jenniferbeads

Bead Soup has arrived!

2012-02-03T04:16:00.000-05:00

I just got Lorelei's box in the mail. The box itself is gorgeous with owls. It will be perfect to carry the beads in that I take to beadFX regularly to sell in the shop, much better than the zip lock baggie I usually use. :-) Be sure to check out Lorelei's blog later today for her post on what I sent over to her.

Thank you Lorelei. You truly spoiled me - I adore everything you sent!

Now, onto the goodies!

Scrumptious art beads!

Lampwork headpins from Kelleysbeads

Pewter toggle and buttons from Mamacita Beadworks

Ceramic charm pair and shards from Marsha Neal Studio

Large pendant from Round Rabbit Extra

Bird and Egg from Summer Studios Etc

connector from Gaea

Czech glass and wood beads

Silk and fluffy ribbon!

Coral suede, and waxed linen

So many possibilities for creating! Stay tuned for the Blog hop party on March 3rd. Lorelei and I will reveal our creations on that date.

2 new hearts

2012-01-26T12:06:00.000-05:00

I managed to get up 2 new awesome hearts on etsy. I'm smitten with them for the moment, and about to head back down to the studio to make some more, along with dogtags, and maybe some buttons for those Chan Luu inspired bracelets. I think I need to make myself one of those!

I'm still having camera issues. I just can't get a decent picture out of the loaned camera. It's quite old, and every single picture is coming up insanely blurry. These two were taken on my iphone, which seems to work ok for the bronze items, but not for the lampwork beads. I have a whole whack of beads to post, but they'll have to wait until I get my new camera.

Evil Sneak Peek

2012-01-24T13:03:00.001-05:00

I know, I know.... Here ya go Lorelei! These are now on their way to you. This is so much fun :-) For those of you just tuning in. Lorelei and I are partners in the 5th Bead Soup Blog party. Be sure to check out the link to see all of the participants.

Angry kitty

2012-01-21T10:43:00.000-05:00

Don't ever run out of cat food...even for a few minutes. Yeesh, you'd think we were starving him. The dog ate all of the cat food last night, and while hubby is off to buy more, he just can't get here fast enough. Sam is currently trying to assassinate me by getting under my feet, and swatting and biting at my ankles. So much for my cute little kitten. The sweetest thing ever - unless he's hungry ;-)

A camera!

2012-01-21T08:39:00.000-05:00

Whew, Thank you to my wonderful sis in law for the loan of hers! New etsy listings coming up on Sunday! Both shops will be getting an update, mostly though I've got tons of beads and components for the bead and finding shop.

Today is studio day. I've got a kiln load of bronze to fire, a torch session, and my most important task is of course to finally decide exactly what I'm sending to Lorelei. Her package is shipping out on Monday. I'll post a little teaser then :-)

No etsy listings for a bit

2012-01-18T11:18:00.000-05:00

I mentioned before that my camera is broken. Well, I just spent the last hour trying to get decent pictures of jewelry and beads with my iPhone. It's just not happening. While I can certainly get a decent enough pic of a group of things to post on the blog. The close ups are beyond terrible. I will continue to work on new goodies, and as soon as I get my new camera I'll plan for a massive update on both shops. As much as I'm tempted to run out and get a cheap camera, I think it's best to wait and get the DSLR that I really want. I should have it by sometime in early February - so really, only a few more weeks.

Kids crafting weekend

2012-01-17T10:23:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was primarily spent indoors. 1) It was far too cold to actually go out. Saturday I think it dipped to -20! Sunday wasn't much better. The kids and I pulled out the craft supplies and made these:

We had so much fun! These were made with the regular cheapo craft felt you can find at Michaels. Of course, I'm now lusting over the sumptuous looking pure wool felt I've found on etsy. I just can't decide which colours I want. Some of the shops I've found stock between 50 and 70 colours. I want them all! I will behave though :-)

Bead Soup Blog Party!

2012-01-15T19:25:00.000-05:00

I made it in! I was trying not to keep my hopes up, as there were of course so many entries, and only 200 possible participants. For once, I was one of the lucky ones, and even luckier - my partner is non other than the awesome Lorelei.

Hmmm, now to think about what goodies to send her! Obviously, it's going to have to be something pretty fantastic. I cant wait to see what she does with whatever I come up with.

In other less fabulous news, my camera is still broken. I can't decide if I should wait and save up for the camera I actually want, or just go get a cheap camera until I can afford the one I actually want. Tomorrow, I'll see if I can get a decent picture from my new iPhone. The camera on the newer version is better than the old one, but will it be good enough? I have lots of stuff to post on etsy, so I think I'll give it a shot.

NO!

2012-01-10T09:24:00.000-05:00

Yup, see that above? That's what I get when I try to take a picture from my newish camera. Sigh....I've been on a roll trying to get lots of goodies ready for etsy, as this year was the year I was really going to focus on my jewelry/beads again. According to some research, this problem is fixable by Canon, but will cost about the same as a new camera.

Hubby was going to buy me a new DSLR for my birthday, to replace to SLR that was getting a little old (plus, I lost the battery charger for it). A new battery charger for the SLR I have is very specific and hard to find. The cheapest I found was $120 plus shipping. Since my birthday is not until March, I think I'll either be getting a very early birthday present, or will have to suck it up and buy a new one myself. With the work I do, not having a camera is simply not an option. I can't work without a camera... Off to hunt kijiji. Etsy updates are on hold til I find a new one. I'll still be making stuff in the meantime!

It's time....

2012-01-09T11:52:00.000-05:00

Source: alifeofbeautyandgrace.tumblr.com via frecklesqueak on Pinterest

A new year finally. 2011 kinda sucked to be honest. I'm glad it's over, and more than ready to move on. Today is the first day the kids are back at school, and I just realized that it's completely quiet. I was only tempted momentarily to turn on some music, or the news as background noise while I work. It's blissful the silence, and I think I'll savor it a wee bit longer.

I'm looking forward to the new year, and making some fairly dramatic changes in my life. One, I need to work on time management. Although I work from home, I work on three completely different projects. Two are completely creative, but one of them has me working on all sorts of tasks - everything from data entry, to writing, to design, to customer service. I love it all, but need to better fit the tasks into very specific time slots. It's been too many years of erratic sleeping, and possibly working too much (but not very efficiently). That's my goal for this week - come up with a workable time management plan, and stick to it.

With the erratic sleeping, also came erratic eating. I'm very good about giving the girls healthy meals and snacks. Unfortunately, they eat far better than I do! Dinner is at 6 for them (and us), but when you're still awake at three am - it's too easy to eat again. I can guarantee you, it's not something healthy at that point. ;-) A friend posted a picture of me on facebook from New Years eve. I can't tell you how much I was tempted to delete it. Really, my god...what has happened to me? I think it sometimes takes a picture like that to really give yourself a kick in the ass. I mean come on, there is really no excuse for that. Yeah, I've been busy, and stressed out, and have a recurring health issue...blah, blah, blah... I can come up with excuses for days! It's time to just snap out of it. So that's changing as well - my diet, and damn it, I'll get some exercise somehow.

I also can't wait to really get back in the studio. Bear with me for a week or so while I sort out how I'm going to manage my time both with jewelry/beadmaking, and my other two projects. I'm sure I'll figure it out.

Bead Soup Blog Party

2012-01-07T10:49:00.000-05:00

Signups have begun! The blog party is limited to 200 participants this time around, with the participants being chosen by lottery. I've put my name in, and fingers are crossed that I get a spot!

In other news, I have an increasing pile of goodies to both photograph, and list on etsy. I'll admit, that the editing and listing process is far from my favourite part of the online selling process - and I have a bad habit of letting it pile up to gargantuan proportions, while I continue to blissfully work away in my studio creating even more items to add to the pile. ;-) I've decided that once that number passes 10 (and we're well past that), I will not allow myself to make anything else until they're listed. Both shops will be getting updates today! .... once I've had more coffee.

Latest batch of fast fire bronze

2012-01-05T11:21:00.000-05:00

Squeeee! I'm a little excited ;-) Not so much for the pieces themselves (although, I love how they came out), but mainly for the fact that I've had yet another completely successful firing of the fast fire bronze. I'm now hooked, and I can move past the testing phase. In batches past, I was nervous about spending too much time creating designs, that may/or may not survive the firing process. And lets face it, simple cutouts with stamped texture gets more than a little boring.

I made these last night while watching a few episodes of Work of Art - a reality TV show similar to the project runway theme. While I generally hate reality TV (and this show really isn't much better), I did find I was inspired to create. Made it though 5 episodes - I think I'll break open another pack of clay tonight and watch the rest ;-)

These will be going up on the jenniferbeads etsy site soonish. Still need to clean them up a bit.

Creating your own bustform challenge @ beadfx!

2012-01-04T09:59:00.000-05:00

I'm sharing a post I made on the beadFX blog this morning. What started out as a fairly simple link to a tutorial, turned into a challenge of sorts. I hope you'll come along for the ride - should be lots of fun!

Yesterday's post turned into quite the discussion on facebook. It seems I'm certainly not the only one who has been hoping to find/make a cool bustform for jewelry display! We've started a little challenge, with a few of us vowing to either make or alter an existing form somehow by the end of February. We'd love to have more of you join in, as always the more the merrier! Feel free to reblog this, or share with your friends. The beading/jewelry community is highly creative!

The deadline for submission is February 29th. Send me pics, and a little information about you, and of course your process/artistic vision in creating your bust forms. I've copied yesterday's post below for ease of sharing! And I think this time, a prize will be in order. Hmmm, to be determined - but will most likely involve some handmade beads, and a bit of destash!

Prize will be drawn randomly based on the number of participants. We're not going to judge your artwork!

Send your submissions to jennifer@beadfx.com by February 29th. The reveal post will be very early March - depending on how many submissions we have.

You have almost 2 months - time to get busy!

Here is a copy of yesterdays post - Sorry for the duplicate!

For a while now, I've been occasionally hunting kijiji for a cheap dressmakers judy to use for photographing necklaces. I have some necklace display forms, but really wanted something close to lifesize for photography - or at least bigger than your standard display forms. I came across a tutorial online that I wanted to share with you all. The Polka Dot Closet shows how she altered some inexpensive larger jewelry displays. Maybe we can get Marg to order some of these larger displays - We'll have space once we move!

If you would prefer to go full on out DIY, you can create your own completely from scratch with this tutorial from Linda's Art Quilts.

Here are some decorating ideas no matter which method you choose:

Source: itsy-bits-and-pieces.blogspot.com via Rachelle on Pinterest

Source: vintiquitiesworkshop.blogspot.com via Teresa on Pinterest

Source: crochet.tumblr.com via Krislyn on Pinterest

While these may not have a subtle enough background to actually make your jewelry stand out, they're too awesome not to share.

Source: stampington.com via ms on Pinterest

Source: balzerdesigns.typepad.com via Wendy on Pinterest

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T23:45:00.000-05:00

My New Years resolutions are simply to have none this year. Every year, I make all of these crazy resolutions (lose weight, renovate my studio, make a gazzilion beads per day, etc), only to completely set myself up for failure. My friend Lyndsey mentioned on facebook that rather than set yourself up for complete failure with a resolution, she sets goals. Goals are easily broken down into small attainable steps.

So, with that in mind my first goals of the year are to lose 5 lbs, and work towards managing my time better. I would love to spend more time making beads and jewelry - unfortunately, with my other commitments I find I have nowhere near enough time. I do however spend far too much time on the computer, and a good chunk of it is not hugely productive ;-) This I can most certainly manage!

One of the more productive tasks I've taken care of over the last week, is to separate my jewelry listings from my bead listings on etsy. I've set up a separate shop for my jewelry here. I'm hoping this will make my bead and component etsy site far less cluttered and more cohesive. There's not that much there yet - but that's another goal for the new year ;-)

Recovering

2011-12-28T11:08:00.000-05:00

Christmas Eve, and no, they're not all mine!

...From far too much food. Sigh, I feel like a stuffed sausage ;-) The girls are having an awesome time playing with their gifts, we've been swimming at the Y pretty much every day so far this week - but today, it's just far too cold to even consider heading out of doors.
This is why - Last night, the first snow of the season fell....Then it froze. It's -8 with a windchill of -17, that lovely snowy scene is now a big pile of solid ice.

I think I may just entrust the kids to hubby's care, and have a little playday in my studio. We'll see, i'm not entirely motivated yet to do much more than drink some coffee.

Pre Holiday Blowout Sale!

2011-12-09T10:54:00.000-05:00

Source: 4.bp.blogspot.com via Chandra on Pinterest

Hey folks, it's time for the super fantastic pre-holiday blowout sale. The shop will close at the end of the sale (Monday, December 12th) for the holidays, and I'll be reopening in January with all new goodies. New Year, New Beads! Save 25% off EVERYTHING including all of the lovelies in the clearance sale. Nothing will be renewed during the sale including the made to order beads. Once it's gone - it's gone!! Thank you so much for your support over the years. I hope you have a wonderful holiday with your friends and family.

Christmas planning

2011-11-30T09:33:00.001-05:00

I started making my shopping list for the seemingly million and one folks we need to give gifts to this year. I know, I make it sound like a terrible thing - but when that list is hitting 30 odd people, it gets more than a little scary financially! :-) Not that those wonderful folks don't deserve gifts - they do!!!

I then of course remembered that I have a good supply of soy wax in the basement from when I was making soap and candles before my health problems got in the way. Candles! Perfect gift for just about everyone. I just ordered some gorgeous glass apothecary jars from a local supplier, so I should have these by next week. I also picked up some of those new wooden wicks, and I think I'll hit the local thrift shops for some pretty teacups like these:

Source: etsy.com via Anne Marie on Pinterest

And looking at these, maybe I should have skipped the apothecary jars and just went with this idea:

Source: designsponge.com via Baylie on Pinterest

A perfect handmade Christmas!

I've become a morning person

2011-11-29T09:16:00.000-05:00

Weird...and I'm not entirely sure I like it. The older I get, the harder it seems to be to stay awake at night. Late evening used to be my most creative time - I could do a huge multitude of things between the hours of 11pm and 3am. Now, I can't stay awake much past 11. If I am awake, at best I can get some reading in. Lately, 4:30 am comes along - a cup of coffee later, and I'm raring to go.

This morning I packed up half a large order of these beads. I just loved how they looked all together, and thought I should take at least a couple of shots of them before they go off to their new home.

I'm off to torch - a few more beads to go, and then I'm done! The holiday sale is still active on my etsy site, probably until tomorrow sometime. I still have to edit all of the tags and descriptions to remove the sale notices, and I just won't have time til later tonight.

Busy weekend ahead

2011-11-26T09:02:00.000-05:00

My wonderful hubby has cleared his schedule so that I can spend the entire weekend in the studio. This happens ever so rarely, that I'm just brimming with excitement. Holiday shopping can wait one more week - and with luck, I'll get a few gifts made as well.

The holiday etsy sale continues as I post new items, plus a bunch of goodies that were sadly forgotten about. The kilns are full, and I'm enjoying my 3rd cup of coffee with a break to upload new goodies to etsy and here on the blog. Don't you just love these mornings when at 9am you've already manged to get 3 hours of work in? I feel so blissfully productive. :-)

These and more are in the shop, with heaps more to come!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T23:33:00.000-05:00

To my American friends. Of course, being Canadian, our Thanksgiving was in October, and I'm in full Christmas mode - planning my holiday baking, making ornaments with the kids.

Making a small ton of lampwork beads thanks to Christine!

And planning a little (and hopefully big) update for the Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping weekend. I'll be updating the etsy site starting tomorrow evening - and to continue to update throughout the weekend. Save 15% off all weekend by entering the code 'facebook' upon checkout. As an added little bonus - if you spend more than $50 (after discounts) I'll even throw in free shipping to the US and Canada!

Be on the lookout for new lampwork beads, new metal clay components, some earrings, and other assorted goodies.

Sniffle, wheeze, cough

2011-11-13T10:39:00.000-05:00

Yup, I'm still alive....sorta. As you know both kids got sick, and I thought I was in the clear. Ahhh, nope. I've doped myself up on cold drugs, and for the moment feeling just fine. ;-) My ability to actually do anything other than veg out on the couch, cuddled up in layers of blankets is questionable.

Of course the worst part of all of this, is that my creative juices are flowing very freely, but no abilty to execute any of them. Hopefully, my notes on things I want to experiment with will be sufficient to keep things going once I start to feel better.

Holiday Decorating

2011-11-02T11:16:00.000-04:00

Being a Canadian with our Thanksgiving already long past - I have no guilt about heading full steam ahead into the Christmas season. I'm determined to decorate this year for a couple reasons. 1) My kids are still quite angry at me that they had the least decorated house for Halloween. The night before, my 8 year old dug out some decorations from the basement and proceeded out the front door to 'do it herself'. Man, the guilt. ;-)

Okay, that's the only reason - but it's certainly a big enough one for at least a couple points. This week is perfect, as I really have no excuse not to work on at least a few ornaments. I can't get too much done in the way of actual work. You may remember from my last post that I was home all week with a sick kid. Well, kid number 2 has now come down with the exact same thing. My guess is that she'll be home all this week.

I'll choose some easy projects that can be done in the family room while the little one cuddles on the couch.

I came across a listing of over 100 handmade ornament tutorials - More than a few are absolutely fabulous. I've already wasted about 2 hours today just looking through all of the links.

Have a good week, and hopefully I'll be back with some actual beady stuff next week.

Community Gardening

2011-10-26T14:26:00.000-04:00

Long ago, when I was quite little, my mother would rent a plot of land in a hydro field somewhere in Scarborough to grow her vegetables. At the time, we lived in a town house with about 2 square feet of garden space. Just enough for maybe 2 tomato plants. The patio space wasn't much bigger, and basically fit our picnic table and hibachi barbeque. Container gardening on any decent scale wasn't really an option either. Now that I'm older and have my own house, with considerably more potential garden space, I'm still looking at the community garden model as an alternative. While my backyard isn't huge - it's not completely tiny either. We do have a pool though, and that pretty much takes up the entire backyard.

I've been talking with a few other mothers at my children's school - we're hoping to get enough like-minded folks together to organize a community garden somewhere within walking distance of the Whitby Shores community. What a wonderful opportunity for the local kids to learn about gardening/healthy eating/sustainable living/volunteer work. This weekend, I'll be visiting the Ajax/Whitby community garden in the north end of Whitby. I'm hoping to put aside some time in the new year to volunteer over there at least once a week. I suspect that even if we are able to find the space and raise the funds necessary to start one here - it will be quite some time before we can get our hands dirty.

In other news, it'll be a while before I get a chance to post anything remotely beady - Maya, my oldest has come down with what I suspect is Pneumonia. :-( Tomorrow will be her second doctors appointment this week.

Source: insideurbangreen.typepad.com via Jeff on Pinterest

Source: instructables.com via Eden Nicole on Pinterest

Source: creekside-village.com via Heather on Pinterest

Lazy Sunday

2011-10-16T09:28:00.000-04:00

Source: None via Tara on Pinterest

I love these kinds of Sunday's. Nothing much going on. I'm caffenating myself, listing new resin pendants on etsy, and at some point we'll head out for a walk in the woods, a swim at the Y, play with the kids, and then head down to the studio to fire up the torch. Bliss. I hope you enjoy your Sunday as well!

Bead Table Wednesday

2011-10-12T11:08:00.000-04:00

Happy Wednesday! This week is going far too quickly. Monday was a holiday, but I really could use the day back to complete everything that needs to be completed this week. I've got a whole whack of disorganized projects on my desk:

components I haven't figured out what to do with yet

pendants waiting for resin

And a bracelet that needs to be taken apart ... again (for the umpteenth time). Did you know that brass and copper wire look VERY similar when you're working at 3am watching old television reruns, and the only light is the eerie glow from the TV? Of course, in the light of day - it's quite obvious that they are not. sigh. You can't see it in this pic, but it's very, very obvious under the clasp. Still needs lots more futzing. I may just give up, and rethink the whole design.

Heber Down on Thanksgiving Day

2011-10-10T20:38:00.002-04:00

Can you believe it? Shorts and T-shirts on Thanksgiving! Maya, my 8 year old, and budding photographer took most of these shots. I gave her a brief lesson on how to use the macro setting on our little point and shoot camera. She's completely hooked. I think our weekends will be taken up finding interesting places for her to photograph.

I think Santa will be getting a request for a camera of her own this year. ;-)

Playtime!

2011-10-09T10:18:00.000-04:00

I have this:

And this:

Copper Electroforming

And this as well:

Copper Etching

Can you stand it? Ohhhh, the excitement. I'm ready to banish my family away for a weekend vacation without me - just so I can play. I should mention, before you hate me too much - These aren't actually mine - meaning I can't keep them forever. I'm testing them for beadFX, and when done, I'll have to sadly return them. I have gone ahead and ordered my own copy of The Painting with Fire book, since it's fabulous. The other equipment I'll be ordering for myself at the first opportunity.

Fast Fire Bronze Clay

2011-10-06T08:54:00.000-04:00

I have a love/hate relationship with bronze and copper clays. I love the colours, the affordability, and especially the freedom to create larger pieces without restraint. (compared to silver metal clay) I do however have a hatred of the firing process. I have not been one of the lucky ones when it comes to firing this stuff. Sometimes it works, othertimes I get brittle pieces that crumble to dust. That outcome is always the most annoying, as a second firing is not an option at that point.

Lately, I've had success with Fast Fire Bronze. In fact, I've yet to have an unsuccessful firing! Still, I'm always a little on edge as my pieces are firing. The picture below shows 300 grams of unfired Fast Fire Bronze. Hedgehogs, acorns, clasp components, connector rings, and flowers which will hold resin in the centre. Fingers are crossed, the goodies are about to go in the kiln - although this will take at least a few firing sessions. I have the large pan, but I have not yet ever had successful firing in that one. It's cursed. ;-) So, the small pan it is.

Sneak Peek

2011-10-05T11:08:00.000-04:00

Am I done? I'm not sure...I think I'll sit on this one for a bit. Maybe some patinated leaves?

About to participate in my first challenge

2011-10-04T09:45:00.000-04:00

I have long wanted to participate in the various challenges I've read about on other blogs. Especially the monthly challenges on Art Bead Scene. It's now October, the kids are in school full time, so I really have no excuse not to!

This months challenge is based on the work of artist Giovanna Garzoni

A Hedgehog in a Landscape, 1643-51

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

by Giovanna Garzoni

And the colour palette we need to work with.

Deadline for the challenge is October 26th, however, I'm hoping to finish up mine by the end of next week. This week I'll work on creating various beads and components out of glass, and metal clay. Next week, I'll work on the design.

Delicious Autumn

2011-09-30T23:55:00.000-04:00

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. ~George Eliot

This one needs to remain mine, at least for a time. It feels wonderfully natural on - comfortable even, with lots of little bits to fiddle with. Incredibly long, so long in fact that there is no clasp - perfect with a cozy warm turtleneck sweater. Preferably handknit in a sumptuous silk. Dreaming.

Oh, Hello There

2011-09-30T08:42:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday. Enjoy a small dose of cuteness.

Source: None via Marissa on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Marissa on Pinterest

Source: weheartit.com via Marissa on Pinterest

Glass Clay

2011-09-29T11:22:00.000-04:00

I was recently given the opportunity to try out Paula Radke's Glass Clay. The three pendants above are my first attempts at using the clay. It's a bit rough in spots, as I was having some problems getting the consistency just right. I'm pretty sure I've got the hang of it now, and hope to work on some new molds to create my 'own' pieces - as opposed to using purchased molds.

I think this first batch was underfired a bit. I'd really like to see the glass a bit on the shinier side. The glass was supposed to shrink by about 25%, and I didn't see anywhere near that kind of shrinkage. I'll leave these ones as they are, and make up a new batch to compare the two.

The dichroic cabs are fired in place, and should I think have been pushed in slightly more - they appear to just be sitting on top, and I think they would look far better if they appeared to have some sort of bezel around them.

All in all, I'm curious enough to see what else can be done with the clay that doesn't look completely hideous. Google glass clay under images, and you'll see what I mean ;-)

Happy Fall

2011-09-28T14:35:00.001-04:00

I was thrilled to discover that I was featured in a gorgeous treasury made by Heather Powers on the Art Bead Scene Blog. Tons of gorgeous autumn inspired beads!

'Autumn Art Beads' by humblebeads

Artist created beads inspired by the hues and symbols of the season.

Pine Cone Lampwork Beads suzoom $18.00	Handmade lampwork glass bead... MayaHoney $29.50	Lampwork Carnelian Dragonfly... kerribeads $95.00
Small Ginko Leaf Pendant shaterra $8.50	Parched handmade stoneware b... ChelleV2 $11.00	Acorn Bead Pair Jangles $16.00
Oak Leaves Pendant - Yellow ... humblebeads $18.00	Leafy Tree Pendant earthenwood $10.00	Ceramic Bead Donut Pendant P... MarshaNealStud... $10.00
SALE Naos Glass - Indian Sum... Na0sGlass $99.00	Brand New Autumn Bittersweet... marylockwood $5.00	Autumn Delight Leaves - Hand... Melissabeads $29.00
Handmade Lampwork Glass Bead... mermaidglass $8.00	AUTUMN DROPS - Set of 6 Hand... HavanaBeads $10.50	Autumn Harvest - handmade l... jennifertough $30.00
Lampwork Glass Handmade Flow... mermaidglass $16.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

In other news, Marg from beadFX recently gave me a sample kit of Paula Radke's Art Glass Clay to play with. I've got a batch in the kiln as I write. Fingers crossed that it turns out ok. One of the pieces chipped just before I got it into the kiln. :-(

Using Art Beads

2011-09-22T09:31:00.000-04:00

This morning, I was thrilled to discover that Shannon LeVart of MissFickleMedia featured some of my worry beads in a blog posting at Art Bead Scene - I was quite surprised, as of course I haven't listed much on etsy in quite a while...You know all the usual excuses (kids, no camera, blah, blah, blah). Now I must go get busy and try to get a few new things listed, and attempt to do it on a more regular basis.

Question of the day - Do you purchase art beads? If so, do you primarily purchase a certain type, or do you like to collect all different types and mediums? Personally, I'm usually drawn to beads or components of a type that I don't personally make myself. Ceramic, wood, polymer clay, lampwork beads that are way out of my skill range, are just a few of the ones I covet.

Forgive me if I've asked this one before - It's quite possible ;-)

Next, we want to see which beads you love the most. We all love eye candy! Post links in the comments below so that we can all see.

Here are a few of my favourites:

Itty Bitty Bird charms - mixed media by MenagerieStudio

Love these huge hollows by Wandering Spirit

Gorgeous autumn inspired ceramic beads by Kylie Parry

Autumn Bliss for beadFX

2011-09-22T01:06:00.000-04:00

Just finished this one this evening - I think I need to make one for myself! Posted on the Inspiration page.

dream home

2011-05-04T10:30:00.000-04:00

Wasting time on Pinterest

Source: houzz.com via Kira on Pinterest

Source: anfractuousity.tumblr.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Source: 1.bp.blogspot.com via Eva on Pinterest

Ok. ... I'll get back to work now.

ok, so winter isn't completely terrible

2011-03-05T10:27:00.000-05:00

Hmmmm - although that's one weird looking snowman. Maya is quite pleased with her creation though. heh.

it's a rainy day

2011-03-05T10:26:00.000-05:00

And while I should be taking advantage of said rainy day cleaning, tidying, organizing. Instead, I've got another pot of coffee on, ate a cupcake for breakfast (shhhh...don't tell the kids), and looking at pretty pictures on etsy.

These make my heart go all pittery pattery:

                  http://www.etsy.com/listing/68815134/pastel-clover-porcelain-cream-and-sugar

                     http://www.etsy.com/listing/62524693/20-red-wool-felted-mushrooms

                    http://www.etsy.com/listing/62108243/thimbelinas-miniature-garden-vintage

And here comes fall

2010-10-02T10:25:00.000-04:00

This year has been a complete blur. Really, I don't think I've ever experienced anything quite like this. I've finally got the kids back into school, and daycare. And now that it's fall, I'm completely endrenched in paperwork. I'm hoping to be completely done sometime within the next few weeks - whew...
I have taken a bit of time to do some fun stuff - Like the glass tile pendant tutorial which you can buy at beadfx, a few torch sessions here and there, and my latest tangent - Copper Pipe Pendants!

I've listed a few of these up on etsy, and I'm considering writing a tutorial for them once I have a bit more time. These we're done as one of my blog posts for beadFX The Thursday topics on the blog are keeping me on my toes creatively.
I'm not sure if I'll be able to reopen the soap shop this fall - I just have too many other things that need my attention, and I've already learned my lesson a few times over by stretching myself to thin. I'm not ready to say never though, so we'll see what happens.

Pumpkins and Classes

2010-08-28T10:24:00.000-04:00

No, they have nothing to do with each other whatsoever - But I made these, and I'm a little giddy about them. I love how they feel, and I love how they're not quite pumpkins - just sorta :-)

I've also been finalizing my first classes at DIY Soap - I don't think the classes have been posted yet, but feel free to call the store to sign up. Both classes are on Sunday, September 26th
Cold-Process Soap $125
Learn the basics of making handmade soap from scratch - also known as cold-process soap. Learn all about the tools, ingredients, and process to safely make soap at home. Join your instructor around the soap pot as she demonstrates how to make a batch of soap. A booklet with full instructions on how to make soap is provided for you to take home. Also chock full of additional recipes and tips on colouring, additives, and fragrances.

What to bring - Please bring with you rubber gloves, safety goggles
Soap Crafting 101

Soap crafting, also known as melt and pour is a fun, easy way to make your own soap. This is the type of soap that allows your creativity to soar! Have you ever seen fabulous soaps shaped like plates of sushi? Or even a little mini aquarium? These and more are all possible with melt and pour soap!

During this class we'll focus on the techniques of soap crafting - layering, embedding, colouring, fragrance and more. I will be demonstrating how to make 4 different types of soap, then you will have the chance to try your hand at making your own. Students will be able to take home 5 different bars of soap.

An instruction booklet is provided for you to take home that summarizes the class, and provides additional recipes, and techniques.

Soaked

2010-08-27T10:22:00.000-04:00

Love this pic of the kidlets cooling off. School starts back soon, and of course I'm having mixed feelings about it all. It's been fun hanging out with the girls all summer, and I'll miss these times - but I also can't wait to have more time to get things done. :-)

A little update

2010-08-05T10:22:00.001-04:00

Yes, it's certainly been a while again - the summer has been particularly busy with the kids. My husband is working on a new full time contract, so I'm now home full time with the kidlets - trying to keep them busy, and entertained. Love them dearly, but I cannot wait for school to start this fall.
I am very excited about one little thing though - And considering it's about the only productive thing I've managed all summer - even more exciting. For over 10 years, while owning a bead store - I had always wanted to write either tutorials, or beading projects for magazines. Well I did it. Last night, with one hour to go to deadline - I finished it! This week only, you can get the tutorial free with purchase at beadfx. As of next week, the tutorial will be available for purchase for $15.00.
I started with this one, as I make these little tile pendants to sell only in the store at beadfx - many, many people have requested a class in how to make them - However, I didn't think a class was all that appropriate - they're easy, but fiddly, and there is a whole lot of 5 minutes of activity - followed by 30 minutes of waiting. I think the difference with my version of the pendants, compared to others - is that they are completely waterproof! Not just water resistant - but waterproof - as long as you follow the instructions carefully. :-)
If any of you do get a chance to check out the free tutorial this week, I'd love to hear any feedback you may have. Positive, or negative!
The whole process of creating the tutorial was quite a bit of fun, and I've learned quite a bit along the way - for example, take the pics first! I'm already planning my next tutorial :-)

New Post on the beadFX Blog

2010-07-08T10:10:00.000-04:00

You might be interested in checking it out - plus, I think I can only manage one blog post per day ;-) - off to work on orders!

http://beadfx.blogspot.com/2010/07/more-playing-around-part.html

Kids Home ...

2010-07-05T10:09:00.000-04:00

And so the summer begins. This is the first full week of both of my kids home for the summer. Dan and I had a war meeting last night to discuss just how we were going to manage to both attempt to work from home, while keeping a 5 and 7 year old busy and out of trouble. Unfortunately, we haven't yet come up with anything that is really all that workable. We've discussed taking turns on kid duty, or letting them fend for themselves in the backyard for a couple hours while we both work - and then doing family time in the afternoon.
As I type this, I've been interrupted 5 times, with discussions about the silliness of not allowing anyone else in your club house, where fairies live, sharks teeth - which type of shark would be the most dangerous, why haven't you taught me how to cook yet? - and why can't I have oreo's for breakfast?
If I manage even one more post this summer, I'll be completely amazed :-)

A New Design

2010-07-02T10:07:00.000-04:00

off and running - This started as one of my ideas for an upcoming class - and I've run with it, big time. I have three different ones made,with a bunch more half built. These are created using fine silver wire, metal clay, and lampwork beads. I love the idea of something being completely handmade - forget the chain though...I do NOT have the patience for that :-)
I'll be posting this soon on etsy once I've got it finished up

2010-07-01T10:06:00.001-04:00

too long yet again!

I apologize for being so quiet as of late - I've got a few projects that I'm trying to get finished up, and it's taking most of my free time.
In other news - my girls are now finished school for the year! We celebrated with a trip to the zoo yesterday, and both had the opportunity to pet a sting ray, and take their first pony ride :-)

I'm also anxious to get back on the torch - I managed to pick up a cool sample pack of all Odd lot colours from vetrofond - and some look very interesting indeed. I've noticed quite a few of the colours have a different coloured core - which usually indicates that some sort of cool reaction will take place - good or bad ;-)

And one more little exciting little packaged arrived - A few patinad pieces of chain and findings from Miss Fickle Media
I can't wait to make something with these - I just love the verdigris patina on copper!

I'm off - Need to find out just where they're doing Fireworks in Whitby tonight, and attempt to clean the disaster area my house has become! ;-)

My latest on Etsy

2008-01-19T11:01:00.000-05:00

I'm still on a major metal clay kick. It's so nice to feel creatively inspired when "it" seemed to have vanished after my father passed away. It really took a long time for me to start feeling like working on anything. Anyway, on a positive note. I just listed these on Etsy, and I'm particularly fond of the Captured Blossom pendant.

I'm teaching a metal clay class at beadFX tomorrow, It'll be fun to spend the day with some metal clay newbies. I love watching what they come up with, especially when they have no preconceived notions of what is technically "easy" or "difficult".

New Year, new inspiration

2008-01-14T21:44:00.000-05:00

I'm a little late posting my "happy new year" post! - We all had a major bug over the holidays that kept us in hibernation of sorts. The kids are starting to get better, and now I'm worse. While sick, I was able to get some play time in at home. I recently received Hadar Jacobsens texture book and video on metal clay. I love her collage technique, and I've made a couple pieces that I'm completely in love with.

For any of you metal clay afficionados out there, I highly recommend her book.

These were just recently listed on Etsy:

The holidays come on way too fast!

2007-12-19T17:58:00.000-05:00

I finally getting around to posting one of the "before" pictures of my studio. This is currently my lampwork setup. Our goal is to use the downtime over the holidays to get my studio organized and set up...all fresh and new... It will so so exciting to be able to work down there again.

As you can see below, it's pretty much got to the stage that it's just way too messy to be remotely safe to work in. The rest of my studio (beading, metal clay, silversmithing) is far worse and completely unusable.

Good thing I can at least work at beadFX!

beadFX - Crimp forming plier

2007-12-10T22:54:00.001-05:00

One more video. The following two videos were shot a few months ago with a borrowed camera that my old boss loaned out to me. My editing skills are somewhat lacking, and we of course had no experience actually shooting footage. On that note, please excuse the quality, or lack thereof. However, we had a huge amount of fun that day! We're planning on shooting more video in the coming months. Let us know what you'd like to see. Do you want techniques? Or, do you want to see the creative process? Or, maybe a combo of both.

beadFX - Cubic Bling Bling Bracelet

2007-12-10T22:46:00.001-05:00

In this video we have Dwyn demonstrating the design process of her Cubic Bling Bling bracelet.

beadFX - Our Beads

2007-12-10T09:39:00.001-05:00

Our first photo montage. Check this out on Youtube. We've got some photos of some of our inspiration ideas, as well as some of our beads. Look for more instructional videos coming soon!

Studio again

2007-12-07T23:44:00.000-05:00

Still plugging away at getting my studio set up. Hopefully, we'll make a bit of progress on it this weekend. Most likely I won't be able to really spend much time down there until the Christmas break.

All of the new shelving has been purchased. We ran into a bit of a snag, as our drill wouldn't drill through concrete. I did find a hammer drill at Home Depot tonight for $79. With luck, the new drill work!

My new studio will eventually have 64 feet of shelving! Whohoo. All of that crap that i've been tripping on the last year will finally be up off the floor.

Home Studio

2007-11-29T12:18:00.000-05:00

Where on earth has the month gone? Well, I did have great intentions. :-)

Part of the reason for my lack of updates, has been my frustration level with my home studio. Rather than being an artistic oasis where I can feel creative and relaxed, it's a warzone of boxes, unorganized supplies, and the floor is like a minefield. I can't actually "get" to my studio without tripping on "stuff".

I was recently reading a new book I got on collage jewelry by Sally Jean Alexander. In her book, Pretty Little Things, she has photos of her gorgeous studio. I would absolutely love to have a studio like that.

This is going to be my next project. I'm going to blog the transformation of my dingy, unfinished basement studio, into a lovely place that I can hang out at night after the munchkins go to bed.
While actually "finishing' the basement is out of the question at the moment, I think there are plenty of things I could do on a budget. I'll take some pics tonight of the current disaster zone so that you can see for yourself.

Kate Moss - Fashion Rocks

2007-10-22T00:27:00.000-04:00

Check this out! Kate's 20's style flapper dress, dripping in 60000 Swarovski Crystal beads is up for auction. It took over 200 hours to hand embroider.

Huge Sale - Starts midnight tonight!

2007-10-21T11:08:00.000-04:00

We are about to start our Pre-Holiday blowout event! - Starting tonight at midnight, save 20% off almost everything at beadFX - See the website tonight at midnight for more details. Our sale runs until Sunday 28th at midnight.

Vintage Flowers

2007-10-18T06:50:00.000-04:00

My newest inspiration is up on the beadfx site this morning. It still needs to be edited a bit, as I completely forgot which chain I used. :-)
I've been extremely sore this week from the garden project over the weekend, which is why I've been quiet on the blog. Once I can sit comfortably, I'll be blogging more often!

We've also got a big sale coming up next week, starting Sunday/Monday Midnight. Stay tuned for more details!

Beginners Luck

2007-10-15T22:51:00.000-04:00

I love these stories. Check out this article from The Province (canada.com). It's really inspiring to read these stories of up and coming jewellery designers. Especially when it involves a Canadian.

Beginner's luck works for McClintock
Jewelry: One of the country's hottest designers stumbles on her talent and runs with it

Since most of us need a little more than just luck, our own Catherine Winter (Sailorgirl) who runs a highly sucessful jewellery business here in Toronto ,(sells retail and wholesale in the summer, and sails the carribean all winter) has written a fabulous book to give you a head start on what to do (and what not to do) to succeed in this overwhelmingly competitive field. Click picture for purchase information.

Final Garden pics

2007-10-15T10:53:00.001-04:00

The last of the garden pics, and then we can get back to our regularly scheduled programming. We did *almost* finish the walkway. We still need to wet down all of the sand, and then put in pea gravel. I even have enough flagstone left to start the back patio.....next year :-) I'm so incredibly sore, I really don't even want to think about moving another stone for a long time to come.

The last of the garden pics, and then we can get back to our regularly scheduled programming. We did *almost* finish the walkway. We still need to wet down all of the sand, and then put in pea gravel. I even have enough flagstone left to start the back patio.....next year :-) I'm so incredibly sore, I really don't even want to think about moving another stone for a long time to come.

More unfinished flagstone pics

2007-10-14T09:16:00.000-04:00

2 yards of sand and almost 6000 lbs of flagstone being dropped off in my driveway. 2 full skids were unloaded with a crane. We had a group of young boys hanging back a bit watching the crane.

Yeeesh, what were we thinking? A massive amount of work awaits. :-) The pictures below show where the new flagstone will go.

Flagstone

2007-10-13T19:39:00.001-04:00

Nothing even remotely beady today. My husband and I are laying down a flagstone path from the front garden to the backyard. With luck we actually get to finish tomorrow. I'm so looking forward to seeing the completion of this project. Two years in the works, we just never got around to it. A friend had popped by earlier this week, and wondered if we were "ever" going to finish. He offered his help for the weekend. ... so here we are.

If anyone is evenly remotely interested, I'll post pics tomorrow of the finished walk. The flagstone above is similar to what we're using. I didn't get a chance to take pictures, so I grabbed one off a catalogue somewhere. We have almost 6000 lbs of flagstone to move into place tomorrow!

Exquisite Beads at Beadfuddled.com

2007-10-12T00:53:00.000-04:00

Kelly Russell creates incredibly detailed antique looking beads, and pendants out of metal clay. They appear to have been just unearthed on a archaeological dig. Kelly's craftsmanship is impecable, and I particularly love her use of patinas. My personal favourites from the buy it now section are "greenman" and "Devilish" - Dan, if you're reading this - think xmas present ;-) Looking at her work always inspires me to break open a pack of Art Clay Silver.

For those of you who are wondering what metal clay is. It's pure silver, or gold in clay form. Yes! Teeny tiny metal particles are suspended in a binder. You can shape it, carve it, texture it...Just like ceramic clays. Once your piece is dry, it's fired in a kiln up to 1600F. The binder burns away, and you are left with a pure fine silver piece.

Born Under A Bead Sign

2007-10-11T19:19:00.001-04:00

Formerly known as littletinybeads. Linda's work has always been a huge inspiration for myself and some others at the shop. We first discovered her blog a few years ago - hope I can continue blogging that long :-) Inspiring, inspired, and such a fabulous use of colour. - check it out for yourself!

Magical Realm

2007-10-11T06:47:00.001-04:00

I really love the traslucency of the new Creation is Messy glass. This one is made from a combination of cirrus, and handblown shards of Halong Bay, along with another colour or two that I can't remember. This particular bead is one that I made at the beadFX lampwork trunk show. I was demonstrating how to blow shards. The ability to create your own is far better than purchasing the premade ones. You can get completely custom colour variations, and they only take a few minutes. If you can make a hollow bead, these are a piece of cake. You just need some glass, and a blow tube. - Just remember, little puffs of air. You're not blowing up a balloon.

A Chocolate A’Fair

2007-10-11T06:33:00.000-04:00

It looks almost good enough to eat. From the Neosho daily news - Rhonda Schmidt spent three days creating this chocolate themed necklace will be auctioned off for the YMCA.

Found on Etsy

2007-10-10T19:54:00.000-04:00

Some of you may know that I have a serious Etsy addiction. This Christmas everyone is either receiving something handmade by me, or by one of the extremely talented artists on Etsy. I discovered this seller (Catrocks) today. Very cool handwired beads and gemstones. Big, bold, and very funky. I'm tempted....

Army Jewellery

2007-10-10T12:03:00.000-04:00

A friend just sent me this link to a local Toronto Goldsmith, Kathryn Dieroff - She has this really unique army collection - Aussi above. See her links for Sniper, deadman, and others. Not quite sure what to think about it yet. Definitely intriguing! Less thought provoking, but very pretty are her Jasmine rings below:

Work With Lark - Making Metal Clay Beads

2007-10-10T02:17:00.000-04:00

Lark Books seeks images to feature in the gallery of an upcoming publication, Making Metal Clay Beads by Barbara Becker Simon. Scheduled for release in Spring 2009, this book will feature metal clay bead projects, as well as a gallery of inspirational images by a variety of artists. Diverse styles, materials, and techniques - including etching, enameling, mixed media, and stone setting - are desired. Beads may be in any shape and created from any type of metal clay. No entry fee is required. To submit images of your work for consideration, please click on the link below for details and entry forms.

Making Metal Clay Beads

Yummy Donuts @ beadFX

2007-10-09T14:53:00.000-04:00

Our newest InspirationFX has just been posted to the beadFX website. Ever wondered just what to do with those Unicorne boro lampwork beads? These samples may get your creative juices flowing.

Lampwork Bead Displays

2007-10-09T14:36:00.001-04:00

A few of us at beadFX love these for displaying our lampwork beads. We use them in our store, and almost all of our studio lampworkers have purchased these to use at shows. Personally, I think I want another one to display my collection of beads from other lampworkers as well. They come in a few different configurations. Single, double, or triple as shown above. You can get yours at http://www.lampworkbeaddisplays.com/index.html

Welcome!

2007-10-09T10:58:00.000-04:00

I'm taking the plunge finally. My own blog.
I've been making jewellery for as long as I can remember, and lately my creativity seems to be soaring. My youngest child is now 2, and I have more time and energy for making beads and jewellery. I'll be posting information about upcoming classes in my store, new jewellery designs, and just plain cool stuff related to beads and jewellery.

My good friend Dwyn (who is also the webmaster of beadFX) has created a fabulous blog testing all sorts of new glass and tools related to lampworking. You can check out her blog here: http://dragonjools.blogspot.com/

These past few days, I've been quite prolific at the torch. I'm still sorting out what beads should go where. I sell my beads in my bead store, on Etsy, and on my personal website

My favourite bead out of this batch is made with copper leaf and enamels. These are so much fun to make, and you never quite know what will come out of the kiln. I love those kinds of beads. There is nothing more exciting than jumping out of bed in the morning to see what treasures are waiting for you in the kiln!