Bead Table Wednesday

Well, my bead table is full.  Getting ready for this sea glass festival has taken over my studio AND my kitchen.  Here is the kitchen, where I am drilling sea glass and have the earring making taking place.  (my studio is the metal smithing area right now)

Here is a close up of that tray thats waiting to be drilled.  I have some charm necklaces laid out.

Here are the earrings I made last night.  I already had a bunch glued into these bail caps from last year, so I just had to hang them on earwires (they are the one's hanging on the front), but alas, once these sell out I think this style is of the past. I really prefer making the one of a kind earrings.

Here are some of the one of a kind earrings I made with all my bronze clay bits and pieces I showed you a couple weeks ago.

These (below) were some of my favorites

The last pic above is a new style I made with 12g wire ILO the sheet copper I have been using for boho hoops.  I really like them.

So there you have it.  My bead table #2.  Poor family, no place to eat.  I have officially taken over the house.  Well, gotta get drilling.  I need to drill this morning, so when my battery dies, it can re-charge all day and I can drill more tonight.

Check out what other people have on their bead table here. 

What's on your bead table?

Friendship on my Bead Table

Bead Table Wednesday.  haven't done this in a while. 

Well, Gena, this sweetheart friend of mine, sent me a box full of surprises. I am not gonna show them all here, you will all be jelous. I  will be sure to show you them as I create with them though.

It came after a really stressful week.  I feel so behind, and tired, and then this little package of friendship came and cheered me right up.

One of the wonderful things she sent me, was this.

I have wanted one of her anciet pebble (or the tablet) beads for soooooo long!  I just never knew what I would do with one.  They are so gorgeous, and there is so much going on, how do you even begin to design around such a fabulous bead?

Well, this time, I got right to work. I wanted to feel this positive energy, this connection, this friendship in a very tangible way.  I wanted to wear this bead.

I had just finished a bronze fire, and had this piece lying around.

Oh yeah.  I had to pull out the purples.  So a garnet donut and some sari silk will do.

Finished product is on my neck now, and will probably be there all week.  Sorry ladies, this one is mine. 

Love it.  If you have to have one of Genea's beads for yourself, you can grab them here.

Bead Table Wednesday Art Bead Scene Challenge

I feel like it has taken forever to make my Art Bead Scene October Challenge piece!  My studio has been in such disarray that I couldn't even find my pliers to assemble this.  I have had all the pieces laying there, under other things that got piled on top, but just couldn't get in there to create it.  So, after a lot of cleaning, and organizing, and finding of the pliers, it is done and that feels SO MUCH BETTER!!!

Before I show you what I made, I will show you the picture its based on...........................

A Hedgehog in a Landscape, 1643-51

9¼ x 15 in. 23.5 x 38 cm. bodycolor on vellum

by Giovanna Garzoni

I could not wait to make a piece based on this painting.  Nature is such a big theme in my jewelry, that this was perfect!  I also really liked the muted color palatte....all neutrals.  I knew right away I wanted to use one of my fold formed leaves that I made, and some stones as well.  I also thought I'd make a bracelet this time, something chunky, but I couldn't get it to lay right, so it became a necklace, and I am glad it did!

So- I did end up using my fold formed leaf, a smoke fired bead by Artisan Clay, a nice slab nugget of fossil coral, one of my loopTloops in antiqued copper, some little drilled stones from a seller on etsy (I can't remember who, it was sooo long ago) and some awesome ribbon from Lisa Jurist~Mudhound Studio    on etsy.  I made the clasp and matching swirl link as well.  Once I wore this necklace, I ended up wiring the leaf and smokefired bead together so the leaf wouldn't flip....I guess the different weights of them kept making it hang funny.  I didn't get a pick of that, but its all on the back, so it doesn't really change the designs at all.  I really like the creams, browns and greys together and will probably do more pieces in these colors. 

So that is it, all thats on my bead table this wednesday.  Whats on your bead table???

BTW ~ Inspiration and Dimension

Remember these cool shells and things?????

Well, they inspired these.

And that's whats on my beads table!  (check out the flickr group Bead Table Wednesday to see what other artists have on their table)  These are still in the patination process right now.  I cannot even wait to play with these in some jewelry designs!!!!
If you want to see how these flat copper discs.......................

Become these cool 3-D little charms.................................

.................then hop on over to Love my Art Jewelry for my tutorial of how to make them.

BTW and A Giveaway or TWO!!!!!!

Well, Bead Table Wednesday is here again...and its about time I did another giveaway.  First of all, here is what is on my bead table...........

(left)This photo here is a close up of some idea's I have rolling around for Lorelei's C-Koop Enameled Shadowbox Challenge.  I think I love these little boxes.

These (below) are just some wings and such, and a bezel with a Lisa Peters Art Bead that needs to happen.  That wing focal on the bottom broke into all those pieces in the kiln.  I am still not sure why.   Maybe it wasn't fully dried.  Anyway- I was determined to save it....so I riveted it to a copper backing, and its now called, "Broken Dreams".

Ok- and now for the giveaway..................or TWO!

First I have this lovely pendant.  I made it for my sea glass and shell drilling demonstration last Saturday. 

It's a sterling silver bail and swirl, with genuine aquamarine and pink seaglass dangling from it, all adorning a large mother of pearl donut. Its bold and perfect for summer.  It will fit on most chains, it comes with an 18" silver plated snake chain.

The second giveaway is for you jewelry designers. 

This one is for two pieces of genuine sea glass, top drilled, two shells top drilled and one bronze ammonite charm, also top drilled, from my Artisan Accents store.

To enter, leave a comment, and I will pick two winner randomly next wednesday, August 3rd.  You get additional entries for facebooking or blogging or both, but PLEASE leave an additional comment for each way you shared.  Also- make sure I have a way to get ahold of you.  If you do not have a blog or your email linked to your blog, please leave your email in the comment.  If you win, and I cannot get ahold of you, a new winner will be picked.

So good luck, and thanks for checking out my bead table this wednesday!

A Day Trip, A New Discovery and BTW

Last Friday, the family and I took a day trip to LBI, NJ.  The weather was perfection.  We packed some snacks and a lunch and off we went.

We ALWAYS walk out the rock jetty from the light house, to where the bay meets the ocean.  If you have been to see Old Barney, you know where I mean.

Its always a beautiful walk, with little tide pools and lots of cool rocks.

When we got to the end of the island, we had a happy surprise.  The tide was WAY low and there was a ton of "stuff" to salvage on the beach. We found sea glass and shells, and lots of junk (which we try to clean up while we are there).

 The kids could go out sooooo far and never be in deeper then their knees!

If you want to find out about my new discovery, please click here and hop over to Love My Art Jewelry.  Its about a piece of jewelry~ and the beach........................but I won't tell you here!  Sorry!

And, it is Bead Table Wednesday again!  Here is what's on my bead table.........patina'd wings and such. 

I should be doing an Artisan Accents shop update by the end of the week, and these should be part of that.  So stay tuned!


So, how's your summer going???  Any fun trips?  Has it inspired anything new in the studio?

BTW Bead Table Wednesday~ What's Up Guys?

Well- after a long weekend away from my family and lots of prep work the weeks before, I took some time off last week to just hang out with the kids and catch up here. 

Our local library has great summer programs for the kids, and I just love it.  They get rewards for reading, they have free educational and fun entertainment on thursday nights, and the kids get a free book to keep each friday!  I think we are reading more now then we were during the school year.

So, now Tinicum Arts Festival is this weekend....but I am NOT freaking out (seriously~I am really not).  I have lots to sell.  I do need to beef up the bracelet department, and play with the new load of bronze from the kiln, because honetly, I don't think I could do a show without a few new necklaces. But I feel ready (for once) Tinicum is a great show, shady park, GREAT friends and vendors there, and wonderful customers.  It's one of the those places people come year after year, and I enjoy it very much!
I also took some time for me.  I dyed my hair (yes- I do it myself).  I wanted something funky and two tone.  So I dyed the back blonde and left the front brownish / red.  I don't look good with blonde hair against my face- it just doesn't go with my complexion....but I thought this way- I could be blonde and brunette.  I like it~ but it was such a bear to get it light.  Two applications of ultra blonde and a highlight kit later, I get reddish blonde.  I'll take it.  I love redheads.  (I hate taking pics of myself, so please ignore my funny face I am making)

So~ its bead table wednesday again, and all I have is a list and some bronze pieces sitting on my table.  I better get crackin if I want to get these made along with some more of my cuff bracelets.  I made lots of little sea urchin charms- since they were a hit as earrings at the last show, and I have had some orders for them too.  I also made a new mold from a large and really wonderful sea urchin for some pendant size pieces.  I think they will get riveted to some cool copper backings.

What I want to know is, what is pulling you out of the studio this summer?  Your children?  Your garden?  The pool?  There are so many wonderful distractions this time of year!

Kids, Sister in Law, Sea Glass and ~ Bead Table Wednesday

Man- do I miss these guys.  They are home for the summer, and I have been soooo very busy, I can't stand it!  They are doing Bible School this week, so that is fun for them, but I can't wait until next week, when my show is done, and its all about them!

This year, I am trying to manage my time better, but its a learning process.  Now that I make my own components and findings, I am realizing HOW much more time I need to spend getting those things stocked, before I can even begin to create.  So, I am behind.  I had very little sea glass jewerly for this festival, and have been filling my display like crazy.  Its getting there, but its still kinda bare.

A new tradition has kinda formed with my "week before the show" panic.  My sister in law (I just LOVE her~ it is rumored that I married her brother, just to gain her as a sister.  I will not comment on that though...LOL) moved very close to us last year.  So she now comes over one night and helps during my mad dash to finish up.  She does things like sew the little bags for my jewelry, and package up pendants, like these below.  We put on some good tunes, drink a little wine, and gab, and gab and gab (oh yeah- and work too!).  It's extrememly fun.  I look forward to that "break" in my crazy show prep week.   I totally owe some kind of awesome necklace now!  She really rocks.

Now- Bead Table Wednesday.  Oh my word.  Time if flying by.  Ok- here's the table, or a small, semi-clean section of it anyway.

Bezels, charms and sea glass swirls waiting to be assembled!

Yes- I made more bezels, these are all silver.  I just love them.  I used very rare sea glass colors- I thought they deserved only the best.  Well, even thought I knew better, and though I was very careful, my Liver Of Sulphur got under the sea glass.  RRGGG!  This one is ruined.  I thought of selling it for a discount, I mean, I would wear it, but if you are a sea glass collector, it really takes away from the value, of the perfect lime green sea glass.  So, since my sister in laws favorite color is green (and she likes bright colors), and she didn't think this looked bad, I think this will be hers!  She will rock this necklace, and I would be honored to have her own a nice silver piece of my jewelry. 

So thats it.  I need to make charm necklaces today (to which my hubby says, "oh those are my favorite"~ to which I give him funny looks, never realizing he even noticed my jewerly, so sweet!)  I need to make the rest of those pieces laying on my table, waiting to be made into complete necklaces.  I need to wrap some rings, and drill some more glass to take with me.  *sigh*  Getting there.
At least all these earrings are done.  I need to do a few more pairs, but Whew!!!!  I hope that 65 pairs will be ok!

Now- if you all wouldn't mind praying, or doing an anti-rain dance for Lewes DE this weekend, I would appreciate it.  Thanks!!!!!

Now to go and see whats on your bead table, because I miss my bloggy time!

Picture Story of 18 Bezels ~ BTW

Well, it is Bead Table Wednesday again, where we get to show off what is on our bead tables.

What is, and has been on my bead table for three days, are bezels.  I named them lilly pad bezels, due to the texture I gave them.  I wanted to make a lot, so I would have enough bracelets and necklaces for the Lewes DE Coastal Arts Festival next weekend.  Here they are, all 18 (there were 21, but three fell by the wayside, due to complications in the soldering stage.............)

 I thought it may be fun to walk you through the journey I have taken the past three days, while making these.  I like pictures, who doesn't like pictures, so come with me, on a bezel adventure.

First I select the sea glass and items that I want to bezel.  Then I trace a larger outline on copper, cut it out, file and sand the edges.

 Next, I match up the items with their copper counterpart, and trace them so I can add the texture to the outer portion of the bezel.

 Three: texture added.  I use the flat back side of my rivet hammer and slowly turn the copper as I hammer to acheive that sunburst pattern.  I then make sure the hammer the entire piece flat so the bezel will lay flat.

 Four: measure, cut and solder the bezels.  This part I hate.  This part has no pictures.  Once they are measured, cut and soldered, I then sand the bottoms flat, and then solder them to the copper.  This portion took me ALL DAY yesterday, about 8 hours!

 Five:  clean them and shine them up.  After they are soldered, they go into the pickle pot.  Once the tarnish is removed, I used my dremel to clean them up a bit.  Then I matched them back up with their items to be bezeled.

 Six:  Place items inside bezels.  I glue mine. I know you shouldn't have to if the bezel is right, but it makes it easier when bezeling irregular shapes like sea glass.  Once the glue dries, your item won't move around as you bezel it.

 Seven:  secure the bezels.  I like to use my wood dapping blocks as much as I can, because I tend to go off the bezel as I firm it up, and I don't want to scratch my sea glass!!!  I only use my burnisher at the end.

 Eight: punch holes, file backside to remove any excess lip from hole punch

 Nine: add texture with pliers- bending up and down.  Then sand along back and side edges to smooth again and sand all along bezel

 Ten:  add patina to antique them.  I use gel Liver of Sulphur and apply it with a q-tip (real high tech, right?)  I do this because it gives me the most control.  When you bezel items like sea glass, that are transparent, you don't want any of the L.O.S. to get under the stone, or you will have dark spots on it, and its ruined.

 Eleven:  I rub the LOS off with a dry paper towel.  This really gives the copper and great brown color.

 Twleve:  I polish the silver bezel with a cloth to shine it up, so it contrasts the copper.

Thats all folks!  Easy as pie! (that is sooo sarcastic, my POOR hands and fingers!  I will never take on so many at one time again!)

Now I have to make them all into jewelry.  So I will see you later.  I can't wait to see whats on YOUR bead table here!