Art Bead Evolutions :: Tropicalico

There are sooooo many possibilities with this month's inspiration art..... stormy sky.... blowing leaves... waving grasses.... tiger stripes..... and of course with so many choices it is really hard to choose! Also, since I am full-on in the midst of creating kits for the two classes that I am teaching at the upcoming Adornments Retreat (time is running out but there is still space in classes and we would LOVE to see you!), and Sunday night we celebrated my husband's 49th birthday with dinner out and a Phil Vassar concert (Ended up in the FRONT ROW, which was awesome, until mid way through the concert they didn't hold back the people who just bought general admission so then we couldn't see a thing for the drunk hoards that careened in front of us )...so, needless to say, I was very short on time. 

We were so close to Phil that it was like we were practically best friends. Soooo good!
In addition to his own songs - and he has written so many great songs that other artists have made famous -
he did an amazing rendition of Come, Sail Away and Piano Man that had has all singing.
Hey! I just noticed how awesome his background looks and works so well with this month's palette!

I toyed around with the idea to make a sort of modified tiger stripe cane, but I also know how hard it is to create a beautiful cane (which is why I will gladly buy any beautiful caned work from my favorite polymer clay artists!), so I knew that was not going to make sense for me even if I had the time, because I clearly lack the patience. So I settled on focusing on the color palette and a very simple stylized leaf shape, since the jungle foliage dominates the entire scene.

I started by mixing all my own colors. That is something that I spent a lot of time on in the Julie Picarello class at the Bead & Button show. Sure, right out of the package there are a vast variety of greens along with gold and yellow and russet red and flame orange, but Julie really instilled in me that you need to take it just another step to make it great. These colors are all very earthy and while bright they are a bit more subdued in hue. I think they play well together.

Next I spent some time cutting out strips in varying widths and laid them on the diagonal on a backing sheet of black.

Finally, I cut them into an inverted teardrop shape for a mod leaf, slightly off center, adding texture to various parts.

And.....that is where I left off.

I am actually not sure what will happen next! Perhaps some more distressing.... definitely some patina.... not really sure where I am going with this. I am baking some up right now to experiment with some options. With any luck, I will have some to share at the Adornments Retreat! ;-)

Art Bead Palette :: Margit Boehmer

Artisan Pendant

I came across the work of Margit Boehmer yesterday, and I just had to share it with you.

Everything about her work draws me in. From the geometric shapes and textures, to the unabashed use of bright colors. Margit is a color lover, too (which you know I love), and it shows in pretty much every polymer clay bead she creates. I'm especially a fan of her color combos, which are unusual and captivating.

Here's more:

Flower bead earring elements

Calypso beads

Spindle beads

Aren't they lovely? As always, there's far more than I can show here, so be sure to stop by Margit's Etsy shop.

Studio Saturday with Erin Prais-Hintz of Tesori Trovati Jewelry

 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 Renetha of Lamplight Crafts! Congratulations, Renetha! You have won a a polymer clay Buddha pendant from Barbara of SecondSurf.com courtesy of Erin Siegel of Erin Siegel Jewelry! Send Erin 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 Prais-Hintz of Tesori Trovati Jewelry

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I started my Simple Truths Sampler Club in the spring of 2010 with the idea that it would push me in new directions and help me come up with new ideas. I wanted it to be affordable, so I broke it down into four levels: 3-, 6-, 9- or 12- months. The original idea of the Club was to have a limited edition design that was exclusive to the Club and would not be sold elsewhere. If someone came back to me and asked about a previous Club selection I would explain that I could not recreate it. However, I have a limit of 20 spots in the Club and if the membership was not full in a given month, I would sometimes bend my rule and make one that might be similar to the Club selection at full price.

The only problem was that I would not really plan out what I was going to make and more often than not, I would wait until the very last minute. What came out was what I was focused on at the moment, what was in my heart and on my mind. And sometimes what was sitting right in front of me. While that is a true representation of where I am as a person there wasn't a lot of advanced planning. And I sort of felt like maybe I had failed my loyal members.

Each year I put together a collage of the previous months to see where I have been. It is interesting to me that there is sometimes a theme present. Sometimes there is a color or shape that I gravitate to. This year there were a fair amount of winged things (birds, bees, fairies) and flora (flowers, leaves, acorns).  (For some reason, I am missing a month and cannot for the life of me recall what it was! June? July? Does anyone who was in the Club last summer remember?) I am not sure what that says about me and my mental states... that I have tried to fly away and seen a lot of growth? Hmmm.....maybe....

At the end of last year the interest in the Club seemed to be waning. That is bound to happen. I have a lot of hoarders in the Club and several members told me they wanted to continue but just couldn't. I completely understand. I have a shameful glut of art beads that I must deal with this year before I can allow myself to buy new ones. (On a side note, I do have a special Pinterest board to promote those that use the Simple Truths in their creations. And if you get one published and let me know so I can celebrate you!). I have always said that as long as there is one person in the Club I will continue. I thought that the Club might fade away at the end of the year. I almost removed the listings from my shop, but some long time customers, and some new ones purchased spots to start in January, so that gave me a reason to refocus my vision for this years' Simple Truths Sampler Club.

So I knew that I wanted to change things up a bit to the Club. Here is an excerpt from the revised Club welcome letter:

For 2013, I have made a few changes to the Sampler Club.

I am challenging myself to carve my own designs whenever possible and to try new techniques. I am excited to share them with you! This will be a big learning curve for me but I am ready to take these components in a new direction.

I find incredible inspiration in the monthly challenges over at Art Bead Scene and my plan is to make some of these ABS-inspired pendants as Club offerings. I encourage you to come and play with us in this fine creative community at www.artbeadscene.com. It is where I got my start designing. It pushed me creatively and I have met some of my best friends through this place. Since you have to use an art bead in your submission, my hope is that you might consider using the one I send to you as inspiration. This monthly focus will allow me to have a plan in advance and to work at pushing my creative boundaries while still giving you a quality jewelry component.

The biggest change involves that I am actually planning instead of procrastinating! And since my word is BALANCE for 2013, I think that feels sort of good!

I sat down with the paintings for the year and sketched out designs. That doesn't mean that I will be sticking to these exact notes, but it feels good to actually have a plan that I can look forward to each month. I am even ahead of the game because I have already completed my design for February and I have ideas percolating for March and May! Because I made the decision to change things up at the very beginning of the year, I was a little bit late with the January Club selection, but I was also trying a few new things that have been on my list:

• Inspired by the Art Bead Scene challenge painting for January, Black Peacocks with Japanese Persimmons
• Carved my own texture plate with an original design
• Played with the Swellegant line of patinas, a new technique for me

I hope that my Club members felt that it was worth the wait. ;-) What do you think?

Inspired by the challenge painting, I carved a peacock feather. The center, or eye, of the feather is a wee little heart.

I wanted it to look old, like a relic from the past. The patina I used is a rich bronze with verdigris and touches of Caribbean Blue, Indigo and Violet. The highlights are in a rich brass.One of my members emailed me to say that she thought it was bronze PMC and not polymer clay. Aha! My clever disguise worked! Pretty good considering that before I worked on the patinas, my husband thought it looked like fish bones!

Proud as a Peacock

One final change to the membership - or rather a clarification - is that I will continue to offer these special pendants inspired by the Art Bead Scene challenge each month to the Club members first. Their privilege is that they are guaranteed to get one. And their membership price works out to be reduced from my regular shop offerings. However, I have decided that I will now offer limited edition runs of these pendants each month to my Etsy clientele, provided I haven't hit my membership max. This month I only had four members, so I have a few available in case you are interested. ;-)

The remaining Proud as a Peacock pendants are available in my Etsy shop as of today. But I set one aside just for my Art Bead Scene readers. Would you like to win it? It might be a bit too late to enter a design with it before the end of the month, but I sure hope it will inspire someone to make something special! And that it will be shared with me so that I can Pin it!

Answer the following question to be entered:

What is a new technique that you are interested in trying to shake it up in 2013?

Want an additional entry? Leave a comment if you share on social media (Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, blog, etc) with a link back to what you did. The random winner will be announced on January 26th!

Art Bead Palette :: Humblebeads

Funny story, one of the first art beads I ever bought, back before I ever knew what an art bead was, was one of Heather Powers' urchin beads. I was fascinated with how she took a humble medium, polymer clay, and turned into art (maybe that's where she came up with the name Humblebeads? I'll have to ask her). The textures and shapes and sheer volume of what she can create amazes me. As does, you guessed it, Heather's color choices.

I'm really taken in with the colors artists choose in their bodies of work, and Heather's color choices are no exception. I think they're fantastic, and would instantly bring a ton of color to a necklace or any jewelry design. Every bead she has in her shop would be an awesome jumping off point, so I picked out a few favorites and whipped up these color palettes.

I know Heather's got a ton of fans out there who love and use her beads, so tell me: what's your favorite Humblebead you've ever bought?

To connect more with Heather, you can visit her website and her blog.

To see more color palettes from me, you can stop by my blog.

May Monthly Challenge Prize

We're happy to announce our wonderful sponsors for our May Monthly Challenge!

We will have two lucky winners this month.

Mary Harding Jewelry

First up we have two amazing pendants from the talented ceramic artist, Mary Harding.  Our first winner will receive a Birch Leaves and Wild Harvest Pendant (a $58 value).

"Mary's recent work involves gathering the timeless and enduring plants of the pastures of Northern New York and channeling these plants to create ceramic pendants, marks a fresh and imaginatively interpreted fusion of styles and material embodied in her colorful renderings of these resilient beauties.

Each pendant marks its own creative journey as each work is individually hand painted by the artist, fired, inspected, and then creatively finished to bring out the fusion of contemporary and folk art drawn from the qualities of the clay, the form of the pressed plant, and the artistically applied glaze that brings the impression to life and sets its spirit free."

See more of Mary's work on her website, Etsy shop, and blog.

Heather Wynn

Heather's poetic polymer clay pendants offers light-hearted quotes and pogniant messages for your jewelry designs.  Her work varies from bright and playful colors to rustic earthtones.

"Each pendant is created with polymer clay, handstamped, laden with texture and patina, and then sanded and buffed."

Heather has donated four pendants, shown above valuing over $70.

Visit Heather's Etsy shop, blog and Facebook page.

To enter to win create a piece of jewelry inspired by our Monthly Challenge Inspiration that incorporates art beads.

When looking Utrillo's Italian's House at Monmarte I'm drawn to beads in house shapes, leaves and tree motifs.  Pull out your wood beads, earthy ceramics, fibers in yellows, greens and creams. Leafy green stones, Czech glass leaves or go for geometric shapes in squares or rectangles.

We can't wait to see what you create this month!

Tag, you're it! Custom Jewelry Tags

"Every job is a self portrait of the person who did it ...
Autograph your work with excellence.” 

~Vince Lombardi 

 
Before I designed jewelry I was a collector of costume jewelry. That is all that I could afford, and I didn't realize that there were other options. I recall having a piece of Monet jewelry that seemed to cost a lot to me at the time, and it had this little tag near the clasp. It was identified by that brand tag forever and made it more special in my eyes.

When I started designing jewelry of my own, I knew that I wanted to somehow sign my work. After all, artists sign their paintings and we have all seen the Antiques Roadshow where a patron has a signed copy of an artwork that is worth thousands that they didn't even realize that they had. Early on, the pieces that I made were definitely not worthy of the moniker of 'art,' and they certainly didn't include art beads, but that didn't stop me from dreaming that one day my signature might be worth something!

I am glad that I had the foresight to think of this back in 2006. It was actually one of the first branding moves that I made, long before I decided on copper boxes and chocolate satin ribbon with my company name and skeleton key logo hot foil stamped on it. As I am prone to do, I did a lot of research before deciding on what was right for me. In fact, one of my very first posts on Art Bead Scene back in 2009 was about this very thing. There are many options out there for signing your work.

{the Tesori Trovati skeleton key logo stamp}

At the time I paid around $150 for a custom stamp to be cast of my exact skeleton key logo from Microstamp. This was way before there was an explosion of metal design stamps out there, and now I see that there are plenty of skeleton key design stamps that I could use, but I am pretty happy with the one that I had created just for me. Because I am the only one that has it.



Along with that, I purchased bulk packages of little oval tags, also from Microstamp, in sterling silver, gold filled, brass and copper. This size above is 6x9mm. I find that I gravitated to the copper and silver ones the most, as that matches the metal tones that I used more frequently and I have recently made the decision to stick to copper since that became a signature metal tone for me early on. I can also use this to stamp the back of a metal piece instead of a tag, an added bonus.

Beaducation offers such a huge variety of metal design stamps that you might be able to find something that could brand your work from their stable of popular designs rather than having something custom made. Then you just need to find the little tags to stamp them on and you are set!

{TagMate System from Infinity Stamps}

I did a lot of research on Infinity Stamps. They have a really nice tool called the TagMate System that you use to steady the stamp so that you get a true impression each time. I can tell you that I have baggies of little tags that I ruined because I stamped too light, too heavy, or got a ghost image from an overeager double blow with the hammer. Eventually, I picked up a dead blow hammer and got the hang of it so I don't make those mistakes any more. The price was considerably higher, but the main reason I didn't go with this is because at the time they only had a limited supply of sizes of the tags that fit their tool and they didn't offer them in copper, which was my favorite, or brass. However, I see that they now carry a much larger variety of metals, like brass and copper and shapes, like hearts and ovals and rectangles. They also offer stamps perfect for clay, like polymer and precious metal so that if you use those materials you can sign your work as well. If I didn't already have a stamp, I would surely look closer at this product now.

{cast pewter tags from Charm Factory}

You could also have a custom engraved sig tag created for you all ready to go from Charm Factory. Since they offer engraving rather than stamping it is supposed to be quicker and more precise. They also offer a cast pewter option that is less expensive (see above). I also liked that option and might consider it in the future.

{the cutest little sig tags ever created by Mamacita Beadworks for Lorelei Eurto Jewelry}

Lorelei Eurto came up with a clever idea to sign her artisan pieces. She commissioned an artist named D'Arsie Manzella of Mamcita Beadworks to create a custom tag with a cute little owl on it and the initials "L E" for her name. That is so very beautiful!

{see how that cute little tag adds to the charm of this Lorelei Eurto bracelet?}

Since this is a bit more special and more pricey route to go, they might not show up in every piece that Lorelei makes, just the most artistically inspired, but I love how this is also an art bead with Lorelei's favorite owl motif that can play into the whole design.

{Andrew Thornton's unique signature - I would love to own a piece of his jewelry with this special tag!}

And I just stumbled across a blog post by my friend Andrew Thornton with little bronze tags that he made with his own signature for a jewelry line he was working on. I love the way these turned out and the color of the metal. If you work in PMC this would be an obvious option.

What other things could you do to make signature tags? These options above might not work for everyone, and can be an added cost that some are just not willing nor able to take on. There must be some other ideas from you clever people out there.

I work a lot in polymer clay now, and it is wonderful stuff. I think that it would be possible to make some tiny wafer-thin tags in a variety of colors that could easily be added to your work. You can even use products to patina the clay and make it look like precious metal, like the new Swellegant line created for Christi Friesen that works on all sorts of surfaces from metal to paper to clay. You can get these from Christi direct or from B'Sue's Boutiques. Can't wait to try them! But it all comes back to branding, and maybe if you can't brand each piece of jewelry, start with your packaging with paper tags and stamps and stickers to make your work stand our from the rest.

Okay, so just by signing your work in some way doesn't make it art, but it is a step in the right direction. Why? Because artists who care about their work, who see the value in it, and who believe that the piece is done will add their signature. Imagine finding a Miriam Haskell signed piece of costume jewelry, or Louis Comfort Tiffany. The value of a signature is not to be overlooked and who knows? Yours might be worth something someday!

Your turn...
Do you sign your work? How do you do it? 
If you don't sign your work, would you consider it? What method appeals to you?
What else can you do to raise the level of your creativity from just making pretty to creating art? 

Erin Prais-Hintz invites you to go on a journey of inspiration at her blog Treasures Found :: Inspiration is Everywhere. You can view a gallery of her work at http://www.tesoritrovati.com/ or purchase her new line of 'Simple Truths' in her Etsy shop.

Holiday Sparkle - Czech Glass and Art Beads

This year I'm making jewelry for smaller trunk shows and events and trying to keep an affordable price point in mind.  I'm mixing fun holiday pendants with just a touch of sparkle using Czech glass, rhinestone spacers and brass or gunmetal chain.  Here are some of my favorite combinations.

I'm pairing up this vintage image of a pine cone with traditional mix of the ol' red and green with just a bit of pink/champagne color reflected in the greenery.

Czech glass beads from Beads by C.

While some are looking for more traditional holiday gifts, others want jewelry that are winter themed that will last through the season.  I like this winter woodland scene paired with cream and brown Czech glass beads.

Czech glass beads from Dream Girl Beads.

And why not be a little playful for the holidays - I love the idea of using these bright Czech glass bead mixes to mimic holiday lights.  Pair them with a pine tree pendant and mix in the flowers stacked three together and upside down to look like tiny trees.

Czech glass beads from Dream Girl Beads.

And finally back to the winter theme with icy blues and snowball white beads paired up with this sweet Snowbabies pendant.

Czech glass beads from Beads by C.

All polymer clay pendants from Humblebeads.

Meet the Designer :: Kimberlee Peters of SingingCat Studios

Allow me to introduce to you artist Kimberlee Peters of SingingCat Studios.

I first came across Kim's beautifully detailed polymer clay in a bracelet that she submitted to the February ABS Monthly Challenge. I love the dreamy quality of the color palettes she uses, the intricate textures and the mixed media focus with the addition of antique buttons and the like. And the fact that she makes them as pretty from the back as they are from the front tells me that she really cares about her art. Come along and learn a bit about Kim...

EPH:: How long have you been making jewelry? What got you started doing this? Have you taken classes or are you self-taught?

KP:: I've always liked beads; I used to design and make women's clothing for a living and love fabric, ribbon, beads, anything related to fiber and jewelry.  Finally, I started to make jewelry about five years ago after I took a basic stringing class at a local bead store. The class immediately turned me into a complete beadaholic, and I've been collecting beads and making jewelry ever since. I've taken only one other jewelry class, a beadweaving class that got me hooked on seed beads. As for working with polymer clay, I am entirely self-taught.

EPH:: What is the meaning behind your name "SingingCatStudio"?

KP:: I have three cats--Oliver, Tallulah, and Maddy (she insists on spelling her name with a "y")-- all of whom "sing" in their own unique style.

EPH:: I first found you when I was seeking components for the February 2011 ABS challenge of Sargeant's painting. Your polymer clay beads are soft and ethereal. Have you always worked in polymer clay? What draws you to this medium?

KP:: I started to work with polymer about two years ago. I was attracted to the medium because it is versatile and can be combined with so many other materials. I am especially drawn to color, so I use mica powders in all of my work and am always looking for new colors.

EPH:: How has your style evolved from when you started until now?

KP:: When I started working with polymer, I had no style. I experimented for almost a year before I developed my current technique. About ten months ago I also started to finish the back of my beads with stamping ink and liquid polymer. I now look at earlier pieces and feel that they are incomplete and not as polished as my current work. My jewelry is becoming somewhat more complex although I need to continue to work with new materials and styles.

EPH:: Where do you find your greatest inspirations?

KP:: Inspiration comes from everywhere. Although I am a writing professor, I have a master's degree in art history, so I'm definitely inspired by art, especially early twentieth century art. I also find inspiration in nature and fashion. Honestly, I often times don't know where my ideas come from. I'm just glad they arrive.

EPH:: As anyone who is creative knows there is always something new to learn. If you could learn one thing that you don't know how to do, whether it is related to your beadmaking or not, what would that be?

KP:: I get to pick only one thing?! I'll stick with beading and say that I need to learn better and more wire techniques.

EPH:: What is next for SingingCatStudio?

KP:: I'm hoping to do some craft shows this summer and will continue to exhibit at bead shows, including Bead Fest Philadelphia in August. I'm working on new shapes and types of beads, and simply want to continue to push my jewelry making and designing skills and creativity.

Thanks for taking the time to share a bit of your process with us, Kim! We look forward to seeing more of your interpretations of the ABS Monthly Challenges, especially the newest one with its ethereal subject and dreamy palette. Visit Kim's Etsy shop to purchase her complete pieces in necklaces, bracelets and pins, and also to buy her pendants and focals for use in your own creations.

SingingCat Studios Etsy shop can be reached at: http://www.singingcatstudio.com

Visit SingingCat Studios online:

SingingCat Studios Facebook page is: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Singing-Cat-Studio/149196388454385?ref=ts

View more beauties in the Flickr photo stream at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/singingcatstudio/

Erin Prais-Hintz writes about all things that inspire her at Treasures Found::Inspiration Is Everywhere. Her jewelry designs are one-of-a-kind made one-at-a-time. She collects quotes and dust and invites you to send her your favorite (quote - not dust!) to enjoytheday@tesoritrovati.com.

Enjoy the day!

The Beads of Christmas

♫♪♪♫ I'm dreaming of a White Christmas....

Moonraker Lampwerks, 

♫♪♪ Just like the ones I used to know...
Where the tree tops glisten....

Humblebeads

♫♪♪♫ and children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas....

Diane Hawkey

♫♪♫♫♪ ... with every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white.

 Yifatiii's Sweets and Treats polymer clay

Happy Holidays!

Lori Anderson creates jewelry for Lori Anderson Designs and writes the blogs Pretty ThingsAn Artist's Year Off.  She lives in Maryland. and

New Winner of The Complete Book of Polymer Clay

Since the original winner couldn't be contacted, I've done a second drawing, and this time the winner is

Elizabeth of Turquoise Sky!

Elizabeth, I'll be contacting you!

The Complete Book of Polymer Clay

This book is full of step-by-step instructions for those that want to delve into the world of polymer clay. Written by Lisa Pavelka, it covers everything from polymer clay basics (which clay should I use?) to Skinner blending, caning, and image transferring.

Each page is full of colorful examples for each tutorial (64 in all!) -- lots of inspiration. Chapter Fourteen delves into "Projects You Can Make", offering six independent tutorials that will utilize the skills you learned in the book. The end of the book is pure eye candy, with an Artist's Gallery of finished work that is nothing short of breathtaking.

And now, you can WIN this book from me! Just leave a comment and I'll draw a name on August 18th.


Lori Anderson makes jewelry for Lori Anderson Designs. She writes the blogs Pretty Things and An Artist's Year Off.

From the Beadmaker's Table: Miss Fickle Media

From One Little Piece of Coral

This is a piece of coral my son found on the beach in Florida in 2007. It is an extraordinary piece of coral in that it reminds me of that precious time and floods me with wonderful memories each time I look at it. I remember the feeling of contentment and peace of mind seeing my family enjoy the sand, sun and ocean.

I first used it to create a mold. Something I do with almost every 3D trinket I own cause you never know what is going to make a really cool clay thing-a-ma-bober. 

From that mold I created this simple but unique pendant;

But I also found that by just using the top section of the coral I could create this very interesting crackle effect in beads;

The sides of the coral added a nice texture to the edge of these clay discs;

And the back of the coral creates this texture;

I am thrilled to get so many uses out of one item! It has opened my eyes to looking at every little object with potential for so much more. A change of position and color of paint and I have a seemingly endless way to decorate polymer clay art beads!

Much Love & Respect,
Shannon
missficklemedia.com