Link Happy

I am totally inspired by Dawn Estrin’s work. I found her on ArtfulHome.com, and everything she creates is pure magic. I especially love these owl earrings. Feel free to buy them for me here. 😉

Tonight when I get home from work, my beautiful baby sister and her boyfriend should be arriving for a little weekend visit. I am glad that they will be spending a few days, as I haven’t had much time with my sister in quite a while. Tomorrow, we’ll probably head out and do a little fun antiquing (her request!) and then just relax at home. Knowing her, she’ll probably try to convince me to make her something with buttons, since it’s all I have heard about, is how she totally is in love with that recent button bracelet I created. 😉

Be sure to check in at the Art Bead Scene tomorrow! I am hosting for Studio Saturday, and it’s my first time! Pretty excited and I know you won’t want to miss it.

I am hoping to get started on my Bead Soup piece this weekend, with Maria’s beads she sent me. I have a few ideas brewing but don’t forget, the reveal date is coming fast, on February 10th, that is when all of the participants post on their blogs the outcome of the bead swap! Take a peek at some of the beads people have been getting at the bead soup flickr group.

Hope you all have a great weekend!!

Feels good

I am wearing this today.
It just feels good. I have the clasp in the front but not dead center.
I like it this way.
The clasp is one of my favorites, from Green Girl Studios. A shibuichi beauty.
The ceramic beads are from the ever talented, Keith O’Connor.
He’s pretty elusive.
But so talented, and I cannot get enough of these beads.
Each one a work of art.

You can buy Keith’s beads at BeadingPath, EEBeads, or shows such as:

March 18-21, 2010
Interweave Bead FestSanta Fe Convention Center201 W. Marcy St.Santa Fe, New Mexico

3 trunk shows At ……………………
Bead Haven Hampton , VA Feb 13/14 trunk show
……………………….

Beads F.O.B. Sarasota , FL Feb 26/27 truck show
………………………
Bead Boutique Matthews, NC March 5,6 and 7 bead making class and trunk show.

New bracelets in a calm color palette

What can I say?
I love pink today.
and buttons,
buttons are my friend today.

A great milestone

It snuck up on me!

I am only 4 sales away from 1000 sales.

My etsy shop has been open since Feb of 2007. We are coming up on 3 years now.
I think I’ve come a hella long way in 3 years.

Just for fun, I looked through some of my early first sales, and it’s clear to me that my jewelry has come a long way as well. And come to find out, it actually took me 5 months to make my first sale. And it wasn’t until November when it really started picking up a bit more.

It’s been a fun road, and I’m not even close to being done yet!

Be my 1000 sale and get a special surprise from me.

and hey, thanks a lot for being there with me on this journey. you all rock.

a new bracelet and weekly links

i love how the red creek jasper focal looks like you are looking through
tree branches at twilight.
i named this twilight’s flight.
it’s in my shop now.
along with a few other newbies.

Now, enjoy some weekly bead blogger links:

A Bead in Time Is there such a thing as social networking jewelry? Lisa dug through a bag of Necco valentine candy hearts to create a one of a kind “twittery” necklace.

About.com Jewelry Making Catch up on the latest jewelry related podcasts. Tammy found some excellent ones for you to listen to.

Art Bead Scene Do You Rock? Here’s your chance to show others that you do!

Carmi’s Art Life World Carmi has an easy idea to thank a sponsor.

Cindy Gimbrone aka The Lampwork Diva An Emily Dickinson poem describes Cindy’s newest piece of jewelry.

Jean Campbell Jean reviews Kerry Bogert’s wonderfully whimsical new wirework book, Totally Twisted.

Jewelry & Beading How do you feel about using inexpensive materials in your designs? Chime in and let your voice be heard!

Lorelei’s Blog: Inside the Studio Lorelei won some great lampwork beads and a chance to write a tutorial on how she used them.

Snap out of it, Jean! There’s beading to be done! Want to know what rubber duckies and Autism Awareness jewelry have to do with each other? Check Jean’s site out!

Strands of Beads Melissa shows off a new earring design made from beautiful cubic zirconia from Artbeads.com

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton Andrew shares the new additions to his bead stash – goodies from Cindy Gimbrone, Diane Hawkey, and Nancy Schindler.

Cupid’s Coming!

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and it’s evident that I’ve got hearts on the brains these days. Which isn’t like me really, I don’t normally create holiday themed jewelry. But hearts are fun, and whimsical and get the point across, and they can be for any time of year.

During this month’s ArtBeads.com blogging program, I picked out a few Valentine’s themed goodies from their shop and sat down this afternoon to put them all together into some jewelry.
This first necklace was created using some silk Fairy ribbon, copper and brass chain, an enameled Heart pendant, sweet iridescent dichroic discs, burgundy pearls, faceted pink glass rounds, vintage buttons, and some brass wire.

I love the silk ribbon, it comes in many colors and the length is just right for any project you’re working on. I decided to no include a clasp on this necklace and tied the silk ribbon into a bow.

The Paula Radke dichroic glass discs were such a bonus. I have admired her
work before on her website and never realized that they were available
at Artbeads.com! I picked out this very pale white with pink undertones to go with the
darker pink ribbon.

Although the pendant is small, it still makes a nice statement.
Simple, and pretty! They have a few to choose from, and a larger size too.

These copper heart charms also had to make it to my mailbox!
I paired them with dark burgundy vintage buttons and copper lever back
earring wires.
Check out more of the copper pendants available at Artbeads.com.

Artbeads.com has sent me these products, free of charge, to review on my blog and I have not been paid for my endorsement of these products as it pertains to the products received. I have given an honest review of the products sent to me.

Gardanne Glass Heart Necklace Tutorial

Last week, Anne posted a bit of a giveaway for a Free Beads/Tutorial opportunity and I put my name in the hat.
Check.it.out.

I’m the big weener.

So Anne sent the beads my way and last night, I let my fingers do the talking and came up with this unique seed bead/wire wrapped necklace design.

Difficulty level: Intermediate

1. Cut a piece of 22g brass wire, to 3 inches long. Create a simple loop at one end using round nose pliers. String the Heart focal. String 1 small 3mm wood round. Form a wrapped loop with the remaining wire.

2. Attach the focal to a large 15mm split Brass jump ring.

3. Cut 2 pieces of size .12 beading wire into 10 inch pieces. String onto one wire 120 bronze seed beads. Thread the beaded wire through the 15mm jump ring. Bring the ends together. Thread 2 7mm jump rings onto the two ends. String 1 crimp bead. String the ends onto 1 4mm jump ring. Thread the 2 ends back through the crimp bead and crimp tightly using crimping pliers.
Repeat step 3 with the other wire.

4. Cut 2 pieces of 22g brass wire into 3 inch sections. Form a wrapped loop, attaching the loop to one of the 4mm jump rings on the seed beaded section. String 1 Turquoise oval. Form a wrapped loop. Repeat this step for the other side.

5. Cut 6 pieces of 22g wire and string 4 amber colored glass beads, and 2 cream glass beads. Using small 3 link sections of brass cable chain, attach the chain to each beaded wrapped loop, creating a chain.

6. On the final link, attach a 4mm jump ring and a lobster clasp.

MATERIALS USED:

1 Lamp work Heart focal from Gardanne Glass
4 Amber lamp work beads and 3 cream and amber spacers from Gardanne Glass
240 amber color glass seed beads
2 Horse Eye shaped 19 x 12mm African Turquoise beads
1 Brass 15mm jump ring
4 Brass 7mm jump rings
3 Brass 4mm jump rings
27-28 inches of Brass 22 g wire
15 links of brass cable chain
1 Brass lobster clasp

Brass findings, chain and clasp from Vintaj Brass Co.

Brass wire from Patina Queen
Turquoise from Lima Beads
Seed Beads- Blue Moon Beads

Holy Mackerel.

A few new pieces from my beading session last night. This top bracelet is one of

my favorites. I’ve been holding out using this lovely teal ceramic lentil from

LeAnn, at Summers Studio. I finally thought up a design

that would showcase the bead, and highlight it.

It’s the focal for sure. I paired it with Vintaj Brass, and cool

chain from Michaels. The design was inspired by the Design

Gallery at Vintaj Brass Co.

This next bracelet is one to be reckoned with as well.
It speaks its mind, with it’s color, and fun shapes, and dangles.
The horse eye shaped Turquoise beads are my new favorite thing.
I added Swarovski Crystals, and glass coins. And a sweet
little Elephant charm from Jade Scott. Yep, this one
won’t last long in the shop, that’s my feeling.

video tour, don’t laugh too hard.

http://www.youtube.com/get_player

what?
i know, it’s a mess.
what do you want!
I spend more time beading that I do
organizing or picking up after myself…and
hey, i’ve seen YOUR studios,
yours aren’t much better.

but someone asked me recently to show
my studio and how I keep my beads,
so I thought I’d just do a little vlog here.

don’t laugh.
i like to wear my north face hat.
it keeps me warm.
and joe picks on me everytime i wear it.
i think sometimes i wear it just to hear him
laugh.

anyway, that big pile of Green Girl Studios
at the end of the video, is part of a wholesale
order I just placed.
i like to lay them out like that once in a while and
fondle them.
then i put them all back in the baggie until the next time.

i know, it’s weird.
i’m weird.
and a slob.
and i like to wear a hat.

now you know a little bit more about me …

xo
L

Blog Addict

I admit it, I am a total blog junkie. I read them all day. I am constantly checking to see updated posts on all my favorited blogs. I love being in the know. I love being caught up on everyone’s lives every day. The more one posts, the more I like it. I thought I’d share a few of my new favorites so you can follow them too.

Shannon Levart writes this blog and is the founder of MissFickleMedia.

She is so very talented and I enjoy reading about her jewelry and techniques.

GBKORU is written by Gunilla Bäck
Espoo, who lives in Finland. I enjoy her photography on her blog,

it makes me want to travel to Finland someday.

I learned about Kate McKinnon through Andrew Thornton,

and have been keeping up on her daily blog since I bought some of her

cool components in one of her Soul Clearing sales. Kate is a master

at working with metal clay.

Laura writes this blog Wren Handmade.

I am totally in love with her sweet necklaces that she

crochets. I want one so baaaad. Her blog is great too, it’s

so pretty!

If you haven’t checked out The Noisy Plume yet, I

beg you to start today. And read it from the beginning.

I’ve never come across a blog more interesting, or visually appealing, and

she is such a

talented jewelry designer. This chic ROCKS!

I recently started following Fleur Fatale because

I’ve seen her jewelry on Etsy a lot and it’s gorgeous.

Her blog is just as cool and I love her photography of her jewelry.

I found Liane’s Etsy shop featured on one of the Etsy videos.

I started reading her Enhabiten blog minutes later and can’t get enough.

Liane is a talented seamstress, and creates handmade goods for the home.

She also blogs several times a day which is cool for me because

I love reading stuff like this on the internet and she’s always

introducing me to something “new” and “fun”.

Plus she has a killer sense of humor, which I adore as well.