Monday, April 29, 2013

Chris on TV

In case you didn't see it last week, here is the link to Chris's TV interview!
NTV The Good Life - Pixybug Designs

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Chris & University Place Art Festival - Saturday


Chris is going to be on TV tomorrow!!!  If you live in central Nebraska, he will be on NTV at 9 am on Good Morning Nebraska making marbles!  I will get the link posted here in the afternoon once the TV station gets it put up on their website.  Here is their website and you can live stream it on the internet!  Check out their website for that info.


This is a new show for us and we are very excited!  Please stop by and check out the art, music, and food!  Hope to see you there!!

Monday, April 22, 2013

Mina's Big Week! National Honor Society & Prom!

Mina was inducted into National Honor Society on Wednesday last week!
Mina after receiving her pin & membership
Sophomores inducted into NHS

Seniors/Juniors/Sophomores in NHS at Blue Hill High School
Proud Parents with Smart Daughter

Mina also got to go her first prom last weekend.  She was beautiful (of course)!  And her family is oh SO proud of her! 
The Hair
The Flowers

The Total Package!

Best Friends! Mina with Lexi
Mina with Grandpa & Grandma
Proud Papa!
Proud Mama!
We are very fortunate to be SO blessed with our smart, talented, and beautiful daughter!  Love you SO MUCH, Mina!

Friday, April 19, 2013

Springfest on Sunday!


Fall Celebration at Prairie Loft Center
Though the weather hasn't felt much like spring the past two weeks, we will be celebrating Springfest on Sunday at Prairie Loft Center with lots of fun family activities!  Stop out and watch Chris make marbles and beads from 1-6.  There will be other artists, food vendors, and community organizations sharing in the festivities!  Hope to see you there!

Saturday, April 13, 2013

7th Bead Soup Blog Hop Reveal!!!

Today is the day!  So let's get right to it shall we?!  Here is what I sent my partner Tari Kahrs (Pearl and Pebble):

 
And this is what I sent my other partner, Deb Brooks:
Chris made the focal beads and accents for each Soup mix and I picked out beads and stuff from my stash to round out their selections.  I can't wait to see what Tari and Deb design with their goodies!

This is what I received from Tari.  She sent me a bunch of artist beads, a handmade bronze clay toggle clasp, Czech glass rings, and Sari silk ribbon.  All of the beads were very neutral colors, which I don't normally work with, so that was part of my design challenge. 
And this is what I created:
I practiced a new wire working technique with the pendant and matching spacers.  I started with 18g wire, which I shaped and then wrapped 28g wire to add the fine detail to the wrap.  I added a carnelian bead from my messy work table to add a pop of color to the design.  Once I was happy with the pendant design, I faced a real design challenge.  I couldn't get the piece to hang as I wanted it to.  So, I adapted.  The pendant hangs at a slight angle and the bee looks like it is flying. 
I used more of the 18g wire and made squiggles which I wrapped the Sari silk around.  Once the silk was attached, I wired some accent beads and charms to the pieces.  The one side has the gray-blue ceramic spacers and the other side has faceted smoky quartz rounds from my stash.  I added the Czech glass blue flower and the Vintaj leaf dangle as accents.  The squiggles are connected to textured large link chain with wire wrapped dangles, one featuring the lampwork nuggets Tari sent and the other an agate with the Czech glass rings from the soup mix also.  I then used my bronze clay toggle clasp to finish the necklace.



Next came the earrings!  On the right, the long stamped tiles were perfect for earrings and all I added were the large Swarovski Turmaline colored bicones and the bright pop of color with the Sari silk from my stash.  The earrings on the left are just rings I cut from the necklace chain as I was sizing it for the piece and I used some 24g wire to do a messy wrap and added antique brass spacers and the Czech glass rings from my Soup mix.

What collection is complete without a bracelet? 
I used another piece of the textured chain for the main part of the bracelet and added a couple rows of mixed beads (mostly swept from my table debris), antique brass spacers, the lampwork nuggets, Czech glass rings, and a bit of the Sari silk from my bead mix.  It attaches to the chain with a large lobster clasp.

Here is an overview of all the pieces:
Very natural and rustic.  The silk adds a nice feminine touch and texture to the pieces.  I am very happy with the designs, even if I did fight with the necklace a bit.

So on to Deb's Soup Mix.  I have to admit to the fact that Deb and I are very good friends.  There was a bit of an issue with her beads arriving from her partner, so we paired up since we were both involved with the Soup Party and close enough to get the beads to each other without mailing them.  Deb knows how obsessed I am with the Lord of the Rings series and The Hobbit.  That is what she focused my Bead Soup Mix around.  So here we go:
Creative gal that she is, she made stickers with the characters on them for each of my packages.  The beads in the packages coordinated with the characters, she is so clever!  I also got a lovely treasure chest that all of the beads were tucked into.

First came Galadriel's bracelet and earrings.  This was one of those pieces that is completed in your head before you ever set down to work with the beads.  That doesn't happen for me very often, but it is wonderful when it does!  Deb gave me the gorgeous blue quartz carved leaves and the Jelly Pins for the earrings.  She also created the the fabulous leaf clasp I used on the bracelet (which looks so much like the leaf brooches that the Hobbits had in the Lord of the Rings).  I purchased the silver leaf charm chain (which I used sparingly, yikes that stuff is expensive) and wire wrapped the leaves to rings and then added the charm chain to the rings.  I have sometimes linked the beads together directly, but by connecting them to the rings instead, it improves the flow of the bracelet and comfort when wearing it.  On the earrings, I used a couple of coordinating Jelly Pins and attached a jump ring with extra leaf charms that were cut from the charm chain when I made my bracelet (waste not, and all that).  They add a lovely bit of movement to the earrings.

Next came Thorin's Shield necklace:
When Deb gave me my Soup mix, I had the idea to flow with the character profiles for the designs I created.  I hunted around for something that said "Dwarves" to me.  I found this lovely embossed wooden pendant from Artbeads and it serendipitously has oak leaves and acorns on it.  Now if you haven't seen The Hobbit, the leader of the Dwarves is named Thorin Oakenshield.  Cool, huh!  I added the pendant to copper double ring chain and wire wrapped a variety of beads from my Bead Soup Mix (green jade, gorgeous quartz daggers, and Red Creek Jasper) and other odds and ends from my stash (fossilized coral and bead caps for the acorns, Vintaj copper leaves, green kyanite and some goldstone).  The piece lays beautifully and feeds my need to make charm designs!  I also made a very cool pair of earrings to match the necklace, using Red Creek Jasper and links of chain, which I connected around the bead so it is "chained".  We didn't get very good pictures of those, as the weather turned ugly this week and we couldn't take the photos outside as we normally do.  Here is an artsy, dramatic version of the necklace (Chris was playing with a flashlight and our new camera):
The next piece I designed was The Hobbit's Garden.  I took a PMC class with Deb (she is a certified PMC teacher) in January and really wanted to make a fairy door.  I have long admired the fairy door designs by Maria Grimes (Garden Path Beads), but the task was beyond my skills.  So Deb, being the sneaky, wonderful gal that she is, finished the door for my Bead Soup focal.  
Isn't it gorgeous!  Looks like Bilbo could walk out of it at any time!  The back side is even embellished with a lavender cubic zirconia!  So I had to make a spectacular necklace to go with the pendant.  Deb had given me a strand of amethyst chips in my Soup mix and I added tiny lavender Chinese crystals, Bali silver spacers, rose peach and lavender Swarovski crystal pearls, bright green Czech glass lentils (which I think look like leaves), and attached it to chain to complete the necklace.  Ironically, the chain I used for the necklace is a wonderful embossed thick rolo chain that Deb bought for me on a recent trip she took!
I used a hammered Tierracast toggle for the closure but I will replace it with a lobster clasp as it causes the pendant to hang slightly off center.  I really love how this piece came together and have since made a pair of matching earrings with pieces of the amethyst and more pearls and crystals.  Here is an overview of all the Hobbit inspired designs:
You can see the "chained" earrings here along with the beautiful treasure chest that all my goodies came in!  I had such a wonderful time working with Tari and Deb and can not wait to see what each of them have designed.  Thank you also goes out to Lori Anderson, without whom none of this fun would happen!  Now you can go blog hopping and visit all of the other participants of the 2nd reveal and the 1st reveal from two weeks ago!  Go on you know you want to!
Here are the links!
Agata Grygiel
Ali McCarthy
Alice Craddick
Amy Severino
Ana Krepel
Andra Weber
Andrea Glick
Andrea Trank
Anitra Gordy Boyers


Annette Rivers
Anu Tuppurainen
April Grinaway
Audrey Bélanger
B.R.Kuhlman
Barbara Bechtel
Barbara Mason
Becky Pancake
Beti Horvath
Billi RS Rothove


Bobbie Rafferty
Brandi Burdick
Candida Castleberry
Carol Dillman
Carolyn Gebert
Carolyn Lawson
Caron Reid
Catherine King
Cathy Jakicic


Chandra Merod
Charlene Jacka
Cheri Reed
Cherrie Fick
Cherrie Warzocha
Cheryl Brown
Cheryl Dunham
Cheryl Foiles
Cheryl Gangle


Chris Eisenberg
Chris White
Christina Miles
Christine Hansen
Christine Murrow
Christine Stonefield
Cindy Ritchie
Clare Etheridge
Cory Tompkins


Cris Peacock
Cynthia Abner
Debbie Rasmussen
Debi Levine
Deborah Brooks
Deborah Read
Debra Behrends
Dorota Żerańska
Elaine Robitaille


Elsie Deliz-Fonseca
Emma Todd
Erin Guest
Evelyn Shelby
Evie and Beth McCord
Francy Inman
Ginger Bishop
Gloria Allen
Hajer Waheed


Hope Smitherman
Ilenia Ruzza
Ilona Hegedűs
Ine Vande Cappelle
Jackie Ryan
Janine Lucas
Jean Peter
Jean Wells
Jeanne Steck


Jelveh Jaferian Johnson
Jennifer Cabic
Jennifer Reno
Jennifer VanBenschoten
Jenny Davies-Reazor
Jenny Kyrlach
Jenny Robledo
Jessica Brower
Jill MacKay


JJ Jacobs
Jo-Ann Woolverton
Joanne Tinley
Johanna Rhodes Nash
Judy Robinson
Juli Cannon
Julia Gerlach
Julie Bowen
Julie Panusis


K Hutchinson
Karen Martinez
Karen Vincent
Karen Williams
Karin Slaton
Karyn Bonfiglio
Kat Douglas
Kate Dufour
Kate Mulligan


Kate Richbourg
Kathleen Gallant
Kathleen Lange Klik
Katie Nielsen-Nunez
Kay Bolton
Kayla Potega
Kelli Jacobson
Kelly Patterson
Kelly Ramstack


Kiersten Kern
Kim Sparks
Klaudete Koon
Klaudia Tóth
Krista French
Kristin Oppold
Kym Hunter
Lana Kinney
Laura Guenther


Lauren Fenty
Leah Curtis
Lennis Carrier
Linda Murphy
Lisa Johnson
Lori Anderson
Lupe Meter
Lynn Jobber
Mandi Effron


Marcia Dunne
Margareta Saari
                     
Marianne Baxter
Marie Covert
Mary Ellen Parker
Maryse Fritzsch-Thillens
Megan Milliken
Melissa Meman
Melissa Mesara


Michaela Pabeschitz
Michelle Tucker
Mimi Gardner
Mischelle Fanucchi
Monica Phillips
Mowse Doyle
Nancy Boylan
Nancy Dale
Pat Haight


Patina Queen
Patty Miller
Pia Kaven
Rebecca Anderson
Rose Johnson
Roxanne Blanc
Sarah Goode
Sarah Singer
Sarah Strover


Shalini Austin
Sherri Stokey
Sherry Baun
Sheryl Stephens
Silvia Sernicola
Solange Collin
Stacie Florer
Stacy Alderson
Stephanie Haussler


Stephanie LaRosa
Sue Burleigh
Susan Bowie
Susan Kelly
Susan of Libellula Jewelry
Susan Sheehan
Suzanne Fragiacomo
Tammi Sloan
Tammie Everly


Tania Hagen
Tania Spivey
Tanya Goodwin
Tanya Wiles
Tari Kahrs
Terry Carter
Theresa Buchle
Tiffany Smith
Tina Holden


Tracey Nanstad
Tracie Dean
Tracy Bell
Tracy Kruse
Veralynne Malone
Veronica Campos-Hallstrom


 






Popular Posts