Best of Art Bead Scene: Gaea Interview, with updates

This post was first posted on Tuesday, October 16, 2007. Since then, Gaea has kindly sponsored Decembers' Monthly Challenge with a great prize of her art beads! I have added to the interview some pictures from Gaea's Flickr that perfectly fit this month's All Wrapped Up theme. Entries must be in by midnight tonight...Happy New Year's everyone!

1. What is your personal name, business name, website and location?

Gaea Cannaday, Gaea Pendants, http://www.gaea.cc/, Ojai, California.

2. What kind of beads do you make? What kinds of processes do you use? What is your favorite beadmaking technique?

I make ceramic beads by hand building some and press molding others. I love "free form" creating molds. I love sculpting little pieces like stars or flowers in clay to create a scene or story. I guess I really like the story telling aspect of it.

3. How did you get into beadmaking? What are some of the important things you do for your business?

My business started as a love of jewelry and a need to stay home with my son. I was "down sized" from an art director job after I had my son. I had made jewelry as a side thing for fun and gifts and had spent many years in the ceramic studio at collage and LOVED it! Totally addicting. I would decorate pots and cups with "jewelry" bits. One holiday season I had wanted to make some of my own components and picked up some sculpey. Baked and painted it with some fun results. My husband quickly pointed out that the pieces would be a good fit for ceramics. Ding! Light bulb moment! We experimented and fired up the old kiln. That first batch was horrible but really amazing with potential. Just seeing how the different clays and glazes worked together was just pure excitement!

4. What is your workspace like and how do you work in your studio? What is a typical day like?

My workspace is where ever my kids are but mostly the kitchen and bathroom. The patio is crammed with my work things. Kiln, glazes, clay tools, jewelry supplies, beads in various states are all kept there, safely out of the munchkins reach. They do like to play with the clay. My two year old still likes to put it up her nose or eat it so it's closely supervised. Luckily when you work from home you have flexibility to get things done at your own pace. I try to center my day around my kids. Beads are pretty portable and most things if planned right cant be taken with us. It is a joy to be able to take my son and daughter to school and pick them up, take swim lessons, gymnastics or a martial art. I would hate for them not to have those opportunities. If I'm in the car on a family trip I make a kit to take with me. I usually bend wires or do something that is repetitive but I can still carry on a conversation. Our days are pretty full so laundry and pick up time often get over looked for reading or coloring.

5. How do you stay inspired and motivated?

Inspiration comes from all directions! Necessity is the mother of invention sometimes. Other times my family are my inspiration. The past, good memories, even bad one. There is room for everything in inspiration. Life.

6. What type of beads and jewelry designs do you feel best compliment your art beads? Do you design your own jewelry too?

I love designing jewelry. My Mom and I are both jewelry addicts (I will blame this on my Mom!). I've spread the bead disease to here now though and we hit a local gem faire pretty hard a few weeks back! Go Mom, GO! I've been heavy into wire wrapping for a while and feel like that lets each bead make its own statement but also tell a story with the other elements. I feel stuck in the "necklace" and should break out of that a bit into other things. I've been thinking about hair ornamentation for a while and playing with some ideas on and off.

7. What beady plans do you have for the future? Do you have new designs or ideas you will be exploring soon?

A few years ago I made these light up wood, story wall boxes that had decoupage and beads. Maybe revisiting this idea with handmade beads would be a hoot.

As the Bead Turns, December 30, 2007

Bringing you all the dirt and drama from the beading blog world...

Spotted in the Art Bead Scene Flickr pool as an entry for this month's challenge

Above is Jean Yates' entry for this months All Wrapped Up challenge. Don't forget tomorrow is the last day to enter! We here at Art Bead Scene would like to congratulate Jean on the release of her new book "Links" which is now available on Amazon!

About.com Jewelry Making New Year's Eve means it's time to put your big bling pieces on, and Tammy has lots of ideas to make you super sparklie.

Jewelry & Beading One of Cyndi's designs was chosen for a new book on the Art of Jewelry ~ Wood. Come and see her necklace, called "Measure Twice, Cut Once"!

Katie's Beading Blog Katie's getting ready for the next filming of Beads, Baubles and Jewels. This week, she shares a cool necklace idea using a chain bail and tassel.

Savvy Crafter No clue what jewelry you’re wearing to the big New Year’s Eve bash? Hop on over to Candie’s blog for an easy and festive fix!

Snap out of it , Jean! There's beading to be done! Jean just had to repost these sweet necklaces that she made for the childrens' teachers as holiday gfts! They are just too yummy looking snuggling up aganst the luxurious rose velvet pouches she packaged them in. Happy Holidays to the VIPs in our lives!

Did you read or write any good dirt on a bead blog this week? Leave us a comment and a link and tell us the latest scoop!

Best of Art Bead Scene: The Color Purple

This post was first posted by Tari Sasser, undisputed Queen of Purple, on July 26th, 2007

This has nothing to do with Oprah or Whoopie, unless of course they LOVE purple too! My favorite color is purple. If they make it I will find it. Here's what I found in beading related items in the color Purple.

Artistic purple or Artsy Fartsy items to wear! You need to be comfortable and fashionable while you bead. So let's get dressed so we can go shopping!
Start singing, "Purple Rain, Purple Rain......ooow."

Barclay Studio, Purple Art to Wear!Steel Pony, Purple Art to Wear!

MaxEquations, Purple Art to Wear!
Feeling the Purple Love...

I love Turtle Ridge Bags! Especially the Purple Leather.
Purple pliers to go!
Keeping time in Purple.
Beading with my friends Peri&Winkle.
Purpley Charm.
Writing with the Color Purple.


Some of the most beautiful Hand-Dyed Ribbon I have seen.
::
Purple related shopping:
Purple Haze Lavendar :: The Purple Store :: ColorPurple.com :: Grandma Purple
Purple Profile

You are a purple person if:

You are imaginative, sensitive,
artistic and sophisticated.

You have noble ideals and a keen
appreciation of the cultural.

You are alert, demanding, foresighted,
confident, resourceful, spontaneous
and highly independent.

You take delight in the beautiful,
the gracious, the sensitive, but
maintain an attitude of
critical appraisal.

In love you seek to attain a magical
quality and refuse to settle
for anything less.

You refuse to be "swept-off your
feet" unless genuineness and
integrity can be absolutely
ascertained.

You are active in the support of
things you believe in, and are
concerned with the pursuit of
truth and other human values.

You take chances and believe
that you must do so to make
the most of what life has to offer.

Purple is an exclusive color,
mystical in quality, blending
the two extremes of the spectrum,
red and blue. Traditionally, purple
represents splendor, dignity,
royalty, rank, and wealth.

Purple is a unique color, and it
is a truly unique individual
who holds it dear.

Best of Art Bead Scene: Free Project- Tassel Earrings

This post was first posted by Heather Powers on Tuesday, July 24, 2007. These earrings are so fun and versatile, and yet so easy to make~

Tassel Earrings

by Heather Powers

Here is a super simple earring project to show off your collection of smaller art beads from your favorite artists.

Supplies:
2 small art beads
2 6mm accent beads
2 earring wires
4 silver 6mm flat spacers
silver seed beads size 11
seed beads size 8
4 crimp beads
flexible beading wire .015
wire cutters
flat nose pliers

Step 1: Cut 6 inches of beading wire. Loop through the earring wire.
Thread a silver seed bead unto both wires.

Step 2: Thread onto both wires, 6mm accent bead, 6mm silver spacer, art bead, 6mm silver spacer.

Step 3: One on wire, thread a pattern of 1 size 8/0 seed bead, 1 silver seed, 1 size 8/0 seed bead until your desired length. Thread crimp bead, make sure all the beads are tightly pressed unto the beading wire, with no gaps, flatten crimp bead. Make sure the crimp bead is completely flattened, as this is what holds the beads unto the wire. Trim beading wire if it is showing. Repeat step for the other wire, varying the length if desired.

Supply tips:
Size 8/0 seed beads are larger seed beads, you can find a nice selection at Charlene's Beads.

Art beads suppliers - use any earring size art beads. Here are a few possible suggestions:

Click on the images to go directly to the shops/listings. Beads shown : Earthenwood Studios, Elaine Ray Beads and Humblebeads.

Best of Art Bead Scene: Removing Tarnish from Silver

This helpful tip was first posted by Virginia Miska on October 18, 2007. It's a great way to remove tarnish from your silver jewelry, pendants, beads, and findings using regular household products!

Did you know that you can brighten up your tarnished silver components and jewelry without leaving your kitchen? Baking soda is the secret ingredient in this method which I recently put to the test and have directions and photos to share with you.

You will need:

baking soda

aluminum foil

pot

boiling water

metal tray


The photo below shows some ear wires that have been on sample boards for the last five years and had developed some unsightly tarnish.


Below are two cups of boiling water to which I've added 1/2 cup of baking soda.


After lining a shallow toaster oven baking tray with aluminum foil and arranging the ear wires so that each one had contact with the aluminim foil, I gently poured the water and baking soda solution over the findings. This photo shows the bubbles that formed during the chemical reaction.

Here are the ear wires free from tarnish and ready for a little buffing with my Sunshine Cloth.

A simplified explanation of the science behind this method is that when silver tarnishes, it combines with sulfur from the air and forms silver sulfide which is black. There are two ways to remove this coating – one is to remove the silver sulfide from the surface using abrasion and the other is to reverse the chemical process. When the tarnish is removed through abrasion (polishing) some of the silver is also removed. With the method described today none of the silver is removed. The aluminum is effective because it has a stronger affinity to sulfur than silver does, so the warm baking soda solution carries the sulfur atoms from the silver to the aluminum.

Thank you Cindy Gimbrone for bringing this method to my attention. Now there's no need to stress when I notice that my silver pieces are tarnishing with this quick, easy and inexpensive method!

Best of Art Bead Scene: Renaissance Style Jewelry

This post was first posted by Cindy Gimbrone on Wednesday, August 29, 2007. Since then, I have also personally been inspired by Renaissance jewelry, and Cindy showed us two great Renaissance inspired projects using filigree pendants during our 12 days of Christmas event this past month.

(Photo Credit: Venus and Cupid, late 1520s painted by Italian/Venetian artist, Lorenzo Lotto (ca. 1480–1556)

"O, beauty, till now I never knew thee!"

(Henry VIII, Act 1, Sc.4)

You may feel the same way once you feast your eyes on jewelry in the style of the Renaissance . Full of pearls, gold filagree and gems in long strands, it's luscious! This wasn't jewelry for the masses but rather for the wealthy and those of royal birth.

Adornmynts creates lovely contemporary jewelry in the Renaissance style.





Feeling inspired? Guyot Brothers has an extensive selection of filligree stampings to set you off on your journey to creating a royal piece of jewelry for yourself!

Best of the Holidays~

Party Pixie beads from Earthenwood Studio

Cranberry Round Beads by Elaine Ray, available at Ornamentea

Spiral Glass bead by Cindy Gimbrone

Be Merry pendant/ornament by Heather of Humblebeads, in her Etsy shop

Elk pendant by Virginia Miska

Snowflake Ornament by Tari of Creative Impressions in Clay

To celebrate the holidays, the editors of Art Bead Scene are taking the week off to be with our families and friends. This week, please enjoy some re-posts of what we think has been some of the Best of Art Bead Scene this year!

Merry Christmas all!

Twas the night before Christmas...

Twas the night before Xmas and all through the house, not a beader was stirring, we were all beaded out!
The bracelets were strung, with art beads and care
In hopes that the giftees would find delight there

The beadmakers were nestled all snug at in their beds while visions of glass and clay danced in their heads...

We wish you a warm and festive Christmas Eve! Hope Santa is good to you all!

From Melanie, Tari, Heather, Cindy, Virginia, and Elaine