Art Elements January Component of the Month Challenge Reveal

Tags

Art Elements, Lindsay Starr, Lynda's Lampwork, Miss Fickle Media, Phantasm Creations, Rebekah Payne, Sasha Crow, Tree Wings Studio

Today is the reveal for the Art Elements January Component of the Month Challenge.  Mixed media artist Lindsay Starr of Phantasm Creations provided the components this month – painted leather cabs.  Some were painted with dots and some spattered with paint.  I got a spattered cab.  I loved them when I first saw them, but just seeing “cab” was enough to intimidate me. Then Lindsay changed all that with her great post about the components.  To quote: “Even if you are not a seed beader, these cabs should be something you can work with.  You could prong set, drill, or pierce them.”  I decided to try something new!

I forgot to take a picture of my cab, but here is one of Lindsay’s from her post.

Mine is the red one at the top.  I recently got a rotary tool, but had been a bit intimidated by that as well. This gave me the chance to use it. One of the best things about challenges is when they stretch our creative skills.  Although the placement of my holes is not perfect, I feel good about it overall.

I made so many sketches of possible designs because this cab can go with everything.  I ended up going with none of those ideas.  I had gotten a beautiful pair of earrings from Sasha Crow, but I can no longer wear earrings.  I couldn’t bear the idea of giving them away; they are too beautiful.  So I decided to repurpose them!  I removed the wire from one and used it as a dangle along with a bead from Lynda’s Lampwork.  I used waxed linen as my stringing material with large hole metal beads to cover the knots where they connect to the cab.  Dark amber works well in color and feel with the cab, and I was able to bring in a little of some other design ideas that involved playing up the white spatter with a little rustic seabird by Rebekah Payne of Tree Wings Studio.

I finished the necklace off with a gorgeous hammered indigo toggle from Miss Fickle Media and am pleased with the dramatic look of the piece. Thank you so much to Lindsay Starr and Art Elements for letting me participant in this challenge.  Please visit the blogs below to see what others made with their cabs!

Guests:

Ann 

Renetha 

Patty

Sherri

Kelly 

Linda

AE Writers:

Lesley

Laney

Lindsay

Caroline 

Cathy

Cooky

Claire

Diana

Jenny

Susan

Niky

AJE April Component of the Month Reveal

Tags

AJE April Component of the Month, Art Jewelry Elements, Marsha Neal Studio, Ragged Robyn, Rebekah Payne, Tree Wings Studio

I have two reveals today!  If you are looking for the Amethyst Aether reveal, please click here.

The Art Jewelry Elements blog has a variety of very talented contributors.  Each month, one artist offers a component that the other contributors and three lucky winners get to use in a creation.  For April, the artist is Rebekah Payne of Tree Wings Studio.  I was actually the fourth winner this month.  Since an extra name fell out as she was choosing (mine!) she decided to include me.  Thanks, Rebekah!  Her component is a lovely little heart.  Although it is made from polymer clay, she has textured it to look like weathered wood.  Participants had a choice of brown or grey.  I chose grey.

Both sides are textured, and she carved the word “love” into the side.  I didn’t get a good picture of that and was anxious to get started working with it, so you can see more pictures here.

I get such joy from art beads.  When I got the heart and started considering how I wanted to use it, I was thinking about how I feel when I see a new art bead.  It can feel like fireworks.  This heart is small, but I still wanted it to be the focal of my piece.  I thought of a collection of tiny stoneware clay beads I have by Ragged Robyn she calls Poppets.  The variety of textures, colors and shapes make me think of that fireworks feeling, and because they are tiny they wouldn’t detract from the heart as the focal.

I used some grey vintage sequins as spacers and blue wire to string the beads. I wanted to keep the feel of the necklace soft and delicate, so I braided together three colors of hand painted silk cord from Marsha Neal Studio.

I love seeing Rebekah’s beautiful little heart front and center in this necklace. It makes me smile.  Thanks to Rebekah and Art Jewelry Elements for allowing me to participate this month.  It was great fun!

Please visit the links below to join the hop and see what other people have created with their heart.

Guests
Karin Grosset Grange
Carol Briody
Rebecca Anderson

Ann Schroeder – You are HERE!

AJE Team
Rebekah Payne
Jenny Davies-Reazor
Caroline Dewison
Susan Kennedy
Diana Ptaszynski
Kristen Stevens
Linda Landig
Melissa Meman

Niky Sayers

Lindsay Starr

September ABS Challenge

Tags

Art Bead Scene, Bethanne, Margaret Macdonald, Rebekah Payne, SEP ABS, Sue Beads, Susan Kennedy, The White Rose and the Red Rose, Tree Wings Studio

The Art Bead Scene blog issues a challenge each month.  Create something that uses an art bead and is inspired by a featured work of art.  The September challenge piece is “The White Rose and The Red Rose” a mixed media piece by Margaret Macdonald.  Although pretty, this romantic, diaphanous look is not really the most inspiring for me.  I respond more immediately to bolder colors and strong lines.

However, a day or so after the September Monthly Challenge post went up, I got an order from Tree Wings Studio.  Rebekah Payne has started selling hand-drawn art focals by her sister Bethanne in her shop.  From the first time I saw them, I was hooked.  They are so unique, detailed, and beautiful.  Although many of them are of the romantic, muted nature, they really appealed to me. When I opened the package I realized one pendant had the exact color palette and feel of the ABS challenge piece for this month!  I knew I had to participate.

The design is hand-drawn in colored pencils on shrink plastic.  I think these are amazing.  You should go check out Bethanne’s line.  I decided to use cream and green pearls and grey labradorite with bluish tones, so I wanted to get some red/rose in there.  I used this beautiful lampwork bead by Susan Kennedy of Sue Beads and a couple of red crystals as a dangle by the clasp.

I also wanted to get a close up of some of the beads, especially the vintage glass bead.  The lines in the glass bead remind me of the swirls in the inspiration piece as well as the pendant. 

This was another great challenge from Art Bead Scene.  Thank you!  You can see what all participants make over the month by keeping up with the ABS Flickr page.

AJE August Component Reveal

Tags

AJE, Art Jewelry Elements, Grubbi, leather feathers, Natalie McKenna, Rebekah Payne, Tree, WoolyWire

I have had such wonderful luck with the Art Jewelry Elements Component of the Month.  I was very fortunate to win one of Rebekah Payne‘s leather feathers to work with this month.  We were offered a single larger feather or a smaller mirrored earring pair.  I chose a gorgeous single feather.

The top photo is by Rebekah and shows the choice of single feathers.  I chose the one in the middle of that photo.  Below you can see the incredible detail. She cuts the feathers from suede, uses a wood burner to create a design and then hand paints them.

I went through so many ideas in my head, I think I’ll have to get more feathers. For this challenge, I decided to make a bracelet.  I tend to wear bracelets more often than necklaces.

I made the feather the focal of the bracelet and added some labradorite to bring out the grey tones.  The feather is rustic yet elegant.  I see the labradorite the same way – a gemstone in this rough faceted nugget cut.  I separated the larger beads with small random brown beads as a nod to the various browns in the feather and wrapped the connection with WoolyWire for texture and color.  I punched a hole at the end of the feather so I could add a clasp.  I have to admit that was hard for me.  I never want to alter components, but sometimes they need a hole or glue (in the case of cabs) for a connection.

To finish it off with a little movement, I added a ladybug charm I got in a destash from  Natalie McKenna of Grubbi. I love my feather bracelet.  Thank you so much AJE and Rebekah Payne!  Please click on the links below to see what contributors and other lucky guest winners made with their feathers.  It’s going to be fun!

Guest Artists

Karin Grosset Grange – http://ginkgoetcoquelicot.blogspot.com/

Ann Schroeder – https://beadlove.wordpress.com/ – You are HERE.

Claire Lockwood – http://www.somethingtodowithyourhands.com/

Toltec Jewels – http://www.jewelschoolfriends.com/

The AJE Team

Jen Cameron – http://www.glassaddictions.com/blog

Diana Ptaszynski – http://www.suburbangirlstudio.com/

Kristen Stevens – http://kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.com/

Lesley Watt – http://www.thegossipinggoddess.blogspot.com/

Jenny Davies-Reazor – http://www.jdaviesreazor.com/blog

Francesca Watson – http://francescawatson.com/

Linda Landig – http://www.lindasbeadblog.com/

Melissa Meman – http://melissameman.blogspot.com/

Sue Kennedy – http://www.suebeads.blogspot.com/

Rebekah Payne – http://www.treewingsstudio.com/

Caroline Dewison – http://blueberribeads.blogspot.co.uk/

Haberdashery Blog Hop Reveal

Tags

Bead Recipes, Boho Bird Jewellery, Haberdashery Blog Hop, Melissa Trudinger, Nancy Schindler Adams, Rebekah Payne, Round Rabbit, Tree Wings Studio

I have two reveals today.  If you are looking for the Summer Carnival Blog Hop Reveal, please click HERE.

Melissa Trudinger of Boho Bird Jewellery had a great idea for a blog hop – use haberdashery items such as buttons and ribbon – to make jewelry items.

I love this idea and know I will continue to visit the Pinterest page Melissa put together for this hop long after the hop is over.  There are so many things I’d like to try!  But for now, I will show you the things I actually made.  Soon after I signed up for the hop, I found myself in an antiques store and one booth had all manner of notions – perfect!  I fell in love with some 1930s fabric and bought it with some coordinating buttons.

I cut some of the fabric scraps into strips and braided it to use as the front part of a necklace.  I love Nancy Schindler Adams‘ double sided beads sold in her Round Rabbit store and can rarely resist them.  So, it’s not surprising I happened to have one in colors to match the fabric. I used that for a pendant.  I had planned something less bohemian for the rest of the necklace, but I also find it hard to resist a colorful mix of beads like African “christmas” beads, and some were sitting out on my bead table while I was working on this necklace. They managed to work their way in, and I’m quite happy with how the necklace turned out.  I love all that texture in the front, and I think the button I used for the closure goes with it perfectly!

Rebekah Payne of Tree Wings Studio had used some fabric covered bead cord made by her mother in a few projects featured on her blog.  I absolutely fell in love with the cord and bought some the second I could.  I feel about it like I feel about beads; I love them most just as themselves.  I thought the bead cord would be good for this challenge, but I didn’t want to “fussy” it up so it was no longer itself.  The bracelet I made was kind of a hard piece to photograph.

The color I used, Misty Mauve, has some olive green in it, and I had a length of flat leather in the same color.  I sewed the bead cord to the leather using two delicately etched mother-of-pearl buttons.

I wanted the beaded part of the cord to lay down nicely, so I wrapped waxed linen in between each bead to tack it to the leather.  I considered a variety of ends, and decided some hammered end caps would work.  Thinking about it now, I might have used the wider ribbon ends.  I like how it turned out because it really highlights the bead cord, which is the thing I love!

Thank you to Melissa for hosting this very fun and challenging hop!  Please click on the links below to see the wonderful haberdashery inspired creations of the other participants.

Melissa Trudinger, http://beadrecipes.wordpress.com

Ann Schroeder, http://www.beadlove.wordpress.com – You are HERE!

Tammy Adams, http://www.paisleylizard.com/blog.html

Amanda Wacasey, http://mandyinmystic.blogspot.com

Dolores Raml, http://craftydscreations.wordpress.com

Divya N, http://www.jewelsofsayuri.com

Michelle McCarthy, http://www.fireflydesignstudio.BlogSpot.com

DiYana Brooks, http://agapecreationsjewelry.blogspot.com/

Robin Kae Reed, http://willowdragon.blogspot.com

Andrea Glick, http://zenithjade.blogspot.com/

Karin Grosset Grange, http://ginkgoetcoquelicot.blogspot.fr

Mitzie Crider, http://needfulluxuries.blogspot.com

Janine Lucas, http://www.esfera.me/travel/blog/travel-stories – Will post on Sunday

Rosantia Petkova, http://bairozan.blogspot.com/

Susan Kennedy, http://www.suebeads.blogspot.com

Leithleach Alainn Seodra, http://alainnjewelry.wordpress.com/

Kathleen Breeding, http://99bobotw.blogspot.com/

Shiraz Biggie, http://secretsongdesigns.blogspot.com

Chris Eisenberg, http://www.wanderware.blogspot.com

Heather Richter, http://desertjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com/

Lennis Carrier, http://www.windbent.net/

Rebecca Anderson, http://www.songbeads.blogspot.com

Jenny Kyrlach, http://anafiassa.blogspot.com

Rita Toltec Jewels, http://www.JewelSchoolFriends.com

Mischelle Fanucci, http://www.micheladasmusings.blogspot.com

Karen Mitchell, http://overthemoon-design.com

Carol Briody, http://Cbriody.blogspot.com

Karla Morgan, http://TexasPepperJams.blogspot.com

Carolyn Lawson, http://Carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com

Lori Anderson, http://www.prettythingsblog.com/

Jami Shipp http://www.celebratinglifewithdamamashipp.blogspot.com

Lili Krist,http://pcbylik.blogspot.com

Evelyn Shelby, http://raindropcreationsbyevelyn.blogspot.com

Raissa de Guzman, http://www.abloro.com

Niky Sayers, http://silverniknats.blogspot.co.uk

Keren Panthaki, http://vasdea.wordpress.com

Evelyn Shelby, http://raindropcreationsbyevelyn.blogspot.com/

Raissa de Guzman, http://www.abloro.com

 

ABS April Challenge

Tags

Art Bead Scene, Degas, Edgar Degas, Rebekah Payne, Sue Beads, Sue Kennedy, Susan Kennedy, Swaying Dancer, Tree Wings Studio

The Art Bead Scene blog challenges readers each month to make something inspired by an artwork and incorporating an art bead.  The artwork this month is Swaying Dancer (Dancer in Green) by Edgar Degas.

My favorite part of this painting is the tulle skirts.  I love the soft sea foam color dotted with gold.  The gold flecks made me immediately think of some gold dyed coral I have.  (That’s what I was told it is.  They are really light and seem more like wood to me.)  I hadn’t looked at them in a while and thought they were all top drilled.  I had a necklace in mind.  But when I found them, only one long one was top drilled; the rest have a hole through the length of them.  That did not work for my purposes.

I tried to use them as dangles in an earring with some aster wheels made by Rebekah Payne of Tree Wings Studio.  I didn’t like the look of the dangles, but I really loved the idea of the aster wheels as earrings.  I had been looking at some lampwork beads that had several colors of the painting, but I knew they would be too heavy.  I have a nice stock of smaller lampwork spacers by Susan Kennedy of Sue Beads.  I checked to see what colors I had to choose from and made these earrings.

I was a little disappointed not to be able to use the gold beads.  Their shape reminded me of the graceful movements of the dancers’ limbs.  It would have been fun to make something ethereal like those tulle skirts.  But I do like my earrings.  The colors are very nice together, and they are definitely something I will wear.  And I have another idea for the gold beads.

Check out the Art Bead Scene flicker page to see what the Degas painting inspired other people to make.

Leather Feathers – Tree Wings Studio

Tags

giveaway, leather, Rebekah Payne, Tree Wings Studio

Rebekah Payne of Tree Wings Studio has been having fun lately making feathers out of leather.  She cuts them out, uses a wood burner to draw on them and paints them.  They are gorgeous!  And now her fun is our fun because she is having a free shipping sale in her shop and a giveaway of a pair of feathers.  Check it out here.  Can you pick a favorite?  

By Rebekah Payne of Tree Wings Studio

Beads, Lovely Beads

Tags

Gillian McMurray, Margit Bohmer, Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp, Rebekah Payne, Skye Jewels, Tree Wings Studio

I don’t have anything new made, but I do have new beads to show.  So let’s get started!

I was super lucky to win some Rebekah Payne beads from Tree Wings Studio. I say “super lucky” because just recently I also received one of her speckle beads as part of the December Art Jewelry Elements Component of the Month blog hop.  Look at these gorgeous colors!  You should definitely check out her blog and her store.

Next up we have a lovely wooden pendant from Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp of More Skye Jewels.  She also makes beautiful jewelry for her store Skye Jewels.  Visit her Facebook page because lately you can get good deals and first offers there.  That’s how I snagged this pendant.  I got several others, but this is the one you will probably see in a finished creation first.  Soon, I hope!  The pendants and charms are un-drlled, and she will leave them that way or custom drill them for you.

I bought these great paper beads from Gillian McMurray.  I love her style. She also sells nature watercolors and glass tile pendants.

These next beads have stolen my heart.  They are polymer clay beads by Margit Böhmer.  She tints them with chalks and gets amazing colors.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my recent beads.  I always enjoy those posts from other people.  Not only do I love seeing beads people choose, but it sometimes introduces me to new artists.

Although it remains very cold and snowy here, the sun is out today.  That is always cheerful.  I hope it is cheerful where you are.

AJE December Component of the Month Reveal

Tags

Art Jewelry Elements, Gaea, Keith O'Connor, Miss Fickle Media, Rebekah Payne, Second Surf, Staci Smith, Sweet Olive Supplies, Tree Wrings Studio, Yuki Designs

If you have never visited the Art Jewelry Elements blog, you should do so immediately (but come back here after!)  There are multiple contributors writing “for jewelry designers using handmade and high quality components in their art jewelry” to quote from the blog.

Each month one of the contributors makes a component that is sent to the AJE team as well as several lucky winners chosen at random.  For December, Rebekah Payne of Tree Wings Studio was offering one of her speckle beads to each participant.  I was thrilled when my name was picked!  We were given a color choice, and I chose a lovely brown with white and orange dots.  Of course I got it and started trying designs right away and did not get a good picture of it alone, but here is a close up of it in action.

The original design I had in mind did not work out. But no worries because when you have a beautiful bead, you can use it so many ways.  I sketched a necklace and a bracelet and thought I would probably make the necklace. However, when I got to the beading table, as often happens, all that went out the window.  I still believe each sketch would have resulted in a nice piece of jewelry, but I was inspired by this ribbon.

The ribbon was tied on a package of beads I got from Staci Smith.  I get a thrill any time I can incorporate pieces of ribbon, extra beads or charms used in the packaging of something I have purchased.  The ribbon color was so perfect for Rebekah’s bead and the more bohemian feeling I am working towards in my jewelry making.  I spent a little time deciding which other beads I wanted to use with it and their exact placement.  I’m very happy with how the necklace came out.

Thank you so much to Art Jewelry Elements and Rebekah Payne for letting me join in the fun this month!  I always appreciate it when people list their art bead and other sources.  It has allowed me to find many wonderful artists and shops.  Here are the artists/sources for the other materials I used in addition to the speckle bead:

red aventurine nuggets: Sweet Olive Supplies
off white faceted ceramic bead: Gaea
orange raku bead: Keith O’Connor
faceted glass bead: Miss Fickle Media
copper clasp: Second Surf

Make sure to visit the other people who have done something wonderful with their speckle bead at the blogs below:

Guest Designers:

Stephanie – Confessions of a Bead Hoarder

Ann – Bead Love – You are here!

Karin – Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Melissa – Bead Recipes

AJE Team:

Karen – Starry Road Studio

Diana – Suburban Girl Studio

Kristen – My Bead Journey

Lesley – The Gossiping Goddess

Jenny – Jenny Davies-Reazor

Linda – Linda’s Bead Blog & Meanderings

Melissa – Melissa Meman… Art, Life, Love

Susan – Sue Beads

Rebekah – Tree Wings Studio

Caroline – BlueberriBeads

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!