Studio Saturday - Humblebeads

Welcome to the last Studio Saturday post! 

What!!! I know! But don't worry - we are still doing studio posts they will just now pop up on Friday since we know everyone is off enjoying life during the weekends!

We have several new changes happening here at the ABS that we are so excited about and hope you'll love the new format too.

Monday - Rebecca will be sharing links and great finds with you.
Tuesday - watch for free tutorials every week from the ABS editors and guests.
Wednesday - Erin will be presenting Perfect Pairs - formerly known and the Featured Designer of the Week.  She will be highlighting her pick from the Flickr group and sharing information about the designer and bead artist.  (Sometimes it's the same person!)
Thursday - Great new posts from the ABS team.
Friday - Inside the Studio - formerly known as Studio Saturday. Enter to win our weekly drawing before you run off to play for the weekend.
Saturday - Art Bead Round Up - take a moment from your busy weekend to see what beads we are featuring for the weekend.
Sunday - We are taking Sunday off and encouraging you to spend some time that day creating!

The first week of the month join us for our new challenge and winners from the previous month. And Erin will be hosting a blog link party at the end of every month for those who participate in our monthly challenge.

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Now back to this week's Studio Saturday!  First, it's been a few weeks since our last studio visit with Erin Siegel.  Susan Delaney was our randomly picked winner and will receive an Irish Waxed Linen Cord Color Mix courtesy of the Jewelry Accord shop on Etsy! Susan please email Erin to receive your prize!

Welcome to the Humblebeads studio today!

The photos above feature work I created for the Bead Chat Magazine's October issue.  And it got me thinking about challenges, homework and assignments.  And how very much I love a good challenge, blog hop and theme.  And how rarely I join in and what to do about that!  Some of my favorite pieces of jewelry have been from challenges. 

One thing I've worked into my schedule is committing to creating a free project every month based on the Art Bead Scene's challenge. Visit me on Tuesday to see the first one!

Tips for joining challenges & blog hops and how to get the most of our them.

1. Subscribe to your favorite blogs that host regular challenges, like the Art Bead Scene, the Bead Soup Party and Treasure's Found.  I recently disovered Blog Lovin as a super easy way to follow my favorite blogs.

2. Pencil in those dates - deadlines can help really bring out the creative muse - but if you don't write them down somewhere it's hard to remember them.

3. Take great photos of your challenge piece and when you post about them, share about your creative process or inspiration.  

4. Get social - be a good participant and visit blogs on the hop or challenge.  It might not be possible to visit all of them, but be sure to check out a few new ones.  Share your favorites on social media and don't forget to share your entry on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instragram - but not all on the same day - spread the sharing throughout the week and at different times for maximum coverage.

5. Why join a monthly challenge or blog hop?  It's a great way to connect to the beading community, share your work with new people, increase visitors to your blog, you'll have new jewelry made and possible a new source of inspiration after the event. 

These are some beads I've pulled that match this month's theme! 

So this week I am giving away a $25 gift certificate to Humblebeads.com.  

All you have to do is leave a comment and we'll pick one random winner on Friday's new Inside the Studio.

What makes you want to join in a blog hop or challenge?  

Is it the theme, prizes, exposure,  you adore the host? (hello Erin?) 

And if you are feeling really chatty - what stops you from joining a challenge or blog hop?

Studio Saturday with Erin Siegel

Welcome to Studio Saturday! Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you'll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner. This week's winner is Kayz Kreationz. Congratulations! You have won a set of bittersweet disk beads from Heather Powers of Humble Beads.   Send Heather an email with your address and she will get your prize out to you soon. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This week we visit the studio of Erin Siegel of Erin Siegel Jewelry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hello! Right now, I'm working on magazine submissions. Today, I invite you inside my studio to take a sneak peek at the materials I'm creating with for the Spring 2014 issue of Jewelry Stringing Magazine! It's time to submit jewelry designs for next year's Spring issue, now. And yep, I'm actually sharing with you exactly what I'm working on for the pieces I plan to submit to the magazine. That might seem kinda crazy, but I embrace the idea of freely sharing information that might help someone else find success in getting published. I thought it'd be fun to do a little show and tell to give you a glimpse of my process. I hope this information will help other designers feel more confident about creating jewelry for publication. Getting your jewelry published can be a tricky thing. Personally, I find that challenge fun! There's absolutely no guarantee that anything I make will be selected. All I can do is try my best to follow the magazine's guidelines, let the themes and color palettes provided inspire ideas for my designs and stay true to my own style, esthetic and creative process.  Jewelry Stringing is one of my all-time favorite beading magazines. I'm intrigued and captivated by the themes and color palettes the editors come up with to inspire their contributing designers. Come join me now and get a taste for what I'm working on and my process for creating jewelry pieces for this particular magazine. I hope to inspire you to work on your own creations as well and submit your designs. Jewelry Stringing provides guidelines, themes and color palettes for each one of their upcoming issues. You can find the full details and guidelines for submission here. I've provided some of the information for the Spring 2014 issue here in this post. The first theme and color palette for Spring 2014 is "Soft Jewelry". (The following description is taken from the guidelines on the magazine's website.) Soft Jewelry

Leather, ribbon, cord, thread, embroidery floss, and fabric are most commonly used as stringing materials and structural components in jewelry pieces, but they also lend themselves to creative and compelling focal elements. Submissions in this category will range in style, but they should all include fibers, textiles, or leather as a prominent design feature. Consider highlighting these materials through techniques like knotting, braiding, and wrapping, or incorporating current trends like fringe or tassels into your designs. See their Pinterest inspiration board for this palette at: http://pinterest.com/stringingmag/soft-jewelry-spring-2014/

So, here's what I've chosen to work with for this theme:  Sankofa trade beads, Irish waxed linen and Greek leather from Ornamentea. As you can see, I've matched up pretty well with the first two colors in the palette provided. You do not have to use all the colors in the suggested palette, but at least one color in your design should match up. I chose these African trade beads in "Teal" from Ornamentea.com. For additional color, texture and the fiber elements needed for the theme, I hand-knotted the beads on multiple strands of Irish Waxed linen cord in "Sunflower". Then, I'll pair the knotted beads with some brown Greek leather cord to complete the design. The second theme and color palette for Spring 2014 is "Spring Greens". (The following description is taken from the guidelines on the magazine's website.)

Spring Greens

If there is one color that ubiquitously represents springtime, it has to be green. Fresh leaves sprout from the trees, grass peeks out from beneath snowdrifts, and budding shoots speckle our garden beds. From subdued mossy shades to high-energy lime tones, each piece in this category will celebrate spring in all its green glory. See their Pinterest inspiration board for this palette at: http://pinterest.com/stringingmag/spring-greens-spring-2014/ Here are some materials I've chosen to use for this palette and theme:  Shimmer Floss Ribbon, Czech glass beads, Irish waxed linen and a gold button. I've got some hand-painted Shimmer Floss ribbon in "Grandma Moses" from Ornamentea.com, green, faceted Czech glass beads, Irish Waxed Linen in "Dark Forest Green" from Jewelry Accord and a matte gold button from the fabric store. In this palette, I did want to match up with as many of the green colors as I could. The hand-painted shimmer floss helps me pull quite a few of the green tones in the palette with just that one element. I'll pull in the darkest green color with the waxed linen cord. Then, I'll pair the fibers with the contrasting finish of the faceted Czech glass beads and the button for balance and interest in the piece. The third theme for Spring 2014 is "Monochromatic".  (The following description is taken from the guidelines on the magazine's website.) Monochromatic In honor of our annual color issue, we are inviting our contributors to create monochromatic pieces in the color of their choice. While creating a piece in a single color simplifies the process of selecting color-coordinated materials, it makes the other design elements of the piece more visible. Balance, proportion, and symmetry are often accomplished through clever color combinations. Without the aid of a varied palette, designers must rely on their other skills to create well-executed, interesting, and attractive jewelry. We know that you are up to the challenge, so pick a color and show us what you've got! See their Pinterest inspiration board for this section at: http://pinterest.com/stringingmag/monochromatic-spring-2014/ Below is the color I've decided to go with for monochromatic: Grey Opaque Matte size 8 seed beads from ShipWreck Beads. Yep, Grey. Might not seem too exciting. Why in the world would I choose grey out of all the beautiful colors of the rainbow? Well, the design I want to make for this category will be elegant, sophisticated  and a little bit moody. That description could not be farther from how I would describe my usual style. I've decided to go in this direction because the color and look I have in mind is a total deviation from the esthetic I would normally create. It's fun to try different styles and show some range in my work. That is very exciting to me! :) I'm going to incorporate these opaque, matte grey seed beads from ShipwreckBeads.com into my jewelry piece by stringing them on multiple strands of grey waxed linen cord. The multiple strands of these seed beads will provide texture and visual interest to a monochromatic design. Last, but not least, the fourth theme for Spring 2014 is "Bead Soup". (The following description is taken from the guidelines on the magazine's website.) Bead Soup In contrast to the previous theme, the pieces in this section will be packed with colors-the more the better! We are challenging you to use as many different colors as possible in your submissions for this category, but be careful that you aren't sacrificing cohesion or wear-ability for variety. Tip: Successful "bead soup" pieces often have a unifying characteristic that runs throughout each design (ie: consistent bead size, shape, finish or material; a repeated technique; a specific theme or motif; etc.).  See our Pinterest inspiration board for this section at: http://pinterest.com/stringingmag/bead-soup-spring-2014/ Here are some beads I pulled from my stash for this category: Seed beads from ShipWreckBeads.com and a handmade ceramic bead set by Keith O'Connor. One hank of "All Mixed Up" size 8 Czech seed beads from Shipwreck Beads and a graduated ceramic bead set from ceramic artist, Keith O'Connor. I can't think of a better way to get more colors in than these fantastic seed bead mixes! They remind me a lot of the African "Christmas" or "Love" trade beads, which would also be a great choice for this theme. If you take a look at the Pinterest board for this category above, there are images of African beadwork. So, obviously those would be an ideal selection! I hope you've enjoyed following along with me on my journey to creating jewelry for the Spring 2014 issue of Jewelry Stringing magazine. I want to inspire you with ideas that you can use in your own jewelry. If you'd like to try submitting your designs, here is the deadline information and submission guidelines you'll need to know: E-mailed pre-submissions are due September 26th, 2013; physical submissions are due October 10th, 2013. For the rest of the submissions instructions and specifics, please read through the Contributor Guidelines in their entirety here. Do you submit your jewelry to any beading magazines? Would you like to see your designs published?  Why or why not? "Envious" Color Cord Mix from Jewelry Accord Leave a comment answering any of the above questions and you will be entered for a chance to win an Irish Waxed Linen Cord Color Mix courtesy of the Jewelry Accord shop on Etsy! By the way, this green color cord mix from Jewelry Accord would be an excellent material choice for jewelry project submissions to the  "Spring Greens" color palette shown above! Happy Beading! Erin Siegel is a jewelry designer, beading instructor and co-author of the jewelry book, Bohemian-Inspired Jewelry: 50 Designs Using Leather, Ribbon and Cords. To find out more, visit her blog: Erin Siegel Jewelry.

Studio Saturday...Ehem...Sunday-Creative Impressions In Clay

Welcome to Studio Saturday Sunday! Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you'll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.

This weeks winner is Kathy Lindemer, Congratulations! 
You have won a Dream Catcher Pendant Kits Erin Siegel!

Send Erin an e-mail with your email address and she will get it right out to you.

This week we visit the studio of 
Tari Sasser at Creative Impressions In Clay.

Bok Bok! I was working yesterday and missed my Studio Saturday. So today we have Studio Sunday!

 I made this mug several years ago for my mom for Mothers Day.
I have been in a creative funk for so long, I have nothing new to show. It's sad and tiresome.
Today I just feel like crying about it.
I need to make stuff for a show next month and my "Get up and Go has Got up and Went!" as my dad would say.

Mom collects Chickens. The inspiration for the mug.

Bok bok is what my kids would say what a chicken sounded like when they were little.

 Chicken Scratch :).

"Oh Crap!" Something my dad says. 

It was hard to photograph but I layered a pile of underglaze in the bottom of the mug + down the side to look like chicken crap. Yes, I have a warped sense of humor but then so does my family! Mom loved it.

Wish me luck on getting ready for my show next month. I'm hoping to unslump my creative slump.

My question today is:

Have you been in a creative slump? How did you get out?

Leave a comment answering the question and you could win a Pendant, a Button and a Cabochon. 

Have a great day!!

Feeling Sassy as usual!

Tari Sasser

Creative Impressions In Clay

Studio Saturday with Erin Siegel

Welcome to Studio Saturday! Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you'll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard.
The following week we choose a random winner.

This week's winner is Erin S. Congratulations, Erin! You have won a hydrangea pendant from Heather Powers of Humble Beads.
  Send Heather an email with your address and she will get your prize out to you soon.

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This week we visit the studio of
Erin Siegel of Erin Siegel Jewelry

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Next weekend I'm taking my 2 1/2 year old daughter to her first Native American Pow Wow. I hope she enjoys the flute music, drumming, dancing, storytelling and crafts. She's already familiar with dream catchers. Before she was born, I was gifted a beautiful dream catcher handmade by a Native American woman I know. It hangs above her bed now.

As long as I can remember, I’ve always been fascinated by the Native American culture. From their deep respect and reverence for nature, to their great spiritual teachings, to their beautiful handcrafts and beadwork. One Native American tradition I have always loved and gravitated towards is the dream catcher.

Today, I’m going to be sharing with you how to make your own dream catcher-inspired pendant to capture the dreams, goals and positivity you want to bring into your life! You will learn the traditional weave to make the web of the dream catcher, then you can embellish your pendant with a variety of beads, feathers and/or charms to represent those dreams, hopes and wishes you want to catch. The finished pendant can be worn on it's own or you can incorporate it into your own beaded jewelry design. The act of making this pendant is a hands-on, creative way to realize your dreams, while making a keepsake with special meaning that you can wear and keep as a reminder of the things that are important to you. But, before I get into showing you how to make your pendant, I want to share with you a little bit about the origins of the dream catcher and a Native American dream catcher legend. I hope you will find this to be fun, informative and inspiring!

Origins of the Dream Catcher:

The Ojibaway or Chippewa were the first to design these decorations to protect their babies against bad dreams that might come along in the night. Both good and bad dreams would be caught by the web, but only good dreams could find their way through the hole and slide down the feather to the baby’s head. The bad dreams, not knowing the way, would get caught in the web and dissipate with the first rays of morning light.

Since the beginning, many Native American tribes have adopted the dream catcher and incorporated it into their heritage. The Lakota are one such group that have done this. The following is their story of the dream catcher:

Legend of the Dream Catcher (Lakota)

Long ago an old spiritual leader was high on a mountain and had a vision. A teacher of wisdom appeared in the form of a spider. The spider picked up the elder’s willow hoop and began to spin a web. She spoke to the elder about the cycles of life. She said, “In each time of life there are many forces, some positive and some negative. If you listen to the positive forces, they will steer you in the right direction. If you listen to the negative forces, they will lead you astray.”

When the spider finished speaking, she gave the elder the web and said. “The web is a perfect circle with a hole in the center. Use the web to help your people reach their goals, making good use of their ideas, dreams and visions. If you believe in the Great Spirit, the web will catch your good ideas, let them float through the hole and down the feather upon you.” The elder passed on the vision to the people. Now, many hang a dream catcher above their bed to sift their dreams and visions. The good thoughts are captured in the web of life and dropped down to the person, the negative thoughts are caught in the web and perish at daybreak, never to be a part of their lives.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I would really like to adopt this concept! Who’s with me? Okay, let’s make some dream catcher pendants to wear to catch those good dreams from the air and let them float down into our hearts!

Materials needed:

 1 metal 25mm ring
(I use handcrafted copper rings by Miss Fickle Media)
1 gemstone 4mm round

3 size 8 seed beads in assorted colors

1 feather charm

2 metal 4mm jump rings

18” of 4ply Irish waxed linen cord (color of your choice)

A kit containing all the materials needed and instructions can be found in my Etsy shop here.

Tools:

 Scissors

A pair of chain nose pliers (to attach the jump rings)

Instructions:
1. Use the cord to make a 1” fold at one end. Use the folded end to form a lark’s head knot around the copper ring as shown in photo 1.

 2. Using the long end of the cord, form a half-hitch knot around the copper ring and the 1” tail as shown in photo 2.

3. Trim the tail. Pull the cord down so that it sits on the inside of the copper ring as shown in photo3.

 

4. Bring the cord around the copper ring and through the loop as shown in photo 4. This is called looping. Continue making loops around the ring 5 more times. Add seed beads as desired.

5. Bring the cord around the first loop created in step 4 and through the loop as shown in photo 5.

 6. Continue looping in the same matter adding seed beads as shown in photo 6. Loop around the inner diameter of the ring twice.

7. Use the cord to string one 4mm bead; tie and overhand knot and trim cord as shown in photo 7.

 

8. Use 1 jump ring to attach a feather charm to the pendant. Use another jump ring to attach a chain or necklace cord to the pendant and enjoy!

How about you?
Do you feel inspired by the dream catcher? or Do you find inspiration in the traditions of another culture other than your own?

Please share and tell me all about it. I want to know!

 Leave a comment answering any of the above questions and you will be entered for a chance to win one of my Dream Catcher Pendant Kits!

Thanks for joining me today!

Erin Siegel is a jewelry designer, beading instructor and co-author of the jewelry book, Bohemian-Inspired Jewelry: 50 Designs Using Leather, Ribbon and Cords. To find out more, visit her blog: Erin Siegel Jewelry.

Studio Saturday with Rebecca of Songbead and The Curious Bead Shop

Welcome to Studio Saturday! Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you'll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner. 

This weeks winner is Monique of A Half-Baked Notion. Congratulations! 
You have won three copper frames from Gaea. 

Send Gaea an email with your address and she will get them right out to you.

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This week we visit the studio of Rebecca Anderson of Songbead and The Curious Bead Shop.

Right now, I am poised at the very beginning of a hugely busy summer for me and Songbead jewellery.  

I've got that feeling of nervous anticipation - the calm before the storm, so to speak. But not actually so calm! Here's what the next two months hold for me, jewellery-wise:

20th/21st July - The Folk Forest Fair, Endcliffe Park, Sheffield 

3rd August - 25th August - The West End Fair, St John's, Edinburgh

Added to that, with my other hat on as a classical singer, they also hold this:

10th July - rehearsal in London for Re:Sound's Battles Within And Without

22nd July - 1st August - rehearsals daily in London for Re:Sound's Battles Within and Without

2nd - 4th August - performances of Re:Sound's Battles Within and Without

Can you do the maths.....? I am going to be one busy bee! And you may notice that the timings with all of my engagements are pretty tight.....including an overlap of the 2nd - 4th August......eek! Thankfully, I have a very, VERY kind partner who is going to travel up to Edinburgh and set and start up the fair for me. HUGELY grateful doesn't even begin to cover it! 

Gardenia

This is definitely the busiest summer I will ever have had with jewellery. A 23-day craft fair......I have got to tell you, I am a little intimidated by just how much stock I will have to make! The West End Fair takes place in the very centre of Edinburgh, during the Festival period. If you are lucky enough to have ever visited my home city of Edinburgh during the month of August, you will know just what an awesome atmosphere the place has at that time, and how very, very busy it is! 

Pacific Heather

I count myself as very lucky to come from such a wonderful place, and am looking forward to spending almost a month there this summer. A rare treat, even if I will be working there every single day! I have been to this particular fair countless times as a customer - I always make several trips, however long I am in Edinburgh whilst it is on, and I am extremely chuffed that I will be a part of it this year. Anyone who has done super-long events like this before - any tips gratefully received! 

Flying Through Fire

Although I know that I will need a LOT of stock, guessing exactly what I will need is hard. The pictures here are some of my new pieces that I've been working on. I find I am making up two or three versions of each design where I can....I don't always do this but I figure this will be a more efficient way of working for these events. 

Buttercup

Despite this, I anticipate that many of my evenings during the fair will be spent making, however much stock I have made up beforehand. I find that you can never guess what is going to be popular at any single event! I've been buying up art beads from some of my favourite makers. I got a fresh set of my signature tags made up too - big thanks to D'Arsie Manzella for these beauties! Look how teeny they are....

Despite any trepidation however, overall I am extremely excited about this summer and all it holds. I think I will definitely be due a good rest come September! 

Silken

My question for you this week is, what is your number one tip in preparing for craft fairs? Leave your answer in the comments below to be in with the chance of winning a set of handmade copper findings from The Curious Bead Shop, worth £15.50!

Rebecca is a Scottish jewellery designer, currently living in Manchester, England. 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.

Studio Saturday with Creative Impressions In Clay

Welcome to Studio Saturday! Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you'll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.

This weeks winner is Jamie, Congratulations! 
You have won 20-piece storage container from Erin Siegel and  Ornamentea.com.

Send Erin an e-mail with your email address and she will get it right out to you.

This week we visit the studio of 
Tari Sasser at Creative Impressions In Clay.

Note: Ignore the black borders. Not sure what the technical issue was upon export.

I had a lovely lady contact me to put together jewelry that was purchased as a kit. 

Keep in mind there were no directions or illustrations as to the finished look of the jewelry.

She had asked other artists to make her jewelry, she did not have the skills, only to be turned down.

Her now deceased husband had purchased these kits for her at a show. He was under the impressions he was buying finished jewelry. Having been widowed myself, I understood and agreed to make her jewelry.

Above is my interpretation of the necklace. 

The kit came with 3 strands of gemstones, 1 top drilled agate, memory wire and a few findings.

I glued Vintaj filigree to both sides of the agate. I felt the the piece would look best with raw brass.

Strung the strands of gemstones in graduated lengths with memory wire, covered the connection with crimp covers and connected with brass jump rings. Unfortunately the one thing I didn't have was a clasp in brass. Fortunately Vintaj findings are sold at Hobby Lobby where I could buy a clasp.

I was really happy with the results.

This kit only included the agate cabochon and a glue on bail. Hmmm, what to do, what to do.
Rummaging through my studio, I found a forgotten stash of brass necklaces I bought years ago from Rishashay.
It was simply hung with a jump ring.

The earrings were 2 cabs. No findings included. I knew I didn't have any glue on bails in my findings stash so creativity was paramount.
You might recognize the filigree from the necklace above. I took the same filigree and cut off the outer frame, filed down the edges, formed and glued to the back.
Attached Vintaj earwires and voila. A pair of earrings that look as pretty from the front as the back.

My question today is:

Have you helped someone with a jewelry predicament before?

Leave a comment answering the question and you could win Coin Buttons. 

Have a great day!!

Feeling Sassy as usual!

Tari Sasser

Creative Impressions In Clay

Studio Saturday with Erin Siegel

Welcome to Studio Saturday! Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you'll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard.
The following week we choose a random winner.

This week's winner is Pam of Klassy Joolz! Congratulations, Pam! You have won your choice of a mushroom pendant or a pair of yellow tulip charms from Erin Prais-Hintz of Tesori Trovati Jewelry!
  Send Erin PH an email with your address and she will get your prize out to you soon!

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This week we visit the studio of

Erin Siegel of Erin Siegel Jewelry

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 Here is my current studio space! 

I realized I've never ever shared my actual jewelry studio here on Studio Saturday! Mainly, that's because it is usually in such a disastrous state that I wouldn't wish to show anyone on a good day. Recently, I received a much needed reprieve when the grandparents took my 2 1/2 year old daughter, Nora off my hands for a weekend. What did I do with my rare freedom from motherly duties? I cleaned out my whole studio from top to bottom. Obviously, you can clearly see where my priorities lie. As soon as I get a moment to myself, I go straight to fixing up my studio! Oh, and deciding to take on that task was not that fun, mind you. There were huge boxes upon boxes of stuff piled up under the desk, items and paperwork that I had been avoiding dealing with for over a year and a mish-mash of beads and findings in every corner that had been thrown every which way. In my defense, I did have some help with the beads going everywhere part. There's a 2 1/2 year old cutie pie around here that loves to play with Mama's beads. ;) Even with all that work, there is plenty more I would love to do with my space, but at least it is clean, the top of the desk is clear and I can work in there once again. It was all well worth the effort. So, let me take you on a mini tour!

In the top picture above, you see my main work surface where I create my pieces. Here is where I keep some of my finished jewelry and favorite displays, a few bead storage units, my essential jewelry-making tools and some bead bowls and baskets. I love the colorful art piece on my wall. It makes me happy to look at it. I would love to hang more art on the walls soon!

My materials wall.

This wall is directly behind the desk and chair. The pegboard expands across almost the entire length of the wall. Over the years of making jewelry, I've learned I work most efficiently when I have my supplies out where I can see them all the time and can get to them quickly and easily. 

My pegboard wall holds materials and tools I use on a regular basis: metal gauge wire and beading wires, rulers and measuring tapes, scissors, hammer, metal and leather punches, bead stops and misc. tools, silk knotting cords, leather cords, suede lace, hemp, cotton and Irish waxed linen cord, silk cords, dupioni ribbon, sari ribbon and fibers, glass beads, gemstones and wood beads. 

I've had a few people ask me where I have acquired some of the items I have in my studio space. In case you are wondering, too, I have provided the following handy list of resources! I hope you enjoy the links and information. If you'd like to know about something that is not on this list, just ask me in the comments!

Clear-front Multi-Drawer storage unit: The Container Store
Small Ceramic and Metal bowls: Sur La Table
Handcrafted Driftwood Necklace and Bracelet Displays: Miss Fickle Media on Etsy
Woven Silk Easel Necklace stands: Fire Mountain Gems
Hemp Pedestal Necklace stands: Michaels Arts & Crafts Stores
Natural Linen Earring displays: Rio Grande   

White Pegboard, pegs, hooks and accessories: Amazon.com
Clear Plastic boxes for bead storage on pegboard: Fire Mountain Gems
 
Studios and organization is such an interesting topic for jewelry makers because anyone who works with beads knows the dilemma of bead storage and setting up a creative space that works. It is the bane of our existence! Isn't it? There seems to be no easy answer or solution for most of us. Ideally, I'd love to have absolutely every bead and finding visible at a glance. Just like when you walk into a bead shop, everything is out where you can see it!  

How about you?
How do you like to organize your work space? 
Do you have any tips or tricks you are willing to share? 
Know of any resources for great bead storage ideas?
Help us get organized! Please share in the comments! I'd love to hear your thoughts on studios and organization.

20-piece storage container from Ornamentea.com

Leave a comment answering any of the above questions and you will be entered for a chance to win this 20-piece, aluminum storage container from Ornamentea.com to organize your beads or findings!

Thanks for joining me today. Happy creating and organizing!

Erin Siegel is a jewelry designer, beading instructor and co-author of the jewelry book, Bohemian-Inspired Jewelry: 50 Designs Using Leather, Ribbon and Cords. To find out more, visit her blog: Erin Siegel Jewelry.