Art Beads - not just for jewelry!

by Patti Vanderbloemen

Don't hate me for bringing up Christmas on November 16th...but...we have spent almost all of last week decorating our house for Christmas. Yes...in November....before Thanksgiving. Personally, I despise anything Christmas-related BEFORE Halloween. After that...it's fair game with me! Actually, I am hosting several get together's at my home beginning on Thanksgiving, and I have TONS of decorations that I have accumulated through the years. If it's not done by now..it ain't gettin' done!

The majority of my decorations are handmade. Some from craft shows I have attended through the years...but most have been made by me or my extremely talented mother. She has dabbled in all crafts - ceramics, lapidary, jewelry making, sewing, quilting, crocheting - if I have any creativity at all, it comes from my mother's genes (no disrespect to my Dad)!   

It is a CHORE to decorate: empty plastic bin after plastic bin, move the everyday stuff out of the way and pack it away, dust, arrange, rearrange, put the plastic bins away. It's a workout. But I must say, each year as I open the bins and pull out a special decoration, memories - sweet memories - flood my mind.

While I promise to end this post as it relates to the title - Art Beads - I thought I would share just a sampling of what I have uncovered this past week.

The Snow Babies collection - anyone else remember these? I believe the original "maker" of these gems is Department 56. I have probably a hundred of these hand painted lovelies - most are ornaments - painted by either me or Mom.

Some of my Snow Babies are not ornaments, but stand alone decorations.

My parents lived in Florida for at least 25 years. When I visited, I preferred to stay indoors as I absolutely despise the heat (sorry Karen - way too hot for me where you live!) So, during yearly visits, Mom would plan craft marathon sessions, and we would sit and paint ornament after ornament, while Dad watched football, golf, etc..

This little guy has such a mischievous face...

This one of Mary and Jesus is still one of my favorites that my mom painted - a dry brush technique. The eyes are perfect, which is why I know this is one of Mom's creations and not mine!

My favorite ornaments were made from light bulbs! Yes - light bulbs! Flesh-tone painted (Mom had to paint the eyes), lots of glue and batting, and felt...so cute!

Somewhere - there are matching reindeer light bulb ornaments...but I cannot find them...yet!

One of my trees - I have 3 - is decorated with about 20 of these quilted poinsettia flowers that Mom made just a couple of years ago.

Mom moved in with us five years ago - and her focus nowadays is quilting. I have gorgeous handmade quilts, place mats, and the most beautiful table toppers- for pretty much every single season! Yes...I am blessed!

On to the art beads!

For the past few years, I joined Sally Russick's Ornament blog hop. I loved participating in  this hop - swapping handmade ornaments made with art beads.  

Pam Ferrari gifted me these tiny little treasures a few years ago, made with her lampwork beads. Look at that angel on the left - a bead cone for the body!

Susan Kennedy combined one of her gorgeous handmade lampwork beads with Crystals from a chandelier for this ornament.

I sent Susan Kennedy this ornament, with a perfect holly-themed bead by Donna Millard, and a bit of metalwork by me. 

I was  attempting to recreate the striping on the sides of a drum with wire...for some reason, the song "The Little Drummer Boy" was stuck in my head when trying to come up with an idea.

Last year, my partner was Jenny Davies-Reazor - who pretty much does everything in the World of Art - polymer clay, ceramics, metalwork, bead work, etc. She asked me a series of questions related to my favorite things, and then sent me this sweet felted ornament (yes...coffee is my favorite beverage)!

Every evening - usually by 8:00 PM - I can be found on my sofa - I-Pad in hand.  This is "my time" to peruse Face Book, You-Tube, etc.  Very recently, the very talented Raida Disbrow of Havanna Beads posted pictures of the cutest Santa Lampwork Beads I have ever seen!

I had to have them!  Even the backs have Santa's fluffy hair - in glass.

I knew I was going to make ornaments....but I had no clue what to make. My mother suggested I create a bead frame...similar to this necklace I recently made.

I did not want to use silver, as these ornaments will be gifted - who wants to polish silver ornaments every year?  Not me. So, copper it is.

This "geometric style" frame is a smaller version of these bangles I recently made - very cool technique - squared sides in a circle.

The next bead frame is for a very special lady.  I donate the proceeds from jewelry sales to Miracle Horse Rescue - a sanctuary that has been near and dear to my heart for over 13 years now.  Stephanie and her husband have devoted their lives to rescuing these animals in need.  So, I personalized this bead frame just a little, by soldering a little horse shoe (right side up for luck) to the top of the frame.

I just need to add my ornament hangars, and I am done!

Years ago at Christmas-time, I would be the one wearing the loud, Santa sweater with matching jewelry. Suffice it say, with age, my style has mellowed and it's all I can do to get out of my sweats these days But, I still love to use the beads - and ornaments are a perfect solution for me!

Thank you for hanging in there for my very long trip down memory lane!

Now...go make something beautiful!!

Patti

Evolution and a WILD WILD GIVEAWAY

by Staci Louise Smith

I have been playing with wire again in the studio.  I started making these fun wire chokers last year, but had to take a break because of some shoulder problems.  However, I had lots of great art beads crying to be the focus of a simple necklace again, so I am at it once again.  These looks so amazing on!

They of course started much more simple last year (pictured above- the wire work was not as "much")......

but this year the wire part got to be a bit "more" each time I made them.

Now I am making some metal cages, and wire wrapping around them to create a wire focal of its own, with a pendant being secondary.

I love when my ideas grow and evolve.  I have so much fun taking one of my idea and just letting it grow.  Here are some of my original ones from last year, they started out as going through a donut focal, (which was an evolution from my vertical pendants that go through donuts like this)

and then the wire part grew into being their own focal, no donut involved.

So this is what I have been working on for my next show.  

Since I haven't done a giveaway in FOREVER, I thought it was time.  You can win this necklace below by leaving a comment on this post.  Winner will be picked at random next Thursday.

This is 14g, 16g and 18g copper wire, and a gorgeous pyrite nugget, that the pictures don't do justice to.  it sort of shimmers in the light.  It is adjustable from 15-20"

Value $75

Open to US residents only. 

UPDATE:  International entries welcome, however, you must be willing to pay shipping that is above $3  Please state in your comment you are willing if you are international- thanks!

 Winner will be announced on the blog next Thursday so please check back then. 

Getting Back Into It....

by Staci Louise Smith

Thank you Barb for a great post yesterday.  I have definitely been having a tough time getting back into the creative groove.  I just don't know where to start sometimes after a long break.

Since I will be staying on at the Bethlehem House Gallery for a second show (yay!!!) I decided to start out by making some new things to add.  

I allowed myself some playtime, since there was no real items I had to make.  

I ended up up making earrings to go with my more sculptural chokers that I show you the other week, in my new years post that touches on my extensive procrastination.............

I had fun with them and really liked how they turned out!  Sort of scribble looking, or twig like, either way, I sort of like the randomness of them.  They look great on.....I wish I could get better pics of them being worn.  Too hard to do on my own ears!  I tried anyhow!

I also wanted to make some heart necklaces in polymer, that are similar to these sugar skull ones (that I will be teaching in August at Beadfest).  

That allowed me to play with some polymer clay- since I had to make the hearts.  While I had it out, I made these REALLY fun to wear and bold polymer earrings.  They feel so great on, with the chain allowing them to move and dangle.  Both sides are textured so you don't lose any interest as they move.  Being polymer, they are light and allow a big earring without all the weight.

fronts

backs

I also thought I would try out Claire Maunsell's hollow beads.  She has a great tutorial on it, and I thought they also would be good for earrings....being lighter.  I really enjoyed making them, and think I am going to make some large ones, using my own shape templates.  we will see how that goes.

It felt good to play.  I need to finish up some jewelry today for the gallery- and then I plan to jump into bead making again for a bit.  I miss it, and I need new stuff in the shop.  The sketch book is full of ideas, and I have two fun polymer tutorials I want to try out.  The first one I got is a faux turquoise one from Lynda Moseley, and the other is the faux glass tutorial from Ginger Davis Allman.

I really cannot wait to try out some of these new techniques with my polymer beads this year.  I am chomping at the bit!

So that is it, I need to get to it and finish some jewelry to drop off tomorrow.  Nothing like coming down to the wire to spark creativity.  I hope that you are all finding your creative spirit for 2015!