Lampwork Focal Giveaway

 I was contacted a few weeks ago by Pascal, owner of Querbeads on Etsy, wanting to donate a bead for a blog giveaway! This is the bead- it has gorgeous colors and is encased in clear glass. The depth of color is amazing, and it just cannot be portrayed accurately with the camera but I promise you, you will not be disappointed.

 

 ***To win this bead, please leave one comment on this post -

say whatever you want but make it interesting.
I already know you think the bead is pretty.
Tell me something I don't know! ;)


I will pick 1 random winner 24 hours from now, tomorrow, Friday, July 1.

If you would rather shop at Querbead instead, Pascal is offering 15% off with coupon code lorelei !

Chain of Events

Tuesday I bought more of these than I needed. Would someone please tell Jade Scott to stop making such pretty things?

I also splurged on these. Tell me you don't get butterflies just looking at these? I can't wait to feel them in my hands.

Because of this, THIS has run dry. I mean really dry. I mean, I- hope- I- don't- get- my- etsy- bill dry.

Without this, I can't buy these and my goodness, I NEEEEEEEEEED them like I need a hole in the head but tell me these don't make you squirm in your seat?

To get me some of these, I've decided to offer one of these. A great way to clear out a stocked shop, and to stock up on pretties so I can create  jaw dropping pretties with these stones.

Head on over to etsy,
shop shop shop and use
coupon code
ilovestones
to receive 20% off!




post script: Come back a little later today, I have a bead giveaway!

Earrings

 

what can i say about Ezel copper findings??

love love love them!

get em both here.

Tute for Tuesday

Sweet Songs of Summer It's always a cool effect when using several art beads together in one finished piece. As soon as I spotted these new openwork lace pendants from Cynthia Thornton's blog, I knew that several used together would be powerful and unique!

Materials:

1 Edward & Lilly Stitched pendant
4 Openwork Pewter Lace pendants from Green Girl Studios
4 Coral tube beads (Emmi Beads, Clinton NY)
4 wood tube beads (Emmi Beads, Clinton NY)
4  antiqued silver 4mm jump rings (NY Beads)
2 gunmetal or silver crimp tubes (Beadalon, Michaels craft store)
1 Silver Del Sol toggle from Lima Beads
matte green bumpy seed beads (NY Beads)
18-19 inches of .18 beading wire (Soft Flex Co.)

1. Attach 1 jump ring to the ring in the pendant, and another jump ring to that jump ring.
2. Attach 1 jump ring to the toggle ring, and 1 jump ring to the toggle bar.
3. String 1 crimp tube. Thread the wire through the jump ring on the toggle bar, pass the wire back down through the crimp tube. Crimp tightly with crimping pliers.
4. String approx 50 matte green seed beads. Pass the wire through one hole of a pewter lace pendant, string 1 coral tube, and pass the wire through the second hole of the pewter pendant. String 1 wood tube. Pass the wire through the second pewter lace pendant, string 1 coral tube, pass the wire through the second hole in the pewter pendant. String 1 wood tube. String the wire through the jump ring on the pendant.
5. String 1 wood tube, 1 pewter pendant, coral tube, 1 wood tube, 1 pewter pendant, 1 coral tube. String approx 50 matte green seed beads.
6. String 1 crimp tube. String the wire through the jump ring on the toggle ring. Pass the wire back through the crimp tube, crimp tightly. Trim any excess wire with flush cutters.

If you can't find all the materials to create this piece, use your imagination and substitute different tube beads or different seed beads, or a different clasp or pendant.  The result will be awesome and even more unique to you!

The Bead Pod is open again

I am destashing the studio this week.  Started this process yesterday and you can find a few items still left in the shop this morning. I hope I can get get a good amount posted. The studio is a disaster. Be sure to keep your eye on the shop as I will be posting little updates throughout the week.

Joe is officially on his annual camping and fishing trip this week. I was a pms'ing nightmare the day he left but am feeling better today. And in case you picked up on that, nope- not pregnant yet. Which added to the upsetness considerably. Better luck this month.
Maybe I should start another blog. to discuss things like that. Maybe you are all cringing right now. ugh!

I have been such a clutz the last few days. Yesterday I dropped an old container of cottage cheese and it went ALL over the floor. Have you ever tried cleaning up dumped cottage cheese? omg. whatamess.
This morning I woke up and came downstairs to a beeping alarm. Took me 10 minutes to figure out where it was coming from. The freezer was left ajar all night and the fridge was telling me to close it with an alarm.  Everything was all melty. Wonderful.
Went to pour a coffee, nothing. I had forgotten to add the water to the pot last night so it never brewed. Then the damn thing nearly blasted my head off with a puff of steam as it was open. Nice.

yep,
it is definitely monday.

I Heart Macro

Sustenance...

chopped green olives, philadelphia cream cheese, sesame bagel

Sue Beads Challenge

I was one of the lucky ones picked to participate in Sue Kennedy's blog challenge. She provided the participants with these cool enameled flattened flower shaped components.
When I first spotted them on her blog, I thought that there were a million things to make with those! But then I got them and was stumped for a good while.

I am so excited to see what all of the other participants create with their components. It's a really talented group:
Courtney,
Pam Ferrari,
Mary Harding,
and Kim (Will post a link later when I find out if Kim's pieces will be shown at Sue Beads blog.)




The RESULTS:



I eventually got the idea to layer them with some pretty colorful vintage tin. I received blue components, and the color goes perfectly with the floral pattern on the tin. I centered these layered components on some shallow bezel links from Vintaj Brass Co. I linked them all together using screw rivets from Objects and Elements. Kept it simple with some brass rollo chain around the back. I love how it turned out.

 

I also made some matching earrings where the flowers are dangling with faceted yellow jade rondelles and red lampwork headpins from Gardanne Beads, on some etched brass link chain.

Be sure to hop around to the other blogs to see what everyone did with their Sue Beads Components! This was a really fun challenge, THANK YOU SUE!

Friday Favorites

metamorphsupplies

CBandCo

Eva Thissen

PetSalad

embellissezzlareine

YolandasClay

Pips Jewellery

And my favorite, Vicci Martinez, from The Voice, singing Dog Days are Over, by my new favorites, Florence and the Machine.

Moss Laden Forest Floors

 Although a simple design, it took me a long time last night to put this together. I had one of those random beading moments but sometimes this doesn't work out as it's coming together- there are last minute changes.  Originally had planned for leather cording to go around the back, but couldn't figure out the right clasp system so I added some antiqued chain which lent well to the pewter heart button (green girl studios) clasp that fits perfectly in one of the holes of this large moss green ceramic focal from Round Rabbit Extra.

 The lampwork glass mushroom is from The Bead's Nest, from Limabeads.com. The stone rondelles, (yes, you read that right, they are STONES!) I bought at a bead shop in Madrid. I am clueless as to what they are. They have a cool matte finish.  Added a carved ebony wood round for some color and texture.

I love the large and small hole variations of Nancy's focal. The possibilities are endless! I added this floral brass ring from Vintaj Brass Co. just as an embellishment.

Stocking up on clasps

I tend to fly through clasps. So I stocked up today at Limabeads.com.  The collage above shows what I got. Some toggles, buttons, hook clasps in silver and brass, , copper toggles from Patricia Healey, swirl hooks from Green Girl Studios, and some awesome barbell chain. AND! See that cool sunshine shaped link? That's something I hadn't seen before, A green girl studios Shibuichi link. VERY COOL! These are on my wish list for next time.

I love this site, it truly is one of my favorite online shops. I don't know if I ever told you this but Limabeads was the first online shop I bought beads from back in 2007 when I first started beading. I can remember splitting the order with my friend Tara, we got a couple of strands of stones.  They are one of the best sites for varieties of stones and now they are getting all of these cool Czech beads, Artisan beads, chain, pearls etc etc!!
The newest feature of the site is their new Create & Learn center where you can learn everything from how to use resin, to stringing techniques. Maybe this will be the place where I can get a good handle on the whole Resin mystery.

Oh and it was very cool, I got to meet the owners, Kevin and Ali Sly at Bead and Button! That was surreal! They are the nicest people and so passionate about their website and business.

 I am working together with Shannon of ForMySweetDaughter, to start the next beading challenge and we are shopping at Limabeads this time around. But the exciting part is, they are going to be putting together kits for shoppers - so they can purchase everything all at once! Don't worry, I'll talk more about all this soon!

Summer Solstice

don't be afraid of color!

Tute for Tuesday

I have this new goal to do more tutorials, like once a week, on Tuesdays. Here's the first one! I hope you enjoy it!

Materials:
1 Ceramic Lock- Diane Hawkey
1 Skeleton Key- Ornamentea
1 Ceramic Round Link- Round Rabbit Extra
5 Drilled Beach stone Links- Stone Studios Too
5 Lapis tube beads- Similar: LimaBeads
11 inches of Blue Patina twisted bar chain- MissFickleMedia
11 inches of Vintage Disc chain- One Piece at a Time
10 inches Brass 20g wire- Patina Queen
1 Brass 15mm split jump ring- All jump rings from Vintaj Brass Co.
2  Brass 10mm split jump rings
13 Brass 7.25mm split jump rings
3 Brass 4.75mm split jump rings
10 Gunmetal 4mm metal rounds- Fusion Beads

1 Brass Shepherd's hook clasp- Vintaj Brass Co.

1. Attach a 7.25mm jump ring to the lock pendant, and to the skeleton key. Attach both of these to the 15mm jump ring.
2. At one end of the disc chain and the bar chain, attach 2 4.75mm jump rings. Using one more 4.75mm jump ring, attach both ends of chain and attach this to the 15mm jump ring.
3. On the opposite end of chain, attach a 7.25mm jump ring. Attach a 10mm jump ring to one hole of the ceramic Round link, and slide on the jump ring with the chain.
4.Attach a 7.25mm jump ring to the other hole in the ceramic link.
5. Cut 5 pieces of wire, each 2 inches long. Form a simple loop at one end, string 1 metal 4mm round, 1 lapis tube, 1 metal 4mm round. Form a wrapped loop. Repeat this step for all 5 lapis tubes.
6. Attach one of the lapis tubes to the 7.25mm jump ring on the ceramic round link. Start forming the chain by attaching a 7.25mm jump ring, 1 double drilled stone, 1 lapis link. Repeat, alternating lapis tubes and drilled stones. On the last drilled stone, attach a 10mm jump ring and the shepherd's hook clasp. The clasp will attach to the ring with the lock and key.

No l

If you have no interest in making this necklace and you'd rather buy it, it's now available in my Etsy store!
 no longer available, sorry!

Art Bead Scene Challenge: Ophelia

Crescent Moon and Face: Gaea
Lampwork headpins- Gardanne Beads
Swarovski crystal flowers
Pewter fairy button- Green Girl Studios
Czech glass
Rough stone ovals
Ceramic ring- Joan Miller Porcelain
Gunmetal seed beads
Blue stone rounds
Yellow faceted jade rondelles
Brass wire
Brass flower- Vintaj Brass Co.

....What a blast I had putting together my submission for the June ABS Challenge! I started pulling out coordinating beads this morning and finished the necklace late this afternoon.

I pulled the colors directly from the painting, in that very literal way that I do. This was the easy part. But stringing them in a way where the wire wrapped lampwork head pins and crystal flowers didn't seem awkward was a bit more of a challenge. I love how the crescent moon echoes not only the color from the painting, but also that curved shape at the left of the picture. 

There are so many great submissions this month, this painting really did inspire so many wonderful designs! If you haven't checked it out, head on over to the flickr group!

And if you haven't submitted anything, you have until June 30th! Get inspired!

Service Announcement

Best Weekend Ever!

What a super time I had this weekend. Ohmygosh! I met a ton of cool people, including Danielle Fox of Interweave, Pam Wynn (the best best best roommate EVER!), Yvonne from My Elements, Kathy of AD Adornments,  blog reader: Ellen Wagner, Designers: Lori Anderson, Cindy Wimmer, Erin Prais-Hintz.  I also got to meet Vlad from Golem Studio, MAK from MakuStudio, Cassie Donlen, the owners of Lima Beads, Katie Wall from Fusion Beads, Jennifer of Jangles, Jess and Betsy and Rose from Vintaj. It was awesome!
I also got to see all of my friends too, Diane Hawkey, Melanie Brooks, Lisa Peters, Andrew Thornton.....  I am already counting down the days til next year's show. I hope I'll be able to go again!

Friday when I got into town I bipassed going to the hotel at all and just had the shuttle drop me off right at the convention center, suitcase and everything. Couldn't get in fast enough! I was able to walk around and say Hello to everyone and scope out my favorite beads. Went out for a nice quiet dinner with Diane Hawkey and Melanie Brooks, enjoyed some wine. Went back to my hotel and slept great. Breakfast with Pam Wynn, where I grilled her about her wonderfully talented daughter Heather (my idol!) What a freak she must think I am! ;)
Met up at the show with Heather Trudeau, got a glimpse of that beautiful new baby, and then we shopped our hearts out. After the show, we met up at the Humblebeads table where a bunch of us went out to dinner. After dinner I was coerced into going to Karaoke with Andrew Thornton and Katie Wall. We met up with the fabulous girls of Beaducation- where I enjoyed watching Lisa Niven Kelly and Kate Richbourg sing some of the most excellent karaoke ever. I ran out of steam about midnight and wandered back to the hotel.
Breakfast with Pam on Sunday before heading to the airport for a nice uneventful trip back home!

Oh, you want to see the beads?!  LOL sorry, here they are! (the pic will get bigger if you click it)

1. Green Girl Studios
2. Lisa Peters Art
3. Diane Hawkey
4. Earthenwood Studio
5. Golem Studio
6. Pam and Heather Wynn
7. Wynwood's
8. Z Beads
9. Mini eggs from Karen Elmquist
10. Czech glass and Porcelain beads from Jean Christen
11. AD Adornments
12. Humblebeads
13. C Koop Beads
14. Pair of skull charms from Anne Choi
15. Teensy acorn from Julie Nordine

Of course, I never take enough pictures while I'm at events like this. Just too distracted by all the sparkly beads. I did take a short video with Heather early on on Saturday and will upload it later. But here are a few pics from the weekend.