Marble Crazy Show this weekend

Ready to head to Kansas for the annual Marble Crazy at Moon Marble Company!  Want more info?  Here is the link: Marble Crazy

Here is a little taste of what we will be bringing!

Hope to see you there!

Bead Soup Ingredients Simmering

Wow, been a couple weeks since my last blog post!  Life is such a whirlwind for all of us, isn't it?  Our past two weeks have included parent-teacher conferences, working at several jobs, prom dress shopping, a blizzard that dumped a foot of snow on us (but that wasn't all bad, we got to be home snowed in a bit), making a tiny beaded couch for a juried art exhibit at Graham Gallery (which contains more than 1000 3mm Czech glass beads), submitting applications for new art shows, and most of all prepping for Marble Crazy at Moon Marble Company in Bonner Springs, KS this weekend.  It is our first show of the "season" (which runs from now until the early part of December...can we say exhausting?).  Chris has around 100 marbles made and I have been furiously putting lampwork designs together for the show.  We will leave Thursday and the show is Friday and Saturday.  Thursday night we will get to visit with my brother, Mark, who lives in Gardner, KS which is south of Bonner Springs.  I had a phone call a bit ago from him, and apparently during a bout of mental insanity, he was out sledding (which I am sure involved 4 wheelers) and hit a tree and now has a spiral break in his leg.  He will have surgery on it tomorrow morning.  Fun times ahead for him! 

Any whoo, I am lucky enough to participate once again in the Bead Soup Blog Hop coming up at the end of March and into April.  I am partnered up with Tari Kahrs, her blog is Pearl and Pebble, and this is what we sent to her:

Chris made the gorgeous spring lampwork beads for her focals, and I put together the rest of the ingredients from my bead horde (yes it has been upgraded from a stash to a horde).  A cute porcelain owl, silver plate chain and flower toggle (my favorite style ever), Chinese and Swarovski crystals, fresh water and Swarovski pearls, Czech glass (beads, flowers, and leaves), a silver branch, plus a variety of other goodies.

This is what I received from Tari yesterday and I AM THRILLED!!!

Sari silk ribbon, a honey bee ceramic focal with matching spacers, lampwork irregular nuggets, ceramic rounds, bronze clay toggle, matte finish Czech glass beads, and gorgeous stamped tile beads.  I am a lucky beader!  Gotta love a bead swap partner who loves Art Beads!  Our reveal date is in the second round of the three reveals.  We are just two of the FIVE HUNDRED people signed up to participate!  I love the Bead Soup Blog Hop parties (invented and hosted by the fabulous Lori Anderson), they are a whole bunch of fun!  You meet other bloggers and beaders from all over the world and are often presented with beads you have never worked with before!  I can't wait to play with them!

Getting ready for Marble Crazy!!!

Hi there everybody!  Guest blogger Chris here.  I have been spending the last couple of months trying to get ready for the Marble Crazy Show at Moon Marble in Bonner Springs Kansas.  Last year, I decided to participate with one month to prepare for the show.  As soon as the show ended last year, we decided to be there again this year.  And to that end, I have been spending part of our down time (mid December through February) getting ready.  Here are some pictures of some of the marbles I will be bringing along. 

Sonoran Eye

Experimental Flower

Green, Purple and Lutz

A fun green marble

Purple Swirl

Multicolor transparent over a white core

Pretty cool, don't you think?  The photos were taken for me by a very talented local photographer by the name of Jason Jilg.  Here is a link to his website.  Be sure to check it out.  He does awesome photography of a variety of subject matter. 

I plan on posting more pictures as the show gets closer so be sure to check back!

New Spring and Summer 2014 Swarovski Colors

I love when Swarovski releases their new crystal colors and shapes each spring and fall!  I always try to share them here in case you have missed them elsewhere on the internet.  Here they are (photos and info from Merchant Overseas).

  Light Silk

Crystal Rose Gold

Crystal Rose Gold Pearl

There are also a bunch of new shapes pieces which you can read more about here.

Going Hi Tech

I am posting this using my new Bluetooth keyboard I purchased today for my iPod mini. Yikes! Very hi-tech! Chris and I also purchased a new camera for taking jewelry and bead pictures, which he has been playing with since we got home this evening. Wow, what a zoom! Chris took a picture (very clear) of my eyeball from the kitchen, a room away! Nice! He also took a nice picture of Suki, who spends as much time as possible with her "Daddy".  Nice to be able to update the blog without being on the computer in our cold bedroom!

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!