Amuse your Muse with Rebecca of Songbead - Ceramic Beads

Just a quickie of a post from me today! It's full steam ahead with packing before the removal people come on Wednesday, and then we catch the ferry from Northern Ireland to Scotland on Thursday....only 4 more sleeps to go....(can that really be true?!).

This month's theme is ceramic beads - so I thought I would share some from one of my very talented co-editors here at Art Bead Scene - Mary Harding. Mary is a multi-talented artist, also working with metal and tiny seed beads in her free-form peyote work, but is primarily known as a ceramicist. Here is a little bit all about her, in her own words:

"I began ceramic bead making about 15 years ago when I couldn't find beads with holes large enough for the macrame jewelry I was making at the time. Once I got started I couldn't stop...
My ceramic beads, pendants and toggle clasps have been published in a number of beading magazines including Beadwork, Bead Trends, Bead Style, Stringing, Belle Armoire Jewelry, Australian Bead Magazine, Step by Step Wire Jewelry and Beads 2009,2010 and 2011.
I enjoy including natural plants and colors in my work. One day I discovered that ceramic beads are a natural for free form peyote stitch so now I include my handmade beads, cabachons and pendants in my freeform work.
For all of my adult life I have been involved in the creation of art: from California to England and to Berlin. From photography to drawing to carving and to ceramic bead work. I feel happy when I can use my hands and imagination to create beautiful jewelry. I also am happy when I can serve the needs of others and find that art and social work go together as well as ceramic beads and freeform peyote stitch. So that is how I have been able find balance in my creative and working life."

I love the painterly quality that Mary's beads and buttons have, and the way they look almost as if they have been created from nature itself. Vibrant yet organic colours and textures - the beads I have from Mary are sacred to me, and I have only dared use a very few in my work. The rest are treasured carefully, awaiting just the right project...

Here are a few of my current favourites, available in Mary's etsy shop now:

I hope you will take a minute to look through Mary's beautiful shop and see just how wonderful and unique her work is!

 And speaking of Art Bead Scene editors' ceramic endeavours.....take a peek at what Claire has been up to! Anyone else pretty excited to see how these turn out?

And now for the BeadBlogger Links:

Crafty Cupcake "Recipe" Calls for Styrofoam and Glue 
Not only are they cute, these cupcakes are fun to make. They’re guaranteed to be sugar-free, gluten-free, calorie-free and cute as the dickens.

Back to Amigurumi
Crafty Princess is loving amigurumi again with this new project that was a tad challenging.

Carmi's Art/Life World
It is wonderful to see how a bit of fabric ribbon and a button can be featured into a new beaded cuff.

Resin Crafts Blog
There are inexpensive bamboo tiles that can easily be turned into wearable jewels with some simple resin application techniques.

Beading Arts
With a few funky components and a little bit of wire, you can quickly have a new necklace!

Mixed Media Artist
Cyndi is head-over-heels in love with a new book on reclaiming and upcycling textiles!

Rebecca is a Scottish jewellery designer, currently living in Belfast, Northern Ireland. You can read more about her and her work at her blog, songbeads.blogspot.com and see more of her jewellery at songbead.etsy.com. She also has a supplies shop at thecuriousbeadshop.etsy.com.