Art Bead Evolutions :: Bead & Button Show Recap

So last week I buzzed down to Milwaukee to commune with my bead peeps, so instead of a post about what I am making for the challenge, I thought I would share with you some of my experiences at the Bead & Button show.

I missed the Bead & Button show last year so I think I was making up for it (in a BIG way!). Starting Tuesday, I took four day-long classes and then spent the rest of the week shopping and sharing and otherwise soaking up the presence of a lot of my favorite people....like Loralee + Martha, Andrew + William, Sarajo + Eric, Michelle + Diane, Marsha + Vlad.....

Me and my Beady Bestie, Heather Powers of Humblebeads. I love this girl so much! Notice how sparse the trays were...she brought 130 birds and sold at least 90 by the end of the show! So glad I snatched some goodies up to add to my collection of Humblebeads bowls and platters. Woot!

Tuesday I took class with Gail Crosman Moore. Sometimes I take classes with instructors I just want to be around, and this was one of those cases. I adore the unique materials that she manipulates and the way that she adds detail. She is also a color addict, like me, so I knew that we would hit it off. We spent the day making molds of various items and then worked with paper clay. I had never worked with that before and it is a really interesting medium. I must have been so engrossed in the process because I don't have a single picture of anything I made. You will have to trust me that it was way cool. I anticipate that I will be playing around more with this, maybe even for this month's Simple Truths Sampler, so stay tuned!

Next up I took a class with Julie Picarello of Yellow House Designs. Her work is so very recognizable. I can spot it a mile away! Her chosen technique is mokume gane. I have my own variations of this technique, but it was so nice to learn how she does it. I loved the color mixing that she taught, as that has always flummoxed me. Julie really broke that down and now I get it! She shared all her imprint tools and that prompted me to take a quick road trip to the American Science & Surplus to look for oddball things. Found some interesting stuff! I will need to find a way to make this more of my own look, but since I have done this before, I think that should be no problem. What I most loved about the class was really at the very end of the day, when she shared her finishing techniques. Her work feels like the softest satin, which makes it even more beautiful. Now I know what I need to do for some of my pieces that will really take them to the next level. I treated myself to her book and a pair of her earrings. More to come on this technique!

On Thursday I had a half-day class with Irina Miech of Eclectica. She is a wizard with precious metal clay (PMC). I have taken two other classes over the years in PMC, mostly ending in failure. You would think that with my years of experience with other clays that this would come easy. Not so much. But Miss Irina was such a wonderful teacher. We worked with molds again, this time with some more natural materials like leaves and twigs, and even set tiny CZ stones in our work. I plan to trek back to her store in Brookfield (west of Milwaukee) to take another class with her in the fall, because I really want to see if I can master this medium, or at least make it consistently in my own style. I am excited about that! Now I dearly want to try the bronze and copper clay versions.

Nature's Elements in Silver PMC with Irina Miech

Finally, I took Kitchen Table Soldering with Francesca Watson of the Makery. I have always adored her work so learning from her was a definite highlight. She is larger than life. Her laugh is booming, and her taste in music is fabulous! Her first words were that she was going to work us hard. And boy, did she ever. I barely had time to catch my breath! In the end, I am pretty happy with how my pendant turned out, and it makes me appreciate even more those that do this all the time. Amazing what you can do when you start with just a piece of silver wire and a stone. I don't know if I will be setting stones in the future, and her set up is a LOT more robust than what I could have at my kitchen table, but I have always wanted to make my own bezels for my clay creations, and I can take a lot of what I learned here and apply it to my own vision.

Kitchen Table Soldering with Francesca Watson

At the end of the week, I finally got to spend a little more time with my best friend Heather Powers. We were even able to have a wonderfully relaxing celebratory dinner complete with cocktails, just the two of us, to catch up and recharge. That was one of the best times all week! I told her that I wasn't really going to shop at the show...HA! Famous last words! Old habits die hard! I found myself going to my very favorite booths.... for stones, pearls, beads, components and of course, art beads. Now I need to get to the making! Here's a little tour of the goodies I found....without really looking...some of which would work well for this month's inspiration, don't you think?

Clockwise from top left: Beads Direct faceted rondelle gemstones (diamond blue silverite, AB peach moonstone, AB labradorite, AB blue fluorite, AB ruby moonstone, AB dendrite opal); hematite strands; glass hexagons, faceted drop bezels, fossilized orthoceras, carved mother of pearl; metal spacers, pearls.

Clockwise from left: buttery soft leather tassels; Vintaj blanks and new pewter bezels; bone and wood carved feathers, copper etched pendants, copper patina charms, beetle wings

Clockwise from top left: Green Girl Studios + Allegory Gallery; Humblebeads; Diane Hawkey + Firefly Design Studio; Anna Bronze + Aja Vaz of Wandering Spirit Designs; Bob Burkett from Tiger Tiger; Golem Design Studio.

Since I didn't get a chance to create my own art bead interpretation for the challenge yet (but these classes are pointing me in a direction!), I will share with you the necklace I made for the Halcraft Pretty Palettes challenge for May. I started that challenge over there as part of my years on the Halcraft Dream Team, and now that my time there has ended, I have passed the baton to Molly Schaller. She is continuing this great monthly challenge. The colors for May were brilliant greens and to that I added some light blue, deep raspberry and golden hematite nuggets. I had a pendant from our own Ashley Bonney of Summer Wind Art that was perfect for this month's painting, with the watercolor splashes and the touch of gold leave. I call this Meanderings.

What have you been up to so far this month? Are you working on something for the challenge? Can't wait to see how you interpret this month's painting!

Earthy Spring Vibes with Summer Wind Art

Earthy Spring Vibes: 

By Ashley Bonney-Summer Wind

I have been playing around a lot lately with mixing different elements in my jewelry. When I was designing this piece, I wanted to have some fun bright elements, but I also wanted to keep it earthy. I found that adding leather cord to the end and some natural stone beads kept it nice and grounded. 

When I am adding leather cord, I like to take a long piece, fold it in half and then use a crimp end to secure it. I then add a lobster clasp and jump ring for the closure.

I really like using Vintaj Brass Findings because they age really well and are very easy to manipulate. You can see in the picture that I just linked the stone beads using eye pins and jump rings. I'll be sure to post the sizes at the end. 

The wood beads on this necklace were tricky, because one hole was very small and the other was larger. I find that wood beads do best when they are secured with twine or hemp. I have tried using eye pins in the past, but I experienced more movement than I like, so I switched to twine. In this case, because the smaller wood bead's hole was much smaller, I had to actually take the twine apart so I had a nice thin piece. I then just made a loop and the top and knotted between the beads and at the bottom. 

I hope you got a little inspiration from my post, I am always so inspired by all the ladies that post to Art Bead Scene. I have soooo much to learn, as far as techniques go, and I am so glad that we have so many talented artists here. Hope everyone has fun creating! 

Ashley Bonney

Summer Wind Art

https://www.etsy.com/shop/SummerWindArt 

Supplies:

Twine-I used Baker's Twine from Lima Beads

Leather Cording from Micheal's Craft Store

Stone Beads, any earthy color or shape

Wood Beads- Summer Wind Art

Findings:

Vintaj Natural Brass

CE20 - 9mm Crimp End

CL0003 - 12mm Classic Lobster Clasp

JR60 - 15mm Smooth 15ga Jump Ring

JR40 - 7.25mm Smooth 16ga Jump Ring

EP1 - 1in Eye Pin

Art Bead Evolutions :: Nesting Instinct

There is something so hopeful about a bird's nest.

The urge to nest is common to many different animals, from squirrels, mice, pigs, birds - even fish! - and of course, humans. It makes sense. Shelter is of the utmost importance to survival. So it should come as no surprise that setting up a special spot for the new arrivals is so necessary.

I imagine that the birds building this formidable fortress want to protect their little ones and keep foes from intruding. But I also imagine that the interior is soft and warm and cozy, unlike the thorny exterior.

I love the sweet yellow buds and the distant blue mountains. What a beautiful view to be born into!

I decided on making a clasp for this month's Sampler. I have never worked with an extruder before, but I had bought one a few months ago and this seemed like the perfect project to test it out on. It reminds me of the spritz cookie press that I inherited from my mother. You put the dough...er...clay inside the tube and then squeeze it out the other end through a plate that shapes the clay, in this case, I used one with little holes. I ended up with a lot of brown/tan/grey spaghetti that I then fashioned into a wee little nest. I can see that these other discs will be fun to experiment with for the future!

Then I mixed up some granite and turquoise clay to make the tiniest eggs to nestle in there. I am not sure what color eggs that these birds in the picture lay, but nothing says SPRING to me than little eggs in a nest!

So I whipped up a little bracelet last night to show off the Nesting Instinct clasp that I call "Spring Awakening." A bisque birdie I have been hoarding from Summers Studio (missing you Miss LeAnn!), a branch bead from Humblebeads, some wood chips and turquoise chips as well as some oddball fire agate in a mottled golden yellow and snow white round it out. Up in that branch there looks to be a feather, so I added one to the bracelet to complete the look.





Hurry up, Spring!

Each month for my Simple Truths Sampler Club I come up with a bead, pendant or component that is inspired by the monthly challenge here on the Art Bead Scene. I challenge myself to come up with something new, but also teach myself new techniques and tricks. I write a little note with each monthly package that details my thought process and inspirations, my trial and errors. These pieces are offered to the Club members first, but then offered up for sale to the public on a limited basis. You can find out more at www.TesoriTrovati.com.

Fun, Frugal, Fiber Finds: Using Thrifted Scarves in Jewelry Designs

I just love when I get the opportunity to wander through a thrift store! I have certain areas I love to check out! (And of course the jewelry section is on that list.) Got to love finding old jewelry that has great components just needing a new design idea. For me there is something really satisfying about re-purposing  things! That said, my post today is about using old scarves as a great way to add fibers into your jewelry designs.

I was really inspired one day at a thrift store when I saw bags of randomly combined scarves in various materials, including silk (not the kind you wear to keep warm in winter but more the type women wear as accessories). The price tag was amazing at only $3 per bag.  Right there in the thrift store I thought; " how awesome these amazing colors and textures would be in jewelry designs!" I took them home, gave them a wash, and began to play around.

So here is what I do. I take the scarves that I want to use in my design and cut strips. For the purpose of braiding, I cut three strips.  I love to mix and match different colors. Color combinations are endless!  Strips I cut vary in width but are usually around one inch wide. If it is a thicker material, you may want to cut thinner strips, unless you are going for a thicker end result.  Playing around with this you will get a feel for what you prefer!  As for length, go as long as you like, you are only limited by the length of the scarves you are using. I just roughly cut the scarves as I think rough edges add to the charm.

I tie the three pieces together at the top. I often like to leave some extra fiber out because I will sometimes use it in my design.  Once tied I begin basic braiding.  I happened to find one of these macramé boards at my local thrift store - still brand new as you can see (I have not even bothered taking the plastic off). This works great to hold what I am braiding - by pinning it at the top of the board. You don't need one of these but they do come in handy if you have one.

Ideas are limitless when it comes to mixing things up a bit for this project.  I will add other materials with the scarves like leather and other fibres for different looks.  There is no right or wrong, I encourage you to just have fun trying different things out!

Sometimes I tie my fibers right to my jewelry components and braid straight from them. As I show here in the bracelet I made.  The braid is made up of two pieces of leather cord and one piece of teal scarf.

So if you have some scarves lying around that you don't wear anymore, you can add them to your jewelry designs.  If you don't have any, hit up a thrift store! There is no reason to be limited to scarves either.  Get creative and try other materials too!! 

I like to finish my ends with wrapped wire (various thicknesses), and I often leave some extra fiber because I like the look!  You could also use end caps.

Lorelei Eurto has a great tutorial on finishing fiber ends!

By the way, this is my first official post as part of the ABS team! I'm so excited to be here! In an effort to share my excitement, I would like to give away one of my ceramic rose bracelet toppers. Leave a comment telling me if you do or don't use fibers in your work. Let me know if you have a favourite type of fiber.  I also love hand dyed silk cording as one of my favourite fibers! Winner will be chosen at random sometime Saturday evening.

Terri Del Signore from artisticaos
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30 Days of Beads: Finding New Inspirations

I would love to start this post by giving a big THANKS to Heather Powers for inviting me to be a contributor to the Art Bead Scene Blog. I have never blogged before, so this should be a fun and exciting challenge!

Recently, I had found that I was having trouble coming up with ideas for new beads. I was stuck in a creative rut (as all of us sometimes are). I had seen several other artists challenging themselves to create something every day for 30 days. This could be an artwork, jewelry, photographs etc. I decided to embark on the same challenge for myself, and I have to say that I haven't been perfect. I miss days sometimes, but the experience has been very valuable so far.

DAY 1-2 

On my first two days of this challenge, I sat at my desk and just stared at my blank beads. I was completely lost! No ideas, no thoughts, no inspiration. I had such high hopes, but when the time came to execute, I had a whole lot of nothing. I decided to go visit a board of mine on Pinterest, 'Paintings I Love'. I was really inspired by all of the abstract paintings I had pinned and decided to do something a little more abstract.

DAY 3

On the third day, I decided I wanted to improve on some beads I had made in the past. I do this with jewelry as well. If a particular piece hasn't sold in a while, I will pick it up and try and improve upon it. Sometimes it is a matter of changing the focal bead, sometimes it needs to be simplified, and other times it needs to be completely torn apart. In this case, I decided to take the moon phase design and transfer it to a bracelet bead. 

DAY 4-6

These days I decided to randomly pick a shaped bead that I hadn't really used much and a random color from my paint drawer. Leaving the color up to chance helped me to use colors that I normally wouldn't. I have a deep love for teal, so it is hard for me to expand and use other colors. This could also be useful for jewelry design. Make a pile of beads you rarely use, and then close your eyes and pick one or two. They may not match, but sometimes you will get great combinations that you wouldn't have otherwise. 

DAY 7

On day 7, I took inspiration from days 4,5 and 6. You can see many similarities in design, but I experimented with different colors and bead shapes. 

DAY 8

On day 8 I wanted to create some nice simple designs that I could easily pair with brighter beads. I don't normally do neutral pieces, so I decided to give it a try. 

DAY 9

Day 9 was an easy day for me, because I got all of my inspiration from the Art Bead Scene Monthly Challenge. If you are feeling uninspired, it might be a good idea to check out the blog and make something for the monthly challenge. I really liked the colors in this inspiration artwork. The bright hues were a nice change, considering January is such a gray month here in Virginia. I decided to make a long daisy bead following the color scheme. 

DAY 10

Day 10 was another variation of an earlier design, this time in shades of blue. 

DAY 11-14

One of your greatest resources can also be members of the beading community. Lorelei Eurto is a super talented jewelry artist, and is also a little obsessed with owls. (healthy obsession though :)) She had the great idea for me to translate an owl design to a smaller bracelet bead. I have to say, I LOVE the idea. I also like to use the Creative Bead Chat, Facebook group to share ideas. All of the ladies in that group are so supportive and happily give advice if you ask for it. 

DAY 15

On day 15, I was inspired by something I use almost every day, my paint cup. I often look around my house and will get ideas from random things like ceramic plates, blankets, or foods I happen to be eating. Today I was staring at my paint cup and admiring the many layers of colors that I created from days and days of dragging my brush along the edge. I decided the take out about 15 different paint colors and randomly brush them across some round beads. The effect was really nice, and I would love to try it again. 

What I have learned so far, now that I am halfway through my challenge, is that there are countless ways to find inspiration. I look forward to seeing where the next 15 days of creativity take me. 

To follow my challenge check me out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/summerwindjewelry

10 Artist's Dates for Jewelry Designers

Creative people do not create in a vacuum. We are all affected by the daily tug and pull of a myriad of things both good and bad in our lives. There are times when as a creative person you hit the bottom of the well, empty on inspiration.

Your creativity can be zapped by too much time online, stress, not sleeping well or eating right, over-scheduling and just sometimes the winter blues. So what's the cure? You need to fill the well back up with inspiration. 

Heading to Pinterest might be your first inclination and that is a good place to start but I would like to recommend unplugging and taking yourself on a weekly artist date to tap into the inspiration all around us. 

What is an artist date? It's a concept from Julie Cameron's classic book, the Artist's Way. 

"Artist Dates are assigned play.

The Artist Date is a once-weekly, festive, solo expedition to explore something that interests you. The Artist Date need not be overtly “artistic” — think mischief more than mastery. Artist Dates fire up the
imagination. They spark whimsy. They encourage play. Since art is about the play of ideas, they feed our creative work by replenishing our inner well of images and inspiration. When choosing an Artist Date, it is good to ask yourself, “what sounds fun?” — and then allow yourself to try it." - Julie Cameron

Here are 10 artist dates for jewelry designers.

1. Go bead shopping, make a plan and head to your local bead shop. Even if it's a drive, my closest bead shop is 2 hours away. Head to a craft store if you don't have access to a bead shop. You don't need to spend a small fortune. Pick what you need to finish one project and go home and use those beads immediately. 

2. Go to an antique/vintage shop. Study the jewelry in the shop: anything interesting about the construction, colors or beads used in these pieces from the past? What motifs were popular through the last few decades. Look around the shop for interesting finds that could be make into jewelry like buttons, keys, a vintage tin that can be transformed into components. Think outside the box. 

3. Head to museum. If you are lucky enough to live in a metro area head to a museum that has decorative arts for maximum inspiration or a history museum where you can see how humans used jewelry through the ages. Check out an art museum for fun color palette ideas or go through the museum and notice how jewelry is portrayed in the paintings.  

4. Visit a botanical center or nursery. Flowers and plants can heal a winter-weary soul. Take lots of photos.

5. Go for a nature walk. Head to a trail and notice the understated beauty of nature during the winter or if you are somewhere lush and green enjoy the foliage and sound of birds. Soak in the textures you see, notice patterns in nature. Think of how that could translate in jewelry. 

6. Head to a small boutique. Make a note of  the colors and patterns in the shop. What jewelry is the shop carrying? Notice any trends? 

7. Visit your local art scene. Go to a studio open house, gallery exhibition, gallery hop, local art center. Soak in what artists in your area are creating. Sometimes it's nice to see regular people living out their creative dreams. And being surrounded by colorful art is always inspiring. 

8. Take a class. Take a class locally, doesn't matter if it's a cooking class, a jewelry class, painting on ceramic plates, a dance class. Tap into a different part of your creativity and learn something new. Who knows what this will spark.

9. Go to the library. Spend a few hours pouring over jewelry from ancient history. Check out some jewelry or craft books that look promising and commit to going home to try a project. I recommend going to the library rather than looking online because it gets you out of the house, libraries themselves can be inspiring and while you are there check out the community events board to see what else is happening in your area. 

10. People watch. Head to a busy coffee shop or restaurant and spend some time observing humanity. We are infinitely interesting after all, I recommend keeping your phone put away, don't go online. Stay in the moment, order something delicious and enjoy it. Bring along a notebook or sketchbook to help avoid looking at your phone and it gives you an excuse to linger after your meal! This will also give you a chance to write, sketch or make a list of what you observe that could relate to jewelry.   

Want more ideas: Here are 101! Be sure to pick ones that get you out of the house and offline to start!