WIPs

Tags

Andrew Thornton, Cynthia Thornton, Dot Winchell, Joan Miller Porcelain, Nancy Adams, Nikki Thornburg, Round Rabbit, Winchell Clayworks

I’m very pleased with how occupational therapy is going for my thumb, but I’m still not to the point of being able to bead. I got a new exercise yesterday, and in doing it this morning I could only hack one set instead of two. But I can feel that I’m getting better all the time.

So, in the absence of new makes, I will show some old works in progress (WIPs).  These are materials I’ve had gathered for a project for quite a while but have never actually put the piece together. These things may or may not work out in the end. It will be interesting to see whether they come together or I end up releasing the beads back into the wilds of my stash.

The first grouping started with beads by Joan Miller Porcelain.

This heart, and steampunk elements are by Joan Miller. I’m pretty sure I got the chain with these beads in mind. I know I bought the red and gray/silver pair by Nikki Thornburg with this project in mind.

Next up is an idea for a necklace with a hand painted pendant by Dot Winchell of Winchell Clayworks. 

I think these pink melon Czech glass beads will be wonderful with it. I have a Swarovski shank button I got at Mood that could be a good closure. I love this little floral/filigree button. I took a picture of the wrong side; the other side looks like mother-of-pearl. I’m not sure how I’d use it, but it’s worth trying in the design. 

This pendant is by Nancy Adams of Round Rabbit. She doesn’t make beads any more (that’s how long I’ve been hoarding this) but she does still make beautiful handmade items, so still check out her shop. Czech glass and amethyst are perfect for the pendant; the actual design of how the beads will fit together remains to be seen.

Here is a bronze coin by handcrafted by Andrew Thornton (and designed by Cynthia Thornton) with some lovely carnelian calla lillies.

One last project is actually going to be a remake of a vintage necklace my mom bought and then gave to me. 

Look at those gorgeous beads and clasp! I really like it just the way it is, but it needs to be restrung and is just a little short for me. I’ll try separating the beads with some seed beads my mom also gave me to match or add a chain extender in back.

Thanks for reading, and I hope to show you some of these in finished form in the future.

SaveSave

SaveSave

Advertisements

The Beginning and the End

Tags

Keith O'Connor, Malin de Koning, Nancy Adams, Round Rabbit

Sometimes when I want to make something, I just scroll through my Pinterest boards and see if something inspires me.  Tonight it was this pin.  I thought of some beads I have that wouldn’t have really looked anything like the inspiration, but that the inspiration made me think about.

I thought the flowery bead had more color in it and would have green, so the carved bead would work with it.  After I decided they didn’t work together, I thought about these white beads I saw when looking for the green beads.  What happened is what often happens – in looking for beads based on some inspiration, I find something else and put that together.  So inspiration that just gets me looking through my beads is usually enough to help me make a piece when I don’t have a specific idea in mind.

I was thinking about different pendants, and then I saw the beaded bead sitting on my work table.  I thought that would be a good accent.  I also had an idea to use a blue and white clasp and thought of a Round Rabbit piece that is blue and white.  The whites didn’t quite go, but I found this green pendant and thought back to the beaded bead.  There are a million ideas and combinations!

In the end, I used the white beads, a Keith O’Connor tab, a beaded bead by Malin de Koning and a pendant by Nancy Adams.  She has stopped making beads, but makes a lot of other cool stuff, so check out her shop, Round Rabbit.

 

Art Bead Scene Challenge – November

Tags

Art Bead Scene challenge, Autumn Flowers, Marguerite Zorach, Nancy Adams, Round Rabbit

I was very inspired by the colors in the November Art Bead Scene Challenge piece.

This piece is a 1940 silkscreen called “Autumn Flowers” by Marguerite Zorach. Right away, the light Aqua-ish flower in front reminded me of a pendant I have by Nancy Adams of Round Rabbit.  The yellow leaves to the left made me think of a strand of glass beads I got at a flea market.  I loved their perfect, soft yellow, and now here it is again.  I decided to start there and see what other colors I wanted to add.

There were some burnt orange English cut Czech glass beads laid out on my bead table in another necklace design that was waiting to be put together.  Sorry other necklace; they were too perfect for this!  I added spacers that have several colors from the inspiration.  In back, I put vintage turquoise beaded chain.  I used grey-blue waxed linen with a color similar to the curtains. Not much of it shows, but I like knowing it’s there.

I really love how this piece came together.  I find the color combination as pleasing in my necklace as I do in the artwork.  I will enjoy wearing this. Thanks for another great inspiration challenge, Art Bead Scene!

You can see what other people have made on the ABS Pinterest pages for jewelry and for beads.

 

Foldio Portable Photo Studio

Tags

Fanciful Devices, Foldio, Halcraft USA, Heather Millican, Heather Powers, Humblebeads, Janel Goolsby, Jera Luna Designs, Karen Totten, Marina Rios, Nancy Adams, Round Rabbit, Starry Road Studio, Swoondimples

Many of my photos are dreadful.  Sometimes I don’t even want to share my work because I can’t get a decent photo of it.  I live in Wisconsin, and we are not known for our good light.  I’m using my iPhone for a camera and don’t anticipate changing that. I’ve been thinking of getting or making a light box for a while, but which one?

Recently I saw a Facebook post by Heather Powers of Humblebeads praising the Foldio.  I figure she has taken plenty of good jewelry photos!  Plus, in checking it out, it was affordable, ultra easy to set up and use (I’m extremely impatient) and very portable.

All of the photos in this post were taken shortly after I opened the foldio and set it up without even really reading the few sentences of instructions.  It was extremely easy to use, and already these pictures, such as the one of the bean beads above by Heather Millican of swoondimples, are better than most of the photos I’ve ever taken.  And these were taken at night.  I just had to post right away because I’m so excited to have this tool!

I’ll still need to practice to get good at avoiding shadows and keeping my hand steady. Above is a gorgeous pendant by Marina Rios of Fanciful Devices.  The photo could use some improvement, but I think I wouldn’t have gotten one this good without the Foldio  because the image is covered with mica and difficult to photograph.

I’ll also need to experiment with the different background colors.  These beads by Janel Goolsby of Jera Luna Designs look great on this white background (although it looks a little grey).  All but the heart were totally washed out when I tried them on black.

This is a bead kit I won from Halcraft USA. When I got it yesterday, I posted a photo of it on Facebook.  I took it at night in my kitchen (the best light in the house until the Foldio came along) and it didn’t show true to color at all.  It came out very green.  Here I took a picture at around the same time at night in the Foldio, and it is a much better representation of what the beads really look like.

Here are a few tests on the black background.

Black and white pendant by Nancy Adams of Round Rabbit.

Connector by Karen Totten of Starry Road Studio.

Coin someone anonymously put on my desk at work. I don’t know if they intended for me to use it in jewelry, but that’s where it’s probably headed.

I think the black background will be the hardest to use.  I also seem to end up taking pictures that are closer and I’m not used to adjusting them yet.  But I’m excited about how I will be able to improve my pictures and take photos when I have time rather than always trying to find light and take pictures only when I happen to be home during the day.

 

 

 

 

Welcome Home

Tags

Linda Landig, Nancy Adams, Round Rabbit

When I get new beads, particularly art beads, it’s like having an anticipated guest come to stay.  Welcome to my home I think when I open the package. Because I know they are going to be staying a while.  Once they are made into a piece of jewelry, they are part of something larger.  But when they first arrive, just their beautiful selves with no other distractions, I feel like welcoming them. I got two such pendants recently.

This first one is by Linda Landig.  She has been making polymer clay pieces, and I fell in love with this pendant.  Don’t you just love the burst of color? I’m going to try to convince myself to make this into a necklace soonish because I think it will be a great go-to necklace for summer.

Another pendant I got is by Nancy Adams of Round Rabbit.  I love the modern look of this earthy piece.  

I’m very glad these two pendants have come to live with me.  I’m generous that way.  New beads are always welcomed here.  

I Love Beads

Tags

bead destash, D'Arsie Manzella, Gaea, Lisa Lodge, Mamacita Beadworks, Nancy Adams, Pine Ridge Treasures, Rebekah Payne, Round Rabbit, Tree Wings Studio

The title of this post is a bit redundant.  That statement is obvious from the name of my blog!  But that is why I like posting photos of new beads I get.  I like the beads themselves more than any piece of jewelry I’ve ever made. So, here we go!

These are my latest acquisitions from Nancy Adams at Round Rabbit.  I love her beads and pendants so much.  Gorgeous little works of art.  They are just amazing.

Then I got some yummy eye candy from Lisa Lodge of Pine Ridge Treasures. She started a destash page on Facebook.  If you love beads and a good destash event, you should join.  I love destash because it is a good way to get a nice variety of beads from someone else’s stash.  They’ve done all the collecting work.  I got a nice selection of green beads.  Never met a green bead I didn’t like.  These actually do look like candy.  Green licorice allsorts or something!

I also got a lovely garnet mix.  Garnet is one of my favorite stones.

These next beads are the first I was drawn to in the destash sale because I’ve been looking for some purple spacers.  (Unfortunately, I don’t know the artist of these beads.)  I saw this gorgeous necklace by D’Arsie Manzella of Mamacita Beadworks.  I have saved a few jewelry treasures from my youth and have a heart similar to this green one in her necklace, except mine is purple.  I love how she’s used these little spacers, so this purple group will come in handy.

I also scored some art beads.  A square stone lantern by Gaea and three aster wheels by Rebekah Payne of Tree Wings Studio.

That’s my bead love tour for today.  Now back to regularly scheduled weekend activities.  Have a good one!