bead soup blog party 6!

well, here we are at the third and final reveal! i'm so excited to be here! thank you lori anderson!!! you are a true angel, and you will soon find out why.

my partner is eileen snyder. here is her blog, and here is her shop. there was a little hiccup in our part of the party. eileen and i were slated for the first reveal, but eileen's package to me got lost in the mail, and ended up back at eileen's! but before it had appeared, i contacted lori and said i wouldn't be able to do the party, and she very kindly sent me a soup! and *then* the package appeared at eileen's and she sent it back to me, and then i had ***two*** soups. um, wow!!!

so, here goes.

some of you might recall my soup from eileen. here it is.

i was really inspired by the flower beads and the butterfly to go with a garden theme. and since it's still summer and we've still got flowers i thought it would be perfect.

the first piece i took on was the pottery shard pendant from china. i really like handmade elements, so i added some of my polymer clay to eileen's soup.

i added the chain, the b'sue boutiques bird, the butterfly, the polymer clay clasp and face, the jade drops, and the gray rondelle. everything else was from the soup.

next i worked on the luscious amethyst chunks. i added everything but the amethyst; lava rounds, wood disks, copper flowers, chain, silk sari ribbon, the polymer clay bird, and the button clasp i made to follow the garden theme.

i wanted to keep the butterfly light and delicate, so i just added a few crystals and some chain. that new y-connector is something i worked out a couple weeks ago. i'm sure others have done it, but boy did i feel smart when i came up with it! ;)

here i was thinking lush vintage garden with some weathered statues, happy bugs, and some stately old trees, with a silvery magical bird living in it. i used that gorgeous orangey-red crystal from lori's soup, and the flower bead and the two clear and white beads from eileen's soup. i added everything else. i made the copper etched pendant, the wish bead, the hope clasp (in signifigance for what it feels like to plant such a garden), and the magical bird. i used cotton cording to do the micro-macrame, which i've just started to do. the little lampwork snail is by doris stumpf. we exchanged beads in the pantone palette bead exchange. the buttons are all from the soho garment district.

and finally from eileen's soup is the clasp and the silver bead. i made the polymer clay bird and nest, added the plastic leaf button, the ceramic beads, the wood bead, and the glass seed beads.

so that draws us to the close of eileen's soup. on to lori's!

i was thinking sparkly and effervecent for this one, and romantic. so i chose glossy black wire and chain and lobster clasp. and i took a cue from heather powers and some of the pieces i've seen her do. it's so lovely how she uses rhythm in her work a lot, and i wanted to evoke that. so i did some repeating and grouping.

and here is the gold leaf clasp that lori sent. i used it as a link and added my polymer clay clasp, the two flower beads from eileen's soup, and a nest i bought at jo-ann's. i stuck with the garden theme from eileen's soup here, and was thinking of a tree twined with flowers and a little nest safe in it's arms.

i hoped you liked this stop on the party line! i know i thoroughly enjoyed working with eileen's and lori's soups! you're both the dearest people. now on to the next blog!

Hostess, Lori Anderson, Pretty Things

Agi Kiss, Moonsafari Beads
Alice Peterson, Alice Dreaming

Alison Sachs, Beads by Earthtones

Amanda Dittloff, Passion Smashin'

Andra Marasteanu, Bijoux de Monanage

Angie Szlovak, SweetBeads

Anitra Gordy, Leelu Creations

Ann Sherwood, Ann's Blog

Arlene Dean, A Glass Bash

Audrey Belanger, Dreams of an Absolution

Barb Solem, Vivi Magoo Presents

Barbara Blaszczyk, laboratorim Flory

 

Becky Pancake, Becky Pancake Bead Designs
YOU ARE HERE!--Beth Emery, Stories by Indigo Heart

Bianca Odenthal, Zydies Glasperlen

Birgit Klughardt, GitesBeads

Bobbie Rafferty, Beadsong Jewelry

Bonnie Coursolle, Jasper Gems

Cece Cormier, The Beading Yogini

Charlene Jacka, Clay Space

Cherrie Fick, En La Lumie're

Cheryl Foiles, Get Your Bead On

Christie Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry

 

Christina Miles, Wings n Scales

Christina Stofmeel, Feng Beads

Christine Stonefield, Sweet Girl Design

Cindy Cima Edwards, Live to Design

CJ Bauschka, 4 His Glory Creations

Claire Smith, Embergrass Jewelry

Cynthia Riggs, Cynth's Blog

Dana Fowler, Trunk Full of Treasure

Dawn Pierro, Turtle Moon Designs

Dee Elgie, Cherry Obsidia

Donetta Farrington, Simply Gorgeous

 

Dot Lewallwn, Speedie Beadie

Eileen Snyder, Dorset Hill Beads

Elizabeth Bunn, Elizabeth Beads

Eva Kovacs, Ewa gyongyos vilaga!

Evelyn Duberry, Sheba Makeda

Fay Wolfenden, Torch Fairy

Fen Li, Bead Flora Jewels

Gail Zwang, Angel Moose Enterprises

Geneva Collins, Torque Story

Grace Dorsey, Fan of the Flame

Gretchen Nation, Art Food Lodging

 

Hannah Annear, Squintessential

Hajer Waheed, My Beaded World

Heather Goldsmith, As I Bead It

Heather Otto, The Craft Hopper

Heidi Kingman, My Bead Therapy

Hope Smitherman, Crafty Hope

Isolina Perez, Isolina Perez

Jacqueline Keller, CreARTelier

Jane Haag, Did You Make Something Today?

Janeen Sorensen, Wild Vanilla Designs

Jean Peter, Jean P. Designs

 

Jennifer Judd, Jen Judd Rocks

Jennifer L Justman, Soul's Fire Designs

Joanna Matuszczyk, Bizuteria z filcu

Joanne Brown, Jo's Jewels

Joanne Lockwood, Jo Bunkum

Joyce Becker, Joyce's Joyful Gems

Judy Riley, Three Red Beads

Karen Mitchell, Over the Moon Design

Karen Williams, Baublicious

Karin von Hoeren, Creative Ideen

 

Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams

Kashmira Patel, Sadafule .. always in bloom!

Kate Richbourg, We Can Make That at Home

 

Katrin Lembke, AllesPerle

Kathy Combs, Torched in Texas

Kathy Lindemer, Bay Moon Design

Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz

Kelley Fogle, My Life, One Bead at at Time

Kelly Hosford Patterson, Traveling Side Show

 

Klaudette Koon, Only Road

Lara Lutrick, Lampwork Beads by Lara

Laura Guenther, Blue Antiquities

 

Laurie Lalonde, Simply Mod Jewelry

Lilik Kristiani, Soul of My Embodiment

Linda Younkman, Lindy's Designs

Lisa Chapman, Beach Cat Beads

Lisa Lodge, Pine Ridge Treasures

Loretta Carstensen, Designs by Loretta

Lori Bergmann, Lori Bergmann Design

Lori Dorrington, Lori's Adventures in Etsy Land

Lupe Meter, Gem's PC Corner

Lynn Davis, LLYYNN

 

Malin de Koning, Beading by Malin

Mandi Effron, Craft-o-licious

Mandy Williamson, Mimi's Beading

Margot Potter, The Impatient Crafter

Maria Rosa Sharrow, Willow Street Shops

Marianne Baxter, Simply Seablime Jewelry

Marina Dobrynina, Savon Feutre

Marjolein Trewavas, Room for Change

Marelene Cupo, Amazing Designs

Marsha Neal, Marsha Neal Studio

 

Marta Kaczerowska, uhuhu

Mary Govaars, MLH Jewelry Designs

Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes

Menka Gupta, Menka's Jewelry Blog

Michelle Burnett, Reverie and Revival

Michelle Escano-Caballero, The Cabby Crafter

Miko Wiropati, Uniquely Yunikua

Milla Hope, LB Creative Arts and Crafts

Mimi Gardner, Other Curiosities

Miranda Ackerley, MirandackArts

Natalie McKenna, grubbi

 

Noemi Baena, fuego, metal, y color

Pam Ferrari, Ferrari Originals

Pam Sears, Crazy Creative Corner

Penny Neville, Copper Penny

Rachel Baron, R. Baron Designs

Rachel Myers, Rockabead Jewelry

Rana Wilson, Definitive Designs by R. Wilson

Rebecca Anderson, Song Beads

Rebecca Sirevaag, Becca's Place

Riki Schumacher, Riki Jewelry

 

Rose Binoya, Ahtee's Blog

Rossana De Gaspari, Rdegas Blog

Sally Anderson, Wild Sally Road

Sandi James, Do Be Do Bead Do

Sandi Volpe, Sandi Volpe

Sandra Wollberg, City of Brass Stories

Sarah Goode, Pookledo

 

Sarah Small, blog by salla

Shai Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings

Shawn Mills, Shawn Marie Designs with Bent Wire

Sheila Davis, Stone Designs by Sheila

 

Sheryl Stephens, Babble Bead

Shiraz Biggie, Secret Song Designs

Solange Collin, Ahowin Handcrafted Jewelry

Sonya Stille, Dreamin' of Beads

Stephanie Dixon, The Dixon Chick

Susan Kennedy, Sue Beads

Susan Sheehan, Strands of Thought

Suzann Sladcik Wilson, Beadphoria

Sweet Freedom, Sweet Freedom Designs

Tabatha Dinger, Modernly Created

Tania Hagen, Pelima Jewellery Design

 

Tanya Boden, Fusion Muse

Terri Gauthier, Blooming Ideas

Terry Carter, Tapping Flamingo

Tracy Stillman, Tracy Stillman Designs

 

 

 

 

 

unfortunate discovery

so i'm slowly working through a kindle book called 'blogging for readers' and we were supposed to list what our driving forces are. my top one was ***comfort***.

um, yeah.

is that not a ridiculous driving force?!? it's makes me make poor choices that only take into consideration the immediate moment, and boy have i made a --ton-- of bad, stupid choices; with my money, my time, my friends, and most importantly, my dear beloved family. i'm afraid i've hurt them so deeply over this issue that it's unforgivable. i can't believe they still love me as they do!

and i think the core issue is my relationship with God. i'm close to Him when He's comforting me, but in day to day life i just seem to let Him slide. it's just not a wise way to live! i have so far to go! it seems insurmountable. very frustrating. i just can't do it; get over this need for comfort.

i'm so broken right now, God. forgive me.

edvard munch's 'comfort'

 addition--hey, edvard munch fans! (the amazing artist who painted this amazing painting) it has come to my attention that there's an awesome site on artsy.net devoted to all things munch. go! visit! learn! 



challenges!

two posts ago was my 200th post! woo-hoo! missed it. sad face. oh, well. maybe i'll catch the next big anniversary and do a giveaway, or something equally exciting. that would be fun, wouldn't it?

so, recently i signed up to join a group of bloggers who are going through 'the crafter's devotional' which is sort of map or workbook or inspirational book directed toward crafters.

i just got it yesterday in the mail and dove right in. i'm so excited! it looks really good. i'll be journaling some of my experiences here, and then we're encouraged to keep a written journal of our journals and trials. i started that yesterday. that part seems pretty personal, so i'll just be sharing some of it. yesterday we kind of talked about artistic dna. how we are the only one of us that will ever be, and how if we don't express ourselves, our art will be lost. i explored how i think pretty much all of us are artists, just expressing it in different ways. some are mothers, others work in the business world creatively, some cook, others dance. it's all art. God himself is an artist; i can tell because of how creative he is with this world. he really loves artists! so embrace the fact that you, too, are an artist. and your creations are one of a kind. make art! it's also just a beautiful book. hardcover, with gorgeous art throughout. yay, books!

two days ago i signed up for the lovely erin prais-hintz new challenge; the challenge of travel. i'm totally excited! i love erin's challenges and this looks like a good one. go sign up! it's still open.

soup's here!

i signed up for the lovely bead soup blog party, in it's sixth incarnation this time. it will now be an annual event, instead of several times a year. i think that was a really wise move on lori anderson's part. she puts her whole heart and soul into this project, sends us encouraging ideas and updates and does so much behind the scene's work that it's amazing. my hats off to you, miss lori, for making this such a fun event that *everybody* wants to join in. this time there are, like, 400 people in the hop! whoa! so she's broken it down into three reveals. the first is july 28th, tomorrow, the next one is august 11th, and the last, which i'm in, is on august 28th. i'm so looking forward to the party!

i finally got my bead soup from my partner, eileen snyder. it got lost in the mail, and i was afraid! so i contacted lori, and she sent me a soup, too! see what i'm saying when i say lori is AMAZING?!?! so. i will have -two- soups to play with, because my soup from eileen returned to her! and she sent it back to me. i just got it this week and here it is.

such pretties! the large purple nuggets are gorgeous amethyst. not sure what those green guys are, but the rest are glass, and metal. the focals are that butterfly and a bit of ceramic. i have absolutely zero ideas. nada. no ideas. except to say that there are several necklaces in this soup. that's all i know. must let it simmer longer. so stay tuned!

june echo creative club reveal

so it's the 25th, time for our big reveal!

i thouroughly enjoyed my challenge this month. if you'll recall, this is what i got:

so many possibilities! and i just happened to buy "bohemian-inspired jewelry" by lorelei eurto and erin seigel. it was sooo fabulous! i went out and spent waaaay to much money on ribbon and cord and leather! wheee!!! and so i really wanted to work some of that into this design.

here it is:

i used a lovely variegated pearl cotton to string the peeled paint art beads, micro-macrame style.

and i used for the focal a lovely gustav klimt-inspired bead from humblebeads by heather powers.

isn't it gorgeous?

then for the back i used some recycled sari silk ribbon and attached with turquoise memory cord found in the embroidery threads and two patinated cones by patinaworx.

i really had fun with this piece!

and then i used the pink peeled paint art beads in a bracelet. i dug through my art beads and found a perfect ceramic heart link by gaea then i threw in a couple lava beads, some amber, two copper leaf links, and a copper clasp. i'm so pleased with this bracelet! and i did something a little out of my comfort zone by using the pink and going symmetrical.

didn't that turn out pretty?

so go visit jeannie dukic's webstore and buy up some of these luscious peeled paint art beads! and finish the hop with this little list.

Shannon Chomanczuk http://www.formysweetdaughter.blogspot.com

Jeannie K Dukic http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog

Cindy Cima Edwards http://www.cindycima.com

Beth Emery http://storiesbyindigoheart.blogspot.com you are here!

Keri Lee Sereika http://www.pinklemonade.typepad.com

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

Lola Surwillo http://www.beadlolabead.blogspot.com

Sonya Ingersoll-Stille http://dreaminofbeads.blogspot.com/



how it all started

so i signed up for lori anderson's bead soup blog party this past weekend. i'm so excited! i just love this challenge. and lori sent out an email that suggested we tell about how or why we got started in jewelry design and what we like about it. i like this idea so much! so here we are.

i'm not sure i've told this story here before. i know i've mentioned it in my artist statement when i do shows... but i'll risk the possible repetition. we were living in fairbanks, alaska and after my sixth grade year we went down to the lower forty-eight to visit family. we were staying with my aunt corine and playing with my cousin susan (my sister and i) and our mom's went out garage sale-ing. when they came back, mama had a gift for me. it was a shoebox full of beads. in it were tiny cool old bottles with an assortment of seed beads and glass beads. looking back, they were probably czech. i was so excited! i offered to share them with becca but she was like, "no, way." so they were all mine! there was a spool of white c-lon in there, so i started making my own clasps (boy, were they ugly) and strung away. back in fairbanks at the end of summer i bought a loom and played with that. i used buttons from my mom's button box as the clasps. then i started buying seed beads everywhere and packs of czech beads at michael's. my designs stayed pretty basic and i ended up giving most of them away.

then in 2000 i fell into a deep depression. i dropped out of college and sat in my room watching movies and beaded constantly. the beads got me through that dark time and became intrinsic to my being. i found suddenly that i had to bead. i started reading beading books and magazines and learned about beading wire, crimps and the amazing headpin invention. light bulb! and ready made clasps! yay!!!!! so my designs graduated to gemstones that i bought at michaels and joann's. and pendants from the same places. i tried to get becca interested one christmas break when she came up from graduate school. we made tons of earrings but she declared she didn't really think she'd pursue it further. and then in 2003 becca was put on bedrest for her first pregnancy. she was pre-eclamptic and had had a very difficult pregnancy. so i went down to seattle and brought my beads 'cause i couldn't not bead at that point. becca was about fed up with reading because reading all the time on the couch, even for somebody who loves books as much as becca does, can get a little old. we watched some movies but that got old. and i was beading while i watched the movies. the beads started looking good to becca, i must admit. so she got in on it. she likes sparkly crystals, and i didn't have many of those, so for my birthday we did something very naughty. her husband jake, becca, and i went to the bead shop in bellevue (which i totally recommend) and out to i-hop. bedrest, shmedrest. becca sat a lot! but it was naughty. i spent too much money and so did becca but oh, was it wonderful!

becca had finally joined me in my obsession! yay! becca is my best friend and i love sharing this bead-love with her. three months after deborah was born, her little family drove up the alcan in a u-haul with all their belongings and moved in with us so jake could go to school. becca and i formed two sisters and entered our first craft bazaar by sharing a table with a friend and his lampwork beads. i think we made about a hundred. yay! i look back at those designs and utterly cringe. but it was a place along my journey, so i have to honor it.

then we came upon the farmer's market. love, love, love our farmer's market. at this point i went back to college and found metalsmithing. oh! oh! love. true love. cabachons! silver! copper! oh, did i swoon. and my designs got better. and then judie gumm came to metals one class and said she was looking for some workers. judie is a silversmith artist who's work i came across in high school and fell in love with it. so i talked to her and she hired me! my work skyrocketed eons and i found art beads at about the same time. and we got our business license, so i started buying wholesale online. beads! of high quality, finally. and boy did i burn through my paypal account. grin.

so. i felt like i learned all i could at judie's and left, still with the option of going back if i ever want to. and my work is something i can be proud of now. i bought an i-phone and downloaded square so now we can take credit cards and our sales, like, quadrupled. we do less craft shows in winter and opened an etsy shop. we're considering moving to luulla or another spot. and boy, do we love working together at such a fabulous job.

what do i love about beading? well, i'm an artist and selling paintings is HARD. jewelry is art that people can buy easily and use every day. people visit our booth and say our work is wonderful and that we're their favorite jewelers at the market(!). and that feels so good. i absolutely adore working with my sister. and i just love the immediacy of it. instead of days, it takes hours. and beads are sooooo luscious. i love working with such gorgeous pieces of art. gemstones, art beads, and metal. yum. i love being able to express myself and have people view and appreciate it. i love working with our customers. there's not a thing i don't love about jewelry design.

so that's my story. hope you found it interesting!

june echo creative club preview

last week my june beads arrived from jeannie dukic. they are so gorgeous! and... they are my favorite color; lavender(!). there also a few pink peeled paint beads. but the majority of them are lavender. yay! here they are.

aren't they luscious? i'm so excited! and the field is so wide open that it's almost daunting. (big grin) but i'm thinking a bracelet for the pink, mixed in with some brown or grey. the accents are copper and i just love copper! for the lavender, i want to go more whimsical. maybe a green girl studios element? so many ways these little beauties could go!

and now i must show you jeannie's gorgeous packaging. all my beads have arrived in this happy way, and they've each been different. so inspiring!

run over to jeannie's website and snatch some of these up for yourself!