Adventures with Precious Metal Clay

Last weekend, I learned a new skill.  I was thrilled to get to take a class with Deb Brooks, who's company is From the Heart Creations.  Deb is certified PMC teacher, and Julie hosted classes for beginners at the store!  We had a great time and learned a wonderful new technique.  Here are the designs from the first class:

My piece is the Steampunk design in the upper right corner.  I can't believe I was able to create that the first time out!  Shows how talented our teacher is!  The other pieces are beautiful too, and I really love the piece beside mine, which was made on a printing stamp of a map of Nebraska counties.  The one just below that moving clockwise was made with a rubber stamp, but then Julie carved the clay to match the edge cut on the design.

 

This was another class group, and Chris was in this class!  His is the flaming piece on the right hand side.  He even worked with Deb ahead of time to design the stamp image and carved it from polymer clay to make the impression for his pendant.  All of the pieces are beautiful and while waiting for the kiln to fire, Julie and I taught the group about Crystal Clay (well Julie taught and I assisted).  Have you had a chance to use Crystal Clay (it is a 2 part Epoxy clay which air dries in 24 hours)?  Too fun and the possibilities are limitless!

Final pieces made.  The top tree piece is for a multi strand bracelet and the matching bead is a double sided lentil bead wit a different tree on the other side.  Very cool! 
Chris and I are looking forward to playing with the PMC more in the future! 

7th Bead Soup Blog Party Sign Ups are Today!

Sign Up Today to Participate!

Here are the pieces I have made in the past Blog Hops!

Memories and Thanks Blog Hop

 Today is the Memories and Thanks Blog Hop!

The full list of participants are at the end of my post.  Thanks to Lori Anderson for hosting the blog hop.

 In November, I signed up for Lori Anderson's latest Blog Hop and had every intention of making a piece to honor a friend.  However, I have been sick pretty much since the signups and that has completely zapped my creativity and strength.  So instead, my wonderful husband Chris, suggested I blog about the Memorial Pendant fundraiser we designed this fall.  This was the original post from September.


After the devastating accident on September 5, Chris and I were asked if we could design a memorial pendant for a fundraiser for the families of the victims.  To help the kids get through the week during the funerals, the school came up with this design and it was used on football helmets, volleyball & softball jerseys, and cross country uniforms.

We used this as the premise for our design.

We used 4 crosses from Tierracast and with them being graduated in size, they hang together like the memorial design.  We also wanted to represent the individuals lost, so we designated each a special cross.

The individual cross photo shows which cross is for each person.
Here is why we chose what we did:

Caroline, small and delicate since she was the youngest and smallest.

Dustin, Celtic because he was more artistic and a free spirit.

Travis, simple and rugged for a farming guy, a bit larger since he was older than Dustin.

Marla, floral since she loved gardening, about the same size as Travis's maybe a tiny bit bigger.

All the charms together represent the tragedy as a whole and all those that were involved.

The fundraiser was hugely successful, raising more than $1700 for the Family Memorial fund.  I could not have done the project at all if my good friend Viv, (her shop is Dragyn's Fyre on Etsy), had not helped me get a great price and the quantity of supplies I needed to put the pendants together.  She was a huge help and I hope you will stop by and check out her shop.  She has a huge selection of Tierracast and great prices too.

I also want to thank Pam Schwab, for asking us to design the jewelry for the project.  She did most of the leg and phone work and that was a HUGE help.   

Chris and I were overwhelmed with the response to the pendant demand. We were honored to create a tribute to the victims of the accident.  We sincerely hope the opportunity never presents itself again.

Hostess, Lori Anderson       Pretty Things

 Adlinah Kamsir                   Dream Struck Designs

 Aimee Biondolillo               Aimee's Jewelry Treasures

 Alicia Marinache                 All the Pretty Things 
 Andra Marasteanu               Handmade by Indra Marasteanu 
 Andrea Trank                      Heaven Lane Creations
 April Grinaway                   Brooklyn Bead Goddess

Barb Solem                         Vivi Magoo Presents

Becky Pancake                    Becky Pancake Bead Designs

Beth Emery                         Stories by Indigo Heart

Bonnie Coursolle                Jasper's Gems

Cassi Paslick                       Beads: Rolling Downhill

Catherine King                    Catherine's Musings

Cece Cormier                      The Beading Yogini

Chandra Leitz                     Juniper Goods

Charissa Nesler                   FireStorm Designs
Charlie Jacka                       Clay Space

Christina Hickman              Vintage Treasures Jewelry

Christine Murrow               Charis Designs Jewelry
Christine Stonefield            Sweet Girl Design

Chrizette Bayman               Bead Soup Mix

Cindy Wilson                      It's My Sea of Dreams

CJ Bauschka                       4 His Glory Creations by CJ

Crystal Thain                      Here Bead Dragons

Cyndi Lavin                        Beading Arts

Debbie Rasmussen             A little of this, a little of that

Denielle Hagerman             Some Beads... and other things I like
Diana Gonzalez                  Arte y Poemas

Diane Hawkey                    diane hawkey

Dita Basu                            ankarshilpa

Donetta Farrington             Simply Gorgeous

Dyanne Everett-Cantrell     Deeliteful Jewelry Creations

Emma Todd                        A Polymer Penchant

Erin Kenny                         beadiful therapy

Erin Prais-Hintz                  Treasures Found

Gina Hockett                      Freestyle Elements

Gloria Allen                        Innovative Dreams Jewelry

Heather Marston                 CSW Designs

Inge von Roos                    Inge's Blog

Iveth Caruso                       Creative Atelier

Jacqueline Marchant          Fiddledeedee Jewelry

Jami Shipp                         Celebrating Life!

Jean Yates                          Snap Out of it Jean, There's Beading to Do!

Jennifer Reno                     Musings of a Crafty Jenny
Jenny Robledo                   Peppa's Dream

Jennifer VanBenschoten    Jewelry, Art and Life
Jessica Klaaren                  Cellar Door Jewelry

Jessica Murray                   Whimsical Monkey

Joan Williams                     lilruby jewelry

Jo-Ann Woolverton            It's a Beadiful Creation

Joanne Browne                   josjewels1

Jodie Marshall                    Jodie Marshall Lampwork Beads Wearable Art

Johanna Rhodes                 Fire Phoenix Creations
John Rasmussen                 Rasumussen Gems and Jewelry LLC

JuLee Wolfe                       The Polymer Penguin

Julie Bean                           Blue Pig Blog

Karen Mitchell                   Over the Moon Designs

Karin King                         The Sparklie Things Blog
Karin Slaton                       Backstory Beads

Kat Douglas                       Washoe Kat's
Kay Bolton                        Toodles and Binks

Kelly Hosford Patterson     The Traveling SideShow

Kim Ballor                          Vitamin C ... A Daily Does of Creativity

Kim Dworak                       CianciBlue

Kim Houston                       The Pink Martini
Kym Hunter                         Kym Hunter Designs

Laren Dee Barton                Laren Dee Designs

Lea Avroch                          LA Jewelry Designs

Leanne Loftus                      First Impression Design

Liddy McLaughlin               Liddy McLaughlin Art

Linda Florian                       Lily's of the Valley Jewelry & Creative Creations

Linda Inhelder                     Must-Haves Jewelry

Lisa Hamilton                      Simply Irresistable Jewelry
Lisa Suver                            Fancee That

Lori Bowring Michaud        Artfully Ornamental

Lori Poppe                           Adventures in Creativity with Lorillijean

LouAnn Elwell                    Southpass Beads

Mandi Effron                       Craft-o-licious

Marcia DeCoster                 MadDesigns

Marcia Dunne                     The Alternative Foundry

Marie Covert                      Creating Interest

Marjorie Savill Linthwaite     bennubirdrising

Marlene Cupo                        Amazing Designs by Marlene

Martha Aleo                           Ornamento

Marti Conrad                          Marti's Buttons -n- Beads

Mary Ellen Parker                  BeeTree by m.e.

Mary Govaars                        MLH Jewelry Designs

Mary Lindell                          Mary Lindell Artisan Jewelry

Maureen Connolly                 Mrs Beadsley's Workshop

Maybeline Tay                       The Jewelry Larder

Melissa Elgin                         The Addicted Beader

Melissa Mesara                      one-eared pig beads

Menka Gupta                         Menka's Jewelry

Michaela Pabeschitz              la mar de bonita

Mischelle Fanucchi               Micheladas Musings

Mona Rae Baroody               Who Does She Bead She Is?

Nan Emmett                          Spirit Rattles -- Spirited Earth

Nancy Pedersen                    Something Heartfelt by Nancy

Natalie Davidson                  NorthShore Days
Nikki Douglas                      Bead It and Weep

Pam Farren                           re-maker

Pam, the Crazier Sister        The Crazy Creative Corner

Pam Traub                            Klassy Joolz
Priya Krish                           Hellopalz 
Rebecca Anderson               Song Beads

Rebecca Sirevaag                 Becca's Place

Robin Kae Reed                   Artistry HCBD

Rochelle Brisson                  a creative chelle

Rosa Maria Cuevas              Helena de Troya

Sabine Dittrich                     perlendschungel

Sandi Volpe                          Sandi Volpe

Sandra McGriff                    Creative Chaos

Sarah Goode                         Pookledo
Sarah Singer                         String a Song of Sixpence

Serena Trent                         All Things Made Jewelry

Shai Williams                       Shaiha's Ramblings
Sharon Palac                        Sharon's Jewelry Garden

Sharyl McMillian-Nelson    Sharyl's Jewelry & Reflections

Sheila Davis                         Stone Designs

Shelley Graham Turner        Fabric of My Life

Sherri Stokey                       Knot Just Macrame

Sherry Baun                         Unicorns Jewels

Skylar Bre'z                         Brising Beads

Stephanie Haussler              Pixybug Designs

Tania Spivey                        Moobie Grace Designs

Terri G.                                Blooming Ideas

Terry Carter                         Tapping Flamingo

Terry Matuszyk                    Pink Chapeau Vintage Jewelry

Toltec Jewels                       Jewel School Friends
Tracy Kruse                         Goldkisses Art

Tracy Martin                        Nutkitten's Jewelry

Zia Parks                              Anzi~Panzi's Work Shoppe

Zoe Marcin                          Beads, Tea and Sweets

If you would like to participate in the next Memories and Thanks Blog Hop it will happen next year on January 12. 

Newbie Beading Boot Camp, Part One...

Yesterday, I was a guest blogger on Artisan Whimsy for the Jewelry Designers Blog Team.  Here is the post in it's entirety.  Not familiar with Artisan Whimsy, stop over through the link above and create your own page.  There are lots of artistic groups for whatever your interest, and it is a wonderful way to connect to other artists!


In the beginning there was The One Bead...

The One Bead is what started my life as a beader.  My husband and daughter gave me the bead for my birthday about ten years ago, and as I tell people, "it is a slippery slope from the first bead to drowning in a house full of beads"!

I chose this topic because as a "Bead Girl" working part time at Julie's Xpression's (a local bead store in Hastings, NE), I often teach beginning beaders the basics to beading.
Newbie Basic Beading Boot Camp:

1. If at all possible go to a bead store or find an experienced beader to help you get started.  This will help you avoid being overwhelmed by all of the choices available and walk you through the basics.  You can certainly learn what you need to know on-line, but having someone teach you one on one is a wonderful experience.  I am a visual learner and it is far easier for me to pick up a technique if someone is there to guide and correct me than if I am trying to read about or watch a video on the technique.
2. Buy the best tools you can afford. The tools are going to be with you for some time to come, so spend a bit more to get the better products.  The basics I advise starting with are:  a crimping tool, a round nose pliers, a flat or chain nose pliers (I prefer the ones with no grooves on the nose so they don't mar your metals), and a good pair of flush cutters for snipping.  These are my mainstays.  I also use bail making pliers for nice rounded bends, but those can wait until you are a more advanced beader.

(photos courtesy of Fusion Beads)

1. Start with the best foundation materials you can afford.  I use only SoftFlex brand wire because I trust it to hold up to wear and tear.  I use the basic silver color because it really won't matter what color it is when it is covered with beads and the .014 Diameter, 21 Strands, size.  Yes, it comes in other colors and sizes, but this is the one that will fit a wide variety of beads and it is more widely available that some of the other widths and colors.  For 99% of my bead stringing projects I use 2x2 crimp tubes made of Sterling Silver.  Yes, they come in other colors (gold, antique brass, gunmetal, copper) and yes I do use them.  However, as a starting beader, go basic.  Sterling crimps are extremely durable and forgiving.  They can be bent more than once or twice (which helps when you are getting started) without falling apart.  If you are doing a beading project in a different color of metal, just add a coordinating crimp cover to hide the sterling silver crimp. 

(photos courtesy of SoftFlex Company)

1. When you are starting in beading, choose beads you like and that are of good quality.  Another of my favorite sayings is "Cheap beads make cheap jewelry".  Anyone can string beads together and call it jewelry.  When you "design" jewelry, you put thought and time into your project.  You think about the colors and sizes of your beads.  I also consider the "comfort" of a design.  I am less likely to wear a piece of jewelry that is poking me.  Tidy the ends of your wire near the crimp so they are not sticking out or have rough edges on them.  I try to run my beading wire back through two or three beads at the end of the length.  Not only does this prevent them from poking out, but it gives you an additional length of wire to work with "if something goes wrong" and you have to tear things apart.  You can remove a crimp from a design if you do it carefully without totally destroying the wire, and then you have a bit extra length to correct the problem.  I also make an effort to look back over my design before I finish off that last crimp.  I really get aggravated when I have a project finished and I have one bead out of symmetry.  Fine if it is supposed to be asymmetrical, but if it is a "matchy, matchy" design (sides mirroring each other), that one missing or additional bead can be a "blight" to the effect you are working toward. 
2. Finally, make jewelry that makes you happy.  Start a project with beads you like.  I am EXTREMELY fond of crystals, and love designs that have sparkle in them.  However, if you like or love the beads you are working with, a design will come together far easier than it will if you are uncomfortable with your medium.  I have made designs with beads I hated, but it was an unpleasant experience and I don't like to repeat those.  If you are spending time doing a hobby that you love, you don't want cursing and black clouds to mar the time you spend with your craft.  I find too, that if I love a design, others will too.  Granted not everyone shares my tastes, but that doesn't matter if the jewelry makes me happy.  I love to use beads that have a story to tell.  When my customers are in my booth, I can sell a piece of jewelry with the story those beads tell.  Not always, but it happens more often than not.  Regardless of my ramblings, stick with the beads you love and others will love what you create. 

And if not, it still makes you happy.  That is the most important part of any design process.
I have tried to cover the basics and yes, I could go on and on and on about beads and my philosophy behind designing.  But this is not about MY beading, this is about getting YOU started on your addiction beading.

And a Prosperous New Year...

Peace & Joy = Kitties & Beading

Gosh, my blogger profile tells me I haven't posted here since December 6th~!  Goodness, I am sorry for my long absence!  What have I been doing?  Probably the same things you have, preparing for Christmas, struggling to keep up and dig out at work, fighting a persistent and annoying infection in my armpit and lymph nodes, and generally wondering where the days go.  I have no idea how it comes to show December 26th on my calendar.


We are starting to look ahead to the new year and our schedule for shows.  At this point I am still exhausted from this year's show schedule so not really jumping up and down yet about this.  But I will be.  Chris & I do really enjoy the shows and visiting with customers and folks who visit the booth.

Here are some of my favorite pics from this year:

My Winning "Garden of the Dead" contest entry

Tropical Beaky Bird necklace

Moon Marble Crazy weekend

Marble selections by Chris

Necklace design by Chris

Mina's award winning weaving

Penguin Bridal party and dachsunds

Hi!

Marbles on display at Marble Crazy

Marble by Chris in stand by Frank Brooks

Nick's graduation (nephew and our nephew Matthew's but couldn't find those pics)

Trip to the Traveling Titanic exhibit, in Kansas City in May with Caitlyn (niece) and Mina

Mina and Caitlyn goofing around at lunch

Chris & I with our "boarding passes"

Mina at Shrine Band Camp

Western Penguin Pals

Red Creek Jasper set

Mimi

Holiday open house with Frank & Deb Brooks

Memorial fundraiser for victims of bus/semi accident

Nest/willow set for Bare branches bead Challenge

Hope your 2013 is beadiful and bright! 

Random Post

Hello!  This is a Random Post.  What does that mean?  Random thoughts, Random photos, basically a rambling, random post where things don't really connect cohesively.

Recent Bead Challenge with The Jade Dog...

Darcy Horn, owner and artist behind one of my favorite bead companies, The Jade Dog put together a November Beading Challenge with winners receiving gift certificates to her store.  I didn't win or place for a gift certificate, but it certainly was a CHALLENGE!  I had one thing in mind when I started but the final piece was quite different from the original idea.  Mostly, I was in a time crunch and really didn't like the way the "vision" was turning out.  So I tore it apart and changed it.  I finished last Thursday while I was home sick, which was convenient since it was due on Friday!  This was the first attempt at making beaded fringe on a bead embroidery piece, and I need more practice.

Memorial Pendant wrap up...

For the past couple months, we have been working on Memorial Pendants for a fundraiser for the families devastated by the school bus-semi accident near Blue Hill in September (my original post can be read here).
We designed a pendant which contained an individual cross for each person lost in the accident, but that would hang cohesively as a group pendant.  With the help of my good friend and favorite Tierracast supplier, Viv from Dragyn'sFyre, we kept costs low and we donated all funds less our supply costs to the memorial fund.  We originally made 100 pendants/necklaces and 2 pair of earrings with single cross designs.  All of those were sold, and we created 17 more pendants and earrings with single crosses.  We sold almost all of those and the remainders we taken apart to make up 7 pair of earrings for one of the families for an order for Christmas gifts.  All told we estimate (haven't written the final check yet), that we raised $1600 for the fund.  We are now finished with the project, and while I am glad we could design something that was a beautiful tribute to the lives lost, I hope I never have to design something for another tragedy.  Heart wrenching.

Chris's Big Marble Order...
Chris was thrilled to receive a special order for 15 marbles for a gal for Christmas gifts for her friends and family.  She gave him a list of colors preferred by her giftees.  Here is what he created:

Very fun and creative gift idea!  She was thrilled with what Chris created and added a couple others to her purchase.

Pretty Designs...

This piece was sold on Saturday at our last show, but it was one of my favorite designs created this year.  The pendant is a Humblebeads piece from Heather Powers.  I put lots of Czech glass, matte finish Chinese crystals, and galvanized Lucite leaves from The Hole Bead Shoppe together on antique brass rolo chain.  Beautiful.  I love to do nature pieces, and am always on the hunt for focals to work a design around.

Finally...
One week of anticipation left!!!!

The Hobbit (from IMDB)

I am such a Lord of the Rings addict!!  I couldn't get enough when the first three movies came out, and I am SO excited to see the next three!  Premiers next week, and I will be seeing it with Chris (and dragging Mina kicking and screaming) as soon as possible!!!