Fossils in Belle Armoire

I have not been hitting the magazine submissions very hard lately- but I was really happy to get this article in Belle Armoire's current issue.  I mean, Susan Lenart Kazmer is has the designer collection in it, how awesome is that?  I love her work....so free form and organic.  

So I was really happy to be in that particular issue (set/oct/november 2015 Fall issue)

So, on page 58-61 you can find my Free-Form Wire Prong Setting article!

It was a lot of fun to do.  They only showed the front of ONE of the pieces though, and I wanted to make sure readers could have a chance to see the fronts of all of them.  Granted, the back is very pretty with all the free form circles and stuff, but the front has the cool stones and fossils.

From left to right there is a crystal, a fossilized horse tooth, a druzy and a fossilized trilobite.  I just love these pieces!  It makes me ready to make more very soon with some of my new druzy cabs I have been hoarding.

Anyhow, go out and get a copy- because not only is Susan in there, and me, but also Cat Kerr, Marlene Quigley, just to name a few!

https://stampington.com/belle-armoire-jewelry

It never stops feeling good to see your work in print.  Everyone should give it a go- you never know!

Bead Fest Spring: Shopping Class and more.....

My mom and Julia accompanied me this weekend to Bead Fest.  We headed out Friday night and stayed at the Marriot Courtyard.   We had dinner, went swimming and enjoyed some girl time together.  

Saturday we ate breakfast and prepared to BEAD SHOP!  The show opened at 10 and I was due to demo at Parawire at 11.  So I made a quick stop at Holy and Pure Gems.....got a nice batch of beads there.  Then we went and said Hi to our vending friends.  

Demo'ing was a lot of fun.  I got to meet some people who follow online.  Its always nice to be able to meet people in person! 

I used parawire to make some of my donut pendants while sitting there- a fun in and out sort of weave that can be used lots of ways- and I made some clasps with it as well.  I found that the Vintage Bronze is my most favorite color.  Sort of like an old antique brass- so rich.  

Then I had an hour to shop before returning to ParaWire. I made sure to go and see my art bead friends again, and we traded for some goodies.  Heather of HMB and Michelle of Firefly Design Studio traded with me for some art beads.  I ended up chatting with them for my break and then back to Para Wire.  

My mom and Julia went to see a movie and then checked out an antique store nearby until I was done the demo's.  Then we shopped.  We made our way around the whole show.  

I got to see CB & Co and C-koop's booth.  Looked really nice, and I just love Kristi's jewelry.  It was even better in person.  I knew my mom would like it too, and she ended up buying a pair of earrings from her.  

 

CB& Co Booth

I made sure to hit Hands of the Hills for my unique goodies and beads- and I picked up an antique brass belt.  Its soooo amazing.  I also got some brass do-dads for the boys, and some other bone antiquities.  

Then, I just peeked in Intrinsic's booth, and ended up with a heavy bag of gemstones.  They also had nice $2 bags of metal beads and Aiden's big request from me was to get him some metal beads.  Julia hit their $1 section.  I told her she could get 3 and when I checked out there were 11 in my basket.  That's my little bead addict!  How could I say no?  

I came home with some REALLY good loot and can't wait to create now.

 left to right:  ammonite faceted beads, matte kyanite top drilled, faceted pyrite, LARGE labradorite beads, two strands of lovely turquoise, antique brass belt, goldish druzy beads and center drilled rutilated quartz

top to bottom- art beads from Firefly Studio, HMB Beads, bone beads, rough kyanite coins, charms from HOH, ammonite donut pairs, grey ammonite pendants, and DRUZIES

 Left to right- recycled glass beads, mamoth bone beads, fossil clam shells, kyanite rectangles, small drilled ammonite beads (for earrings), fossil coral slabs, excellent fire agate faceted nuggets

ceramic bee, headpins and fish by Firefly Designs

HMB Glass disc beads

After a long day of bead shopping I was looking forward to a relaxing girls night and early bedtime since I was due to teach Sunday morning.  But Julia got a stomach bug, and we spent our WHOLE night up in the bathroom.  POOR GIRL.  she felt so terrible.  Thankfully she is such a big girl that she let me sleep a couple hours......it was a REALLY tough night.

In the morning she was still not feeling well, so we checked out of the hotel very very early......my mom dropped me off at Beadfest to teach and ran Julia back home.  Then she turned around and came back to help me with class.  (isn't she great?  I would be lost without her)

Not only did she do that all for Julia and me, when she came back she went into the show and picked me up some of the druzy shell cabs that I was drooling over. 

 She really knows how to cheer me up.  

Despite no sleep, my class went well.  It was a small one, but I think we had fun.....lots of gabbing and creating.  Its a packed class, and in 4 hours we go from a pack of white polymer, wire and beads to a finished necklace.  The ladies were wonderful, and they all made amazing pieces of jewelry!

(really bad lighting in the classroom)

I love when the students put their own spin on the pieces!  Alison Lee made a whole new shape for her focal.  That is the magic of polymer clay, you can make it into whatever YOU want.  Make it just your style.

Though it was an exhausting weekend, I had a blast.  I really LOVE teaching.  I enjoy nothing more then watching those light bulbs go off when people learn something new, and then do it.  They all left with pieces to be proud of and techniques they can use a million different ways.  It is so rewarding!

Now to unpack and get back into the swing of things.  Julia is home today to recover, since she is JUST finally eating this morning.

(just a little mess to put away)

Thank you to all who stopped by and said hello or took my class.

Enjoy your week!

The Last Hoorah

Why is it that when we have little to no time left at all, our inspiration kicks it into overdrive?

I have my last jewelry show of the year this coming weekend

(Crafts in the Meadow- Tyler Park PA...it's a wonderful juried show full of amazing artists)

Since Beadfest I have been dying to play with all my beads.  Not only the ones I have made, but the ones I bought and traded for.

I have been sketching necklaces for weeks, trying to figure out what to make.  I really don't need anymore to fill my booth, but I HAD to make new stuff!!!  I have really been loving the way more and more artists are embracing wire, and wanted to really play with wire this year.  I got to see some of Susan Lenart Kazmers work in person at Beadfest this year, and I love her free form use of wire.  I also loved how she used wire as the back of the necklace in lots of fun ways.....like this piece.

Great use of wire to make a cage sort of neck wire to match the cage on the ammonite. As I admired her work, I promised myself to do even more fun stuff with wire.

This may sound funny, but the piece above sort of inspired this new style. I had originally wanted the wire part in the back of the necklace, but liked how it looked in the front better.  Plus, its is much more comfortable this way.  I love me some fun art jewelry, but it also has to be wearable to me.

They look really nice on as well.  It allows me to let the focal shine, yet still gives some character to the necklace.

I also wanted to make more charm necklaces.  I have always adored charm necklaces, and haven't made any new styles in this past year.  Here are a couple from last year.

I love chunky charm necklaces, and I have tried in the past to do the "over - charmed" look.  Yet I can never make it work.  It always felt too busy to me.  

Then I found this on Pinterest, and I loved that the chunky front was balanced by that wire back that I had been admiring.  I thought I would give the "over-kill" charm look a go again.

The necklace is by Allison Bellows

www.allisonbellowsjewelry.net 

(take a peek, all her stuff is amazing!!!!!!!!!!)

So with this sort of wire in the back, charm necklace idea..I started to draw pictures and think about it. How things lay for me is important, which I think is what always stopped me from completing this style.  I like to be able to see everything and don't want things to turn sideways, or be hidden, ect........... I also need things to be very wearable and comfortable, which to me, means they should be adjustable.  So, I started to play.  I am very happy with the results- and even more happy that I got to use a ton of my favorite beads on each one of these!!!!!!!!!!

This was my first one, not tooooo much charm wise.  I added the sari silk last, because I thought it needed another long element and another pop of color.

I decided to use chain in the front, along with one larger element, and then hang the charms off the chain, so that way, they can still lay sort of flat and be seen.  Plus, it totally allows this to be adjustable.  The hook at the end of the neck wire is where you fasten the chain.  even better, the weight of the charms holds the chain down, so it doesn't come undone.  I also did little spirals at the end of the hook clasp so it couldn't come off easily.

This was my last one I made.....lol!  You can see I made my way to overly charmed!  But i like it.

 I had some very pricey brass chain I had been hoarding (all these chains are handmade solid brass- not made by me) and so, I made this one for me.  I haven't taken it off at all!!!  I love the jingly heavy charm feel of it!

Picture of me wearing it.  It is soooo mine!

This one I just had some fun with.  I had to re-do it quite a few times until it had the right flow to it.

I kinda laughed at myself, because you would think these would be quick to make, just adding this or that, but they all took a lot of adding something, removing something, or shifting it to the side, ect ect.....

Anyhow, I am hooked.  Crazy wire everywhere.  I had more fun then I can even imagine.  I have been sketching and looking at my beads for far too long!  Often when I sketch a new idea, it doesn't always pan out, but I think these did.

If you are planning to come out to the show this weekend (if you are local, you should, it is a GREAT show!) please stop by.  I have lots of new stuff to show you!

Here are some more pieces I made for this weekend.  I still want to spend a couple days doing silver bezels of odd stones.  I have movement in mind with that batch, so we will see how movement and silver bezels end up.

Sorry for the loooong post and all the exclamation points.  It just felt that good to get to play with all this stuff that has been brewing in my brain.

How about you?  Do you sketch your designs?  And if yes, how excited are you when they work out????