Inside the Studio with Mary Harding

Inside the Studio - Mary Harding

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.

Congratulations Leilani

You have won a $25 gift certificate from Humblebeads Etsy Shop

Please send Heather an email with your information.

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Welcome to my studio.  These last weeks, I have been busy making toggle clasps on a copper base.  Lots of sanding and polishing to do once the image is finished.  But I love making these each step of the way.  

                               Metal soldered stamped toggle clasps by Mary Harding  some now in my Etsy Shop

I was thinking back the other day to when I first began making toggle clasps and realized it has been quite a few years now.  My first toggle clasps were made from ceramic clay.  I continue to make some that way to this day.

I love how they look and especially enjoy painting on the glazes.  Looking at the date this photo below was taken, it is safe to say that I have been making toggle clasps for over 6 years.

                                 The  photo of this ceramic toggle clasp by Mary Harding was taken on July 23, 2008.

                           This picture of a 3 hole toggle clasp/donut pendant by Mary Harding was taken in September 2014.


My metal clasps have evolved a bit since I started making them a couple of years ago.  

                                            Copper clay toggle clasp by Mary Harding

                                     Flame Patina toggle clasp by Mary Harding

Double layer toggle clasp with flame patina by Mary Harding

Soldered Butterfly Toggle Clasp by Mary Harding

Now my metal toggle clasps have many more steps before they are completed.  Since I love using the torch so much, I take time to think up some new ways of making them.  This fall I came up with this combination of metals and textures

Textured Toggle Clasp by Mary Harding

This week I had a new idea for a toggle clasp.  It started out this way:

                                                     Wrapped wire and solder toggle clasp work in progress  by Mary Harding

Then I thought it needed to have a smaller middle opening so I wrapped wire around a base and came up with this design which I think has promise

wrapped wire over a base toggle clasp work in progress by Mary Harding

I think that it is important for studio/beading sessions to have some play and experimentation time. For me it usually comes close to the end when I am tired of standing and need a bit of a break. Whether or not this design will go any further is not as important as it is to let go of inhibitions and take chances.  Which brings me to my question.  How do you play/experiment in your beading/studio sessions?

Leave a comment below and you will automatically be entered to have a chance  to win one of my new silver metal toggle clasps.  One winner will be randomly chosen next week. I look forward to reading what you have to say.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Mary

December Monthly Challenge Color Palette

Hey friends, happy December!

This month's challenge piece is all about subtlety because there are two main colors you're going to focus on: cool grays and warm browns.

For the cool grays, you want to go as cool as you can with them. The second and third swatches from the bottom have a touch of green in them, so as you consider your designs this month, keep that in mind.

If you love gray, you can work with both warm and cool shades. With so much gray, though, consider shades of brown instead. The top swatch reads like a muted red brown (taken from the clothes), and the third swatch from the top is essentially a shade of gold (from the hanging lantern). Why go for browns? Because these are really the only colors you'll get with December's challenge.

Because of that, you can really work on a strong design this month. Think architectural influences and strong lines. I love arches, so those would be a great inspiration. If you like patterns, take a look at the patchwork floor, or the repetitive columns.

With a quieter palette this time around, what's your influence this month?

December Monthly Challenge Prizes + Sponsors

Our Wonderful sponsors for the December Challenge.
We will have 2 Lucky Winners this Month!

Stone Designs

Sheila Davis of Stone Designs creates beautiful lampworked beads. Great colors and shapes perfect gifts for a friend or yourself.

Sheila is donating a $50 Gift Certificate (expires 2/15/15) to her Etsy Shop.

Visit Sheila at her Website, Blog, Etsy, Flickr and Facebook.

: : :

Firefly Design  Studio

Michelle McCarthy of Firefly Design Studio makes ceramic pendants, buttons and jewelry components. Great gifts for the jewelry maker on your list!
Michelle is donating a $55 worth of her new designs made from Chocolate Clay.

Visit Michelle on her Website, Etsy Shop, Facebook and blog.

: : :

Submit photos of your wonderful Jewelry creations using one or more Art Beads here.
Submit to our new Bead Category here.

Choir of Sint-Bavokerk, Haarlem by Pieter Jansz Saenedam has with many different elements that can be used for inspiration: architecture, repetition, browns, earthy colors, human form and curvilinear design.

We can't wait to see where your creativity takes you with the art for this months challenge! 

**IMPORTANT** Please remember to put DEC ABS in the title or tag of your submission(s).  Pinterest doesn't keep Pins in the order they are posted.

Provide us with the artist of the Art Beads used and we always love to know all the materials you used. 
***Art Beads MUST be used in your entry.***

December Monthly Challenge

"Choir of Sint-Bavokerk, Haarlem" 1635 

by Pieter Jansz Saenedam

37.1 x 48.2 cm"

Oil on Oak Panel

About the Art

Passion for the purity of light and line, so strong an element in Dutch art, is found at its most abstract in the art of Saenredam. He restricted his subject matter largely to the portrayal of whitewashed Dutch ecclesiastical interiors, which he shows stripped of centuries of medieval embellishment by the Reformation's iconoclasm, as seen in the Choir of St. Bavo, Haarlem. It was in this great church that Saenredam and Frans Hals were buried.

About the Artist

Pieter Saenredam was born in Assendelft in 1597, the son of engraver Jan Saenredam. When the latter died in 1607, he left his wife and child well provided, having invested in the successful Dutch East India Company (VOC). Mother and son moved to Haarlem, where Pieter was apprenticed to Frans de Grebber for eleven years. He continued to live in Haarlem the rest of his life, although he regularly travelled around the country to paint in other Dutch cities. Saenredam soon began focusing on architecture. His depictions of church interiors established an entirely new genre in Dutch art. He was precise in his method: Saenredam’s in situ sketches were an essential guide for his paintings. His use of perspective in his church interiors was exceptionally meticulous.

Our Sponsors

Our Sponsors this month are Stone Designs by Sheila and Firefly Designs.

Please visit us tomorrow to see the prizes!

Monthly Challenge Recap

• Please post at least one single shot of your creation on the Pinterest Board. This will be used to make a collage for the Monthly Challenge Gallery. Every creation will be added to the collage, regardless of a blog post. So everyone gets included! 
Your entry must be on Pinterest 2 days BEFORE the recap to be included.
• Be sure to share with us the name of the art bead artist in the description of your photo so that if you are selected for the weekly Perfect Pairings on Wednesdays, both you as the designer and the art bead artist can get the credit you both deserve!
• An InLinkz button will be added to the bottom of the Monthly Challenge Recap post. Here you will be able to link up your blog post if you have one. It is no longer necessary to add your blog post URL to the description unless you want to. Be sure to hop around and see all the great inspiration and leave some comment love!
• The Monthly Challenge Recap with Blog Tour will be posted on December 31st.

Monthly Challenge Winners
• One prize winner will be selected at random from all pictures posted on the Pinterest 
board.
• One prize winner will be selected at random from all blog posts added to the hop for the Monthly Challenge Recap post. So if you want to be in the pool for the second prize, be sure to use the InLinkz code at the bottom of the post to share your process and inspirations!
• Winners will be randomly chosen from all the qualifying entries on December 1st.

Perfect Pairings :: Designer + Art Bead Artist
• Formerly the Featured Designer of the Week, our new Perfect Pairings will now focus on both the jewelry designer and the art bead artist. Be sure to point out all the art bead artists in your work in the description of the photo on the Pinterest Board. Links to their website or shop are appreciated. That way we can all find new art beads to love!
• From all the entries during the month, an editor will pick their favorite design to be featured every Wednesday here on ABS, so get those entries in soon.

How to enter the Monthly Challenge:

1. You need to have a Pinterest account. Go get one ASAP if you don't have one already. It's easy, fun and inspiring. 

2. Email us at absmonthlychallenge@gmail.com to get added to the monthly challenge board.

Subject: Monthly Challenge Board Request

Indicate if you want to be added to the Jewelry Board, Bead Board or both.

You will be emailed an invite to the board within 48 hours. Accept the invite and you are ready to pin your entries.

3. Two ways to pin your entry to the board.

Pin your photo from the internet (on your blog, Etsy shop, etc.) 

Add your photo directly from your computer

Create something using an art bead that fits within our monthly theme. We post the art to be used as your inspiration to create. This challenge is open to jewelry-makers, fiber artists, collage artist, etc. The art bead can be created by you or someone else. The challenge is to inspire those who use art beads and to see all the different ways art beads can be incorporated into your handiwork. 

An Art Bead must be used in your piece to qualify for the monthly challenge.

***Beads strung on a chain, by themselves and beads simply added to wire or cord will not be accepted.***

Please add the tag or title DEC ABS to your photos. Include a short description, who created the art beads and a link to your blog, if you have one.

Deadline is October 31st. Photos are approved by our moderators, if a photo hasn't followed the guidelines it will not be approved. You may upload 2 entries per month.

ENTRIES for ART BEAD ARTISTS!!
• Beads Makers Pinterest Board-Art beads must be created by you and fit the Art Bead Scene's monthly challenge theme. They can be made for the challenge or ones you have made before. 2 entries per month are allowed. 
One entry will be picked by the editors on the 28th of each month for a free month of advertising on the Art Bead Scene. Bead entries have to be pinned by the 27th of the month.
Beads only - do not post jewelry on this board. If a post doesn't fit the challenge it will be deleted.

What is an Art Bead?

An art bead is a bead, charm, button or finding made by an independent artist. Art beads are the vision and handiwork of an individual artist. You can read more about art beads here.

***A bead that is handmade is not necessarily an art bead. Hill Tribe Silver, Kazuri ceramic beads or lampwork beads made in factories are examples of handmade beads that are not considered art beads.

Beaded beads, stamped metal pendants or wire-wrapped components are not considered art beads for our challenge.***

p.s. If you have a blog, post your entry and a link to the ABS challenge to spread the beady goodness.

November Monthly Challenge Winners

Congratulations to this Month's winners! 

1 winners was chosen randomly from all the challenge entrants.

1 winner was chosen randomly from the InLinkz blog entries.
Winner of a month of advertising on ABS from the Monthly Challenge Bead category.
Our First lucky winner is Katherine Thompson.

She has won a $50 Gift Certificate from Ragged Robin.
:::

Our Second lucky winner is Backstory Beads.

She has won a $50 Gift Certificate from Gardanne Beads.

:::

Our winner from the Bead entries of the Monthly Challenge is Kathy Lindemer. 

She has won a Month of Advertising here on Art Bead Scene.

  

 Ragged Robin                       Gardanne Beads

               

Thank you Ragged Robin and Gardanne Beads for being our November Monthly Challenge sponsors!

Winners, please E-Mail Tari, tari@claybuttons.com with your information (Name and address) so your prizes may be sent to you.

A Big THANK YOU to everyone who entered this month using "Cattleya Orchid and Three Hummingbirds" by Martin Johnson Heade, as your inspiration. 

We were so fortunate to have so many beautiful entries and experience such creativity from our wonderful readers.

Visit us tomorrow to see what December's challenge brings.

November Challenge Recap

Hello Bead Peeps!
Sorry the recap is a bit late. I was off enjoying the usual holiday fun with my family and wasn't near a computer until now. I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

On behalf of the Editors of the Art Bead Scene I want to say THANK YOU to all our faithful readers...those who come to be inspired... those who make art beads... those who create jewelry... those who comment... those who just come to watch. You all make the Art Bead Scene what it is and for this we are grateful!

 Our painting this month is a lush tropical scene. It is at once moody and vibrant. The impeccable details keep you coming back to see more. 

Your submissions for this month were equally as alive and intriguing. From bright blooms to darting hummingbirds, your jewelry and beads were a perfect complement to the painting.

Last month I tried Kizoa as a slideshow. I did receive a few thumbs down on the slideshow idea but far more thumbs up! This time I tried a different service through Slide.ly. I would be curious to know what you think about this. I think it is pretty cool!

Art Bead Scene November 2014 Challenge by Slidely Photo Gallery

If that doesn't work, try this link: http://slide.ly/gallery/view/b1a9301c855594e9484936b300def673

Your turn!

Click the InLinz Link-up below to add your blog post to the hop!

Please add your exact URL to the blog hop for the

November 2014 Art Bead Scene Monthly Challenge Recap.

An InLinkz Link-up

Inside the Studio - Humblebeads

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.

Congratulations Erin S.! 

You have won a $20 credit from Something To Do Beads.

Please send Claire an email with your information.

Welcome to the Humblebeads studio this week. Grab a cup of cocoa and put on some holiday music, it's going to look a lot like Christmas here today! 

A few weeks ago I launched my holiday line of beads inspired by cozy cabins, handmade goodness, sweet woodland animals and other wintery woodland inspirations. These adorable cabin beads have been on my bead table just waiting to became holiday jewelry. I knew I wanted to keep it simple and let the beads shine bright. But sometimes keeping it understated can be a challenge too, every part has to be just so. 

So to kick off the holiday season here is the project, sweet and simple - you can became a little elf and whip up whole village. 

Supply List:

House bead

8mm faceted rock crystal

4 or 5mm accent bead (use crystal, Czech glass or a faceted stone)

4mm copper spacer

15mm jump ring

26" copper chain

6" 19 gauge steel wire

1 2" copper ball headpin

2 4mm copper jump rings

1 6mm copper jump ring

12 mm copper bead cap (snowflake charm)

I didn't have snowflake charm on hand, so I created one by hammering a six-sided bead cap flat. When hammering bead caps, go very slow and gently to avoid breaking the cap which can happen on items that are plated.

Directions:

1. Add 6mm jump ring to the flattened bead cap.

2. Create a loop 1 1/2" from the bottom of the wire, open loop, slide on snowflake, close loop, wrap wire to create a wrapped looped.

3. String on crystal, copper spacer, house bead. Create wrapped loop on top of house bead.

4. Add a crystal to the headpin, create a wrapped loop.

5. Attach 4mm jump rings to the ends of the chain. Add house pendant, crystal dangle and both ends of chain to the 15mm jump ring.

Resoucres: House beads: Humblebeads. Crystals, headpins, jump rings: Hobby Lobby. Chain: Yadana Beads. Stones: Rings & Things. Bead caps: Gift Bearer Supply (I found mine at a local bead shop)

So my question for you today - what is a clever way you have used a finding? (Like my bead caps becoming snowflakes.) One random winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to my Humblebeads Etsy Shop. Can't wait to read your clever responses!