day. I was able to read the instructions and watch videos one day and actually do the making the next day. The polymer bead in this necklace is something I made in class (from a butterfly wing cane). I framed it with a couple of vintage crystals and knotted it with beads from a vintage necklace and Czech glass flowers.

William and Andrew of Allegory Gallery intend to continue these challenges. I am in! If you would like to check out what people make, you can visit the Allegory Gallery Design Challenges Facebook page.

Jewelry Summer Camp and Preparing for Fall

Tags

Artists for Animals Auction, Fluttering Wings Summer Camp, Ginger Davis Allman, Heather Powers, Heather Powers Art, Humblebeads, Miss Fickle Media, The Blue Bottle Tree, The Muse

Whenever I feel inspired to work on things for the Artists for Animals Auction, I go for it. I don’t like doing things at the last minute, so it feels good to have some items ready. The next auction is in the fall sometime, and I’ve already made three – possibly four – sets of earrings.

First up, pink cornflake pearl earrings. 

I fell in love with these pink cornflake pearl earring dangles when I saw them in the Miss Fickle Media shop. I’ve been trying to use them ever since, and have never made anything work quite right. I think I’ve finally found their design.

Next are olive citrine earrings.

I love long kidney wires. I think they are so elegant. One beautiful bead hanging there, and your earrings are made. Here are two views: one that shows the citrine better and one that shows the beautiful handmade balled headpins. I’ve been hoarding those for a long time. Love these!

My third pair is made with beautiful, large coin pearls.

The second photo is so you get a better look at the finding they are on. I really love these large coin pearls and therefore these earrings.

I recently read an article by Ginger Davis Allman of The Blue Bottle Tree. She was saying that it is a myth that people with sensitive pierced ears can use surgical steel, sterling silver and other metals. She recommended niobium as what works. I used to feel naked without earrings. Then my ears became sensitive and no metal worked – including sterling silver and 14 KT gold. I thought that meant there was no hope, and I haven’t worn earrings in years. I don’t remember trying niobium at that time, even though I know about them now. So I’m going to order a few pair and see if I can wear them. How great that would be!

I got that tip from Ginger’s The Muse newsletter. It’s a thrice weekly email newsletter that has great short bits and tricks, so it’s easy to read but always really valuable. I recommend it!

The reason I said possibly four pair of earrings is that I’m not sure how much I like these. I love the reverse painted scruffy cat on these beads. However, they are large hole and so swing around on the wire a bit. I put some seed beads inside, but it’s always hard to get the exact right size to keep beads steady. Maybe it’s not a problem. Scruffy cat has a cute backside too! I show them both here.

The other part of this post is an exciting creative and educational opportunity I’ve gifted myself. Heather Powers of Humblebeads is offering a wonderful online course called Fluttering Wings Summer Camp. The learning includes techniques in polymer clay, copper etching and metal work, silk ribbon beads, ear wires, and finished jewelry tutorials. I’ve taken three days off work to use it as a little creative staycation for myself and make sure I get things done. However, it’s an online class you’ll get lifetime access to, so you can do it any time. If you are able, check it out. I think it is going to be a lot of fun and teach me some great techniques.

 

 

Madison Bead Show 2019

Tags

Humblebeads, Madison Art Glass & Bead Show, Meant to Bead, Miss Fickle Media, Taylors Falls Bead Store, TierraCast, Walter Gross

This weekend was the Madison Art Glass & Bead Show. I am very lucky to have an annual bead show right here in the town where I live! When I go to shows, I’m generally all about the shopping, but not this year. I’m branching out in 2019. Not only did I buy the Challenge Bead for the show and enter the competition (more about that later) but I took a class.

Two things I’ve really wanted to learn are how to use a torch and how to solder. I barely understand the differences with different types of metal, fusing vs. soldering, etc. I AM SO GLAD I TOOK THIS CLASS. (Sorry for yelling, but it had to be done.) I understand things so much more clearly, and I’m not scared of the torch anymore. I also thought understanding timepoints – when something was ready but not overdone – would be much harder. It was so much more clear than I thought! Our goal in class was to make a fine silver ring and some fine silver balled headpins. The teacher was Shannon who owns a local bead store, Meant to Bead.

I also wanted to try the join again and just see what would happen if I were sort of “careless” and didn’t try to really shape something. I like the look of more organic rings I buy from others, so I made another larger “ring” to use in jewelry. 

It’s a little hard to show the texture on the rings, but this was a start to finish class. We learned safety and technical things. Then we started with a piece of wire and start to finish made items. I really loved how Shannon structured the class. She would give us the information, and then we could work at our own speed. That really worked for having a class open to students with all levels of experience. It gave me everything I had hoped to get from it. I’m excited to do more torch work at home. Here is my ring in action.

As I mentioned, I also entered the competition with the challenge bead. It is a gorgeous lampwork bead with copper end caps made by Walter Gross. The picture doesn’t show all the beautiful depths of this bead. Here are both sides.

Here is a (bad) picture of my entry in the case. Exciting!

Here is a little better picture of my entry.

I love how this turned out. It feels wonderful on. I made a copper chain tassel. The neck part is strung on waxed linen with Humblebeads disc beads, TierraCast coper wavy spacers that reference the lentil end caps, faceted lapis, seed beads and a copper clasp by Miss Fickle Media. There were a nice number of lovely entries. I did not win, but I had fun making this piece and seeing my work displayed.

I did do a little shopping. I always make sure to visit the Dakota Stones booth any time I have the chance. This time, they had some gorgeous large turquoise strands on sale. I was fondling some of the really large beads, but I know as much as I love the look, they are too heavy to be comfortable for me. So I bought two of the smaller (still decent sized) strands. I can always use them in separate pieces if they are too heavy. 

This next purchase makes me laugh. Before the show, I told myself not to buy any African beads. That tends to be my favorite, catches my eye first, and I just feel like I could branch out. I have so many I haven’t used! However, I was weak. 

These are from Taylors Falls Bead Store. They always have such a great selection of African beads and good prices. I could not resist.

I will definitely take more classes. I’ll update you on my adventures in using the torch. Quite a while ago, my dad gave me a small micro torch. I’m going to get that out and see how I like it. I wrote down the brand of torch I used (and liked) at the class, and can get that at Meant to Bead if the small one doesn’t have enough power, but maybe it will be just perfect. I really love the idea of making more of my own components to use in my jewelry.